Goro stood near the edge of the underground bunker zone, breath still heavy, arm wrapped tight to slow the bleeding. He slipped into the nearest phone booth, the glass cracked, the inside smelling of rust and old plastic. He dropped a coin in and dialed from memory.
The line clicked.
Old Yagami's house appeared on the other side of the scene. The quiet farm. Wooden floors. Faint wind brushing against crops outside.
"Aha. Aha. Okay. Okay."Shin spoke calmly into the receiver, nodding even though Goro couldn't see him.
He put the phone down slowly.
It was 5:00 AM.
Yuki stirred beside him, white hair spilling across the pillow as she woke to the sound of Shin's voice. She didn't ask what Goro said. She could already tell something was wrong.
Shin turned toward her.
"It was Goro," he said. "They went a little off-mission. They didn't just map the place. They took the hard drives."
Yuki sat up instantly. "They… actually got them?"
"Two of them," Shin added.
Relief hit her first. Then fear followed immediately after.
She stood and hugged Shin hard, worry pouring out all at once, when a quiet voice spoke from behind them.
"They… they really succeeded."
Veyron stood in the doorway, hair messy, eyes half-open, still trapped between sleep and reality.
"One problem," Shin said, his voice lowering. "Axel's not with Goro."
The room went dead silent.
"He's fighting Rika," Shin continued. "Goro said I should come for them as soon as possible. He said Axel will arrive by the time I get there."
"I'm going with you."
Yuki didn't ask. She decided.
Shin nodded once.
"Wai—what—what about us? Who's Rika?"Veyron's voice cracked as panic crept in, his volume rising without him realizing it.
"You and the others stay here," Yuki said firmly, stepping past him while still keeping her tone steady. "If everything goes right, we'll be back in five or six hours."
She paused, looking straight at Veyron.
"He'll be okay."
Shin and Yuki were already moving.
Outside, the night still clung to the sky. 5:09 AM. Shin turned the ignition of his white van. The engine hummed quietly, then they were gone down the road, swallowed by darkness.
Veyron stood there for a moment, frozen.
When he finally turned back toward the house, Nyra was standing in the doorway.
She wore light brown pajamas covered in tiny teddy bears, hair messy, eyes still heavy with sleep.
"Goro got the hard drives but Axel wasn't with them and they said he will be and—"Veyron's words tangled together. His chest tightened. His breathing broke.
Nyra stepped forward without a word and wrapped her arms around him.
"It's okay," she whispered.
She guided him back inside, up the stairs, into the room she shared with Yuki. The bed felt too big, too quiet. Veyron lay beside her, still shaking.
Nyra pulled him close, fingers gently moving through his hair, slow and grounding.
His breathing steadied.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Veyron woke up an hour later.
6:10 AM.
Sleep had barely touched him, but at least his chest didn't feel like it was caving in anymore. His thoughts were quieter—still loud, just… manageable.
Nyra stirred almost immediately after him. He didn't notice at first.
Veyron slipped out of bed and headed downstairs, rubbing his face. He couldn't lie back down even if he wanted to. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn't eaten properly since yesterday.
He stood in front of the fridge, staring inside like answers might be hidden behind the shelves.
Nothing made sense. Food included.
"I could make you some scrambled eggs," Nyra said softly from behind him. "With onion and cheese. Might help you feel full."
Veyron turned around instantly.
"Yes—yes, please," he said, hunger finally catching up to him.
Nyra smiled faintly and moved past him. She cracked eggs fast, confident, adding a few extra to the pan so she could eat too. The smell filled the kitchen quickly—warm, grounding.
They sat down together moments later.
Nyra took the first bite.
"No secrets between us," she said calmly.
Veyron nodded. "I agree. I trust you, Nyra."
She studied him for a second.
"You want the truth?" she asked.
"About what?" Veyron replied.
"Axel," she said. "I'm guessing you still don't know his power. That's why you're this worried."
Veyron let out a shaky breath. "He tried telling me. Fell asleep that night. Yuki tried too, but Akari walked in. And then everything just—"His voice sped up. His breathing followed. "You're all my friends now, and no one told me and I'm worried and—"
Nyra reached across the table.
"I care," she said, cutting through the spiral. "About you. About this group. So I'll be the one to explain Axel to you."
She meant it.
They finished their plates in silence.
When they finally looked up, their eyes met. Veyron couldn't look away from her brown eyes—steady, warm, serious. Nyra exhaled slowly.
"You ever played Monopoly?" she asked.
"Y-yeah," Veyron said. "A few times. Why?"
Nyra didn't smile.
"Monopoly dice roll," she said.
Veyron frowned slightly.
"That's the name of Axel's power," Nyra continued. "That's where it comes from."