The storage room had fallen into an eerie silence.
Hina sat beside Reiji on a wooden chair.
Her hands rested on her lap as she processed everything he had told her.
The story of his childhood.
The cruelty of his father.
The loss of Riko.
The birth of the cold, calculating person sitting beside her.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
Then, quietly—
“I… didn’t know you went through all that.”
Reiji lowered his gaze.
A faint, bitter smile touched his lips.
“You weren’t supposed to.”
Hina frowned.
“Then why tell me?”
Silence.
Reiji seemed to choose his words carefully.
Then he exhaled.
“Because…”
His voice softened.
“…I was tired of pretending I’m fine around you.”
Hina’s expression softened.
“Reiji…”
He let out a quiet laugh, though no joy reached his eyes.
“You know what’s funny?”
“What?”
“I hate depending on people.”
His crimson eyes slowly lifted to meet hers.
“But somehow… I keep wanting to talk to you.”
Hina blinked.
“Why me?”
“Because you listen.”
Reiji answered without hesitation.
“Most people hear words.”
His gaze sharpened slightly.
“You notice what lies behind them.”
Hina gave a nervous laugh.
“I’m not that amazing…”
Reiji gently interrupted.
“No.”
His voice turned calm and deliberate.
“That’s exactly what someone like you would say.”
Hina froze slightly.
Reiji continued.
“You carry a lot too, don’t you?”
Her fingers tightened.
“…What do you mean?”
Reiji did not push.
His tone remained soft.
“The way you smile around people…”
A pause.
“…and the way your eyes carefully observe people.”
Hina’s breath caught.
“You notice too much.”
A faint smile appeared on Reiji’s lips.
“Just a habit.”
Silence settled again.
Then Reiji spoke, quieter than before.
“You don’t have to tell me anything.”
A pause.
“But…”
His gaze softened.
“…you don’t always have to carry everything alone.”
Something in Hina’s guard weakened.
Her lips parted.
“…I used to believe that…”
She looked down.
“I used to believe that if I placed too much trust in people…”
Her voice trembled.
“…they would end up walking away.”
For just a second—
Something sharp flashed through Reiji’s eyes.
Then it softened again.
“Who made you believe that?”
Hina stiffened slightly.
“W-Well…”
She struggled to answer.
At that moment, Reiji leaned closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Not enough to startle her—
Just enough to make her heartbeat quicken.
A few loose strands of Hina’s hair had fallen near her face.
Reiji lifted his hand.
His fingers gently tucked those strands behind her ear.
Hina froze.
His fingertips lingered against her cheek for a second longer than necessary.
Warm.
Deliberate.
Calculated.
Reiji lowered his voice.
Soft.
Almost intimate.
“Whoever it was…”
A small smile formed on his lips.
“…one thing is true.”
His fingers still brushed her cheek.
“I’m not like them.”
She swallowed.
“Reiji…”
Something is wrong…
Then suddenly—
She looked at him carefully.
“There’s something I want to ask.”
Reiji blinked.
“What is it?”
Hina hesitated.
Then quietly asked—
“Can you remove your glasses?”
For the first time—
Reiji’s composure cracked.
His eyes widened.
“What?”
In the very next second—
The storage room door slammed open.
Bang.
Haku stood there.
Breathing heavily.
His sharp blue eyes immediately landed on Reiji.
Then on Hina.
Then on Reiji’s hand near her face.
Silence.
The air instantly turned heavy.
Haku’s jaw tightened.
His fists clenched.
Hina’s eyes met his—
And emotions flooded her senses.
Jealousy.
Possessiveness.
Protectiveness.
Annoyance.
Intense.
Overwhelming.
Before she could react—
Haku strode forward.
He grabbed Reiji by the collar and yanked him away from Hina.
“What the hell were you doing?!”
His voice was sharp.
Cold.
“Taking advantage of the situation?”
He pulled Reiji closer.
“Why were you so close to her?!”
Hina gasped.
“Haku—!”
Reiji remained silent.
For several seconds, he simply stared at Haku.
Then—
A gentle smile appeared.
“You misunderstand.”
His voice remained disturbingly calm.
“My intentions were not like that.”
He glanced toward Hina.
“You can ask Hina.”
Hina hesitated at first, then stood up.
“Haku, stop!”
She moved toward them.
“R-Reiji didn’t do anything.”
Haku’s grip tightened.
For a second, it looked like he might punch him.
But after taking a long breath—
He released Reiji’s collar.
Reiji calmly adjusted his shirt.
As if nothing had happened.
Haku turned to Hina.
Without another word—
He grabbed her hand.
“Come with me.”
“Haku— wait—”
But he was already walking.
Pulling her along.
Leaving Reiji alone.
The door shut.
Silence returned.
Reiji stood still.
Motionless.
His crimson eyes remained fixed on the direction where Haku and Hina had disappeared.
Seconds passed.
Still silent.
Still expressionless.
Finally—
He walked back.
Sat on the same chair as before.
Bent slightly forward.
His face hidden behind his hand.
Then—
He laughed.
A low laugh.
Soft at first.
Then it grew darker.
Almost manic.
“Heh…”
“Hahaha…”
His shoulders trembled.
Not from sadness.
From amusement.
He slowly leaned back and looked at the ceiling.
“I expected this.”
His smile widened.
“Given what I understand about you, Haku…”
His eyes narrowed.
“…that reaction was inevitable.”
Silence.
Then—
His gaze grew distant.
As memories resurfaced.
The past returned.
A corpse lay on the floor.
Blood spread beneath it.
Reiji’s father.
Dead.
A knife covered in blood rested in the hands of an eight-year-old boy.
Reiji.
His pale face remained eerily calm.
A cruel smile curved his lips.
He stared at his father’s lifeless body.
“You said…”
His voice was emotionless.
“The powerful survive.”
He tilted his head.
“Then I’ll become the most powerful person in this world.”
His smile widened.
“No matter what it takes.”
He stepped over the blood.
Walked into the laboratory.
Glass containers lined the shelves.
Chemical formulas covered the whiteboards.
In the center—
A syringe.
Filled with glowing dark red liquid.
His father’s greatest experiment.
Reiji picked it up.
His expression never changed.
Then—
He injected it into his veins.
Instantly—
Pain exploded through his body.
His entire body convulsed violently.
He collapsed to the floor.
His breathing became ragged.
Veins surfaced across his pale skin—
Dark purple.
Spreading like poison.
His muscles trembled uncontrollably.
His fingers clawed at the floor.
Agony consumed him.
Minutes passed.
Then—
Suddenly—
Silence.
Stillness.
Reiji stopped moving.
His head hung low.
Everything became quiet.
Then slowly—
Very slowly—
He raised his head.
His eyes opened.
Crimson.
Glowing.
Unnatural.
Terrifying.
Something had changed.
Something irreversible.
A faint smile returned to his lips.
Cold.
Detached.
No warmth.
No humanity.
Only intelligence.
Only calculation.
Only power.
Reiji touched his own face.
Then whispered—
“So this is power…”
His crimson eyes gleamed in the darkness.
And from that day onward—
Anyone who looked directly into those eyes…
Could become his puppet.
A faint laugh escaped his lips.
The birth of a monster had begun.
The boy called Reiji was gone.
What remained…
Was something far more dangerous.
A strategist.
A ruler.
A monster behind crimson eyes.
End of Chapter 23.