Pages in the dark

The storms of R22 had passed, but the heaviness in the air lingered like a fog that couldn't be chased away. The cave that once echoed with battle plans and war cries was now filled with quieter sounds—clanking tools, low whispers, distant wind.

Tyren was sitting alone in a corner of the base camp, fiddling with a spare neural relay that had fried in the last sync. It was a peaceful silence… until his foot kicked against something beneath the bench.

Thump.

He looked down.

A notebook—old, cracked at the edges, and marked with a faded sticker of a mechanical blueprint. Not part of their standard gear.

He leaned down and picked it up.

The pages were weathered, thumbed through over and over again.

And on the inside cover was a name, barely visible:

Ziya Ren.

Tyren froze.

He glanced around. No one in sight. Kael was still asleep. Ryssa was somewhere near the cave mouth, maybe doing her weird midnight pacing again. Ziya… had probably gone to the scanner room to recalibrate the satellite link.

Just one look, he told himself. Just to make sure it's not a field report or something.

But it wasn't a report.

It was a diary.

And as soon as his eyes scanned the first line, he was hooked.

Day 47 — The first day I realized I wasn't just a burden… I could actually help. Tyren let me patch the armor system today. He called it a "half-decent job," but I saw the grin. I don't think anyone's ever made me feel like that mattered before.

Tyren's breath caught in his throat.

He flipped another page.

Day 60 — Everyone says Tyren's reckless. But I think it's more like he's fighting so hard because no one ever fought for him. Maybe I'm the same. Maybe we're both just trying to make someone believe in us before we burn out.

Another page.

Day 89 — I had a nightmare today. My old unit… they left me behind. I remembered the cold, the silence. Then I woke up, and Tyren had dropped his stupid ration bar on my lap and said, "Eat. You look like a dying cactus." He doesn't know, but I almost cried.

He swallowed hard. His hands trembled.

She never told him any of this.

Not a single word.

She only teased him back. Glared at him. Blushed sometimes.

But these pages?

They were filled with quiet truths she never had the courage to say aloud.

And now he knew them all.

Elsewhere in the Cave

At the far end of the tunnel, Ziya moved quietly through the dim cavern, her mind fuzzy from too many numbers and sensor data. She wasn't even sure where she was going—until she heard a whisper.

A whisper that made her freeze.

She peered around the corner and saw someone crouched low by the wall, drawing in the dust with a sharpened stick.

It was Ryssa.

And she was muttering to herself.

"…I swear to all stars, the moment Kael opens his stupid eyes, I'm dragging him into a supply room and not letting him out for three hours. No, wait, four. Maybe tie him to something. Damn it, Ryssa. Focus."

Ziya blinked.

Is she… talking to herself? About Kael?

Ryssa scratched harder at the stone, her stick making squeaking noises as she traced what looked like… Kael's face?

"Why do you have to be so perfect during missions and such a brick wall afterward? Just let me hold your hand. Or neck. Neck is fine. I'm not picky anymore."

Ziya almost laughed, but caught herself.

Ryssa dropped the stick, resting her head on her knees.

Her voice turned softer. "He said after the mission he'd do whatever I asked… But now look at us. Trapped in radiation storms, planning hunts for beasts the size of goddamn buildings. Not the time for cuddling, huh?"

Ziya stepped back slowly.

She didn't mean to spy.

But something in Ryssa's cracked voice stayed with her.

They were all breaking in quiet ways.

Even Ryssa.

Later That Night

Ziya returned to her sleeping mat and found Tyren sitting nearby, eyes distant, hands clasped.

He looked at her differently now.

Like something had shifted.

"Hey," she said, sitting beside him. "You okay?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. Just… thinking."

"About?"

He opened his mouth—then closed it.

Then smiled.

"About how you probably are a dying cactus."

Ziya blinked, confused. "What?"

Tyren just grinned, eyes gentle. "Nothing. Just… don't change, okay?"

She rolled her eyes, but a blush dusted her cheeks.

Meanwhile

In the med bay, Kael stirred.

His fingers twitched.

His breathing deepened.

And his eyes finally… opened.

The silence broke.

And so did the stillness of the cave.