"What's that?" Miko asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

  Kie’s eyes settled on the girl, her slight frame folded inward as if trying to disappear. She clutched herself, fragile and uncertain. His expression softened, though a weary sigh slipped past his lips. Then, leaning forward, a quiet resolve began to sharpen in his gaze.

  "They agreed to cover me while I executed the death-ball maneuver," Kie explained. "The plan was simple yet daring. I had to get close to the Xenosapian and throw the death-ball into its gaping maw, which would cause it to explode from within."

  Miko's brows furrowed further, her confusion growing evident. She leaned in, eager for further clarification.

  Kie continued, "Death-balls are a product of scientific genius. The scientists studied the goo mana of the Xenosapian and developed these orbs that unleash an explosive reaction upon contact with a specific substance found in the Xenosapian’s gut."

  "Okay," Miko nodded, her darkness enlightened.

  Kie rubbed his hairless chin, trying to recall where he left off. Tee opened her mouth to remind him, but he regained his train of thought just in time.

  "We initiated the maneuver by launching a coordinated assault on the beast," Kie resumed, his voice filled with determination. "Our focus was on speed rather than brute force, provoking the creature to open its big, filthy mouth. We were a small group, but as others caught on to our plan, they joined the plan. The Xenosapian lashed out at us, but we dodged its claws with nimble agility."

  He paused for a moment, letting the anticipation build. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he continued, "Suddenly, a boomerang blade soared through the air and lodged itself in one of the creature's eyes. The blade was specially designed, slightly curved like a boomerang, with padding on both ends for a secure grip. The person who threw it had no intention of retrieving it, shedding both paddings before the throw."

  "The Xenosapian bellowed in agony, causing us all to step back, our ears ringing from its ear-splitting roar," Kie narrated. "Since my left ear was already numb from a previous encounter, it didn't affect me as much. With its mouth about to close, I knew I had to act swiftly. I spotted a trooper who had kneeled on the ground, covering their ears, and saw my chance."

  He leaned forward, mimicking the motion he made in the story, and continued, "I dashed forward, using the trooper's back as a lever to propel myself into the air, hurtling closer to the monstrous creature..."

  All their mouths opened wide from his audacity. Miko couldn't help but worry about the trooper whose back Kie had used as a springboard, but she pushed the concern aside, engrossed in the tale.

  "It was just enough to get me within reach of its gaping maw before it slammed shut," Kie recounted. "Without a moment to spare, I flicked my thumb, launching the death-ball into the monster's mouth, before its massive arm crashed into me. The world turned black as I tumbled and crashed onto the unforgiving concrete ground. My neck cricked multiple times."

  He straightened in his seat, eyes burning with intensity. “A blow like that should have killed me,” Kie admitted, his voice carrying equal parts awe and disbelief. His hand fell away from his chin, the gesture underscoring the weight of his words.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  A hush settled over the group as the weight of Kie’s words sank in. He let the silence stretch, feeding the tension, before a sly glimmer lit his eyes. Fingers brushing the hem of his shirt, he leaned forward ever so slightly.

  “I’ve got a scar on my back,” he said, voice low with teasing gravity. “I could show you—but it’d mean taking this off.”

  Saeda averted her gaze, her face turning away from him. "That's not necessary," she responded, her tone slightly uncomfortable.

  Tee wholeheartedly agreed, her mind vividly recalling the sight of Kie's previous scars, which had caused her to stumble and hold back a barf. She interjected, trying to divert the conversation. "Is that all, Kie?"

  Kie rested his elbows on the table, fingers laced before his lips in quiet contemplation. “I didn’t see this part—I was still fighting to stay conscious,” he admitted. “But they say the monster began to swell, its body inflating from within as thick cords of muscle pressed violently against its own skin.”

  "I managed to catch a glimpse of the troopers' feet rushing away," Kie recounted. "And there was this one idiot hiding behind a light pole."

  He clapped his hands together with a sharp crack that made everyone flinch. “It exploded into a thousand pieces,” he said, awe threading through his voice. “Dark goo sprayed across nearly everything.”

  Kie let out a sigh. "Unfortunately, I couldn't move my arms in time, and some of those chunks hit my head and back," he confessed. "There was a slight burn on my exposed skin. Blades and swords that had lodged into the creature's skin flew out, and I narrowly missed one that could have sliced my head off."

  Around him, jaws fell open in stunned silence.

  "After it was all over, only twelve of us survived, and that included the injured," Kie continued. "We helped each other to our feet, patching up our wounds with whatever spare bandages we had. It was dark, thankfully, as it made it harder to see the tears streaming down their madeup faces. At that time a swarm of MG offs came…"

  Tee clenched her fists, her lips curling up in a growl of frustration. Those worthless MG offs! Where were they during the battle? They must have been drunk and got lost on their way there. Pathetic.

  "But that's what being in the Mid-Guard is all about," Kie concluded, his voice filled with a mix of determination and resignation. "You learn to fight and survive in a world filled with monsters, or you die trying."

  A heavy silence followed Kie's words, prompting Saeda to break it with a question. "Is that the end of the story?" she asked, her voice filled with a mix of curiosity and concern.

  "The end," Kie declared with a hint of finality, feeling compelled to say those exact words.

  Zod, arms folded across his chest, challenged him, his voice filled with skepticism. "You call that a happy ending?"

  Kie cast a languid glance at Zod, his eyes half-lidded, his expression unreadable. Across from him, Miko sat frozen, her horrified gaze fixed on the plate before her, the fork in her hand suspended, unmoving.

  "You’re right. That wasn’t a happy ending. But happy endings are just a myth," Kie responded, his voice tinged with a hint of resignation. "In reality, all endings are the same. There's no such thing as a happy ending."

  Saeda, ever the inquisitive one, probed deeper. "Is that what you truly believe, or is it what people have told you?"

  Kie kept his gaze fixed on the flickering flames, lost in his thoughts. "It's what I've come to believe and every passing day reinforces it."

  Tee found herself pondering the meaning behind his words. She couldn't help but wonder if there was more to his story, something he didn't want to share, particularly regarding his family. Did his outlook on endings stem from a personal place or was it solely shaped by his time in the Mid-Guard?

  It was true that the inability to obtain something often made it more desirable. Tee's curiosity about Kie's untold backstory, especially his family, was piqued. The scars he carried went beyond the single Xenosapian incident he had described. She refused to believe he encountered a Xenosapian every day.