The safehouse was quiet. The only sound was the rain tapping against the reinforced glass of the window. It was a steady rhythm. Monotonous. Calming. Dante sat at the table. The laptop was open in front of him. Sophie's file was displayed on the screen.
Financial records. Encrypted logs. Travel manifests. It was a map of Edward's movements over the last six months. It was thorough. It was dangerous. Sophie stood by the window. Her back was to him. Her arms were crossed over her chest. She hadn't turned around since she arrived ten minutes ago.
"You shouldn't have come here," Dante said. His voice was low. It didn't carry anger. It carried worry.
Sophie didn't turn. "Where else would I go?"
"Anywhere safe."
"This is safe."
"It is not."
Sophie turned then. Her eyes were gray. Deep. Unreadable. "You keep saying that," she said. "But you are here. So it must be safe enough for you."
"I am the target."
"We are the target."
Dante looked at her. Really looked at her. She wasn't wearing the coat she had on during the call. She wore a simple black sweater. Her hair was loose. She looked tired. But she stood straight.
(Kairo): "She is not afraid. Her cortisol levels are normal."
(Mūn): "She is not fighting fear. She is fighting uncertainty."
(Dante): "Stay out of this."
Dante closed the laptop. The screen went dark. "The file," he said. "It confirms Edward."
"It confirms more than that," Sophie said. She walked toward the table. She stopped on the other side of it. There was a meter of space between them. It felt like a mile. "He knows about the demons," she said.
Dante's hand froze on the laptop lid. "How."
"I don't know. But the transactions… there are payments to a research group. Ogata Labs."
Dante's breath hitched. Just slightly.
(Kairo): "Ogata. The name is familiar."
(Mūn): "It is the source. She found the source."
(Dante): "Silence."
Dante looked up at Sophie. "You should not have looked that deep."
"And you should not have kept me in the dark."
"It was for your protection."
"Protection from what? The truth? Or from you?"
Dante stood up. He pushed the chair back. The legs scraped against the floor. "I am not the enemy, Sophie."
"No. But you are not entirely on my side either." She walked around the table. She stopped in front of him. Close enough to touch. Far enough to retreat. "There is a question I need to ask," she said.
Dante waited.
"If Edward hadn't forced your hand," Sophie said. "If he hadn't put a contract on my head. Would you have told me?"
Dante didn't answer immediately. The rain tapped against the glass.
(Mūn): "Do not lie to her."
(Kairo): "The truth will damage her."
(Dante): "She deserves the truth."
Dante looked into Sophie's eyes. He saw the reflection of the room lights in them. "I do not know," he said.
The words hung in the air. Heavy. Honest. Sophie didn't flinch. She didn't look away. "That is the only answer I could accept," she said.
Dante frowned slightly. "You wanted me to say no."
"No. I wanted you to be honest. If you said yes, you would be lying. You protect me by hiding things. It is what you do."
"It is what I must do."
"It is what you choose to do." She reached out. Her hand hovered near his arm. She didn't touch him. Not yet. "I know about Kairo," she said.
Dante went still.
"I know about Mūn."
(Kairo): "She sees us."
(Mūn): "She has always seen us."
(Dante): "How."
"I see the gaps," Sophie said. "I see the moments you lose time. I see the memories you forget." She stepped closer. "I do not care about the demons, Dante. I care about what they take from you."
"They keep me alive."
"At what cost?"
"My memory."
"Then I will be your memory." She finally touched his arm. Her hand was warm. Through the fabric of his coat, he could feel the heat. Dante looked down at her hand. Then up at her face.
"You do not know what you are promising," he said.
"I know exactly what I am promising." Her voice was steady. "I am promising that when you forget, I will remember. When you lose yourself, I will find you."
Dante felt something tighten in his chest.
(Mūn): "This is the danger. Not Edward. Not the demons. This."
(Kairo): "Attachment is a vulnerability."
(Dante): "It is also a strength."
Dante covered her hand with his own. His glove was cold. Her skin was warm.
"Edward wants to break me," Dante said.
"Then do not let him."
"He will use you."
"Let him try."
Dante shook his head. "I cannot lose you."
"You already have me." She stepped in. The space between them vanished. She rested her head against his chest. Just for a moment. Dante didn't move. He didn't breathe.
(Mūn): "This moment. Remember this moment."
(Kairo): "It will be the first to go."
(Dante): "Not this one."
Dante wrapped his arm around her. He held her tightly. Not to protect her. But to anchor himself.
"We will finish this," Dante said.
"Yes."
"Together."
Sophie pulled back. She looked up at him. "No more secrets," she said.
"No more secrets." It was a promise. They both knew it might be broken. But for now, it held. Sophie stepped away. She walked back to the window. "The file has a location," she said. "A server farm. Edward uses it to coordinate."
"Where."
"Industrial district. Sector 4."
Dante nodded. "I will go tonight."
"No. We will go tomorrow. You need to sleep."
"I do not sleep."
"Then rest. Close your eyes. Let Kairo and Mūn settle."
Dante looked at her. She knew too much. It should have frightened him. It didn't.
"Okay," he said.
Sophie turned back to the window. She looked out at the rain. "I am not going anywhere, Dante."
"I know."
"Good."
Dante sat back down. He opened the laptop again. The screen glowed. The data waited. But the room felt different now. The silence was no longer heavy. It was shared.
(Kairo): "You have compromised your objectivity."
(Dante): "Yes."
(Mūn): "Is it worth it?"
Dante looked at Sophie's reflection in the dark glass.
(Dante): "Yes."
He began to plan the route. But his hand lingered on the spot where hers had been. Warm. Real. Outside, the rain continued to fall. But inside, the storm had paused. For now.
Author Note: Thank you for reading Chapter 16! The trust is rebuilt, but the cost remains. Can Dante keep his promise of "no more secrets" when the demons demand payment? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Don't forget to add Shadow Contract to your library and vote with power stones. See you in Chapter 17!