~ Chisaki's Pov ~
.
.
.
Oh, no... I shouldn't have spoken to her that way…
Even if I felt justified in myself, even if I thought she deserved it in the moment—now, all I feel was this dull, aching weight in my chest...
Regret.
Creak~
...
My head snapped up at the sound of the door slowly opening. I was half-expecting it to be a maid, or even a guard… but no—it was, her.
My mother...
She slowly stepped into the room with none of the formality she usually carried. No attendants. No icy presence around he. Just… her.
"Chisaki…" she began softly.
"I know you might still be angry with me, but I need you to understand something... About what I did. And why I've done everything I have so far."
I didn't say anything. My throat felt tight, and my fingers curled into the bedsheets.
She walked even closer, her tone gentler than I remembered it ever being for the past few years. "Truthfully... I, didn't want this kind of life for you. I honestly wanted you to be able to choose your path freely; but, I've learned that freedom is a luxury our lineage doesn't always truly allow.
But; That doesn't mean I expect you to be some form of puppet in this. I… just, needed to protect you. In the only way I knew how."
'Oka-san...'
I turned away, not because I didn't want to hear her—but, because I wasn't sure I could look her in the eyes right now without everything I felt spilling out. There was this... Pent up anger. Sadness. Confusion.
And, somewhere deep down… understanding.
...
She sat on the edge of my bed, not too close to me, but not too distant either.
She looked at me with the most tender gaze; So tender, it even caused me to repress the feelings I held...
"I know I've failed in how I've shown it. But everything I've done—every word, every command, every restriction I've placed on you—wasn't to control you. It was because I'm scared too... Of losing you. Of you ending up like some of the others…"
Her voice wavered. That was the part that hit hardest. Because it wasn't the queen of the sea people speaking anymore. It was finally justmy mother. I remembered her starting in being like this a few years ago.
I could hear the subtle tremble in her breath as she exhaled, like she was bracing herself for something worse than battle—my silence.
"I saw your own father die for this..." she finally said, voice low. "Not in some heroic blaze, but quietly. And not long after, he was forgotten. After everything he sacrificed, even his own life… he wasn't enough for them. Not strong enough. Not rare enough... They picked him apart anyway."
That stunned me...
She'd never spoke about him before, not in my presence—he was just a name I inherited, and someone I was supposed to be proud of, but never got to even know...
"He wasn't born with anything special, he was a land dweller after all... But, he was kind, and he was equally brave. But I've quickly learned, that in this world; kindness doesn't keep you safe. And bravery gets you hunted."
I clenched the blanket in my lap, the fabric twisting in my hands...
She looked at me now, her expression hollow but sincere. "That's... The reason why I pushed you so hard, Chisaki. Why I never wanted to let you out of my sight for too long. I thought if I made you strong, you wouldn't end up disappearing like he did. I thought if I made you cold, you'd survive longer, and survive beyond these walls."
She laughed bitterly under her breath. "But, overtime, I forgot that survival isn't exactly the same as living, is it?"
I turned back toward her, swallowing thickly. There were so many things I wanted to say, so many emotions tangled up that I didn't know where to even begin.
"…T-Then why him?" I asked quietly.
She looked at me, almost surprised.
"Why Ayano? Why did want to bring him into whatever this is?"
Her eyes softened again—more than I ever thought, or imagined to be possible.
"Because he's special like us, and... he's the only one I've seen in a verylong time who isn't just capable of surviving… but also capable of choosing what he wants to live for." She paused.
"And because he didn't look at you like a duty. He looked at you like any other person..."
"What...?"
I stared at her... Not as a mother, not as royalty. Just…
As a woman who had looked as if she had lived too long on the edge of constant loss. And maybe, for the first time—I didn't feel so alone in this large room anymore.
For once in many years; my world didn't feel as cold...
But, I'm still curious... "What happened with him then?"
She looked at me tenderly, "I've... spoken with him of course. For both his sake, and yours..."
...
__________________________________________________________
~ Flashback, Third person Pov ~
.
.
.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Ayano asked.
...
She exhaled slowly. "I said, I want... to strike a deal with you..."
He thought about it for a second, but reluctantly agreed, just to hear what it could be, "Alright, what do you have in mind?"
"I want... No, I need you to protect Chisaki at all costs, but... It won't be for free of course. In exchange for doing so, I will give you benefits." She thought for a moment.
"Specifically, something akin to training facility for cultivatingyour strength, and anything else that might come to your mind. You name it, and if it isn't unreasonable, I will grant it."
Ayano's eyes widened at the offer, but...
He was still a bit cautious...
'Being honest with myself, this sounds, really tempting... Having my own place to properly train would be probably be immensely helpful to me. I think, I'd be a fool not to take the offer... Plus, it's a good way I can test the limits of my own strength, since even I don't know where it really ended...' He thought to himself, glancing back up at her.
After a few more minutes, he finally spoke up, "I think... I'll take you up on the offer, but I have my own conditions."
She nodded, slowly. "Name them."
He raised his finger. "First off. I'll only guard Chisaki from any threat I see fit. And it only ends at guarding, and no more than that. She doesn't have to even speak with me, or deal with me unless it's out of her own volition."
Then a second finger was raised; "I also want you to tell her everything about what we've discussed here, in detail. I've got a small inkling, that she doesn't really know everything you've even told me, and I don't exactly find that fair on her end..."
Then he raised the third; "I know it's not really any of my business, but respectfully... I want... No, I need you to go to her, and drop your ice-queen act. I'm not saying you can't be stern with your daughter, but at this rate, I'm sure your hurting her more than you're actually helping."
This visibly caused her to flinch, but she quickly retained her straight face...
Then he raised the last one; "I'll take the training facilities you might have, but I'd prefer if it could be made under the comfort of my home. I'm not in any particular rush about it or anything, so how long it takes won't be much of an issue... So, how does everything sound so far?"
She nodded. "About the training aspect, I would like to supervise you whenever if possible... I am a scientist first after all, and people such as myself don't get to see people like you on an everyday basis."
Ayano nodded, begrudgingly at it. The deal was essentially perfect after all, except for that added part... He scratched the back of his head a few times, eventually finally agreeing to it.
"Alright, I guess you can if you want..." He accepted.
Her gaze lingered on Ayano for a long moment after he'd finished listing his terms...
...
"Still, you... You really are different then most..." she mumbled, mostly to herself. Then, she straightened and gave a small, curt nod. "I accept all four of your conditions. Every single one of them."
She then took a small breath, her expression somewhat unreadable, but just for a moment—though there was something faint behind it. Something close to, relief. Ayano realized, but thought it as nothing more, than it was for the best.
She eyed him again; "You remind me of him, in a way..." she added quietly.
"Your conviction… and your eyes. I suppose it's no wonder my daughter's heart couldn't help but lean toward you..."
Ayano didn't respond to that part, since he didn't hear it. He just looked back at her, eyes steady. "Then, it's a deal...?" He smiled.
She gave a single, solemn nod.
"Yes. Yes it is."
And just like that, the conversation was sealed...
...
___________________________________________________________
~ Flashback end, Chisaki's Pov ~
.
.
.
"What surprised me was that. Three out of the fourths of that deal was made entirely for, you..."
My breath caught for just a moment... I didn't know what to truly say.
She was absolutely right; Three out of four conditions placed, were for me...
I looked at her—really looked—and for once, I didn't see the queen, or the cold strategist who always seemed ten moves ahead of me. I finally saw my own mother, caught off guard by her own daughter's pain, and some random person—Ayano—who had walked into this world with no obligation to care, and yet…
'He still did.'
I... Still didn't know what to say... I wasn't used to people choosing me like that, or at all for that matter. Not for status. Not for power, and he did it; Just… because.
"…That fool." I whispered to unconsciously, I felt myself letting out a weak laugh catching in my throat, as my eyes stung more than even I'd like to admit them to.
"He doesn't even know me that well at all, yet he still…"
But, he'd seen enough. Enough to speak up for myself when, I couldn't. To push back against her for my sake. To carve even a little bit of space for me—quietly, without really asking for anything much in return.
I turned my face away again, but this time not to hide bitterness...
Just to finally, breathe. And maybe keep myself from actually crying...
She stood then, slowly, and I heard the faint rustle of her robes as she stepped away from the bed. But before she reached the door, she stopped.
"…I'll, honor the deal I've made. Every part of it." she said, voice quiet. "But the rest? That's entirely between the two of you now."
Creak~
She left, without saying another word...
I laid back, thinking of what I should even do now... No, I should speak with him first to see what he really thinks of all this...
...
________________________________________________________
~ Ayano's Pov ~
.
.
.
I wonder if I've done the right thing here... I, really don't see why I can even trust these people. But, I also get the impression that Chisaki's mother wasn't exactly lying to me either. If that woman is right about all this, I might need all the help I can get.
This world even... It's pretty clear to me that it has things I still don't know about... Things I probably can't even begin fathom yet. Even my own ability. Why was I even given an ability like this?
Much less the rules I still don't even know about either. If other people like me are getting caught, trapped and experimented on; then I'd reallyneed to step my game up... If I wanted to both live, and survive.
"Ayano, the girls are finished with their bath... I'm gonna head in first."
I turned my head slightly at the sound of Renji's voice. He was standing just outside the sliding door, towel slung over his shoulder, steam from the bath clinging faintly to his skin.
"Ah, yeah, alright..." I replied, my voice a little more distant than I meant it to be.
He gave me a curious glance but, he didn't pry. He just gave a small nod before disappearing into the washroom.
I sat there alone for a few more moments, listening to the faint echo of water and voices further down the hall. My thoughts still lingered on that conversation. On her eyes when she spoke of Chisaki. On the quiet desperation behind her words.
It didn't feel like manipulation... If anything, it felt more like a last-ditch plea—from one person bound by expectations, to someone she genuinely hoped could protect what she probably couldn't.
'But, am I really up to the task here?'
I exhaled and leaned back against the wall, eyes half-closed. My body still felt a bit tense from earlier. Maybe not physically, but something in my chest—something heavy—hadn't eased up since I'd agreed to that deal. It wasn't regret. It really wasn't fear either.
I think it was probably the weight of choice...
Because now, I wasn't just surviving on my own anymore. I'd also tied my fate, in some significant way, to hers. I just hope I don't come to regret it.
"Well, I guess there's no backing out now..." I muttered to myself, rubbing the back of my neck.
Just then, I heard a soft knock at the frame... I looked up.
And there she was—Chisaki.
She just, stood there, still wearing that gentle neutrality she always carried, but her eyes—they looked, different tonight. Despite how cold they seemed... A lot, warmer. Maybe even a little uncertain too.
She opened her mouth like she was going to speak, then hesitated.
I sat up straighter, giving her my full attention... I guess, this would be my second official conversation with her...?
"…Hey." I asked as softly as I could...
"You okay?"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
END