Unsong Bird

"So this is our space."

The room was filled with bunk beds. It was a bit cramped, but it could have been way worse. All the soldiers, especially the newer ones who had been marked, were still in quite the pain and therefore quite tired. He was currently sitting in his bunk bed, and above him layed Kenneth already fast asleep, even though it was only noon.

Apparently, Kenneth was more than he looked. He was one of the previous expedition survivors and returned home alive.

The door to Squad 96 opened slightly, and a girl walked in.

"So this is Squad 96. I've heard you guys are like animals."

An older soldier near the door on his bunk gave out a faint laugh.

"Did you get lost? Are you new?"

"No im not lost, but I came to check you guys out. Apparently, you guys are pretty tough."

"Awgh, well how can I say no? Please, take a look around," he laughed faintly and turned around in his bunk.

One thing was certain there wasn't really that type of privacy you were used to. People could probably freely walk in and out without much notice.

The girl walked around, checking Squad 96's room out until she came across a bunk where she met a familiar face.

"OH, IT'S YOU," she stammered, pointing towards Jackal like it wasn't obvious it was him. "What are you doing in here, Jackal?"

"I'm a part of this squad. Why else would I be here?"

A little while later, Tara had managed to drag him out of his bunk and into the hall.

"Wow, the rumors are true. Squad 96 is brutal... Is that a burned tattoo? That's so cool, you look like a gangster, man! But doesn't it hurt?"

"Its a burned tattoo... and yeah, it still hurts quite a bit. Got it earlier today."

"Never expected this was how I'd get my first tattoo" he thought.

As they walked, he couldn't help but feel a bit curious about what the white-haired vampire had mentioned—Lura actually being awakened? Maybe Tara knew something. They had the same student uniform on when they first arrived together in the car.

"So—"

"Jackal, you gotta check out my huge room, man! Now that I've seen your pitiful little shared room, I have to show mine off."

"Sure... Are you even sure I'm allowed in there though?"

"Why wouldn't you? It's my room—I'm sure my roommates don't mind."

"How come I feel like this can only go wrong..." he thought, rubbing his temples.

What's the worst that can happen...

Walking through the giant ship's halls, a lot of rooms came into view. The ship had everything—from training areas to dining halls. A rough estimate would be that around 2,500 people could fit on board.

"Here it is. My room's the one over there—294."

As Tara opened the door, it became apparent there was some kind of favoritism at play. The room was quite spacious, with three normal-sized beds and even its own private bathroom.

"What you think, Jackal?"

"It's certainly nice to see the army favourtise different assets."

He thought, touching his neck slightly.

"It's quite nice... What squad are you in?"

"Squad? Oh, that's right—my squad is already at the battlefield. I'll meet up with them over there."

In the corner of the room, another girl was sitting, writing something in a notebook.

"Didn't I tell you I wanted some peace, Tara?" a distant voice called out.

"Awh, come on, there's nothing to do. Just wanted to show off my room," she said with a smirk.

Meanwhile, the girl sitting with her back to the uninvited guests finally turned around, letting out a tired sound.

"You even invited a human..."

Her eyes studied Jackal, stopping once they locked onto his neck.

"And even one of the animals from 96... We talked about this. Don't make unnecessary bonds—especially not with humans."

The girl talking was, without a doubt, a demon—just like Tara. Compared to Tara, her horns were much more prominent, and she looked older. She had this aura... the kind you'd only describe as if you got too close, she wouldn't be against attacking you suddenly.

The awkward silence was off-putting. What was he supposed to say? He'd just been insulted for being human. Should he just leave?

But he didn't get to make that choice—because the next moment, a hand rested on his shoulder.

"What do we have here? Fresh blood."

A voice from behind Jackal spoke.

Tara quickly confronted the voice.

"It's the guy I talked about, and he's part of Tsubasa's Squad 96."

"Oh? We got a 96 in here? Didn't know Tsubasa was on the ship with us this year."

Before Jackal could say anything, the girl behind him gave him a crude remark—just like the one he'd gotten in the car before.

"You're right, Tara. He reeks... I'm not surprised you mistook him for being inhuman when you met him."

The woman quickly forgot about Jackal's existence and focused entirely on the demon near the table.

"Lady Silvira, the Arch Family expects great things. Your squad is awaiting your arrival at the North Mainland."

Jackal flinched at the mention of the Arch Family. If he remembered correctly, the Demon Princess was part of that family...

"It couldn't be... Am I in the presence of the Demon Princess?" He thought

his previously calm demeanor beginning to show cracks.

"What? What would that make Tara? Why is she in the same room as the Demon Princess, Lady Silvira?"

Silvira gave a sharp stare and said,

"Please drop the formalities while we're in the room together."

Tara glanced at Jackal and whispered, "You should probably go. Seems she's in a bad mood."

Jackal wandered through the halls after the strange encounter. He turned one corner, then another... He was lost.

"You bastard! Just because you're a half-elf, don't you dare look down on me!"

"Half-elves are just superior. So stand down, human."

Before Jackal's eyes, the argument escalated. The next moment, the half-elf threw a punch, and the human quickly followed.

The human drove his elbow into the half-elf's stomach, making him react by taking a few steps back, the human barely had time to recover before a sharp right kick slammed into his side. The hit landed clean, sending him stumbling backward. He coughed up bits of blood from the impact.

"Had enough, human?" the half-elf sneered, delivering another punch to his gut. The soldier clutched his stomach, leaning against the metal wall for support.

From a distance, a few soldiers had begun to take notice of the commotion, but the half-elf remained unaware. Instead, his gaze shifted to Jackal, who was slowly approaching.

Jackal stood just a few meters away from the commotion, his white hair nearly covering his eyes.

"Another human... This your friend?" the half-elf muttered, clearly irritated.

"No."

"You got a pro—"

He stopped mid-sentence, as if something had suddenly clicked. Turning away, he muttered, "Animals of 96... Lucky bastard," before walking off.

A few human soldiers finally arrived, helping the bruised soldier to his feet. They glanced at Jackal, but he was already moving past them.

No words were exchanged.