Ellee stood in front of the reinforced metal door of her shared dorm, her expression unreadable. The door whooshed open silently with the touch of her ID chip, and a voice echoed inside.
"Welcome back, Commander."
It wasn't a greeting she hated, but she certainly didn't love it—too formal, too robotic. She stepped inside, expecting silence and perhaps the soft hum of ambient lighting.
Instead…
"Hey, Zion! Stop trying to rearrange the weapons rack!"
"You mean the 'chaos corner'? I'm organizing it."
"That's a bold word for scattering bombs and snacks on the same shelf."
Laughter followed.
Ellee blinked. Her room—once a fortress of calm, silence, and cold organization—had become something else entirely. The living space now bore traces of life: a hoodie flung over the armrest, a pillow fortress in one corner, and someone humming a tune off-key from the kitchen.
She sighed.
Peace is dead.
"You're late," a voice spoke calmly behind her.
Ellee turned slightly. The speaker—Viola, she remembered—had piercing violet eyes and a soft smile. "We figured you'd arrive earlier to lay down the law."
"I expected professionalism," Ellee said sharply, eyes sweeping the room.
"We didn't break anything… yet," Zion chirped.
"Zion."
"Yes, Commander?"
"Keep the grenades away from the snacks."
"No promises."
Ellee rubbed her temples and walked deeper inside. Her sword, Stormweaver, still rested in its glass case on the wall. At least that hadn't been touched.
The four newcomers were settling in like they'd lived here for years. She found it… unsettling.
Maya waved at her from the corner, lounging on the sofa with a book. "Welcome to the chaos, Commander."
"Why does no one call me Ellee anymore?" she muttered under her breath.
As she crossed the living room, a faint flicker of memory tugged at her. Zion was sitting cross-legged on the floor, fiddling with a tiny mechanical spider. It sparked, let out a squeaky beep, and zipped across the room.
Ellee's breath hitched.
For a split second, she saw a blurry image—two boys fighting over a robotic toy. One of them had laughed like that. The sound was almost identical.
But the memory faded, leaving behind only a hollow ache.
She shook it off. Just deja vu. Nothing more.
---
Later that evening, the five of them sat around the dining table. It was supposed to be a "Getting to Know Each Other" session—Guild-mandated bonding time.
Ellee sat at the head, arms crossed.
Viola leaned forward first. "Since we're all breathing the same recycled air now, why don't we start with something light?"
Zion raised his hand. "Favorite weapon."
"Of course that's your idea of 'light,'" Maya rolled her eyes.
"I'll go," Xion said with a smirk. "Twin daggers. Quick, quiet, and precise."
"I knew it," Viola nodded. "You always struck me as the sneaky assassin type."
Ellee raised a brow. "Always?"
Viola blinked. "I meant… I assume you would think that."
Suspicious. Again.
"I'm partial to elemental traps," Maya added. "You never know what you're walking into."
Zion grinned. "Explosives. Big ones. The kind that makes a statement."
"Predictable," Ellee muttered.
Viola smiled faintly. "And yours?"
"Sword," Ellee said simply.
Xion leaned in slightly. "Still?"
Ellee's fingers tightened around her glass. "Why wouldn't it be?"
"No reason," he said, leaning back again. "It just… suits you."
Her eye twitched. That tone—gentle, knowing, like he was remembering something. It unsettled her. The others glanced at each other, subtle but meaningful.
They knew her. She could feel it.
She narrowed her eyes. "You're all too comfortable around me."
Viola shrugged. "We've read your file."
"That doesn't explain the familiarity."
Maya gave a playful smile. "Maybe we're just good at guessing."
Ellee didn't buy it.
Something about their presence triggered memories—hazy ones. Running through halls. Laughter. Blood. Screams. A boy holding her hand while everything burned.
But the faces in those memories were always blurred. Like dreams that evaporated the moment she woke.
She shook her head.
"Commander?" Maya called out.
"…Nothing," she replied coldly. "Next question."
---
Night came quickly.
The lights dimmed to a soft bluish glow, indicating official curfew hours. In her room—now their room—Ellee stared at the ceiling from her bed, unable to sleep. She could hear soft murmurs from the living space beyond the door.
They were still talking.
Laughing.
Her room had always been silent. She used to enjoy that silence. Now, the absence of it was… louder.
She got up, grabbing a robe, and quietly stepped out.
The four of them were seated on the floor around a makeshift firelight—Zion's spider apparently could project a harmless flickering glow.
They didn't notice her right away.
"We should tell her," Maya said quietly.
"No," Xion replied. "Not yet. Let her remember on her own."
"What if she doesn't?" Viola asked. "What if she keeps pushing us away?"
"She will," Xion said softly. "I believe in her."
Ellee felt her breath catch.
"…And Kael?" Maya whispered.
Ellee's heart stopped.
"What about him?" Zion asked.
"He's back, right? But he hasn't spoken to her yet."
"He's watching. Waiting," Xion replied. "She was the one thing that kept him alive."
Ellee stumbled backward slightly. The wooden floor creaked.
All four heads snapped toward her.
"Ellee," Viola stood quickly, trying to act casual. "Couldn't sleep?"
"I heard noise," she said coolly, hiding the tremble in her voice.
Xion's eyes searched hers. "Sorry. We'll keep it down."
She stared at them, her emotions clashing inside—confusion, anger, curiosity, fear.
"…Do you know someone named Kael?" she asked suddenly.
Zion's lips parted slightly, but he quickly turned to the side.
Xion met her gaze. "Why?"
"No reason," she lied.
She walked back to her room and shut the door, her heartbeat loud in her ears.
Kael was dead.
Wasn't he?
She collapsed onto her bed and stared at the ceiling.
No answers came.
Just echoes.
And laughter beyond her walls.
---