Yuuto’s usually confident demeanor wavered for a moment as he locked eyes with Miyu. There was a flicker of surprise, almost a dazed expression, as if seeing her had caught him entirely off guard. He opened his mouth as if to say something but seemed to lose his train of thought.
“Guildmaster?” Alister’s sharp tone snapped Yuuto back to reality.
Yuuto blinked rapidly, his sly smile returning in an instant, though it was with a touch of unease. “Ah, yes, my apologies,” he said, brushing a hand through his silver hair as if to regain his composure. “You were saying?”
“I was saying,” Alister said, his arms crossed, “that it’s good to see you here, Guildmaster. Though I’m surprised at your sudden visit.”
Yuuto chuckled, waving off Alister’s subtle challenge. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly stay away. Not when the talk of your sister’s recovery has reached even my ears. Which brings me to my next question…” His silver eyes narrowed slightly, though his tone remained light. “Why, exactly, did you fail to inform me about this, Alister?”
Alister sighed. He scratched the back of his head, looking slightly sheepish. “I’m sorry, Guildmaster. I was… so relieved and happy that Miyu was up and about again, I must have overlooked it.”
“Happy enough to forget, hmm?” Yuuto replied with a teasing lilt, though there was no real anger in his voice. “Well, I suppose I’ll forgive you this once. After all, it’s not every day one has cause for such joy.”
Miyu stepped forward, her golden eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Hold on a second,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “You’re the Guildmaster? You don’t seem all that… old. Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, ancient or something?”
Yuuto’s lips curled into a playful grin as he leaned slightly closer to her. “Ancient? Ouch, that’s harsh,” he said, placing a hand dramatically over his chest as if wounded.
“But if you must know, I am ancient. In fact…” He leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I’m immortal.”
Miyu blinked, her curiosity increasing. “Immortal? You mean, like, you can’t die? You don’t age?”
“Exactly!” Yuuto said, spinning around with exaggerated flair. “I’m the eternal Guildmaster, ageless and ever-handsome. Quite the burden, really.” He smirked over his shoulder, clearly enjoying her reaction.
Miyu crossed her arms, unimpressed. “That doesn’t explain why you look like you’re barely older than Alister. Are you messing with me?”
Yuuto gasped in mock offense, placing a hand to his forehead. “Oh, the audacity! Accusing me, the mighty Guildmaster, of joking?” He winked, his tone light and teasing. “But I guess I’ll forgive you since it’s our first meeting.”
Miyu rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, “You’re definitely messing with me.”
Alister, who had been watching the exchange silently, finally stepped in. “Guildmaster,” he said, his tone firm. “What are you really doing here? If it’s guild business, you could’ve sent a message.”
Yuuto straightened, his playful demeanor not entirely fading. “Why am I here?” he repeated, as if pondering the question deeply. He then turned to Miyu with a dazzling smile. “Well, isn’t it obvious? I came to see her.”
Miyu blinked in surprise, pointing at herself. “Me?”
“Of course.”
“But now that I see you’re back on your feet and looking as lively as ever, my work here is done! I can rest easy knowing all is well in the Alister family.”
“Wait, you’re leaving already?” Miyu asked, her expression a touch of confusion and disbelief.
Yuuto gave her a mock bow, his silver hair gleaming in the light. “Indeed! A Guildmaster’s work is never done. I just popped in for a quick visit, and now that I’ve seen what I came to see, I’ll be on my way.”
Alister sighed, shaking his head. “You came all this way just for that?”
“Naturally,” Yuuto said with a wink.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He grinned right after then turned, heading back, but paused to glance back at Miyu, then he spoke, but this time with a touch of guilt.
“Take care of yourself, alright? You’re quite the treasure, after all.”
Miyu blinked, caught off guard by the comment. “Uh, sure?”
With a final wave, Yuuto left, leaving both siblings standing gazing at him as he left.
Miyu turned to Alister, frowning. “Is he always like that?”
“Always,” Alister muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “He thrives on being unpredictable.”
Alister turned to the others. “Alright, enough standing around. Back to training. You’ve all still got work to do.”
Anzo sighed, rolling his shoulders as if to shake off the tension. “Yeah, yeah, let’s get this over with,” he said, though there was a look of excitement in his eyes.
Beatrice raised her hammer, the weight of the weapon seeming like nothing in her hands. She smirked, her confidence shining through. “You’re going down this time, Anzo.”
Lila focused, took a battle stance with her sword. Her form was steady, and it was clear she was determined, though a touch of nervousness lingered in her green eyes.
“Yeah what Beatrice said.” Lila said.
Anzo’s greatsword floated into the air, spinning slowly as he controlled it with his telekinesis. He grinned mischievously, his cocky demeanor on full display.
“Ladies first,” he teased, motioning for Beatrice and Lila to make their move.
Beatrice scoffed, her grip tightening on her hammer. “You’re going to regret that!” she yelled as she charged forward.
Lila followed suit.
Meanwhile, Yuuto walked away from the training grounds, his usual playful smile was gone, now he was with a rare solemn look on his face. His silver eyes darkened slightly as he clenched his fists.
“She looked just like you…” he murmured under his breath. His voice was filled with a touch
of longing and pain.
He stopped in his tracks, his teeth gritting as a deep ache seemed to come over him.
Yuuto’s hand reached into his coat and brushed against the hilt of a small dagger, the only memento of a past he rarely spoke of.
“My lady… wherever you are… please forgive me.”
“A part of me actually wished ill of a child you most likely treasured with all of your heart…”
“But… I believed it necessary to secure the future of our race…”
“Despite how wrong it seemed.”
“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do anymore…”
He paused for a moment, letting go of the dagger.
“But I’m certain the young lord will find all the answers…”
For a moment, his usually confident aura wavered, revealing a man burdened by memories he
couldn’t escape.
Then, as if catching himself, he straightened, forcing his usual smirk back onto his face.
Without looking back, he strode forward, his steps echoing faintly, leaving behind a part of himself that few ever glimpsed.
…
Noon…
The streetlights cast a warm glow over the road as a young couple strolled hand-in-hand, their laughter echoing softly in the crisp night air.
“That movie was amazing,” the boyfriend said, his dark eyes lit up with amusement. “I still can’t believe the twist ending!”
The girlfriend chuckled, her auburn hair bouncing with each step. “I know, right? Who would’ve thought the butler-” She stopped mid-sentence, her nose wrinkling as she caught
a foul odor.
“Ugh, what is that?” she said, pulling her scarf up over her nose.
The boyfriend slowed, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean?”
“It smells terrible,” she said, glancing around uneasily. “Like… something rotting.” Curiosity piqued, the boyfriend glanced down an alleyway nearby. His eyes widened in horror
as he stumbled back a step, his legs suddenly giving out beneath him. “W-what…?” he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
“What’s wrong?” the girlfriend asked, moving closer. Her voice trembled as she followed his
gaze.
There, sprawled against the grimy brick wall, was a lifeless body. The man’s face was pale, almost gray, and his veins were all visible against his skin, as if he had been drained dry.
Yet blood was nowhere to be seen, as if it had been entirely drained.
The girlfriend screamed, clutching her boyfriend’s arm in terror. Her echoing cry sent a shiver through the street, and lights began flickering on in the nearby buildings.
…
Crime scene tape now cordoned off the alleyway, its yellow stripes fluttering faintly in the cold breeze. Union officials went about, their sleek black, white, and blue uniforms standing out against the dark surroundings.
A woman stood near the body, her sharp green eyes scanning the information displayed on a
tablet in her gloved hands. Her blue hair was tied into a neat bun, and a silver badge with a blue “U” insignia was pinned to her chest.
“Victim identified as Marcus Rayner,” she said. “Male, twenty-nine years old, blood type AB-
negative. Employee at Fulcrum Tech Inc. His coworkers reported he didn’t show up for work today.”
She swiped her finger across the tablet, bringing up a list of Marcus’s known acquaintances.. “No known enemies, no criminal record. Looks like he was just another unlucky soul.”
Nearby, a man leaned against the wall, exhaling a plume of smoke from his cigarette. His rugged face was shadowed under a brimmed hat over hid dark brown hair, and the ends of his black gloves were frayed from wear. His black trench coat fluttered slightly in the wind. He rubbed his stubbled chin, muttering, “Twelfth one this week, no?”
The blue-haired woman glanced up from her tablet, her green eyes narrowing. “Yeah,” she
said.
“And as usual. No signs of struggle, no witnesses, no footage, fingerprints, nothing.” The man flicked ash from his cigarette, his expression grim. “Someone’s working overtime,
that’s for damn sure.”
The woman nodded, her fingers tightening around the tablet. “And it’s our job to figure out
who… before there’s a thirteenth.”
“Shit this case is starting to drive me nuts.” the man mumbled.
“There’s never anything to work with.”