A few days had passed since the fight, and things had begun to settle. Jayce wandered through the castle, a glass of wine in hand, walking beside Ryuu. The two were engaged in light conversation, the atmosphere unusually calm.
"You know," Jayce mused, swirling his drink before taking a slow sip. "I’ve been thinking about my malfunction." Ryuu raised a brow. "That again? We already ruled out Serenity." Jayce nodded but remained deep in thought. "Yeah, but what about Ash? His power is almost identical to mine. He can break through systems—hell, he broke through my glitched world during the fight. And right after that, I started malfunctioning." Ryuu frowned, considering the idea. "Maybe it was just an accident. You two could’ve had your abilities clashing at the wrong time. And besides..." His expression darkened slightly. "Serenity’s back, and I don’t get why Rose is siding with that bitch." Jayce scoffed, shaking his head. "I swear, that woman is an enigma. One minute, she’s trying to kill us, the next, she’s playing headmistress like nothing ever happened." He took another sip of his drink before sighing. "Honestly, I need a vacation."
Ryuu let out a short laugh. "Right? Somewhere far from this mess. We could just disappear for a bit—change our names, live like normal people." Jayce smirked. "Like we’d last a day without getting into trouble."
Ryuu chuckled. "Fair." He leaned against the railing of the castle’s upper hallway. "But still, it’s not a bad idea. A little time away from all the chaos."
Jayce was about to agree when something in the air shifted. A chill ran down his spine as he felt an all-too-familiar presence. His fingers slipped, and the glass fell from his hand, shattering against the marble floor.
"H-how long have you been here?" he asked, his voice low.
Rose smirked. "You finally noticed."
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Tsukina stepped out of Ryuu’s room, stopping dead in her tracks the moment her eyes locked onto Rose. The room went deathly silent.
Before she could react, Ryuu quickly spoke up. "Stay calm. Both of you."
Rose’s eyes flickered toward Tsukina, and her smirk widened. "Damn, I really fucked you up, didn’t I?"
Tsukina tensed, her fingers twitching at her sides, but she inhaled sharply through her nose. Without a word, she turned and walked back into Ryuu’s room, shutting the door behind her.
Rose chuckled, shaking her head. "Look at that. She can listen when she wants to." Jayce narrowed his eyes. "What do you want, Rose?"
She leaned against the wall, folding her arms. "Relax, I’m not here to fight. I just wanted to have a conversation." Her gaze flickered back to the door. "And check on my old friend."
Ryuu scoffed. "Oh, now you care?"
Rose exhaled, feigning exasperation. "You all act like I’m some heartless monster." She turned to Jayce. "I was just doing what needed to be done. Rules are rules."
Jayce clenched his jaw. "That's rich coming from you. You bent plenty of rules when it suited you."
"Fair point." Rose shrugged. "But I’m not the one sneaking someone banned from the academy into restricted spaces. You’re lucky I let her walk away at all."
A sharp inhale came from behind the door—Tsukina had clearly heard that.
Rose smirked, sensing it. "So, do I get to see her, or are you two going to keep acting like her bodyguards?"
Ryuu stepped forward. "After the way you’ve been treating us and her*? Excuse us if we’re a little... hesitant."*
Jayce exhaled slowly, his mind racing. "You really expect us to believe you just want to talk?"
Rose raised a hand, feigning innocence. "Believe what you want. But I was her friend, too, you know." Another pause. The tension didn’t waver.
Finally, Tsukina’s voice rang from behind the door, calm but cold. "You call that being a friend?"
Rose grinned. "I don’t recall ever saying I was a good one."

The room stayed silent for a moment after Rose’s words, the weight of her presence making it feel suffocating. Ryuu and Jayce exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to proceed.
Then, the door creaked open just enough for Tsukina to step out. Her injuries still lingered—bandages wrapped around her arms, and a faint stiffness in her movements showed just how much she was still recovering. But despite her weakened state, her glare was sharp.
"You think showing up now makes up for anything?" Tsukina's voice was low but firm.
Rose simply tilted her head, as if amused. "Make up for what? I was doing my job."
Tsukina scoffed, arms crossed. "Some job. You nearly killed me."
"Nearly." Rose corrected, her smirk never faltering. "But I didn’t, did I. I was holding back?"
Jayce narrowed his eyes. "That’s not something to be proud of."
Rose shrugged. "It is if you consider the alternative." She took a step closer, but Ryuu immediately blocked her path, standing between them.
"I think you've overstayed your welcome." His voice was tense.
Rose sighed, shaking her head. "Always so protective, Ryuu. You act like I came here to finish her off." Her eyes flickered toward Tsukina, her smirk turning into something more unreadable. "Like I said, I just wanted to talk. But if you’d rather stand around playing bodyguard, be my guest."
Tsukina held her glare, but something about the way Rose spoke made her uneasy. It wasn’t just arrogance—it was like she knew something they didn’t.
Jayce exhaled through his nose, his patience wearing thin. "Then talk. Say whatever you came here to say and get out."
Rose took her time, glancing around the room as if debating whether or not they were even worth it. Then, with a small hum, she spoke.
"I just wanted to see how things turned out for you, Tsukina. You fought well—better than I expected. But…" Her eyes flickered with something unreadable. "You should know, I wasn’t the only one watching obviously*"*
Tsukina stiffened. "What the hell does that mean?"
Rose only smiled. "Let’s just say… people are interested in you. Some good, some bad. But that fight? It wasn’t just for show."
Ryuu’s expression darkened. "Who?"
Rose merely chuckled. "If I told you, where would the fun be in that?"
Jayce’s fingers twitched, resisting the urge to lash out. "Quit playing games, Rose."
"I’m not playing." She met his gaze, her smirk faltering just slightly. "Just giving a warning. You should all be careful. Because next time?" Her eyes settled back on Tsukina. "I might not be the biggest threat in the room and I won't stop them since you already don't belong here."
The weight of her words settled in, filling the air with tension. Tsukina clenched her fists, but deep down, something in her gut told her Rose wasn’t lying.
Rose let out a small sigh before stretching, as if bored of the conversation already. "Well, I think that’s enough excitement for one day. I got what I wanted."
Jayce scoffed. "And what exactly was that?"
She simply smiled. "To see if you were all still worth keeping an eye on."
With that, she turned on her heel and walked toward the door. Before leaving, she glanced back over her shoulder.
"See you around."
Then, as quickly as she appeared, she was gone.
The room stayed silent long after she left. No one moved. No one spoke.
Finally, Tsukina let out a slow breath, looking at Ryuu and Jayce.
"It took so much no punch her. Cocky bitch."
Ryuu exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah… I figured."
Jayce clenched his jaw, still unsettled. "And whoever the hell was watching?”

Later that evening, the tension from Rose’s visit still clung to the air, heavy and unshakable. No one said much after she left, but the unease lingered.

Tsukina sat by the window, staring at the moonlit sky. The atmosphere inside the castle felt suffocating—too many eyes watching her, too much concern weighing her down. She just wanted a moment to breathe.

"I need some fresh air," she finally said, pushing herself up.

Ryuu looked over at her immediately. "You're still recovering."

She rolled her eyes. "I’m not going to do anything reckless. I just want to walk by the river for a bit. You guys can stand there and hover if it makes you feel better."

Jayce folded his arms, glancing at Ryuu before sighing. "Fine. Just don’t go too far."

Tsukina stepped outside, inhaling the crisp night air. The cold breeze felt refreshing against her skin as she made her way toward the riverbank. The gentle sound of water flowing eased the storm in her mind, and for the first time in days, she felt a sense of peace.

Ryuu leaned against the castle’s entrance, keeping an eye on her from a distance. Jayce was nearby as well, but even with their presence, Tsukina felt somewhat alone. It wasn’t a bad feeling—it was the kind of solitude she needed.

She stood by the river, watching the moon’s reflection ripple across the surface. Everything was still. Quiet.

And then—

She was gone.

No sound. No warning. Just an empty space where she had been standing.

Ryuu blinked, his focus snapping to the spot where she had been only seconds ago. His heart dropped.

"Tsukina?" His voice cut through the silence, but there was no response.

Jayce turned at the urgency in Ryuu’s tone. "What—" He stopped, eyes landing on the spot.

The only thing left behind was a blood puddle, dark and glistening under the moonlight. But even as they stared, it began to fade, seeping into the ground as if it had never been there.

A sickening chill ran down Ryuu’s spine.

His fists clenched.