the Syringe

The road back to the Shinomiya mansion was silent. The euphoria of reuniting with ECLIPSE faded after several kilometers.

When the car crossed the Shibuya River Bridge, Ren rolled down the window and, without saying a word, took out the personal phone he used to communicate with Akira and other colleagues and threw it into the void. The device glowed for a second before being swallowed by the dark waters of the river.

“ Mr. Ren! ” Naoki exclaimed, startled, almost losing control of the steering wheel. “ Why did you do that? ” Ren rolled up the window, staring ahead with empty eyes. “ For safety, Naoki. I know what awaits me when I walk through that door, and I won't give them the satisfaction of reading my messages. ”

And he was right. As soon as the car stopped at the main entrance and Ren set foot on the marble floor of the lobby, the sentence was handed down. There were no greetings, no questions, only Ryōma Shinomiya waiting behind the door.

“Welcome to reality, Ren.”

Ryōma used his heavy walking stick with brute force directly on Ren's shin. The sound of the impact was sharp and painful. Although Ren had expected punishment, the pain was so great and instantaneous that his body reacted on its own. He grimaced in agony and fell to his knees, bringing both hands to his injured leg, gasping in pain.

But Ryōma didn't wait for him to get up. He hit him several times, kicking him in the ribs so that he fell completely to the ground. “ Get up! ” his father roared. “ Don't be pathetic! ”

Mr. Ryōma grabbed him by the arm, dragging him like a sack of trash to the center of the main room. “ Look at this! ” Ryōma shouted, throwing his son onto the carpet. “ Here's the hero who cost us millions! ”

Ren, stunned by the pain, tried to focus his eyes, but realized they were not alone. The Takashima family was there. Akira's father and mother were sitting, watching the scene with complete coldness. And even Akira was there too. She was standing by the fireplace. But when Ren looked into her eyes, his blood ran colder than any blow could have done. Akira's cheek was red and swollen. It wasn't a blush of excitement. It was something more terrifying. She had been beaten.

Ren looked at Akira's father, who was casually wiping his hand with a handkerchief. Could it have been him? Ren thought with horror. Did her own father hit her because of me? Akira couldn't look him in the eye. She clenched her fists tremulously and looked away as silent tears escaped from her eyes.

At that moment, through that look, Ren understood that he was alone. Not because she wanted him to be, but because she was also being threatened. He realized that Akira was also a victim of this rotten system. They were both prisoners. " Forgive me, Akira" Ren thought.

His father continued to beat him, not only physically, but with words that hurt Ren. “ You're a disgrace! I gave you everything! And you roll around with maids and play rock star! I'm going to destroy you, Ren! I'm going to break you until there's nothing left but obedience! ”

Akira took a step forward, unable to bear it any longer. She wanted to help him, escape with him, anything. But the look on her own father's face stopped her, causing a fear that paralyzed her again.

When Ryōma finally grew tired of beating him, he adjusted his suit, regaining his false elegance. He was breathing heavily, but his eyes burned with hatred and anger. “ Enough. ” said Ryōma. “ He won't learn just from beatings. He needs... a break. ” He turned toward the side door. “ Bring the sedative! ”

Hearing those words worried Ren, who was trying to get up, but his leg hurt so much that he couldn't stand. " A sedative? Is my father so cruel that he would drug me? "

The door opened slowly. And a person whom Ren did not expect to see so soon, much less in his home, entered. The sound of heels echoed throughout the room. It was Seraphine Laurent.

The model, who hours earlier had fled after being humiliated, now walked toward Ren with a sly smile. She carried what appeared to be a velvet pillow in her hands, and on that pillow, a syringe filled with a clear liquid glistened.

“ Hello again, Prince. ” Seraphine said sweetly. “ Your father and I renegotiated the contract. ”

Seeing this, Akira was overcome with terror. “ Don't do it!” she screamed. Instinct was stronger than fear. Akira ran toward Seraphine to stop her. However, Akira's father intercepted her with a slap. The blow was so strong that it knocked her violently to the ground. “ Stay still, you stupid girl! ” her father yelled at her.

Ren watched as Akira fell to the ground, sobbing. If he fought, she would most likely suffer more. If he resisted, Akira would pay the price for his freedom. Ren understood everything, so he stopped trying to get up. His body remained motionless, giving up. “ Do it. ” Ren whispered, looking at Seraphine with hatred. “ But leave Akira alone. ”

Ryōma nodded to Seraphine. The blonde crouched down next to Ren. There was no pity in her eyes, only the sadistic satisfaction of someone who had regained control of the situation. “ Sweet dreams, Ren. ” she whispered. He felt the prick in his neck. The cold liquid entered his veins without resistance.

The world began to spin almost immediately. The lights from the lamp dimmed. The pain in his leg followed. His eyelids felt heavy. The last thing he saw before darkness swallowed him completely was Seraphine's face very close to his, smiling in a macabre way, enjoying watching him fall. And in the distance, like a distant echo fading into a tunnel, he heard Akira crying out his name.

Then there was silence, total silence.