"Shiro."
The name settled into the suffocating quiet of the cramped apartment like a heavy iron stone dropping into perfectly still, black water.
Nathan felt the sheer weight of the word on his tongue. It wasn't just a label; it was an anchor. A single, defining word chosen to forge an identity, to bind a warrior, and to officially accept a sworn vassal into a war that was rapidly spiraling out of their control. The new summon's burning golden eyes widened by a microscopic fraction, revealing the very first crack in her terrifyingly flawless, regal composure. For a fleeting, vulnerable second, she was not the disciplined, lethal martial artist who had violently risen from the ashes of ancient dragon fire. She was simply a newborn soul hearing her own name for the very first time.
