The marketplace welcomed them again the next morning. The usual routine would have been Kaito drifting straight toward stalls full of blue trinkets, wraps, and charms. But this time, he stopped at a different vendor.
A table was spread with bolts of fabric in every shade imaginable: crimson reds, shadowy blacks, deep forest greens, shining golds, and pale silvers. Kaito picked up a strip of crimson cloth and ran it through his fingers. The others froze, staring.
"…That's not blue," Ryo muttered, blinking.
Kaito ignored him and held up the red fabric to the light. Then he turned and bought not just that one, but several colors: black, silver, gold, and even green. He stuffed them into his bag without a word.
"Who are you," Mira said, her tone half-joking, half-serious, "and what have you done with Kaito?"
Aria studied him quietly, her eyes narrowing. She noticed the way he picked colors carefully—not at random. Reds for boldness, silvers for protection, blacks for concealment. He wasn't abandoning blue… he was building something. Preparing.
Their next stop was a charm seller. Normally, Kaito would sweep up every sapphire-threaded piece, but instead he reached for a small golden pendant shaped like a fang and a crimson beaded bracelet.
The merchant blinked at the purchase. "A bold mix, young man. Planning a fashion show?"
Ryo snorted. "Nah, he's just broken. Reset him with something blue before he explodes."
Kaito finally spoke, his voice steady.
"Not everything needs to be one color. Sometimes balance matters more."
The Circle fell quiet. For the first time, it felt less like an obsession… and more like Kaito was strategizing.
Dex padded up to his side, tail swaying as though approving of the shift. His icy blue eyes flicked from the crimson fabric to the silver charm before settling back on Kaito.
Aria tilted her head, lips parting as if to question him—but she stopped. Instead, she just walked on in silence, the thought echoing in her mind:
He's preparing for something. Something none of us understand yet.