Kenji
As we stepped into the base, the warm glow of lanterns flickered against the stone walls, casting long, restless shadows. The scent of roasting meat and freshly baked bread drifted through the air like a welcome hug, making my stomach growl on instinct.
Miss Annette stood at the entrance, hands clasped with that ever-graceful poise. Her smile lit up the dim corridor.
"Welcome back, Sir Kenji, Sir Yushiro, Sir Takahiro. I trust you all enjoyed your flight?"
"We did," I said, barely hiding the thrill in my voice.
The tavern was as quiet as always. We were the only ones there, the huge space echoing faintly with our footsteps. Tables stood neatly aligned, untouched, chairs tucked in like they'd never been used.
We claimed the spot closest to the bright orange hearthstone, the warmth seeping into our travel-worn limbs. Truth leaned back, grinning at me like he'd seen this a hundred times.
"You had fun, huh?"
I nodded hard. "It was better than I imagined! I can't wait for tomorrow."
Blade and Truth exchanged a look. The kind of look that never meant good news. Then Blade casually crushed my dreams.
"You're not flying with us tomorrow."
Mid-bite, my spoon froze halfway to my mouth. "...What?"
Truth smirked. "Told you this morning. You'll start doing small missions from the Division. Patrol's once a week for now."
Marko leaned back with a lazy grin. "You're basically errand boys."
I shot him a look, but meh—no real point fighting it. Orders were orders.
Taka didn't say much. His face was thoughtful, unreadable. Yushiro, though, was scanning the tavern like he was looking for someone.
That's when it hit me—Yoon wasn't here.
Had she even come back with us?
I blinked the thought away and refocused on my food. The mission board by the bar caught my eye. A hulking wooden thing covered in parchment, each pinned sheet a possible adventure—or chore.
Truth followed my gaze. "Assignments go up every morning. Check it first thing after you wake up."
After that, their team packed up and left for early patrol. The silence they left behind was thick and quiet, broken only by the crackle of firewood and the soft clink of dishes being cleared.
I leaned back, staring at that mission board.
Would we get something exciting? Something dangerous? Something ridiculous?
I couldn't wait to find out.
The Next Morning
Dawn spilled across the sky in pale golds and soft pinks as we dressed in our uniforms. I tied my bandana around my left arm—my signature. The air still held the chill of night, crisp and clean.
By the time we reached the tavern, Yushiro was already there, eyes locked on the board like he was deciphering an ancient spell. For once, his nose wasn't buried in a book.
"Morning, Yushiro," I mumbled mid-yawn.
He glanced over with a slow smile. "Morning, Kenji. Morning, Blondie."
Taka, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, lifted a brow. "Who're you calling Blondie, Snowball?"
Yushiro's grin widened. "Who else would this old man call that?"
Their banter buzzed in the background as I scanned the board.
One neat parchment, elegant handwriting:
Rookie Mission: Gather ingredients (meat) and clean the barracks.
I sighed, folding my arms. "Cleanup duty."
Taka groaned. "So… gather meat, then clean?"
"That's a waste of time," I said. "We should split up."
Taka squinted at me. "Why?"
"To save time," I shrugged. "And because it sounds fun."
He sighed. Yushiro just smirked.
"I'll handle cleaning," Yushiro said before I could assign anything.
I raised an eyebrow. Volunteering? Since when did he volunteer for anything?
Still, he looked calm as ever. A little too calm.
I narrowed my eyes, but let it go. "Fine. Taka and I will hunt."
Yushiro's gaze lingered on us a moment longer, then his voice dropped—quiet, but sharp enough to cut through the morning haze.
"Kenji. Blondie. Be careful. Things are different here."
He didn't explain.
Didn't need to.
Something about his voice left a weight in the air, something unspoken but heavy.
Different how?
He turned back to the board, and I shivered, despite the rising sun.
Whatever he meant, I had a feeling we were about to find out.