Astra sat on the bed, legs crossed, a book resting in her lap. She yawned loudly, her eyes flicking across the pages but her mind clearly wandered far from the words. With a heavy sigh, she shut the book with a loud thud.
Across the room, Kaen, who had been quietly slicing apples at the table, looked up at the sound, his brows lifting.
"Kaen," Astra muttered, resting her chin in her hand, "do we really need to go there? Can't we just stay here a little longer?"
Kaen wiped his hands with a cloth, stood up, and walked over without a word. He sat on the edge of the bed beside her, calm and composed. Without answering, he gently pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, checking her temperature. Astra blinked waiting for his response.
Then finally, Kaen spoke, his tone soft. "We've already stayed longer than we planned. And lately, we're getting fewer requests." He glanced out the window. "It's better if we move on to the Imperial Capital. There'll be plenty of celebrations ongoing—festival blooms, the Crown Prince's birthday. If we arrive in time, we can pick up new performance requests."
Astra sighed, flopping back on the pillows. "But why before the third bloom? We could still go later…"
Without missing a beat, Kaen leaned over and stuffed a slice of apple into her mouth.
She squeaked in protest.
"I know why you're saying this," he said knowingly, watching her chew. Then his expression softened as he held her arm gently. "Astra… in these years, we've been to so many places. And in every one, you've made many friends. And every time we leave, it hurts you. I know."
She looked away outside the window at the rising sun, her jaw tightening slightly.
Kaen continued, "I know this time you made a very good friend here. But… you also know we can't stay in one place forever. That's not the life we chose. Just think of it as… now is that 'one day' we always talk about."
Astra's fingers curled around the bed covers. She didn't reply right away but the weight in her chest said she understood.
Astra slowly sat up again, brushing her hair back with a quiet sigh. "So… it's decided, then? We're leaving?"
Kaen nodded, his eyes meeting hers gently. "It is. Which means… you'll have to tell your friend soon."
Astra's shoulders slumped slightly. "So soon…"
Kaen gave a small smile. "Sooner the better. You have to say goodbye properly, don't you?"
Astra looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. After a moment, she hummed softly in response. "Yeah… I'll meet her later. And tell her then."
She didn't sound ready, but she didn't resist either. Her voice lingered in the quiet room, heavy with the weight of parting something she'd grown used to, but never quite strong enough for.
Meanwhile, Ryoma stood at the edge of the rooftop, his blue eyes fixed on the horizon as the first rays of dawn crept across the sky. The golden light bled into the clouds like spilled ink, yet something in his expression didn't quite reflect its warmth.
A quiet shuffle of footsteps echoed behind him.
"Since when did you start watching sunrises?"
Shion's voice was casual, laced with curiosity as he approached, arms folded across his chest.
Ryoma didn't answer. He simply continued to stare at the sky, unmoved. Shion sighed, leaning against the pillar beside him.
"You know what, Ryoma? No matter how many times I try to understand you…" He glanced sideways, frowning slightly. "It becomes impossible. Every day, I meet a new version of you but with the same unreadable face." His tone sharpened. "Just what do you hide in that cold heart of yours?"
At that, Ryoma finally turned. His gaze flicked toward Shion, and a soft, unexpected chuckle escaped him.
Shion straightened, eyes narrowing "Did I say something funny?"
Ryoma shook his head slowly, his usual cool expression intact. But as his hand shot out and snatched the wooden flute from Shion's sash, a slight frown replaced the smirk.
"You lost it again?"
"Yeah, I did!" Shion quickly reached out, trying to reclaim it. "And I don't even remember how many times it's happened now. I've been trying to find the thief for years! But those two never get caught." He managed to grab the flute back with both hands, holding it protectively.
Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Only two suspects?"
"Of course," Shion replied, dusting off the flute. "It has to be either Astra or Seiya. Astra… well, I don't have to explain about her." He twirled the flute between his fingers before adding,
"And Seiya secretly has this weird obsession with shimmering objects. He won't admit it, but I've caught him more than hundreds of times just… staring at polished stones like they're treasure." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "But no matter how many times I try to find clues, there's nothing. Not a single thread of proof against either of them."
Ryoma chuckled again, quieter this time, the morning light glinting off his eyes.
Shion tilted his head and asked, "So, why are you watching the sunrise right after waking up? Shouldn't you be checking on Astra like you always do?"
Ryoma gave him a sideways look, and Shion quickly cleared his throat. "I mean you usually do that every day. I'm just surprised you skipped it today."
Ryoma turned his gaze back to the sunrise. "I already did."
Shion blinked, then nodded slowly. He looked toward the sky, stretching with a long yawn as the golden light touched his face. "I couldn't sleep all night… What about you?"
Ryoma frowned. "Why? Were you yapping about something again in your sleep?"
Shion gave him a dry look but then paused, his expression changing to confusion. "Didn't you feel anything?"
Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Feel what?"
Before Shion could answer, loud footsteps echoed behind them. Seiya stormed over, hair messy and face full of frustration. "Did anyone see Seirou?!"
Ryoma and Shion looked at him, confused.
"Why?" Shion asked.
"That idiot hid my moonstone comb just because I took his midnight tea blend!" Seiya growled, clearly annoyed. "I'm not letting this go. Shion, come help me find him!" Without waiting, Seiya grabbed Shion's arm and started pulling him away.
Shion groaned, stumbling after him. "You two seriously need to stop doing this every week…"
Ryoma watched them go, a quiet smile tugging at his lips before his expression shifted completely.
His eyes narrowed. The warmth faded from his face replaced by something colder as he muttered under his breath, his voice low.
"The rise of a tier 9 demon…"
A cold breeze passed by, rustling the trees below. The golden light of the sunrise now felt distant, as if something darker loomed just beyond its reach.
He clenched his fist slowly. "Something's not right going to be right…" He glanced once more at the sky. "We need to be ready…..to face what's coming next."
——————
The bright light of late afternoon poured through the corridor windows, casting long, broken shadows across the stone floor. The Crown Prince moved with purpose, his robes trailing behind him in silent urgency. As he passed, every guard dropped to one knee, heads bowed in deference.
His steps were brisk tense, almost impatient, something clearly weighed on his mind.
Suddenly, he stopped mid-step.
Ting!
A sharp whistle cut through the air. In one fluid motion, he dropped low in an instant.
Thunk!
A silver knife struck the neck of the marble statue ahead, embedding itself with a dull thud mere inches from where his head had been.
Akira let out a quiet sigh, standing back up and brushing dust from his shoulder. He turned toward the shadows with a shake of his head…. annoyed.
"Daita," he said dryly, "you really need to improve your strange habit of greeting me like this."
Footsteps echoed softly as Daita emerged from behind a pillar, wearing his usual smirk. He twirled another knife between his fingers, the blade catching the light as he strolled forward.
"You mean I should aim more accurately next time?"
Akira stepped forward and, without hesitation, snatched the twirling blade from Daita's hand. He turned it slowly between his fingers, examining its edge. His brow furrowed as he brought it closer to his nose, breathing in carefully.
"You're coating your knives now?" he muttered. "This scent… it's not normal."
Daita tilted his head slightly, his voice slow, "It's venom."
Akira let out a short sigh,"One day, your habits are going to get me killed. What kind of venom is this? It's faint… but it's making me feel slightly dizzy. My head feels light."
Daita took the knife back with a casual shrug, wiping the edge with a cloth from his sleeve.
"I thought you'd recognize it. You've dealt with it before."
"Is it white snake venom?"
Daita's lips curled in amusement. "No….." He twirled the blade once and sheathed it. "….It's Queen Bee venom."
Akira didn't respond right away. He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, "Yeah… I think I've heard of it. I'm aware of it… a little."
Daita took a slow step forward, a mischievous glint dancing in his eyes.
"Only heard?" he said, voice low with amusement. "That's surprising. I thought you knew a lot more about it. Didn't you even ask Zuzu for its cure?"
He stepped back, grinning wide.
"Akira… I'm really curious. why exactly did you want to know how to cure Queen Bee Sting? Did you… get stung that time?"
Akira cleared his throat, quickly regaining his composure. "It was just… curiosity,"
Daita raised a brow. "Only curiosity?" He leaned in again, watching the prince like a cat watching a trapped bird. "You don't usually chase antidotes unless there's poison already in your veins. What are you hiding from your best friend?"
Akira turned slightly, keeping his composure. "There are some things even the crown prince has the right to keep private."
Daita gave a low laugh, the sound echoing faintly in the corridor.
"Looks like you don't want to tell me anything." He shrugged, holding up his hands.
"Alright then I won't snatch away your right to keep secrets. But you do know I'm like a curious cat…" He leaned in slightly, a playful gleam in his eye. "I won't stop until I dig out what's hidden."
Akira chuckled softly under his breath and turned to face him fully again.
"So… how was your mission? Did you succeed?"