Helios and Sara finished their dance, the music swirling around them like a lingering dream. The gala continued for several more hours, a blur of golden chandeliers, expensive wine, and the practised laughter of the elite. By the time they finally slipped away, the moon was high in the sky. Helios took the driver's seat of his sleek black car, the engine purring softly as he prepared to escort Sara home.
"Leader, I hope you don't forget the way," Sara said, leaning her head back against the leather seat. She looked at Helios with a playful glint in her eyes, though exhaustion tugged at the corners of her lips.
"Don't worry, my memory isn't that bad," Helios replied, his voice gentle, almost a whisper in the quiet cabin of the car.
"Good... I'll be sleeping then. I'm exhausted from talking to those stuck-up nobles all night," Sara murmured. Her eyes slowly fluttered shut, and her long, snow-white hair spilled over her face like a silk veil. Helios stole a glance at her, struck by how peaceful she looked when she wasn't teasing him. He drove carefully, navigating the winding roads until the grand iron gates of her mansion appeared through the darkness.
He pulled into the driveway and softly spoke her name. "Sara, you're home."
"Oh..." Sara stirred, her voice thick with sleep. She rubbed her brilliant blue eyes, looking disoriented for a moment before offering a tired smile. "Thank you... and bye, Leader."
As she stepped out of the car, the first flakes of a midnight snowfall began to drift from the sky. Sara paused, turning back to look at the black fancy car and the man behind the wheel. "Bye, Leader," she repeated, her white hair and pale skin looking ethereal against the falling snow. She gave him a final, charming smile that seemed to catch the light before disappearing into the mansion.
Alone in the car, Helios felt his face flush a deep, burning red. Overwhelmed by a sudden rush of nerves, he leaned forward and thumped his head lightly against the steering wheel. He sat there for a long minute before finally shifting the car into gear.
When Helios finally arrived at his own residence, the house was draped in silence. I thought Luna would be waiting for me, but I think she's already asleep, he thought, his footsteps echoing on the stairs. He headed straight for the bathroom, stripping away the formal attire of the night and stepping into the shower. As the hot water cascaded over him, soaking his hair and easing the tension in his shoulders, he let his mind wander.
"At least this world has some luxuries," he mused aloud. "Cars, hot showers, electric lights, trains... even comics." It was a strange blend of the familiar and the unknown. "I haven't heard of phones yet, but they said all of this was created by a person called Agrise." He leaned his head against the tile, the steam rising around him. "I feel like he was like me—a person who fell into this world without knowing anything, trying to recreate the comforts of home."
Several months passed, and the season shifted. The air grew sharper as a crowd of people moved toward a secluded alleyway—the very place where Helios and Nova had first activated the gateway to the secret organization.
"It's been quite a while since the new Leader took over his duties," one member remarked to his companion.
"I remember the first time we saw him," another added, shaking his head in disbelief. "He was just a new Seeker. I honestly thought they were joking when they said he defeated Riku, Sara, and Rio all at once. But seeing the changes he's made... it's clear. The distance between us and the higher-ups is like the gap between heaven and earth."
"We need to hurry to the assembly hall," a third intervened. "The Leader summoned everyone. He's even designed new uniforms for the entire Order." The group broke into a light jog, not wanting to risk the displeasure of their commander.
Inside the sprawling base, the atmosphere was electric. Nova stood near the curtain of the main stage, his black eyes peering through the slits of his fox mask. "Leader, it's time for your speech," he said, his posture straight and expectant.
Helios stepped onto the stage, and the low roar of a thousand voices died down instantly. Before him stood the assembled might of the Order of Blackthorn. They were arranged by department: the Combat facility occupied the right wing, Investigation the left, and Research held the centre.
The new uniforms were sharp and professional. The research division wore long, sterile white lab coats over matching white clothing and gloves. The investigation teams were clad in sleek black tactical gear, their faces partially obscured by masks and dark lenses. The Combat facility looked formidable in black jackets and utility belts bristling with knives and sidearms. Every member wore the Order of Blackthorn badge, featuring silver stars that denoted their rank—ranging from one to five.
The executives—excluding the top trio—wore specialized versions of these uniforms adorned with silver eagle badges. Helios, Sara, and Seer stood apart; as the heads who oversaw the entire organization, they were not bound by facility dress codes.
Helios stepped up to the microphone, his presence commanding the room. "Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. As you are all aware, I am your Leader, Helios." His voice was steady, projecting to every corner of the hall. "My goal is simple: we will work together to make the Order of Blackthorn the strongest Seeker organization under the heavens."
A ripple of excitement went through the crowd.
"To mark the beginning of this new era, we will commence our first major operation today. We are hunting a Morpeth at the Vermillion Mountains. We will deploy two hundred members from the Combat facility, supported by ten of our lead researchers. Prepare yourselves. That is all."
As Helios walked down the stairs of the stage, Sara met him with a playful smirk. "Leader, was that supposed to be a speech? It was a bit short, wasn't it?"
Helios sighed, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's my first time addressing a crowd like that. I didn't want to ramble."
"Well, brevity is the soul of wit," Sara teased. "Let's get the teams moving."
Helios turned to his lieutenants. "Ray, gather the researchers. Riku, mobilize the combat unit." Both men gave sharp nods and hurried to fulfil their orders.
"Can I come?" Nova asked, stepping out from the shadows.
"No," Sara interrupted firmly. "You still haven't finished tracking down that clan. Your mission remains unchanged."
"And I still need you here anyway," Rio added, floating lazily on his pillow summon, looking as though he might fall asleep at any moment. "I can't manage the logistics of the base on my own."
"We are ready, Leader!" Riku and Ray shouted from the entrance. Helios and Sara shared a look and began to lead the massive contingent out of the base.
"Bye... have fun," Nova said in a lingering, sad voice, waving a hand pathetically as they left.
The moment the doors clicked shut, Rio turned his head toward the fox-masked man. "You can stop acting now, you cunning fox. No one is watching."
Nova's posture immediately shifted from slumped to rigid. "Shut up and do your work," he snapped in a voice as cold as ice, his hand reaching up to push his dark hair back with clinical precision.
At the train station, a thick blanket of snow had settled over the iron tracks. The wind whipped around the platform, biting at the exposed skin of the soldiers.
"Our train is running late," Riku grumbled, checking his watch.
"You mean my train, right?" Helios cut in, his voice taking on a mock-dramatic flair. "The money for that locomotive came directly out of my pockets."
"Technically, it's the organization's money," Sara pointed out with a mocking tilt of her head.
"Well, it's my organization, so it's my money!" Helios retorted, earning a collective eye-roll from his companions.
Finally, a massive black steam engine roared into the station, hissing steam into the frozen air. The Order began to board in a disciplined line. The lower-ranking members filed into the rear carriages, while the executives and high-ranking members moved toward the front, where the luxury of the first-class cabins offered a quiet sanctuary before the looming battle in the mountains. As the train lurched forward, Helios looked out the window at the white landscape, knowing that this mission would be the true test of his leadership.