Our Journey

Set in Motion

A dream. Two-toned eyes opened to catch sight of a blackened, star scattered sky. They glittered brightly, painting the endless black with a beautiful array of hues, as the memories of that dream lingered. Vivid, yet far away, the images ever fleeting, growing distant.

...How many times had he woken up feeling this way? Waking up after a dream he could never seem to recollect?? He felt somehow frustrated, and yet, that feeling too, began to feel as though it were an illusion the more the moments ticked by.

Like a dying flame, all of that disappeared, his gaze dropping from the sky as he spotted a small form of white sitting beside the flickering light of their campfire.

He had dozed off, it seemed, the tip of his jet black tail twitching just slightly as he roused himself.

That’s right, the duo had been traveling, ever so steadily making their way back to the Capital...Or rather, Eon had been, with a new, unexpected tag-along. The two had been doing so for about a week now, traveling by day, and resting by night.

By now, the vast grasslands had already long since been behind them, a deep, dense forest painting their surroundings beyond the small clearing they had set up camp within.

“...Sorry, guess I dozed off. I can keep watch now if you want to sleep.” He spoke up, breaking the silence, his companions, snow white ears twitching in response.

Emerald eyes met his own for a brief moment.

“...No, it’s alright.” Max’s quiet voice resounded, barely audible.

He couldn’t sleep even if he wanted to, his gaze returning to the sky above, a vacant, far off expression reflecting within his eyes.

Perhaps because of the dark atmosphere of the dense forest just a few feet away from them, Eon was seized with the feeling that Max just might vanish within the empty black.

It was a strange notion, but he truly felt that way.

By now, he had picked up on certain things about Max. Things like that frequent, vacant look in his eyes, as though his mind were elsewhere, wandering in an abyss of thoughts Eon couldn’t grasp. As though he had been carrying some massive, unseen weight upon his slender shoulders...He found Max to be rather mysterious. There had to be more to him than met the eye. Of that, he was certain.

Somehow, he wanted to know more about him...Which in itself, was strange, considering Eon rarely had any interest in people. Human or Demon alike.

But perhaps that was a result of the fact that he rarely spent so much time around others to begin with.

He didn’t necessarily find this arrangement unpleasant, however.

“...Can’t sleep?” Eon spoke up suddenly, deciding to strike up a conversation, for no other reason than to simply talk to him.

Max glanced over at him, apparently taken aback by this for a moment.

“...Not really.” He admitted after a moment’s pause, his gaze dropping towards the ground.

“…” Silence once again passed between them, but rather than dropping the conversation, Eon instead stood up, making his way over and promptly plopping down beside him.

“Something on your mind?” He questioned, leaning back a bit as he propped himself up with his arms.

Once more, Max was caught by surprise, his gaze returning to Eon yet again.

“...I didn’t take you for the talkative type.” He answered, not answering Eon’s question, yet there wasn’t a sense of annoyance in his voice either. His tone was bland.

“I’m not, really.” Eon shrugged nonchalantly, regarding Max carefully. “...Just somehow, I can’t bring myself to leave you alone. Specially when you’re sitting over here marinating in your own thoughts.” He added in genuinely. “S’alright if you don’t want to talk about it though. I just figured it wouldn’t hurt to lend you an ear, if you needed it.”

Max simply met Eon’s gaze quietly, moment’s ticking by at a strangely slowed pace.

Eon hadn’t truly been expecting Max to open up to him, which was probably why he was rather taken aback when Max opened his mouth to speak.

“...I…” He began, voice meek as he averted his gaze. “I’m just...Tired.” He finished quietly, pulling his knees up against his chest and burying his face against them.

“Then sleep.” Eon’s response was simple, even if he understood the meaning behind Max’s words wasn’t merely a plain lack of sleep.

“...Mm.” Max nodded weakly, deciding that would be for the best.

Sleep. If he did that, he wouldn’t have to think anymore, even if only as a temporary solution.

Surely, these thoughts would disappear into the night sky. He only wished that would happen.

He didn’t want to think anymore.

And so, he willed himself to sleep, as shallow as it may have been.

Just like that, the night would pass, and the two would continue on with their journey to the Capital.

All around them, the constant, deep forest remained, the foliage overhead growing so dense, that sunlight hardly filtered through from above.

The trees were a near black, making it difficult for one to tell if it was even daytime anymore.

Somehow...The air felt chilly. Eerie, even. Max was struck with a strange, baseless fear that some, unearthly creature would leap out of the shadows at them any moment.

It was entirely different from the gentle, light filled forests he knew back home.

Here, he felt as though the forest may devour him entirely.

Without really realizing it, the fur along his tail began to swell out a bit, the base trembling with unease.

He felt so unnerved, so focused on that feeling, that he let out a small sound of surprise when he suddenly hit Eon’s back just ahead of him, who had come to an unexpected stop.

“You alright?” He questioned, throwing Max a curious glance over his shoulder.

“...Yeah.” Max nodded, rubbing at his now, slightly sore nose. “Why’d you stop?”

“Because you went all poofy for some reason.” Eon grinned, quirking an eyebrow before looking back ahead, jerking his chin forward. “Also because we’re nearly there.”

Max’s snow white ears gave a little twitch at this, reflexively lifting his face so he could give the air an inquisitive sniff.

It was faint, but he could pick up on the fresh scent of Humans nearby, carried in on the soft breeze from beyond the dark forest.

In fact, if he listened closely, he could hear the vague clamor of noise some distance away. The telltale sounds of a bustling city.

Suddenly, he was hit by a strange wave of apprehension.

Even all the way in Farronia, he had heard the stories of the Raoulian Capital; Vars. Rumor had it that the city nearly rivaled Farronia’s Capital in size. He tried to paint a picture of what the city may have looked like in his mind, but he had no way of truly knowing until they arrived there.

This, in turn, filled him with a sense of nervousness. Even if it hadn’t been long since he’d been around people, it felt as though it had actually been ages.

Swallowing down on that sense of insecurity, however, he continued to trail along after Eon as they once more began walking forward. Closer and closer, the sounds in the distance growing ever nearer. The density of trees began to thin out, that dark, eerie atmosphere gradually lighting up as sunlight was finally allowed to filter through...And then, almost too suddenly, Max was blinded as the area opened up, bright light hitting his eyes from directly overheard.

Once Max’s eyes finally readjusted, he could make out a large, arched, stone gate overhead, cobblestone roads leading off into a mass of noise and activity.

All around, there was a giant aggregation of clamorous, chaotic mayhem.

Tall buildings towered overhead, made of sturdy, gray stone. They loomed along the side of the streets, intimidating and bold.

Boisterous shopkeepers called out vigorously, hoping to attract passerby towards their wares.

Even if Max had been used to this jumble of noisiness, he couldn’t stop his ears from swiveling this way and that, picking up on each and every noise.

New scents would hit his nose, mixing together into something indescribable, until he could no longer differentiate between them.

Inside all this jumbled noise, it would initially feel as though their entry into the city was of little impact, but if Max were to glance around, he would notice more and more people became aware of their presence.

Some shot them harsh, hateful looks, while many others looked up Max in particular with a sense of bewilderment. He could feel such stares prickling all over his skin like a bunch of tiny, little needles.

He felt a bit uncomfortable, and oddly self conscious because of this, unknowingly shuffling a bit closer to Eon in an attempt to make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible.

Eon didn’t particularly mind when he felt Max shift closer either. He himself was used to the hateful glances and stares, but Max probably wasn’t in the slightest...Plus, he found it strangely endearing how Max scooted closer like some small, timid animal.

Best not to say that out loud, though.

He simply led Max forward, the duo eventually leaving the busy and chaotic part of the city behind them some time later.

The cobblestone roads widened, the tall buildings on either side scattering and disappearing ever so slowly. Instead, they were replaced with well kept, green plots of grass and trees.

However, even though the area opened out quite a bit, the air felt oppressive.

If Max were to peek out from behind Eon, he would see a massive building towering over the city just a ways ahead of them.

Max found himself thinking this building resembled a castle in some aspect. The large building was made of that same, gray stone, making it feel dark and dreary, and a tall, stone staircase ascended towards a pair of large, wooden doors.

Hanging just above those doors, was a banner, a rather odd design centered around a spiral boldly displayed along it, colored in various hues of green.

Eon pushed the doors open with a loud creak, polished, white marble floors reflecting in Max’s vision as he looked around with increasing curiosity.

Overhead, the ceiling was nothing but a large, dome-like window, allowing plentiful sunlight to filter in and illuminate the room from above.

Despite the gloomy exterior, the interior gave off a surprisingly, uplifting air.

Then again, this was only the foyer-like entrance. Leading to the second floor, was a split, marble staircase, a single, peculiar door right in the middle. Max had no way of knowing what the laid atop them, or what was beyond that singular door just ahead.

Before he would be able to find out, however, the two were suddenly stopped by an unfamiliar voice.

“Well, look whose back.” An individual with gray-black hair, short and messy, called out to the two of them, shooting Eon a provocative smile. “Was beginning to wonder where the Chief’s lapdog had disappeared to. Thought you might have died in a ditch somewhere...Not that it would have been a problem if you did. Probably would be doing everyone a favor.”

...Just what was this person’s problem? Max was struck with the immediate realization that this person’s ego was probably far bigger than their brain. He certainly seemed like the type. No, he reeked of it.

Eon, however, didn’t bat an eyelash, seemingly unfazed by the animosity filled comments directed towards him.

“...Do you always have to make such a scene as soon as I get here?” Eon shot back smoothly, crossing his arms. “With how convenient your timing is, I have to wonder if the reality is that you actually want to see me.”

Brown eyes locked onto Eon with burning ferocity, the repugnant man looking as though he had wanted to spit at him...But then, his aggression suddenly dissipated the moment he caught sight of Max.

“...What the hell?” Brown eyes narrowed, that contempt attitude now shifting from Eon, to Max, bewilderment mixed in. “...What is that?” He questioned, striding over in an attempt to get a better look at Max, but perhaps unexpectedly, Eon nudged Max more behind him, shielding him from direct view.

“Yes, yes. That’s quite enough of that.” A new voice called out, echoing through the marbled room.

From just shy of the middle of one of the staircases, an individual began making his way downwards.

His slightly disheveled hair was an ashen gray, borderline tan...Honestly, he seemed somewhat unkempt, and yet, there was a shockingly keen glint reflecting in his bright, hazel green eyes. As though nothing could be hidden from him.

“Can we not make such an unsightly scene right in the middle of the entryway? I’m afraid you’re beginning to make people feel uncomfortable.”

Caught off guard by this sudden newcomer, Max realized if he were to glance off to the side, groups of people speckled throughout the large room were looking their way, muttering among themselves as they watched the spectacle.

“Asato, I believe I’ve already briefed you on the details of your next assignment...Whatever reason could you have for still lingering around?” He asked, the black haired man, Asato, quietly clicking his tongue in return.

Then, without another word, he stormed past them, and out of the building.

“Let’s bring this conversation to my office, shall we?” The ashen haired man suggested once Asato took his leave, turning on his heel and beckoning for them to follow.

As they would make their way up the staircase, the floor above would eventually span out into a series of hallways along the left. Max wondered what could have lied within those winding hallways, but their destination appeared to be in the opposite direction, down a singular corridor to the right.

Lined along one side, were a series of evenly spaced out doors, and on the other, windows lined the walls, sunlight illuminating the corridor brightly.

Their destination, however, was a single door at the very end of the corridor.

Stepping through, it was closed behind them with a soft sound.

“Now then…” The ashen haired man began, turning around and promptly seizing either side of Max’s face between his fingers, making him look up at the man. “Interesting! I’d heard about you from the details Eon filled me in with, but...Honestly! You really do look like a little animal, don’t you?”

“…” Max struggled to frown past the pinching fingers, resisting the urge to bite at the man’s hand in irritation.

Was having no sense of personal boundaries just a Raoulian thing, or what??

“I must say, it’s certainly surprising that Eon, of all people would be the one so keen on taking you in. Hopefully he’s not giving you a hard time?” The man chuckled, seemingly amused as he finally released poor Max’s face.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” Eon frowned, clearly displeased with that statement.

“Who knows??” The man hummed cheerfully.

Max couldn’t really get a solid feeling for the man, but somehow, he wasn’t under the impression that he was bad. He could just tell with this sort of thing, so he lowered his guard, rubbing at his sore cheeks.

“Not really.” He admitted with a slight sway of his tail.

“Oh really?” The man chuckled, confounded as he pressed a knuckle against his chin, contemplating something pensively. “Still...I have to wonder what I’m to do about this one.”

“About that...I had a suggestion, actually.” Eon chimed in, clearing his throat as he leveled his gaze with the man’s, two-toned eyes firmly meeting hazel ones. “...Why not have him work for the Society?”

“...Oh?” The man’s eyes flashed with both surprise and interest at this suggestion, especially coming from Eon himself.

“I can safely vouch for his combative abilities, even though I’ve yet to really see them. He just gives off that feel, and I don’t mind keeping watch over him for the time being.”

The man looked increasingly enthused, his interest piqued as his gaze dropped back down to Max.

Coming from Eon, he had no choice but to believe his words, but it was far more extraordinary that Eon was even making such a suggestion to begin with.

There must have been far more to this fox than met the eye.

“...Very well, then.” He finally answered, looking satisfied. “I’ll see to explaining this to the higher ups. For the time being, he’ll remain in your care, then." From Eon, his gaze returned to Max. "You. What’s your name?”

“...Max.” Max answered after a brief moment of hesitation, taken by surprise at Eon’s praise of him. He barely knew the man, but somehow, it felt as though Eon saw more about Max than he let off.

“Well then, Max, you may call me Azuma. Do tell me if you ever need something, yes?” The man, Azuma hummed, giving Max a charming smile. “That being the case, you may take your leave. I’ll take care of the rest from here.”

“Alright.” Eon nodded, content with the way things turned out before turning on his heel and waving Azuma off with a flick of his tail.

Max hurriedly followed along after Eon, but he couldn’t help but cast Azuma a lingering glance before the two took their leave.

“...Sorry for volunteering you like that without your permission.” Eon spoke up, casting Max an apologetic look as things fell silent between them.

“Ah...No, it’s alright.” Max shook his head, truly not minding the way events had unfolded. It wasn’t as though he had a better arrangement in mind, after all, even if he had been caught by surprise.

When he thought about it, his initial impression of Eon ended up being completely different from how the man really was.

From the beginning, for reasons unknown to Max, Eon had been taking care of him...And for that, he was entirely grateful.

“We’re here.” The sudden announcement of their arrival snapped Max out of his thoughts.

...But where had they arrived at, exactly?

Max found himself wondering such things as he realized they hadn’t actually walked that far at all, only a short ways down the corridor before stopping at one of the many doors lining the walls.

“???” Max looked clearly puzzled, but by now, it had become a natural reflex to trail along after Eon...And so, he followed along after him as the two entered the room, a faint, chemical smell hitting the roof of Max’s mouth...But he didn’t exactly have the leisure to comprehend why, as he was suddenly met face to face with a pair of glasses.

“Well, hello there again, little Vixen!!”

Max had a near heart attack, recognizing the face mere inches away from his own as belonging to that of the eccentric doctor from before.

Truthfully, Max felt like he just might have lost an entire layer of fur in that one moment alone.

“V-Vix-?!” His back hit the far most wall faster than a speeding bullet, practically clinging to it as though his very life depended on the existence of that wall.

“Oh my, why so startled?” The Doc looked clearly saddened by Max’s reaction, placing a hand on his hip as he tilted his head to the side. “Don’t you worry, I don’t bite~” He hummed in a sing-song tune, pushing up his glasses, honey colored eyes peering out from behind them.

“I think anyone would be shocked to death with you coming onto them like that so suddenly.” Eon frowned, feeling a small prickle of guilt at not warning Max beforehand. He felt as though if he had, he probably wouldn’t have been able to get Max in here, so he simply had no choice.

“I can’t help it! He’s such a little darling, after all!” The Doc huffed, looking offended before turning his gaze to Max yet again, an innocent smile playing about his lips. “I do hope you’ll give me the chance to study you a bit sometime.”

“...He may act this way, but he’s really not a bad guy.” Eon hastily explained, seeing the rising concern on Max’s face. Truthfully, he looked ready to escape the room as quickly as he could, given the chance.

“If...If you say so.” Max frowned, settling down just enough to allow his fur to fall flat...However, he still stared the man down, as though looking at his mortal enemy.

“Shall we begin then?” The Doc smiled, patting the empty exam table beside him.

“...Begin what?” Max quirked an eyebrow, looking suspicious.

“Well for one, it’s pretty important to immunize you.” Eon explained, continuing when Max cast him a questioning glance. “The substance used in those bullets I explained to you about. There’s a good chance you’ll be working with them from time to time. Since it’s so dangerous, it’s best to make sure your body gets accustomed to the chemical.”

“...Ah.” There was a bit of a pause before Max answered, recalling how nonchalantly Eon had handled those bullets from before. He now understood why he didn’t really seem worried at the time, despite handling something so dangerous.

By now, Max felt as though he had already begun forming an idea of just what exactly this organization was...And all the more, it made him wonder why Eon was working for such a place.

Then again, Max wasn’t really the type to judge. He was sure Eon had his own reasons, after all.

So, with that, Max finally took a seat on the edge of the exam table, albeit somewhat nervously. He wasn’t very fond of anything pertaining to doctors or hospitals.

“It may be rather painful at first, so just bear with it, if you can.” The Doc warned him, his previous, sing-song tune all but vanished into seriousness before turning around.

Moments later, he would return to the table with a hypodermic needle, a strange, silver liquid contained within the syringe.

A feeling of restlessness began to pass throughout the pit of Max’s stomach, but he bit down on it.

His arm was gently grabbed before being turned around, the needle descending towards the underside of his elbow junction.

And with that, the silver, metallic liquid disappeared into his arm.

A strangely cool and uncomfortable feeling rushed throughout his veins...But beyond that, there was nothing else, even as the moments continued to tick by.

Recalling the awful, festering wounds of that Demon from before, it was strangely anticlimactic.

“...I don’t feel anything??” He finally spoke up as the lack of symptoms persisted.

“...Fascinating…” The Doc looked appalled at the absence in reaction from Max. “It doesn’t appear that the solution has any affect on you...Is it because you’re Farronian?? Perhaps a different constitution...Or maybe-Ah, no...Perhaps...” Gradually, the Docs words became incomprehensible, degrading into nothing more than strange mutters to himself. He seemed completely lost within his own thoughts.

“...Uhm…” Max cleared his throat, starting to feel awkward, the tip of his tail trembling slightly.

“Hmm?” The Doc blinked, snapping out of his trance as a little ‘ah’ escaped him. “My apologies. You’ll have to excuse me. I tend to ramble on at times.”

It was unsettling really. Watching this man jump between that cheery attitude of his, to a deadpan personality of seriousness. Max could never understand people like this.

“Well, this being the case, it would appear we have nothing to worry about.” He smiled, returning to his previous, bouncy demeanor from before. “I’ll report this to the Chief. Are there any health problems on your end, Eon dearie?”

“Fit as a fiddle.” Eon replied on the dime, before the man could throw in any of those signature, ridiculous comments of his. “Let’s head off then, since there’s nothing to worry about.” He added in, casting Max a little look before jerking his chin towards the door. “If you stay here for too long, he might strip you down to your birthday suit and examine you all over. Then, if he’s still not satisfied, he just might dismantle you and store your pieces in jars throughout his study.”

“I would never!” The Doc huffed, exasperated with Eon’s comments.

Regardless of whether or not Eon’s statements held any truth or merit, Max still shot upright and hurriedly made his way to the door, ears laid back and tail curling along the tip.

Eon let out a stifled, amused chuckle, waving the Doc off before the duo took their leave.

From there, their travels would once again take them back out into the city, though their destination was away from the noisy clamor of the market district.

No, their destination lied in the quieter, residential district, being far more spanned out, and less cluttered than the market.

The homes were constructed out of that same, consistently gray material, though they gave off a far more homely feel.

The cobblestone roads wound through the area, only broken apart by the patches of lawns, trees, and buildings.

Eventually, they would stop at one of the homes, looking no different than the rest, yet it stood alone, some distance away from the others.

This seemed to be rather intentional, however.

The building was modest, consisting of two stories, though it was apparent that the first floor was not a living space. No, the actual living space was suspended above the first story, stairs on the left side of the building leading up to the entry point.

Once inside, the interior was shockingly empty. Other than bare necessities, there wasn’t much of the feel of a person ‘living’ within this home.

From the door, the immediate room was a decent, medium sized living room. To the left, an island like kitchen, separated by a partial wall, a single, large window like opening allowing one to peer out into the living space from the kitchen.

On the far back of the right wall, there was a single door leading to the washroom, and a hallway leading to the bedroom just beyond that.

It was a simple, minimalistic home. Empty, yet somehow still cozy.

Eon rubbed at the back of his neck as he watched Max glance about the living space.

Normally, he didn’t really care about the way his living space looked, but it was strangely embarrassing letting someone else see it. Surely Max would have thought the home was lacking, disappointing, even.

Even stranger than that, was his concern of how someone else viewed his life style to begin with. He never would have expected someone else would end up in his care like this.

He would just have to make sure he got some basic furnishings later.

“I only have one bed for the moment, so you can take it tonight.” He spoke up, breaking the silence between them.

“No, I can’t-” Max began in protest, but he was swiftly silenced by Eon.

“Just stop being stubborn and listen. I don’t plan on letting you argue with me about this one. It’s just one night for now.” He frowned, crossing his arms.

Max locked gazes with him for a moment before surprisingly backing down, a small sigh escaping his lips.

He just didn’t have the energy to argue with him about this right now.

“...Fine.” He answered flatly.

He was tired. So much had happened in such a short time, that he was having a hard time processing it all.

Come to think of it, Max had hardly enough time to settle on recent events at all...Or rather, the reality was that he had been actively avoiding thinking about such things entirely.

However, now that he had the time to breathe, thoughts he had previously pushed aside slowly began returning to him.

Memories he was desperately trying to push aside...The fact that he ended up so far away from home, and the fact that he was somehow pulled along at such a rapid pace, that he had no choice but to just go with the flow.

He just needed some time to rest.

That was all.

And while both he and Eon would finally have some time to settle, Azuma was going about his own business, taking matters into his own hands.

He stood seemingly alone in a wide, dark room, barely illuminated...However, it would soon become apparent that he was not alone.

All around, eyes were on him.

“Azuma.” A voice bellowed out, a wide balcony circling around the entirety of the dark room from above. “Are the rumors true that you’ve taken in yet another Demon?”

Cloaked figures, their faces unseen, stood all around the wrapping balcony, their gazes fixated on Azuma down below.

“That is correct.” Azuma replied on the dime, not even batting an eyelash.

“Preposterous!” Another voice boomed. “We’ve dealt with your outrageous antics for long enough!” The voice continued, clearly agitated with Azuma’s decision. “It was absurd enough, allowing that first one into the Society...Do you intend to turn this into a den for them?!”

“Calm yourself, Alacard.” A more level headed voice silenced the man. “I trust you have a reasonable explanation for this brash decision of yours, Azuma? Despite his agitation, Alacard’s worries hold merit. Taking in Demons like this is no laughing matter. What are you to do if they turn on us?”

“That won’t happen.” Azuma reassured the man confidently, a grin playing about his face. “As for my explanations...For one, might it mean anything if I were to say this Demon is not Raoulian, but Farronian?”

Astonished murmurs broke out from the men gathered above.

“Farronian?”

“What is a Farronian Demon doing so far into the mainland?”

“Consider the timing...The situation in Farronia is supposedly not going smoothly at all…”

“All the more reason to not concern ourselves with this nonsense!”

“Gentlemen, please.” Azuma chimed in, waiting for their murmurs to die down before continuing. “Would it not be beneficial to jump at the opportunity to observe a Farronian Demon more closely? The more we learn about their kind, the greater our advantage in this battle of ours...After all, they say to defeat your enemy, you must know them first, do they not? Do you not desire the destruction of the Demons that continuously ravage mankind? Is doing so not the creed of the Society? There is a limit to what Humans can achieve alone.” Azuma’s voice trailed off for a moment, his hazel eyes reflecting a pensive light. “...Besides...I feel as though we can expect great things from this one.”

“What makes you so confident of such a ridiculous statement?”

An amused laugh broke free from Azuma’s throat in response.

“...Who knows…? A hunch, perhaps?” He finally replied with another chuckle. “So gentlemen...Do we have an answer? Shall you bet on my little gamble here??” He grinned widely. “To have Demons themselves turn the tides on their own kind in this war...Or to continue to struggle with Human means alone...I leave that decision to you.”

Silence ensued for several moments, a sense of unease hanging within the air as the men glanced between eachother, searching for the right answer.

However, Azuma had no doubt about what that answer would be.

That very answer would be unanimous.

“Very well. We shall leave it in your hands.”

“I’m so very glad to hear that.” Azuma hummed with a bow, turning on his heel, and leaving the room.

And those doors shut with a heavy, definitive slam.

As though solidifying Fate’s current course.