Notes

The four months missing. WHERE IS SHINYA?

Shinya closed his book.

From the windows of the library, pink and orange light bathed Shigure's profile. Her calm presence accompanied him since two hours ago, both reading their respective books, both were lost in their own thoughts.

He didn't know many books he had read. Maybe hundreds, in this quiet library where he set himself free in the words written. Away from his own cage.

Such a clipped bird, he mused, eyes taking the sight of flying birds outside the window. All his life, he'd always been in a cage to another cage. From the cage as a child of his parents who sold him to a cage where he had to cut others' clipped wings. The cage of his own name and now, the cage his most trusted person made for him.

"Shigure," he called her. The girl looked up from her book, JIDA uniform as pristine as always, hair pinned straight, but the dark circles under her eyes told the story. No, he thought, he couldn't do this to her. He couldn't ask both hers and Sayuri's loyalty for their master to be in war with his decision. Shinya knew how much they both suffered, but they had pledged their life and loyalty for Ichinose. Nothing would ever change that.

"Yes?" Shigure asked.

"It's late already," he said instead. "We should go back."

Her dark eyes scrutinized him briefly and he smiled, they both knew what was on his mind. They also knew that she wouldn't do a thing about it, because they both had made their decisions.

She nodded, "We should."

Quietly, they gathered their books and put them to the shelves.

The sound of door opened broke the silence. "Shigure," A voice called, along with footsteps on the linoleum. Shigure shot Shinya a concerned look, she bit her lip as she took his stiffened form. "Shigure, you should go to see Sayuri. The briefing is in 30 minutes."

"Yes, Guren-sama," she bowed. The sound of her steps receded as she left the library, leaving him with her master.

Shinya clenched the book tightly, his back could feel the warmth of Guren's presence. The warmth, which seemed to leave his heart.

"Shinya, we should go to eat." How deceptively warm that voice sounded, Shinya thought bitterly. "You haven't been eating properly. Look how skin and bones you are now."

Well, maybe he could just beat Guren with his femur.

Blue eyes narrowed at the blood red cape covered Guren's JIDA uniform. He'd been angry for a long time now. At Guren. At the world. At his helplessness.

Those violet eyes shone in the library, lips quirked into a smile.

"Come on, Shinya." White gloved hand took his gently, as if he couldn't do any harm to anything. Shinya knew, Guren would never hurt him, would never let anything harm him.

But Shinya also knew that the Guren in front of him hurt the world. Would slaughter anyone without mercy.

He felt bile rise to his throat.

"I've told the servants to made some toast, eggs and marmalade," Guren said. "There will be jam and soy sauce too." That hand curled around his wrist dragged him lightly. "They also said there are new coffee beans imported for you."

"That sounds good," Shinya replied.

The warmth from that gloved hand couldn't reach his heart.

That night, the crescent moon covered his room in silver light. Shone over his bed, where he sat with Byakkomaru in his hold.

"Shinya-sama," The shadow leaning on the wall spoke. Her red hair swung on her side. "In 7 minutes."

Blue eyes closed. 7 minutes. The three of them had made their decision.

They weren't prepared. Even though their plans were made, everything was put into place, but they didn't know if their hearts were prepared. After all, Mito, Goshi and Shinya had to betray to protect another.

No, his hand tightened on Byakkomaru.

He had to break his cage.

And he also had to break Guren out of his cage.