"They say; The birth of magic came from imagination."
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"A new era is born."
―W-what? What just happened..? His head...
The silence was deafening. Everyone froze as the headless body of their leader toppled over with a wet thud, followed by the metallic clang of something heavy hitting the ground.
"W-WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO!?"
The man holding Emi screamed, his voice cracking with panic. His eyes darted around wildly, searching for an enemy he couldn't see. In his terror, he yanked Emi closer and pressed a rusted knife against her throat.
"Gah!" Emi gasped as the cold metal bit into her skin. "R-Rynan! J-just run!"
"I-I'm not doing that... not after what you said back there..."
Rynan's voice was barely a whisper, but there was something different about it now. Something that made the air itself feel heavy.
"BACK OFF!" The man with the knife was shaking now, his earlier confidence completely gone. The third thug—the one who'd been bragging about his boss just minutes ago—collapsed to his knees, unable to move from pure terror.
"Don't... kill her..."
'Shk.'
That was all they heard before the man holding Emi hostage found himself missing his head. It fell to the ground with a soft thump, his body following a second later.
Emi spun around and saw the corpse behind her, blood pooling around the severed neck. But she didn't care about that. She only had eyes for Rynan, rushing to him and wrapping her arms around his broken body.
"P-PLEASE SPARE ME... I DIDN't DO ANYTHING, I'M INNOCENT, I'M INNOCENT!!!"
The last man crawled backward on his hands and knees, tears and snot streaming down his face. His voice was high and desperate, like a child begging for mercy.
Rynan felt nothing but disgust. After what they'd tried to do to Emi, forgiveness wasn't even a possibility. Without thinking, he raised his hand toward the cowering man.
The thug's right arm separated from his body with surgical precision. For a moment, he just stared at the stump where his limb used to be, not understanding what had happened. Then the pain hit.
"A-AAAAGGHHH!!!" He rolled back and forth on the dirty ground, his screams echoing off the alley walls. "AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!"
―Stop screaming. Just... stop.
"AAAA—"
The sound cut off abruptly. The man's body split cleanly down the middle, like someone had sliced through butter. His insides spilled onto the ground with wet, sickening sounds. The look of terror was frozen on what remained of his face.
"Emi... I'm glad you're saaaaaaaaaaaffffffffffeeeeeee..."
Rynan's voice stretched and faded as consciousness slipped away from him. He collapsed into Emi's arms, barely aware of her panicked cries.
"RYNAN!"
"RYNAN!!"
"RYNAAAN!!!"
Her voice seemed to come from very far away, growing fainter with each desperate call of his name.
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―W-where am I...?
The ceiling above him was completely unfamiliar, painted white with clean lines that definitely weren't from his run-down apartment. This place smelled like medicine and soap instead of the usual musty air he was used to. It was definitely a hospital.
Rynan tried to sit up, but pain shot through his entire body from his neck all the way down his spine. Every muscle screamed in protest, reminding him exactly what had happened in that alley. His ribs felt like they were on fire, and his face was probably swollen beyond recognition.
When he turned his head to look around the room, he found something that made his chest tighten. Emi was slumped over in a chair next to his bed, fast asleep with her head resting on the mattress. Her blue hair spilled across the white sheets like water, and somehow her clothes looked perfectly clean and new.
―So yesterday wasn't a dream..? Yikes.
"Agh..."
The small sound he made was enough to wake her up instantly. Emi's eyes snapped open, and before he could even blink, her hand was gripping his tightly.
"Rynan!" Her voice cracked with relief, and even though she'd just woken up, tears were already streaming down her face. She looked like she'd been crying for hours before falling asleep.
"D-don't cry, Emi..."
"B-but..."
Before she could finish whatever she was going to say, Rynan lifted his free hand and smacked her lightly on the head. The sound echoed through the quiet hospital room like a small clap.
"GAH! YOU IDIOT!"
"Pfft!" Rynan couldn't help but burst into laughter at how quickly she switched from crying to yelling at him. It felt like forever since he'd actually laughed about anything. The sound was rusty and strange coming from his throat.
"That's the Emi I know!"
"Idiot..." she muttered, but there was no real anger in her voice.
"You're the idiot... trying to sell your body just for me to go to the academy?" His voice got quieter, more serious.
Emi's face went pale and she looked away, staring down at her hands instead of meeting his eyes. The shame was written all over her face, and she seemed to shrink into herself.
"Never do that... a-again..." Tears started rolling down Rynan's cheeks, his voice breaking. "I was worried as hell!"
"I-I'm sorry..." she whispered, barely loud enough to hear.
"D-don't cry... or else..."
"WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Emi completely broke down, ugly-crying as she tried to wipe her face with both hands. The tears just kept coming no matter how much she rubbed at them.
Rynan pulled her closer despite the pain shooting through his body, wrapping his arms around her as they both cried together. The hospital room filled with the sound of their sobs, all the fear and worry from the past day finally pouring out.
"Hello? Miss Emi?" A deep voice cut through the air like a blade through their moment.
"Y-yes?"
Rynan's eyes shifted to the doorway where a man stood. One look was all he needed to know―Lagunna Crime Investigation Guild. The guy had blonde hair that was way too long for most men, tied back neatly and falling down his back like some kind of fancy curtain.
He wore a white dress shirt and red waistcoat that screamed money. Noble family, maybe? But something felt off about that assumption.
―Too kind-looking for a noble. They usually have that stick-up-their-ass vibe.
"This is Rynan. Correct?"
"Yes... what do you want from him?" Emi shot up from her chair like a guard dog protecting its owner. She positioned herself between them, her small frame trying to shield Rynan from whatever this was about.
Rynan felt his chest tighten at her protective stance. He reached out and tugged gently at her shirt, the fabric soft between his fingers. The message was clear―it's okay.
Emi's shoulders relaxed slightly. She sat back down beside him, her hand finding his immediately. Her palm was warm and slightly damp with nervous sweat.
"May you please leave the room for two minutes?"
"H-he just woke up, he's in pain!" Emi's voice cracked with worry.
"We need to talk to him, it will be quick."
Rynan's grip on Emi's hand tightened―not painful, but desperate. His heart hammered against his ribs like a caged bird. Right now, lying here broken and bandaged, he was as vulnerable as a newborn.
―Shit. This is really happening.
"Rynan, are you willing to answer questions?"
"Yes." The word came out steady and clear. No stutter, no hesitation. He'd face whatever this was head-on.
Emi stood slowly, her eyes locked on his face. Worry painted every line of her expression like watercolors bleeding together. Rynan forced his lips into what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
―For her sake. Gotta look strong for her sake.
She nodded once and walked toward the door. Her footsteps echoed softly against the floor until the door clicked shut behind her.
The investigator's expression shifted. Gone was any pretense of politeness. His eyes were cold steel now, cutting straight to the bone.
"Let's get straight to the point."
"Did you do it?"