The Vanished and the Opportunity

Creak...

The light bulb hanging on the wall flickered on and off, making the room's light flash erratically.

Nanako sat quietly in the chair, looking up at the light bulb on the wall that clearly needed replacing. She remained silent, then slowly withdrew her gaze after a moment.

Normally, she would have gotten up and replaced the irritating bulb, but at this moment, she could tolerate the flickering light.

Almost everyone had left, leaving the entire base empty. Everything she could do for Ye Zi had already been done. For a time, she had lost her direction and did not know what to do with herself.

All her time in the past had been spent on the things she ought to do. Once she no longer needed to do those things, she instead found herself at a loss.

"You'll return safely, right..."

Nanako slowly clasped her slightly rough hands together and held them beneath her chin, closing her eyes as she silently prayed.

She did not know where the road Ye Zi was watching over led. She did not know where the place Ye Zi wished to return to was. She did not know that Ye Zi was heading toward a destination she could never reach.

In truth, she had known nothing about Ye Zi from the very beginning. Even now, it was the same.

Although she had opened the door to Ye Zi's heart, the final door was secured with a lock that had no key.

"You definitely will."

But she did not need to know too much, nor did she need to deliberately understand Ye Zi more deeply. As long as Ye Zi was safe and well, that was enough.

Inside the room, someone silently prayed for Ye Zi.

Outside the room, a squad silently guarded her.

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