Chapter 85: The Shattered Mask and a Glimmer of Hope
The cold silence of the cell was heavier than the chains binding Ren's limbs. He sat there, staring at the floor, the weight of his secrets finally crushing the breath out of his lungs. He looked at Hana, who was resting against him, her lifeless legs stretched out on the damp stone.
"I wish I had never done it, Hana," Ren whispered, his voice cracking with a regret that went deeper than his wounds. "I should have just stayed a nobody. I should have taken a loan, opened a small grocery shop, or worked in a factory. Anything... anything but the Academy. If I hadn't been so greedy for power, we wouldn't be rotting in this hole. You wouldn't be paralyzed."
Hana blinked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "The Academy? Ren, what are you talking about? You're a police officer. You told me the government recruited you for special investigations."
Ren let out a hollow, bitter laugh. He slowly lowered his head, unable to meet her innocent gaze. "I lied, Hana. I'm sorry. I lied to you for months. I'm not a cop. I'm a Vaner. I joined the Vane Academy because it was the only way to get the money we needed to survive. I couldn't watch you go hungry anymore. I couldn't watch you live in that dump without a future. I thought I was being a hero, but all I did was bring the devil to our doorstep."
Hana stared at him, her lips trembling. The brother she thought was a lawful protector was actually one of the "monsters" the world feared. But as she looked at his mangled arm and his hollowed eyes, she didn't see a liar. She saw a boy who had sold his soul just to keep her fed.
Slowly, painfully, Hana leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Ren's neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Thank you," she sobbed into his shoulder. "Thank you, big brother. Thank you for everything. I don't care if you're a Vaner or a king. You did it for me. You're the only person who ever truly loved me."
Ren closed his eyes, his tears soaking into her hair. For a brief moment, the chains felt lighter. The darkness of Rollv 13 didn't seem so absolute.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The heavy steel door rattled as if someone were hitting it with a sledgehammer. The moment of peace shattered instantly. The door groaned open, and three guards marched in, their boots thumping rhythmically on the stone. They were armed with high-grade pulse pistols, their faces hidden behind dark visors.
"Enough with the family drama," the lead guard spat, his voice distorted by a vocoder. "Time's up, 1029. Move it."
Two guards stepped forward. One of them grabbed Hana, hoisting her up roughly since she couldn't stand on her own. Ren lunged forward, his chains clashing violently. "Hey! Be careful with her! She can't feel her legs!"
The lead guard grabbed Ren by the collar of his orange jumpsuit, shoving him back against the wall. "She's a prisoner, not a princess. Now, move your feet before I use the tazer."
"Where are you taking us?" Ren demanded, his eyes glowing with a faint, dangerous light.
"You've got visitors," the guard replied curtly. "Apparently, someone out there actually gives a damn about you two."
The Visitation Wing: Room A and Room B
The guards led them through a maze of sterile, white corridors that smelled of antiseptic and ozone. At a junction, they separated the siblings. Ren tried to fight back, but the Vane-suppressors in his shackles surged, sending a jolt of electricity through his body that left him gasping for air.
Hana was taken to a small room with a thick glass partition. The guards sat her down in a reinforced chair and left. On the other side of the glass, a girl was already waiting.
"Mina?" Hana gasped, her hands pressing against the glass.
Mina looked distressed, her eyes red as if she had been crying. "Hana! Oh my god, look at you. What did they do to you?"
"I'm okay, Mina. But my legs... I can't move them," Hana whispered, her voice trembling.
Mina bit her lip, looking over her shoulder to make sure the guards weren't listening. "Listen to me, Hana. I tried to talk to my dad. I begged Kimo-sensei to help, but... he refused. He said the higher-ups are watching too closely. I thought it was over, but then, during the school break, someone approached me."
"Who?"
"Mr. Go," Mina said, referring to the merchant persona of Prince Enoki. "He came to the school looking for me. He knew I was Ren's friend. He told me that Ren and you are being framed for things that weren't your fault. He didn't tell me who he really is, but he has a lot of power, Hana. A lot of money."
Mina leaned closer to the glass. "He helped me get in touch with a high-level lawyer—a specialist who deals with Vane law and the 'Forsaken' statutes. We've already started the paperwork. They're going to take your case to the High Court. We're going to argue that you were a victim of a cursed artifact and that Ren acted in self-defense of a civilian."
Hana's eyes widened with a flicker of hope. "Bail? Is that even possible in Rollv 13?"
"Mr. Go says everything is possible if you know the right people," Mina whispered. "Don't give up hope. The lawyer is coming to see you tomorrow. Just tell him everything about the necklace and the school. We are going to get you out of here, I promise."
Visitation Room B
In the adjacent room, Ren sat across from the man he knew as Go. Unlike Mina, Go wasn't crying. He sat with a composed, regal posture, his expensive suit looking completely out of place in the grimy prison environment.
Ren stared at him through the glass. "Why are you here, Go? I thought you were just a guy who sold potions."
Prince Enoki (Go) smiled thinly. "Let's just say I have a personal interest in seeing this family survive, Ren. You've been through a lot. Your arm looks terrible."
"Forget the arm," Ren snapped. "Tell me about Hana. Mina is in the other room talking to her. What's the plan?"
"The plan is simple," Go said, his voice calm and steady. "The legal system in this city is a circus, but I own the ringmasters. I've hired a legal team that even Miss Hima will find difficult to ignore. We are pushing for a full judicial review. If we can prove the 'Cursed Influence' clause, you'll be out on bail within the week."
Ren leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Why are you doing this? Nobody helps a Forsaken for free. What do you want from me?"
Go stood up, smoothing his jacket. He looked at Ren not as a merchant looks at a client, but as a prince looks at a soldier. "I don't want anything from you right now, Ren. Just stay alive. Don't let the other prisoners break you. And most importantly... don't let the feral side take over. If you lose your humanity in here, not even I can save you."
Go turned to leave, but stopped at the door. "Your sister is strong, Ren. But she needs her brother. Don't let her down."
As the guards came back to take Ren back to his cell, he watched Go walk away. There was something about the man's gait, the way the guards instinctively stepped out of his way without him even saying a word. Ren realized then that 'Mr. Go' was much more than a potion seller. He was a shark in a sea of minnows.
Back in their cell, Ren and Hana were reunited. The guards threw them back inside and slammed the door. Hana crawled—using her arms to drag her useless legs—toward Ren.
"Ren! Mina said they have a lawyer! We might get bail!" she exclaimed, her face lit up with a joy he hadn't seen in forever.
Ren hugged her, but his eyes remained on the dark ceiling. He felt the violet potion the guards had injected into him earlier still coursing through his veins, suppressing his Magic Crow power. He knew the fight wasn't over. A lawyer was a good start, but in a city ruled by King Zero, laws were just suggestions.
"We'll be ready, Hana," Ren whispered. "Whatever they throw at us, we'll be ready."