Morning – Ryker's Home
The room echoed with the sound of video game effects. Ryker sat on the floor, eyes locked on the screen, controller in hand, fully immersed.
"Wow... this is amazing," he muttered with a grin. "Smooth graphics... no lag... I could play this all day."
Across from him, Hinata leaned against the wall with crossed arms, watching him with a half-smile.
"Seriously? Your girlfriend gives you a next-gen PlayStation and you give her just a necklace?" she said, raising a brow.
Ryker didn't look away from the screen. "Tch. I told you, I don't have a girlfriend."
"Yeah, yeah. Every guy says that," Hinata rolled her eyes. "Then next thing you know, he's kissing her under a snowflake."
Ryker kept playing, unfazed.
Hinata scowled, folding her arms tighter. "Hmph. Ignoring me now?"
Before Ryker could respond, his phone buzzed beside him. He glanced at the screen:
Incoming Call – Shidou Shiranui (Guild Leader)
Ryker picked it up. "Yo."
The voice on the other end was sharp. "Hurry up and get to the guild. Now."
Click.
The line went dead.
Ryker stared at the phone. "What the...?"
He sighed, tossing the controller onto the couch and getting up.
"Guess it's an emergency. I'm heading out," he said, grabbing his coat.
"Okay~" Hinata said, waving lazily. "Tell your not-girlfriend I said hi!"
Ryker rolled his eyes as he left, shutting the door behind him.
Guild Headquarters – Leader's Room
The heavy wooden doors slammed open as Ryker walked in, hands in his pockets, expression calm as ever.
Inside the room stood Jasmine Katsuragi, arms folded, back straight like a blade, her presence as sharp as her reputation.
Ryker didn't bother with formalities. "What's the problem?" he asked casually.
But before he could take another step, cold steel touched his neck—Jasmine's sword, drawn so fast it whistled through the air.
Her eyes were narrow, her tone ice.
"Tell me... who is your mother?"
Ryker didn't flinch. His eyes met hers, unreadable. "Tch. I think I just wasted my time coming here," he said flatly. "Could've stayed home and played my tournament in peace."
"Jasmine," came a firm voice.
Guild Leader Shidou Shiranui entered the room, arms behind his back. "Enough. Ryker isn't your enemy."
She slowly lowered her blade, though her eyes never left Ryker's.
Shidou turned to Ryker. "I called you here because I need you to go on a mission—with Jasmine."
Ryker's expression darkened slightly. "Then why the hell did she ask about my mother?"
"That's... not relevant anymore," Shidou said with a wave of his hand. "Forget it."
Ryker didn't look convinced, but he stepped back and crossed his arms. "Alright. What's the mission?"
Shidou nodded toward Jasmine. "She'll brief you on the details. I have other matters to attend to."
Without another word, he exited the room, leaving Ryker and Jasmine standing in silence.
Yumi's Apartment
The sun had risen, but the warmth it brought never reached her heart.
Yumi sat at the edge of her bed, the same position she'd been in for hours. Her eyes were hollow, skin pale, lips slightly parted as if still waiting to breathe again. The room was quiet, eerily still—no music, no television, just the sound of a ticking clock and distant city noise outside her window.
Her phone lay untouched on the floor, screen cracked from being dropped sometime during the night.
The gift Sol had given her was still in her hands, clutched tightly like a lifeline. But even that couldn't stop the chill in her chest.
She stood up slowly, as if her body had forgotten how to move.
Her feet carried her to the mirror.
She looked at herself.
Hair messy. Eyes red. Face pale.
A girl who once laughed so easily… now looked like a ghost.
She splashed water on her face, but it didn't help.
Nothing could wash away what had happened last night.
Kurota Kai. Shinurai. The others.
Criminals. Monsters.
And they had been inside her home.
She gripped the sink.
"Why me?" she whispered to herself again.
The silence answered.
No one was coming.
No one knew.
Not Sol. Not her friends. Not even her family—who might already be in danger.
Her knees buckled, but she forced herself to stand.
She had no choice. She had to act normal. She had to pretend everything was fine.
Even if inside, she was falling apart.
Her phone buzzed again.
She stared at it for a moment, her heart sinking when she saw the name on the screen.
Sol.
"Again…?" she whispered.
With trembling fingers, Yumi wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and answered.
"Yo Sol, good morning," she said with a forced cheerfulness.
But Sol's voice came through softly, too sharp to miss anything.
"Last night you were crying… and now you're pretending to be happy?"
"N-No," Yumi stammered. "I wasn't crying."
"You're a bad liar," Sol replied gently. "But it's okay."
He paused for a second. "Can we meet today?"
"No," Yumi said immediately. Her voice cracked. "We can't."
"What happened?" Sol's tone grew serious. "Are you okay? Why suddenly no?"
"I... I'm home. In Fukuoka," Yumi answered quickly. Her voice quivered.
A weak lie—but one she had to say.
"But why… so suddenly?" Sol asked.
"I remembered… my family. I wanted to be with them," she said softly.
"I see..." There was a long silence before Sol spoke again.
"Okay then. I'll come to Fukuoka."
"What?" Yumi's voice rose. "Why would you come?"
"I haven't met your mom and dad yet. And… I feel like something changed in you since last night," Sol said calmly.
Yumi's throat tightened. Her chest ached.
"I haven't changed."
"Even if you did, I don't care," Sol said. "If you're there, I'll come. That's all."
Her heart trembled.
If Sol is with me... I can protect him. Even if I'm being watched.
"Hey, Yumi? You still on the phone?" Sol asked.
"Y-Yeah." She exhaled. "Then… meet me at the station."
"Okay. See you soon," Sol replied, and the call ended.
Yumi lowered the phone and looked out the window.
"I saved everyone," she whispered to herself.
Then she wiped her eyes, stood tall, and turned toward the door.
Yumi stared at her reflection in the window, her breath fogging the glass.
"I'll arrive before him..." she repeated under her breath.
But how?
She fumbled for her phone and quickly checked the time—11:02 a.m.
Sol was coming from Tokyo to Fukuoka, a journey that could take over five hours by train. That meant…
Her eyes widened.
"No… no, he misunderstood."
Her fingers flew over the screen, checking her location settings.
She was still in Tokyo.
She hadn't left.
She hadn't even packed.
"He thinks I'm in Fukuoka."
Her hands trembled. The weight of the lie, the threat of the truth, and the looming danger twisted like a vice in her chest.
"I need to move."
She grabbed her bag, slipped into her shoes, and bolted out the door. Her mind raced as fast as her feet.
Where would Sol arrive first? The central station.
"I'll be there before him," she whispered. "Even if I have to run the whole way."
She flew down the stairs, weaving through the crowd of her apartment complex. The sunlight felt harsher today, as if the city itself was warning her to stay hidden.
But Yumi didn't care.
Sol was coming.
And she had to protect him—even from herself.