Kazuki sat in the quiet of his study, the dim light casting long shadows across the room. The faint hum of activity outside his estate was muted here, where silence reigned. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the desk, the sound echoing softly in the vast space. The papers in front of him lay untouched, their importance dwarfed by the thoughts consuming his mind.
Hime.
Her presence lingered in his thoughts like a shadow that refused to fade. She had slipped into his life so effortlessly, so deliberately, that it unsettled him. She was an anomaly, a disruption in the precise order he'd constructed. Her calm, measured demeanor was at odds with the chaos she left in her wake.
What did she want?
Kazuki leaned back in his chair, his gaze shifting to the window. He had allowed her to play her games, to slip through his defenses, because he thought he could control the outcome. But the more he observed her, the more he realized how little control he actually had. Hime was a puzzle, and he wasn't accustomed to puzzles he couldn't solve.
His jaw tightened as the memory of their last encounter surfaced. The way she had stood in his room, calm and unflinching, even as he towered over her. She had looked at him with an ease that bordered on arrogance, her dark eyes daring him to make a move. It had been maddening.
A sharp knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Enter," he said, his voice steady but edged with irritation.
Petrov stepped in, his expression grim. "Boss, there's activity in the south district. Vanguard's been moving quietly."
Kazuki frowned, his attention sharpening. "What kind of activity?"
"Unmarked shipments," Petrov said, his tone careful. "But they're not just moving goods. They're asking questions. About someone."
Kazuki raised an eyebrow, his irritation giving way to curiosity. "Who?"
Petrov hesitated before answering. "Venus."
The name hung in the air, unfamiliar yet carrying a weight Kazuki couldn't quite place. He leaned forward slightly, his expression unreadable. "Venus?"
Petrov nodded. "They're hunting her. No one knows why, but it's stirring up attention."
Kazuki's brow furrowed. The name meant nothing to him, yet it tugged at something deep in his mind, a faint echo of familiarity he couldn't grasp. He dismissed the thought almost as quickly as it came. He didn't have time for ghosts.
"Let Vanguard chase their phantom," he said, his tone dismissive. "It's not our concern."
Petrov nodded but lingered, his posture uncertain. "It's worth noting, boss. Vanguard doesn't move like this without a reason. They're desperate."
Kazuki waved him off. "Double security at the checkpoints. If they cross into our territory, deal with them. Otherwise, let them play their games."
Petrov inclined his head and exited, leaving Kazuki alone once more.
He sat back, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. Venus. The name lingered in his mind, despite his best efforts to dismiss it. He hated distractions, and this felt like one he didn't need. And yet, there was a strange sense of familiarity—an itch he couldn't quite scratch.
But it didn't matter. Whoever Venus was, she wasn't his concern. He had enough to deal with, and Hime was at the top of that list.
Kazuki rose from his chair, pacing the length of the study. The city outside stretched endlessly, a sprawling labyrinth of power and opportunity. Somewhere out there, Vanguard was chasing shadows, and Hime was weaving her own web of mystery. He didn't care for the former, but the latter consumed him.
He stopped at the window, his reflection staring back at him. His expression was hard, controlled, yet there was something beneath the surface. Something unresolved.
Hime had done this to him. She had turned his world into a game he didn't understand, and he hated her for it. But more than that, he wanted to understand her. To unravel her secrets until there was nothing left hidden.
For now, though, he would wait. And he would watch. The game was still his to win.