Rin glanced over at Jade, arching a brow. "You sure you wanted to go that far with your fiancé?" he asked, his tone more curious than judgmental.
Jade scoffed, slumping back into the chair beside the bed. "Fiancé," she muttered with disgust. "He's an arrogant, egotistical bastard who takes without giving, demands respect without earning any of it. I've never liked him."
She leaned back, arms crossed tightly over her chest as her fists clenched. "The entire engagement was for our fathers. Some alliance, or some bullshit, whatever excuse they needed to sign my name away. I never agreed to any of it. And I'll be damned if I sit back and let that bastard kill someone just to stroke his pride."
Her voice had a sharp edge to it now—cold, controlled anger that burned hotter than any scream. Rin said nothing at first, simply watching her. Then he gave a faint nod, as if understanding more than he let on.
"It feels like you got more fire than ice sometimes," he muttered with a half-smile, before turning his attention back to Zay.
"I would rather be engaged to Runnado the outsider—if that's even his name—than to Malrik any day of the damn year," Jade muttered under her breath.
But the words came out louder than she meant them to.
Silence followed. Then the creak of Rin turning his chair slowly to face her, one eyebrow raised in amused disbelief. She looked up and met his stare, blinking as she registered the smirk on his face.
"…What's funny?" she asked, a little too quickly.
"You just said," Rin began, drawing out the words with a grin, "that you'd rather be engaged to an outsider. Am I hearing that right?"
Realization hit her like a brick. Her cheeks flushed a soft pink, the color rising fast as she clenched her fists and scowled.
"Do not tell a damn soul I ever said that."
Rin chuckled, lifting his hands innocently. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone…"
He paused dramatically, then extended a single finger toward the bed.
"Except your future husband. The one currently passed out right there."
Jade groaned, rubbing her face with both hands. "You're insufferable."
Rin stood and stretched with a yawn, grinning wider than ever. "I'm a medic, Jade. Watching people embarrass themselves is the only joy I get some days."
Jade muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like a death threat, but the humor had eased the tension in the room.
Rin left the room for a few minutes to his desk again, grabbing a few medical notes and flipping through them before returning the room. "Still… I get it. Malrik's aura might be impressive, but that's all he has. No heart. No loyalty. Just a walking thunderstorm that thinks fear equals power."
Jade didn't respond immediately. Her gaze drifted back to Zay—his still form resting in that bed, unconscious.
She sighed. "He's dangerous too. I'm not sure if it's much better."
Rin glanced over at Zay and then at Jade before nodding slightly. "Maybe it's not better. Maybe it is. What matters most is how you feel about someone—and how that person feels about you. Let's say, somehow, you did fall in love with an outsider… and they somehow fell for you. I'd support it."
He paused, letting the words hang in the air before continuing.
"I can't say the same for everyone else. You'd probably be seen as a traitor, or something equally ridiculous."
After a moment of silence, he moved toward the small desk in the room, grabbed a pen and a worn journal, and began writing casually as he spoke.
"The Raiden Clan is supposed to be one big family. Built on years of training, trust, and teamwork. But honestly?" He let out a quiet laugh under his breath. "I think it's all a scam. This entire clan only cares about one thing—power. Who has it, who leads with it, and who can force the others to obey. Loyalty doesn't mean a damn thing around here."
Jade let out a dry scoff, leaning back in her chair again, crossing her arms tightly, and flipped her hair out of her eyes.
"Power's all they ever talk about," she muttered. "Who's the strongest, who trained the longest, who's going to carry the clan's 'legacy.' All while half of them wouldn't last a day outside the borders. They can honestly fuck off with all their bullshit."
She tilted her head up, hues of bright blue glowing around her eyes before looking back at Rin.
"This entire clan is just fucked." She said flatly, with a dry chuckle.
"Indeed it is. But, that's how we live. It's not ideal... but at least most of us haven't gotten to the point of being complete barbarians." Rin said as he continued writing notes down in the journal.
Rin paused in his writing, glancing up at Jade with a raised brow. "Alright then... I gotta ask. What exactly did that outsider do that even caught your attention?"
Jade let out a quiet breath through her nose, not looking at him right away.
"He basically... took down Elder Kyro."
Rin's pen froze mid-stroke.
Jade finally turned her eyes toward him, watching the disbelief ripple across his face. "Yeah. That's what I thought too," she muttered. "He wasn't even conscious, then something changed. His aura twisted, like it wasn't just his anymore. And this... thing appeared."
"What thing?"
"A shadow. Mist. I don't even know," she said, brushing a lock of hair back behind her ear. "It looked humanoid—tall, made of black fog, like it wasn't fully part of this world. It had a longsword and never moved, never spoke. I think he called it Nubilum. Whatever it was... it wasn't normal."
Rin settled into the wooden chair, letting its weight creak beneath him as he leaned back and rubbed the back of his neck. "No kidding… That's not normal at all. Sounds like some kind of Seal—maybe one that lets him control shadows or summon something like it."
Jade shook her head slowly, her expression tight with thought. "That's the thing… How can someone have a Seal like that—one that controls shadows or whatever Nubilum even is—and also have the strength and precision to split a dagger I sent straight at his throat earlier?"
She met Rin's eyes, her voice quiet but sharp. "And during the elders' meeting, he said he has a contract with the Goddess of Dreams and Eternal Slumbering—Nira."
Rin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"No living being should be able to possess both a contract and a Seal," she continued, her tone firm. "Let alone multiple Seals and a Gateway contract. That's beyond anything we've ever seen. Ever."
She stared at him, waiting—expecting him to give her one of those calm, logical explanations he always had tucked away. But for once, Rin didn't speak right away.
Instead, he looked at her, then glanced at the unconscious figure in the bed. He studied Zay in silence, his brows furrowed deep, then exhaled a slow, heavy breath.
"I have no damn clue," he finally said. "As far as we all know, that's impossible. Not rare. Not secret. Flat-out impossible."
He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees.
"But I believe you, Jade. I've seen the way you look when you're lying, and this ain't it. So if everything you said is true… what the hell is he, then?" His voice dropped to a quiet murmur, more to himself than anyone else.
"Who the hell is this man... then?"
Jade leaned back in the chair again, arms crossed, her gaze flicking toward the floor like she was debating whether to say what was on her mind. She let out a small, annoyed exhale and finally spoke.
"I don't know what he is, but…" she hesitated, then rolled her eyes at herself. "The way he moved… it was precise, unpredictable, and he didn't hesitate once."
She clicked her tongue.
"Dammit. I hate giving credit to people, but I'll admit it—there was something about the way he fought that seemed... different."
She shook her head and looked away, scowling slightly with a sigh.
"I think I kind of liked it."
Rin raised a brow at her but didn't get a chance to comment. Because just as he opened his mouth, a violent pulse of violet aura suddenly erupted from the bed behind them, flooding the room like a wave of heat before it flickered.
Zay shot upright, gasping for air—his chest rising and falling rapidly. His eyes darted around the room, disoriented, but the moment his aura faded, his breathing became steadied. His voice came out calm, but edged with confusion.
"Where… am I?"
Rin turned to face him, voice even. "In the medical building. Raiden Clan. Again."
"I see…" Zay replied with a simple nod before swinging his legs off the bed. He stood, rolling his shoulders and letting out a deep sigh.
"How the hell do I get out of here? I already spoke to those elder bastards," he asked, his gaze shifting to Jade.
She looked over at him, then stood from her chair, letting her arms fall to her sides before turning and walking toward the door.
Rin set down his pen and slipped the journal into a worn bag in the corner. Slinging the strap over his shoulder, he followed behind Jade.
"Well, are you coming?" Jade called back, her voice echoing faintly in the room.
Zay's eyes drifted over them, reading them the best he could. After a moment, he gave a short nod and walked over to join them.
The door creaked open and the three stepped out into a wide, open hall of light brown wood. At the end, a large sliding door waited. Rin moved ahead and pushed it open.
Together, they exited the medical building and made their way to the mountainside path where the main entrance and exit of the Raiden Clan stood. The sealed gate slowly parted.
Without hesitation, Zay stepped through and began walking away from the clan.
"Well, here's a chance," Rin said with a smirk.
"What chance?" Jade asked, glancing over at him.
Rin turned to her, eyes glinting. "Let's leave and follow him. If what you said is true—if he really has multiple Seals and a contract—then who knows what kind of knowledge he carries. I'm going, regardless."
He threw his arms behind his head, locking his fingers casually, and strode out of the mountain—his first time leaving without a squad.
Zay, already a few paces ahead, caught the sound of footsteps behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Rin trailing him. With a quiet breath, he muttered, "I guess a bit of company won't kill me. Well... it might."
He continued walking.
Jade stood still for a few seconds, jaw tight in hesitation.
"Fucking hell," she whispered to herself before swallowing the thought down and following after them.
Rin and Jade caught up as Zay purposely slowed his pace. He didn't look at them, but his words came out with a dry edge.
"So… a medic and someone who tried to feed me to a beast as a sacrifice? This little squad's gonna be amazing."
He let out a dry chuckle, blinking a few times before shaking his head with a sigh.