The moon hung high over Brunhild, casting silver light across the rooftops. In the heavy silence of night, two hearts bore the weight of betrayal.
Inside Edgar Lorran's modest home, the air was thick with tension.
Sakura stood still, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her dagger. Edgar trembled before her, his eyes hollow, his shoulders slumped under an invisible burden.
"Why, Edgar?" Sakura's voice was low and sharp. "Why did you betray us?"
Edgar kept his gaze on the floor. His lips trembled.
"I didn't have a choice."
Sakura's grip tightened. "Everyone has a choice."
A bitter smile flickered across Edgar's face. "Not when they're holding your wife's life in their hands."
Sakura's heart twisted. Her instincts had been right.
"They threatened Mira."
Edgar finally met her eyes, glassy with guilt.
"Masked men. Tied to the Dark Peers. They knew everything — about you, about the mission, about the Duke. If I refused, they would've killed her."
His voice cracked.
"I gave them just enough to set the trap... but I swear, I tried to protect you."
Sakura's dagger lowered.
"You should have told us."
"I couldn't," Edgar whispered. "One wrong move, and Mira would've been dead."
A crash echoed outside. The door slammed open — Juichi burst in, Mira clinging desperately to his arm.
"Edgar!" she cried.
The merchant stumbled forward, gathering his wife into a desperate embrace. Mira sobbed into his chest.
"I thought I'd lost you..."
Relief softened Sakura's features, but Juichi's expression remained grim.
"No time to rest," he said. "This isn't over."
---
Minutes later, they huddled around Edgar's table.
"We know someone close to the Duke is working with the Dark Peers," Sakura said. "That's who forced Edgar's hand."
Juichi nodded. "And tonight, at the Duke's party, they'll show themselves."
Edgar wiped his face. "But how can we expose them?"
Juichi tapped the table. "They'll be watching. If we show up alive, they'll panic."
Sakura leaned forward. "We'll make them slip."
She fixed Edgar with a hard stare.
"You're coming too."
Edgar stiffened. "Me?"
"You'll finish what you almost destroyed. You'll clear your name."
---
The grand ballroom of Duke Renard's mansion shimmered under crystal chandeliers. Nobles and merchants mingled, their laughter masking the undercurrents of danger.
Sakura, masked and clad in a deep crimson dress, moved through the crowd with calculated grace. Beside her, Juichi wore sleek dark formal wear, a silent sentinel. Edgar, dressed once more as a merchant, wore a mask of calm.
"We stick to the plan," Sakura whispered.
Juichi scanned the room. "Any sign?"
Edgar's eyes narrowed. "He's here."
Across the hall, a tall man in a black cloak approached the Duke, his bearing too controlled, too deliberate.
"That's him," Sakura said, her voice cold.
Edgar's face tightened. "That's the one who threatened me."
Juichi's jaw set. "Let's move."
They split through the crowd, positioning themselves.
---
The hall fell silent as the Duke raised his glass.
"Tonight, we celebrate prosperity and peace!" he declared.
Behind the velvet curtains, Juichi and Edgar cornered the cloaked merchant.
The man turned, smiling coldly. "I wondered when you'd come."
"Why?" Edgar's voice shook with anger.
"Orders. Nothing personal," the man said.
"Whose orders?" Juichi demanded.
Before the man could answer, screams erupted from the ballroom.
Chandeliers flickered. Crimson-armored soldiers stormed in, cutting through the stunned guests.
Sakura's voice crackled in Juichi's earpiece. "It's a trap! They were waiting for us!"
The merchant laughed and drew a dagger. "You played right into our hands."
"Not anymore," Juichi growled.
He lunged. Blades flashed in the shadows.
The merchant struck fast, but Juichi was faster. His sword knocked the dagger aside, pressing cold steel to the man's throat.
"Who gave the order?" Juichi demanded.
The merchant's eyes gleamed with mockery.
"You'll find out... soon enough."
Before Juichi could react, the man bit down on a small vial hidden in his teeth. Foam spilled from his mouth as he collapsed, dead before he hit the ground.
"Suicide pill..." Juichi muttered.
In his earpiece, Sakura's voice came again. "Ballroom secured. Assassins neutralized."
Juichi turned. Edgar knelt beside Mira, relief plain on his face.
It was over.
For now.
But Juichi knew the true enemy still lurked beyond their reach.
And the final act had yet to begin.
---
To Be Continued...