The living room was heavy with silence, broken only by the quiet ticking of the wall clock. Ruby sat stiffly on the sofa, her eyes wide and unblinking. Beside her, Akane sat pale but composed, her hands folded tightly on her lap. Standing next to the sofa was Miyako, her posture tense as she faced the officers. Aqua leaned against the wall nearby, his expression unreadable, though his thoughts churned restlessly.

  Several uniformed police officers stood opposite them, notebooks in hand, watching the room carefully.

  "Did any of you know the man in the wierd outfit?" one asked, his tone calm but probing.

  Akane shook her head immediately. Ruby sat silently beside her, saying nothing.

  The officer's gaze shifted to Aqua. "What about you? Did you ever have a conflict with someone who might want to hurt you? An argument, perhaps?"

  Before Aqua could answer, Miyako stepped in sharply.

  "Enough. They're just kids. They witnessed someone die in front of them tonight. Asking them questions like this will only scar them further."

  "Ma'am," the second officer replied firmly, "let us do our job. If there's even the slightest chance they know something, it could prevent another attack."

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  The room fell silent. Finally, Aqua spoke, his voice flat.

  "I don't know anything about him. I don't know why he attacked us."

  The officers exchanged glances. One closed his notebook. "Alright. For now, we'll assign protection to you. If anything else comes up, you must inform us immediately."

  The doorbell rang, and soon after, a man stepped inside. He had white hair that gleamed faintly under the lights, sharp features, and an ever-present cigarette dangling from his lips. He looked like he'd walked out of another world entirely.

  "This is Cheng," one officer explained. "He'll be keeping an eye on you."

  Cheng gave a small nod, smoke curling lazily around his face. His gaze lingered on Aqua, unreadable, before he leaned casually against the wall.

  After the officers left, the house felt quieter but not safer. Aqua turned to Miyako. "I need to show you something."

  He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small paper envelope. Opening it, he revealed a strand of hair Akane had given him earlier.

  "This could lead us to the man's identity," Aqua said quietly.

  Before Miyako could respond, Cheng's voice drifted from the corner.

  "You don't need to hide it from me. I'm here to help."

  Aqua and Miyako both turned sharply. Aqua narrowed his eyes.

  "They told you to keep an eye on me, isn't that true?"

  Cheng smirked faintly, taking a slow drag from his cigarette. "Maybe. But I don't give a damn about their orders. It's been years since I've seen a case this interesting. I'm more curious about why you're hiding it from the other officers."

  Aqua's voice hardened. "If we involve the police too much, that mysterious bastard will know our every move. I want as few people caught in this as possible."

  Cheng studied him in silence, smoke drifting between them. Then he gave a small shrug. "Fair enough. But I'll be watching."

  Aqua turned toward Ruby, who was still sitting silently on the couch. "Ruby… stay at home. Don't go anywhere until I get back."

  Her lips parted as if to protest, but she caught the firmness in his tone and simply nodded.

  Minutes later, Aqua and Akane left with Cheng trailing behind them, silent as a shadow. The night air was cold, heavy with tension.

  They arrived at a quiet laboratory building, the fluorescent lights humming faintly inside. Aqua handed the envelope to a technician, his voice steady.

  "Test this hair. I need the identity of the person it belongs to."

  The lab technician nodded and said, "Come back tomorrow. I'll have your report then."

  Aqua clenched his fist tightly at his side, a fire igniting in his eyes.

  "Tomorrow," he muttered under his breath. "I'll know who you really are. And I won't let you hurt the people I love."