A Promise in the Dark

The screen flickered as the call connected.

Sienna's face appeared, dimly lit by the glow of her phone. Her hair was tousled, eyes heavy with exhaustion, but she was unmistakably awake. Behind her, nestled beneath the covers, Camille lay motionless, deeply asleep.

Of course she was.

Once Camille was out, waking her up was an impossible task.

Sienna, on the other hand—

I sighed. "It's a workday, Sienna."

She blinked. "And?"

"You should be sleeping."

She scoffed, shifting slightly. "I can't sleep without you."

I felt something in my chest tighten.

She said it so matter-of-factly, as if it was just a simple truth of the universe. As if it was obvious. But there was a softness in her voice, a quiet admission that made my breath catch.

It was adorable.

"You're ridiculous," I murmured.

"You love me," she shot back, her lips curving into the faintest hint of a smirk.

I did.

I exhaled, dragging a hand down my face. For a moment, I let the warmth of her presence settle over me. But then—

"Alright," she said, shifting upright. "What's going on, Rey? Why did you need to talk?"

I hesitated.

A part of me wanted to deflect. To say it wasn't urgent, that I just missed them, that I was fine.

But I had promised not to keep secrets.

And I had already made too many promises to break another.

So, like ripping off a bandage, I said it.

"There's a chance I'll die."

The change in Sienna's face was instant.

Her expression hardened, lips parting slightly in disbelief before her brows furrowed, her entire body tensing.

It hurt to see.

Camille stirred beside her, grumbling something unintelligible before she blinked blearily at the screen. "What the hell are you talking about?"

I swallowed. "My job… my purpose here. It's not just training for a future mission." I exhaled. "I'm being sent to Mars. And our current success rate is fifty percent."

Silence.

Then—

"I don't like those odds." Sienna's voice was sharp, but there was an underlying tremor to it, something raw.

Camille was still processing. Her sleep-addled mind catching up to the severity of my words. "You're saying… you're actually going? Like—actually actually?"

I nodded.

She sucked in a breath. "And you're okay with that?"

"My Instinct skill is pushing me forward," I admitted.

Sienna's jaw clenched. "That's not an answer."

I thought for a moment.

The official fifty-fifty ratio was based on my C-Rank Astronaut job. On the skills I had shown them during training.

It didn't account for everything else.

It didn't account for my SSS-Class Jobmaster title. It didn't account for my detective instincts, my firefighter expertise, my engineer's precision. It didn't account for the countless times I had defied the odds before.

I knew myself.

And I knew that fifty percent wasn't my true probability.

"I think I can do it," I said, finally.

They didn't like that answer. I could see it in their eyes. But—

They trusted me.

That trust was heavier than any fear.

Camille sighed, rubbing her temples before looking back at me. "Fine. But you'd better be careful, Rey. If you die, I swear I'll drag you back just to kill you myself."

Sienna nodded. "Same."

A small, wry smile tugged at my lips.

"I'll be careful," I promised.

They didn't look happy. But they accepted it.

And then—

"We love you," Sienna murmured, voice soft again.

Camille echoed her, quieter but just as firm.

I closed my eyes for a moment. Let the words sink in.

"I love you too," I said.

The call ended.

The silence of my room returned.

But it felt different now.

The weight was still there, the nerves, the looming uncertainty of it all. But I wasn't lost in it anymore.

I had my answer.

And I wasn't alone.

The Next Morning

Mark took a slow sip of his coffee, savoring the moment before his day officially began. The hotel café was mostly empty, the early morning hours keeping most candidates in bed.

He turned—

And stopped.

Standing before him, hand outstretched in a handshake, was Mr. Angel.

"Good morning, Mark," I said, my voice steady. "I'm ready for the mission."