Aika's eyes widened in shock as the armed men stormed into the shop, shattering the fragile peace around us. Panic flashed in her eyes briefly, but it was quickly replaced by something fiercer—a blade-sharp determination. Her hand shot out, gripping my arm tightly, pulling me closer, her voice low but steady, even as danger loomed feet away.
"Quickly, Sharva. Get under the counter and stay hidden. Leave some cash in your wallet, but hide the rest behind the chopstick tube," she commanded, her voice full of authority. "I'll handle this."
Even before her words had fully registered, Aika was already moving, her body positioning itself between me and the danger like an instinctual force of nature.
I pressed myself as flat as I could beneath the counter, body curled around a stack of menu and an upturned box of napkins, the dust clinging to my skin like a second layer. Above me, the restaurant's lantern light glowed soft and golden, but that warmth did nothing to ease the tension radiating from Aika as she faced four masked intruders who had torn open the front door without warning.
"Sharva, stay there," she whispered, tone low but unwavering, an anchor in the storm. Her words wrapped around me, reminding me of every promise I'd made to bury the monster within. I kept my fingers pressed to the wood grain of the counter's underside, feeling its splinters bite into my skin as though testing my resolve.
Through a narrow gap I watched her stand tall on my side, with gaze fixed on the tall leader who held a rifle more for intimidation than precision. He wore a black mask and leather gloves, but his posture betrayed impatience. Behind him, two others herded the customers—an elderly couple, a young woman clutching her purse, a pair of college students who trembled so hard the plates in their hands rattled.
"Where is Tsukishiro Himemori?" the leader demanded. His tone left no room for negotiation.
I saw it—just for a second—the flicker of recognition in Aika's eyes. She knew that name. But then her face hardened, her expression returning to that of cold neutrality when said she didn't know.
The man barked again, louder this time. "Who's the owner of this restaurant?!"
My body went cold with fury. They were after her. That name—Tsukishiro Himemori—maybe was tied to Aika. The realisation hit me like ice, but I fought to stay still, to hold back the fury that was now barely contained. I could end this. I could stop them all in an instant, but I couldn't. Not here. Not with so many witnesses.
Aika rose slowly, her movements deliberate. "I am the owner," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil I knew was brewing inside her. "I don't know anyone named Tsukishiro Himemori. Take the money, and go. There's no need for violence."
I recognized that same steel in her eyes—it stirred a wave of nostalgia. The same eyes, the same courage, the same beauty. She had the heart of a guardian. But who was she?
A spark of darker urge flared: the unrestrained power simmering beneath my ribs, waiting to be unleashed if I were in danger.
Aika stepped forward slowly, her head unbowed, as the leader signaled his men to empty the cash register. He jabbed the butt of his rifle into her side, but she neither cried out nor flinched. Instead, she shifted slightly, kept her face composed, and dropped to one knee before the safe beside the kitchen door.
Watching Aika being treated so roughly ignited a fire in my chest. My heart pounded so loud I feared it might give me away.
I knew exactly how long it would take for me to break free: two seconds to shred a man's tendon, four to crush a skull, six to reshape the room in my own image. Yet I pressed my temples against the wooden slat, counting down in my head—one, two, three—until the white-hot anger dulled to glowing embers.
The leader barked an order, and two of his men forced the customers against the back wall. Aika worked quickly, sweeping her hand across the safe's combination lock before sliding the door open. The intruder at her back maintained pressure from the rifle barrel, but she folded bills into tidy stacks with quiet precision, her fingertips brushing the notes as if they were fragile manuscripts.
My peaceful dinner had been shattered by their arrogance. I had only just met Aika—this woman who moved with such purpose and courage, who was now asking me to hide like some defenseless mortal. I gritted my teeth, forcing my body to stay still, but inside, the beast was stirring. My mind whirled with possibilities. I could end this in seconds—snuff out their lives with a thought, leave them broken on the floor without mercy.
But I couldn't. I had sworn not to kill. Not again. I had left that life behind, buried it beneath years of solitude and self-imposed exile. I had come to Earth for peace, for simplicity. Ramen and work. That was all I had wanted.
And yet here I was, crouched under a counter, hiding from men who didn't deserve the life they threatened to take.
I breathed deeply, forcing the flames inside me to quell, even as the temptation to act pulled at the edges of my restraint. Aika had no idea who I was. She saw me as just another person needing protection, unaware I could tear these men apart in seconds. Unaware of the darkness I fought to keep buried. I could hear the robbers shouting orders, their voices laced with threat. One wrong move from them, and I wouldn't be able to hold myself back.
That's when the second man reached out and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her into the open. She stumbled but righted herself in one fluid motion, hair brushing her cheek. I felt heat bloom in my chest—equal parts fury and rage.
Then, one of the robbers caught her glance toward me. He started walking toward Aika, his eyes narrowing, suspicion creeping into his movements. He was approaching too close, his presence looming.
Aika's muscles tensed, but she didn't flinch.
"What do you want?" she asked, her voice still strong. "I've given you everything. Just leave."
The man's smirk twisted into something more sinister. "Oh, we're just getting started," he sneered, stepping closer, his gaze raking over her. He was too close now, invading her space.
My hands clenched into fists, the heat rising within me. If he touched her—
The control I had mastered for so long was slipping away.