They stepped off the bus into the glow of the city’s evening lights. The air slled faintly of street food and exhaust. Sowhere down the road, a busker strumd a gentle tune.
Mina led the way.
"There’s a place nearby," she said. "It’s nothing fancy, but I think you’ll like it."
Clyde nodded without comnt. Jack’s mories didn’t include this spot, which made sense— because he’d never had the courage to go anywhere outside school.
But Clyde didn’t mind. He just kept pace beside her.
The restaurant turned out to be a cozy, family-run diner tucked between a laundry shop and a small bookstore. She saod that she often visit with her friends.
The walls were decorated with warm wood panels and handwritten nu boards. There weren’t many people, just a quiet hum of conversation and the clink of cutlery.
They sat near the window.
The food ca quickly. It was sizzling beef over rice for Clyde, and a spicy tofu dish for Mina. It wasn’t extravagant but it was well-cooked and rich in flavor.
Clyde took a bite, then gave a short, honest nod. "It’s very good."
Mina smiled, looking pleased. "Told you."
She talked a little as they ate, mostly to keep the silence from stretching too long.
The topics were light. Like of school, a teacher she hated, how her two friends were definitely watching this date from their windows like spies.
Clyde replied where he could, choosing his words with care that not too far from Jack’s personality.
But then, between bites and half-listened words, his thoughts drifted.
She rembered Asqa.
Her face hit him like a cold wind in the middle of warmth. The kind of mory that stabbed at his hewet instead of comforted.
In another world, she would’ve loved this kind of night.
A quiet dinner and laughter. Ordinary things.
But that wasn’t the world they were in anymore.
Asqa was gone. She was killd by higher beings above this world’s innocence that even rembering her felt like desecration.
She had burned like a star and vanished just as fast. The worse part was, he had not even saw her when she breathed her last breath.
Clyde’s expression faltered.
He stared down at his food. His appetite fading.
"Hey..." Mina’s voice was soft, cautious. "Are you okay?"
He blinked, then quickly straightened his posture. "Yeah."
"You just looked sad for a second."
Clyde forced a small smile. "I rembered sothing, that’s all. You don’t have to worry."
Mina didn’t press. She just nodded, though her eyes lingered on him a little longer than usual.
After they paid and left they walked toward a nearby shopping mall. The sidewalks were alive with people, flickering signs, and music from every direction.
At first, Mina was quiet again. But as they strolled, her steps grew lighter.
She pointed out a goofy display of mannequins then laughed at a couple arguing over stuffed animals. And by the ti they reached the second floor, the shyness was gone.
She talked like herself.
Like the girl who used to run through the rain with Jack when they were kids. Bold, curious, full of opinions and dumb jokes.
Clyde mostly listened. In the back of his mind, the thought returned.
If Asqa were still alive... would she have acted like this?
Would she ever let herself be ordinary in the ordinary world?
He crushed the thought before it could bloom.
No. Not tonight. He wouldn’t ruin this.
Later, after the stores had begun to close and the crowd had thinned, they walked back down the quiet street.
They didn’t head ho imdiately.
Instead, they stopped at the small park where they used to train every morning.
The place was dim and still, lit only by the soft orange of street lamps. The old benches near the sparring area were still there.
They sat side by side.
Mina leaned back with a smile, gazing up at the leaves shifting gently in the breeze.
"This was nice," she said. "Really nice."
Clyde said nothing, but a hint of sothing warm flickered in his eyes.
For once, the night felt calm.
Clyde leaned back against the bench, staring up at the swaying tree branches for a mont before speaking.
"You should prepare yourself, Mina," he said quietly. "Bad things are going to happen soon."
Mina’s smile faded. She turned to him slowly. "What kind of bad things?"
Clyde didn’t answer imdiately.
"I’ve been thinking about it," she continued. "Ever since you said it on the bus earlier. ’The world’s gonna end soon.’ I tried to laugh it off but... you weren’t joking, were you?"
He t her eyes.
There was no hesitation this ti.
"No. I wasn’t."
Mina’s brows drew together, concern rising. "Jack... what are you talking about?"
He watched her face, studied it for a second longer than he needed to.
Then he spoke.
"There’s going to be an apocalypse. A real one. Sothing this world isn’t ready for. I don’t know when exactly, but soon. Sooner than anyone can imagine."
Silence stretched between them.
Mina blinked, trying to process his words. Then she gave a nervous, incredulous laugh.
"Okay. You’re ssing with , right? That’s a joke? Because you can’t just..." She stopped. Looked at him again.
He wasn’t joking.
Her smile crumbled. "Jack... are you alright? Are you under so kind of stress or...?"
"I know you don’t believe ," Clyde said gently. "And that’s fine. You don’t have to. Not yet. But you will. When it begins, you’ll understand."
Mina stared at him, uncertainty flashing across her face. Not fear exactly, just confusion. Worry. Maybe a little hurt.
Then a sharp, clean sound broke through the quiet.
Both of them turned.
A young man sat on the far bench, legs crossed neatly, hands folded over one knee.
He wore a white suit, perfectly pressed. His shoes were polished, his dark hair swept back immaculately. A gentle, amused smile played on his lips.
"Enjoying your date?" the man asked casually.
Clyde’s eyes sharpened instantly. He have an idea who this man might be. But why was he here?
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