Solarphel stood alone, looking lost in the reception area. He glanced around at the various staff and visitors, talking and moving through the space. He remembered the advice Nicholas and Remy had given him, he clenched his fists as he processed his thoughts.

he spotted Kiyo coming out from a nearby room, holding a black jacket, stacks of files, and loose papers pressed against his chest. Solar quickly walked over and tapped Kiyo’s shoulder. Kiyo turned, surprised.

"Oh hey, Solar! I’m kinda in a rush—I have an interrogation in a few minutes. How are you? And where's Remy?"

Solar felt nervous but managed to blurt out, "Uh… can I join you?"

Kiyo paused, looking confused by the sudden request. He looked around, then back at Solar. "W-why? And… where is Remy?"

"He was tired, so he went home," Solar replied

"And left you here alone? You poor thing…" Kiyo placed a hand on Solar's head, giving it a gentle, comforting pat. Solar looked down, flustered and unsure of how to respond.

"Hm… alright, you can stay with me. I have an interrogation, though… not sure if you'll be allowed to join." Kiyo raised an eyebrow as Solar stayed silent. "Why so quiet? C'mon, you need to speak up to get what you want. Don't be shy—consider us all friends here."

"A-alright…" Solar murmured.

Kiyo smiled, but his eyes suddenly darted to the clock on his wrist. "Oh crap… I’m gonna be late. Ah, just come with me-"

Before Solar could react, Kiyo grabbed his hand and pulled him along to the interrogation room. Once there, Kiyo set down the heavy files and other items with a relieved sigh.

"So… what are we doing?" Solar asked, curious.

Kiyo chuckled. "We? I like the idea." He laughed a bit and continued, "I’m just asking some questions. You can sit and watch, I guess."

Solar nodded, still a bit unsure. Kiyo grabbed a few papers and gestured for Solar to follow him into the adjacent room. Inside sat a man, chained to the chair, his stare cold and intense that made Solar shiver.

Solar took a seat, nervously positioned between Kiyo and the strange man. The man’s appearance intrigued him—he had large, dull wings, feathers that looked like they had been plucked out, and a posture droopy and worn, like an old man despite his youthful face marred by malnutrition.

Solar glanced between Kiyo and the man, realizing just how tense the atmosphere had become.

“Hey 'Leo', nice to see you again,” Kiyo greeted with a smile as he sat down and nodded in a friendly way towards the man

Leo scoffed, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Yeah? You like seeing me chained up against my will?"

Kiyo shrugged. “Can’t say for sure… but let’s get back on track. You were telling me about your relationship with Marcus?”

“I already told you,” Leo sighed. “We were friends—more like business partners. Heard rumors Rose’s gang wanted him gone.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Kiyo nodded thoughtfully. “Hmm… you were last seen with Marcus. What were you two discussing?”

“Stuff.” Leo smiled smugly.

Kiyo chuckled sarcastically. “Stuff, huh?” He leaned forward. “Alright, seriously, enough with the flattery. What were you actually discussing?”

Leo sighed. “The drugs. Marcus was worried about the gang moving in on his territory.”

“And what about you? Were you helping him with that?”

Leo gave a slow nod. “I wanted to make sure we’d be safe.”

As the conversation continued, Solarphel sat quietly nearby, listening in confusion. He couldn't help but be captivated by Leo’s worn, yet interesting appearance, though Leo seemed to ignore the attention.

Kiyo continued on. “Did you ever confront any of the rival gang members? Did Marcus?”

“Nope. But I heard them talking about taking him down, saying he was getting too powerful and stuff.”

Kiyo raised an eyebrow, locking eyes with Leo. “So you knew there was a threat, yet didn’t warn him? Why?”

Leo’s gaze dropped slightlY. “He didn’t listen. I thought he could handle it.”

Kiyo let out a small sigh, set down his papers. “Did you ever care about Marcus? Or was it just business to you?”

Leo’s calmly said. “Honestly? Just business. still Didn’t want this to happen, but by the time I got to the warehouse, he was already gone.”

Kiyo looked at Solarphel. “Alright, Solar.”

“Hm?” Solar’s attention snapped back.

“Could you step outside for a moment? I’ll be quick.”

Solar nodded nervously and left the room, he became worried as he waited outside. Suddenly, he heard a loud crash, followed by silence, then more crashing sounds. Concerned, he moved toward the door, but just as he reached for the handle, Kiyo emerged, holding the same files from earlier. His shirt collar was unbuttoned, and he was visibly sweating.

“Oh—hey! Sorry about that,” Kiyo said, his tone casual yet a bit suspicious

“Uh… what happened?” Solar asked curiously.

Kiyo turned to place the files on a nearby table. “N-nothing, really… Just a bit of a… discussion. The files fell over, that’s all.”

“And… that made such a loud noise?”

“Exactly!” Kiyo replied, forcing a smile. He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I’m done with the interrogation for now. You should get some rest.”

Solarphel looked at Kiyo, feeling a strange . “S-sure. I remember where the rooms are—I can go alone.”

“Good! But let’s walk out together, yeah?” Kiyo gave him a reassuring smile.

They stepped into the hallway, standing face to face before Kiyo turned to leave. “Sorry again for kicking you out like that.”

“It’s fine…” Solar replied, looking away before mumbling, “A-are interro-gashions…”

“Interrogations?” Kiyo chuckled.

“Yeah, that word. Are they always this calm?”

Kiyo paused, thinking for a moment. “Well… not really. It depends, I guess.”

They stood in awkward silence until Kiyo continued. “To be honest, I don’t handle interrogations that often.”

“Huh? But…”

“I know, I know. It’s kind of a funny story. They figured I should try interrogations because apparently, I look ‘scary’ enough for the job.” Kiyo shook his head, smiling ruefully. “My first was with Leo, actually. No idea why he cooperates with me and no one else… but hey, as long as the job gets done.”

Solar gave him a look of disbelief, and Kiyo looked away.

“I know… It’s not exactly great to assign someone with zero experience to interrogations.” He chuckled awkwardly.

“Uhm… I don’t know anything about it, so… that's okay?” Solar slowly said.

They both glanced around, the awkward silence returning.

“A-anyway,” Kiyo interrupted the silence, “I’ll head out. It’s late—you should get some sleep.”

“Oh, yeah… Um… see you,” Solar replied.

“Mhm! Good night, Solar!” Kiyo waved as he walked away.

Solar watched him leave, then looked around, unsure of where to go next as he still doesn't know how to sleep. He noticed the SJA entrance open and, feeling curious, decided to step outside for a breath of fresh air. It was 10:00 PM, and the building was mostly closed, with only the emergency side still open.

Solar stood outside by the street, captivated by the way the city lights painted the night. He continued along the sidewalk, admiring the the quiet beauty around him.

Eventually, he found himself at the park where he’d once sat with Remy. The familiar memory brought a soft smile to his face as he gazed at the trees and grass, then up at the stars scattered across the dark sky.

As he lowered his head, he noticed an old man sitting on a bench nearby, in the same area where he’d talked with Remy before. out by curiosity, Solar approached the man.

Noticing him, the old man looked up with a disappointed look. “What are you doing out here, young man? It’s too late. Go home and sleep while you still can.”

Solar stared at the old man, confused.

“Sleep?” he said in an unsure voice.