Dead Zone

[Gladis]

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Haiji prepared another medical shot for Kara as he lounged on the patient bed. He had been acting clueless for the past hour or so, but Haiji was making it hard for him to keep his act up.
"It'll be okay Kara," she reassuringly said. Kara stared nonchalantly at the ceiling. "I loved you Kara, I really did." But things have changed Haiji, you're gone & I can't bring you back. "But I've got to listen to Lijia now." Kara grit his teeth, she had chosen the government over Kara, she had sacrificed him to government orders. Haiji placed the tip of the syringe on Kara's arm. Suddenly, Kara pushed her arm away with a gentle but demanding force. Haiji gasped & toppled onto the floor in surprise.
"If you love me so much Haiji, then why do you do this to me? Do you not care?" Kara whispered. He wasn't angry, he only wanted the answer. If the old Haiji somehow still existed in her.
"Sorry Kara, I'm so so so sorry." Haiji whispered as she drooped her head into her palms. Kara knew the answer: the old Haiji is gone. Although it tore his heart apart, Kara knew there was nothing he could do about it except to accept it.
"Hey," Kara smiled as he got up & placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright Haiji, it really is."
"I hope you understand that I can't leave this place. As much as this hurts me. But Kara, this place is my home, I've got to defend it,
even if it's not right," she sobbed as she tried to reason with him. Kara stood up & made his way to the door.
"No, I understand. There's no 'good person' in this situation. What this government is doing is wrong, but what the rebel group is doing is also wrong. But everyone has a reasons. I hope..." Kara turned back & looked at Haiji. Her tearful blue eyes met his. "I hope you'll do well."

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
He walked down the shady hallway where the pair usually hung out & towards the door with the exit sign. Emptiness greeted him as he pushed open the door. He slowly walked over before suddenly hitting a wall. Is there no exit? Kara felt his heart drop, the exit sign only lead to another room. He was trapped. Suddenly, a hand grabbed Kara's shoulder. Kara yelled in surprise before a hand covered his mouth.
"Woah, slow down, lover boy. You're a bit early," green hair flashed in the darkness. "But that's fine, I don't want to stay here anymore." Darren walked towards the black wall & kicked it. To Kara's surprise, the wall collapsed with ease. Was that why Darren was always by this door everyday?
"Don't doubt my ability Kara, I worked hard on weakening this wall."

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
"I haven't seen the sky for months!" Darren laughed as they sat on the rooftop of the headquarters.
"Hey shut up!" Kiji snapped. "They'll hear us! They've got surveillance out here!"
"Don't be so cross, fool. They won't be able to catch us 'cuz we'll be dashing outta here if they come!"
As the two quarreled, Kara pondered as he stared into the blazing red sunset.
"What do we do once we leave? I mean, do we have a place to go?"
"To be honest with you Kara, I have no damn clue. But rumors claim that there is a haven for us outta the country. It might take us a while to get there, but who knows? If I die, I'll be happy to die out there rather than in this sanction hell."
"You've got a point, lettuce head," Kiji sneered. As the pair continued their fighting, Kara leaned back & admired the sunset. The moment almost seemed surreal, like a new beginning for him. Although he didn't end up saving the rest of the people at the headquarters, or restore the world, Kara felt content. He wasn't a hero after all, he was just an ordinary person trying to survive the challenges life hands him. Who knows? Maybe he'll save the world someday, but that's another story.

"Come on guys, it's time to go."

[700/700]

[Gladis]

1 day 2 hours before the escape of 3 subjects
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lijia stood at his office & stared our the window for a brief minute. The star speckled night sky stared back at him, as if the stars themselves had the answers to his questions.

"Lijia," a stern voice caused him to turn around. He was greeted by the familiar sight of sea green hair. Lijia smiled before pulling him into a deep embrace. Darren's hair reminded him of the time they ditched school to swim. The aqua blue water reflected specks of green as they washed over Lijia in the ocean. It was calming, & Darren had the same effect. Darren's hand tightened around the cloth on Lijia's back.
"I'll be going soon," Darren whispered as he pulled away from the embrace.
"I know."
"Are you sure you don't want to come along? Run away with us Lijia, you don't have to spend your life like this." They had once been passionate lovers before the disaster, but fate had reduced the pair into two hopeless dreamers.
"My apologies, Love. I hope you do believe me when I say I appreciate the offer, but I need to stay with the people and city I promised my loyalty to. You know me Darren, I can't break promises, even if it haunts me." Darren stared as his feet, he always knew what Lijia's answer would be.
"You... You won't hurt Kara right?"
"No. I talked it out with Kara before the 'operation.' There is no chip in him, but he has agreed to play along."
Darren nodded, "& I will play along with that fool." Unsettling silence filled the room. After a few minutes, Darren took the silence as a sign to leave, but Lijia interrupts him, "Kara believes I have ill intent, & I don't blame him. I wish there could be an understanding between us that this is not my choice. I have no choice but to follow orders... You know... It's interesting how Haiji chose loyalty over him. I never ordered for his capture, it was Haiji's own will to catch him before he made an escape towards the exit."
"Love makes us blind, Lijia. She may have loved Kara, but there must've been something she loved more than him... I don't know. It's not my place to answer that. Take care of yourself, Lijia."
"Do a favor for me Darren, if that's not too much. Please justify me to him when you guys are safe."
"I will, Lijia, I will."
"Thank you, Darren." He smiled before turning back towards the window. Lijia felt his heart drop a bit as the door shut, but he pushed away the feeling. For some reason, the stars always shine brighter when Darren visits.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Kara was back in the same dream again, but this time something seemed different. The fog was completely gone, the place looked better than ever. Good things are awaiting this place.

The pair shared an awkward silence before Haijing gave him a respectful bow & turned around, heading back to the small town she grew up in. Kara always thought the city was Boryong, the place he grew up in, but he suddenly realized that this wasn't his town. This was Haijing's. For her, she did not move from city to city, she was born & raised in one small town that she loved with all her heart. Fragments of Boryong only appeared in the town was because it was Kara's dream. But this dream was focused on Haijing only. So that's her choice, Kara thought before he turned to leave in the opposite direction. &... This is my choice.

It's pretty true that war & disaster changes people. No one was the same. Kara stopped in his tracks & glanced back at Haijing for a moment before making his way out of this dream. Kara wasn't afraid of change anymore, perhaps, it's for the better.

It was about time he left this place for good.