In the days following the attack, Aerion's sky remained gloomy. Despite the beginning of reconstruction, the city was still weak and trembling, like a person who had just survived a close brush with death.

The smell of ashes and dried blood still lingered, but it was now overpowered by the scent of fresh plaster, damp wood, and the strong disinfectant from the field hospitals. Still, the pain remained, etched deep in people's dazed eyes, in heavy sighs, and in the emptiness of vacant houses.

After trying to bury themselves in work to escape reality, both Henry and Sophia understood they couldn't forever avoid painful confrontations. There were meetings, though they knew they would reopen old wounds, that they had to face. And the one with Laura, the widowed wife of Captain Jacobs, their captain and older brother whom they deeply respected, was the most difficult and distressing one for them.

The captain's small house, once a cozy gathering place filled with the laughter of Unit 18, was now steeped in a silence that could be felt from the moment they stepped into the yard. When Henry's hand trembled as he knocked gently on the familiar wooden door, his heart ached. It was Laura who opened the door. She looked noticeably thinner, her eyes, once vibrant and full of life, were now dark and sunken from lack of sleep and, likely, from crying too much.

But she still managed to force a weak, fragile smile when she saw her husband's two former comrades. Her belly seemed a bit larger than the last time they met, and the small, innocent life growing within her had become Laura's only fragile hope.

"Henry, Sophia, you've come." Laura's voice was hoarse as she tried to stay calm, but her trembling couldn't be hidden. "Come in, please".

Inside, the house was still tidy and neat, as if its owner had just stepped out for a moment and would soon return. But the emptiness, the absence of the familiar warmth, was impossible to conceal.

Jacobs's image was still there in the old, yellowed photos on the wall, his hearty laugh, his resolute eyes, his affectionate pats on the back. It was there in the personal items he left on his small desk, a pen with unfinished ink, a notebook with uncompleted plans, his favorite pipe. Henry's throat felt tight.

He wanted to say something, a sincere word of comfort, a heartfelt expression of sympathy, but all words seemed meaningless and hollow before such immense grief.

Sophia quietly approached, not saying a word, just silently embracing Laura. And then, Laura's long-held composure shattered. She burst into wrenching sobs.

"Laura, we..." Sophia also couldn't hold back her tears, her voice cracking.

Laura patted Sophia's back gently, her own eyes filled with tears. "I know you two are also in a lot of pain. Jacobs, he always saw you both as his younger siblings, always worrying about you and protecting you".

Just then, a young soldier, his face youthful but solemn, knocked on the door. He carried a small, elegantly crafted wooden box wrapped in black cloth, with the emblem of the Zephyros military carved on it. "Madam Jacobs," the soldier bowed low, his voice filled with respect and sorrow, "by order of the Demigod Alfie, we respectfully return Captain Jacobs's ashes to his family".

Alfie had kept his promise.

The moment Laura's hands trembled as she took the small box, she almost collapsed. She hugged the box tightly to her chest, as if she were holding her beloved husband, the partner who had been with her through so many difficult years. The tears she had held back for so long now flowed uncontrollably. Her thin shoulders shook with each sob, the pain seeming to tear her heart apart.

The child in her belly seemed to feel its mother's sorrow, and stirred, as if offering a silent comfort.

"Jacobs, my love..." Laura called her husband's name in choked sobs, her voice breaking into fragments. "How could you leave me and our child? You promised you would come home. Our child hasn't even had a chance to see his father's face yet".

Henry stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder, trying to give her some strength and warmth. "Sister Laura, Captain was a true hero. He fought to his last breath to protect everyone, to protect this city. We, all of us, will never forget him, will never forget what he did".

Sophia knelt beside Laura, taking her cold, trembling hand. "Please don't be so sad, you have to take care of yourself and the baby. We promise, from now on, we will always be here for you, taking care of you and the baby, as if we were family. Captain Jacobs's child will also be our child, our nephew".

Laura looked up at her husband's two young comrades, her eyes tear-filled but shining with sincere gratitude. "Thank you both. Thank you so much".

Leaving Laura's small house, where pain and love still lingered, Henry and Sophia's hearts felt even heavier. The pain of the one left behind, the irreplaceable loss, was always the most haunting. They understood that their promise was not just empty words of comfort in a time of sorrow, but a sacred responsibility, an inseparable bond with their fallen comrade and the small family he had left behind.

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In the following days, they continued their sorrowful journey, visiting the families of the other members of Unit 18 who had bravely sacrificed themselves or been tragically mutated in that fateful battle. With each meeting, they witnessed more tears, more pain that could not be healed, and the eternal emptiness in the hearts of those left behind.

They saw elderly mothers, with hair as white as snow, sobbing over a photo of their only son. "My son... why did you leave me so soon... I never got to see my daughter-in-law, never got to hold my grandchild..."

The mother's mournful cries pierced the hearts of everyone present. They saw young wives, holding their children who were too young to understand what was happening. The children's dazed, innocent eyes looked at the wooden box containing their father's belongings, a father they would never have the chance to meet. "He promised he would come home... he promised he would play with our child in the sunflower fields... he promised..." The young wife's choked, broken words brought tears to everyone's eyes.

Henry and Sophia tried to do everything they could to soothe the pain of those left behind. They returned the few remaining personal items of their fallen comrades, an old silver ring, an unfinished letter, a yellowed photo, the last memories, the last pieces of a life, a love, a friendship.

Each item was like a knife twisting in the hearts of those left behind. Through these painful meetings, through the tears and heartfelt confessions, Henry and Sophia felt more deeply than ever the brutality of war, the fragility of human life, and the sacred, eternal bond of camaraderie and humanity.

A small but solemn memorial service was later held at the old barracks of Unit 18. The moss-covered stone walls and the training ground, still marked with the footprints of the brave soldiers, were now tinged with a tragic, mournful color.

There was no longer a full lineup as before, only Henry and Sophia, the last two members of the original Unit 18. They stood there with Laura, the woman who carried the hope and future of their fallen captain, and the relatives of the other comrades. There were no flowery, hollow speeches, only heartfelt eulogies, and memories shared in choked sobs and infinite regret.

"Daniel... he was always the quietest person in the team, but he was also the smartest and most reliable, the one who always gave sharp analyses in the most dangerous situations..." Henry recalled, his voice hoarse with emotion as he tried to hold back his tears.

"Lumos... his strength, his stability, was always a solid pillar for the whole team, the one who always went first in every danger..." Sophia continued, her voice trembling as she tried not to let her sobs interrupt the flow of memories.

"Melly... she was always so lively and cheerful, always bringing laughter and optimism to everyone, even in the most difficult circumstances... Torsan... the young, timid recruit who was also brave, he grew so much with each mission, becoming a true warrior..." The familiar names, the precious memories, all came back, vivid and clear as if it were just yesterday.

Tears streamed down Sophia's pale cheeks, while Henry tried not to break down from this overwhelming pain. The memorial service ended in absolute silence, with each person carrying their own sorrow, an emptiness in their hearts that could not be filled, and a silent promise to continue living, to continue fighting, on behalf of those who had passed away.

After the service, Sophia decided to stay with Laura for a while longer. She understood that in the weakest and loneliest moments, the presence of a friend who could listen and share was a spiritual medicine that nothing could replace.

Henry returned to the Investigation Bureau. He was surprised to find that the atmosphere there was not much different from the military barracks.

A small but solemn memorial service was also being held for the brave investigators who had sacrificed their lives in the attack on Aerion. The main hall of the Bureau, where usually only the hurried footsteps of investigators and dry work conversations were heard, was now unusually solemn and silent.

The chairs were neatly arranged in rows, and on a temporary platform covered with black cloth, photos of the fallen investigators were placed with respect, next to flickering candles and fresh white chrysanthemums, a symbol of infinite mourning.

Chief Investigator Ragley, who had just lost close colleagues and the woman he had perhaps secretly loved, stood there among his subordinates. His face, which was already serious, was now even more troubled and tired, deeply etched with pain.

He stared into the distance, his eyes holding a profound sorrow as he remembered the talented subordinates and battle-forged friends who were no longer there, who had sacrificed themselves for the peace of Aerion.

Brena, who was thought to have collapsed from such immense losses, was still standing there next to Ragley. Her usual proud demeanor seemed to have been replaced by a somber quietness. Her blue eyes, despite the thick makeup, were still red and swollen.

She had probably cried a lot during the night or had tried to hold back her tears so no one would see her weakness.

All the members of the Investigation Bureau, from the most ordinary clerks to the most experienced senior investigators, were present. They stood there without saying a word, solemnly sharing their collective loss.

There were no mournful wails or heartbreaking sobs, only a heavy silence, sincere grief, and a silent determination to continue fighting, not to let their comrades' sacrifice be in vain.

Henry realized that this pain was not his alone; it was the shared pain of a collective, of people who had fought together and faced danger together to protect the peace of Aerion and Zephyros.

He joined the ranks, standing with his new colleagues, people he would likely have to fight side-by-side with in many dangerous missions to come, and bowed his head in memory of the fallen heroes. In that moment, he felt a connection and empathy with these people who also carried indelible scars and pain that would never truly heal.

The evening descended upon the city, bringing with it the biting cold of a light drizzle. Henry left the Investigation Bureau, with thoughts and feelings he couldn't express.

He knew that the war might have temporarily subsided on the surface, but the battles in their souls, the struggle with pain and loss, with the ghosts of the past, would continue, perhaps forever. And the responsibility of the living, like him, was not just to continue fighting the dark forces lurking outside, but also to fight the ghosts within themselves.

He needed to try harder to be able to move forward, carrying with him the memories and hopes of those who had passed away forever, who had sacrificed so that he and others could live.

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