In the confines of the Sakurai residence, Rin stands near the dining table while Sosuke nurses a cup of water against the counter.
"So that's everything he tells me."
"What?" Rin's tone sharpens.
Sosuke taps his heel against the cabinet and lifts the glass again. "Yeah. A relic. Crazy, right?"
"You want your powers back that badly?" Rin plants her hands on her hips. "You'd never make it alone."
"I could manage."
"No, you wouldn't. I was trying to let you down gently." She braces one hand on the table and tilts her head. "I'm going."
"No."
"Yes." She closes the distance until she stands right in front of him. Her stare doesn't waver. "I'll follow you even if you sneak off without me. Do you even remember what blights are like near the Crimson Tree? It took all of us at our strongest to kill that ancient beast. And that thing was beyond the generals."
"That's not completely true. You all evolved some abilities against the generals too." Sosuke folds his arms, casual but wrong-footed.
"You're ignoring everything I'm saying." Rin pinches the bridge of her nose.
"Alright, alright, fine. I get it. I'm not going alone. I promise." Sosuke raises both hands in halfhearted surrender.
Rin leans in, studying every twitch of his face. Her eyes narrow as if she's scanning him for cracks. After a long moment, she eases back and folds her arms. "I believe you."
"It's not like I've lied to you." Sosuke shrugs.
"Huh?!" Rin's voice jumps. "'I'm okay Rin.' 'I'm fine Rin.' You lie so often that my trust in you looks like a house on stilts."
Sosuke opens his mouth, then hesitates with a finger raised. "Is it really that fragile?"
Rin shakes her head, smiling with tired affection. "No, stupid." She steps back and takes a breath, the air shifting around her as she prepares herself. "But since we're talking about trust, I need to be honest or I'll look like a hypocrite."
Sosuke leans forward with a smirk, eyebrows lifted. "So you're hiding something too? Wow. My trust in you is fading by the second."
"Shut up." She gives him a sideways glare before turning toward the backyard through the glass doors. Her voice softens. "You're making this harder. My powers don't function properly yet."
Sosuke's expression flattens. His gaze flicks across the room, mind turning. "What do you mean?"
"During the fight with Cain I pushed myself too far." A wry grin ghosts across her lips. "We needed him dead, so I burned through my core to finish it. They said it'll heal in six months to a year. Looks like we're dealing with the same problem." She lifts a hand slightly toward her stomach, hovering above her core.
"To be specific, it burns when I use magic. I can still fight, just not with those huge, flashy techniques. Not yet."
"The relic's a one time use," Sosuke replies.
Rin arches a brow. "I know. I wasn't planning on touching it. I'm warning you what to expect when we go. I need a chance to prove my abilities to myself again."
Sosuke nods. "Right. Sorry. Well… we can go whenever. You ready to leave everything behind for a couple months?"
Rin tips her head back, studying the ceiling as if weighing each thought. "My father's doing better. My cousin went back home." Her gaze drops, and a grin spreads across her face. "I think I'm ready to get my battle on."
"Just try not to get overly confident."
"That's what I should say to you."
———
After confirming his decision with Rin, Sosuke heads to Gabriel's palace for one last conversation. He remembers the layout from the months spent recovering here, so the corridors no longer feel foreign. Palace spirits drift through the halls and guide him toward the courtyard garden.
The garden sits quiet under a pale sky. Gabriel stands near a cluster of glowing planters with a flower pinched delicately between his fingers.
"Aren't you going to lose this place eventually?" Sosuke plants his hands on his hips. "If you're not chosen as the next ruler of Westoria, the High Council gets dismantled."
Gabriel studies the blossom in his hand. The petals shimmer like gold set on fire, a deep crimson glow pulsing at the center. "It is practically gone already. Commander Quinn and I seem to be the only ones left." He turns toward Sosuke with a soft grin and breathes in the flower's scent as though enjoying a secret.
"I didn't picture you as a garden guy." Sosuke glances around at the curated plants. "I figured the staff maintained all this for you." His attention shifts to the flower Gabriel holds. "That one's new. Never seen it."
Gabriel sets the blossom into a small jar of water that glows faintly blue. "It's not something ordinary. I call it an Ember Heart. My garden is home to the few that still exist."
"Oh… right." Sosuke nods, trying to focus. "Anyway, I came to talk about the, uh…" He hesitates, searching for a coded phrase in case someone lurks nearby.
"The relic." Gabriel smiles. "No need for caution right now. No one's close enough to listen."
Sosuke scoffs and folds his arms. "Funny. You're the one who was worried about that before, but sure." He clears his throat. "The point is that I want to go through with it." His posture shifts, shoulders tight, as if he's bracing himself more than Gabriel.
"You're taking Sakurai, I assume." Gabriel's gaze settles on him. Those blue eyes hold weight, but the weight feels strangely warm instead of oppressive.
Sosuke blinks. "Uh… yeah." He looks away, almost guilty. "How'd you know?"
Gabriel clasps his hands behind his back. "Your confidence gives it away. You want to leave soon, so I'll arrange the supplies for your journey." His voice turns quieter, thoughtful. "I must remind you that even I don't know the relic's exact resting place."
"I know." The memory of Julius flashes across Sosuke's mind, that desperate fight and the way his core cracked without him fully realizing the cost. His jaw tightens, but his voice remains steady. "I'm willing to do everything."