Outside of the Meteor Corp HQ, Trixie looked Dodeka up and down, never seeing a woman of the Fennec race before.

  So tall...Trixie thought.

  "So...where are we going, Dodeka?”

  Dodeka glanced at Trixie from the corner of her eye, her gaze flickering for a moment before returning to the path ahead, her tail lazily swaying behind her.

  "We're heading towards a remote place near the border between our nations," she said brusquely, her voice betraying no emotion. "Sarolta has a job for us to do in the area, which she didn't go into detail about..."

  She paused for a moment before continuing, her tone still just as matter-of-fact. "I don't think you'll find it pleasant, so be prepared for anything.”

  A slight shiver ran down Trixie's spine. The cold tone of Dodeka's voice, coupled with the ominous words, left her feeling uneasy. A small part of her was curious, wanting to defy and ask more questions, but she remembered Sarolta's orders and swallowed her curiosity.

  She took another deep breath before nodding to herself. "Y-yeah..." She murmured, keeping her gaze fixed on the path ahead. "I'll be prepared for anything…”

  Dodeka nodded briefly in acknowledgment, her eyes still focused on the path. The walk continued in silence for some time, the only sound being the crunching of the gravel below their feet.

  After a while, Dodeka finally broke the silence, her voice as emotionless as ever. "I need to ask you something.”

  The words caught Trixie off guard, and a sense of unease washed over her. Her stomach twisted nervously, wondering what Dodeka could possibly want to ask her.

  She swallowed heavily before replying, her voice quiet. "Y-yes...? What is it?”

  Dodeka looked at Trixie out of the corner of her eye, her expression still stoic and unreadable. "I noticed...something." Her voice was still cool and detached, but there was a hint of curiosity in her gaze. "When Sarolta called you 'agent puppy', your whole demeanor changed for just a split second. You seemed...uncomfortable.”

  Trixie's eyes widened at Dodeka's observation. She had thought she had hidden her discomfort well, but it seemed that Dodeka's sharp eyes had caught it anyway. She could feel her face heating up in embarrassment, but she tried to keep her tone neutral.

  "I-I...It was nothing." She replied quickly, averting her gaze away from Dodeka. "I just...I'm not used to being called that, is all.”

  Dodeka raised an eyebrow at Trixie's answer, her expression betraying no emotion. "Not used to it, hm?" She echoed, her tone betraying skepticism. "But...you didn't protest. You just...accepted it. Like it was no big deal."

  She looked at Trixie closely, her gaze studying her for a moment before continuing. "Why is that?”

  Trixie's breath hitched, her fingers twitching at the direct question. She wanted to answer, needed to answer, but Sarolta’s voice echoed in her mind: "You will not ask questions unless I permit it."

  Her jaw clenched for a second before she forced herself to exhale shakily and lower her head again. "B-because...Ma'am Sarolta told me that was my role now." Her words were stiff, rehearsed, as if she had been conditioned into this response long ago.

  Dodeka watched Trixie carefully; there was something unsettling about how easily obedience came from the girl these days...like muscle memory of submission taking over any real thought behind what she said next…

  Then Dodeka tilted slightly closer as they kept walking side by side without stopping movement forward towards their destination: "...Do you even remember who you were before all this?”

  At Dodeka's sudden question, Trixie froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. The question brought up memories that had become increasingly distant in her mind.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Her eyes darted off to the side, not meeting Dodeka's gaze for several long seconds as she tried to gather her thoughts. "I..."

  Her words seemed to get caught in her throat as if trying to remember something that felt like a lifetime ago.

  ...Who was she before all this…?

  As they continued walking, Dodeka kept a keen eye on Trixie, observing her every response. It was clear that the question had caused some internal turmoil, but Dodeka's curiosity only grew stronger with each passing second...

  "I can see your expression, puppy," she pointed out bluntly. "You're struggling to remember, aren't you? You can't even remember who you were before all this, can you?”

  Trixie’s breath stuttered, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. A flicker of something, something old, flashed behind her eyes before it was smothered by the weight of Sarolta's conditioning.

  "I...wasn't supposed to forget." The words slipped out in a whisper, barely audible as if even she hadn’t meant to say them aloud. Her voice wavered with an unfamiliar emotion, something close to fear or frustration but buried too deep for either label now…

  Dodeka stopped walking abruptly and turned fully toward Trixie this time; there was no mistaking the sharp intensity in those military-trained eyes anymore: "Then why did you?”

  The air between them grew heavy, tension crackling like static. Trixie’s body locked up, every muscle coiled tight as if bracing for a blow.

  I wasn’t supposed to forget. The thought echoed in her skull now, louder and more insistent than Sarolta's voice ever was. But the memories...they were there, just out of reach, fragmented things, laughter with Uni, Steph complaining about something petty over breakfast… Mable teasing Esther while they trained together...

  Her throat burned suddenly; she wanted to scream or cry or maybe both, but instead? She did what she'd been conditioned best: "B-because Ma'am said I shouldn't remember." Her voice cracked on every word because it sounded so stupid even saying it aloud now! Like some pathetic excuse!

  Dodeka stared at her unblinking before muttering under breath: "...Goddess almighty."

  "So...what's the mission about...?" Trixie asked softly.

  Dodeka’s jaw tightened for a second before she exhaled sharply through her nose, like she was debating whether to answer or not.

  Then, with deliberate slowness, she reached into her tactical vest and pulled out a folded piece of paper sealed with Meteor Corp's insignia. "We're going to attend a meeting between the Empress of Ukiuq, Kirsi, and Raliya, the President of my homeland. There's major political unrest going on and Kirsi is there to urge peace upon the Fennec race. That's putting it simply, but it's more complicated."

  "...What's your homeland called?" Trixie inquired.

  Dodeka's hand paused, fingers still holding the sealed note, and she looked at Trixie, her tone as cool and measured as ever: "The Republic of Alua. It covers the northern portion of the continent, including the Fennec Valley and other major settlements. Alua, however, is the capital, and you can see why Kirsi would travel there given the current situation.”

  Trixie nodded slowly, listening intently but still feeling a tinge of discomfort under Dodeka's gaze. "I'm guessing...the meeting could end in violence...?" She asked cautiously, her eyes flicking to the note.

  "It could be a possibility," Dodeka replied as she tucked away the letter again, her expression stern. "Both Raliya and Kirsi have different visions for the future of their country. While Kirsi wishes to unite and rebuild the Fennec race after the disaster with the Empire—specifically those with light skin—some time ago, Raliya is tough as nails and stubborn to listen...and she doesn't like outsiders meddling in Fennec affairs, so there's always the chance that the meeting could turn into a...well. A disaster."

  Trixie looked at her own fair complexion, then at Dodeka's soft, sun-kissed one, looking at her carefully: "...But I have light skin - does that mean I'm one of the people the Fennec people are after if this thing goes wrong?"

  "Yes." Dodeka's response was swift and cold, without even a hint of sugarcoat.

  Trixie's breath hitched, her stomach twisting violently at the blunt confirmation. Her fingers twitched, itching to reach up and cover her face in some subconscious attempt to hide what made her a target.

  "Then...why am I here?" she whispered hoarsely, eyes flicking between Dodeka’s unflinching gaze and the horizon where their destination lay, like a doomed ship spotting its iceberg too late. "Sarolta...she knows this is suicide if things go wrong..."

  Dodeka tilted her head slightly, not quite pity but something close: "Because you're expendable." The words landed like bricks dropped from great height; cruel yet simple truth wrapped neatly beneath military precision: "She sent you because whether or not we survive tonight? You die either way."

  A beat of silence passed before Trixie let out an airless laugh that sounded more like choking on glass than anything resembling humor ever should be…

  Dodeka’s eyes narrowed at Trixie’s reaction, something between irritation and reluctant concern flickering across her usually impassive face.

  "Don't laugh," she snapped, voice sharp enough to cut steel. "This isn’t a joke." She stepped closer, looming over Trixie with the full weight of her military bearing pressing down like a bootheel on fragile ice: "You think I enjoy being assigned babysitter duty for some brainwashed puppet?" Her jaw tightened as if fighting back another bitter remark before adding coldly:

  "...But Sarolta ordered me to keep you alive tonight. So whether we both like it or not? You’re sticking close until this mess is over.”