Evolved Training was uneventful, though I did get to witness Amie and her vibrant fire. Fire-awakened always had a certain flair, even more so with my sister Sistine's dark, potent flames.
I kept checking over to Ranni and her close-knit group. Occasionally, she caught my eye, but unlike the others who either looked away or flailed awkwardly, she just smiled confidently. She was the deadly, girl-next-door type with healing abilities to boot.
I didn't do much. I evaporated a few dummies and then decided to use the rest of the time to nap. I headed to the bleachers. Did anyone stop me or say anything about it? What do you think? I wasn't flaunting my position; Evolveds had little to do outside of training, and the only real expectation was to get more powerful. As long as you were strong, you already had your license.
The bleachers were surprisingly comfortable, and I was soon sound asleep.
I began to dream again. By this point, I wasn't even nervous; unconsciously, I knew what was happening. I only felt slightly annoyed and dizzy—like looking into a kaleidoscope and trying to make out a single color in the constantly moving, sick mess. The imagery was fast, fragments of things I couldn't process—a burning, black bird; my father's tired smile; a pair of cold, silver eyes I didn't recognize; and the repeating echo of the word: Sacrifice.
Then I felt warmth. It was comfortable, like being bathed in sunlight after walking on the cold, shadow-covered side of the street. It was a reprieve from the cold, violent geometry of my mind.
I woke to someone gently caressing my face. I opened my eyes and looked directly into Ranni's. Her face was tilted down towards mine.
"You seemed to be in stress," she whispered, her voice low and rich. "Blueberries or bad dreams?"
I was mesmerized by her lips and the feel of her fingers gently tracing my hairline. I wanted to reach out and touch her cheek, but I knew, even in this position, I had no right. Her long, red hair framed her face perfectly, and her irises were such a deep blue you felt you could swim in them. What an underrated beauty. How could I possibly not have noticed her until today?
"You don't even know me. Why show such kindness? Shouldn't you be afraid to look right into my eyes for so long?" I honestly didn't care about the people watching; I so rarely felt this comfortable. She didn't seem to mind me lying in her lap.
"You mean you don't know me. It's hard not to know you," she countered smoothly. "Besides, if you wanted to hurt me, I doubt me not looking would help."
"I would never do that. But dodging my question with well-worded flattery... you and my mother would get along well."
"Hmm... perhaps one day we will," she said with a lovely, confident smile that perfectly mirrored my own.
"Ranni, classes are over, let's go." Her friend called her, and I instantly disliked the person.
I got up, not wanting to ruin our little moment. I took her hand and squeezed it gently.
"Thank you, Ranni. I hope one day I'll get to return the favor and comfort you."
"I'll be looking forward to it."
It took me a considerable effort to forget her smile.
I called Remy and skipped Imperial Studies. I felt great and sweetly dazed. I didn't want anyone to ruin my mood. I apologized to Ms. Inoue and excused myself until Thursday for a visit to my grandfather.
"Did something happen? Also, you and Ranni... what's up, what's up?" Tetsuya whispered.
"Your whispering is an underrated skill," I replied. "No, nothing happened. I just have business for a day. I'll most likely be back this week." The lie felt simple, easy to swallow. I needed to escape the school's gravitational pull and refocus on the impending assassination.
I went outside where Remy waited with about fifty soldiers. The ride to Osaka Castle was about two hours. I needed to banish that healing angel from my mind.
Ranni and Mikeyla are like comparing apples and oranges. One is a strong warrior, outwardly confident but inwardly inexperienced. Ranni is mature, alluring, and the connection felt effortless. I was really just thinking about nonsense now.
"If I may, Young Master, you look distracted."
"I just had a strange day, is all," I answered evasively.
"You mean Miss Ranni Castill?"
"...Yes, her. I couldn't remember her last name, but you... you need more hobbies, or a wife. How come you never got married? For all these years, I've never seen you with anyone."
He went quiet for a while, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery, which was slowly transforming from urban sprawl into manicured imperial territory.
"...What's the point of it all?" he finally said, his voice unusually raw. "All the women I ever loved never loved me back. Love is not real, My Lord, unless it is fully reciprocated." His focus snapped back to me, the professional mask briefly fracturing. "Keep that in mind. In your life, you'll be adored by many beautiful ladies, so protect your heart and choose carefully. With every wrong choice, we lose pieces of ourselves that can never truly be recovered."
I felt a genuine glimpse behind his cold, goofy persona. He was absolutely right. Who calls a one-sided love a great story? Ranni's face floated into my mind again. How could someone I barely noticed seven minutes ago bother me so much? My own tragic inexperience stemmed from my distrust. Had any woman ever approached me without ulterior motives? Ranni felt different, but I was paranoid enough to doubt the very air I breathed.
"Those words... I'll take them to heart. Thank you, Remy."
We spent the rest of the ride in silence until we pulled up to Osaka Castle, my grandfather's residence.
A battalion of soldiers wearing black with a single purple palm—the symbol of my grandfather, the First Hand of the Emperor—lined the gate. They looked intimidating, standing in rigid formation.
"We look to be well met, My Lord." Remy had a small, excited smile.
"Be ready. And signal our man, too."
I grabbed my sword, the one Mother gave me for my fifteenth birthday. It was a terrifying work of art, crafted from the bones of the Mimiks and capable of cutting through steel like cotton candy. I didn't name it, because I'm not some cringe douche.
The man at the front, Captain Malcolm Olivani, head of the Honor Guard and a powerful Wind Awakened, bowed once as we stepped out. The soldiers performed a salute.
"Lord Stivanstin, honorable grandson, welcome to Edo. Mr. Bennett, it's been too long."
He looked terribly afraid, giving me a strong indication about the nature of his orders.
"Captain Olivani," I asked, keeping my voice level and controlled. "Can I assume your mission is to ensure I return to Moira?"
He swallowed hard. "Honorable grandson, we were issued strict orders by His Grace, Duke Avesta, to stop you. We are prepared to use force if necessary."
Prepared to use force? He would put these people's lives on the line over a family dispute? Why? Was he planning to agree to Shien's madness and sacrifice Sistin's future for political stability? Father, did you foresee this level of resistance? My confusion vanished, replaced by the blazing certainty of my sister's smiling face.
I walked straight ahead, past Olivani. I drew my sword, the razor-sharp Mimik bone gleaming under the sun. I heard the first line of soldiers stiffen, their training struggling against their self-preservation.
I made sure they all heard me. "Listen well. I'll give you all ten seconds to think about all the people you love, and all those who would miss you. Remember their faces and ask yourselves: 'Am I ready to leave them?'"
My voice rose, the anger vibrating in the air, cold and hard. "Right now, you can all leave and be with them—your parents, your lovers, children, your brothers, and your sisters. Deny those orders, for once, or stay and we can tear each other apart like animals!"
I dropped into a defensive position. Remy slid into place beside me, his golden daggers extended, mirroring my readiness.
Three of the most nervous soldiers, panicking, took aim with their full automatics. They didn't even get to pull the trigger.
The first line of soldiers in my peripheral vision—six men—evaporated, along with their guns, with a silent, terrifying flash of my eyes. The space they occupied filled with a snapping echo. The Omega Flash was terrifyingly efficient. I didn't kill the three who aimed, I killed the six in the back to show the consequence.
I swiftly moved past the stunned survivors.
A corporal who tried to adjust his stance found his rifle sliced clean in half by the Mimik bone. Remy threw his daggers with calculated precision, not at the center of mass, but at the weapons of the next rank, disabling them; several more soldiers dropped as the sheer pressure of Remy's Golden Manipulation ability crushed their armor. I sliced the paralyzed soldier near me clean in half, blood spraying the stone ground, adding to the psychological shock.
I turned quickly to target the dozen men fumbling with their remaining weapons—
"ENOUGH!!!"
I froze, heart hammering. I remained alert, but steeled my eyes. My grandfather's voice, even in his sixties, possessed the authority to halt the massacre. Every soldier aside from me and Remy immediately dropped to their knees and froze, several of them vomiting.
I looked at him. Duke Numa Avesta stood just inside the main courtyard, a figure of immense power carved from granite.
"Grandfather. I came to visit."
He looked weary, his hand gripping the cane harder than necessary. With a long, heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the entire Empire, he replied:
"You could have waited a minute."