SENTINEL 555: WAR ✔

18 KNOCKS

Oni's body sagged and it dragged him awake. Times like these, he relished corners. Three months in, and there wasn't much he could like about sleeping standing up. Well, almost nothing.

Dev pounced and Oni grabbed her arms and slammed her against the wall. When she winced, he tried to take his actions back, but she also chuckled.

"Amazing. You've really improved."

Her praises weren't as valuable as seeing her so pleased with herself. Sure enough, she geared up, so he dodged her kick. He didn't duck in time for the back hand rushing at him, however. Dev stopped short and flicked his forehead.

"Still needs some work."

Her smile filled him up. He couldn't say when he'd gotten so accustomed to it. In the last three months, a lot had changed. One difference was his height. Now he was almost taller than her. Another was his 'sickness' when around her.

He still held her right wrist, a fact he only realized when she looked down at his grip.

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's still early," Dev said. "How do you keep nodding off like this? Sen must retire to his room before curfew. You can't tell me otherwise."

Sen did. And that wasn't the problem.

As always, Oni changed the subject. "What are we learning today?" There were no mats spread out in Dev's room for them, which was unusual.

"Shooting."

Oni flinched. "No."

"Oh yes. I had to pull a lot of strings to get that room free from another crew. So come on."

In the early mornings they trained. After hours would be a plus as well but there was no way of doing that now with Oni bunking in Sen's room.

In the last three months, Oni'd come to learn a lot about the firing range. So much so that when they left Dev's room, followed the corridor, and arrived at the armory, there was no need for her to do anything beyond release the restrictions on the weapons. He knew the routine by heart.

When he'd first met Dev, she'd been nearly fifteen; he'd been fifteen. Her birthday had come and gone. Today was his. As such, he was happy to spend the morning with just the two of them.

She still didn't carry herself like what he deemed a typical fifteen-year-old but perhaps he didn't conduct himself like a typical sixteen-year-old either.

He certainly didn't when he watched her disassemble the gun then reassemble it again.

After taking it apart once more, she said, "There. Did you see all that?"

With a small scoff, Oni shook his head. "You're asking the impossible."

Dev sighed, exasperated, but Oni felt like a heel for different reasons.

Sure enough, she stepped beside him and pointed step by step which parts when where. And as always, whenever he paused, she took hold of his hands and helped guide him in assembling it.

"Here. Take it step by step. Do you remember the mnemonic device?"

That victory, he gave her with a nod.

"Lovely." She waited, patient to a fault when he assembled the weapon.

After he was finished, she took the gun from him and examined it. "Brilliant. You've done it perfectly." She nudged him with her elbow. "You don't need me much longer. Yeah?"

Her words dragged him down into a panic.

The gun slipped from his hands. Dev caught it.

She let out a sigh when she put it into his palm, holding his hands to make certain his grip was firm.