Then, quietly… she answered.
"Your father."
The silence snapped like a wire pulled too tight.
Yona's eyes widened in shock.
"What…?"
Aria's voice trembled, but she pushed forward, like a weight that had to be lifted.
"He wanted you to feel the danger. To feel watched. Threatened. So you'd come back. Return to them."
Yona took a step back, as if her words physically struck him.
"They've been looking for you all this time," she said. "And when they finally found you… he knew you wouldn't come back willingly. Not without pressure."
Yona's hands dropped to his sides, his knuckles white.
"That's why he sent you… through her."
Aria nodded, tears brimming again.
"I didn't want to. But he said… if I refused, he'd hurt someone else. Someone I cared about. Someone here."
Diago, still leaning against the wall, sat up a little straighter. Aria turned to Yona, her expression frozen in shock. Yona met her gaze..brief, intense, laced with something unspoken. For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.
Then, as if the truth was too much to hold in that shared silence, they both looked away—almost at the same moment. From just a few steps away, Daiki watched quietly.
And in that instant..seeing the look in Aria's eyes, and the way Yona didn't need to speak..Daiki understood. He didn't say a word, but something in him shifted. That hidden truth settled in his chest like a weight:
Before she ever loved me… it was him.
Still, he reached for Aria's hand and held it gentle..steadily. Not letting go.
The silence that followed wasn't empty. It was full of everything no one could say. And the path ahead waited.
"And the messages," Yona said, voice cracking. "All of them. The threats… the fear. That was him?"
Aria looked away, unable to meet his eyes anymore.
"He told me exactly what to write. Every line."
Daiki gripped her hand tighter, jaw clenched.
"You were just the voice. Not the hand behind it."
Yona's breathing was uneven. His mind raced, piecing together everything.
"And Noir?" Yona suddenly asked, turning toward him. "You knew, didn't you?"
Noir's gaze shifted slowly from Aria to Yona.
"I suspected," he said evenly. "The phrasing. The intent. It smelled like him."
"You should've told me," Yona said, hurt leaking into his tone.
"I wasn't sure," Noir replied, voice still calm. "And if I was wrong, it would've broken us apart faster than he ever could."
Diago stood, brushing dust from his coat.
"So he's still pulling strings. Even from wherever he's hiding."
Lena's voice was soft, fearful.
"If he's willing to use Aria… what else is he willing to do?"
Yona stared at the floor, his heart heavy. Then he looked up, voice quiet but resolved.
"He wants me to run back to him?" he said. "To crawl back out of fear?"
He stepped forward.
"Then we show him I'm not afraid."
Daiki nodded. "If he wants to play games..he's picked the wrong group."
Aria looked at Yona, voice barely audible.
"I'm sorry. Truly."
Yona looked at her for a long moment. Then he exhaled, not with anger, but with a calm shaped by resolve.
"You did what you had to do," he said. "But it ends now. No more shadows. No more silence."
Then, without a word, Ayumi walked out from the corner, eyes narrowed, not at Aria, but at Noir. She stopped in front of him.
"You knew. And you still sat there holding her while watching the rest of us fall apart?"
Noir's eyes slowly rose to meet hers. And for a moment… the whole tower held its breath again. Noir looked at Ayumi with his usual calm, teasing confidence and murmured,
"Relax, baby."
Ayumi turned away sharply, her arms crossed, jaw tense.
"Don't call me that," she muttered, cheeks flushed in a mix of anger and embarrassment.
Carefully, Noir adjusted Aleria's sleeping head, gently resting it down on a folded cloth beside him so as not to wake her. Then he stood up, brushing invisible dust from his hands, and took slow, deliberate steps toward Ayumi.
She glanced at him, and her blush deepened when she realized how close he'd gotten. He opened his arms slightly, a faint, mischievous smile playing on his lips.
"Come."
Ayumi's eyes widened, and she turned her head away again, her voice a low grumble.
"Stop it…"
But Noir stepped in regardless and pulled her into a quiet hug. His chin rested gently on the top of her head. His voice was softer now..real, without the charm layered over it.
"I'm sorry for making you feel this way."
Ayumi stood frozen for a second, her fists lightly pressed against his chest. But she didn't pull away. Her eyes were downcast, her breath shaky, and a faint warmth crept into her expression.
Before the silence could settle, Diago's sharp voice cut through the moment.
"No time for romance," he snapped. "I need to find her."
Everyone's attention turned. Diago's face had changed..no longer tired or defensive, but full of barely restrained urgency. He looked straight at Lena.
"You know where she is, don't you? Lira?"
Lena blinked, visibly startled. Diago stepped forward, a bit closer. Lena's breath hitched. Her gaze dropped to the floor, and for a moment, she was quiet.
Then..faint and flickering..a memory pushed forward behind her eyes. Lira. Running through the shattered courtyard. Her hair wild in the wind. Her voice yelling something that Lena couldn't fully remember now. The doors of the tower yawning open. The heavy crash of them shutting behind her.
But just as her lips parted to speak.. Diago stepped closer.
"Please, Lena. I need to find her. Just tell me."
Lena's mouth trembled. But no words came. Ayumi, still half-wrapped in Noir's arms, watched Lena closely now. Her brows drew in slightly. She saw the hesitation. The guilt. Lena slowly shook her head.
"No… I don't know where she is."
Diago's face tightened.
"You're lying."
"No," Lena said quickly, her voice thin, "I mean… I'm not sure. I thought she ran into the tower, but… I didn't see where she went after that. I tried to follow, but…"
Ayumi's eyes didn't leave Lena. She didn't spesk.but she saw it. Something was being held back. Still, she said nothing.
Diago stared at Lena for a long moment. His shoulders rose with a deep breath, then slowly fell.
"I'm going to find her," he said, quiet but fierce. "Even if I have to tear through this whole place myself."
Then he turned and walked toward the edge of the corridor, past the dim archways and ruined stone, leaving silence behind him. Noir finally pulled back from Ayumi, his eyes following Diago's retreating figure.
"Guess we're not the only ones haunted," he said quietly.
Ayumi didn't respond. She was still watching Lena, who had turned her back to the others, her expression unreadable, but her hands were clenched at her sides.
Something about her silence felt heavier now. And Ayumi, though still wordless, was beginning to understand: Lena knew more than she was saying.
The air was thick..too heavy for breath, too fragile for noise. Lena stood frozen, her back turned, arms stiff at her sides. Ayumi took a slow step toward her.
"Lena…" she began, softly. "Please. If you know something..say it."
"I don't know," Lena whispered.
Ayumi paused, brows furrowed. "Lena…"
"I don't know," she said again, louder this time. "I don't know where she went."
She finally turned to face them. Her eyes glistened with something caught between panic and guilt.
"She ran into the tower, yes, but I didn't see where she went after. I called her. I followed her. And then… nothing."
Noir's gaze was steady on her, sharp and quiet. He didn't speak, but the weight of his stare said everything. He knew she was lying. But he said nothing.
"I tried," Lena insisted, voice cracking now. "I waited, I yelled. I don't know where she is. I swear I don't."
Diago stood near the dark archway, jaw clenched. But instead of anger, what flickered in his eyes was something softer..hope, stretched thin but not broken. He exhaled sharply.
"Then I'll keep looking. I have to."
Yona, who had been standing quietly nearby, stepped closer to Lena. He gently reached out and took her hand. She looked up, startled by the warmth in his touch.
"It's okay," he said quietly, offering her a faint, forgiving smile. "You don't have to carry it alone."
Lena's lip quivered slightly, but she nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Daiki moved beside Diago, eyes scanning the corridor ahead.
"Then let's move. If Lira's somewhere in this place, we'll find her."
Ayumi stayed near Noir but said nothing, though her gaze briefly flicked back to Lena once more.
Noir hadn't taken his eyes off her either. But when Lena glanced at him, he simply turned away..expression unreadable.
Whatever he knew, whatever he suspected, he was keeping it to himself..for now. And as they began to move deeper into the ancient, crumbling stone… the shadow of the truth followed close behind them. They stood at the broken threshold of the corridor, silence thick between them.
Aria took a careful step forward and reached out, her hand hovering just above Aleria's slumped shoulder..about to rouse her, to guide her with them into the shadows ahead.
But before her fingers could make contact, a firm grip caught her wrist. She turned sharply..startled to find Noir's hand wrapped gently but insistently around her arm. Her brows furrowed.
"What—?"
Noir gave a subtle shake of his head, voice low and steady.
"Better not."
Aria's eyes widened, confused. Ayumi looked up too, sensing the shift, her gaze darting between the two of them. The others began to pause, watching.
"What are you planning, Noir?" Yona asked, narrowing his eyes.
Diago said nothing at first. He simply watched Noir, his expression unreadable. Noir finally replied, his voice flat and deliberate.
"We can't take her with us."
"What?" Aria's voice cracked, barely believing what she heard. "We can't just..she's hurt. She's not even awake!"
"We can't leave her here!" she added louder, almost pleading now.
Diago stepped forward, jaw clenched.
"We're not leaving her."
But Daiki reached out calmly and rested a hand on Diago's shoulder.
"Diago," he said quietly, "I don't like it either. But trust me… he knows what he's doing."
Diago stared at Daiki for a breath..tense, resisting, and then, reluctantly, gave a small nod. Noir looked to him in silent gratitude. But Aria was already shaking her head, her voice breaking.
"No..no, this is wrong. We can't just..!"
Before she could finish, Yona stepped in quickly. He moved behind her, slipped an arm around her shoulders, and gently clamped his hand over her mouth.
"Please don't," he whispered in her ear, voice soft but desperate. "Don't make this harder."
Aria froze, blinking rapidly, lips trembling beneath his hand. Then, wordlessly, she let her head lower.
Aleria remained still, unaware. Peaceful. They wrapped her in Noir's coat, gently tucked her beside the wall, away from the open hall and any visible path. Ayumi silently left her dagger at the girl's side.
Then, slowly..one by one..they turned away and moved on. Aria glanced back once more, heart sinking. Her eyes lingered. So did her guilt.
They moved through the corridor in uneasy silence, boots soft against the cracked stone. Dust drifted lazily through pale shafts of light filtering down from the broken ceiling above. Each step echoed like a warning in the vast emptiness.
Then… a sound.Footsteps. Not theirs.
Noir froze first. His hand instinctively reached toward the hilt tucked under his coat.
"We're not alone."
Ayumi's breath hitched. Diago turned sharply, eyes scanning the darkness behind them.
"How many?"
Daiki tilted his head slightly, listening.
"Four. Maybe five."
The shadows moved. From the far end of the corridor, armored figures began to emerge..tall, faceless, cloaked in matte black and silver. The guards. Eyes hidden behind their helms, swords already drawn, silent as phantoms.
"We're being hunted," Lena breathed.
"No," Diago said, stepping in front of her, his hand already lighting with a pale energy. "We're being tested. "
Without warning, one of the guards charged forward with terrifying speed. Steel met steel as Noir stepped in and parried the first blow with a grace that made it look effortless, but even he grunted at the force behind it.
Ayumi raised her hand, wind swirling around her fingers before she pushed it forward in a burst..sending another guard flying into a wall with a bone-jarring crash.
Yona dropped low and rolled, grabbing a fallen sword from a guard who had gone down moments earlier. He spun around with it just in time to block another strike. "Use theirs!" he shouted.
"They want to play armed..we play back!"
Daiki ducked a blade, then slammed a glowing fist into the guard's chest, knocking him back.
"I don't need steel," he muttered through gritted teeth.
Ayumi twisted, leapt, and snatched a short dagger from another fallen guard, dual-wielding now with a savage grin. But Aria had nothing but her hands and speed..ducking and dodging with sharp, fast breaths.
Then..chaos.
A guard broke formation and charged straight toward Lena. Yona moved to block.But Diago was already there. He surged between them, tackling Lena to the ground just as the blade swung down. The strike grazed his coat, but missed her entirely.
"Diago?!" Yona shouted, stunned.
Diago didn't answer. He was shielding her completely, arm tight around her. His face was inches from hers, eyes intense, protective.
"You okay?" he whispered.
Lena blinked, breathless.
"Y-Yeah…"
Yona rushed to them and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her up..away from Diago.
"She's not Lira , Diago!" he snapped. "She's Lena!"
Diago stood, chest rising and falling.
"I know exactly who she is."
His voice was sharp. Unmistakably jealous. Noir caught the shift even in the middle of battle, his eyes flicking toward Diago, then Lena, then back to his opponent. Ayumi noticed too..her lips tightening.
"Not the time for this!" Daiki shouted, slamming his elbow into a guard's jaw.
Steel clashed again..louder, faster. The room filled with the sound of metal and breath and boots scrambling over stone. Some in the group fought with blades they'd stripped from the fallen guards; others, like Daiki and Aria, relied only on fists, magic, and instinct.
Then..Aria suddenly gasped, pointing past the line of guards.
"Diago! Look..there!"
Through the blur of motion and smoke and violence, a figure walked calmly down a far corridor. A girl in torn blue. Barefoot. Her hair was unmistakable..long, wild pink strands like silken fire under the light. Her purple eyes shimmered from the shadows, brilliant and haunting.
She turned her head just slightly..enough for Diago to catch her face. And then she vanished into the dark archway without a word.
"Lira," he breathed, the name almost broken in his mouth.
But the fight hadn't ended. More guards came. Diago lashed out, his energy crackling through the narrow hallway as he carved a path forward. Lena scrambled behind him, but Yona reached her first, pulling her back again protectively..his eyes locked on Diago.
Diago's teeth clenched. But he said nothing. Ayumi's blade flashed. Noir ducked and slashed cleanly through the back of a retreating guard. The attackers began to pull away..quick, efficient, silent.
They disappeared into the shadows just as suddenly as they'd come. Breathing heavily, Yona looked around, sword still ready.
"They let us go?"
"No," Daiki said darkly. "They want us to follow her."
Diago knelt near the archway where she disappeared. A strip of blue fabric fluttered on a cracked stone edge..torn, familiar.
"She was here," he murmured. "She came this way."
Ayumi stepped close to Aria, both still panting, watching the dark corridor.
"But why lead us now?"
Noir, standing just behind them, glanced toward the shadows with a frown.
"I don't know," he said quietly, "but i'm not comfortable with this."
A tense silence followed, each of them feeling the weight of invisible eyes pressing in from the darkness.
And Lena..still breathing hard..stood frozen, her eyes locked on the space where Lira had just disappeared into the corridor's shadows. Her breath caught. She took a half-step forward, eyes wide with disbelief.
"But… how?" she whispered to herself, barely louder than a breath.
Aria, catching the sound, turned toward her..brows drawing together in quiet confusion.
"What did you say?" she asked softly, but Lena didn't respond.
Her voice was lost, her thoughts tangled.She wasn't watching Lira anymore. She was watching Diago..his stance still taut, the pulse in his jaw still visible from the adrenaline. There was something in her eyes now. Not fear. Not even confusion. Something unspoken.
Because in that moment, Lena wasn't chasing after the girl who vanished.
To be continue ...