While Yuki was still basking in the fleeting joy of remembered warmth, his grin froze. The air around him trembled faintly, and then, like cracks splitting a mirror, images surfaced before his eyes.
He already knew what it was.
A memory.
But not just any memory. One of his worst demons—his heart's deepest scar. His grin receded slowly, wiped away by a weight that pressed against his chest.
The vision formed clearly.
A study. A large one, walls lined with shelves, the smell of old leather and ink. Carl Huxley sat behind a desk, posture straight, his expression calm but touched with a sadness that could easily be missed. Across from him stood William—his younger self, still carrying that confidence, still smiling faintly, unaware of the storm about to strike.
Carl's voice carried across the room, steady but heavy.
"Do you know why I called you here?"
William shook his head. "No, I don't."
Carl folded his hands, the faint smile slipping. "Our mercenary group received a mission from the Caiser family. More specifically, from Janet Caiser—the daughter of Paul Caiser, the family head."
William frowned. "And? What about it? Subordinates can handle that, can't they?" His tone was confused. Something like this had never required Carl's personal attention before.
Carl turned his gaze toward the floor-to-ceiling window, moonlight pouring in and casting his silhouette in silver. His voice dropped lower.
"Yes, they can… but this time is different. I didn't want to accept it, but I owe him. Paul Caiser helped me when I was still nothing, when I was still crawling to build this organization. He lifted me when the world spat on me. He is my sworn brother."
William felt unease stir in his gut. His instincts, honed through years of blood and death, whispered danger. He forced a laugh. "Hahaha… so you want me to take the mission personally?" He tried to sound casual, to bury the sudden tightness in his chest.
Carl's reply shattered the fragile calm.
"Yes." He sighed deeply, his tone sharp as a blade. "I'll be straightforward since you've always valued it. The mission is an assassination. The target… is your partner. Aoi Tenshi—better known as Elise Norton."
The words fell like thunder.
William froze. The floor seemed to tilt beneath him. His mind raced, clawing at sense and reason. Piece by piece, the puzzle fell together, and his blood ran cold.
"…It's because she likes Andrew Alistair," he muttered, voice raw. "The heir of the Alistair family. Ai's arranged partner."
Rage ignited. His eyes burned red as killing intent surged from his body like a storm. The air itself seemed to tremble, suffocated by his fury.
"That bitch…!!!" he roared. "She dares?! I'll kill her with my own hands!"
Carl wasn't surprised. He knew William's heart, knew how much he loved Aoi. Even more than he loved Carl himself. He simply watched, sadness thick in his gaze.
William clenched his fists, nails drawing blood. He realized the cruel truth. Carl couldn't choose. Bound by honor to his brother, yet bound by love to his son. He could do nothing but let fate decide.
"Father…" William whispered, looking up, eyes desperate.
Carl didn't answer at first. He only stared out the window, his back turned. Minutes passed in silence. Then he turned, eyes locking on William's face, studying him as though engraving every detail deep into his soul.
Finally, his voice broke the silence.
"…Do what you must."
The words carried both command and farewell.
Carl stood, his movements heavy, and walked past William toward the door. But before leaving, he paused. Without turning, he spoke again.
"You are more of a son to me than my own blood. Even if you stain your hands, even if you become hated by the world—I will always forgive you. I will always love you, even if it is the end of me."
Then he left, the door closing softly behind him.
William's legs trembled. His chest heaved. And then the tears came, hot and silent, streaming down his face. Alone in that study, he wept—his first tears in years.
But he wasn't truly alone.
Outside, leaning against the wall, Carl stood in silence. Tears dripped freely down his face, hidden by the night.
…
In the present, Yuki broke. He could no longer hold himself back. He fell to his knees, clutching his chest, and tears poured as he relived the pain.
"See?"
A voice cut through the desolation.
Faunus. The crow. The voice that had been silent for so long.
"See the pain you had to endure because you were weak. If you had crushed the Alistair family back then, none of this would have happened. But you didn't. And because of that, you lost what mattered most."
"Shut up!!!" Yuki screamed, his voice torn. "What do you know?! There was nothing I could do! Nothing! Do you hear me?! No other choice!"
The forest around him shook with his anguish.
But Faunus remained calm, almost cold.
"What do I know?" the voice replied. "I know weakness. I know failure. I lost everything—my family, my people. Do you think you've suffered more than me? No. You've lost pieces. I've lost the whole. And yet—look at me. Am I on my knees wailing like a child? No. I stand, because I must. Because despair solves nothing."
Yuki clenched his fists, his tears blurring his vision. Rage and shame warred inside him.
"You talk as if you're a saint!" he spat. "Didn't you fail too? Didn't you also let your family slip through your fingers? You're weak too! So what right do you have to lecture me?!"
For the first time, Faunus's voice cracked with anger.
"Yes. I was weak. I failed. I lost more than you can imagine. But I refuse to kneel to despair. That's the difference between us. I lost oceans of blood, more than you have ever seen in your life, and yet I live. Do you hear me, boy? I live. Because what little remains must be protected. Crying over what is gone won't bring it back."
The words struck Yuki like blows. His sobs weakened. His breathing steadied. Slowly, painfully, he forced himself to his feet.
He understood. Faunus wasn't mocking him. He was reminding him. Screaming at him to rise.
"…Sorry," Yuki whispered hoarsely. "I was… pathetic. Forgive me."
Faunus was silent for a moment. Then he answered, voice softer, almost like a whisper carried by the wind.
"Now you understand why I demand you grow stronger."
Yuki wiped his tears with the back of his hand. His eyes, once clouded with grief, now burned with resolve.
"Yes. I must get stronger. Stronger than anyone. Strong enough to take back everything I lost. Even if it seems impossible, I'll make it possible." His voice rang with conviction, his posture straight and unyielding.
A glow lit his body—no longer faint, no longer flickering. The light burned blood-red, pure and terrifying, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"Come, Faunus," Yuki declared, hia voice deeper than normal, eyes blazing. "Let's dominate once again. You and I—together as one."
In the shadows of his mind, Faunus stirred. For a moment, the crow was silent. Then a low chuckle escaped, rising into laughter edged with madness.
"Yes…" Faunus muttered, eyes glinting with memories of glory long lost. "Yes! We shall dominate once again!"
The crimson light flared brighter, spreading like fire across the desolate space.
Two wills—scarred, battered, yet unbroken—aligned once more.
The boy and the crow.
The heir and the shadow.
And in the stillness of that cursed forest, a new oath was born.