Upon approach, the grand ancient doors opened. A waft of cold air blew past Sosuke and Rin.
What waited beyond was a void. An endless room filled with an endless matter. Their footsteps echoed infinitely. Torches levitated in the invisible mass and ignited into a white flame when they crossed the bridge.
Then a door. A singular, insignificant-looking wooden door.
Sosuke glanced at Rin, then without a word, twisted the doorknob.
———
"So what did you decide?" Gabriel swung one leg lazily as he rested on the bench. His eyes scanned Sosuke head to toe, attempting to read any signs of mana. "Did you use the relic, or have you convinced yourself others would need something that powerful for more serious and permanent matters?"
In the center of Aurelius' garden stood Sosuke. Nature's voice seemed to pass him by. He stared at the cobblestone path, his fingers twitching at his side. "You're trying to make me feel guilty for my choice." His head lifted to meet Gabriel's gaze. "But it's something I'm content with. I've already promised myself to save twice as many lives as the relic could've."
"It's quite the opposite." Gabriel's expression turned more serious, a rare occurrence. "Things are beginning to get more tense, and we need your power." He stood from the bench, glancing around the garden as if measuring it. His hands slid into his pockets. "I don't want to force you into anything. It isn't my decision to make. In the end, it's your choice to use your powers to help the current climate in Westoria."
Sosuke's brow knitted tighter. "Tell me. Then I will choose."
Gabriel scratched at his brow, gaze dropping to the path below. "Ren is going to kill someone with a lot of influence. Arthur condemned all of his possessions in the whole Dante case, but he kept going."
"Arthur's working for the government? What is he, SIS?" Sosuke stepped forward, his hand clenching at his side. "Why don't you stop him yourself if you know this? Matter of fact, how do you even know he's going to do this?"
Gabriel's words caught in his throat. "Sosuke, I have to—"
Sosuke tilted his head, crossing his arms. "Have to what? You're keeping tabs on us, aren't you? That's how you figured out what I was doing."
"Like I said, you don't have to do anything." Gabriel let out a deep sigh. "I would try to stop his shenanigans on my own, but he doesn't have the same relationship we do. My presence would only exacerbate his actions. You could talk to him in a way I couldn't."
Sosuke ran a hand through his hair, eyes shut while he weighed it. "I'll talk to him." He turned and started walking off. "Only because he's starting to irritate me." A slight grin tugged at the edge of his lips.
———
Irving Hayes Estate
Sosuke rubbed his hands together, breath fogging in front of him as he tried to warm up. "Geez." After a moment, he turned and spotted the tracks Ren had left behind, half-buried beneath fresh snowfall.
That idiot is going to get himself in trouble. How does he even know they're connected? He could easily be wrong about his theory.
A blink of magic.
Sosuke spun the instant he sensed mana flare. A bullet tore through his side, ripping cloth and flesh before exiting in a spray of blood. The pain barely registered as more than a sting. The wound sealed itself almost immediately, heat crawling across his skin as the damage reversed. He tilted his head up to see the culprit.
"Look at you clinging to life, Mr. Hayes." Sosuke started toward him.
Irving was hunched forward, his breathing shallow and uneven. One leg dragged slightly as he moved, foot leaving an uneven trail in the snow. Blood seeped through the front of his coat, dark and wet, spreading from a crude bandage wrapped too tightly around his ribs. One of his arms trembled as he lifted the bow, fingers stiff and slow, knuckles pale from blood loss. His face was sallow, eyes sunken, with dried crimson crusted at the corner of his mouth.
"I was underestimated by you!" Irving snapped, his voice cracking halfway through. He coughed, doubling over for a second before forcing himself upright. "You'll regret looking down on me."
Sosuke pointed a finger toward himself. "Me? You got it wrong." He twirled a finger beside his head. "Must've been some brain damage." His gaze flicked briefly to Irving's staggered stance, the way his balance wavered with each breath. "Now listen. As much as I believe Ren's actions were wrong, you still may very well deserve death."
"What…?" Irving trailed off, knees threatening to buckle as another shudder ran through him.
Sosuke closed the distance and gently plucked the bow from Irving's weakening grip. Irving didn't resist. He barely seemed to notice. "It's the truth," Sosuke said calmly. "As long as it's not by my hands, Rin can't get angry."
He flicked Irving on the forehead. The touch was light, almost casual, but Irving lost what little balance he had left and fell backward into the snow, landing hard on his rear with a pained gasp.
Sosuke was already turned away. His hand traced a slow circle in the air. Space split open, mana peeling reality apart as a portal formed before him.
———
A lone vehicle rode up the mountainside toward the peak. The road was bumpy and obnoxiously long, a deliberate inconvenience that felt intentional. It suited the Sakurai Clan estate. High enough to look down on everything else, far enough away to pretend the world below did not matter.
Rin sat in the back seat while a personal driver handled the climb. She glanced out the window, watching cities shrink into clusters of distant lights.
I have to admit, it's a pretty view. The way the cities stretch out below, alive and busy. But why does it have to be theirs?
When they arrived in the parking lot, the front doors shot open before the engine even died.
"Rin, just the person I've been waiting for!"
Makoto Sakurai stepped forward with arms open, smile practiced and wide. The clan head himself. Recently ordained at twenty-eight after his mother's death. Too young. Too eager. Rin had always thought of him as a sewer rat, but one that knew exactly how to hide it.
He had learned manipulation early. It was the only way he had ever earned approval. That it had worked still irritated her. Worse was the reminder that they were cousins.
The driver pulled open the backseat door, allowing Rin to step out in her Starborn uniform, medals polished and unmistakable. The clan's request, of course.
"That so?" Rin said lightly as she stood. "I'm flattered."
The words landed a beat too smooth. The sarcasm was there, tucked just beneath the surface.
Makoto's grin never faltered. He stepped closer and placed his hands on her shoulders, thumbs pressing just enough to be noticed. "Look at you. A war hero." His eyes dragged over her uniform. "You must feel proud. Carrying all that recognition with you."
His fingers brushed the edge of her medals, lingering.
Rin stepped back with a tight smile. "Yeah. It really feeds the ego." She tilted her head toward the doors. "Can we go inside?"
A brief pause. Then a soft chuckle.
"Of course." Makoto folded his hands behind his back. "I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable." He snapped his fingers, and servants hurried to pull the doors open.
The interior of the Sakurai estate was overwhelming in a way that tried too hard. Polished marble floors reflected chandeliers heavy with crystal. Gold trim lined the walls in thick, unnecessary patterns. Every surface gleamed, yet the space felt oddly cold. Portraits of Sakurai ancestors stared down from the walls, each painted larger than life, expressions stern and self-important. Displays of rare artifacts sat behind glass cases, accompanied by engraved plaques that explained their worth far too eagerly.
Nothing looked lived in. Everything looked expensive.
"Place is a little more run down than I remember," Rin said casually.
Makoto's eyebrow twitched, subtle enough that most would miss it. "Well, what would you know?" he replied smoothly. "You've been gone for many years."
He stopped mid-hall and turned to face her. "If you returned, the clan would honor you properly. Your achievements. Your power." His gaze lingered for a moment longer than necessary. "Your appearance. You'd restore the Sakurai name on your own." His voice softened. "And you'd have a family that truly cared about you."
"That's nice to hear." Rin's attention drifted to a massive portrait of Makoto hung above a fireplace. The artist had been generous. "But I'd need more than that." She glanced back at him. "What if I already have people who care? Friends. The ones I made through the Starborn."
Makoto let out a quiet laugh and shook his head. "Please. It's a program. A convenient one." His smile tilted. "A group assembled for efficiency, not connection."
He stepped closer again. "You're not friends." His eyes narrowed slightly. "And that boyfriend of yours. I doubt he sees you as anything more than something to bolster his own ego." He straightened. "You're meant for more than being someone else's asset."
Rin's eye flickered, but her expression stayed composed. His words pressed exactly where they were meant to. Carefully chosen. Politely cruel.
For the nation, she reminded herself.
Makoto extended a hand down the hallway. "Why don't I show you where you'll be staying?"