For a long, agonizing stretch of time, Keisuke simply stared at Yuma.
The silence pressed down hard enough to irritate him. His fingers twitched at his sides, temptation rising to grab Keisuke by the collar and shake the answer out of him. Just before Yuma could snap…
The door opened.
Akira stepped inside.
Both boys turned sharply, surprise flashing across their faces. Yuma's annoyance spiked instantly.
"Why are you here?" he demanded.
"Your mom told me to come up here," Akira replied coldly, the polite mask he'd worn all dinner finally gone.
"Whatever," Yuma scoffed, snapping his attention back to Keisuke. "So what was the compromise?"
Akira's eyebrows lifted a fraction.
He knew exactly what they were talking about.
"Keisuke," Akira warned flatly.
Keisuke exhaled and turned away from Yuma, shoulders slumping.
"Yuma…" he sighed.
Yuma shot Akira a glare sharp enough to cut glass. Of course. The one thing he needed was silenced.
His patience snapped.
"Keisuke, forget Akira!" Yuma raised his voice. "Tell me the compromise!"
Akira's stare hardened into iron.
"You don't need it," he said. "Hide your abilities. Shut up."
"Shut the hell up," Yuma fired back. "Who are you to tell me what to do?"
The temperature in the room dropped.
Frost began creeping along Akira's neck, thin and crystalline. He didn't move, didn't raise his voice; he simply stood his ground. He wasn't negotiating.
Yuma felt anger surge in response. Even knowing he was outmatched, he stepped into Akira's space, glaring down at him. Akira didn't look up; only his eyes met Yuma's.
Then…
Keisuke broke.
"It's simple!" he blurted, eyes squeezed shut. "You convince them they imagined everything. If they believe it, they're free. If they don't… then you have to kill them!"
The words shattered the tension.
Akira turned his glare toward Keisuke, disappointment etched clearly across his face.
Yuma, on the other hand, just stared.
"…That's it?" he asked slowly.
Akira looked away, eyes dropping to the floor.
"That's it."
"Then why hide it?" Yuma pressed. "That's not even that bad."
Akira sighed.
"Because Keisuke started playing hero the moment he figured it out," he said. "I don't want to supervise you too."
Yuma glanced at Keisuke and immediately pictured him in some ridiculous skin-tight outfit, flinging crystal at criminals. The image nearly made him laugh.
Biting it back, he turned to Akira.
"Relax," Yuma said evenly. "I barely understand my abilities, or this situation. Playing hero isn't on my mind."
"He said the same thing," Akira muttered.
Yuma rolled his eyes. "I promise I won't. Swear to God."
That seemed to finally satisfy him.
Akira stepped aside and sat on the edge of Yuma's bed. Keisuke joined him, guilt written all over his face.
"Sorry…" Keisuke whispered.
Akira nodded once, accepting it.
Yuma watched them with mild irritation, mostly at Akira making himself at home in his room. He moved to the window, leaning against the sill with his arms crossed.
"Listen, now that this little teasing game is ov-"
He stopped.
Something outside caught his eye.
Someone was standing beyond the wall of his house.
Tall. Hooded. Motionless.
Staring directly at his window.
Yuma spun fully toward the glass, heart slamming against his ribs. The figure was unmistakable, just shorter than Hiroshi, cloaked in darkness.
Akira noticed the sudden shift and stepped closer, tapping Yuma's shoulder. Yuma moved aside, eyes locked on the spot.
Akira looked out.
"…There's nothing there."
Yuma looked again.
Nothing.
The space beyond the wall was empty.
"I swear," Yuma breathed, panic creeping in. "There was a guy… staring right at me."
Keisuke joined them, scanning the area. He found nothing either. When he turned back, concern mirrored Akira's.
"Yuma?" they said together.
Yuma didn't answer.
The image of the man flashed behind his eyelids. His instincts screamed danger, raw and unfiltered.
He took a few deep breaths, then shook his head.
"It's late," he said abruptly. "I'm tired. You guys should head home."
Akira nodded. Keisuke glanced toward the door.
"Yeah… my family's getting ready anyway," Keisuke said quietly. "I'll see you tomorrow."
They left.
Yuma shut the door, peeled off his shirt, and collapsed onto his bed without turning off the light.
Sleep took him immediately.
***
The ruined house returned.
Ice and ash. Silence and flame.
Serapheria stood beneath the frozen arch of the destroyed doorway. Before Yuma could speak, she did.
"I'll agree to the compromise."
He blinked.
"…Just like that?" he asked carefully.
She nodded and smiled.
"I was hoping you'd think it through and argue with me yourself," she said. "Instead, you used a cheat." Her eyes softened. "Next time, think before panicking."
Yuma frowned, then realization hit.
"You were testing how I handle pressure," he said slowly. "You weren't angry that I refused to kill, but that I let emotion control me."
Her smile widened.
"Exactly. You would've died fighting like that." She paused. "That said… You will face situations where killing is unavoidable. For the greater good."
Yuma said nothing.
He wouldn't accept that, but he wouldn't argue now.
Before he could speak, Serapheria continued.
"Like the man you saw. Be wary."
A chill crawled up Yuma's spine.
"…Who is he?" he whispered.
She shrugged.
"No idea. But he's a conduit." Her gaze sharpened. "You felt him. That's why your instincts screamed. I couldn't warn you, your resonance is still too low."
His blood ran cold.
So it was real.
Now the question wasn't if danger was coming…
It was whether he'd tell Akira and Keisuke tomorrow…
Or faced it alone.