Kite was silent, his face buried deep in his hands. The story was over… but no ending had ever felt this hollow. Only questions remained—cruel, unanswered questions echoing in a room where nothing felt alive anymore.
I hate this… I hate myself for letting this happen… If only I hadn't held back… if only I was stronger…
Konstantin Wagner adjusted his cap, his expression unreadable.
"Where are Sabrina and Ryenne…?" Kite asked, barely able to form the words. He didn't want the answer. He already knew.
"The girl is missing. As for the lady…" He glanced at Ethan Grayson, leaving the weight of truth to someone more familiar—someone who might hurt less to hear it from.
"Sabrina is… dead," Ethan said quietly.
Lauren had already braced herself. Even then, her jaw clenched at the news. No matter how much you prepare, grief never shows mercy.
"How…?" Kite asked, his voice almost inaudible.
"When we found her… her body was burned badly. We believe the cause of death was choking—probably from a chain…"
Kite tried to stand, but pain lanced through his body.
"Kite, wait—"
"It's alright… It's my fault anyway."
"How noble of you," Konstantin muttered, not hiding the sarcasm.
"What did you say?" Kite growled.
"Blaming yourself for everything? Gallant. But foolish."
"Don't fuck with me right now."
Konstantin didn't flinch. "Tell me, what could you have done? These people around you are trained, seasoned soldiers—specialists. Who are you, Kite?"
Silence.
Konstantin gave him one last look over his shoulder. "Once you figure that out… do let me know."
He walked out, officers trailing behind.
"Audrey was safely evacuated," Ethan said, trying to fill the void. "We're still searching for Ryenne."
Kite rose without a word, walking to his double-breasted coat hanging over the chair.
"We kept you here because we wanted to tell you ourselves. It's the least we could do."
Kite nodded, slipping into the coat like it was armor.
"Where's Chu-Chu?"
"He's with Harley," Lauren said gently.
Kite nodded again and turned toward the exit.
"Where are you going?" Ralf asked, still leaning by the wall.
Kite didn't look back.
"To find out who I am."
The room stayed silent long after he left.
---
Kite walked the dark streets alone. From afar, the old abandoned theater flickered with dim, unnatural light. He knew who was inside. He also knew now wasn't the time. Purple mist clung to the air—faint but deadly. The Nightmare Mist. If it wasn't treated within a week, the effects would be irreversible.
Sniff. Sniff.
Tears ran down his face before he realized he was crying.
"Sorry… father…" he whispered. "I promised I'd never let anyone close to me die… I lied…"
The grief collapsed onto him like the sky.
"What kind of hero survives every battle… but loses every name that gave him a reason to fight?"
---
"Chu-Chu!!" a familiar voice cried behind him.
Kite turned sharply.
"Chu-Chu!" he shouted, catching the small creature in his arms. They collided in a desperate, trembling embrace.
"I was so worried about you…"
"Chu-Chu!" Chu-Chu responded cheerfully, tail wagging, happy just to see his friend again.
"I'm lost… I lost Ryenne… I lost Sabrina… Mr. Harry… everyone… It's all my fault…"
Chu-Chu gently patted Kite's head, letting him break.
And in that moment… Kite was no warrior, no specialist, no survivor. He was just a fourteen-year-old boy again—heart shattered, abandoned by fate, and forced to start over once more.