Leaning back against the grand double doors, Haru rubbed his eyes and expelled a frustrated breath.

  Airi, just what the hell are you doing?! Is this really the best time to pick a fight with him?!!

  He took a deep breath as his eye drew towards the imposing doors, its deep bronze surface glistened under the hallway's soft illumination. At the center, the Chika clan symbol dominated the design, showcasing two snakes emerging from a single water lily, equally revered and feared. One snake leaned to the left, depicted as a skeleton, its bones intricately carved and inlaid with pale ivory. The other snake, leaned to the right in full flesh, its scales a shimmering array of emerald and sapphire.

  The water lily beneath them bloomed in riotous color, its petals swirling between prussian blue and pristine white centered with vibrant gold creating the illusion of movement.

  Haru stared at the symbol, tracing the familiar form chosen for their power, wisdom, and duality, unable to avoid drawing a parallel to the current situation.

  We're in a precarious position, teetering between strength and vulnerability. Just like those two snakes… this clan is the perfect embodiment of their mastery over life and death.

  Shaking his head, he pulled his eyes away from the doors and proceeded down the hallway as his face wrinkled, recalling Airi’s eerily calm demeanor.

  Since the abduction of the children and Etsuyo, on top of the brutal murders of the guards, her behavior has been... unsettling. She refuses to interact with the soldiers and placed all her responsibilities on me! Where’s the fierce protectiveness she’d always shown towards Yasushi? Where was the tactical genius of our Head General in response to this unprecedented attack? What could she be thinking about that's more important than finding Yasushi and Kaname?!!

  He gritted his teeth, the questions burning through his mind and fueled the anxiety clawing at his chest. Replaying her decision to withdraw from her duties, his steady pace faltered.

  She's been so quiet… and distant, as if something's weighing heavily on her mind, but that's… just isn't like her.

  He stopped in front of the master chamber's embellished doors. Fist raised, hesitating to knock. As his knuckles hovered inches from the wood, one final thought pierced through his uncertainty, furthering his resolve.

  I hope you're ready to explain yourself. For all our sakes.

  "Airi!” he firmly knocked, pushing aside the mounting unease. “The King has requested your immediate presence in the war room."

  Waiting in the quiet stillness for a response, he continued knocking, each rap against the wood growing more urgent than the last while only silence echoed from the other side. A cold dread crept into his bones as he reached for the handle and found resistance.

  It's locked?!! Something's not right! Why isn't she responding ?

  Panic surged through his chest, forcefully hammering against the door with renewed vigor.

  "Airi! Answer me! Are you all right?! Did something happen?!!"

  His voice boomed down the empty hallway, rippling off walls and fixtures. He retreated several paces, his muscles tensing in preparation to breach the door.

  "Alright then! I'm coming in!"

  At full sprint, he charged forward and dropped his shoulder. As his body reached the door, a distinctive click rattled his focus, observing Airi at the doorway. Unable to halt his momentum, Haru burst through the doorway like a human cannonball, careening past her startled presence and slamming into the far wall.

  Decorative vases, figurines, and ornamental pieces cascaded down upon his prone form in a symphony of shattering porcelain and clattering metal. He lay sprawled among the wreckage, ceramic shards poking into his uniform while his head spun from the impact.

  "Hahahaha! Idiot," Airi laughed, genuine mirth sparkling in her eyes. "What exactly were you even trying to do?"

  Haru blinked up at her from his undignified position among the scattered debris, his mind struggling to process her carefree laughter.

  She delightfully stood framed in the balcony's entryway while the setting sun casted golden beams across her elaborate attire. Her kimono's outermost layer shimmered with delicate pink silk reminiscent of cherry blossoms in full bloom. Silver thread traced intricate patterns of falling petals across the fabric as her obi caught and reflected the sunlight with each subtle movement. Beneath the pink layer, rich prussian blue peeked through at strategic points, its deep hue evoking memories of the lush gardens throughout their estate. Adorned with maze-like patterns of chrysanthemums, the innermost layer, visible at the collar and sleeves, hinted warm, golden yellows glowing from within like the last rays of sunset

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  Odd attire for a mother whose children have been taken from her…

  He pushed himself upright, gingerly rubbing his bruised cheek and wincing at the sharp pain shooting through his shoulder. "What took you so long to open the damn door?!!! I was worried about you!"

  "Worried about me? For what?" she chuckled, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “I was just trying to enjoy the setting sun. Peace and quiet seems to be a rare quality lately.”

  Slowly standing to his feet, Haru gathered the intact, fallen decorations and carefully placed each piece back on the shelf.

  "Kaito has requested your presence in the war room. We should return there together immediately."

  "Ahh, I'm aware of his request," she shrugged, twirling away toward the balcony. "But as I told you earlier, I'm not interested in such matters."

  Grabbing a decorative miniature figurine of the Chika clan symbol, he hurled it at the wall beside her.

  "Those matters you claim to lack interest in involve finding Etsuyo, rescuing the children, and identifying the traitor who betrayed us!," he roared, succumbing to his vexation. "You're our General! Second in Command! The Queen and mother of our heir! It is your duty to be there, Sister!"

  Airi gradually shifted to the side, her eyes moving from the shattered remains of the figurine to Haru's face. A fierceness flashed in her eyes, correcting his tone. "I see, so the other clan leaders now know about Kaname..."

  "Uhh, yes... It was unavoidable," he replied, picking up the small photograph of Yasushi from the nightstand, his fingers automatically tracing the framed edges.

  A cool autumn breeze drifted through the open balcony doors, scattering the figurines' crumbled remains across the polished floor. Abruptly, her gaze converted back into an unsettling calm, watching the debris disperse with detached interest, heightening Haru's unease. "But do they know...?"

  The intensity of her gaze smoked out his earlier frustration, replacing it with a squirming angst that prickled his skin. He clutched Yasushi's picture tighter and took a step back, distancing himself from her overwhelming glare.

  "Kaito told them she was a mutated mortal who had no special traits..." He paused, swallowing hard against the dryness in his throat. "And…I didn't correct him."

  Forming a modest smirk, Airi's expression softened as her eyes fell upon the picture in his hands. Motioning backwards, she framed her silhouette against the fading light of late afternoon.

  "A mutated mortal? …After years of research, is that truly the best he could come up with?” she scoffed with bitter amusement, proceeding towards the balcony. "Surely Mari and Sora will see through it... At this rate, it's only a matter of time before everyone discovers the truth about Kaname and realizes how extraordinary she is."

  Haru placed Yasushi's photograph back on the nightstand and joined her on the balcony. The crisp fall air carried the scent of chrysanthemums mixed with the earthy aroma of fallen leaves that carpeted the garden paths below. In the distance, the sun continued its slow descent toward the horizon, painting the evening sky in soft brushstrokes of gold and pinks. Maple trees blazed in shades of crimson and orange, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze. The nearby pond reflected the warm hues of the approaching sunset, its surface occasionally disturbed by koi fish rising to the surface.

  "Sister... shouldn't we tell him? Maybe that'll ease his discomfort and …tension between you two?"

  Airi softly chuckled, dispelling the remaining heaviness between them. "Oh dear little brother, you know exactly what Kaito would do if he knew. Besides, I couldn't care less about this perceived tension. It's simply the result of decisions he made that I'm obligated to clean up."

  Tilting her head upward, she paused, taking her time to acknowledge his growth over the decades. Haru's presence exuded quiet confidence, a sense of reliability naturally attracting others to him while his posture spoke of rigorous training and military discipline.

  "Despite all these brewing tensions you speak of, …you've managed to grow well," she continued, her voice carrying genuine warmth as she smiled up at him with slightly reddened cheeks. "You used to be so timid when we were children, frightened of everything around you. Always clinging to me and waiting anxiously for my return to the village.”

  She then reached up, brushing an imaginary speck from his uniform as her eyes sparkled with sisterly pride. "Now look at you! Standing before me at 187 centimeters, formidable and undeniably handsome. Your body developed those perfect proportions for both strength and agility."

  Haru quickly averted his gaze to the side, color rising in his cheeks. His stern expression melted into a blushed embarrassment, struggling to conceal the enjoyment of her dotting on him.

  Seeing his expression, Airi mischievously grinned, playfully poking her finger into his chest.

  "You inherited father's golden eyes, and mother's copper hair. That short, neatly trimmed hairstyle gives you this roguish charm that makes all the palace maids stare whenever you walk by! Haha…Very befitting of your position as Captain!”

  She motioned backwards to fully admire him as her eyes grew somber, settling on the scar over his left eye. Its distinct line bisected his eyebrow and trailed down his cheek, partially concealed by a black leather eyepatch.

  "Don't concern yourself with my affairs. I'll become irrelevant in due time,” she uttered, her tone distantly cold. “Just know… at one point… I had love for my husband.”

  Suddenly, within a blink, her eyes resembled an abyss as the unspoken words withered on her lips. Crossing her arms, the chilled autumn breeze caught her kimono and sent its silk layers billowing outward like wings, sharply snapping the fabric in the wind.

  The last rays of sunlight died behind her, its shadows consumed the garden below while Airi stood motionless, staring into the approaching darkness.

  “...But…only I am truly capable of understanding the depths of his greed… and insatiable lust for power."