Rover stirred gently beneath the covers, eyes fluttering open to the soft morning light spilling in through the apartment window. The dull ache in his body reminded him that he'd just come back from the edge. His gaze slowly shifted across the room—he was no longer in the hospital.
Ayaka was at the kitchenette, humming lightly while pouring tea. Vex sat on the couch with Mina, lazily flipping through a comic book, though neither seemed really focused on it.
"...He's awake," Mina said quietly, her voice warm but cautious.
Ayaka turned immediately, walking over with a cup of warm tea in her hands. "Hey, soldier. Welcome back."
Rover blinked, trying to remember everything. The fight… the dungeon… Yoon Ara… Juno… But as he opened his mouth, Ayaka gently placed a finger on his lips.
"Don't think too hard. You're safe," she said softly.
"Did… something happen after?" he asked, brows creased.
"Nope," Vex answered quickly, standing and stretching. "You just passed out from pushing yourself too hard. Nothing crazy. You're back now. That's all that matters."
Mina nodded with a small smile. "The world's still standing. Just rest, okay?"
They all wore smiles. Warm, comforting… but forced. Behind those eyes, behind every pause and exchange, something unspoken loomed. They knew what had happened. They had seen the broadcast. But none of them said a word.
Not yet.
---
Later that evening, in the dim-lit apartment…
The living room was quiet except for the ticking of the wall clock. Rover was asleep in the next room. Vex leaned over the window, eyes scanning the street below. Mina typed furiously on her tablet, tracing news blackouts and report edits. Ayaka sat at the table, arms folded, her expression unreadable.
"He has no idea," Mina said flatly. "Not about the standoff. Not about the eyes watching him now."
"That's the point," Ayaka muttered. "Let him breathe. Let him… be a kid."
Vex chuckled bitterly. "Kid? You saw the faces of those guild leaders. That kid's in the eye of a storm."
Ayaka's gaze hardened. "That's why we protect him. Even from the truth, if we have to."
Mina looked up. "Where's Professor Kuroda? He's been gone too long."
---
Meanwhile...
Professor Kuroda balanced a grocery bag in one arm and a warm paper bag of takeout in the other. His coat flapped lightly in the wind as he made his way through the quiet alley near the apartment complex. He was humming an old tune when he turned the corner—only to stop dead in his tracks.
Three figures blocked the path.
They wore sleek, black coats embroidered with red thread—the unmistakable crest of Étoile Sanglante.
Kuroda's eyes widened. "You…"
One stepped forward. A tall man with piercing green eyes and an unnaturally calm demeanor.
"Professor Daichi Kuroda?" the hunter said, voice cold.
Kuroda gripped the bags tighter. "Who are you? What… what do you want?"
"Our leader has taken interest in your… ward," the hunter replied. "We know of your connection to the boy called Rover. You've been acting as guardian, yes?"
Kuroda's face went pale.
Valentin Roux emerged from behind the other men, his coat trailing like ink in the wind. His presence was silent thunder.
"I've read your records, Professor," Valentin said. "All of it. His orphan records. The evacuation report. His mother's death. How you met him. You've been hiding something the world has a right to know."
Professor Kuroda backed away, eyes welling up. "He's just a boy… he doesn't deserve this…"
"You're right," Valentin said flatly. "But history doesn't care who deserves what."
The tall hunter stepped forward. "Come with us. Quietly. Our Guild Leader has some questions."
Professor Kuroda trembled as the grocery bag fell, apples rolling across the alley floor. He stared at them blankly, heart hammering.
"…Rover…" he whispered.
Then they took him.
And the apartment lights stayed on late into the night, waiting for someone who wouldn't come home.
To be continue...