TOMY 05

Chloe wrote replies to Andrea and Julia in turn, and while she was at it, she also penned a short letter to Benjamin. After that, she briefly recorded the day’s tasks and the situation within the base. By the time she finished everything, the sky outside had already turned pitch-black.

Chloe quickly accepted the reality that going to bed early today was out of the question. Years ago, she had realized that the anxiety of needing to fall asleep quickly was precisely what prevented proper rest.

As a result, she had developed a flexible mindset that paid little attention to day or night. She had also gained an unusual boldness.

‘Skipping sleep for a day or two won’t kill me. If I’m really about to die, my eyes will close on their own… won’t they?’

But she had also come to understand that this self-abusive rhythm would eventually wear down the human body. The irritability that came with it was just a bonus.

Since arriving at the base, her schedule had improved somewhat by aligning with the soldiers’ wake-up times, but she still occasionally stayed up all night.

After a moment of hesitation, Chloe opened the second drawer and pulled out another notebook she had left untouched for a long time. She also took out the staff paper she had prepared in advance. Unlike when she wrote letters, she merely stared at them at an angle.

“……”

Suppressing a wave of nausea, she opened the notebook. The first page revealed a few unfinished words.

A slightly more transparent barrier….

She kept staring at the incomplete sentence.

At first glance, her gaze seemed sharp and cold. But upon closer inspection, there was caution and fear hidden beneath it—like someone facing an enemy she had to defeat.

The existence of labor that does not correspond to time—what a wonderful thing.

It means that with little effort, one can achieve results far beyond what was invested.

But the existence of labor that does not correspond to time—what a poisonous thing.

It means that no matter how much time you pour into it, you may never reach the result you desire.

She knew this well, but the only thing she possessed—and the only thing she could invest—was time. And so, every night, she found herself sitting endlessly in front of a blank page.

Yet her hands and feet kept growing cold, and cold sweat formed on her back. At some point, even breathing had occasionally become difficult.

In the end, Chloe closed the notebook and pushed it to one side of the desk. After holding her face in her hands for a long time, she let out a pained sigh and lifted her gaze.

That was when she witnessed something strange outside the window.

A flash of light that turned the night sky white appeared for an instant, then gradually faded. Aside from the retired soldiers standing guard, Chloe was the only one in the base to see it. And she knew exactly what it was. Though dimmer and weaker than before, it was definitely not something that could occur naturally.

“Why is that here… now?”

Muttering in confusion, she shot up from her seat. Flames were rising high into the sky right in front of the base.

Frozen for a moment, Chloe quickly unlatched the door and flung it open. She ran around two corners and headed straight for the quarters where the male staff and volunteers, including the medical team, were staying. It was a place she normally avoided at night, but it seemed far more helpful for putting out a fire or handling physical tasks.

She knocked on several doors, waking people up. When she knocked on the fifth door, one of them opened with a click.

The man who stepped out was bare-chested, and upon seeing Chloe, he looked startled. His hairy chest recoiled as he stumbled back with a startled sound. But Chloe, recognizing the familiar face, paid no mind and stepped closer.

“Matthew, there’s a fire in front of the base. But no matter how I think about it, it doesn’t seem like an ordinary fire.”

“What do you mean…?”

“You remember what we all saw last time, right?”

He was one of the survivors who had returned to the base with Chloe after the previous bombardment. His face stiffened as he understood what she meant.

—

Before dawn, the base was thrown into chaos.

Seeing the strong men heading out with rifles slung over their shoulders, Chloe turned back to the women’s quarters. Her heart was still racing, but after waking people one by one, she felt somewhat calmer.

The first door she knocked on belonged to Anna, the oldest among the doctors. Chloe intended to inform her of the situation and then head out immediately.

“Anna, there’s a fire outside.”

“A fire?”

“Yes. There might be casualties. Can you get ready?”

The composure that came with age and experience could not be ignored. Though she had just woken up and the situation was sudden, Anna remained calm.

“Chloe, are we under attack?”

“…Maybe.”

As Chloe turned to leave, Anna grabbed her twig-like wrist.

“Should we wake the injured?”

“……”

For a moment, Chloe couldn’t answer. It was a complicated and difficult question.

The flames weren’t large. If it was just a normal fire, it would be extinguished quickly. There was no need to cause unnecessary panic.

The problem was if it wasn’t just a simple fire.

Chloe was certain it was fire magic. If that was the case, the Edelrin soldiers needed to know. Some of them were already mobile, and as active soldiers, they could help.

But what about the Fitzmark soldiers?

If they learned the truth, the inside of the base might turn into chaos.

“…I’ll check the situation first. Please keep an eye on the Fitzmark ward. I’ll be back within ten minutes at the latest.”

If she didn’t return, it meant Anna would have to decide what to do next—whether to wake everyone or distribute weapons.

They exchanged a few nods, and Chloe turned and ran outside.

—

People had gathered in front of the base, murmuring among themselves. Chloe pushed through the crowd and stared at the strange sight.

The flames weren’t spreading—they were rising high into the sky. Probably because there was nothing left to burn.

Someone cautiously suggested, “Shouldn’t we put it out first?”

Matthew nodded.

“Half stay here, the other half form teams and scout the surroundings. And we should request support from the front lines.”

“What if the front line has been breached?”

They hesitated, then shook their heads. The intermittent artillery sounds had been quiet tonight. If troops had moved, it wouldn’t be this silent.

The enemy’s core force—the fire mage—was shrouded in mystery and had never acted alone. Besides, the Wellington medical base held little strategic value. Despite being called a base, it was little more than a modest treatment facility.

After staring at the faintly rising smoke, people began to look at Chloe.

Their eyes all seemed to say the same thing:

‘Hey. Are you sure you really saw it right?’

Chloe had no excuse. Her expression stiffened.

—

The search continued until dawn.

Reinforcements arrived late from the front, but no one found any signs of anything unusual.

Chloe felt like a terrible liar. If not for the consistent testimony of the guard who had seen the same thing, she might have been branded a compulsive liar.

Sensing her bleak expression, Matthew offered some belated comfort. The fire was out, and the military had promised to assist with patrols for the time being—wasn’t that good enough?

But it didn’t improve her mood.

Since arriving at the base, Chloe had never once failed to keep records. Yet now, she had no idea how to document this incident.

Having stayed up all night, she wandered through the wards with a weary and irritable face. Those at the center of the incident had agreed to keep quiet. There wasn’t much to say anyway—nothing had actually happened.

Still, the injured seemed to know that there had been a fire. The atmosphere inside was subtly restless.

Smiling faces looked at Chloe expectantly, as if waiting for her to say something.

Of course, she ignored them completely.

“Chloe, um…”

“Do you need something?”

“Chloeee.”

“Keep it short.”

“Oh dear, someone’s in a mood.”

She jotted down what the soldiers needed, delivered items, and tidied up as usual.

After making her rounds in the Edelrin ward, she entered the Fitzmark side, where similar gazes gathered on her. Already exhausted, Chloe intended to ignore them here as well, but Alvin stared at her intently.

She walked past him, but for some reason, he grabbed her by the collar.

She stopped. He made a slight gesture, tugging her closer.

The veins on Alvin’s right hand stood out, though the wound had healed, leaving only a faint scar. Chloe looked down at his hand for a moment, then lifted her gaze when he released her.

Her sky-blue eyes were dry.

Don’t talk to me. I’m not telling you anything.

But the words that left Alvin’s lips were unexpected.

“Your face today…”