79 Chapter 79
Yoru and I walked down the quiet hall together, the faint hum of the building around us. Neither of us spoke much — words weren't needed until the right moment.
Ahead, light spilled under the door of the room. Inside, Rin was perched on the edge of a chair, Ryuko sitting cross-legged nearby, and Zyra leaning back drunk, completely naked, shifting slightly as she adjusted herself while talking with Ryuko.
We paused outside the doorway. Yoru glanced at me. "You ready for this?"
I exhaled, tight. "We have to."
Yoru pushed the door open, stepping inside first. I followed.
"Rin," Yoru said, voice calm but firm, "we need to talk. It's about something… serious."
Rin's eyes flicked between us. "Okay… what's going on?"
I stayed back slightly, letting Yoru take the lead. She leaned against the desk, crossing her arms. "It's Aruno. He sent a message to Ko."
Rin's brow furrowed. "A message?"
"Yes," Yoru said. "And it's urgent. He wants us to protect — Serenia."
The name hung in the air. Ryuko tilted her head, frowning. Zyra's naked form shifted, drawing Rin's attention for a moment, but the tension in Yoru's voice pulled it back.
I stepped forward, keeping my tone low, controlled. "No one else can know. Not Ryuko. Not Zyra. Not anyone. This is our secret. Aruno trusted Ko with this, and we don't break that trust."
Rin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Serenia… is she in danger?"
Yoru nodded. "That's why we're telling you. You help us, quietly. Keep watch. Make sure nothing reaches her before we can act."
Rin swallowed, the weight of it settling in. "Alright… I understand."
Zyra, still fully exposed, stretched casually, clearly oblivious to the danger, and Rin gave her a sharp look. "Zyra, can you… not for a second?"
Zyra tilted her head, smirking, but went silent. Ryuko, more focused, simply nodded, her green eyes attentive.
I glanced at Yoru. "We move carefully. Watch for anything unusual."
Yoru's gaze met mine. "Right. We handle it. Together. And no one else knows."
Rin gave a small nod again. "Got it. No one."
The room was quiet after that, filled with tension and the faint hum of the merged city outside. Zyra jiggled lightly as she shifted again, oblivious, but I didn't care. Our focus was clear, protect Serenia, and make sure Aruno's warning didn't go unanswered.
We turned toward the door, Rin flanking Yoru and me.
"Ryuko, Zyra," Yoru called over her shoulder, voice sharp but not harsh, "we've got something to handle. Keep an eye on things here."
Zyra's naked form caught Rin's glance for a moment before she smirked. Ryuko didn't look up, but her lips curved slightly as if amused. The tension between them was palpable, subtle, almost teasing. Zyra leaned a little closer to Ryuko as they watched us leave, the faint brush of her hand along Ryuko's arm seeming deliberate.
I couldn't help but comment quietly as we stepped down the hall. "I swear… lesbians are the best. The way they—"
Yoru's hand shot out, smacking my chest with just enough force to knock the wind out of me. "Ko!"
I staggered back, rubbing the spot she hit. "What? I'm just saying!"
"You're insufferable," she muttered, shaking her head. "Focus."
Rin, walking quietly beside us, tried not to laugh, but the faint smirk tugged at her lips.
I exhaled, letting it slide. "Fine, fine… I love lesbians. But can't blame a guy for appreciating art."
Yoru's eyes narrowed. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood. And that Aruno's warning has me focused, or I'd throttle you right now."
I raised my hands in mock surrender. "Message received, loud and clear."
We continued down the hall in silence after that, each step heavier than the last. Rin glanced between us. "So… this is about Serenia?"
I nodded. "Yeah. And nothing else matters right now. We make sure she's safe, or all this—" I gestured vaguely to the merged chaos around us, "—doesn't mean a thing."
Wind moved through the narrow streets, carrying the scent of rain and metal, a quiet rhythm that almost made the world seem normal again.
Serenia walked with her hands in her jacket pockets, her hair a little damp from the drizzle. Streetlights flickered in soft violet tones, reflections stretching across puddles at her feet. The merged city breathed around her — half ancient stone, half foreign glass. She still wasn't used to it, but she liked walking when it was like this: still, muted, peaceful.
A few vendors were still open, their voices low, selling things no one really needed — charms, tea, trinkets from before the merge. She paused at one, exchanged a few quiet words with an old woman behind the counter, and left with a small charm no bigger than her thumb. It shimmered faintly when she turned it in her palm.
She smiled to herself. "Guess I'll take all the luck I can get."
Her voice sounded too loud against the quiet.
The streets around her were emptying fast — people heading home before the night turned unpredictable again. Serenia didn't mind being alone; she never really had. But tonight, there was something heavy in the air.
Not danger exactly… just presence.
She slowed, glancing over her shoulder. Only the faint hiss of rain against metal rooftops. The feeling didn't go away.
"…I- I had you back." She whispered, "why..?"
She crossed a narrow bridge, the city lights reflecting beneath her like fractured stars. The sound of her footsteps mixed with the rain, soft and even. For a second, she thought about Aruno — about how different he'd been before everything changed, before he left. How Ko's eyes still carried that quiet guilt every time her brother's name came up.
"Oh brother.." she murmured.
A low rumble echoed somewhere in the distance — thunder, maybe, or something else. It faded quickly, swallowed by the rain.
Serenia stopped again, looking up at the skyline. Between two rooftops, the air shimmered — just barely. A distortion, like heat rising off stone, here and gone in an instant.
Her pulse skipped.
She blinked, but it was already gone.
"…Probably nothing," she muttered, pulling her jacket tighter and starting forward again.
The street curved, disappearing into mist. Behind her, high above, the shimmer returned — a faint ripple cutting through the rain, silent and watchful.
She didn't see it.
But whatever it was… had already found her.