The warm scent of coffee and toasted bread filled the still air of the morning. In the corner by the café window, two women sat facing the rising sun. Lucy sipped her coffee slowly, while Shina stared into her cup, her brows slightly furrowed.
"I want to know," Shina said, her voice flat but unable to hide her curiosity. "Who is that man, really?"
Lucy raised an eyebrow as she set down her cup. "That man?"
"Canis Majoris," Shina replied with a slight edge, as if saying a name that disturbed her thoughts. "Is he someone important?"
Instead of answering right away, Lucy countered with a calm but sharp gaze, "Why do you want to know?"
Shina let out a slow breath. "Because I don't understand him. His power… it's overwhelming. Even when I attacked him, he didn't flinch. As if he already knew what I was going to do."
[Flashback – The Night Before, In the Forest]
Ice blades formed in Shina's hands, ready to strike Canis in a flash.
But before it happened, Lucy's voice sliced through the moment like lightning.
"Canis! Shina!"
Both froze immediately. Shina turned quickly, startled. "Sis?!"
Lucy rushed toward them, breathing heavily. "Don't attack him. Canis is not an enemy."
Shina narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Then who is he?"
Lucy glanced briefly at Canis before replying, "He… is an asset that must not be harmed. One of humanity's remaining forces."
The ice sword in Shina's hand slowly melted. Her voice was quiet but heavy. "I don't understand..."
Lucy gently touched her arm. "Later. I promise, I'll explain everything."
[Back to the Present – Café]
Shina looked out the window, her brows furrowed. "I don't like uncertainty, Sis. And he hides too many things… things that might become dangerous."
Lucy nodded slowly. "You're not wrong to be cautious. But I ask one thing of you—don't doubt his heart."
Shina turned to her sharply. "Is he that important to you?"
Lucy gave a faint smile. "Back then… I fought in the same division as him. He was only fifteen or sixteen. Very young. But even at that age, he surpassed everyone. Even me."
Shina fell silent. There was something in Lucy's tone that unsettled her.
Lucy continued, "He's not just strong, Shina. He's someone who has carried far too much. If you can… try to get along with him."
Shina clenched her hands on her lap.
She didn't respond.
But her thoughts were far louder than her expression revealed.
Shina stirred her coffee slowly. The rising steam mirrored the fog in her mind.
"If he's really that great," she finally said, her tone quiet but insistent, "then why does no one recognize him? There's not a single record mentioning Canis Majoris."
Lucy paused for a moment, then replied carefully, "Because… when he was active, he rarely used his real name."
Shina looked at Lucy attentively. "Then what? A title?"
Lucy gave a faint smile but didn't answer.
"Don't dwell on it too much, Shina. It's not something you need to know right now."
"But I—"
Lucy gently cut in, "Just let it go. He doesn't want to be remembered for that past. He chose peace, and we should respect that."
Shina bit her lip. The sharp curiosity in her mixed with emotions she couldn't name.
Lucy leaned forward slightly, changing the subject. "Anyway… as the captain of the Red Star Corps, are you happy now?"
That question made Shina pause. Her eyes softened, yet there was a hardness to them, as if she carried something she couldn't easily share.
"I…" she drew a breath. "You know, Sis… sometimes I want to complain. It feels like the weight I carry is too much."
Lucy smiled warmly. "Then complain."
Shina shook her head slowly, hiding something behind a thin smile. "But I'm your little sister, and I'm a leader. I can't afford to look weak."
Lucy looked at her gently. "Shina… being strong doesn't mean swallowing everything alone."
Shina finally leaned back a little in her chair, gazing out the window. "I know. But for now… just don't worry about me."
And for a moment, no more words were needed between them. Only the sound of a spoon tapping a glass and soft music playing from the café radio wrapped the morning in a quiet, fragile peace.
{Chapter 5 end}