The town of Resistance is eerily quiet for the next few days. Factories are closed, and people are staying indoors. There's no real celebration of the victory; the death toll of the Resistant soldiers was higher than anyone had anticipated.
Schools are shut down. Shops open their doors each day, but only for a short while. By early afternoon, everyone has retreated back to their homes.
The soldiers arenât training; they're nowhere to be found in the army tunnel. They've dispersed throughout Resistance, spending time with their families or wandering the tunnels, trying to keep themselves occupied.
I learn that this battle was the first encounter the Resistants have had with the Perfects in decades. None of the soldiers were mentally prepared for the trauma that followed.
The Kagegun soldiers are the only ones who seem to be carrying on as usual in Resistance. They train each day and go about their business.
The farms still need tending, so many people who find themselves with time on their hands come down to help out. Parents bring their children along to keep them occupied.
The children love playing with the animals and running through the fields. Their laughter is the only sound that breaks the silence in Resistance. They're too young to understand the gravity of the situation.
The Resistants have all experienced death before. They've lived with the threat of cancer their whole lives, but they've rarely seen wounds or deaths like those of the soldiers from the battle.
Every day, the mayor and Roy give speeches about the evil of the Perfects and the sorrow of death. They caution the Resistants to stay as quiet as possible, as the Perfects are searching for their lost army.
If they discover Resistance, the army may not have the strength to fight back. Everyone knows that Resistance isnât safe anymore.
But no one flees. There's no hope of survival out there. People just keep their mouths shut and carry on with their daily lives.
The morning after the battle, I notice many of the girls in the dorm whispering and glancing my way. They quickly look away when I catch their gaze.
Joy avoids me. She isnât cruel, but she makes it clear she wants nothing to do with me. She and the other girls huddle together, crying over the lost soldiers.
On the farms, I try to help out with the children, showing them how to feed the chickens and harvest the corn. But the parents quickly usher them away from me, frowning and shaking their heads.
After a few days, I find myself completely isolated. The people who once looked at me as a friend, or at least accepted me in Resistance, now ignore me or glare at me.
I feel more hostility than I ever have in my life. I understand why, though. They need someone to blame, someone to direct their anger towards. And Iâm a Perfect.
I decide to keep my distance from the Resistants for a while, to make myself as inconspicuous as possible. When I try to see Roy, he just looks at me and shakes his head.
He seems sad but resolute. There's no future for us anymore. He and the rest of Resistance have been reminded that Iâm the enemy.
I start waking up earlier than the other girls, bathing alone, and eating before they arrive. I work in the back of the fields, where the corn stalks are taller and Iâm better hidden.
When I do have to interact with others, I keep my words to a minimum. A few times a day, people brush past me roughly, glaring back at me. I try to ignore the hostility, but it scares me.
I find solace in the armyâs medical room. Many soldiers are still there, but they're all past the critical stage and are healing. Their families and friends visit often, making it the only relatively cheerful place in Resistance.
Haruhiko woke up two days after the battle, hungry for food. His wound was still fresh, though, so Takeshi put him on a special diet, much to Haruhiko's dismay.
I spend hours with him each day. I can tell heâs itching to get out of his cot and back onto the training field with his brothers, but heâs wise enough to stay and heal.
He's lively in his cot, laughing loudly, grinning at me, and winking. He tells me stories about his older brother who raised him in a big city.
When he was twelve, his older brother enrolled him in a martial arts school, where he quickly became the most promising student.
He tells me about the girls who were smitten with his brother. Apparently, his brother was very handsome, and many girls would come home with him. Haruhiko grins widely at me after sharing this.
He also shares his plans for when he returns home. Leaving the army is at the top of his list, followed by opening his own martial arts school and teaching more girls to defend themselves.
He's very earnest when he talks. He also tells me about his ideal wifeâa petite woman who will always stand by himâand his ideal children. He wants six, three girls and three boys.
The girls will be better fighters than the boys, he says, and will beat them up. He smiles at his plans, but there's a hint of sadness in his eyes.
One of the new slaves, a Resistant scout from another city, works in the medical room. He was the designated doctor on the journey from his city to Resistance. He works with his head bowed and never speaks.
His blond hair has been shorn off, and his scalp is covered in cuts from the hasty job. Itâs all to humiliate him. Heâs never allowed to grow his hair back.
One day, Takeshi allows Haruhiko to go for a short walk. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and leans on me slightly, though he doesnât really need to. We stroll around the medical room slowly.
When we pass the slave, he glances up at me for a split second. His eyes are wide and fearful. He quickly bows his head and scurries away. I come each day, and each day he avoids me, never making direct eye contact.
One day, I find him struggling with a pile of dirty blankets. I pick up one that had fallen on the ground. He stares at me, wide-eyed, as I place it back on top of his pile.
âWhatâs your name?â I ask him softly. He bows his head. I can see him trembling. âYou have to answer me when Iâm talking to you.â
âTwo. Iâm Number Two,â he whispers, his voice shaky.
âI asked for your name, not your number,â I respond quickly.
He looks startled. âLen,â he replies.
I nod once. âIâm Alex.â
He dares to look up at me. His eyes are bloodshot. He looks exhausted and terrified.
âAlex?â he murmurs. âAlexandra?â
I blink at him, taken aback.
âYes, how did youââ
Kazuya interrupts me, bursting into the room and beckoning me over to join him and Haruhiko. When I glance back at Len, heâs vanished. I quietly return to the Kagegun men.
***
Gradually, Resistance stirs back to life. A handful of factories restart, and the school reopens. The mayor canât suppress Resistance indefinitely, and the raw wounds of loss and trauma start to heal on the Resistantsâ faces.
To lift spirits, thereâs a wedding between Roy and a Resistant woman named Jewel. Sheâs a dorm mate of mine, though weâve never spoken. She works with the children at the school.
She appears quite healthy, but she often wakes up coughing in the night. Like many women her age, sheâs beginning to succumb to lung cancer.
But the Resistants overlook it. They need something to celebrate. Sheâs adorned in elegant white sashes, her dark curls piled high on her head.
The entire city gathers for the wedding in the main hall. The Mayor stands on stage with Roy, who looks particularly handsome. His dark hair is neatly combed, and his red beard is sharply trimmed.
The Resistants sit in chairs arranged in tidy rows, creating a straight aisle from one side of the hall to the stage on the other. The bride walks down the aisle, flanked by two of her friends.
She walks slowly, beaming at Roy. He returns her smile, but it doesnât quite reach his eyes.
I stand at the back of the crowd, the Kagegun men at my side. For a fleeting moment, Sanoske, standing a few paces ahead of me with Jun and Akira, turns and locks eyes with me.
He raises an eyebrow slowly. Iâve been avoiding him for days, but this encounter was inevitable. I look away, watching as Jewel ascends the steps to the stage.
The Resistants take their seats again. Only a few of us at the back remain standing. Suddenly, I have a much clearer view.
The mayor unites Roy and Jewel, and they pledge to stand by each other, to love each other, and to fight for Resistance their entire lives. They also vow to have many healthy children.
Watching Roy recite his vows, Iâm reminded of my daydreams of the stable future he could have offered me, the small children with his dark hair and eyes. The healthiest children in Resistance.
He would have hoisted them onto his broad shoulders, and he would have kept me and them safe. He was even willing to accept Beth. But the dreams quickly dissolve.
Iâm acutely aware of Sanoske, who has been inching closer to me since the wedding began.
The newlyweds exchange rings and slide them onto each otherâs fingers. They share a quick kiss, and the Resistants erupt into applause. The couple is immediately swarmed, receiving kisses and hugs from all sides.
The Resistants are genuinely happy. Roy and Jewel have restored some semblance of hope.
The crowd starts to move. Everyone wants to congratulate the newlyweds. The couple navigates the throng slowly, smiling warmly. Jewel even starts to tear up with joy.
Her mother embraces her tightly, and her friends gather around her. Roy continues through the crowd without her, greeting the Kagegun soldiers with a steady smile. They pat him on the back and offer their congratulations.
His gaze flickers to me for a moment, and I blush. Iâm suddenly relieved that our engagement was kept a secret.
âCongratulations!â I call out.
Roy gives me a brief nod. âThank you,â he responds quietly, then quickly moves away. I watch him go.
âHe wasnât right for you anyway,â Sanoske says.
I whirl around to glare at him. He looks at me innocently.
âDonât you dare discuss that with me,â I snap at him.
He grows serious and looks like heâs about to say something, but I push past him and into the crowd.
Theyâre tightly clustered around Jewel, so I have to weave my way through them. A large man notices me and shoves me back. I stumble and fall on my back. He spits next to me. I stare up at him in shock.
âGo home, you fucking inbred slut,â he snarls at me.
âHey!â Kazuya appears behind me, glaring at the man. He steps past me, sizing the man up. I reach out to hold him back when someone screams.
Thereâs a moment of silence, then everyone seems to be screaming. I see Roy pushing through the crowd to get back to the stage while his new wife is dragged out of the hall by the crowd.
âCatch him!â the mayor shouts, and the soldiers spring into action. They battle their way through the terrified crowd running in the opposite direction.
The Kagegun also spring into action, darting to the other side of the room. I push through the crowd, moving toward the commotion.
The Resistants calm down a bit and now all edge toward the action. I find it even harder to push my way through them.
I hear the sound of two men fighting and the grunts of pain as one loses. When I make my way to the edge of the crowd, I see Sanoske kneeling by the head of a man.
Resistant soldiers swarm around the body, and the Kagegun men stand back. The mayor and Roy push through the crowd to them. Behind me, the crowd sways, curious and afraid at the same time.
The man is hauled to his feet. He struggles to stand, spitting dirt from his mouth. I stare at him wide-eyed.
Heâs wearing a long coat, and though his clothes are torn and stained, theyâre unmistakably gray. His straight blond hair hangs over his large brown eyes.
But he doesnât seem to notice how dirty he is. Heâs above all that. A Master. He stands tall between the two Resistant soldiers holding him and glares down at them.
Sanoske faces him with his arms crossed over his chest. I can only imagine the smug smile on his lips.
There are gasps and whispers and insults from the crowd behind me as they see the manâs face. A Resistant soldier pushes past me roughly and knocks me forward as he joins the other Resistant soldiers.
For a fleeting moment, the Master glances at me as I stumble into Sanoske. Sanoske turns to me in surprise, then immediately pushes me back, out of the Masterâs sight. But itâs too late. Heâs seen me.
The Kagegun men are pushing me back, and I can hear him laughing. His laughter grows louder as the crowd falls silent, until itâs the only sound bouncing off the walls of the hall.
Kazuyaâs hands are firm on my shoulders, keeping me tucked behind Saito and Jun, hidden from view. The sound of a punch landing echoes through the room, the mayor trying to silence the Masterâs laughter. But it only makes him laugh harder.
âGet him out of here,â the mayor orders, his voice rough with anger. âPut him back in his cell.â
âAlexaaaaandraaa!â The Masterâs voice rings out, singing my name. My muscles tighten, and Kazuyaâs grip on me strengthens. The mayor stumbles, caught off guard.
âHow do you know her name?â Roy demands, his voice sharp.
The Master doesnât even acknowledge him. âCome out, 958,687,487.64.4.2.1!â He sings the numbers, each one a chilling reminder.
My blood turns to ice. I pull away from Kazuya, and the Kagegun men part to let me through. Their eyes plead with me not to go, but I have to.
Sanoske is still standing in front of the Master, his body rigid, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. I move to stand beside him, facing the Master. His smile is full of amusement.
Heâs not a Master I recognize; he didnât live in the same mansion as me. But heâs a Perfect in every sense: dark brown eyes, high cheekbones, full lips set in a straight line.
He straightens a bit when he sees me, brushing dirty hair out of his eyes. Heâs older for a Perfect, probably around thirty. That means heâs an important Master, one whose absence would be noticed.
I step closer to him, out of Sanoskeâs protective hold. The Master is exactly a head taller than me, just as he should be. He looks down at me, his eyes cold and unfeeling.
My knees buckle instinctively. Years of training kick in, and I drop to my knees, bowing my head before him.
My body is shaking, but itâs not from fear. Iâm a mix of anger and sadness. My fists clench, because I know whatâs coming next.
Another official name change.
âYou are, officially, ~Traitor~ 958,687,487.64.4.2.1 Alexandra,â the Master says, his voice dripping with satisfaction.