Sora did not move immediately.
Even after the Zenin group disappeared deeper into the estate, he remained pressed against the shade.
One minute passed.
Then another.
The winter wind brushed softly through the nearby trees, carrying faint echoes of distant footsteps that gradually faded away.
Only when he was certain their presence had completely vanished did Sora slowly straighten.
"…Yeah."
He muttered quietly beneath the grey mask.
"That was too close."
His breath fogged faintly in the cold air.
For a moment he simply stood there, letting his heartbeat slow back down.
The Zenin estate was far more dangerous than he had expected.
That elderly man with the mohawk…
Sora frowned slightly.
His senses are sharp.
Even with suppressed cursed energy and his liquid metal camouflage, the man had still noticed something.
If the younger Zenin had searched more carefully—
Sora shook his head.
Doesn't matter.
He pushed the thought aside.
What mattered now was leaving quietly.
Sora stepped lightly across the snow toward the main gate.
The large wooden doors stood open slightly, lanterns glowing on either side of the entrance.
No guards remained.
The earlier group had completely moved inside.
"…Lucky again."
He moved forward calmly.
No running.
No rushing.
Acting normal was sometimes the best disguise.
When he passed through the gate, the invisible veil rippled faintly around him.
For a brief second the barrier reacted to his presence.
Then it settled again.
Sora stepped out onto the forest path beyond the estate.
The moment he crossed the boundary, the pressure in the air changed.
The atmosphere of the Zenin clan territory faded behind him.
He walked another twenty meters before finally stopping near a quiet snow-covered tree.
"…Alright."
Sora reached up and removed the grey mask from his face.
Cold air brushed against his cheeks.
For a moment he simply looked back toward the direction of the estate.
Through the trees, the distant lantern lights of the Zenin compound glowed faintly like stars trapped on the ground.
Behind those walls—
Two girls were still living their lives.
Training.
Suffering.
Fighting their own battles.
Sora placed the mask back into his jacket pocket.
"…Maki."
"…Mai."
He repeated their names quietly.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Interesting girls."
He turned away from the estate and began walking down the forest path.
His boots left faint footprints in the snow behind him.
Tonight had been more productive than he expected.
He had confirmed several things.
The Zenin estate layout.
The strength of their guards.
The behavior of the clan members.
And most importantly—
He had met the twins.
Two future wild cards inside one of the most powerful clans.
Sora stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets as he walked.
"…Friendship, huh."
He chuckled softly.
Even he admitted the offer sounded ridiculous.
But it wasn't a lie.
Sora didn't care about clan politics.
Or status.
Or cursed lineage.
Those things meant very little to him.
What interested him—
Was people.
People who refused to break.
People who pushed forward even when the world pushed back harder.
Maki clearly belonged to that category.
Mai…
Sora exhaled quietly.
"She'll be better."
The younger twin had already accepted the cage she lived in.
Breaking that mindset would not be easy.
But that was a problem for later.
Right now—
He needed to head home before Ms. Kasumi noticed he had disappeared again.
The thought made him sigh.
"…She's definitely going to ask questions if I come back too late."
Snow continued falling gently as Sora walked along the forest road leading back toward Kyoto.
Behind him, his footprints slowly filled with fresh snow.
Erasing the traces of his visit to the Zenin estate.
But somewhere far inside the compound—
Two sisters were probably still thinking about a strange masked boy who had appeared out of nowhere.
And promised to come back.
Sora glanced once toward the cloudy winter sky.
"Next time."
Then he continued walking into the quiet Kyoto night.
--
Next day.
Morning arrived quietly.
Winter sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of the small orphanage room. Snow still covered the outside world, reflecting soft white light into the interior.
Sora slowly opened his eyes.
For a few seconds he simply stared at the ceiling.
Then he sighed.
"…I got back late."
He rubbed his face lazily and rolled onto his side.
The memory of last night returned clearly.
Sneaking into the Zenin estate.
The near discovery at the gate.
And the two sisters.
"…Maki and Mai."
He muttered their names softly.
A faint smile appeared for a moment before disappearing again.
Sora stretched his arms above his head.
His body felt slightly sore.
Not from fighting.
Just from moving constantly in the cold.
Couldn't risk being seen with cursed energy.
He sat up and glanced at the clock beside his bed.
Sunday.
Which reminded him of something.
Yesterday after school…
A girl had asked him to hang out today.
Sora scratched the back of his head.
"…Yeah."
He had rejected the invitation without hesitation.
Not because he disliked people.
But because today had already been reserved in his mind.
Training.
More specifically—
Observation and preparation for his next visit.
He slid out of bed and walked toward the small window.
Outside, the orphanage yard was covered in untouched snow. A few younger children were already outside, attempting to build something that vaguely resembled a snowman.
One of them slipped and fell.
The others burst into laughter.
Sora watched quietly.
His expression softened slightly.
Life here was simple.
Warm.
Normal.
Children who have yet to understand the cruel world.
Completely different from the world he had stepped into last night.
The Zenin estate felt like a different planet compared to this place.
"…Two worlds."
He murmured quietly.
One filled with laughter and warm meals.
The other filled with ambition, strength, and cruelty.
Sora pushed the curtain aside and turned away from the window.
He began getting dressed.
Simple dark pants.
A sweater.
Nothing suspicious.
After a few minutes, he left his room and walked down the hallway toward the dining room.
The smell of breakfast already filled the air.
As soon as he stepped inside—
"Morning, Sora!"
Several younger kids waved at him immediately.
"Morning."
He replied lazily.
At the far end of the table, Ms. Kasumi was pouring tea.
She noticed him instantly.
"You're awake."
Her eyes briefly scanned him.
"…You slept late."
Sora sat down casually.
"Just reading."
She didn't respond immediately.
Instead she placed a bowl of food in front of him.
"…You should rest properly."
"I do."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Sora pretended not to notice and started eating.
Around them, the younger kids chatted loudly about school, cartoons, and snowball fights.
The lively atmosphere filled the room.
But after a moment—
Kasumi spoke again quietly.
"You went somewhere last night."
Sora paused for half a second.
Then continued eating.
"…A walk."
Kasumi watched him carefully.
"You took a long walk."
"…Maybe."
The old woman sighed softly.
"I'm not asking where you went."
Sora finally looked up at her.
Her expression was calm.
"But you should remember something."
She spoke gently.
"No matter how strong you become…"
"…You still have a place here."
For a moment, Sora didn't respond.
Then he nodded slightly.
"…I know."
Kasumi smiled faintly and ruffled his hair.
The younger children nearby immediately laughed.
"Sora got scolded!"
"Shut up."
He muttered lazily, pushing their heads away.
Breakfast continued normally after that.
But while the others talked and laughed—
Sora's thoughts drifted elsewhere.
To a snow-covered courtyard.
To a wooden training post.
And to a stubborn girl punching it again and again.
"…She's probably training already."
He muttered quietly.
Somewhere across Kyoto—
Inside the walls of the Zenin estate—
Maki Zenin was likely doing exactly that.