fear

Kichi’s breath caught in her throat, and everyone in the room turned toward the door. Two figures stood there. The first was a boy who looked almost identical to Kichi, the only difference being that his hair was tied in a messy braid and he had a dark look in his eyes. Standing next to him was a tall woman with dark chocolate-colored hair; it was soft, fluffy, and thick—a beautiful cloud that framed her face perfectly, making it seem as though she wore a halo. She had hot pink eyes, and her skin caught the evening light from the window, revealing a deep, amber-toned complexion.

The boy stepped into the room first, causing Kichi to tense up and back away. However, when she saw the woman, she visibly relaxed, a soft smile appearing on her face. Both newcomers looked exhausted.

Sato was the first to speak, a smirk playing on his lips. “Looks like the whole team is back. Welcome back, Kaji and Zoey. You were missed~”

As he approached them, the woman—Zoey—seemed visibly annoyed, while Kaji looked amused. Sato approached Zoey first, wearing a smug expression that made her clench her fists. “How are you doing, ugly? Hmm~?”

The room fell silent as everyone watched the pair. Ren looked unfazed, Juun and Kichi looked worried, and Kaji watched with amusement. Zoey gritted her teeth and replied in a snarky tone, “I’m doing fine. How about you, Chalky?”

Sato’s expression tightened, though his smirk remained. “Oh, I’m doing just great. Unlike you, huh? What, so weak that you can’t return from a mission uninjured? How pathetic!”

Zoey grabbed him by the collar, pulling him down, and prepared to punch him. Before she could, chains erupted from the ground and separated them. Ren coughed to get their attention.

“You shouldn’t fight,” Ren said, her voice steady. “You both just returned from a mission, and I know you are exhausted and injured. Besides, a fight isn't a fair one unless both parties are uninjured.”

Zoey let out a "tch" sound and muttered a quiet, “Fine,” while Sato apologized to Ren for their unruly behavior.

Kaji walked away, bumping Juun’s shoulder as he passed. He approached Kichi, who tensed up again. He whispered something in her ear before walking away, flopping onto the couch, and immediately falling asleep. Kichi sighed with relief, her demeanor lightening. She approached the rest of the group and began talking with Zoey, a wide smile on her face.

For a fleeting moment, they all looked happy. Sato was busy annoying Zoey, Juun was shyly talking to Kichi, Ren was in the corner observing, and Kaji was snoring on the couch. Kichi turned to look at her twin brother with a worried expression, which Zoey noticed.

“Hey, you good?” Zoey asked softly.

Kichi nodded. “Yeah. I’m glad he didn’t lash out at me too badly. He’s calmer than usual, which is good…”

Zoey nodded and patted her shoulder. “Don’t let it get in your head, okay? Enjoy it while you can.”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and a maid entered. “Miss Ren, Miss Zoey, and Mister Sato, you have all been summoned to give your reports. Please go to Lady Ichigo in the south building immediately.”

The atmosphere shifted, turning much darker. Ren stood up. “We should get ready. The walk is quite long.”

Kichi touched Zoey’s shoulder. “Be safe…” she whispered. Zoey nodded and walked out the door with Ren and Sato. Juun looked at Kichi with a worried expression.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Juun said. “And if anything does happen, they can defend themselves!”

Kichi sighed and looked at the ground. “I hope you’re right…”

Sato opened the door for Ren so they could head outside, but he intentionally shut the door in Zoey’s face. The sun was still up, and the city streets were clean and filled with people wearing beautiful gowns. The trio walked in silence. They passed a vendor selling fruit that cost double a normal person's allowance, which made Ren’s nose wrinkle in disgust; she instinctively covered her face with her gloved hand.

They passed by a tree where an owl with golden eyes sat perched. Sato noticed it and paused, his eyes narrowing. Zoey noticed his hesitation and turned around, irritation in her voice. “Don’t pause, Chalky! We have to keep going!”

Sato’s eye twitched as he turned back to her. “Don’t tell me what to do, ugly!”

Zoey gritted her teeth. “Say that again, I dare you!”

Sato snickered. Ren turned around and glared at both of them, and they immediately backed away from one another. Finally, after an hour of walking, they reached a large white tower at the center of the city. Sato approached the door and knocked in a specific rhythm, similar to how Ren had entered the city. The gate opened, and they were permitted access.

Inside, guards were everywhere. Sato walked close to Ren, his hands behind his back. He glanced at her before speaking, ignoring Zoey, who trailed behind them. “I’ll report first since you’re still injured, my love. Is that okay with you? Or we can let Zoey talk first since she’s the most injured!”

Ren sighed heavily. “If you insist. I don’t mind; my report isn’t all that important anyway.”

Sato’s expression softened into a gentle smile. He nodded, then went silent as he reached out to gently take her hand, helping her up the stairs. Ren didn’t protest. When they arrived at the top floor, they stood before a large, polished wooden door. Sato let go of her hand and knocked. From the inside, a voice called out, “You may enter.”

Author note: I’m very sorry guys but I’m going to have to temporarily pause writing blos for a while sorry for leaving you on a cliffhanger but I will start continuing soon