The Secret of the Fox

Ren, unaware of the chaos he was about to unleash, decided to leave the place. He knew Mio was safe and celebrating with Kaguya. His work there was done for now. But before returning to the Shinomiya mansion, he made an impulsive decision. He needed fresh air, to remember who he was before putting on the Prince mask again.

He got into the black car where Naoki, his faithful butler, was waiting for him. “ Naoki. ” said Ren, loosening his tie. “ We're not going home yet. We'll make one last stop. ” Naoki looked at him in the rearview mirror, uncertain. He knew Ryōma would be furious about the delay, but seeing the tired look on his young master's face, he obeyed. “ As you wish, Ren. ”

The car moved through the night streets of Shibuya, away from the bright lights of the fashionable area and into the quieter, darker districts. Naoki stopped the car near a dimly lit alleyway, a place they knew well. Naoki got out of the car quietly and opened the door for Ren.

At the end of the alley, silhouettes waited for him in the shadows. It was them. Satoru, Kazemaru, Junpei, and Andrey. The ECLIPSE group. When they saw their leader arrive, the tension disappeared, and everyone was happy to see Ren. “ Leader! ” shouted Junpei. “ That's our vocalist! ” added Satoru, patting him on the back. The excitement was so great that they hugged him as a group, a mass of leather and laughter that made Ren feel completely free for a moment.

Well... all except one. Andrey, the drummer, kept his distance, leaning against the wall, staring down at the pavement. He looked ashamed. Ren separated himself from the group and approached him. “ Andrey. ” Ren said calmly. “ There's no reason for you to feel this way. ”

Andrey looked up. His eyes were red. “She's my stepsister, Ren... I'm sorry. She... she almost ruined everything. She almost hurt your girl. She's a monster.” Ren shook his head. “You're not her. If you're not like that, you have nothing to worry about.”

Andrey sighed, looking at his friends, and decided it was time to let go of the burden he was carrying. “ You don't know her... she wasn't always like this. ” Andrey began. " We met in an orphanage in Europe. We both lost our parents when we were just children. We had nothing, only each other. " Naoki, who had stayed near the car, approached quietly to listen.

“ We were both adopted by the Laurent family. An immensely wealthy couple who couldn't have children. ” Andrey continued, clenching his fists in anger. “ At first, Seraphine was sweet, tender, and kind. She shared her food with me. She protected me. ” He paused painfully. " But that damn money... that life of luxury... it corrupted her. The parents weren't bad; they gave us everything, more than we needed. But Seraphine let herself be carried away by greed... As the years went by, she wanted more: more clothes, more jewelry, more attention, so she started seeing people as objects."

The atmosphere in the alley became heavy. “ A couple of years ago... our adoptive parents died in a car accident. ” Andrey said, lowering his voice to a barely audible whisper. " All the money went to her, since I was disinherited for legal reasons. But... “ Andrey looked Ren in the eyes, fearfully. ” I don't think it was entirely an accident. I think it was something she caused. Or at least, that's what I think. "

A chill ran through everyone. “ However. ” Andrey added, with infinite sadness, " I also think that attitude, that arrogance and cruelty... is because deep down she is still that little girl I met at the orphanage. She is afraid of being poor again, of being alone... of being forgotten again. That's why she crushes everyone before they can take away what she has."

Los chicos de ECLIPSE y hasta Naoki miraron con asombro y profunda tristeza al baterista. Ya no veían a Seraphine solo como la villana del pegamento; veían el producto de un trauma mal gestionado y una ambición venenosa.

Ren, maintaining his serious demeanor, reached out and touched Andrey's shoulder firmly. “ None of this is your fault, Andrey. ” Ren said. “ You chose a different path. She chose power. You did what you could with what you had. Don't carry those sins. ”

Those words broke Andrey's heart. The Russian giant broke down emotionally. He hugged Ren tightly, beginning to cry like a little child. “ Thank you, Leader... thank you... ” Seeing this, the rest of the gang didn't hesitate to join in the embrace, surrounding Andrey and Ren in a circle of unwavering support.

After a few minutes, Andrey calmed down, wiped away his tears, and looked at his group, his true family. “ Thank you, guys. ” he said, with a weak but sincere smile. “ I really appreciate it. ”

Ren nodded. “ We have to go. Tomorrow will be another day. ” Ren got into the car with Naoki, feeling stronger. He didn't know that strength would be the only thing he would have to hold on to in the coming hours, because as the car drove toward the mansion, fate had something in store for him.