"I just need a little time to repay a favor. After that, I’ll have all of the time in the world."

"I could even return to being a student if that’s what you want."

He said.

"She also mentioned that they use every and all methods for their control."

"I guess in your case it’s to make you feel indebted enough."

Nova said, but White’s next words made her steps freeze.

"Who do you trust the most, Nova? Me or Vice Mimura?"

"Are you trying to turn me back against my tutor?"

"No, I’m just trying to understand exactly where she stands."

"The promise we made was both of us against the world."

"You disappeared for half a year. You were dead."

"She fed you the lie."

White said, and she froze.

"The interchange mission originally was supposed to take three months."

"When I was leaving, you asked how long it would take, and I said it wouldn’t be forever, and you promised to wait."

"I came back, Nova, and you waited. We both kept our promise, as we’ve always done."

"Your only hurt came from thinking I was dead, and Mimura was the one who fed you that lie."

"Do you still wish to place more importance on her words than mine... even after that?"

His words went like a flame through her heart, but... was he wrong?

She had been fine after he was gone, missing him, obviously.

But she was fine.

She looked forward to every day, until Vice Mimura came and broke the news of his death.

That was what brought her world to chaos.

Now thinking back, why did she choose to believe her?

Were the six months enough to lessen her belief in him?

To no longer have faith when he had made it clear that he would definitely return?

But now... he was leaving, after so soon. It was hurting, but was it right for her to attribute that to Vice Mimura’s words?

Why couldn’t she just see it was because whatever he had was important?

The thought of it all made the flame in her heart subside, and eventually she inhaled and exhaled slightly before turning to him.

"For how long will you be gone this time?"

"I’m not sure, but I promise you that whatever happens, I’ll try to see you once more before this week ends."

He said, and in that moment, she blitzed forward towards him, her hands reaching out and pulling his head down as she kissed him deeply.

"I’ll trust you."

She said, and their foreheads pressed together.

"And I won’t betray your trust... ever."

White watched her leave, blitzing through the snow as she disappeared into the distance.

But even then, he could see the tiny tear droplets in the air that she had left behind.

One of his fingers reached out, and a fine droplet landed on it.

"Stop feeding her lies."

White said all of a sudden, withdrawing his hand from the air.

He turned behind him, but it was ordinary as ever.

In response, White moved his hand forward and then folded his fingers into a fist.

CRACK!

The sound of cracking echoed from the space about twenty meters away from him, and soon enough, it shattered into pieces, revealing an open blue door where a lady stood reclining on the sides.

"So you can see through space?"

Vice Mimura asked.

"I can do this too."

White responded, and in the next moment stretched out both hands.

CLAP!

The sound of clapping rang out, and the space was completely crushed to nothing.

The blue door and Vice Mimura folded into shattered space, a black vortex materializing after the destruction.

White calmly parted both hands before turning slightly to the side.

There, floating in the sky, was Vice Mimura, whose folded hands slowly parted.

"You indeed grow stronger, though I have to mention that won’t be enough for you to take me down."

She said, her hands clenching into fists as a storm of energy began to gather around her.

"I don’t have a reason to take you down..."

White said.

"Though I might if you keep meddling around with her mind."

He said, turning his back as two massive dark wings ripped out from it.

"She’s nothing like you... So keep your traumatic anger to yourself."

He warned before flapping once, soaring into the sky, turning into black ink that disappeared through the clouds.

In a couple of seconds, he was completely out of Vice Mimura’s sight as she relaxed her clenched fists.

"Let’s see how long you keep that up... Humanity Ascension slave."

---

"Still got a couple hours left."

The words resounded from a man who stood at the mouth of the sword-shaped jet.

BOOOM!

It shook slightly as White landed onto the ship, shaking it with his weight.

"Done with what I came here for. Now, we can head to the mission specifics."

He said, and Commander Zoltan nodded as both continued into the jet.

---

"It’s an old lair."

Commander Zoltan said, swiping a panel in the air at White, who tapped it, widening it with his palm.

The image displayed looked like a cave carved into a mountain of sorts.

"It’s one of the Original Lairs belonging to the Alpha Group of Supernaturals, the Werewolves."

"Satellite sightings had shown that they moved away from it about a couple of weeks ago."

"You want to know why. So... an abandoned lair exploration mission?"

White asked.

"Humanity Ascension isn’t interested in knowing why."

"Werewolves have a habit of inscribing their history into the caves where they reside, and they never destroy them or try to erase them on leaving."

"This lair isn’t ordinary. It used to be an Alpha Pack Lair."

He said, and White froze.

"You mean a lair where there are only Alphas."

"Yes. Only Alphas."

"Humanity Ascension reckons that it will be filled with knowledge that should change the tide of the war, except that even when it’s clear that the Alpha Group has departed, there were not very many Awakeners who were interested in taking on such a job."

Commander Zoltan said.

"I don’t blame them..."

White said, continuing,

"Stepping into the lair that used to belong to an Alpha Pack is as good as being labelled dead."

"So you know the risk this carries?"

Commander Zoltan asked, leaning forward to White, who dispersed the image panels.

"I do."

He replied curtly, 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"So, what do you say? Want to take it on?"