The wind had grown sharper, biting at the flesh beneath their cloaks as Unit 9 made their way through the nearly silent streets of Athen. The snow had paused, leaving a ghostly blanket across rooftops, alleys, and paths. Ashen walked in front with his usual silence, eyes watching every corner. Behind him, Kerr hummed a broken tune under his breath while Lin bounced on her feet to keep warm.
Elira muttered, pulling her cloak tighter. "It's colder now than it was this morning."
Raynar grunted. "Let's get back to the inn before it gets worse."
They turned down a narrow street. The sky above was a pale grey, weighed with more snow to come. As they reached the crooked archway that marked the inn's alley, Lin suddenly froze.
"Wait... look."
There, half-hidden behind a stone post, was the boy from earlier—the one who had bumped into Ashen. His clothes were still the same: too thin for the weather, patched in places, and ragged. He wasn't running this time. He was standing by a wooden crate, digging through its frozen contents.
Ashen narrowed his eyes. "That's him."
Kerr tilted his head. "Should we talk to him?"
Sera stepped forward. "Follow him. Quietly."
They didn't have to follow long. The boy picked up a dirty cloth sack, slung it over his back, and disappeared around the corner. Unit 9 moved silently behind, their footsteps muffled by the snow. He didn't notice them until he turned into a narrow back alley and almost walked straight into Raynar.
He jumped back, eyes wide.
"I didn't steal nothing!" the boy shouted. "I was just looking for food! I swear it!"
"No one's accusing you," Elira said softly, hands raised.
The boy backed against the wall, breathing heavily. His cheeks were red from the cold, and his fingers were raw.
"What's your name?" Ashen asked.
"...Toren."
Lin stepped forward, kneeling a little to meet his height. "We're not gonna hurt you, Toren. We just saw you earlier and... we wanted to know if you're okay."
Toren looked at them, confused. "Why would you care?"
"We're soldiers," Raynar said. "Here to help."
The boy's eyes narrowed. "Help? Is that what they told you?"
Kerr scratched his head. "I mean, yeah. We're here to help evacuate people. Why else would we be freezing our asses off?"
Toren dropped his sack and folded his arms. "Evacuate. Sure. You'll move us to some other dead land and call it a mercy."
Sera's voice was calm. "Why do you think that?"
He laughed, bitter and hollow. "You think this happened overnight? Athen was full once. Markets, farms, people. My dad worked the river docks. He used to bring home fruit. Real fruit, not that frozen rot from the north."
Ashen stayed quiet, listening.
Toren kicked the wall. "Then the soil started freezing. One winter lasted longer than it should. Crops died. People left. Some died. Then... my dad got sick. Fever. No one came. No healer. No aid."
"I'm sorry," Lin said, her voice low.
"He died right there," Toren said, pointing at a random window. "Next to my mom. She hasn't moved in two days. I bring her what I can."
Sera stepped closer. "What about the relief? The supplies sent by the king?"
Toren's face twisted. "You think we get that? You think the nobles, the guard captains, the fat men with red cheeks let us touch it? We get the bones. If anything."
Raynar frowned. "There are supply lines. There has to be some structure—"
"There is," Toren interrupted. "They use it. They eat first. They sell second. Maybe they throw some scraps to the 'lower end' of the city. That's what they call it. Lower end. Like it's a pit."
Kerr looked around at the broken houses. "I thought the city looked... off. Too quiet. Too empty."
Ashen asked, "Why hasn't anyone fought back?"
Toren shrugged. "Some did. They vanished. Or starved. Or got offered a 'choice.' Work the cold fields under armed watch. Or die free."
The group fell silent for a moment. The only sound was the wind howling through the broken shutters above.
Lin looked shaken. "But… we didn't know."
Toren stared at her. "Course you didn't. You come here in thick boots and fine cloaks. I bet your inn has firewood. Blankets. Food."
Sera's mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.
Ashen looked down at his own coat, suddenly aware of how warm he felt compared to the boy before them.
Elira walked forward and handed the boy a small wrapped bundle from her side pouch. "It's not much. But eat."
Toren hesitated, then took it with a nod. "Thanks."
Sera finally found her voice. "We were told this was a simple evac mission. No one said anything about this."
Toren's gaze shifted to her. "And what are you? You speak like someone who's never gone hungry."
"I'm... I'm from the capital."
"Figures."
Kerr tried to ease the mood. "Not all of us are nobles. I mean... I barely got picked for this unit. I used to hunt rats in my neighborhood."
Lin laughed weakly. "And I still can't cook rice right."
Even Raynar cracked a tiny smile. "You really can't."
Toren looked at them again. His expression softened slightly. "You're different. You're not like the other soldiers."
"We're Unit 9," Elira said. "We don't walk past people who need help."
Toren looked at the wrapped bundle. "Then maybe... maybe you'll remember this city when it's gone."
Sera didn't speak. Her eyes were fixed on the ground.
They walked him back to his home—if it could be called that. A single-room shack with wooden boards nailed across the windows. Inside, a woman lay on a straw mat, her skin pale, lips dry.
Elira gave her a cloth soaked in water. Toren sat by her side, holding her hand.
"She hasn't spoken since yesterday."
"Can she be moved?" Ashen asked.
"I don't know," Toren said quietly. "She's all I got."
Sera turned around, her voice shaking. "We'll come back. We'll find something—someone to help her."
Toren didn't reply. He just stared at his mother's face.
They left in silence. No one spoke until they reached the edge of the alley.
Kerr kicked the snow. "Damn it all."
Lin looked up. "It's not fair."
Raynar muttered, "If the capital knew this..."
"They do," Sera said, voice hollow. "Some do."
Elira looked at her. "You okay?"
"I was proud to wear this uniform," Sera whispered. "I thought we were protecting our people. Serving the kingdom. I thought we were helping."
Ashen turned to look at her. Her eyes were red. She wasn't crying, but the shame was written all over her face.
"We've all done things we thought were right," Elira said.
"That doesn't make this better," Sera replied. "These are my people too. And I didn't even know."
They stood in the middle of the path. The sky above seemed heavier.
Then, quietly... snow began to fall.
Tiny, cold flakes drifted from the sky like feathers. One landed on Sera's glove. She watched it melt slowly.
Ashen looked up, letting one fall on his cheek.
For a moment, no one spoke. No one moved. They simply stood there in the falling snow, letting the weight of the truth settle in.
Athen was dying. Not just from the cold—but from neglect, corruption, and silence.
And Unit 9 had just opened their eyes to it.