Maya's voice, sharp and accusatory, cut through the tense silence of Li Wei's entryway like a knife. "Ren?! What are you doing here?!" Her eyes, narrowed to slits, darted between her brother and Li Wei, who stood, slightly breathless, by the back door. "And Li Wei! What is the meaning of this? Bringing my brother to your house when your parents aren't home?!"
Li Wei, despite the lingering fear from their escape, managed to regain a semblance of her composure. She straightened, her gaze meeting Maya's with a practiced calm. "Maya, what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice even, though a faint blush still lingered on her cheeks from the run.
"I could ask you the same thing!" Maya retorted, taking a furious step down the stairs. "I came over to borrow some notes from your brother, since he wasn't home, and then I saw you two practically sprinting down the street like you were being chased by a monster!" Her eyes then dropped, fixing on Ren's arm, where Li Wei's hand had been clamped moments before. A fresh wave of outrage washed over her face. "And you were holding hands!"
Ren, still reeling from the sudden appearance of Maya and her explosive anger, felt a fresh wave of awkwardness. He instinctively glanced at his arm, then at Li Wei's hand, which had indeed been holding his. He hadn't even thought about it in the rush; it was a purely practical measure to pull him along. But to Maya, it was clearly a declaration of war.
"It's not what you think, Maya," Ren began, trying to explain, but his words felt clumsy, inadequate. How could he explain a shadow following them, an ancient war, a corrupted friend, to his fiercely protective sister?
"Not what I think?!" Maya scoffed, now fully at the bottom of the stairs, her hands on her hips. "My brother, in a girl's house, alone, and you were holding hands! What else am I supposed to think, Ren?!" Her gaze, sharp and accusatory, fixed on Li Wei. "And you, Li Wei! You're supposed to be the responsible one!"
Li Wei sighed, running a hand over her perfectly styled hair. The general's composure was being tested by the most mundane of battles: teenage sibling drama. "Maya, please calm down. There was an urgent situation. Ren was in danger. I had to get him to safety, and my house was the closest secure location." Her voice was firm, but held a hint of exasperation. "And yes, I grabbed his arm. We were running. It was a purely practical measure to ensure he kept pace."
"Practical measure?!" Maya shrieked, now fully at the bottom of the stairs. "You could have just told him to run faster! You don't just grab someone's hand like that unless—" She stopped, her eyes widening as a new, even more horrifying (to her) thought seemed to strike her.
"Unless you like him! You like my brother, don't you?!"
A deep blush, even more pronounced than before, flooded Li Wei's face. She opened her mouth, then closed it, utterly flustered. The unflappable general, who could face down ancient evils without blinking, was rendered speechless by a teenage girl's accusation.
Her eyes darted to Ren, then back to Maya, a deer caught in headlights.
Ren, seeing Li Wei's rare vulnerability, felt a strange mix of concern and... something else.
He stepped forward, placing a hand on Maya's shoulder. "Maya, that's enough. Li Wei saved me from a dangerous situation.
You don't understand what's going on."
"Oh, I understand perfectly!" Maya snapped, shrugging off his hand. "I understand that my brother is suddenly spending all his time with you, Li Wei, and now he's in your house, and you're holding hands, and your parents aren't even here!" She pointed an accusing finger at Li Wei. "You're trying to steal my brother!"
Li Wei finally found her voice, though it was still a little strained. "Maya, that is a ridiculous accusation! There are far more pressing matters at hand than your... your assumptions!"
"Oh, really?" Maya challenged, her eyes blazing. "Like what? Is it about Itami? Because I heard he's been acting weird too. Is this all part of some secret club you two have that you're not telling me about?!"
The mention of Itami, and the casual way Maya connected the "weirdness," brought Ren back to the chilling reality. He
exchanged a quick, meaningful glance with Li Wei.
Maya, in her fury, was inadvertently touching upon truths they desperately needed to keep hidden.
"Maya, please," Ren said, his voice firmer now, "This is not the time. There are things happening that you cannot comprehend. Li Wei brought me here for my safety."
Maya seemed to deflate slightly, the sheer force of her anger momentarily spent, replaced by a lingering suspicion. She looked from Ren's serious face to Li Wei's still-flushed, exasperated expression.
"Fine," she huffed, crossing her arms. "But I'm staying. And you two better explain everything. Especially the hand-holding!" She cast another suspicious glare at Li Wei, who merely sighed, running a hand through her hair in a gesture of profound weariness. The ancient war had just gained an unexpected, and very vocal, witness.
"Come," Li Wei said, her voice regaining its authoritative tone, though still tinged with exasperation. She turned, walking towards a door off the hallway. "We need to discuss this where we won't be overheard." She pushed open the door, revealing a neat, minimalist bedroom.
Ren followed, and to his surprise, Maya trailed them, her eyes narrowed, watching every single move. As Ren stepped into the room, Li Wei swiftly pulled him further inside, closing the door behind them. Maya, however, didn't let up. She pressed her ear against the door, clearly intending to listen in.
Li Wei sighed, a long, suffering sound. "Maya, I can hear you."
"Good!" Maya's muffled voice came from the other side. "I'm not leaving you two alone!"
A moment later, the door creaked open again, and Maya's head poked through the gap, her eyes still suspicious. She then fully entered, pulling a chair from the desk and positioning it directly in front of the door, effectively blocking it, before sitting down, arms crossed, a defiant look on her face.
She pulled out her phone, and Ren saw her quickly type something. A moment later, his own phone buzzed with a message from their mother: Are you okay, Ren? Maya just texted me something about you being at Li Wei's house? Ren sighed inwardly. This was going to be a long night.
Ren, exhausted and still reeling from the day's events, sank onto Li Wei's bed. It was neatly made, with a simple, dark blue duvet. He lay back, staring at the ceiling, the soft mattress a welcome respite from the chaos.
Li Wei, after a moment's hesitation, moved to the floor, sitting cross-legged on a plush rug. Maya, ever vigilant, remained in her chair by the door, her gaze unwavering, a silent, judgmental guardian.
The three of them were now confined in Li Wei's room, the setting sun casting long, orange shadows through the window, painting the scene with an absurd domesticity that utterly belied the ancient war that had brought them there.