Hana burst into the loading bay of the warehouse, her heels clicking rapidly against the concrete floor, the sound echoing off the high metal rafters. She didn't stop until she reached the back office area, spotting Himari, the manager.
Hana immediately bent forward, resting her hands on her knees as she gasped for air. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry for being late!" she apologized, her voice trembling with the fear of being fired.
Himari, who was leaning back against a tall stack of shipping crates, didn't look angry at all. She straightened up slowly, her movements deliberate and fluid. She wore her manager's vest open, and as she waved off the apology, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, giving Hana a warm, playful smile. "It's no big deal, Hana. Honestly, out of everyone who works here, you're the only one I don't mind seeing walk in late."
Hana stood up, her face scrunching into a pout. "No, that's not fair, Himari! You don't have to treat me like I'm special. I'm an employee just like the others. I deserve whatever punishment you can offer me."
Himari let out a soft, low sigh. She stepped closer to Hana, her presence commanding yet comforting. She leaned in slightly, crossing her arms in a way that accentuated her figure, her eyes softening as she looked at her friend. "Look, I know what you're going through. You took out that massive loan from those sharks, and now you're killing yourself working five different jobs a day just to keep your head above water. I'm not going to punish you for being exhausted. Just be careful, okay?"
As she spoke, Himari reached out and patted Hana gently on the head, her touch lingering for a moment like an older sister.
"Okay..." Hana murmured, looking down at her feet as the weight of her financial decisions settled on her chest again.
Suddenly, Himari's hand moved from Hana's hair to her face. With a quick, playful flick of her wrist, she pinched Hana's cheek and squeezed hard.
"Ow! Ow, ow!" Hana yelped, trying to pull away from the painful grip.
"And don't you ever go off collecting money from loan sharks again, do you hear me?" Himari warned, her tone shifting from sultry to stern in a heartbeat.
Hana nodded frantically, tears of pain pricking her eyes. "I promise! I promise! I just... I wanted the best day for them before the exam. I had to go through any desperate measures for my babies."
Himari finally let go. Hana immediately began rubbing her red, swollen cheek, pouting again.
"Oh yeah, Ren and Zen, right?" Himari asked, leaning back against the crates again and hooking her thumbs into her belt loops. "Did you actually tell them where the money came from?"
Hana waved her hand dismissively, shaking her head. "Of course not. I had to lie and tell them I'd been saving it up for a long time. I didn't want them to freak out or lose focus on their special day. But I promise, once I pay those guys off, I am never taking a loan again. I'm done with them."
Himari's smile returned, though it had a sharp edge to it now. She balled up a fist, checking her nails briefly before looking Hana in the eye. "That's good. Because God help me, if any of those low-lifes hurt you, I'll kill them myself."
Hana gave a forced, nervous laugh, trying to play off the violent threat as a joke, though she knew Himari was the type to mean it. She quickly moved to her locker, pulling out her heavy stock loader uniform and snapping on her work gloves.
"I have to head back to my station now," Himari said, stretching her arms above her head in a slow, cat-like arc. "Just take care of yourself today, okay? I'll come find you once the shift is over. We're going to that restaurant nearby tonight."
Hana looked at her dismissively, feeling guilty. "Oh no, Himari, you don't have to do that. You've already done so much for me and I still have three extra jobs after this and I—"
"Come on," Himari cut her off, pointing a finger at her with a wink. "Your boys are going to be gone for what, three days? Let's have some fun. It's not an option, Hana. The restaurant is right by a SHIELD warrior outpost, so even if a portal pops up, it won't be scary. We'll be safe."
Before Hana could find another excuse, Himari turned on her heel and strutted away toward the main office, leaving Hana standing alone in the quiet of the stock room.
Hana let out a long, defeated sigh. She turned toward the massive iron doors of the stock room and pulled them open. Her heart sank. Inside were hundreds of cardboard boxes, stacked floor to ceiling, all waiting to be moved into the yawning backs of the trucks parked outside.
(This isn't too bad,) Hana thought, trying to psych herself up. (For every truck I fill, I get 5 Zeths. That's fine. I can do this. I just hope my boys are okay out there.)
She stepped forward and reached for the nearest box. It was small, but as soon as she tried to lift it, her muscles strained. She let out a grunted huff, staggering slightly as she forced herself to carry the tiny box over to the loading dock and set it down.
She walked over to the check-in board to see the final tally for the day. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"297 boxes?" she whispered, her voice cracking. "That's like... three full vans. I better start moving."
Hana turned back toward the stockroom, her muscles already protesting as she prepared to wrestle with the next set of heavy boxes. Suddenly, the quiet of the warehouse was shattered by the sound of small, frantic footsteps. Three eleven-year-old children—Arata, Takeshi, and Yumi—came charging toward her. They were dressed in makeshift "battle gear" consisting of pajamas and cardboard armor they had clearly crafted by hand.
"It is the mother of our King!" Arata shouted, skidding to a halt in front of Hana while the other two flanked him.
Hana looked down, blinking in total confusion at the sight of the pint-sized warriors. "Oh, you guys must be Ren's friends," she said, offering a tired smile. "Yeah, um, sorry, but he isn't here right now. He went off to take the exams."
Hana turned into the stockroom, bracing herself as she used every bit of her might to lift a large box. She began walking carefully back toward the truck, her breath hitched from the effort.
"We are not friends! We are his trusty Guild Squad," Arata corrected her, standing tall as he adjusted his cardboard shoulder pads. "He is our Captain. She's the smart one," he said, pointing to Yumi. "I'm the skilled one, and Takeshi is the dumb one."
Takeshi immediately puffed out his chest, scowling at Arata. "No, I'm not! I am the Gun-Type!" He brandished a poorly constructed cardboard gun, making a clicking sound with his tongue.
Arata let out a heavy, dramatic sigh. "We all know Zen is the Gun-Type."
"Zen isn't even part of our team!" Takeshi shot back.
"You don't know that!" Arata retorted.
The two boys began to bicker like children often do, their voices echoing off the metal walls. Hana set the second box into the back of the truck, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. She faced them with a soft, encouraging smile. "Look, I'm really busy right now, okay? When Ren gets back, he'll play dress-up with you all he wants. In the meantime, how about you kids be helpful in any way you can?"
Yumi's eyes lit up. She gave a determined nod and dashed into the stockroom. "You hear the King's mother? Come! Let's carry the boxes with her!"
Arata unsheathed a plastic toy sword, pointing it toward the warehouse depths. "We shall go to battle with the boxes, then!"
"To battle!" Takeshi echoed.
To Hana's utter shock, the three children began hauling the boxes out with surprising ease. They ran back and forth between the stockroom and the truck, placing the heavy cargo with more energy than a dozen adult workers.
"Wow... you guys are strong," Hana said, finally taking a seat on a nearby crate to catch her breath. "How does Ren even train you guys? If you really want to help, thanks a lot. I'll just rest for a minute and then I'll join you."
As she sat, Hana's gaze drifted toward a large tree near the warehouse perimeter. She noticed a figure peeking out from behind the trunk. A soft smile touched Hana's lips. "You know, I can see you, Sofie."
Sofie, Arata's eighteen-year-old sister, jumped as if she'd been struck by lightning. Startled by being noticed, she tried to make a quick, "cool" escape, but in her haste, she accidentally smacked her forehead right against the tree trunk.
Thwack!
She fell to the ground, clutching her head in pain. Arata stopped what he was doing and looked over at his sister. "Sofie? What are you doing here? Don't tell me you're spying again."
Sofie scrambled to her feet, smoothing out her clothes and trying to regain her dignity as she marched toward them. "Umm, no! Of course not! I just..." She scanned her brain for a lie. "Mom! Yeah, Mom! She told me to watch over you, so I was just doing that... from a safe distance."
Arata chuckled, clearly not buying it for a second. "You just wanted to spy on Ren again, weren't you?"
Sofie's cheeks turned a brilliant, fiery shade of red. "What? No! Shut up!"
Yumi, dropping another box into the truck, looked over at the older girl. "I mean, could you blame her? Just by seeing them from afar, Zen is the one who takes the girls' breath away... but when you actually get to know them, Ren is the one who could pull more wives."
The two boys nodded in solemn, expert agreement. Sofie remained on the defensive, her voice rising an octave. "I don't have a crush on Ren!"
Takeshi gave her a cocky, sarcastic smirk. "Sure you don't."
"I really do not!" Sofie insisted, her face getting even redder. "I only spy on him sometimes because I want to make sure he wouldn't... kidnap you! You know?" She muttered the last part under her breath, a weak attempt to cover her tracks.
Arata smiled. "Fine, we believe you."
Sofie blinked, looking relieved but suspicious. "You do?"
"Of course," Arata nodded. "Because after all, Yumi is the one marrying Ren."
Yumi finished dropping a box and gave a genuine, sweet smile. "Of course I am."
Sofie looked genuinely upset now. "No, you're not! You can't marry Ren!"
"And why can't she?" Takeshi challenged.
"Yeah, why not?" Arata added.
"Because... because she's what, like twelve? Ren is eighteen! She can't marry him, she's still a kid!" Sofie blurted out.
Hana finally stood up, clapping her hands to get their attention. "Okay, that's enough talking about my son. You guys, we need to hurry up. We have to clear everything before 10:00. Sofie, please, help us out too."
With a collective nod, the group fell into a rhythm, working together to clear the massive hoard of boxes.
At that same moment, across the city, Zen stared at the stranger in the heavy coat. His grip on the broken bottle didn't loosen. "Start talking," he commanded.
The stranger held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "Your dad... he was on the same team as my own father. 'Ride or Die,' remember? He was the Captain. My father's name is Kaito. I don't know if your father ever mentioned him to you."
Zen's eyes flickered. The phrase Ride or Die was one his father had whispered often. He cautiously lowered the bottle, though he remained tense. "Why were you following me?"
The stranger, whose name was Kage, took a breath. "Because... that day when your dad's party went into what they were told was a C-Tier portal... it turned out to be an A-Tier. Those stupid Guild Masters, with their useless readings and stupid assignments, got your dad killed. Your father, Mr Takumi, risked his life to make sure my dad and the rest of the team got out alive."
Kage stepped forward, his voice thick with emotion. "I love my dad more than anything. To hear he had a son about my age, with the same dream as him... I had to come see you. I didn't know how, so I stalked you. The other twin—Ren—he scares me, so I thought I'd follow you instead. I was going to reveal myself eventually."
Zen stared at the ground for a long moment, then let the broken bottle drop. It shattered against the pavement. "My dad was weak," Zen said, his voice flat as if he were trying to convince himself. "And he paid the price for that. That's all."
He turned to walk away, his jaw clenched to keep his emotions from leaking out. Kage ran after him. "Mr. Takumi didn't know that portal was going to be an A-Tier! He couldn't have known!"
Zen stopped, looking back at Kage. His eyes were cold, though a slight shimmer of wetness threatened to betray him. "Well, he should have been ready. I'm going to be strong. Strong enough to protect my party and myself after I ace this exam. My dad is my dream, my role model, and my hero... but that doesn't change the fact that he lost to the portals."
Zen fought back the urge to cry, his resolve hardening. Kage took a respectful step backward, giving him space.
"Once you become a SHIELD member, you wait for me," Kage said firmly. "I'm going to be a Guild Master. I'm going to give the most accurate readings there are, whether it costs me my life or not. I will lead you and other parties to the right portals. I know this work leads to hundreds dying—I'm not dumb—but if they die, they should know it wasn't the Guild's fault, but the choice they took to enter."
Zen looked at him for a moment, then a small, rare smile touched his lips. "Sure. I'll wait."
Kage smiled back, but the moment was cut short by the booming sound of speakers mounted around the SHIELD Examination Hall gates.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you have five minutes to prepare yourselves before the exam commences. I repeat, five minutes before you step in to go through the basics. Thanks for waiting, and from the Exam Head Office, we wish you luck!"
The crowd erupted. Some applicants cheered with hype, while others looked pale with fear. Zen simply stared at the speakers, his expression unreadable. He turned back to Kage. "You should leave. I'll find you once the exam is done. I need to concentrate."
Kage nodded and headed out, leaving Zen alone with his thoughts and the ghost of his father's legacy.
(Back to Ren)