The room remained still, the air thick with unspoken emotions. Rei, despite her usual composure, found herself at a crossroads-one she had never faced before.
Tim's sacrifice lingered in her mind like an open wound. The way he smiled, even in his dying moments. The way he shielded her, even though she had spent years trying to kill him.
Why?
She clenched her fists, her body trembling.
How could he still believe in me after everything?
She had been raised in darkness, molded into a warrior for conquest. To her, justice had always been about strength-about enforcing control. And yet, in the end, she had been nothing more than a puppet.
Tim had seen through it all. And even after she had fought against him, he still chose to save her.
She bit her lip, trying to suppress the rising emotions.
"Tim... you really were a fool."
But even as she said it, she felt the weight of his final words.
"I just... didn't want to lose her... again."
Her fingers dug into her palms.
Tim never forgot.
Even after their memories were erased... Even after she had tried to destroy him...
He never stopped seeing her as the person he once knew.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
She wouldn't cry. She made up her mind.
Instead, she took a deep breath and met Jim's gaze.
Jim's hands were still trembling as he held his Solun Lance, its energy pulsing faintly. His face was tense, his jaw clenched tight.
"You better not make me regret this."
Rei didn't respond.
Jim's grip tightened. "Tim called me his little brother."
His voice cracked slightly. "He saw me like one. And now he's... gone."
The words hit like a punch to the chest.
His breathing was heavy. "I won't let his sacrifice be in vain."
Moonsalt stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder, but Jim shrugged it off.
"No." His eyes darkened. "I have to know if she's worth it."
Rei remained silent, watching him.
Jim's emotions were raw, but she understood.
He doesn't just hate me. He's afraid.
Afraid that he had lost his brother for nothing.
Afraid that Tim's trust had been misplaced.
Afraid that if he let himself believe in her, he would only be betrayed.
And deep down, Rei wasn't sure if she could prove him wrong.
Jim exhaled sharply, lowering his lance slightly.
"Fight me."
Henry and Marie tensed. "Jim, wait-"
But Jim didn't budge.
"Not to kill. Not to hurt." His voice was firm. "I just need to see it for myself."
Rei raised an eyebrow. "See what?"
Jim's eyes burned with emotion.
"If you're really worthy of the trust Tim gave you."
Rei let out a slow breath.
"Fine." She took a step forward. "I'll fight you. But on one condition."
Jim narrowed his eyes. "What?"
Rei's expression hardened.
"You don't hold back."
Jim's eyes widened slightly, but then he nodded. "I wasn't planning to."
The tension in the room shifted.
Everyone stepped back as the two warriors moved to the center.
Rei inhaled deeply. She had lost everything. But for the first time, she was willing to see if she could rebuild something new.
Jim readied his stance.
The air inside Heatsun's base grew heavy as Jim and Rei faced each other.
Jim's Solun Lance hummed with faint Solar and Lunar energy, but his grip was unsteady. His breathing was ragged - not from exhaustion, but from the storm of emotions raging inside him.
Rei, on the other hand, stood motionless, her twin hatchets hanging at her sides. Her expression was calm, but beneath the surface, her heart pounded.
Jim broke the silence first.
"Do you even care?" His voice cracked, a mix of anger and sorrow. "Tim's gone. He's gone because of you."
Rei didn't flinch. "I didn't ask him to save me."
Jim's jaw clenched. "He didn't save you because you asked. He saved you because he believed in you!"
Rei's fingers tightened around her hatchets, her body trembling slightly. "I never wanted his belief."
"But you got it anyway!" Jim's shout echoed through the room. "And now he's dead!"
The words pierced Rei's heart like a blade.
She lowered her gaze. "I know."
Jim's hand shook around his lance, his vision blurring with tears.
"I should be standing by his side right now." His voice cracked. "We were supposed to fight Dark Void together. We were supposed to save Soluna."
Rei's throat tightened.
"You don't think I wanted that too?" she whispered. "I didn't want him to die either."
Jim shook his head violently. "Then why did he have to die for you?"
Rei's heart ached. "I don't know."
The silence weighed down on them.
Jim suddenly lunged, thrusting his lance forward - but there was no real force behind the attack.
Rei easily sidestepped, refusing to strike back.
"Fight me!" Jim yelled. "Prove to me Tim didn't die for nothing!"
Rei's voice wavered. "I'm not going to fight you."
Jim's hands trembled. "Why not?!"
Rei met his gaze - and for the first time, her mask cracked.
Her eyes, usually so cold and calculating, were now filled with pain.
"Because I can't bring him back."
Jim's lance faltered.
"I can't undo what happened." Rei's voice shook. "I can't take back the years I spent following Dark Void."
Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she didn't wipe them away.
"But I can honor him."
Jim's vision blurred again, but this time, it wasn't just from his anger - it was from his grief.
"Tim believed in me." Rei's voice cracked. "And I don't know why."
Jim's breathing was shaky. "Because that's who he was."
Rei stepped closer. "I never deserved his faith."
Jim lowered his lance slightly. "Then prove him right."
Rei clenched her jaw. "I don't know how."
Jim's voice broke. "Neither do I."
And then -
Jim's lance fell to the floor with a metallic clang.
He sank to his knees, his hands covering his face.
"I just want him back."
Rei's heart shattered.
She knelt beside him - not as an enemy, not as a warrior - but as someone who had lost the same person.
Tim wasn't just her friend from a forgotten past.
He was Jim's brother too.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
The battle never came because the real fight wasn't between them.
Heatsun, Moonsalt, Henry, and Marie stood silently, watching the two young warriors - broken, but not alone - finally mourning the person who had believed in both of them.
Jim wiped his tears away, his voice barely a whisper.
"Don't let his sacrifice be in vain."
Rei swallowed hard, her voice steady despite the ache in her chest.
"I won't."
In that moment, the gap between them didn't disappear - but it was no longer insurmountable.
They were grieving together.
Jim after that said "Fine I will allow you to stay with us."
Jim then said "I now have my father and mother with me. But I still cannot be truly happy. I think I really saw Tim as a big brother for the time we spent. No one ever called me brother like him. Even then,I have to face the reality he is not coming back. Even..Ev..en tho..ugh it hurts.I have no choice but to keep his last wish."
He sobbed.
There was a tense silence.
After a few moments-
"One year," Jim finally broke the silence, his voice cold and steady. "Dark Void will return... with his three elite commanders. And their goal is simple to kill you."
Rei didn't flinch at the threat, but deep down, a chill ran through her.
Jim said. "They aren't just ordinary enemies - they are planet conquerors. They are...ruthless, experienced, and handpicked by Dark Void himself."
The others were silent, absorbing the gravity of the situation.
Heatsun crossed his arms, his face grim. "Dark Void wouldn't make an empty promise. If he said he's returning in a year, he's already preparing."
Moonsalt's eyes darkened. "And if those commanders are anything like him..." she trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.
Marie looked at Henry with worry. "We barely survived this time. How will we face him again, with even more powerful allies?"
Jim's jaw tightened. "That's why I'll train." His voice was firm, but there was an undeniable sadness behind it. "For Tim... and for Soluna."
Then, his gaze shifted back to Rei.
"And for you."
Rei blinked, unsure how to respond.
Jim's words didn't feel warm - they were sharp, like a blade.
Rei straightened her back, suppressing the ache in her chest. "Then I'll train too."
Henry's eyebrows shot up. "You just woke up from nearly dying-"
"I know," Rei cut him off, her voice steady. "But Dark Void is after me. If I can't protect myself, I'll be a burden. I'm not going to let Tim's sacrifice be meaningless."
Her words hung in the air - a promise not just to herself but to everyone in the room.
Jim stared at her for a long moment. His fists were clenched at his sides, but after a pause, he gave a small nod.
Heatsun spoke next, his voice rough but resolute. "If you're both serious, we start immediately."
Moonsalt's usual sharp demeanor softened for a moment. "You'll train under all of us - me, Heatsun, Henry, and Marie. And you'll push past your limits."
Jim's face remained stoic, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes - a desperate resolve.
Rei exhaled slowly. "Good."
But inside, her heart was a storm.
This wasn't just about training for a fight.
This was about proving she was worth saving.
It was about honoring Tim's belief in her - even when she couldn't understand why he had it in the first place.
_ _ _
As the team slowly began discussing the training plans, Jim stayed back for a moment.
He didn't look at Rei until he spoke again.
"If you betray us... even once... Tim won't be here to save you next time."
Rei didn't respond to that but deep inside she didn't seem to ignore.
As the room fell into silence once more, only one thought echoed in Rei's mind.
"One year."
And in that year, she has to become strong enough - not just to survive.
But to destroy Dark Void and his commanders.
No matter what it took.