Kael Ardent’s katana gleamed cold in the moonlight, its tip hovering mere inches from Akitsu Shouga’s throat.

  “Who are you? What are you doing inside private property?” His voice was calm, but every word carried the weight of steel.

  Akitsu didn’t flinch. “I live here,” he said, voice steady. His hand brushed the doorframe, grounding himself against the tension.

  Kael’s dark eyes narrowed. “You live here? I thought you were a commoner. Why would a commoner be living in this mansion?”

  Akitsu lifted his chin. “Ask the owner. He’ll confirm it. I live here. There’s no lie in my words.”

  Kael’s grip on his katana eased. The blade slid into its scabbard with a soft click. “Alright,” he said. “I sense no dishonesty.”

  Akitsu didn’t waste a second. “We need to check on the others. They could be in danger.”

  “Lead the way,” Kael said, stepping aside with the precision of a soldier.

  They ran through the mansion’s shadowed halls. Kael followed silently, every movement measured, every step controlled. When they reached Kaoru’s room, Akitsu found the door jammed. Something was blocking it from the other side.

  “Rikuya-san? Renjiro-san? It’s safe now! Come out!”

  The door creaked. Muffled sounds echoed from within. Moments later, it cracked open.

  “Akitsu-kun!” Renjiro’s voice was relief incarnate.

  Kael’s presence reassured them instantly. “Do not worry. The danger has passed now that I am here,” he said evenly.

  Renjiro’s eyes widened. “It’s the Kingdom’s hero!” He pushed the door wide, and everyone spilled into the hallway. Rikuya sank to her knees, exhaling shakily. “I thought… we wouldn’t survive…”

  Akitsu’s attention shifted to Kaoru, who hid behind her mother.

  Liora’s voice was calm, tinged with worry. “What happened, hero?”

  Kael squared his shoulders. “A villain appeared. I stopped him.”

  Akitsu groaned inwardly, clenching his fists. “You… stopped him? He escaped, didn’t he?”

  Rikuya’s voice cracked with fear. “So… the villain’s coming back? He’ll kill us?”

  Kael’s tone remained unwavering. “Do not worry. We will escort you to a safer place.”

  Akitsu’s mind raced. Safety? We can’t hide forever.

  Kael gestured. “Follow me outside the mansion.”

  The group moved as one, Akitsu bringing up the rear. He froze, surveying the destruction. The mansion, once a haven, was now a blackened skeleton.

  Seraphine Orion floated beside him, ethereal and calm. “Yes, it is sad… but it wasn’t yours, was it?”

  Akitsu looked down at his clothes. Torn, scorched, and coated with a strange blue liquid. He touched it—and pain shot through him. The substance burned into his skin, dissolving flesh with horrifying slowness.

  A sharp pain exploded inside his skull. He screamed, then collapsed. Darkness claimed him.

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  When Akitsu opened his eyes, he was back in the ethereal void.

  The red island awaited him, surrounded by black water. A single cherry blossom tree stood in the middle, petals drifting lazily—fifteen of them, exactly—floating above the dark, silent water.

  Red doors hovered slightly above the surface, silent and unmoving.

  I’m back… again, he thought. His steps echoed in the void as he approached one of the floating doors.

  He opened it. Silence swallowed him.

  Flashback

  Rain hammered the sidewalks as Akitsu approached the apartment complex. His hands gripped a concrete brick, rough and jagged. Lights flickered in room C4 on the fourth floor.

  He hurled the brick through the window and vanished into the stairwell. A bald man, tattoos crawling across his skin, stepped out, cigarette smoke curling around his furious face.

  “Who did this?!”

  Akitsu emerged silently. “I did that,” he said, voice flat.

  The man froze. “You? Who… tell me the truth!”

  Akitsu moved. A shard of glass drove into the man’s eyes. He screamed, stumbling back. “I told you! I did it!”

  Another shard. Another scream. Akitsu entered the apartment. His sister crouched naked in the corner, bloodied. He grabbed clothes from the wardrobe and dressed her. Together, they walked out. Behind them, the man wailed, blind and broken.

  End Flashback

  Akitsu awoke in the mansion. Lying on his bed, the night thick and heavy around him.

  Seraphine Orion hovered nearby. “Nightmare?”

  “No,” he said, rising. “It was real.”

  He moved toward the door. Seraphine followed hesitantly.

  Outside, a girl stood. No eyes. No mouth. White rags clung to her thin frame.

  Akitsu froze. “Oh…”

  Seraphine hissed. “What the hell is that?!”

  The girl’s voice was soft, fractured. “Father… My name… Ayaka Tachibana.”

  Akitsu’s lips curved into a faint, almost tender smile. “A pretty name for a sweet girl like you.” She nodded.

  Seraphine’s disbelief sharpened. “She called you father?! What’s happening?!”

  “Hold on. I’ll explain later. For now… she’s harmless. Follow me. No questions,” Akitsu said.

  “…Easier said than done!” Seraphine muttered.

  Akitsu descended the stairs cautiously. Then, from above—metallic footsteps.

  “Orion, make me two sharp wooden swords.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Because we have a visitor,” Akitsu said.

  Above, a man in a bloodied blue hoodie appeared. His face wrapped in crimson-stained bandages. Two semicircle blades glowed faintly in his hands. Malice radiated off him, shadows bending backward.

  Akitsu’s grip tightened. This night… it’s far from over.