Chapter 96: The Breaking Point of Honor
The air inside the Kimo household was cold, vibrating with a tension that felt like a sharpened blade. The flashback began just hours after the courtroom drama. The heavy mahogany front door was kicked open as Kimo marched in, his face contorted in a mask of sheer fury. He was dragging Mina by her arm, his grip so tight it left white marks on her skin.
With a violent shove, Kimo threw Mina into the center of the living room. She tumbled to the floor, her breath hitching as she hit the polished wood.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Kimo roared, his voice shaking the family portraits on the walls. "You embarrassed this family in front of the highest court in Athelgard! You stood up for a self-confessed murderer!"
Mina looked up, her hair disheveled, but her eyes were not filled with tears—they were filled with fire.
At that moment, Lai walked through the door, returning from his duties. He froze at the entrance, his eyes darting between his trembling sister and his enraged father. From the kitchen, their Mother rushed out, her hands still wet from the dishes, her face pale with worry.
"Kimo! What is happening? Why are you shouting like this?" she cried, moving toward Mina.
"Ask your daughter!" Kimo pointed a shaking finger at Mina. "She has lost her mind! Listen to me, Mina—if you even think about stepping one foot outside this house again, I will personally ensure you never see the sun again. You are grounded until the day Ren Vority is executed!"
Mina stood up slowly, dusting off her clothes. She didn't look like a frightened daughter anymore; she looked like a warrior facing an enemy.
"Execution?" Mina's voice was dangerously calm. "Is that all you care about? You don't even know the difference between a truth and a lie anymore, Dad. Ren is your student. You trained him. You know his heart better than anyone, yet you stood there and watched him take the blame for something he didn't do. Instead of standing by him, you turned your back. You didn't even visit him. You're a coward!"
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the house like a gunshot. Kimo's hand had moved before he could even think. Mina's head snapped to the side, a bright red welt beginning to form on her cheek.
Lai and their Mother screamed in unison, rushing forward to grab Kimo's arms, pulling him back before he could strike again.
"ENOUGH!" Kimo screamed. "Not another word! Lai, take her to her room and lock the door. If she escapes, it's on your head!"
Mina didn't cry. She didn't even touch her face. She simply looked at her father with a gaze so cold it made the Master Instructor flinch. Without a word, she turned and walked away, her silence more deafening than any shout.
The Present: The Shadow in the Park
The scene shifted back to the cold, moonlit night. Away from the smoking ruins of the prison courtyard and the dead guards, two figures sat at a weathered stone table in a deserted park on the outskirts of the sector.
Ren sat across from Mina. His prison jumpsuit was torn, and his hands were still stained with the soot of the Vane energy he had used earlier. He looked at Mina, who was dressed in dark tactical gear, her face partially hidden by the shadows of the overhanging trees.
"You shouldn't have done it, Mina," Ren said, his voice a low rasp. He reached up, wiping a smear of blood from his nose. "By breaking me out, you've become a fugitive. You've thrown away your future, your family... everything."
Mina leaned back, her eyes scanning the dark perimeter of the park. "My future was already dead in that house, Ren. Dad wasn't going to do anything. He was content letting you die to save his reputation."
Ren looked down at the table. "Did Kimo sir send you? Was this some kind of secret test?"
"No," Mina replied firmly. "He has no idea I'm here. I did this on my own. I stole the keys and the intel from his study while he was asleep."
Ren sighed, the weight of the situation crushing him. "But why? Why risk your life for someone the whole city calls a monster? 173 people, Mina... that's the number they've tied to my name."
Mina reached across the table, her gloved hand momentarily resting near his. "Do you remember that night in the alleyway? When Rocky had me cornered? You didn't know me then. You had no reason to help me, but you stepped in. You saved me when I was nothing to you."
She paused, her gaze softening. "And more than that... you're like a brother to me, Ren. I know why you lied in that court. I know you did it for Hana. Any true brother would have done exactly what you did. You're innocent, and I won't let an innocent man—my friend—rot in a cage because of a lie."
Ren looked at her, a lump forming in his throat. He had spent so long being the protector, the one who carried everyone else's burdens, that he had forgotten what it felt like to have someone stand up for him.
"We can't stay here," Ren said, standing up. "The guards will be searching the whole sector by morning. If they catch us together, they'll execute us both on the spot."
Mina stood up as well, checking the pulse pistol at her hip. "Then we don't get caught. I have a safe house near the border. From there, we find Silas and Go. We're going to prove the truth, Ren. Even if we have to burn Athelgard to the ground to do it."
Ren looked at the distant lights of the city, then back at Mina. For the first time in weeks, the hopelessness in his eyes was replaced by a flicker of something new: a will to fight back.