Takei was sitting quietly on his own on the small cot that his nephew had been using these past four months as his bed. He looked around the six by eight room that had been used primarily to store gardening tools and other miscellaneous items the servants haphazardly threw in here. He could still smell the scent of the rusted shaving they left behind. On his skin he felt a small stream of air push into this little box, a draft that Hisato missed with the copious amounts of pink insulation he bought with money he received from assisting the local Doctor.

Everything here spoke of an impossibly young boy who was getting by even after the worst day of his life.

It shouldn’t be this way though!

His sister! His brother-in-law! They were both taken from them too soon!

Hisato had been living in a nice home with his own bedroom and a backyard to play in. He was already attending school, played sports and had a lot of friends where he lived in Yokohama. The life his nephew had was perfect. Free from the burdens and responsibility of this family and would have likely gone on to live an equally happy life. Now Hisato was… here.

‘You know Takei-kun… Since Yukiko is still in Tokyo, perhaps it’ll be better for you and Toki to come live with us. If Father tries anything I promise we’ll support you in any way we can.’

That was one of the last things his older sister said to him before she died. Offering them a way to be closer with his sick wife and to let Toki have more opportunities in the bigger city. He had actually contemplated doing just that. Things had become noticeably harder with the costs to pay for her medical expenses but father had no qualms for using the Yukihana’s dwindling funds to pay for her treatments.

Even the specialists at one of Tokyo’s best hospitals couldn’t find what was wrong with her. All they knew was that her body was shutting down and it was taking more and more time and effort keeping her alive. Not even their best practitioner of Light Magic could find a means to cure whatever was killing her. Every favor they called in to do something – anything – turned out to be pointless.

It was for this reason he had kept close ties with the Yukihana after his own mother died and his father grew colder and more volatile as the years passed. If he had just packed up and left with Toki, a potential candidate and grandchild, he knew any support his father leveraged would cease and his wife wouldn’t live more than a few hours off life support.

Now with his sister gone it was now on him to take on the role of support for Hisato. Just as she would have fought tooth and nail for them if the roles were reversed.

‘Do you understand? You can try to keep me under your thumb as much as you want but I don’t need you or anyone else to survive in this world and it’s you that’s holding the Yukihana back, not me.’

Yet in such a short time Hisato had grown distant, distrustful of the Yukihana and had come to see his father with hatred and disdain. He couldn’t fault the boy for that. A lot of this had yet to be explained to him and much of the greater hardships he tried to stay up to date with here likely didn’t reach his ears. Even Toki had seemed to go quiet when the topic of Hisato was brought up. Leaving him wondering just how bad the conditions in his absence truly were?

No doubt his father said something to her but would never admit to such a thing.

Clink!

He raised the metal tag just at his eyeline. Hisato had left it behind yesterday when he took off from the meeting. From the uproar it caused with his father and those that supported him, it was likely best for his nephew to stay away from them. Letting cooler heads prevail over time where things could be discussed calmly.

The sight of the A- Grading for Hisato’s Light Magic was astronomical. While affinities did grow stronger over time it was very difficult to raise them. Even the doctor who tried to heal his wife only had a Grade of B. Certainly nothing to scoff at as even that was incredibly rare. When the doctor tried using a high level spell on Yukiko and it failed he was certain that was his very last chance to help her.

At least until Hisato appeared.

He would wholeheartedly admit it was selfish of him but he was praying beyond all odds that his nephew could eventually do what many could not. This immense talent Hisato had was only raising his hopes that the day to Yukiko’s recovery and return to their home was at hand. He didn’t know why but he could feel it!

One thing at a time though…

Where his nephew suddenly ran off to was now the problem. No one knew where Hisato was and it had already been a day since he left. With this storm getting worse he feared what sort of state they would find him in. While gifted that didn’t mean the boy was able to go off on his own and live on the streets or with some random stranger.

To be perfectly honest though he found this whole thing ridiculous. Hisato was a prodigy seen once in every few generations but never expected his abilities to grow so quickly without any help. That was largely why a lot of people were mad about this. Somehow a ten year old managed to raise his Star Attributes in a fraction of the time it should have. Not bothering to answer how that happened and just ran when they threatened more serious questioning against him.

So was Hisato just abnormal or…

He stood up peering out the only window in this box. Just in his eyeline was the edge of the compound’s magic barrier closest point to where they kept a monster hive in check. There were signs of someone crossing over it and some of the servants had seen Hisato hanging around there recently. No one seemed to warn him of its purpose nor did they discourage him from going near it. Fighting monsters brought about the fastest increase in Star Attributes after normal training. If that was the case then Hisato reaching his first star from the point where he first arrived wasn’t impossible.

Just incredibly dangerous and stupid!

“Hey! Knock knock! I’m coming in.” The door to the shed creaked open, revealing Yasue.

“Is everything moved in properly?”

The teenager nodded, grinning wildly at being a part of this little moving job. Since his father was listed as the primary legal guardian for Hisato it had been up to his discretion on what had happened to their belongings. It was sickening but somehow his father’s lawyers managed to get ahold of his sister and brother-in-law’s assets after they passed. Since neither of them had made a will it was incredibly easy for them to do so.

His fists curled, barely containing the fury he felt every time he thought about it!

They sold their house, belongings and took a hold of any savings they had! The personal items that rightly belonged to Hisato never came here! Pictures, toys, clothing, all of it! His father just had the servants throw them away or just incernirated it with the garbage! Anything attached to his sister was cast away with only the clothes on her son’s back brought with him!

Hisato never even got a chance to be at their funeral!

“Grr! Grah!”

“Relax Big bro.” Yasue said, patting him on his shoulder. “I managed to find some of his stuff. It’s not much but…”

“Ya… it’s something at least.” But not nearly enough! This was downright insulting! Theft of a child's entire life out of sheer spite! “Has everything been placed in his new room?”

Nodding, the teen rubbed the back of his neck, really trying to hide a lot of discomfort in what he had been made to do on such a short notice. “Listen, you know I’m more than happy to share my room with him. Mom and Dad don’t mind either. Not everyones gonna be happy with such a rash decision.”

“I know! If they have a problem with it then they can talk to me!”

“O-Okay…”

“Ah! I’m sorry, I’m just… I’m angry at a lot of people in our family right now.”

“Ya, I understand.” Yasue squatted down and pointed to the cot he was sitting on. “I’m assuming we’re leaving that piece of junk here?”

“Yes. Hisato will have a proper bed now. Once our associates find him I’ll be sure to talk to him about what changes to his living arrangement will be happening.” He really wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. After having to depart to procure more funds for over three months he had little real interaction with his nephew besides their initial encounter. That needed to change somehow. “Hisato may not like it but whether he or anyone here likes to admit, he is family.”

“Okay, well, I have to ask the big question then; What will you do if Uncle Komuro puts his foot down? You know all of our problems would go away if you…”

Sucking in a deep breath, he was straining himself not to growl in irritation of that ever looming fact. How simple it would be for Toki, Hisato, and himself if he just took over the Yukihana from father. He was certain many wouldn’t have a problem if he did so. The problem wasn’t the potential end result. No, the real problem was being able to do it at all.

Even after all his training he still wasn’t powerful enough to face his father. He was sure their Star Attributes were roughly even by now. Unfortunately even if by some miracle he did somehow overcome his father in a duel for inheritance, it wouldn’t make him the true official heir. For that reason he would fall a step behind in any duel they had. The trueest source of power of the Yukihana was still bestowed to his father and his attempt to take on that role for himself…

‘You are not worthy! You do not possess the qualities needed to wield my power!’

As hard as it was to admit at the time, he truly wasn’t meant to take on the Yukihana’s sigil. It was his Elder Sister that should have done so. She was always stronger than he was and more determined in her training to succeed. His father had always favored her because of that and only began to look at him when she left with her future husband. If Hisato had shown an affinity for Ice Magic with his other abilities on top of it…

Perhaps it might mean Toki’s fate was supposed to be different from the very beginning.

Whoosh!

“Master Takei…”

“So this is your special familiar, Big Bro. First time I’ve seen it in person,” Yasue said.

“It’s not something I like to show off.”

He shook off those pointless thoughts as the reality of the situation in front of him was starkly different. Right now finding Hisato took priority. Just outside his personal assistant had just returned, covered head to toe in a white cloak so that they could blend in with their surroundings. It had been this person who had watched over Hisato when time allowed and where his information on the happenings of his family here were gathered.

“Speak. Have you located my nephew?”

“Yes… He headed south with the Doctor.”

He nodded. It made sense Hisato would go to him when it was a source of income for him. “Do you know where?”

“I do not… but, the direction will bring them close to his place.”

“W-What?” Takei’s heart threatened to stop. Whole body tensed up as the worst possible news he could potentially be relayed to him was somehow topped by this even more horrendous information. Why of all places would the town Doctor be heading to the Sharpe residence! Why bring Hisato with him! “Oh no! This is not good!”

“Big Bro?”

“Yasue! Go get your father and tell him to come immediately!” If that man saw Hisato and found out he was associated with the Yukihana family then he was in danger! “In fact, gather anyone here who has at least five stars! Even my father if he’s here! You must hurry before Hisato is killed!”

The teenager looked stunned at his sudden and outrageous order. Probably more so that his younger cousin was now in imminent danger. Only snapping too after he didn’t show an ounce of humor in this. While Yasue was still young the teenager had already faced monsters and other such creatures by attending the academy.

Unfortunately though, even the prestigious Shinzōhoshi Magical Academy couldn’t prepare anyone for beings that surpassed the powers of even the worst demons. For all the touting of raising Star Attributes more efficiently than anywhere else in the country it was still only a stepping stone for bigger things.

“I’ll be as quick as I can!” Yasue quickly gathered his bearings and warped away to where his cousin Jiro would likely listen to the order he relayed to his son. Out of everyone else in the family only Jiro had enough strength to back him up should his father not come along.

Even then it might not be enough.

“Kōri!”

“Yes Master Takei.”

“I want you to find exactly where Hisato is and then signal me once you found him! You are not to engage anyone from the Sharpe family! Is that clear!”

“Yes Master.” His construct bowed its head, showing acknowledgement of his orders. It had always been a faithful and obedient companion to him but sometimes his orders were not relayed clearly. On this matter he had to be absolute.

“Then go!”

WOOSH!

In a powerful gust of wind and snow his familiar vanished. Likely heading south on his nephew's last known trajectory. He prayed that this sudden crisis wouldn’t end in another tragedy. Why did this have to happen to Hisato? If the boy wasn’t so caught up with making money to keep the shed he was forced to live in warm enough for the winter this wouldn’t even be happening!

‘He has shown himself disrespectful, arrogant, and subpar in his duties to this household!’

No, that's not true.

His father would still have forced Hisato to run off. Even now showing an unprecedented amount of potential his father was still trying to keep the Yukihana in the little bubble he had created. Not realizing that sooner or later the bubble would eventually pop… or those inside would eventually run out of air.

[LH]

Devin Sharpe was having quite the interesting evening. When he had Estella call Takahashi-sensei he did actually expect the old man to make it here in this storm. While it was an annoyance, it appeared more than likely that he would have to go out and collect the medicine for Livia himself. A matter he wishes wouldn’t happen as frequently in the future.

The girl hadn’t shown the same adaptation for the artifact that Levis did – an unfortunate but undeniable fact. While the ritual had initially been a success he was starting to see very little results of it so far. Well… results he could say he was satisfied with. There were a far cry from what he initially hoped.

Both Livia and Levis had yet to break through to their first star. They were both on the cusp of it but required more time before reaching that basic milestone. Time that he would rather not waste twirling his thumbs. But like every experiment, patience was required. The twins were a proof of concept; A basis for future plans further down the road.

If one or both of them failed to contain the power of the artifact then he could simply recollect the fragments and try again with another candidate. Regrettable but ultimately necessary for his plans. When Livia began showing signs of rejecting the artifact he was on the precipice of letting her go. This had been the seventh time in the last six months she required that medicine to subdue her rejection symptoms. It was medicine that was rather rare, very hard to obtain, and could only be done so from a special flower unique to the land.

What's one of the reasons why he had moved to the isolated country. Merely to stay out of the public sight while he conducted his experiments in peace. With many in the area not bothering to ask too many questions of his estate it worked out well when making contact with the former geneticists specialist, Kodo Takahashi, who already lived in the area and was a known pariah decades back for questionable medical practices.

Perhaps it was fate that Livia’s time had not run out just yet.

He honestly wasn’t expecting much from that boy. A bit odd to see someone of a clearly mixed background escorting Takahashi-sensei but not completely strange enough to comment on it. Only when the eccentric Doctor announced the boy’s aptitude for Light Magic did his interest start to become peaked.

Light Magic on its own was incredibly rare. Out of the eight billion people on the planet only eight million people showed any sort of affinity for it and only less than a thousand had a rating higher than Grade B. Anything higher than that was astronomically rare. He could only think of six people off the top of his head and he had only personally encountered two of them in his entire life – both powerful and highly contained by the powers that sought to capitalize on them.

Now he had met a third.

He was familiar with the Nightsbane spell. A mid level Light Magic spell that someone with at least three stars might be able to cast with a decent enough affinity. It wasn’t something a boy of that age could cast without an affinity that was even higher than that. Even then it required a sizable amount of magic to perform. So he could only conclude that this random boy the Doctor so conveniently brought before him possessed those extreme desirable and immensely rare traits.

Once more he had to withhold his comments after he witnessed the boy use his magic to subdue the symptoms Livia was facing. Never considering that the artifact was more than just a source of power containing concentrated Dark Magic. It made sense though that its source was actually a demon’s soul trapped inside. That these symptoms Livia and Levis struggled with were actually the Demon’s willpower trying to take over.

Up until that point he never considered the possibility but this miraculous boy…

‘I see you, Demon! You cannot hide from me! I will not take this innocent child as your own!’

…He knew right away what the source of Livia’s sickness was and showed no hesitation or power in vanquishing it. Never before seeing someone that young hold their own against what was likely the soul of an ancient and clearly long forgotten Demon.

With that he knew he needed to get ahold of this child’s powers before anyone else had the chance too. He would be foolish not to. It was the perfect opportunity as well. A storm impeding the boy’s desire to leave and a rising fatigue from getting to his home and subduing the Demon had left this amazing find all but in the palms of his hand.

But perhaps it shouldn’t be so surprising that such a prodigy had also seen through his intentions and wouldn't simply let his current state stop him from leaving. So if only to prove just how valuable he was, this mysterious boy had used the purified soul gem of a vanquished monster to replenish himself after using such a potent spell. A feat only those well versed with the intricacies of Gem manipulation were savvy to. Revealing the use of the even more difficult spell; Purify. A spell he had only seen once used by his own teacher many years ago.

That ultimately decided it then. If his attempts to persuade the boy from leaving wouldn’t work then a more forceful hand would be implemented.

What ensued was a great deal of deception, skill, and endurance from his new prize. Never faltering in the face of absolute power and didn’t relent when it was pointless to resist. Not only was the boy blessed with rare magic and the knowledge to use it but had the fortitude and strength of a warrior.

There was an anger in the boy he had not felt since his own. An anger towards the entire world.

He had been wrong. This boy was not some simple asset secure for himself. He wasn’t a prize for him to simply take and use. No, this young man had all the potential he sought for in Livia and Levis. Someone who’s potential would surpass his own.

A true protégé to mold and guide to that eventual pinnacle.

"I said bullshit! You don't see myself in you! You see what you once were!" The young man cursed at him again. Already understanding the parallels between them on a deeper level. Even as this child knelt in the freezing snow with only his own jacket laid over top of him for warmth, he could still see the determination and defiance in those green eyes.

It was true. He was staring at his younger self. Not once expecting to see such a person before his eyes but this world for all its vile ugliness could still surprise him at the strangest of times.

“But that’s the point. I see your potential. I see your future.” He placed a hand on the top of the boy’s head, almost mirroring a memory of his own life when he was an angry young man. The words almost laced with an ironic diatribe of the man that once trained him. “I see myself helping guide that potential. I see myself giving you everything you’ve been denied and helping you reach the heights you so desperately want to reach for.”

He could only guess what was running through the boy’s mind. The contemplation of an offer that he wouldn’t – couldn’t refuse lightly. Whatever motivations the boy held for being angry at this world wouldn’t truly matter in the end. Soon enough everything would change and he’d make sure this boy stood beside him.

“I… I want to…”

“It’s alright. I know you're hesitant but I assure you that I will give you all the support you deserve.” He reached out with his other arm to grab the boy’s hand which was slowly extending towards him. Perhaps this was merely a ploy to deceive him and this young man had a better opportunity to escape. He didn’t really care if that was the case. Soon enough he would see the truth and value of his goals.

[Ice Blade!]

Instincts kicked in. At the last possible moment he jumped back from the boy just as a large blade of ice threatened to decapitate his head off. Its sheen was clear and sparkled in the night suggesting it was made of a high Magic Quality – A thinness that exemplified a superb level of Magic Control.

Even then he was left muttering a curse to himself as he brushed the small amount of blood dripping from his cheek. The near invisible edge of the blade just barely cut him. It was more of a nuisance than anything else. He already had a good idea who just tried to strike him down but felt more curious rather than angry.

“How brave of you Yukihana flies to enter my territory.” With barely a flick of his finger his Dark Magic wrapped around the spinning blade of ice and shattered it. “Even more so to attack me for no reason.”

“No reason!” A familiar voice yelled out from the dark cold. Within the span of him batting his eye he was surrounded on all sides by the dregs of the snobbish and arrogant Ice clan that called this land their ancestral home. Leading the pack was the soft hearted Prince of the clan, Takei Yukihana. He stood with a blade of ice poised to strike at him once more. An uncharacteristically viscous scowl on his pretty face threatening to murder him if given the chance. It was almost impressive to witness. “You harass my nephew and claim I have no reason!”

“Nephew?” He raised an eyebrow of disbelief at that ridiculous claim. “Forgive me but I fail to see any resemblance.” More than likely the Yukihana had already tried to stake a claim on the boy and were trying to get their valuable asset back.

Except, as hard as it was to believe, that claim seemed to be the case after all.

“Uncle Takei?” The boy mumbled with a look of confusion. “How did you…”

The Yukihana Prince lowered his blade, lowering himself to pull the boy into a tight hug. A look of relief and pained sadness of the man's face not hiding his feelings for his supposed nephew. “I’m sorry, Hisato-kun. I should have been here sooner. Please for being so late and failing to keep my promise.”

“‘Kay. I’m… really tired… wanna go to… brrrr.” the boy slurred, the adrenaline now fading in the arms of the Yukihana Prince.

Takei scooped the boy up as another prominent Yukihana member he was vaguely familiar with, Jiro Yukihana, stepped up to his cousin's side. The two stood in solidarity to defend the boy if they came to blows. While the others were easy enough to crush these two wouldn’t be so easy without putting in a sizable amount of effort.

At this factor his irritation began to grow seeing his new protege slip away from his grasp. Right now causing a stir and revealing attacking a prominent clan of this country would only draw unwanted attention to himself. His curiosity as to the boy's true origins now in full force. If he couldn’t get ahold of this child today then he would find out as much as he could to acquire him later.

“Is that boy truly your Nephew?”

“You should already know, Sharpe,” Takei spat without any restraint of his hatred. “Not that you ever cared for the happenings of your own family.”

Suddenly thrown for a loop he would fully admit to being completely stumped as to what the Yukihana Prince was referring to. “Perhaps you can enlighten me then?”

“While you may not have seen him as a brother, Luca still considered you as someone dear to him.”

“Ah.... little Luca.”

Now things were finally beginning to click in his mind. Of all the people in his checkered past he likely thought of the least it had to have been his youngest brother. Luca was everything he despised in a person; Wasted potential. Everything he had wanted as a child Luca possessed but never did anything with it. Yet even as he tried to break free of his family, his younger brother still sought to remain connected.

The last time he saw Luca was…

“That boy… he’s my… Nephew?”

“When your brother failed to get you to return home he met my elder sister, Kouki Yukihana. They eloped, moved to Yokohama and changed their names to Osawa since my father was against their marriage. This is their son. His name is Hisato Osawa.”

So that was why the boy possessed such a strong aptitude for Light Magic. Why he felt so much drawn to the boy after encountering him for the first time. Hisato was a child born from the Sharpe family and the Yukihana clan. The chances he would meet an actual blood relative like this boy out here was unthinkable.

“And what of Luca and his wife? Where are they?” From the pained expression on the Yukihana Prince’s face it gave him all the explanation he needed to know why it was him who came. His foolish younger brother and his wife died. Now it was the Yukihana who were given custody of their son. “I see. I’m honestly surprised you revealed this so freely.”

“While Luca may have seen hope for you still, I knew better. You would have done whatever you had to find this information out on your own. This way you won’t be interrogating any of our Yukihana members to do so.”

“Very true.” He smiled, not denying that likely possibility. It's good to know the soft hearted Prince wasn’t as naive as many assumed him to be. “Which comes back to why I shouldn’t demand you hand over the boy to me now that I know he shares my blood.”

“Because the Yukihana have already taken custody of him legally. I know such a thing doesn’t matter to you but the pact that binds the ancient warrior clans of Japan together will not tolerate a foreigner like yourself from interfering in our matters. For all your supposed strength even you are not strong enough against our combined might!”

Regrettably that threat was true. While he was dubious as to how close the clans were these days given alot of internal turmoil he wouldn’t take that risk now that he knew the boy he was keen on taking under his wing was his family. An actual family member that had no relations to his former parents and other siblings. Truly Hisato was a treasure he had to be careful about not risking.

If this merely came to a matter of law then perhaps there were avenues he could seek that would push Hisato away from the Yukihana and into his palm.

“...For now.” He gave a small curtsey to Takei before wrapping himself in his Dark Magic. “I assume you can see yourself off of my land? Until a later time then. Do take care of my Nephew. I will come to visit him at some point in the future. Heh heh heh!”

He laughed as he rose through the air, looking down on those Yukihana flies quivering at his promise. They had no idea who they were trifling with nor the lengths he would go to to acquire what he wanted.

They would soon though.

[LH]

“Gah!” When I finally registered the brightness of the sun on my face I shot up like a canon. Panic filled my chest as I was half expecting to find myself chained up in some dungeon basement in the Sharpe mansion. I checked wy wrists – no chains. No foreboding and bleak dungeon either. Just the familiar esthetic of the Yukihana compound and the unbearable strong scent of jasmine incense.

I blinked owlishly around the room, trying to piece together just where I was. For the most part I had seen almost every part of the Yukihana’s main and guest houses on the property. The only exceptions being bedrooms belonging to Grampy, Toki and Takei. I was really hoping I wasn’t in the former two as the Sharpe dungeon might be a preferable alternative if that was the case.

While I was still feeling weak I was eager to get out of here and return to my shack to get some real rest.

“Woah, easy, Little Bro. No need to get up,” Yasue said as he teleported right as I was about to get up.

“Ugh! Did you really have to do that?”

“Ha ha! Sorry I was just so excited to see you wake up.”

“Ya well, I’m glad to see you too. I vaguely remember Uncle Takei coming to get me before conking out. How long have I been asleep?”

“Not even eight hours you energetic psycho.” Yasue pushed me back down onto the bed, pulling tight on the blanket so that I was firmly tucked in. “Cousin Takei said you’d need another eight before you were allowed to get up… Oh and he says you’re grounded by the way.”

“Pfft! Ha! Grounded? You’re joking right?” The teen crossed his arms, trying his best to look serious when the shit eating grin on his face was clearly working against him. Still it got the point across and I could only sigh as a result. “Great. I’m actually grounded.”

“If I had done the dangerous stunts you’ve pulled I would have been hanged by my thumbs like laundry,” Yasue muttered sourly to himself. “I think a few days laying in bed is a reward quite frankly.”

I looked around the room again from my awkward position. I noticed it now that my eyes have adjusted – a familiar looking portrait that I had seen in Hisato’s memories. One of himself when he was younger and his parents. “Speaking of that; Just where am I?”

Creeeak!

“That would be your new room,” Takei said as he opened the door. “Yasue, do you mind giving Hisato-kun and I a moment alone.”

“Sure, no problem Big Bro.” With that the teenager teleported away, leaving just Takei and myself in this strange room. I felt a bit awkward for some reason as I still remembered being picked up and held in his arms when he pulled me away from Devin. It felt strange that someone like Takei could face down the devil himself and walk away with me.

At the moment I really couldn’t tell how that was possible

Uncle Takei was wearing an apron while carrying a tray of soup, fish, and rice in his left hand. Placing it gingerly on the bedside table, he took a seat on the edge of the bed to place the back of his hand against my forehead. “Good. You don’t seem to have a fever. How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?”

I shook my head, more curious on why he was referring to this place as ‘my room’? I didn’t have a room like this. My room was two dozen meters away and half the size of this one. “About what you said; I appreciate the gesture, Uncle Takei, but I’d rather not put anyone out. My little shack is more than I need to get by.”

“I’m aware. Unfortunately you’re not getting a choice in this. You won’t be simply ‘getting by’ anymore. You also don’t have to worry about putting anyone out, as you said. This room hasn’t been used in eleven years.”

I frowned. The math and timetable of why that was the case became clear to me. A room in the Main house that hadn’t been used during that time could only belong to one person. “You mean this was mom’s old room?”

“It was.” Takei smiled but also hung his head low, staring down at the floor. “She spent a lot of time here. I’m certain she left some things behind that father never touched. Perhaps he never did because he thought she might return someday, I’m not really sure.” He then scooted closer to me, pulling me up into a deep hug. I could feel his hands run through the back of my hair. “H-Hisato-kun…” I inhaled a sharp breath as I felt the trembling in Takei’s words. He was whimpering, trying to hold back his tears and I didn’t know what I should do to make him feel better. “...Hisato-kun, I nearly lost you.”

Very slowly, I found myself reciprocating his affection. My small arms wrapping his waist finding my face resting comfortably on his left shoulder. It had literally been a different life since I hugged someone like this. It was my own parents. They sent me off as I was boarding a flight back to where I lived. I don’t remember landing – only waking up to the painful sensations of Hisato’s memories being crammed into my mind and the sight of Nobuo dragging me away from the Osawa’s home.

“Uncle Takei… I’m… Glad you're part of my family.”

“Me too. You were right what you said though. The Yukihana haven’t been a real family in a long time. You shouldn’t have to be dragged into the middle of our mess.”

Even when he looked at me like a sad whimpering puppy I still had to find my nerve and tell him the truth. I pulled away, wanting to look at him directly and to say this clearly. Whether this was still him being naive or just wanting to protect me, Takei needed to understand my intentions.

“Uncle I know you may not like this but… I plan to become legally emancipated by the time I turn fifteen. I’m going to go to the Magic Academy in Tokyo and aim to learn as much about magic as I can.”

“...I see.” As I expected Takei looked disappointed but not outright devastated like I assumed he would be. “If that is what you want and if it will make you happy then I will support it.”

I genuinely smiled hearing those as I had yet to find even a smidgen of support from anyone since I got here. It felt incredibly uplifting to simply hear the sincerity of those words. “Until then… I mean… If you want me to be part of your family then you need to let me in – Truly let me in.”

“Let you in? I don’t understand.”

“If you want me to be your family then that means supporting each other. So you need to tell me everything. I need to know.”

Takei looked me directly in the eyes, conflicted at my request. I know what I was asking from him involved a lot more trouble being placed upon me but if I was stuck here in this place it was on me to improve my conditions. While I still didn’t care for the Yukihana as a whole I would put in enough effort to ensure at least Takei, Yasue and Toki could take a hold of a better future than what was depicted in the game.

Then when I turned fifteen, I could walk away from all the heartache and drama of this place once and for all.

“Okay… I guess I should start from the beginning then. Things didn’t start to go bad until my mother died fifteen years ago…”