It was a full week before I saw 08A again. Even with our enhanced ability to heal, he was still in the infirmary seven days after his trial. We didn't usually get to see the other children who passed the trials because they immediately moved to the offsite adult barracks to prepare for field work, so I hadn't expected to see my brother again for quite some time. At least not until I passed my own trials a few years later. One day as I fretted about 08A while sitting in class about the known history of lycanthropes, an attendant pulled me out of the lesson and escorted me to a private room in the infirmary. 

I remember being nervous as my sneakers squeaked on the recently waxed floor, but even my nerves couldn't bring me to ask where we were going. Imhullu kids were conditioned to follow orders whether we wanted to or now. When the attendant and I stepped into an infirmary room, though, my breath caught in my throat. There was my brother reclining in a medical bed with his leg in a plaster cast.

"Hey, B," he waved casually. I couldn't help but smile as I went and sat on the edge of the bed, ignoring the scowls of the attendant as I did. The large man lingered for a few moments, glaring at both me and A undil he srugged then turned and shuffled out of the room, shutting the door behind himself and leaving just me and 08A and the ticking of a clock on the wall.

"How'd you get them to let me see you?" My words came out rushed as I scowled at the space where the attendant had just been standing. 

When 08A didn't respond, I turned to look at him, looking in time to see him shrug as his black bangs fell across his eyes. "It seems like when we graduate, we get a little more authority around here. I just... asked to see you. I didn't know if they'd allow us to say goodbye to one another."

His expression grew pensive before he continued, "I wanted to see you before they sent me for field training. I... I don't know when I'll get to see you again, B."

I huffed and looked away from his eyes to stare at my fingers intertwined on my lap. As I spoke, I twiddled my thumbs. "You did well, A. For a minute, I worried... It looked like the vampire would win and I worried that..."

When my voice cracked, 08A spoke firmly. "It's done, B." 

When I looked back to his eyes and nodded, he continued, "I wanted to tell you before I go. Listen, I know I won't be around anymore, but you've got to keep trying B. You can never give up. You've got to fight, even if you don't want to. You can't ever get like you were before. You can't compromise. You can't ever be like you were before, wanting to stop."

I bit my lip and shook my head, planning to argue until a dark look from 08A kept my mouth closed. 

"You can never hesitate, 30B. They'll notice if you go back to the way you were before." 

For some reason, I felt tears prick my eyes, and I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood before looking down at my hands once more. I didn't want to fight. Not without my brother to help me.

"Tell me, B."

"Tell you what?" I spoke to my lap, still refusing to look at the older child. 

"Look at me."

I sniffed and wiped my nose on my sleeve before giving in and making eye contact with 08A again. "Tell me that you're going to keep fighting."

I wanted to lie, to say I'd fight when I had nothing to really fight for. But, I couldn't lie. Not only would A know if I was lying, but he was also my brother. I couldn't lie. Not to him.

"I promise that I'll keep fighting, A." My voice was strained and weak, but if my tone affected my brother, he didn't let on.

For a moment, 08A simply paused and thoughtfully regarded me as if he were deciding whether or not to believe my final promise. The ticking of the clock stretched on, and I realized that I could smell the faint odor of industrial cleaner. 

When 08A spoke, I jumped.

"Good."

As we stared at each other, it dawned on me that I wouldn't see A for a very, very long time. He was starting fieldwork training. Fieldwork, the dangerous, frightening world of monster hunting. No longer would A be sheltered by the walls of Imhullu. He'd be out there. Fighting. And a small part in the back of my mind realized that there was a real chance I would never see him again. I'm sure he sat there thinking the same thing as a few moments of silence ladened with sadness passed between us.

Afraid to break the oppressive quiet, I eventually mustered the courage and asked, "A, why us? Out of everyone here, why do you think we became real siblings? Why... why do we care for each other?"

He paused in thought before responding carefully, shifting under the covers with his discomfort as he struggled to articulate his thoughts. "I saw...potential. I didn't want you to waste that, and I thought by helping you get better, I would too. It worked. I just beat my trials, and so will you." 

I nodded, feeling a lump forming in my throat as I started to choke on my emotions. Of course he cared for me because he saw potential. He was the best, and I knew in that moment I had to be like him. I had to win like him because that's how I would make him keep caring about me even if he was far away. I had to be the best because my brother was better. For a moment, 08A simply scowled at me while these thoughts raced through my mind. 

The silence was only broken by the creak of the door opening as the attendant re-entered the room. My brother sighed as the attendant glared and signaled for me to follow him out. 

My heart began to stutter with my panic as I stood on shaking legs, but when I chanced looking back at 08A, my brother was calm and smiling faintly. "Be good, B. You'll always be my sister." 

Through my hazy gaze, I smirked at his words before willing my smile to fall from my face. It wasn't hard to turn my faint grin into a frown considering there was a very real chance I wouldn't see my brother again after this day. As I shuffled after the attendant, I couldn't resist looking back one final time. 

08A smirked and flicked his bangs out of his eyes and waved. Then, just as quickly as the smirk had come, it was replaced by a scowl as my brother turned his gaze from me to the window. 08A had such a beautiful smile, and I found myself wishing I could see him smile more often. Once I crossed the threshold and the door closed ominously behind me, I realized something surprising. 

08A hadn't given me an origami artwork to help me remember him. Maybe that meant he planned to see me again after all.