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 a fraction of 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. Blue uniforms gleamed under the flickering torchlight, steel swords drawn, eyes cold and unhesitating. The narrow room filled instantly, blocking every exit. More guards descended the stairs, torches casting jagged shadows on the stone walls.

  Akitsu finished untying Kaoru and slowly looked up the staircase. 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 back against the wall, shoulders sagging, eyes losing 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 a hand weakly, waving 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, a single cherry blossom tree swayed gently, crimson petals drifting 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 forward, not into any door this time, but back into the world he knew. The red doors faded as the void receded, replaced by the familiar sight of the mansion from earlier—but from a different angle. One of the second-floor windows, long closed and locked, stood before him.

  He approached quietly, inspecting the frame. The window wouldn’t budge.

  No matter, he thought. I’ll make it open.

  Gripping the edges, he forced his weight against it. Wood groaned and splintered. With a sharp snap, the window finally yielded, swinging inward with a muted crash. Dust and faint cobwebs fell, but it opened a path.

  Akitsu slipped through silently, landing on the polished floor. The room smelled of old flowers and faint candle wax. Pink walls, soft curtains, and scattered ribbons made it clear this was a young girl’s room—but the air carried tension, as if warning him that danger was near.

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  Seraphine floated beside him. “Quiet… too quiet,” she muttered, tails twitching.

  He moved toward the door, peeking into the hallway. Empty.

  The cellar… Akitsu thought. That’s where Kaoru is.

  He crept toward the staircase leading down. The mansion was unnervingly silent, the only sound his own measured footsteps and the faint creak of old wood under his weight.

  Almost colliding with a white-haired girl climbing the stairs, Akitsu ducked quickly into a nearby dressing room. When he turned around—there was no one there.

  “…There’s no one here,” he breathed, relief mixing with tension.

  Seraphine hovered closer. “What now?”

  “I have to jump,” he said, moving toward the window leading into the great chamber below.

  “What?!” Seraphine shouted. “We got up here just to jump out?!”

  “Trust me,” Akitsu replied, ignoring her. He opened the window carefully. Outside, the great chamber was visible—a mere few feet below on the first floor.

  “Create vines here,” he instructed. “I need to get to that room.”

  “Fine,” Seraphine said, reluctantly, tails flicking. Vines erupted from the walls, twisting downward toward the great chamber.

  Akitsu climbed out, gripping the vines, his feet pressed against the wall as he descended. He peered through the window. Inside, Haruya Takeda sat reading quietly at a small table.

  “There’s a person,” Seraphine whispered.

  Akitsu slammed his head into the glass. It shattered. He fell inside, rolled across the floor, and immediately sprinted toward the cellar wall, blood streaking his forehead. He pressed against it—The wall rotated.

  Haruya screamed in fear. “How did you even find this out?!”

  “…Shut up,” Akitsu muttered, rushing 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 remarked.

  “Shut up and help me!” Akitsu snapped.

  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 leapt, vines aiding them.

  “That was quick!” Seraphine said.

  “Don’t jinx it!”

  “Shouts,” Akitsu muttered under his breath, as guards appeared in the yard.

  “They spotted me! And I can’t even jump over the fence holding Kaoru!”

  “I can help!” Seraphine shouted. Vines erupted from the ground, carrying Kaoru safely over the fence.

  Akitsu leapt—pain exploded through his back as an arrow pierced his lung.

  “Damn it!!” he gritted his teeth, forcing himself forward. Another arrow struck his leg. He stumbled, barely able to run.

  “The guards are closing in!” Seraphine cried.

  Arrows whistled past, slicing the air.

  “I can push through!” Akitsu shouted. “And even if I die, I know you’ll protect Kaoru!”

  “What—?!”

  An arrow struck his head.

  The world went dark once more.