Unclassified; Zero and Still Standing

The flaming tree came crashing down.

Move.

Yesu’s body already knew. She felt the muscles in her legs tighten.

Ready to spring.

Ready to survive.

Yet...

She remained rooted to the spot.

A memory flashed before her eyes.

Another fire.

The burning building.

People screaming. Running in every direction.

Smoke swallowing everything.

Something collapsing from above. Burning.

Just like the tree.

She saw herself slipping from the twisted metal bars.

She saw it all.

The open window that should have been her escape drifting farther away.

The flames below licking at her skin before she had even fallen.

Then the outstretched hand.

Yesu snapped back to reality.

Too late.

The burning tree was only inches away.

Even if she leaped now, she wouldn’t make it.

She simply watched.

The tree descended.

Then—

A violent gust of wind exploded through the forest.

The enormous trunk lurched sideways as though struck by an invisible hammer.

It crashed past Yesu.

Barely a breath away.

The same blast hurled Yesu backwards.

She flew through heat and smoke toward the trees dividing the two routes.

Branches whipped against her.

Someone was shouting her name.

Her back slammed into a tree trunk.

A sickening crack echoed through her spine.

The impact forced every bit of air from her lungs.

She collapsed onto the slope. Then gravity took over.

She rolled.

Faster and faster.

The hill grew steeper with every turn.

Sharp stones dug into her body. Broken branches scratched across her skin.

The roar of the fire faded behind her, replaced by the howl of rushing wind.

She reached desperately for a fallen log.

Her fingers caught it.

For one hopeful second—

Then the force dragged the log along with her.

It twisted.

Snapped upward.

And smashed into her forehead.

She let go.

Her vision blurred. The world spun.

Then...

The ground disappeared.

She was falling.

"Yesuin!"

Someone shouted.

Yesu forced her dizzy eyes open.

The afternoon sun blinded her.

Still...

She saw it.

An outstretched hand.

Someone was falling alongside her.

Holding a hand toward her.

She didn’t need to see his face. She already knew who it was.

Slowly, she raised her right hand.

Their fingers met.

His grip tightened immediately.

Yesu closed her eyes.

The next thing she felt was wind.

Not the ordinary kind.

It wrapped around her from every direction.

Firm.

Protective.

Holding her together.

When she opened her eyes again, her feet touched solid ground.

Gently.

Finch was standing in front of her, both hands gripping her shoulders.

He looked worried.

"Yesu... are you alright?"

His voice was surprisingly calm for someone who had just fallen out of the sky.

Then again...

An Air User was an Air User.

Yesu stepped out of his grasp.

"Yes. I’m okay."

She remembered clearly now.

Three years ago.

She had never been able to picture that moment clearly no matter how hard she tried.

The image of Finch flying through the burning window.

Stretching out his hand.

Pulling her away from the inferno beneath.

It had always been blurry.

Incomplete.

But now...

She could finally see it.

Because it had happened again.

Finch was looking into her eyes. He frowned.

Then slowly, he reached toward her face.

"There you are."

A voice drifted through the quiet.

Both of them turned.

The senior who had been chasing Yesu was walking down the path.

He looked amused.

And mildly surprised.

Finch’s expression hardened instantly.

"I honestly didn’t expect you to survive that." the senior admitted.

No one answered.

"I was already rehearsing what I’d say in my defense once the Trials were over."

He chuckled.

"Then Wind Boy here dropped in and saved the day."

He shrugged.

"So I waited." His smile widened. "And now that I’ve confirmed you’re alive..."

He brought both hands together. The muscles in his arms tightened.

Flames gathered between his palms.

Growing.

Swelling.

Until a massive sphere of fire rested there.

He cradled it casually. Like it weighed nothing.

"Where are the Scales you stole?" He asked, threatening.

Finch stepped forward.

"You should get going." He said without looking at Yesu.

His voice was low.

Yesu looked at him.

"No." She shook her head. "He’s going to beat you to a pulp. If we fight together, we can beat him."

Finch glanced sideways.

Then smiled.

"I don’t intend to beat him."

He nodded toward the forest.

"I only need to slow him down long enough for you to get that Scale back to Base."

"And after that?" Yesu countered. "You’ll be surrounded."

Finch laughed softly.

"I’m the master of evasion. Beauty, you don’t have to worry about me."

Yesu hesitated.

The senior was already closing the distance.

Finally...

Yesu sighed.

"Fine." She turned. "But if you die, I won’t take the blame."

Finch grinned.

"Sure. Sure."

Yesu sprinted away.

The senior immediately hurled the gigantic fireball after her.

Finch launched upward.

Wind burst around him.

He swept both arms forward.

A concentrated blast slammed into the incoming flames.

The fireball scattered apart before reaching Yesu.

The senior raised an eyebrow, a bit impressed.

Then he shook his head in pity.

"I hope for your sake that wasn’t your best move."

Finch chuckled.

"Why don’t you come and find out?"

***

Yesu was running again.

Come to think of it, she always was.

Was it because she was so good at running that fate kept placing her in situations where she had to?

It could be.

But what exactly was fate?

Was it the friend who always seemed to appear whenever she was one second away from certain death?

Or the aunt who had abandoned her for years, only to suddenly return for her... and then disappear without a trace?

Or the best friend who had once been the only thing she looked forward to in her insignificant days...

...and was now somehow becoming history?

Was it spending four years as a Zero...

Only to wake up one morning as an unclassified property of the state?

What was it they had called her again?

An impossible existence.

Yesu almost tripped on a vine.

Since she had been unfortunate enough to end up on the right path, she now had to take the longer route back to Base.

Luckily, If it could even be called luck, she had gotten lost just yesterday and had been forced to return using this exact route.

So she was quite familiar with it.

A sharp screech suddenly burst from her trousers.

Yesu stopped immediately.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her walkie-talkie.

Good thing she had removed it from her jacket earlier. Otherwise it would have been lost in the fire.

Static crackled.

Then Soraya’s voice came through.

"Attention."

A brief pause.

"Our plan has been compromised."

Another burst of static.

"I repeat, our plan has been compromised."

Her voice remained calm.

"All members are to return immediately to the point where we separated."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!