As Akitsu Shouga untied the ropes binding Kaoru to the chair, a distant sound reached his ears.
Shouting.
Boots striking stone.
They were coming from upstairs.
His hands froze for half a second before he pulled harder at the knot. The cellar was dimly lit, the air thick with the smell of damp wood and old blood. Kaoru remained unconscious, her head drooping weakly against her chest.
Then the sound grew louder.
Multiple footsteps.
“Akitsu…” Seraphine Orion whispered urgently, hovering beside him.
Before either of them could move, the hidden wall behind them slid open with a harsh grinding noise.
Night guards poured in.
They wore blue uniforms, steel swords drawn, eyes cold and unhesitating. The narrow room filled instantly, blocking every possible exit. More guards descended the stairs, their torches flickering violently against the stone walls.
Akitsu finished untying Kaoru and slowly looked up the stairs.
There was nowhere to go.
“…Oh, well,” he muttered quietly.
“There’s no way to escape the hands of fate.”
He gently lowered Kaoru to the floor, then sat down against the wall, his back resting against cold stone. His shoulders sagged, and his eyes lost their light.
Seraphine flew in front of him, panic written all over her face.
“What are you doing? We can still escape!” she shouted.
“There should be another hidden room or a passage here, right?? Your luck is insane, isn’t it?! If so, use that luck!!”
Akitsu raised his hand weakly and slowly waved at her.
His eyes were empty—eyes that no longer wished to resist.
The guards closed in.
Steel flashed.
The blade fell.
The world went black.
When Akitsu Shouga opened his eyes again, silence greeted him.
An ethereal void stretched endlessly in all directions.
He stood upon a small red island floating atop black, mirrorless water. At its center stood a single cherry blossom tree, its crimson petals drifting gently through the air.
Seventeen red petals floated on the surface of the water, circling the island.
Scattered across the void were countless red doors, hovering just above the dark surface.
“…I shouldn’t have gone into that room,” Akitsu muttered.
“Why were there two girls with white hair? One was a spirit, the other was human… and the spirit called me father for some reason.”
He stared at the water.
There was no reflection.
Wait…
“What if that spirit was Tachibana-san?” he thought.
“No… it can’t be. That’s impossible…”
He exhaled slowly.
“…I guess I’ll have to find out.”
Akitsu stepped into the black water.
It didn’t ripple.
He walked toward the nearest red door and placed his hand upon it.
“What type of life will you give me?”
He opened it.
The world fell silent.
Akitsu gasped.
He found himself standing inside a familiar room—a mansion chamber decorated with pink walls and soft furnishings.
“…This place seems like a girl’s room,” Seraphine said, floating beside him.
“It looks like a girl’s room to me,” Akitsu replied.
They approached the door and opened it slightly.
Stolen novel; please report.
The hallway outside was empty.
“We’re going to the cellar,” Akitsu said.
“That’s where Kaoru is.”
“…Okay,” Seraphine replied cautiously.
“But how do you know she’s there?”
“It’s difficult to explain,” Akitsu said.
“So just follow my lead.”
He sprinted toward the stairs—
And nearly collided with a small white-haired girl climbing upward.
Akitsu narrowly avoided her and darted into a nearby dressing room. When he turned around—
There was no one there.
“…There’s no one here,” he sighed in relief.
“What are you going to do now?” Seraphine asked.
“I have to jump out,” Akitsu said, moving toward the window.
“What?!” Seraphine shouted.
“We got up here just to jump out?!”
“Trust me.”
He opened the window.
Outside, the great chamber was visible—only a few feet away on the first floor.
“What are you going to do?” Seraphine asked nervously.
“Create vines here,” Akitsu said.
“I need to get over to that room on the first floor.”
“I don’t know what you’re doing,” Seraphine said,
“but alright!”
Vines burst from the walls, twisting and growing downward toward the great chamber.
Akitsu climbed out, gripping the vines tightly, his feet pressed against the wall as he descended.
He peered through the window.
Inside sat Haruya Takeda, quietly reading a book at a small table.
“There’s a person,” Seraphine whispered.
“What do we do?”
Akitsu slammed his head into the glass.
It shattered.
He fell inside, rolled across the floor, and immediately stood up, sprinting toward the cellar wall with blood dripping down from his forehead. He pressed against it—
The wall rotated.
Haruya screamed in fear.
“How did you even find this out?!” Seraphine exclaimed.
Akitsu ignored her and rushed down the hidden stairs.
At the bottom—
Kaoru.
She was tied to a chair, a wooden cross behind her. Blood dripped slowly down the wood.
“You seem awfully familiar with this place,” Seraphine said.
“Shut up and help me!” Akitsu snapped.
“Here!” She handed him a sharp wooden knife.
He cut the ropes and lifted Kaoru into his arms.
They rushed back up.
Akitsu ignored Haruya and headed straight for the broken window.
He jumped.
They ran.
“That was quick!” Seraphine said.
“Don’t jinx it!”
“What’s jinx?”
Shouts erupted behind them.
“Hey!! Stop!!”
“…Great,” Akitsu muttered.
“They spotted me! And I can’t even jump over the fence holding Kaoru!”
“I can help!”
Vines burst from the ground, carrying Kaoru safely over the fence.
Akitsu leapt—
Pain exploded through his back.
An arrow pierced into his lung.
“Damn it!!”
He forced himself forward and jumped.
Another arrow struck his leg.
He stumbled, barely able to run.
The guards were closing in.
“What are you going to do?!” Seraphine cried.
Arrows flew past him, slicing through the air.
“I can push through!” Akitsu shouted.
“And even if I die, I know that you’ll protect Kaoru!”
“What—?!”
An arrow struck his head.
The world went dark once more.
