The sound of steel slicing through the air echoed relentlessly within the cramped dorm room.

  Shing—shing—shing.

  Kaoru’s breath remained steady, measured, her stance solid as she swung her sword with mechanical precision. Sweat streamed down her neck, soaking the collar of her training uniform, darkening the fabric where it clung to her skin. The narrow confines of the Fiester Academy dormitory barely allowed space for her fluid movements, yet she adapted instinctively—pivoting, stepping, striking in a continuous rhythm that mirrored her racing thoughts.

  “Again,” she muttered under her breath, voice tight with concentration.

  Her blade flashed in the dim lamplight: a downward cut that split the air with a hiss, a thrust that seemed to pierce the shadows themselves, a spinning slash that made the floorboards creak beneath her weight. She did not pause. Her arms burned with the familiar ache of overexertion, but she welcomed it. Pain was focus, and focus was a shield against the memory that clawed at her mind.

  Akitsu Shouga… where did you go, you idiot…

  A knock rapped sharply against the wooden door. Kaoru froze mid-swing, her blade halting inches from the wall, trembling slightly in her grip.

  “…Who is it?” she asked, voice tight and uneven.

  “It’s me,” came a calm, measured voice she knew all too well. “Mizuki.”

  Kaoru’s eyes widened. She sheathed her sword with a quick flick, crossing the room in a few hurried steps to open the door.

  Standing there was Mizuki Ashen, the second princess of the kingdom. Her dark hair was neatly tied back, and her eyes—sharp yet imbued with warmth—studied Kaoru carefully. Today, she wore clothes far more casual than any royal would dare in public, yet she carried herself with that unmistakable air of command.

  Kaoru straightened instinctively. “Your Highness—”

  Mizuki let out a soft sigh. “Kaoru. Don’t be so formal. We’ve been friends for years.”

  “…Right,” Kaoru said, cheeks warming. “Sorry.”

  Mizuki’s lips curved in a small smile. “May I come in?”

  “Yes—of course,” Kaoru replied quickly, stepping aside. “Please.”

  Mizuki stepped into the room, glancing around with an observant eye. “Still training even at this hour?”

  Kaoru nodded. “I needed to… clear my head.”

  Mizuki turned her gaze on Kaoru, her expression softening. “I came to ask you something.”

  “…About Akitsu?” Kaoru’s voice barely rose above a whisper.

  Mizuki’s brows lifted, faintly impressed. “So you guessed.”

  Kaoru looked down, swallowing hard. “I don’t know anything. Only that… he escaped.”

  Mizuki crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing with quiet calculation. “Escaping the royal prison isn’t easy. Even if someone managed it, they’d be severely injured.”

  She paused, the faintest smile tugging at her lips. “But since it’s Akitsu Shouga… I doubt he’d leave without a scratch.”

  Kaoru clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. “Have you heard anything? Any rumors?”

  Mizuki shook her head. “Nothing. Father hasn’t found a single lead. Either they escaped to a nearby kingdom—which would take at least a month—or they’re hiding somewhere within our borders.”

  Kaoru’s voice faltered. “If… if they’re caught…”

  She hesitated, heart tightening. “Is there any way out?”

  Mizuki’s gaze hardened, shadows dancing in her eyes. “If they’re captured, they’ll be executed on the spot. Betrayal of the kingdom is inexcusable.”

  Kaoru’s breath hitched, and for a moment, she felt the room spin.

  “But,” Mizuki added quickly, her voice gentler, “don’t panic. I’ll speak with my father. I’ll try to lessen the punishment. If I can bring them back alive… I will.”

  Kaoru felt her knees weaken slightly, relief mingling with guilt. “…Thank you.”

  She bowed her head. “It means a lot knowing someone’s on my side.”

  Mizuki studied her for a moment, then allowed a faint smile. “By the way…”

  She tilted her head, eyes glinting with something mischievous, almost dangerous. “You’re Akitsu Shouga’s fiancée, aren’t you?”

  Kaoru blinked, caught off guard. “…No. Not anymore.”

  Mizuki raised a single eyebrow, intrigued.

  “But,” Kaoru continued quickly, cheeks burning, “I still consider him my fiancé.”

  Mizuki hummed thoughtfully, stepping closer, the soft rustle of her clothing punctuating the quiet room.

  “Well then,” she said lightly, voice playful yet cutting, “if he isn’t taken… I suppose I might take him for myself the next time I see him.”

  Kaoru’s heart skipped a beat. “…What?”

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  Mizuki leaned in, eyes glinting with mischief—and an unspoken edge of threat. “I’ve taken an interest in Akitsu Shouga.”

  Kaoru’s hands clenched into trembling fists.

  “I’ll marry him instead of you,” Mizuki continued, calm, almost casual. “If you’d like.”

  Kaoru’s voice shook, betrayal and anger coiling in her chest. “That’s not funny.”

  “Oh?” Mizuki smiled wider, a predator in disguise. “Then I’ll force him.”

  The words hit Kaoru like a blade, sharp and cold.

  “No! He’s mine!” she snapped, voice cracking with desperation.

  Mizuki straightened, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Alright.”

  She turned toward the door, her voice carrying over her shoulder. “That is… if you can get to him first.”

  The door closed with a soft click.

  Kaoru stood frozen for a long moment, fists trembling, chest heaving.

  “…That bitch,” she whispered, anger and jealousy burning through her like wildfire.

  Night fell over Canopy Village.

  Lanterns glowed softly between the towering trees, their flickering light casting elongated shadows over the wooden bridges. Villagers moved about, gathering near the guild hall, laughter and chatter blending with the soft patter of rain. The steady beat of drums and the plaintive melody of wooden flutes carried through the air, a stark contrast to the tension tightening Akitsu’s chest.

  Akitsu Shouga moved silently beside Kael Ardent, every sense alert, eyes scanning the shifting shadows.

  “…Do you feel that?” Akitsu murmured, voice barely above the whisper of the rain.

  Kael nodded. “Yeah. Someone’s watching us.”

  Akitsu slowed his pace, hand brushing the hilt of the katana he had taken from the old man. Every instinct screamed caution.

  “We shouldn’t lead them to the others,” he said quietly.

  Kael exhaled, tense. “Split up?”

  “Meet at the banquet hall,” Akitsu instructed. “Don’t get caught.”

  Kael gave a single nod. “Be careful.”

  They parted ways, disappearing into the maze of bridges and lantern-lit paths. Akitsu took the right path, each step deliberate, measured, almost whisper-quiet.

  The forest around him was too still. Too empty.

  A sudden crack echoed above him.

  Instincts flared. He leaped back just as a clay pot smashed where his head had been, splintering into jagged shards.

  “Tch—!”

  Before he could react further, a shadow lunged from behind. A cold blade pressed against his throat.

  “No—!”

  Pain exploded. A single cut, precise and cruel, tore through him. Blood erupted, warm and metallic, soaking his hands as he clawed helplessly at the wound.

  His vision blurred. Every breath came in wet, gurgling rasping sounds, growing weaker, slower.

  So… this is how…

  His body shuddered violently, nerves screaming as darkness crept into the edges of his vision. Time stretched, pain infinite.

  Then—Akitsu’s eyes opened.

  The ethereal void greeted him once more.

  He stood atop a small red island floating in endless black water. At its center bloomed a solitary cherry blossom tree, its crimson petals faintly glowing in the infinite darkness.

  Exactly twenty-one petals drifted lazily around the island. Floating on the black water were countless red doors, silent and foreboding.

  To the right stood the humanoid devil, grinning with unnerving amusement.

  “…You,” Akitsu said, voice cold. “Why are you still here? I thought you disappeared.”

  “Disappear? I’m immortal,” the devil replied, voice dripping amusement.

  Akitsu narrowed his eyes. “What’s your purpose?”

  The devil shrugged, carefree. “To guide you. Not to the correct path. Not to the incorrect one.”

  “…That makes no sense.”

  “It’s not my job to explain everything,” the devil said cheerfully, tilting his head.

  Akitsu scoffed. “Useless.”

  He stepped forward, stepping into the black water toward one of the red doors.

  “Oi,” the devil called, voice echoing unnaturally. “Where are you going? The correct door is that way.”

  Akitsu turned sharply.

  The devil pointed casually—to a single blue door.

  “I declined your offer before,” Akitsu said coldly, “so why help me now?”

  The devil laughed, the sound soft and mocking. “Who knows? Maybe I’m generous. Or maybe I’m leading you to your downfall.”

  He grinned wider, eyes glittering in the void. “The world is a mystery.”

  Akitsu turned away, heart steady despite the unease curling in his chest. He reached the red door in front of him.

  “Good luck,” the devil called after him.

  Akitsu opened it.

  The world fell into silence.