He felt a sense of satisfaction that he had managed to uphold that promise. The daggers had been instrumental in fending off their attackers, and he was glad they had served their purpose.

As Aric watched Maki dive into her studies, a sense of calm settled over him. Yet, amidst the tranquility, he remembered there was still another matter to attend to—a second debt that weighed on his mind.

“Maki,” he said softly, stepping closer to her. She looked up from her books, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “Sorry, I need two minutes from you before you start.”

Maki nodded, closing her book and giving him her full attention. "Of course, Aric."

He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "There are three debts I owe," he began, his voice steady. "One from my Master, one from my father, and one from my sister."

Maki listened intently, her eyes never leaving his. Aric continued, "My sister told me to never lose my humanity, and you helped me keep it when I thought it was gone. For that, I owe you everything. And for the second debt... I'd like to explain the story of my imprisonment."

Maki's expression softened with understanding and concern. "Aric, you don’t have to do this if it’s too painful."

He shook his head, determination in his eyes. "No, I want to. You deserve to know, especially after everything tonight."

He took a seat next to her, the room's warmth offering a small comfort as he prepared to delve into his past. "It all started when I joined a guild, one that was in direct service to major networks across the world. I had been accepted after a unique promotion, which made it so that I didn't need to go through all of the trials that the normal members had. One of my jobs was to take a… a Mendaciti official across into a safe house. And he was my father. In the end…we got ambushed, and he was murdered. Due to stories of my bad relationship with him and the job supposedly being easy, I got murder charges that were eventually lifted. His last words were that of the second debt I have taken, to find someone to put my heart and soul towards and graduate successfully.”

As Aric finished his story, a heavy silence settled over the room.

"Thank you for sharing that with me, Aric," Maki said softly, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I can't imagine how hard that was for you."

Aric gave her a small, grateful smile. "It was, but it's important, you know. I owed you that much. However, my debt to my master is a different matter."

Maki reached out, placing a comforting hand on his. "You don’t owe me anything.."

Aric nodded, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. For the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of hope. He glanced at Maki.

"I just felt like telling you. Now," he said with a renewed sense of purpose, "let's get back to studying. We've got a lot to prepare for."

After midnight, he put a hand in her shoulder, telling that he would turn in and she should as well.

They spent the next few hours immersed in their studies, the tension from earlier gradually fading into a comfortable silence. After midnight, Aric gently placed a hand on Maki’s shoulder. “Maki, I’m going to turn in for the night. You should get some rest too.”

Maki nodded, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. “Goodnight.”

Aric watched as she settled into the bed, then quietly slipped out of the room. Despite his earlier words about separate beds, he had always planned to sleep on the floor to ensure Maki had the comfort she needed. He found a spot against the wall, sitting down and leaning back.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

From the past few weeks, Maki had started to act differently. At the beginning she was always a bit angry at him, but now, she felt more mellow, as if she had lost something. He wondered what he could do.

In the past few weeks, he had noticed a change in Maki’s demeanor. At the beginning, she was often angry with him, her frustration evident in their interactions. But recently, she seemed more mellow, as if she had lost something important. Aric couldn’t quite place what it was, but it left him feeling unsettled. He wondered what he could do to help her, to ease whatever burden she was carrying.

After an hour of restless thoughts, trying to piece together the source of his unease and Maki’s change, he sighed heavily. The discomfort of the floor and the weight of his thoughts proved too much. Quietly, he stood up and made his way back to her room. He opened the door slowly, careful not to make a sound, and slipped inside.

Maki was asleep, her breathing steady and peaceful. Aric moved to the chair by her bedside and sat down, his eyes fixed on her. He watched her, his mind racing with thoughts and emotions. But all of his thoughts were burning through all of his energy that he had expended for the exams the next morning.

Mustering all of his energy to not touch her silky hair, he started to think about what had happened, and eventually came to a conclusion.

“I understand,” he whispered.

“Nobody would cry over my death, even with your level of compassion. Maki must have a different motive for all of this, and I think I understand. Every time Maki puts her hand on my shoulder, leans on me, or even talks to me, I can feel a smidge of power affecting my emotions. I’ll need to start investigating and making sure that the old Maki comes back. The one that wasn’t so sad. And to do so, I need to find her motive for all of this and develop a resistance to this feeling.”

As he walked closer to her, he felt something pounding in his chest, and believed it to be her aura. He reached out a hand but pulled back, hesitating. Finally, unable to resist, he gently stroked her hair once. The softness of her hair sent a shiver down his spine, and he jumped back, his heart racing.

Aric stood there for a moment, his hand still tingling from the brief contact. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. The power that he felt from her was unlike anything he had experienced before, and it both intrigued and frightened him. But for some reason, he couldn't help but smile a little bit.

He left her room quietly, his mind filled with determination. There was much to uncover, and he knew he had to be careful. However, he didn't notice as her eyes fluttered open, catching a glimpse of Aric just before he slipped out of sight.

The next morning, Aric was jolted awake by a swift kick to his shins. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, squinting up at Maki standing over him with a serious expression.

“Mhmph” Aric protested, trying to shake off his sleepiness.But after opening his eyes fully and seeing her expression, he jumped up immediately and got ready.

As they walked to school, ready for exams, Maki kept a few feet more distance than usual. Aric didn’t seem to notice, cracking his knuckles and urging her, “Let’s get full points this time around.”

She turned back to him, her expression colder than he remembered. “You try your best too,” she replied. Aric entered the school grounds, a strange silence enveloping the building. The usual chatter and laughter were absent, replaced by an eerie stillness. As he walked through the entrance, he noticed a funeral poster pinned to the notice board. His own face stared back at him, a somber caption declaring him deceased.

His heart skipped a beat, and he felt a chill run down his spine. He glanced around, seeing students huddled in small, quiet groups, their faces etched with sorrow. Aric’s mind raced. How could this have happened? He was right here, very much alive. He moved through the halls, each step heavy with confusion and disbelief.

The school had clearly gone into mourning. Black ribbons adorned the classroom doors, and a table set up in the main corridor held flowers, candles, and a framed photograph of him. A few teachers were speaking in hushed tones, their eyes red-rimmed from crying.

He navigated the silent, somber hallways, feeling as though he was walking through a surreal nightmare. When he reached his classroom, he found the door slightly ajar. He pushed it open and stepped inside.

His teacher was at her desk, staring blankly at a stack of papers. The students, too, were quiet, their heads bowed. Aric walked up to the teacher, waving his hand in front of her face.

“Hello? I’m right here,” he said, snapping his fingers in front of her eyes

There was no response. She didn’t even flinch. It was as if he was invisible. Shock surged through him, a feeling of surreal disconnection. How could she not see him? He glanced down at himself, wondering if he looked any different.

Then, a realization hit him—he had forgotten to change his hairstyle that morning. He had always kept it neatly combed, but today it was a disheveled mess. Today, he was Aric, not Yamamoto.

Aric walked towards Maki, weaving through the silent, mournful crowd of students. Everyone had their heads down, lost in their own thoughts. He reached Maki and leaned in, whispering, “What’s going on?”