"They know her as the girl who serves good coffee.But out there—she's the one they send when things need to disappear."
Morning — Café Salvare
The bell chimed.
Aeris adjusted her apron and gave a quiet nod to the morning regulars already filing in.She still didn't smile much—but she didn't flinch at compliments anymore.
Customer (smiling):
"Same as yesterday?"
Aeris (softly):
"Black. Two sugars. Cinnamon on top."
Customer (surprised):
"You remembered."
Aeris paused.
Aeris:
"You come in every morning. I should."
Behind her, Hilda watched from the kitchen with a smirk.
Hilda:
"You've got barista instincts now. I should put you in charge."
Aeris (dryly):
"I'd rather not deal with supplier complaints and drunk poets."
Hilda:
"Ah, she jokes. She really is healing."
Afternoon — Café Storage Room
Later, Hilda handed Aeris a small, sealed folder.
Hilda:
"You've got another one. Slightly messier this time."
Aeris:
"Target?"
Hilda:
"Black-market engineer. Used to work under the same corp that ran the VIONNE labs."
That made Aeris pause.
Hilda (carefully):
"He may know something. But your job isn't to interrogate. Just retrieve the data drive he stole before he sells it."
Aeris (quietly):
"…Got it."
Nightfall — Industrial Sprawl, Zone 9
Aeris crouched above the alley. Her rifle rested against the rooftop vent.
She counted six hostiles: four guards, two scouts, and the engineer in the center.He was paranoid. Pacing. Sweating.
She waited until the patrol rotated.Dropped in. Silent as dust.
The first two never knew she was there.By the time they noticed the shimmer in the air—it was already too late.
FLASHBACK — Training
Hilda (firmly):
"Don't waste energy.Use your enemy's noise to cloak your own.Strike only when you're already gone."
She pinned the engineer against a container, her blade against his neck.
Engineer (choking):
"Wh-Who sent you?! You—You're not just another bounty—"
Aeris (coldly):
"Give me the drive."
Engineer (panicking):
"Y-You're her… you're the prototype! The dead one—they said you—"
Aeris's eyes narrowed.
He reached for a hidden detonator—She slashed first.
The drive dropped to the ground. Blood pooled slowly.
Return — Café Salvare, Midnight
Aeris sat in the back, peeling off her gloves. Blood under her nails.Her head hurt.
Hilda placed tea in front of her.
Hilda (quiet):
"It's starting to connect back to them, isn't it?"
Aeris nodded once.
Aeris:
"He called me a prototype. He knew."
Hilda:
"Then we're closer."
A moment passed.
Aeris (gently):
"…Thanks. For the tea."
Hilda (grinning):
"That's the first 'thank you' I've heard from you in three weeks.You're getting soft."
Aeris (dry):
"Don't tell anyone. I've got a reputation to maintain."
That night, as Aeris looked out the back window, she saw her own reflection—tired, but grounded.
Two lives. One identity.
And for now… she was okay with that.
The rain had stopped, but the rooftop was still wet.
Aeris stood alone above Café Salvare, coat draped around her shoulders, wind brushing her hair back. The glowing lights of the city blinked in the distance like distant memories—ones she couldn't decide were real or manufactured.
The data drive sat in her hand. Small. Cold.
Inside it?Maybe answers. Maybe nothing.
She didn't plug it in. Not yet.
Just stood there… replaying the engineer's words.
"You're her… the prototype… the dead one…"
Prototype.Dead.
What made her any different from a machine or a failure discarded on a scrapheap?
She clenched her fist—and felt the case crush slightly in her grip.
Behind her, the rooftop door creaked.
Hilda (softly):
"Don't drop it. We don't know what's in there yet."
Aeris didn't turn.
Aeris:
"He knew me. Or… what I used to be."
Hilda:
"You never stopped being her."
Aeris (bitter):
"I don't even know what she was. A test tube? A failed experiment? A corpse with a pulse?"
Hilda (calm):
"You're asking the wrong question, girl."
She stepped beside her, the citylight catching the gray in her hair.
Hilda:
"It doesn't matter what they made you. What matters is what you do with it now."
Aeris lowered her eyes.
Aeris:
"You ever wonder if I'm too far gone?"
Hilda:
"Every damn day."
Aeris blinked at her.
Hilda (grinning):
"But then I remember the girl who memorizes coffee orders, who wipes tables twice just because the sunlight hits them wrong. Who flinches less now.That girl isn't gone. She's still choosing."
They stood in silence.
Then Aeris whispered:
Aeris:
"…Do you think I could've had a normal life?"
Hilda (quiet):
"No."
That answer was blunt. But not cruel.
Hilda:
"But I think you can still have your life. A real one. With blood, scars, and maybe a little coffee foam on top."
She placed a hand on Aeris's shoulder.
Hilda:
"Get some sleep. The world isn't ending yet."
And she left her there. Alone again, but not lonely.
Aeris looked down at the drive once more.
If the past was going to come back…she would meet it standing.