Half in Fire

S-2880 • L0 Silenluna • D14 Irrali

“Silenluna lifts radiance in a whole thread. Irrali radiates fullness above. The tide sings silver in a broad curve. The story weaves presence in living light.”

The journey lasted a few hours.

I rubbed my eyes, surprised. Looking through the window, I spotted a few trees still intact. Parched trunks rose above low, dry grass stretching for kilometers, interspersed with abandoned houses. Sunlight penetrated the gaps while the wind carried a salty smell.

We were in Santa Isabel do Rio Negro, in the state of Amazonas. A depopulated region. The Amazon rainforest had been annihilated. The womb of the world, dead.

Saymon began walking, and I followed.

Vines covered buried houses, some of which remained only partly exposed above the surface. There, vegetation dominated the landscape more than concrete.

“AKIKO!” Kiara ran toward me and hugged me so tightly I almost lost my balance. “I-I’m sorry… Sorry.” She buried her head in my shoulder. “I should’ve protected you.”

“Kiara…” My heart beat with happiness at seeing her. “It’s… It’s really you…”

She held my arms. Guilt contorted her features. “Sorry. I should’ve…”

“It’s alright.”

Her fingers tightened around me, her touch laden with regret. “No. It’s not alright.” Kiara hugged me again. “I promised I’d protect you. I was supposed to stay with you, not…”

I disentangled myself from her embrace and met her silver eyes. “Perhaps it’s better this way. I don’t know if…” I swallowed. “It was this or Riki’s death. Even after everything…”

“Should’ve told you.” Kiara shook her head.

I smiled. “Yes, you could have. But it’s over. It isn’t your fault. I was so naïve.” There were so many other things I wanted to tell her.

“That idiot Denden, if he…”

“Hey, he didn’t know either.” I tried to reassure her. I hadn’t imagined Kiara was dwelling on it so intensely. So worried about me.

Then the android placed a hand on her hip and bit her lip.

“Finished?” Saymon remained with his arms crossed, leaning against a ruined wall. “Why’d you call me?”

Kiara’s expression grew serious, laden with bitterness. “Stay out of it, alright?” Then she turned back to me. “Liana contacted me. Takashi suffered some kind of attack. Came as soon as I could. Think…”

My heart raced. Takashi? All joy disappeared. A knot formed in my throat. “Wh-what… what happened?”

“His nanocore was seriously affected. Liana tried containing the damage, but the nanosystem’s inaccessible. His internal nanites were almost completely destroyed.”

My legs weakened. No. Please. Be alright, Takashi.

“M-my biochip… they tore out my biochip.” I ran a trembling hand over the scar on my neck. “H-he…”

“He’s unstable. There’s a way to repair him.” Kiara cast a piercing look at Saymon.

He let out a dark laugh and sighed. “Why would I do that?”

Kiara advanced quickly and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. “Least you can do after everything you put her through!”

“Kikky…” Saymon sang, letting his foxlike smile emerge. “Why would I care?”

Kiara clenched her teeth, about to punch him again. “Guess what, fucker? I don’t give a shit. You’re gonna…”

“Or wh—” The words evaporated from Saymon’s mouth. For the first time, he faltered. His eyes widened, and his lips parted. Abrupt, sincere surprise took over his expression.

“Saymon?” A weak voice, yet powerful as a sweet blade, cut through the air. It crossed the distance between us.

Everyone turned toward it.

“Is that you?”

Kiara released Saymon, straightened, and rubbed her nose, trying to disguise her outburst of anger.

He remained motionless, affected in a way I could never have predicted. His insolence, feral smile, and wild features disappeared. His playful aura was extinguished. The familiar shadows abandoned his face, and the defenses he always kept raised seemed to fall.

I couldn’t see or presume what was going through his mind. But today I know. Saymon was at the height of his vulnerability. I would never see him like that again.

“Saymon?” The voice repeated, closer now.

He swayed. His jaw tightened. “G-Grandma? D-do you remember me?” Even he seemed unable to believe his own words. A suppressed glimmer shone in his eyes.

Alícia smiled faintly and rested her trembling hands on his face. She was so small beside Saymon. Then she stretched out her frail arms, trying to reach him. “Of course I remember. Look how you’ve grown.”