AIKO
"This is insane," Ryuji muttered, pacing the length of the abandoned nursery. "If Father catches us—"
"He won't," I said with more confidence than I felt. "Not if we stick to the plan."
The old nursery was the perfect meeting place—dusty and forgotten, tucked in the east wing where no one bothered to go anymore. Toys from our childhood still filled the wooden chests along the walls, dolls with faded faces and miniature swords my sisters and I had once used to stage epic battles. The room smelled of memory and abandonment, like most things in the Blood Palace.
Daedillion leaned against the wall, shadows clinging to him like a second skin. Even in the dim light, his silver-blue eyes seemed to glow with their own inner intensity.
"Time is running out," he said, voice low. "I've con
