BLACK

"When the gates fall,” An imposing voice rang. “A man of golden brilliance shall descend from the sky and usher forth a time of great change."

The booming voice resonated in Aleximus's head, sending several abstract images flashing throughout his mind. He was dreaming, but it felt different. Not like a nightmare, but reality.

"A duel shall mark the final hour of respite."

Two figures -- one black and one blue -- clashed with each other on a blood-soaked battlefield. One was masked, yelling hurriedly as he brought his blade down upon his white-haired opponent.

In the burst of energy, the scene shattered, exploding and blasting both fighters away. The Masked Man’s mask crumpled and fell, fading into the next scene.

"The caged ram of Verglas seeks the stars, but the emissaries of Sun and Moon oppose him, sparking an oldfangled debt,"

Fire suddenly engulfed the dreamscape, ripping through the ground at dangerous speeds. A bright moon hung overhead, illuminating the back of a green-haired man. Etched onto his long coat was a symbol Aleximus had never seen before; Two crossed axes covered by a ram's head.

Transitioning once again, the lighting of the previous dreamscape dimmed, fading into a dim castle; A black throne room.

"Those forsaken by time,” The voice announced. Aleximus’s vision was forcibly pulled down to ground level where the spacious room held six shadowy figures. They each stood on different platforms at various elevations; Possibly highlighting their ranks.

Exuding from their beings were dangerous energies of incomparable magnitudes. They were powerful.

“...Shall seek vengeance upon the newcomer and his apostles.”

In the very middle, the leader -- The Masked Man -- took a seat on his throne. Hanging above his head was a portrait of a woman with two curved horns. Her long hair covered most of the painting but she was beguiling.

The scene dissipated, becoming a flash of blue light. In the empty white space, a thick blueish book floated for a few moments before its pages flipped open. The pages whipped by swiftly until they reached the very end where a familiar image sat blurred in the middle. It was someone Aleximus knew personally.

His brother.

"And when air turns to fire..!”

The pages of the book were set ablaze and a combination of flaming colors enveloped Aleximus’s vision. In the middle, behind the torrent of eruptions, a smiling face laughed devilishly.

“The son of destiny must accept his fate!!"

BOOM!

Aleximus awoke in a cold sweat. “Huff… Huff…”

“O…w…” a voice moaned.

Aleximus squinted, second-guessing what he had heard. “Down here,” Jace’s voice whined. On the floor near Aleximus’s bed, Jacender was sprawled out. His facial features were humorously caved in and over where his nose otherwise should have been, and a red streak ran across his face.

That's when Aleximus noticed his extended leg. “What the heck..?”

"...Ah... Oww...." Jace stood, feeling for his nose.

Aleximus's kick had dented his face inwards, and he tried feeling desperate for his nose.

"J-Jace?!" Aleximus jumped out of his bed, slowly understanding what was happening. “Did I kick you?”

Jace tried speaking but realized it was futile. Cartoonishly, he reached into his collapsed face and pulled his lips, eyes, and nose out one by one. "Hyi Hwus Gus Twyna Hwake Hyu Hup...!"

"Wake me up...?" Aleximus asked.

That dream he had felt too realistic. As if someone was showing him images he couldn’t look away from.

"Sorry, Jace. I must've accidentally hit you on reflex."

He clutched his chest, breathing steadily so his heartbeat would calm. It wouldn't.

"I... It's alright," Jace bleated, "Must've been some nightmare to get you all riled up like that, huh?"

"Yeah."

Aleximus closed his eyes, recalling the image of Jacender’s printed face in the large book. "Some nightmare..."

Jacender realized something was wrong the moment his brother hadn’t chastised him over his comment. Aleximus was never this shaken up. For him to not lash out meant that whatever he had seen had truly bothered him. But before he could ask any questions, the door to their room swung open.

"What the heck is going on in here?!" Uncle Matsuda hollered. “I heard something crash! What was it?!”

The boys hugged each other with fright engraved on their faces. "Ah! Huh? A noise..?” Jace stammered. Does he mean when I fell?

“Uncle Matsuda, Jace--" Aleximus started.

"SSH!!" Matsuda commanded. "Do you want Anna to wake up before everything is done!?"

It was then that their eyes lowered onto their uncle’s kitchen apron. He wore it over his usual purple kimono. There was a humorous air in their uncle’s stern expression contrasting with the crayon-riddled doodles on his “World's Best Dad/Uncle” outfit.

The boys tried to explain themselves but were immediately cut off by their uncle. "I’ve been planning this for the past month! Do you know how hard it was to grow vanilla beans?!”

“Don't ruin this day..." Matsuda warned them. The dark glint in his eye became more pronounced with his next words. "Or I'll ruin you!!"

-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

Matsuda stood in the doorway, watching on as the boys cleaned their room. “Ahem,” he coughed, “If you’ve got it, then hurry up. Breakfast is in one hour.”

"Uncle Matsuda!" Jace blurted. Matsuda stopped in his tracks and turned back to them. "You know, me and Aleximus, we, uh, thought about what you told us last night."

There was a pause. Aleximus looked out of his peripheral to see his uncle's expression. There wasn't a change.

Jace kept going. "We know you already don’t like it. You know, our training and all. And obviously, we can’t hide it from you anymore, but there's something I want to tell you…"

Aleximus’s eyes widened, understanding what his brother was getting to. “Jace!”

Matsuda raised his brow and took the bait. "And what's that?"

Jace closed his eyes, nearly faltering, but pressed on. “Uncle we–”

“JACE! SHUT UP!” Aleximus yelled, stomping angrily.

“No! You shut up, Aleximus! You saw what lying did! How it hurt Anna! I’m not gonna do the same thing with Uncle Matsuda!”

Aleximus choked back his words and clenched his fist.

Jace calmed his tone. “Listen, you know what you wanna do, and I’m happy for you, alright? But if you guys don’t figure out the problem here… Well, things… Things will change. And not for the better.”

Jace turned back towards his uncle with a shaky voice. “And that goes for you too, Uncle. If this keeps things from changing, well I’d rather do that than cause us to split up!”

Matsuda's eyes remained serious.

"I'm aware of that, Jace."

Unspeaking, Aleximus just listened on furiously. “Yeah, well I’m not sure you’ll have the same thoughts once you hear what he says.”

Matsuda nodded toward Jace, encouraging him to speak.

It was a soft tone. Not defensive, nor stubborn. Jace merely wanted to convey his feelings in an understanding way to his guardian.

"We... We want to leave the Axis."

They winced preemptively, assuming he would go off. “I’m aware of that, Jace.” Matsuda reiterated.

But Matsuda put a halt to their first thoughts. "No, your sister did not tell me. Nor did I hear either of you conspire about it. You just have a tendency to act rashly. It's common for children your age to be curious.”

Laughingly, he added: “I wonder if you get that from your father."

A painful wince appeared on both their faces at the word “father”. “This isn’t about him.” Jace scoffed.

"Be that as it may,” Matsuda sighed. “The outside is not the wonder of a place that you may believe it to be. Knowing how to fight shouldn’t delude you into believing you can take on the world. There are dangerous people out there. People who would hurt you and your sister. Is that something you want to happen?"

They both stifled a grunt. They couldn’t argue in good faith that they were correct when their uncle was a man who had lived in the outside world. He knew much, much more than they could ever know.

“Your father…”

Matsuda closed his eyes. He thought back to his last conversation with him.

-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

THE AXIS -- TEN YEARS AGO

"Please take care of them," their father asked.

He was covered in burning flame which hid his facial features. Only his lower mouth and an insignia on his jacket -- The letter “R” -- were easily viewable.

“W-What..?” Matsuda groaned, collapsing to his knees. He was many years younger. “Runnulf…”

Dried blood ran through his hair and down his face, spreading into his dark purple kimono. This one was different compared to his current one; It was decorated with blood-red lilies. And in Matsuda’s arms…

He held baby twins.

Runnulf ran his hand through the babies’ hair gingerly and smiled. "You're the only one I can trust with this, Matsuda. Will you keep them safe?"

-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

THE TWINS’ ROOM, THE AXIS -- PRESENT TIME

Matsuda, with a reminiscent smirk on his face, opened his eyes and looked at the brothers standing before him. Though they had grown larger, they were still the babies he held all those years ago. They were his precious children. And despite their best intentions, he knew they needed to be protected.

"I understand you've been training. I do. But I made a promise to keep you safe. And when I tell you that you can not go out there, it is for a good reason. You're safe here."

In a flash of rage, Aleximus opened his mouth.

"We do understand! What we want you to see is that you don't need to protect us anymore! I don't want to live the rest of my life here! I want to do something with my life! I’m sick of doing the same things, day in and day out! If it's true what you’re saying and this place is for our safety, then all we’re doing every day is surviving. That’s not living at all!”

“Aleximus!” Jace said sharply. But Aleximus ignored him and continued. “I know there's a world out there that could be bad. I believe you. I do. But deciding our future without giving us a chance..."

His body shook with anger. "That's just unfair!"

"Aleximus! Calm down!" Jace pleaded, afraid he would say something he would regret.

Tears welled in Aleximus’s eyes. It was obvious how strongly he felt.

Matsuda seemed split. He didn’t want to hurt the boy’s feelings, but he knew this was for his good.

“I’m sorry Aleximus, but the world just isn’t fair.”

Aleximus gritted his teeth and wiped away his tears. “It doesn’t matter.” He whispered. “I’m not giving up on what I want to do.”

He'd made his stance final and clear.

Matsuda changed directions and opened the door. “We’ll talk more after breakfast.”

CLU~MP

The door closed behind him, leaving them with their thoughts.

Silently, without any interaction, they both returned to cleaning. Out of the corner of his eye, Jace noticed a small bead of blood fall from Aleximus’s lip.

He had bitten it to stay calm. Despite that, Jace made no effort to speak to him. He understood he wanted to be left alone.

That was the start of their morning.

-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

DINING ROOM -- ONE HOUR LATER

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANNA!!!"

A flare of confetti flew into the air, turning into even tinier pieces of fireworks. They spelled Anna’s name as they ran over the table.

"Yay!" she giggled, basking in the glow of the poppers.

Above the dining table, a banner that read “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” hung with the smiling faces of her uncle and brothers waiting for her beneath it.

"Howd'ya like the banner, Anna?" Matsuda smiled warmly. "I made it myself~"

He began to dance around the table festively and laughed.

“Wha–?!” Jace exclaimed, pointing irritatedly at his uncle. “I helped too! We all did! Don’t try to take all the credit!”

Matsuda mischievously smirked and continued dancing. “Well, I’m the one who got the supplies!”

Jace puffed up his cheeks and chased his uncle around the table playfully.

"Ugh." Aleximus moaned listlessly. He wasn’t in the mood for games. It’s not like it's all that.

“So, um,” Anna tapped his shoulder. “What?”

“Did you help with decorations?” She asked.

“Hmph! No!”

It was childish, but he didn’t think she’d like the banner all that much.

Anna slouched over and began to put. “Oh… Well, I love it anyway! Thanks, uncle! Jace!”

She ran towards her brother and uncle and joined them in running around.

Flustered, Aleximus quickly removed dropped his brooding facade, and turned pink. “W-Wait, you like it? In that case, I helped too!”

-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

With early morning celebrations completed, Matsuda allowed the kids to leave, telling them that he would handle the dishes.

"Wait for me!" Anna exulted, grabbing her brothers by the arms.

They had already entered the elevator, ready to descend.

"Damn, she caught up," Aleximus muttered.

With his free hand, Jace pulled the lever. "You guys were gonna leave me behind again weren’t you?"

She smacked Aleximus in the face and backhanded Jacender with her other hand. It was a useful way of reprimanding them.

"OOF!"

She grinned cockily as the elevator reached the ground. "Tsk... What are you up to?" Aleximus questioned.

"Today," Anna pursed her lips, dragging them both out. "We're gonna do what I want!"

"Huh- Hey, wait!!"

But it was too late. Anna had already started running with them in tow, giggling happily.

-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

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THE FORBIDDEN AREA, THE AXIS

Aleximus, caught in shock, turned to his sister. "Anna,"

Jacender's face took on a ghastly expression. One of fear. "F-F-F-F-F-F--" he stuttered, taking numerous steps back.

"FORBIDDEN AREA!" He wailed, diving behind the trees.

A grisly roar of panic erupted from deep within his throat, piercing Aleximus’s ears.

"Shut up, idiot!" Aleximus barked.

"B-B-But...-"

"No, buts! Shut up!"

"As for you!" He whipped around. "Explain yourself! Why’d you bring us here?"

Anna fumbled around, playing with her hair and mumbling scared.

"Well, I… I wanted to help you guys! You know, prove that I’m strong enough to go with you.”

Aleximus palmed his face. "Yeah, I get that, but why the Forbidden Area?"

"I-- First you gotta promise you won't tell on me!"

She frowned, locking eyes with him. Once he realized she was serious, he gave in. "Alright, fine. I promise."

"Uh, okay!" she simpered. "Alright, well, after you guys told me about what you were doing, I decided I wanted to help you! I… Came to the Forbidden Area last night while you guys were asleep."

Jace poked his head out with terror in his breath. "You what?!"

"I wanted to leave the Axis with you too! So, I, uh, I thought about what you said to Jace about the Forbidden Area being a way out. It’s the only place we don’t know about!”

It was then and only then that she noticed that Aleximus hadn’t spoken at all. She looked up to see his face. She was met only with wrath.

Silently, Aleximus shook, trying to process her words. In an attempt to calm him, Anna began to stutter as she explained herself.

“No, wait, listen. I-I saw the opening over there,” she pointed into the trees adjacent to Jace. All her brothers could see was pure darkness. “I thought that it might lead to a way out!”

A way out? Jace wondered. “Anna, what opening are you talking about? There’s nothing there!”

“No! There is! You just don’t have Sanctum Energy! So you can’t see it!” she fretted.

Jace furrowed his brow. “Sanctum Energy? Whats–”

“--ARE YOU SOME TYPE OF IDIOT?!”

Aleximus’s eyes burned dark with outrage. Anna fell quiet, taking a defensive step back.

Jace emerged from behind the tree, warning him. "Aleximus!"

“I-I’m sorry,” Anna whimpered. “I just–”

“You just what?!” Aleximus spat. “ What were you thinking?! Do you know how dangerous that is?! What if you were hurt?! It’s our job to protect you!”

He towered over her, stepping forward as she backed into a tree.

Anna lowered his head, teary-eyed and afraid. "I didn’t mean to… I was careful... sniffle ... Promise. My new friend helped me get in. He told me all about–"

Aleximus grew angrier. "Do you think this is a joke?! This isn’t funny! Blaming your imaginary friends doesn’t help!"

"Aleximus!!" Jace roared, grabbing onto his arm and throwing him to the floor.

Tears streamed down Anna's face, escaping her eyes with incredible haste. "I'm... not... lying."

Seeing that, Aleximus's eyes snapped back into focus, his anger dissipating. He instantly understood what he had done and the result of it.

"Ah! Anna, I-" he faltered, rising to his feet. He tried to touch her arm, but…

SMACK!

She struck his hand away and ran away, retreating into the darkness of the Forbidden Area.

"Hey, wait! Anna!" Jace screamed.

She didn't listen.

Annoyed, Jace looked back at Aleximus. "Are you happy now?"

Aleximus did not answer. So Jace grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and raised him to eye level, eyeing him coldly. “Listen, I know you didn’t mean any of what you said, but that's not an excuse! You’re getting too obsessed with leaving. What that was right now wasn’t you being angry with her. I know you! You’re just angry with Uncle Matsuda and what he said this morning. You’re angry he might’ve been right; That it’s too dangerous.”

He dropped his brother, turning his back to him. “You just want to take your frustration out on someone else. Well, I won’t let you.”

He started to walk away, following in the direction Anna had disappeared to. “Where are you going?” Aleximus asked.

“To look for her! I think you should go home and reflect or something. Because being eager is one thing, but being eager to the point you’re gonna hurt someone isn’t something I’m gonna let you do. For both your sakes.”

With that, Jacender disappeared into the scariest place he knew, feeling around for where his sister was. “Anna! Anna, where are you? Anna!”

Aleximus tightened his grip and smacked his forehead. “Damn… it…” he sniveled, picking himself up. It was time to go home.

-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

HOME, ASHTREE FOREST -- THE AXIS

Aleximus walked back into the kitchen and sat at the table.

"Whew." Matsuda sighed, finishing his final batch of dishes. He noticed Aleximus’s gloomy demeanor and thought back to their conversation in the morning. He assumed it must’ve been that.

"These dishes sure are hard work."

He peeked out the corner of his eye to see if Aleximus was listening. "Wish I had someone to help me do 'em! Oh, that someone sure would be a great help right now."

Aleximus looked away from his uncle, forcing himself to ignore him. It was clear that Matsuda wanted his attention.

His uncle noticed Aleximus’s stone-cold facade was fading and knew what would get it to crack.

"Ahk! My hip!!" He cried, exaggerating a fall.

Aleximus stifling a laugh.

"Oh, the humanity...!" Matsuda continued, sinking into the floor as dramatically as possible. "I've been bested by dishes! I heard dishes were dangerous but I guess I just wasn’t hip to it!"

With that, Aleximus finally cracked. His uncle was notoriously bad at dad jokes. He snickered, filling the room with beautiful laughter before tears of regret gushed from his pupils.

Matsuda smiled softly, wiping his hands on his apron, and helped Aleximus up. "Hey, come help me with the rest of these, okay? I could use a hand."

Aleximus wiped his eyes, nodding quietly as he took a stand next to his uncle.

-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

Matsuda placed his last dish on the rack and cleaned off his hands. "You know, I've given some thought to what we talked about this morning."

Aleximus wondering what he had to say, listened intently. "Firstly," His voice softened. "I want you to understand that you are not alone in your dreams and aspirations. I want nothing more than to see you thrive and discover your place in the world."

Aleximus's eyes widened and excitedly, he opened his mouth to speak. "Then--!"

"However," Matsuda raised his hand, communicating he wasn’t finished.

"It is my responsibility to keep you safe. That was your father's final wish, and I will always adhere to it to the best of my ability. Aleximus, you must understand. I would die to fulfill that promise."

That being said... Matsuda's mind drifted back to a scene in his past. One he had lived through before the boys were born.

-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

黄金のフラワーバー (GOLDEN FLOWER BAR), ONIX EMBASSY -- FIFTEEN YEARS AGO

Sitting on a stool, was a younger Matsuda. His hair flowed freely and wasn’t tied in a bun, and what's more, he wore a purple Yukata with matching colored wisteria blooming from his sleeves.

At his sides, a shorter man with a thin beard poking out the middle of his chin, sat drinking a flaming drink. “You sure you don’t want to enjoy the festival, Matsuda? This is a special occasion, no?”

“Not really,” Matsuda shrugged. “Sakurano was always going to win the vote. He’s meant to lead the embassy. No need to celebrate for something I already knew was going to happen.”

He downed his drink and motioned the bartender for another. “But enough about my brother. How about you, Ivan?”

Ivan laughed, bringing his cup to his lips. “Ha. There's not much to be happy about, no? My people hate me and this war doesn’t help in the least. So here I am, drinking my worries away with a human.”

Matsuda smirked, tilting his head in agreement. “And Gwentyn? Malik said you’ve grown feelings for her. Why don’t you try your luck?”

“Malik should keep his fat mouth shut!” Ivan blushed. He hurriedly swallowed his burning alcohol and poured himself another. “He has a new girl every other week. He should mind his own business.”

CLOUU~UWW

A breeze drifted into the bar as the door opened. “Hey, what are you two doing over here, moping around?!”

Three newcomers had entered: A violet-haired young woman, a tall, purple-haired man with a light purple royal kimono, and a black-haired young man with red streaks and a red bomber jacket. On his chest was the letter “R”.

“Sakurano,” Matsuda greeted, shaking his brother’s hand. “Where’s Hiroshi? And Runnulf, Kazumi… What brings you here?”

“I told Hiroshi to take the night off. He’s meeting with an old friend of his tonight.”

Runnulf jumped in to answer as well. “And I wasn’t gonna party with the whole city without my brother-in-law, was I?” Runnulf joked.

“Insolent fool!” Sakurano yelled. His head inflated comically as he drew a short blade from under his garments. “You think I’ll allow an outsider to wed my sister?!”

Kazumi, the young lady, got in between them almost immediately, understanding a fight would take place. “Sakurano!”

“Nothing you can do about it anyway, shithead.” Runnulf laughed, crossing his arms cockily and holding his nose above Sakurano.

“Now, now,” Matsuda smiled, breaking them up. “Let's not do this again. Sakurano, the leader of the embassy shouldn’t be acting like this. Calm yourself.”

“Also, Runnulf, grow up a bit, will you?” Ivan groaned, pouring himself another bottle. His face had flushed red. “What’s up with him?” Runnulf asked.

“I think it has something to do with Gwentyn. He’s been swigging that Xakron wine for nearly an hour now. He said human wine won’t give him ‘enough of a buzz.’”

“Gwentyn?” Kazumi murmured.

Runnulf looked out the window as crowds of people laughed, dancing happily as they passed by. “Anyways, the real reason we came over is because Malik snatched Mercurius and decided to ditch us to go talk to some girls. Said he wanted to teach him how to be a man. He’s so weird.”

Sounds about right. Matsuda thought.

“By the way, we overheard what you were saying earlier -- About the celebration,” Runnulf said. He approached Matsuda and pulled a glass from the counter.

“Celebration is important. It marks the change of an era, you know. It means we’re witnessing history -- Something we might never get to see again.”

“Not for me, Runnulf. I’m just a shinobi.”

“So?”

Matsuda sighed. “So, my only worry is to do as the heed commands. Anything else is futile. My efforts and thoughts will always be focused on preserving what we have here.”

Sakurano stepped forward, also grabbing a glass from the counter and beckoning the bartender for a bottle. “As much as I hate to agree with this punk, as part of the older generation, the responsibility falls on us to facilitate the new era. We didn’t just fight for the power to oversee the land and maintain this transfer of power. We did it to foster the new generation. Those who will come after. Those who, if things go well, will not suffer the way we have.”

Kazumi gently touched Matsuda’s face, caressing him carefully. “Brother, you are more than just your position. How the embassy raised you played a large role in big brother Sakurano’s choice to run for head of the embassy. It’s so the children raised here won’t have to be raised the way you were.”

“Besides,” Runnulf said, clinking his glass with Matsuda’s. “As an assassin -- Someone who brings about change with death -- wouldn’t you say you’re already one step there?”

“He’s got you there Matsuda!” Ivan laughed with a slurred tongue. “This was something I’d often get into with my old man,” Runnulf smiled. “It’s my firm belief that the future generations carry on the embers we leave behind. It’s why each age is different from the ones who came before it. Those embers get stoked ever so slowly until they turn into belief. That belief turns into conviction. And an unyielding conviction is bound to bring change.”

“...But what will be left for me once things change?” Matsuda questioned.

“That's something only time will tell.” Runnulf drank from his glass. He lowered it and thumped Matsuda over his back. “The question is if you’ll have trust that they’ll know what they’re doing when their time comes.”

WHIIIIZZZZ!

Fireworks started to go off outside the bar. The sound of cheering people began to make Matsuda smile. “I guess you’re right.”

“Ah!” Kazumi exclaimed. “That’s right! Ivan, I saw Gwentyn talking to this guy earlier! He might put the moves on her if you’re not careful!”

Drunk and easily influenced, Ivan jumped to his feet. His eyes were droopy but his mind was focused on only one thing. “Where is she?!”

“Near Illawood motel! You can get there in five minutes if you hurry!” she laughed. Midway through her sentence, Ivan had already gone off, rushing through the door for Gwentyn.

“Is she really with a guy?” Runnulf grinned. “No, she's alone reading a book. She told me no one had asked her to the festival. I figured with enough liquor in his system, he’ll have the guts to finally ask her, you know?” she giggled.

The group erupted in laughter and made their way to the door. “Shall we go then?”

Matsuda nodded, opening it, and was greeted by the bustling city of Hanami and the thousands of people ready to accept the new age.

That’s right…

-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

THE KITCHEN, THE AXIS -- PRESENT TIME

…Dreams find a way to persist. No matter what happens, no one has the power to stop change. It’s human nature.

He opened his eyes, watching Aleximus with a loving warmth. A tear appeared in his eye but he quickly wiped it away.

“Uncle, are you okay?”

Matsuda shook his head."It's nothing,". He put his hand on his nephew’s shoulder. "You know, you were right. In a way anyway."

Aleximus furrowed his brow. “In my pursuit of honoring his final wish, I allowed myself to become blind to what kind of man he was. To what kind of man he had wanted me to be.”

Aleximus spluttered in surprise. "What are you… Are you saying..?"

“Yes,” Matsuda nodded. "...I will allow you to leave the Axis.”

A chill ran through the boy’s spine. He couldn’t believe it in the slightest. “Are you serious?”

“I am. Honestly, I know you aren’t ready. It’s why I’ve given you so much pushback regarding this. But inhibiting your ability to grow… Not letting you forge your path… Well, that only heightens the risk of interference. You’ll never become your own person that way. I finally understand that."

"I sense a ‘but’ coming." Aleximus quipped. Matsuda snorted. “Yes, young man, there is a ‘but’. And that is: When choosing your path, I want you to make sure it's not the wrong one. And that nothing can steer you off of it. Not even me.”

Aleximus pondered the decision. He looked away from his uncle in shame and turned him down. “I’m sorry uncle. I don’t deserve to. Not after today.”

“What happened?”

“I… Well, I, uh, snapped at Anna today. It was so stupid; getting mad at her for the same thing you told me not to do: Try to find a way out of the Axis. I was hypocritical, and mean. When the reality of possibly leaving dawned on me, I… got scared.”

He continued shakily. “When I saw what she tried to do for us, I thought about what you had said this morning. I got angry knowing that some stupid action could be the reason someone got in trouble, hurt, or worse. When I thought about that, I kind of just lashed out at the closest person. Anna happened to be that person.”

Understanding, Matsuda ruffled Aleximus’s hair. “That’s fair. You’re dealing with a complicated situation so I know you feel you need to vent. I just hope you didn’t go overboard.”

Aleximus shrugged. “Ooh, it's that bad huh? What did she do?” Matsuda smiled.

He avoided eye contact. "She… She went into the Forbidden Area."

Matsuda's eyes darkened with an intense seriousness. The color on his face was drained from shock. He staggered.

“W-Whats the matter?” Aleximus shivered. “Aleximus. What..? No! That’s not important! How did she get in? It should be impossible for you three to see past the dark veil! You can’t use Sanctum Energy yet!”

The words ‘Sanctum Energy’ struck a cord in Aleximus’s mind. “Those words… Anna said the same thing…” he shuddered. He was starting to become aware of the seriousness of the situation.

"She what?!" Matsuda asked apprehensively. "Anna! She said we couldn’t see through the trees there because we didn’t have that Sanctum Energy thing!" Aleximus repeated.

But that wasn’t what scared Aleximus. It was what Anna had said afterward to him when she tried explaining herself.

“Uncle, there’s something I have to tell you.”

Matsuda’s chest rose up and down.

“Anna can use Sanctum Energy. She’s been using it for like a month now.”

A terrified groan escaped his uncle’s lips as his arms fell to his sides. “Aleximus, answer me this: Has Anna been getting any headaches as of late? Any at all that was out of the ordinary?!”

Matsuda's breathing became more erratic as his nephew nodded. "OH NO!!"

He bolted out of the kitchen with great speed and dove down the hall. "YOU STAY HERE, ALEXIMUS!"

Aleximus racked his brain.

"I didn’t mean to… I was careful... sniffle ... Promise. My new friend helped me get in.

When she had said it, he had assumed she was referring to an imaginary friend or even just lying to get him to calm down. However, if she was being serious, that meant his uncle had just come to the same conclusion he did.

He eyed the kitchen knife on the dish rack anxiously before grabbing it and dashing out of the kitchen.

CLA~UMP

Aleximus knocked the front door open, springing out onto the elevator plank with one leap. He couldn't even remember pulling the lever or reaching the bottom. Everything was a blur.

He ran towards the Forbidden Area. He ran towards his sister.

-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------

Matsuda frantically tossed his bed over and, underneath a loose floorboard, he revealed a chest.

He rummaged through it and pulled out a handful of black talisman. There was a moment of hesitation before grabbing the two items at the very bottom of the chest: A short sickle attached to a heavy iron chain, encrusted with the marking “死神”. It was the same language as the markings on the elevator and the gate surrounding the giant Ash Tree.

As for the other item: A dark purple kimono with red spider lilies embroidered into its seams. The same outfit he had worn a decade prior when he first entered the Axis. He gave a heavy sigh, pausing as he looked at his reflection in the sickle. He needed to return to who he was before. And he hated it.

Matsuda raised the sickle’s blade and held it to the band that tied his ponytails. He severed the band, letting his hair fall freely, and donned a gloomy look. A look he wore only when ready to kill. An electric purple aura emanated off of him, shattering the objects around his room.

KZZZZZTTTT! BZZZZZZEEEE!!

His anger had reached its boiling point.

For the first time in a decade, he was using his powers again. He was using Sanctum Energy. The wood below him began to crack from the stain and the treehouse itself thrashed dangerously, unable to contain Matsuda’s growing wrath.

The man who had gone so far as to seal his powers to keep his children safe… Had allowed its fearsome shadow to bare its fangs once more.

It was all because of something that went unnoticed under his supervision.

Something was here, hiding under his nose.

Someone… Had broken into the Axis.

[Wants & Needs]