Lilly Cross walked beside Noah Sato.
And every step felt like a countdown.
I'm going to his house.
He didn't even hesitate.
This is it, isn't it?
Her mind raced.
He boxed me in.
Broke every escape route.
Psychologically dominated me.
And now he's bringing me home.
Already?
Her cheeks heated.
No—no, stop. Why am I thinking like that!?
This isn't that kind of situation!
She glanced sideways.
Noah was walking normally. Hands in his pockets. Humming quietly. Completely at ease.
That's worse, she thought.
He's calm because this is already decided.
"You okay?" Noah asked suddenly.
She flinched. "Y-Yes! Totally fine!"
He nodded, accepting it without question.
They walked in silence for a moment.
Then Noah spoke again.
"You know," he said, looking ahead, "you kinda remind me of a stray I saved once."
Her heart skipped.
"…A stray?"
"Yeah," he said. "A long time ago."
Her pulse quickened.
A code story.
A metaphor.
She listened carefully.
The Story (As Lilly Hears It)
"There were some kids," Noah continued, voice distant.
"They pushed it into the water."
Bullies.
Rival operatives.
"It couldn't swim," he said. "Just kept sinking."
Untrained assets, her mind supplied.
Discarded.
"So I jumped in."
Lilly's eyes widened.
"Even though my leg was sprained," Noah added casually.
Her blood ran cold.
Injured operative.
Sent anyway.
"I didn't think," he said. "Just moved."
She clenched her fists.
Of course.
Emergency extraction under compromised conditions.
"It was heavy," Noah went on. "Kept scratching me. I got hurt a lot."
Resistance.
Panicked subject.
"But I couldn't let it drown."
He smiled faintly.
"So I held on."
Lilly swallowed hard.
In her world, this story translated cleanly:
A criminal syndicate kidnaps children.
Throws them into impossible situations.
Tests who survives.
Discards the rest.
"And after?" she asked quietly.
Noah shrugged. "I took it home. Nana fixed it up."
Handler.
Medical unit.
"…What happened to it?" Lilly asked.
"It ran away after it got better," Noah said. "But it looked back once."
He glanced at her.
"Like it remembered."
Her chest tightened.
This isn't a story, she thought.
This is a confession.
Arrival
They stopped in front of a house.
Simple. Old. Quiet.
Too quiet.
"This is it," Noah said.
Her instincts screamed.
This is the safehouse.
No—this is worse.
This is the handler's den.
Noah stepped forward and knocked.
Three times.
Firm.
Controlled.
Her spine stiffened.
Signal knock.
The door opened.
And Lilly's world stopped.
Nana (As Lilly Sees Her)
A woman filled the doorway.
Six feet tall.
Broad shoulders. Thick arms.
Muscles packed tight like coiled steel.
She wore a leather apron, fresh red stains.
In one hand—
A knife.
Not a kitchen knife.
A butcher's knife.
Blood dripping.
Her presence slammed into Lilly like a physical force.
Killing intent.
Raw. Ancient. Overwhelming.
It was the kind of pressure Lilly had only felt once before—
when she stood too close to a top killer in the syndicate.
Her knees locked.
Her lungs refused to work.
This… this is her.
Noah's voice sounded distant.
"I'm home, Nana."
The woman's eyes snapped to Lilly.
Sharp.
Measuring.
Predatory.
Lilly's vision tunneled.
I can't move.
I can't breathe.
This is the reason he never needed to threaten me.
The woman tilted her head slightly.
Then—
"Oh?" she said. "You brought a friend?"
Her voice was deep. Calm.
That made it worse.
Noah nodded. "Yeah. This is Lilly."
The knife lowered slightly.
But the pressure didn't.
Nana leaned forward just enough for Lilly to smell iron.
"…Come in," she said.
Lilly's legs finally unlocked.
She stepped inside—
Knowing, with absolute certainty—
I've crossed the final line.