I wake to the faint glow of dawn filtering through the tall windows of the hotel room, pale light spilling across the polished floor. For a moment, I simply lie there, listening to the distant hum of the city below, my body wrapped in warmth and quiet.
It feels unreal.
After everything we've been through, sleeping in a bed this soft almost feels undeserved.
When I finally sit up, my body reminds me I am not as untouched as this room suggests. A dull ache lingers in my shoulders. My ribs protest when I stretch. Bruises bloom beneath the surface, quiet but persistent. Still, compared to the jungle, compared to the desert, I feel… functional.
Ready.
I finish my morning routine and wait, pacing near the window, thoughts circling back to the question I haven't asked yet.
Why does someone like Okayu need bodyguards?
The knock comes sooner than expected.
I open the door to find Okayu standing there, composed as ever, Tricky beside her. Tricky gives me a small nod, alert already, wings folded neatly behind her.
"Good morning," Okayu says lightly. "I hope you slept well."
"Well enough," I reply.
"Good. We have work to do."
Down in the lobby, the early hour leaves the space nearly empty. Our footsteps echo softly as Okayu leads us forward, wasting no time.
"I'll be visiting the suburbs today," she says. "You two will accompany me."
I glance at Tricky. She meets my eyes, a silent exchange passing between us. Bodyguards. For her.
I hesitate before asking, "Why the suburbs?"
Okayu smiles, calm and unreadable. "All in due time. For now, focus on the job."
That answer only deepens the knot in my chest.
We change before leaving. With a flick of Okayu's fingers, Tricky's bandages shift and reform into a fitted suit, tailored and clean, though I notice how carefully Tricky moves once it's done. My own clothes follow, reshaping into something formal and functional, unfamiliar but comfortable.
The limousine waits outside, glossy and silent.
As we leave the city behind, the towering structures fade into quieter streets. Houses line the roads, neat and orderly. Lawns trimmed. Windows closed. Everything looks peaceful.
Too peaceful.
The air feels wrong. Heavy in a way that has nothing to do with humidity.
I catch Tricky watching the surroundings carefully, her gaze sharp. She notices me looking and gives a small nod.
She feels it too.
We stop near a small park, trees rustling softly in the morning breeze. Okayu steps aside, surveying the area with a practiced eye.
"Stay alert," she says. "I'll be nearby."
Once she moves a short distance away, Tricky turns to me.
"Listen carefully, Astro," she says, voice low. "You've survived so far without magic. That won't last."
I straighten.
"Magic isn't about brute force," she continues. "It's control. Incantations shape intent. Energy fuels it. Waste either, and you die."
She demonstrates, forming a small glowing orb above her palm. It hums softly, stable.
I repeat the incantation under her guidance. My voice wavers. The energy inside me feels… slippery. Uncooperative.
A faint flicker appears above my hand. It sputters, then almost goes out.
"Again," Tricky says patiently. "Focus."
I try once more. This time, the light holds for a few seconds before collapsing. My head throbs faintly, a warning.
"Good," she says. "That cost you energy. Remember that feeling."
Before I can respond, something moves at the edge of my vision.
A shadow breaks from cover, fast and precise.
Steel flashes.
I shout a warning, but I'm too slow.
The assassin lunges straight for Okayu.
She doesn't even look surprised.
"Tempestas Vires."
The words snap through the air, heavy with authority. Purple energy erupts outward in a violent surge, slamming into the attacker mid-stride. The shockwave rattles windows and sends debris skittering across the pavement as the figure is launched through the side of a building.
Silence follows.
My ears ring. My heart hammers.
Okayu turns back to us, perfectly composed.
"Are you injured?" she asks.
Tricky exhales sharply. "No. But that was close."
Okayu's eyes harden. "That was only the first."
She isn't wrong.
The attack doesn't come all at once. It comes in pressure. Shapes emerge from alleys. Footsteps echo where there shouldn't be any. Figures move too confidently to be random.
I plant myself closer to Okayu, forcing my breathing steady.
When the first thug charges, I react on instinct, dodging instead of striking. My counter is clumsy, barely enough to knock him off balance. Pain flares in my shoulder when another clips me from the side.
This isn't easy.
This isn't clean.
Tricky moves like a storm held barely in check, magic snapping and twisting around her as she disables threats without destroying the street around us.
At one point, a yakuza member hesitates, staring at Okayu in horror.
"Are you insane?" his companion hisses, dragging him back. "Do you want to die?"
Tricky snorts despite herself.
I try the spell again when Tricky calls for it.
"Stars," she shouts. "Visualize them."
My hands shake as I focus. Energy gathers unevenly, burning and cold all at once.
"Now!"
I release it.
The Star Shots burst forward, unstable and wild. They explode on impact, throwing enemies off their feet. The recoil nearly drops me to my knees, my vision swimming.
It worked.
Barely.
"Don't overdo it!" Tricky yells. "You're burning yourself out!"
She's right. My limbs feel heavy. My head aches.
Then the real threat steps forward.
Tall. Calm. Confident.
"Enough," he says coolly. "You're embarrassing yourselves."
Tricky steps forward without hesitation. "Astro, stay with Okayu."
I obey.
The clash between them is brutal. Each exchange shakes the ground. Tricky's magic strains against his defenses, sparks flying as power collides.
I've never seen her pushed like this.
Finally, she breaks through. One last strike sends him crashing into the pavement, unconscious.
Sirens wail in the distance.
Okayu exhales slowly. "We move. Now."
The mansion looms ahead, guarded and imposing. The yakuza there bow instantly as Okayu approaches.
The door closes behind us with a soft, final click.
The room is large, but it feels smaller the moment we step inside, as if the air itself has thickened. Sunlight pours in through the wide windows behind the desk, illuminating shelves lined with old books and carefully displayed artifacts. Everything about the space speaks of power that doesn't need to announce itself.
Korone sits behind the desk, relaxed, one leg crossed over the other. At a glance, she looks casual, almost playful, but I can feel it now. The weight in the room is not imagination.
It presses down on my chest.
"Sit," Korone says lightly, gesturing to the chairs opposite her.
We do.
The moment I lower myself into the seat, I realize my hands are trembling. I curl them into my lap, forcing myself to breathe evenly. Tricky sits beside me, her posture straight, wings tucked tightly behind her. She is calm on the surface, but I can feel her tension radiating like heat.
Okayu remains standing.
For a few seconds, no one speaks.
The silence stretches.
Korone watches Okayu with an expression that is unreadable, her smile faint but not quite warm. Okayu meets her gaze without flinching, arms folded loosely, her presence steady and composed.
"So," Korone says at last, tilting her head. "You finally decided to come see me in person."
Okayu exhales slowly. "Circumstances forced my hand."
Korone's smile fades just a fraction. "That bad, huh?"
Okayu doesn't answer immediately. Instead, she pulls out a chair and sits, placing her hands neatly on the armrests. The simple act feels deliberate, like a signal.
That's when I feel it.
Their auras shift.
Not violently. Not explosively.
They rise.
Pressure crashes down on me like a sudden change in gravity. My breath catches in my throat, lungs refusing to expand properly. The room darkens at the edges of my vision.
Tricky stiffens beside me, her fingers digging into the arm of her chair.
Okayu's aura is smooth and overwhelming, a deep purple presence that fills the room without touching anything. Korone's answers it instinctively, red and black energy coiling lazily, like a predator stretching.
The two forces meet in the center of the room.
Not clashing.
Testing.
I gasp, my chest burning. "I… I thought I was gonna die," I mutter hoarsely.
Korone blinks, then laughs, the sound sudden and bright. In an instant, the pressure vanishes, like a storm passing as quickly as it arrived.
"Oh, relax," she says, waving a hand. "We were just saying hello."
Okayu smirks faintly. "You always overdo it."
Korone grins. "And you're always too serious."
Tricky exhales slowly, tension easing from her shoulders, though she doesn't fully relax. I take a few steady breaths, my heartbeat gradually slowing.
Korone leans back in her chair, resting her chin in her palm as she studies us properly now.
"So," she says, eyes flicking to me, then to Tricky. "These are the ones you mentioned."
"Yes," Okayu replies. "Astro and Tricky."
Korone's gaze lingers on me. There's curiosity there. Calculation.
"You don't look like much," she says casually.
I swallow. "I get that a lot."
That earns a small chuckle from her.
"Still alive, though," she muses. "That already puts you ahead of most."
Her expression shifts then, the humor draining away like water down a sink.
"Okayu," Korone says quietly. "You wouldn't bring outsiders into my house unless something was wrong."
Okayu nods once. "It's happening again."
The room goes still.
Korone's fingers tighten slightly against the arm of her chair. Her eyes darken, no trace of amusement left.
"…How long?" she asks.
"Not long," Okayu answers. "The attacks are already starting. Surface routes. Old systems. Assassins bold enough to strike in daylight."
Korone exhales slowly, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opens them again, the playful idol persona is gone entirely.
"I was hoping we'd have more time," she says. "Seems fate had other plans."
Tricky and I exchange a glance.
I clear my throat. "We're… missing some context."
Korone looks at me again, really looks this time. Something about her gaze makes my skin prickle.
"You will," she says calmly. "Sooner than I'd like."
Okayu rises from her chair. "That's why we're here. We need allies. And we need answers."
Korone nods once. "Then you came to the right place."
"And Astro?" she adds.
"Yes?"
A faint, unsettling smile curves her lips.
"Welcome to the part of the story where things stop being simple."