Akira turned toward him, his voice dropped, steady and grave.
"There's something rotting at the core, Daita. I need you to search the Bureau's classified records—specifically anything related to spirit-binding methods. Look for a forbidden practice once used to draw malevolent spirits to the living in exchange for greed."
Daita's brows drew together, his voice cautious. "That sounds like… the Withering Pact."
"It is," Akira said darkly, stepping closer.
"And while you're there… I need you to steal the Seifuin Mirror."
Daita froze. "The imperial-grade sealing tool? The one used during high exorcism rites and blood purifications? That mirror's locked behind six spiritual barriers."
Akira nodded once. "And I trust you to break through all of them."
A long beat passed before Daita groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
"Why do all your 'one thing' requests sound like death sentences?"
Akira didn't smile this time. His voice dropped. "Because they might be," he said quietly. "But if we don't act first… someone else will. And they won't care what they destroy in the process."
Daita threw his arms up. "I still don't get how this ties into the mission! We're supposed to stop a demon tearing the capital apart, not steal royal relics and dig through cursed archives!"
"If we don't do this now… that demon will be the least of our problems. The chaos we're seeing? It's just the first crack in something far worse. There's a pattern—one we've missed. And if I'm right…" He paused, voice low, "what's coming isn't just another attack. It's devastation. The kind you don't rebuild from."
Daita's breath hitched at that. He didn't argue again. Just nodded slowly.
But both he and Akira froze as they became aware of the sudden silence in the room. Daita turned, eyes landing on Commander Zhou, who had stopped mid-sip, teacup trembling slightly in his hands, his expression stunned.
Daita winced. "Commander Zhou—"
"I can explain—" Akira started, but Zhou cut in, voice sharp.
"No! Absolutely not!" He shot to his feet, nearly knocking over the tea tray. "Your Highness, what you're proposing… you're asking the Seventh Prince to commit a crime! To infiltrate the Bureau of Spirit Affairs and steal the Seifuin Mirror? Do you have any idea what that means?"
Akira remained still. Zhou's voice rose.
"That mirror is not just a relic—it's a sacred artifact, sealed behind six barriers for a reason! It's used only in high-level exorcisms by the most skilled spirit handlers under strict ceremonial law. And now you want to use it in a covert mission?" He ran a hand over his face, clearly rattled. "The Seifuin Mirror is dangerous. Not just to the one it's used on—but to the one who dares to wield it. Do you even understand the risk?"
Akira's expression didn't waver. "I do."
Zhou stared at him. "Then why?"
"Because," Akira said quietly, "what we're dealing with doesn't follow rules. If we keep fighting this the 'right' way… we'll lose."
But Commander Zhou wasn't swayed. His jaw clenched as he stepped forward, tone unwavering. "No. That's not a reason, it's an excuse." He took a steady breath. "You're the future ruler of Shenghara. You don't get to choose convenience over principle. Not now, not ever."
He lowered into a deep bow, voice firm with conviction. "Forgive me, Your Highness. But right now, I'm not speaking as a commander—I'm speaking as your senior. And it is my duty to stop you when the fate of this kingdom may hinge on your decisions. You must not walk this path."
As he straightened, ready to say more—
Thwack.
Daita appeared in front of him in a flash and flicked his fingers hard against Zhou's forehead.
Zhou blinked…Wobbled…Then dropped like a felled tree.
"You… knocked him out?"
Daita calmly dusted off his fingers, a look of long-awaited satisfaction on his face. "Finally. I've been dying to do that. He's been eating my brain with all his talk 'protocol this, principles that.' Rules, rules, rules…" He rolled his eyes.
"A man can only take so much before his brain melts."
"…You do realize we'll have to wake him up eventually?"
"Eventually," Daita muttered, stepping over the unconscious commander with a stretch. "But for now? Let's enjoy the silence."
A beat passed. Then his grin faded. His posture straightened. He looked Akira and nodded, voice steady and sharp.
"If you're saying this is that serious… then I'll do it. No questions."
He turned toward the door, grabbing his cloak. "I'll leave now. I'll get what you need. But listen carefully—if you try to sneak out while I'm gone…" His gaze narrowed. "I'll be the one locking you up this time."
Akira gave a sheepish laugh. "Don't you trust—?"
"I don't," Daita cut in flatly, already stepping out. "And I never will."
He shut the door behind him without looking back.
Silence lingered.
Akira exhaled, slow and thoughtful, then turned toward the faint sliver of dawn breaking through the window.
"…He's more terrifying than the Emperor sometimes," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"But that's why I need him to survive this…"
As the door clicked shut behind Daita, silence settled over the room like mist.
Akira stood still for a moment, the weight of everything unspoken pressing against his shoulders. Then, with a slow breath, he reached up and unfastened the mask from his face. He tossed it onto the bed, where it landed with a quiet thud, forgotten for now.
His fingers slid to the inner fold of his sleeve.
From the hidden seam, he pulled out a strip of red silk—the blindfold. He stared at it for a long moment, he wrapped it around his eyes, tying the knot gently behind his head.
The world disappeared into darkness, but in that darkness, his breath grew steadier more certain.
His lips curved into the faintest whisper of a smile.
"Just a few more things left to stir…" he murmured under his breath, the words barely audible. "And she'll start to remember… even if she doesn't understand why."
His hands dropped to his sides, still and waiting.
"For this to work…" Akira murmured under his breath, the silk blindfold settling into place, "she has to feel it, before he twists it into something she can't come back from."
His voice barely stirred the air.
"I have to wait until the full moon… if I move too soon, the seal could break the wrong way." He paused, listening to the silence around him measured, heavy. "But if I reach her first… maybe I can awaken what's sleeping inside her—on my terms. Not his."
"Before he poisons it… I have to be the one to stir it."