Invisible Future and Dark Secrets

The air in the Abyss Tower was thick with dust, and seemed to suck all the light out of the entire Tower. "Let me go!" Chihiro shouted as he tried to squirm out of the grasp of the Abyss Warriors, but to no avail. Soon, they reached the door at the end of the long hall, which ominously opened almost as if by itself. The Abyss Warriors shoved him inside the room. When he had adjusted to the change in light, he saw a teen, no older than Makoto, sitting on a throne crafted to fit him perfectly. Wavy blonde locks swayed just above crimson eyes pierced the darkness. With a swift yet nonchalant wave of his hand, he said to the Abyss Warriors "Leave us."
Chihiro looked at the teen in a strange fearful confusion. "Who are you? What do you want from me??" He shouted at the teen while still trying to squirm out of the handcuffs he was in. The teen smiled mischievously. "You possess knowledge of something I desire," he said in a low voice. Chihiro, finding his courage, retorted "I won't tell you anything, no matter what you do!" The teen chuckled and picked up an apple that was sitting on a table next to his throne. It was a perfectly red apple, with not a single blemish or spot. "I can't, you say? Well..." With a shift of his position, he skillfully took out a dagger and put it threateningly close to the apple's shiny red skin, the blade's edge glinting in the rising moon's light. "I believe that you might reconsider that, Apex Paladin, or else..."

"Something unfortunate might befall your dear Dragon."

That night, Chihiro sat in the dark, damp cell in the basement of the Abyss Tower, haunted by the teen's menacing grin, etched into his memory. 'Ryu, Makoto,' Chihiro thought. 'I can't get out of this one alone, I need your help.' Just as he was thinking this, there was a click, and the cell door opened slowly, revealing none other than the teen. "What are you-" Chihiro began, but his words faltered as the teen ushered him out of the confines of the basement. "I wish to speak with you," the teen's voice, laced with an intriguing allure, echoed through the dimly lit corridors. As they reached the back door of the Tower, the teen said "Come, let me show you something."
The teen opened the door swiftly, yet gently. On the other side of the door, there was a celestial field of luminous white flowers under the crescent moon. Amidst the purity of the flowers stood the teen, a stark contrast against the ethereal beauty surrounding him. "Under the crescent moon, in the field of pure white, you shall tell me, Naraku, that which I wish to know," Naraku said in a low voice as he used some kind of magic to unlock Chihiro's handcuffs.

Chihiro stood looking at Naraku. He knew something was wrong with this, it was too perfect. "I won't tell you anything. Like I said, no matter what you do, you can't make me tell any of the Paladin's secrets, even if I know them." Naraku's gaze pierced through Chihiro. "I will give you three chances before I have to use desperate measures. You've used your first chance," he said, adjusting his black gloves. "Now, tell me what I want to know." Chihiro, though he felt unsure of what he should do, stood his ground. "No, I won't." Naraku gave a quick sigh, his patients wearing thin. "Last chance, Paladin. I don't want to have to use desperate measures. Now tell me," Naraku said, his voice becoming firm. However, Chihiro remained adiment, and said...
"No. I won't betray my friends."
Naraku let out a sigh, and with a swift wave of his hands, he said the following incantation:

                                                  "Fatum texent, visum clare,
                                                Ardentis Iris, secreta aperire."

In that moment, everything blurred over and went black. For a while, it was like Chihiro was in a dreamless sleep, darkness and nothing else. But then, Chihiro thought he heard Naraku say something. Then, like lightning, everything came back, and Chihiro saw where he was: back in the dark, damp confines of the cell, with Naraku walking away, twirling the key to the lock on his finger.

Meanwhile, in the Apex Tower, Makoto and Ryu were in their room, both quiet. Then, Ryu broke the silence with a heavy sigh. "I failed," he muttered. "Don't say that, Ryu," Makoto stammered, trying to lift Ryu's spirits, but to no avail. Ryu looked at Makoto and said "No, it's true, Makoto. I promised my father I'd protect Chihiro when we began our training, and I broke that promise. I failed to be an elder brother." Makoto was speechless; he couldn't see any way to help Ryu. Then, he remembered something that had always kept his spirits up: his favorite anime, Battle of the Gods.

In that instant, he forgot all his fear and self-doubt. "No! You can't give up, or else the Abyss will consume you whole!" Makoto shouted with unwavering courage. Startled by Makoto's sudden courage, Ryu stared up at him from the bed, his brow furrowed. "Wh-What?" Ryu managed to ask. Without any hesitation, Makoto swiftly dropped to one knee in front of Ryu, and clasped his hand firmly. "There was this guy named Ryuu in my favorite anime, Battle of the Gods," Makoto began. "He was in a situation just like this, feeling utterly hopeless and on the verge of despair. But then he remembered all the support his friends had given him, and he didn't give up!" Ryu blinked as if he was trying to see if this was a dream, with a blank, stunned look plastered across his face. "So, what I mean is," Makoto continued, meeting Ryu's gaze with an unwavering determination, "you can't give up!"
Then, Makoto realized what had just happened, scrambled to his feet and stepped back a few paces from Ryu. "Uh, I'm sorry, I-I don't know what came over me..." he apologized, his cheeks red with embarrassment.. But rather than being upset at Makoto, Ryu smiled at him and, pushing himself off the bed, said "No, that was exactly what I needed." He stood up from the bed and looked at Makoto with determination. "Let's go get my little brother back, Makoto." A flicker of surprise crossed Makoto's face briefly before he returned the smile. "Right! And let's bring Lupin with us. After all, he told me he was never mad, just scared."

Inside the expansive den was Lupin, standing tall and stoic as Ryu and Makoto entered. "AWhat do you want now?" He said without turning to face them. Makoto took a deep breath, focusing his mind on the task at hand. "Ryu and I are going to bring Chihiro back from the Abyss Warriors, and we need your help." But before Makoto could continue, Lupin raised his hand for silence. "You have caused enough trouble." He turned to face them. "You endangered the wolves here! Either you're foolishly brave, or you're just a fool." He gave an exasperated sigh and turned away. "Either way, I won't be helping you." Just then, Ryu stepped forward. Hos voice shaking, he said "Lupin, if Lupus was injured, we wouldn't think twice about helping you find him. So please, help us!" Lupin turned slightly to look at Ryu. "Chihiro is my little brother; I can't bear losing him!" Ryu's plea rang out, unshed tears in his eyes.
Lupin turned to face Ryu, and rather than being angry, he looked at Ryu and Makoto with a soft expression. "Alright, I help you," he said, a trace of reluctance in his voice. "But only because you would do the same for me." Ryu gave a slight smile. "Thank you, Lupin," he said gratefully. And so, the trio set off to bring Chihiro back from the Abyss Tower.