Latif looked at Aman, his eyes soft and tired. He slowly walked toward him and leaned close. It was clear: after everything that had happened, Latif didn't trust anyone anymore.
Not after the explosion. Not after losing his mother. Not after seeing people trample over each other just to survive.
But Aman? Aman had helped him once before. Other than his mother, Aman was the only person he trusted now.
Latif was a challenged child. He didn't fully understand the world around him. Some considered him slow, mentally delayed, and on top of that, he was asthmatic. He wasn't good with crowds or chaos. He needed someone who could make things simple and someone who could protect him.
"You know... people always said I'm like this because my parents were cursed," Latif said suddenly, voice low. "They said it's because they helped the British once. The kids at the village... they always called me stupid. They pushed me around. But... there were a few kind ones. Not many."
Aman grunted, focused on picking a lock on a door that refused to budge. He had already tried kicking it twice. "Tch. Not your fault. If your parents did something, it was for you. I heard they helped the Brits to get your medicine, right? Not for power. Not for greed. Just survival. Can't blame people for trying to keep their kid alive."
Aman tried kicking the door again. "What is this door made of? Bloody iron?!"
Latif hesitated. "And... um... you said you were betrayed by someone... the person who captured you. My mom said she met you both. Do you... hate me for that?"
Aman stopped what he was doing and turned.
"What?"
"I mean... my mother. She... she was the one who gave you away, right? You must hate me..."
Aman stared at him, frowning. Then shook his head.
"No. That would be stupid. I'm not blaming a kid for what their parents did. Your mom made her choices. That's not your fault."
Latif let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His shoulders relaxed slightly.
Aman turned back to the stubborn lock. "Alright, enough with sentimental crap. Let me deal with this damned door."
Click.
Nothing.
Click.
Still locked.
Growling under his breath, Aman pulled out his snub nose revolver, aimed at the handle, and fired. The sound cracked through the air like a whip. Latif flinched, covering his ears.
Aman kicked the door again. This time, it swung open.
"Finally."
They stepped into a small pharmacy. Most of the shelves had already been ransacked, with medicine scattered, missing, or broken. But there was still hope.
Aman muttered as he rifled through drawers. "Looks like the British or evacuees cleared out a good chunk. But not everything. They took the pills, left the people. Typical."
Latif helped search, glancing nervously around.
Finally, Aman held up an inhaler. "Bingo."
"Thank you..." Latif whispered, reaching for it.
Just then, a man shouted behind them.
"Hey! What the hell are you kids doing?!"
Aman spun, immediately on edge.
The man probably the owner of the shop, or someone squatting there stormed forward.
Without hesitation, Aman stepped up, grabbed the man by the collar, and slammed him into the counter. The man crumpled, unconscious.
Latif winced but didn't cry out. He watched silently as Aman stood over the man.
"Didn't expect people to still be here. Thought everyone had already fled. Seems they took the medicine but left the souls behind."
Latif still didn't say anything. He watched. Deep down, he didn't like violence. But he had seen worse. And if Aman did it, there must be a reason, right? Like his parents betrayed their own people for him.
...
Later, the two rejoined Mei Lian and Melati. The girls had been scavenging nearby, gathering supplies.
Melati looked dazed, visibly shaken.
"I can't believe I'm stuck with a lunatic kid... How did I end up like this?" she muttered to herself.
"Found anything useful?" Aman asked.
Mei Lian turned toward him. "Food. Some tools. Probably enough to keep us going for a day or two. It'll take a while to pack."
Aman gestured toward Melati, who was mumbling to herself in the corner. "What's with her?"
Mei Lian smirked. "She thought following me was the safer choice. Wrong decision. Just because we're both girls doesn't mean I'm gentle. Some guy tried to attack us. I smashed his face in."
"Right. Says the girl who once shot a man in the neck. Carter survived that, by the way. You're not exactly clean either," Aman replied dryly.
"At least I don't kill people casually," Mei Lian shot back. "And I may be small, but I still carry this."
She pulled aside a cloth and revealed her Arisaka rifle.
"Even a small girl swinging a rifle can do some damage."
Aman shrugged. Fair point.
Melati just sighed. Latif stayed close to Aman, silent as ever.
They were preparing to leave the city, heading toward the edge of Kuala Lumpur when Aman suddenly stopped.
His eyes narrowed. A familiar figure was moving through a side street.
Rahman.
Rahman froze when he spotted Aman.
"You actually made it out of Pudu, huh?" he called, voice half taunting, half impressed.
Then he ran.
Aman didn't hesitate. He sprinted after him.
"Wait!" Latif shouted. "Why isn't he stopping him?!"
Mei Lian sighed. "Like he'd listen to anyone."
Melati looked nervous. "He's going to kill him, isn't he?"
Mei Lian shrugged casually. "Probably not. Not right away. He wants answers. He'll probably torture him first."
That didn't comfort Melati.
They stood there, watching as Aman disappeared down the street.
Mei Lian folded her arms. "Let's give him time. I know where to meet him later. He'll come back."
...
The city was decaying around them. People had left or died. The streets felt hollow, like echoes of a memory already faded. The group stood in the shadow of a crumbling apartment, the sky overhead grey with ash and smoke.
Melati sat on the steps, hugging her knees. Latif leaned against the wall, quietly playing with his inhaler. Mei Lian stood guard, her rifle leaning beside her, expression unreadable.
They were waiting.
For Aman.
For answers.
For the next move.
No one said it, but they all knew: they weren't just kids anymore.
They were survivors.
And war didn't care how old you were.