"I'm Chocomint"
The desert became quiet once more.
The wind gently carried grains of sand across the dunes.
Kai stared at the chocomint.
"Chocomint...?"
Choco looked up.
"Yeah?"
"That's me."
Kai hesitated.
Then Choco asked,
"Do you know about me?"
Choco tilted his head.
"You do?"
Kai nodded.
"Alice."
For a brief moment—
Choco froze.
Kai continued.
"She told us everything."
"Oheyo."
"Brennan."
"Vaan."
"The experiments."
"The escape."
"You."
"And Akari."
Silence.
The crackling of the campfire filled the space between them.
Finally—
Choco smiled weakly.
"So..."
"They really made it home."
Kai nodded.
"They did."
"They've been looking for both of you ever since."
Choco lowered his gaze.
"...I figured."
Kai looked toward him.
"What actually happened?"
"You disappeared."
"You and Akari."
Choco remained silent for a while.
Then slowly began speaking.
---
"We ran."
"That's all I remember doing."
"We just..."
"...ran."
"The laboratory was collapsing."
"The city was falling apart."