Naomi knew the time had come.
They had been traveling together long enough. She had watched Adrian, tested him, questioned him, and followed his strange trail of impossible coincidences.
Eight times.
Eight separate occasions where Adrian had somehow obtained exactly what he needed.
She had searched for an explanation.
She had even quietly checked the train and the passengers around them.
Nothing.
No obvious accomplices.
No messenger.
No hidden network she could identify.
Yet Naomi remained convinced that one existed.
There had to be.
Otherwise, how could one man be this lucky?
And if she returned to Captain Ogun with nothing more than "the foreigner is incredibly lucky," she knew exactly what would happen.
She would be questioned.
Then questioned again.
And eventually, she would wish she had never accepted the assignment.
Naomi needed information.
Tonight.
After dinner, when they were alone in their coach, she would make her move.
It was simple.
A kiss.
That was all she needed.
Her mutant ability allowed her to enter another person's mind through physical intimacy. A kiss would give her access to surface thoughts.
If Adrian was simply a foreign traveler, she would know.
If he was a spy, she would discover it.
And if there was truly some hidden network supporting him...
She would finally find evidence.
How far she would have to go after that depended on what she discovered.
Naomi wasn't particularly worried about the first step.
Adrian was handsome.
Very handsome.
And after spending so much time with him, she couldn't deny that some of her attraction was genuine.
That made the assignment considerably easier.
Adrian, meanwhile, had already realized something was different.
Naomi had become more open during the last few days.
Her flirting had become less subtle.
She laughed more.
She stood closer.
She touched his arm more frequently during conversations.
And tonight, she had specifically arranged dinner at one of the more expensive dining areas aboard the train.
Adrian noticed all of it.
He simply didn't know why.
His Clown intuition wasn't warning him.
That was what mattered.
No danger.
No sudden unease.
No instinct screaming at him to run.
So Adrian decided to let Naomi take the lead.
Perhaps she simply wanted to enjoy their last evening together before reaching Kanazawa.
He wasn't going to complain.
Besides, he had another experiment to conduct.
As they walked toward dinner, Adrian quietly focused his spirituality.
He had already tested his strange self-prayer several times.
Eight times, to be exact.
Every time, something fortunate had happened.
Nothing spectacular.
Just little things.
Enough to make his journey easier.
Enough to make Naomi increasingly suspicious.
Adrian smiled inwardly.
How exactly is God supposed to punish me for praying to myself?
He almost laughed.
He didn't even know if the ritual truly qualified as prayer anymore.
Still, he focused his spirituality.
Then silently recited the words.
The Fool.
Dominator of Fate.
Master of Sefirah Castle.
Keeper of Mysteries.
Grant me good fortune.
He waited.
Nothing immediately happened.
Adrian shrugged.
Perhaps it had failed this time.
Then the train passed through a station.
Something caught his eye through the window.
A small purse lay near the platform.
A gust of wind pushed it toward the edge.
Then another gust sent it rolling directly toward the train.
Adrian watched in disbelief as it caught against the lower step of the carriage.
He waited until the train had cleared the station before retrieving it.
Inside were several notes and coins.
Approximately fifteen hundred yen.
Adrian stared at the money.
Then slowly smiled.
Praise the Fool.
He slipped it away.
He still had no idea what the cost of these rituals might eventually be.
Eight successful attempts had given him no obvious consequences.
Perhaps there was no cost.
Or perhaps...
The Fool was simply allowing him to enjoy himself before presenting the bill.
Adrian pushed the thought aside.
Tonight was supposed to be enjoyable.
Naomi noticed the purse.
Of course she did.
She watched Adrian return to his seat and casually place the money away.
Her suspicion deepened.
Again.
She had already investigated the train.
She had checked the passengers.
She had watched for anyone who might secretly be assisting him.
Nothing.
No one.
There wasn't even a suspicious person she could point toward.
Yet Adrian had somehow found money again.
Naomi's thoughts raced.
What kind of network operates like this?
It was beginning to seem less like a spy network and more like something she couldn't understand.
She looked at Adrian.
He was completely relaxed.
He even appeared amused by his own luck.
Naomi wondered whether he was mocking her.
Perhaps he knew.
Perhaps the entire journey had been a performance.
She needed to know.
Tonight.
Dinner began pleasantly.
The dining area was elegant, with polished tables and warm lighting that made the moving train feel almost detached from the outside world.
For a little while, Naomi allowed herself to forget the mission.
They talked.
They laughed.
Adrian told amusing stories about his travels without revealing anything important.
Naomi carefully guided the conversation toward his background.
"So," she said, resting her chin lightly against her hand, "what exactly brought you all the way to Japan?"
Adrian took a sip of his drink.
"Curiosity."
"That's a long way to travel for curiosity."
"I'm a curious man."
"Are you?"
"Extremely."
Naomi smiled.
"Then you must have found Japan interesting."
"I have."
"And Kanazawa?"
Adrian paused for the smallest fraction of a second.
"Especially Kanazawa."
Naomi caught it.
"Why?"
"Because I've never been there."
A simple answer.
Almost too simple.
She tried another approach.
"You're remarkably lucky."
Adrian smiled.
"I've heard that before."
"How lucky?"
"Very."
"Eight times?"
Adrian's expression barely changed.
But his eyes sharpened slightly.
Interesting.
Naomi smiled innocently.
"I've been counting."
Adrian laughed.
"Then you've been paying attention."
"Perhaps."
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Adrian smiled.
"Maybe I'm simply lucky to have good company."
Naomi felt warmth rise in her cheeks.
That wasn't entirely part of the act.
She really did like him.
And that complicated things.
After dinner, they returned to their coach.
The train rocked gently as it continued through the darkness.
Naomi sat beside Adrian.
Closer than before.
Adrian glanced at her.
"You've been unusually quiet."
"Thinking."
"About me?"
She smiled.
"Perhaps."
Adrian chuckled.
"You really are trouble."
"Maybe."
Naomi turned toward him.
Their faces were only inches apart.
Adrian could see her eyes clearly.
For a brief moment, he wondered what she was planning.
But his intuition remained silent.
So he didn't move away.
Naomi reached up and gently touched his face.
Then she kissed him.
For Adrian, it lasted only a few seconds.
But for Naomi—
It was an eternity.
The moment her ability activated, she expected to see ordinary thoughts.
Memories.
Emotions.
Fragments of Adrian's life.
Instead—
Darkness.
Then fog.
Endless gray fog.
A throne.
A vast, impossible castle.
Something beyond comprehension.
Naomi's mind recoiled.
She tried to pull away.
But another sensation struck her.
A presence.
Not Adrian.
Something behind him.
Something so vast that her ability couldn't comprehend it.
For one terrifying instant, she felt as though she were standing before something that could see through every secret she had ever possessed.
Then the connection shattered.
Naomi broke the kiss.
Her breathing became unsteady.
She stared at Adrian.
Adrian looked back at her, confused.
"What happened?"
Naomi couldn't answer.
Her legs suddenly gave way.
She dropped to her knees.
Her hands trembled.
She didn't understand what she had seen.
She didn't understand where she had been.
She didn't even understand the meaning of the images flashing through her mind.
But then—
Something moved inside her thoughts.
A voice?
No.
Not a voice.
A command.
Words she had never learned.
A name she had never heard.
Yet suddenly, she knew them.
Her mouth opened.
Adrian's expression changed.
Naomi whispered:
"I pray thee..."
Adrian froze.
She didn't know why she was saying it.
She didn't know who she was speaking to.
But she couldn't stop.
"The Fool..."
Adrian's blood ran cold.
"Dominator of Fate..."
Naomi's voice trembled.
"Master of Sefirah Castle..."
Adrian stared at her in disbelief.
"Keeper of Mysteries..."
The final words escaped her lips like a prayer she had never learned.
Silence filled the coach.
Naomi slowly looked up.
Her eyes were filled with fear.
Adrian couldn't move.
His mind raced.
She hadn't simply read his thoughts.
She hadn't discovered his identity.
She had touched Sefirah Castle.
And somehow...
Sefirah Castle had answered.