There was a cup of steaming green tea in front of each of us.
"Fresh jasmine," he said. "Please enjoy. I have quite a lovely collection in my pantry."
"Smells good," I said, picking up the cup.
"Did you see any interesting birds on your walk?"
"No," I answered truthfully. "I didn't."
He nodded. "Of course. It was a lovely day for one, though."
He was being kind. I could tell he was trying to make small talk. Trying to make me comfortable.
I didn't understand why. He should have been angry. Frustrated. He should be trying to figure out how to get rid of me.
But he didn't seem to care about that.
He was acting like… like he wanted to know me.
I took a long sip of tea, studying him. Button-up shirt. Slacks. Like he'd come in from a business meeting. I didn't know what his job was. I didn't know anything about him beyond former Sentinel.
He smiled again. There were wrinkles around his eyes.
"Thank you," he said.
"For what?"
"For protecting Maya."
I didn't know what to say. I stared at him over the rim of the cup, my dark eyes reflecting back at me in the green water.
"Why?" I asked.
"Why what?"
"Why did you thank me? You don't know me. I'm not one of your family. I'm a stranger. You have no reason to be grateful. For all you know, I put her in that danger in the first place. I'm a threat."
His face softened, shifting to something sad. "Ah. I see. It must be difficult, to not trust people."
"I don't trust anyone," I corrected him.
"Yet you protected my daughter. Why?"
"Because… it was convenient. It suited my interests."
"Interests," Mr. Hoshino mused, taking a sip of tea. "That seems like an awfully vague word. What does it mean?"
"I'd rather not say."
"Perhaps," he acknowledged. "But you still admitted you protected her. So... thank you."
I sipped the tea again.
Crap. I walked straight into that one.
"And I appreciate your honesty," he added. "Most people would lie. They'd make up a story. They'd try to make themselves look like a hero."
"What do you think you know about me?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Why do you think I'm here?"
"You're lost," Mr. Hoshino said simply. "You're lost, and you're afraid. And we're here to help."
"Maybe a little. But all I can do is keep moving forward."
"Maybe you need a rest."
"I can't."
"So you say, but you still protected my daughter. And you spent the afternoon with her."
"I told you why. It was convenient."
I wanted him to drop it. I wanted him to stop being so kind. I wanted him to treat me like a threat, a stranger. I knew how to deal with that. I could handle that.
But this? This was something else entirely. I didn't know how to respond.
So I said the only thing that came to mind. I didn't want him to think I was weak.
"I don't have much of a choice," I continued.
"I understand," Mr. Hoshino said softly. He leaned back.
"You think you do," I countered.
"I do," he insisted. "I've been a Sentinel since the first day the System activated. I've seen what happens to people who get too close to the Dark. I've seen what it does to them. I've seen what they become."
That gave me pause. This man. This retired Sentinel.
He wasn't just a former kid playing hero. He was a veteran. He'd seen things. He understood. He was scarily good at setting up logical traps. I had to be more careful.
I met his gaze. The cup trembled in my hands. I fought the urge to throw it at him, to make him stop looking at me like that.
"So," he said, leaning forward. "Let's talk about your World Skill."
I froze.
My mind raced.
He didn't know. He couldn't know. He was guessing. He was fishing. He was trying to get me to confess.
But what if he did? What if he could see something I couldn't?
I put down my tea and stayed silent.
"Do you know what a survivor is, Reimi?" he asked. "A survivor is a person who has done everything possible to stay alive in a world that is trying to kill them. I've seen pain in those tunnels. Monsters and incomprehensible horrors beyond counting. Most people are kept away from the really high-ranking portals, you know? There are things I've seen that I cannot forget. Shadows. And I can see that same shadow looming over you. So I know you are afraid. And that is okay. Fear is not weakness. Fear is the body's warning signal, telling you there is something that can hurt you."
"You are a very strong girl," Mr. Hoshino continued. "You are strong because you are alive. Now, I do want to know and I will take your word at face value. Do you have System access? Not everyone with a World Skill is a Sentinel. Goodness knows my wife and I dealt with enough rogues in our time."
I hesitated. I was fairly certain he was fishing now, but I could work with that.
I nodded.
Mr. Hoshino's smile widened, crinkling his eyes. "Good. So when you helped my daughter and her friends last night — that was not a one-time thing for you, was it?"
"No."
"And do you intend to continue helping them?"
I paused. I looked up at him.
"Yes."
"Good," Mr. Hoshino said. "I am glad. Are you willing to tell me what you can do?"
Something sharp and cold stirred in my chest.
"I can navigate and break barriers. It's why I was alive and safe when they found me in the dungeons. Locks and traps are usually no problem for me."
Half-truth. The whole truth was far more dangerous. It would've led to more questions. More digging. It would've made it harder to leave.
I activated my Cinder Eyes of the Forsaken Waif.
Those red eyes of mine had always struck terror into my enemies.
And now I could see him with them.
He was… impressive. Nowhere near my strength, even with my reserves drained, but I'd seen less. I'd seen people who were supposed to be Heroes with less than a quarter of his raw mana. He hadn't been slacking off in retirement.
His aura was deep forest green — stability and earth — but there were faint echoes of something else underneath. Something that would've been nearly invisible to anyone without eyes like mine. To me it was a blinding beacon.
His aura hummed with a resonance that didn't match his suburban surface at all.
A tiger pretending to be a housecat.
"It's called the Cinder Eyes," I said. "They let me see through walls. See heat, mana flow, structural weak points. I used them to help the girls navigate the tunnels last night."
I looked at him.
"I see," Mr. Hoshino said. He looked at me, thoughtful.
I watched him carefully. He seemed to be processing. Which was strange — most people at least flinched when they saw my red, burning eyes.
"Does it have other uses?" he asked.
"I'm not comfortable sharing them. It's the only thing I have to my name," I deflected, trying not to reveal my hand. "And as I said, you have no reason to trust me. For all you know, I could be a villain. A monster. A threat. You shouldn't be so trusting. People die when they're too trusting."
"I will take your word for it."
And he did. He didn't push. He let it go. Just nodded, like my half-truth was good enough for now.
He just nodded and accepted my answer.
But I knew. He was a smart man. He could tell I was lying — or at least not telling the whole truth.
"So you're not going to turn me in?"
"I wouldn't dream of it. You're a person, not a problem. You have a story, and you have a right to tell it at your own pace. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want. You are a survivor. And I will respect that."
I stared at him. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to react.
He stroked his chin. "Nevertheless, that is very useful. I am glad. It will be helpful to her, and her friends." He reached forward. He gently touched the back of my hand. "Thank you, Reimi."
His touch was gentle. Warm.
I wanted to recoil. To jerk back. To put my guard up.
But I couldn't move. It was like I was frozen, paralyzed by his kindness.
"Maya is a good girl," Mr. Hoshino continued. "But she is young. She has a good heart, but her mind is inexperienced. Her friends, too. They are all learning. They are going to make mistakes."
"You trust them," I said.
"I do. And I trust you. You protected my daughter. From what it sounds like, you saved their lives. Even if they don't want to worry us with details."
"Maybe."
"You have a good heart, too," Mr. Hoshino said, standing. "No matter where you're from."
I stared at the table.
"I really don't," I whispered. "I don't have a heart. Not anymore."
His smile faded a little. "Not anymore, you say? I hope someday you'll realize that's not true."
I finished the tea. "I should go check on Maya."
I was about to stand when he cleared his throat again.
"They told me they're taking you to see the outlet this afternoon," Mr. Hoshino said, a hint of mischief in his tone. "Y'know. Shopping, they say."
"They're going to help me get my hands on some new clothes," I lied. "My old stuff is… well. Not suitable."
"Althea told me." He was enjoying this too much. "But you know, if you're going to be going on 'outings' like that, you'll need a way to pay for your own things, right?"
I stared at him blankly.
"Maya and her friends are registered with the Association as a trial team. They have a small stipend and a small cut of authorized raids. But you? You're not registered. You have no legal identity. You can't work a normal job."
He pulled a smartphone from his pocket and unlocked it. He tapped a few things, then held it out to me.
"Sign up for the local Bounty Board. It's not an official job, and it's not under the Association's purview, so you won't get flagged. It's a good way for people with… unique skills… to make some money on the side. There are always incursions in the sewers. Rogue automatons in old factories. Minor things the Association doesn't have the manpower or the desire to handle. Some of it is even non-combat. And it pays. Not well. But it pays."
The phone displayed a registration screen. A simple interface with a single text field for a name and a button marked Submit. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
"You can use the name I gave you," Mr. Hoshino suggested gently. "Hanako Yamada. A bit of a creative stretch, but it'll keep the nosy neighbors from asking questions. And we can file it under a new work visa later."
I stared at the screen. Hanako Yamada.
It was a lie. A fabrication. Hanako Yamada was a person who had never existed until thirty seconds ago.
It was perfect.
I took the phone.
"What's the catch?" I asked, flat.
"The catch is you use the money for good things. Like clothes. And food. And helping my daughter and her friends not get themselves killed."
He smiled. "And, you know, a nice pair of shoes is always a good idea. We have a local shoe store. It's very nice."
I typed the name and ID number and hit Submit.
The screen flashed, and a new page appeared, displaying a list of available missions.
"Just one thing. Why exactly do you have a burner phone with a pre-made fake ID on it lying around?" I asked, handing it back.
He laughed. Warm and genuine. "Let's just say my wife and I have had a few of our own runaways over the years."
His eyes glowed faintly, and he held out his other hand. The phone's screen flickered, and a small holographic card materialized in his palm. It was a driver's license, with a picture of a stern-looking young woman with short black hair, and the name Hanako Yamada printed on it. The address was the Hoshino residence.
"That looks nothing like me," I said.
He scoffed.
"The picture is close enough. To be blunt — most of the local Association admins are white, Reimi," he said gently, sliding the ID into a plastic sleeve. "No one is going to question the Japanese exchange student living with the Hoshino family. They'll chalk it up to a haircut. Water retention. Makeup."
I stared at him. I couldn't believe this was happening. I was being given a new identity. A new life. A new chance.
The thing is, I just wanted my old one back. That was the only thing I'd ever wanted.
"Look at me, Reimi," Mr. Hoshino said, firm.
I looked.
"I'm not going to pretend I don't notice. You move wrong for a sixteen-year-old. You scan rooms, and you tested the tea before you drank it. That's enough for me to know you've been through something"
He put the ID in my hand.
"And I'm not going to let you get killed," he added. "So you're going to take this ID, and you're going to use it. And you're going to let us help you."
I looked down at the card. The name felt strange on my tongue.
"Why would you trust me? You don't know me," I said, barely a whisper. "You don't know what I've done."
He looked at me, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of something other than kindness. Something darker. Something harder.
"Because I've seen what the Dark does to people, Reimi. And I've seen what happens when they have no one to turn to. I'm not going to let that happen to you. I'm not going to let you become another casualty."
He leaned in, voice barely audible.
"I've lost too many people to the Dark. I'm not going to lose another one who isn't already a lost cause."
I stared at him. A lump in my throat. I didn't know what to say.
His eyes flashed green. "My Eyes of Gaia may not be what they used to be, but they can still see that your soul is screaming. You are not evil. I would have called my associates at the Legion immediately if you were. As it turns out, you are not the only one with eyes that see more than they let on."
I didn't flinch. I narrowed my own in return.
"Are you done with your interrogation?" I asked.
He smiled. "For now."
I took the ID. It was cool to the touch. It felt real.
"Good," Mr. Hoshino said, leaning back. He looked like a weight had come off his shoulders.
"Now go with my daughter and her friends. They're waiting for you. Go on. Get some clothes. The ID will work. I promise."
I stood. I walked to the door, then paused as he spoke again.
"You know… it's been twenty-two years since those things started appearing."
I stood there, my hand on the front door handle.
"I'm retired, but I remember how hard it is to find good excuses when your parents are asking questions. I was nineteen when the System activated here. I had my whole life ahead of me. I mean, I was nineteen with a bus ticket and a guitar case. Then a dungeon opened in my subway station and that was the end of normal."
I turned slowly.
"My friends and I — we were some of the first. None of us had any idea what we were doing. We were nineteen, and the world was ending. We were just kids who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We taught ourselves. The ones who lived, anyway. But unfortunately we paid a price and not all of us are here today."
I looked him in the eye. "I'm… sorry."
He smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Don't be. It's not your fault. Just know that you are not alone. I mean, I've seen that look before. More times than I'd like."
He stood and walked to me. He put a hand on my shoulder.
"Go. Get some clothes. We'll talk more when you get back."
He opened the door for me.
"Be careful," he said. "I told Maya no illegal dungeoneering. I mean that. But..."
He smirked. "I know Maya. She's stubborn. And I have a strong feeling you are too. So I'm asking you, Reimi: please don't get in over your heads. Come home safe. I don't care what you have to do, or what lies you have to tell me about what you're doing or where you're going. Just come home safe."
I didn't say anything. I just nodded slowly, a strange tightness in my chest.
"It's… just a trip to the mall," I said. My voice came out hoarse and scratchy. "Nothing more."
Mr. Hoshino nodded. "Of course. Outlet malls can be very dangerous places. So don't mind me if I'm being a concerned father. And remember, if you need anything, I'm here. I can help you." He raised both hands with a smile. "That is a promise."
I gave him a small nod and stepped through the foyer.