A Plea in the Shadows

Kazuki's lips lingered on hers for a moment longer before he pulled back, his sharp brown eyes locking onto hers. The silence that followed was thick, charged with everything unspoken between them. Hime's chest rose and fell as she caught her breath, the pain in her leg momentarily forgotten in the aftermath of their kiss.

But reality crashed back quickly, and Kazuki broke the silence. "What really happened after I left Mars?"

Hime didn't flinch at his question. Her eyes met his, steady but tired. "You want details?"

"I want the truth," he replied, his tone cool, though there was an undercurrent of something far more heated beneath his calm exterior.

Hime exhaled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. 

"Fine." She said, short but heavily implied. 

"After you left, the hunters came faster than I expected. I didn't anticipate their efficiency or that they'd track Berkeley to me. He's... hurt, but alive." She continues, smoothly even, as if this was something she already repeated over and over again.

Kazuki's jaw tightened, his fists clenching. "Who's Berkeley?"

Hime hesitated for only a second. "Berkeley's my... frontman," she explained, her voice steady but quiet. "He handles my dealings in the physical world. A field agent, if you will. He's been with me since I was twelve. Loyal to a fault. But the hunters must've followed him—tracked his movements to find me."

Kazuki's expression darkened further, his jaw tightening. "You trust him."

"Yes," Hime said firmly. "He's never betrayed me. He never will."

The explanation didn't soothe him, though he said nothing. The thought of anyone else being so integral to her life made his chest tighten in an unfamiliar way. "I should have stayed," he muttered, guilt creeping into his voice.

Hime's lips twitched into a faint, bitter smile. "Nothing good would've come from that. If you'd stayed, my identity could've been compromised, and Kagezan would've been dragged into the mess. This was always a possibility, Kazuki. I planned for it. I just... miscalculated the timing."

Her words didn't erase the anger brewing in his chest. He looked away briefly, his sharp eyes narrowing as if trying to focus on anything but the image of her bleeding and cornered.

"I need to move again tomorrow," she continued, her voice breaking the heavy silence. "I can't go to new Mars—it's too risky. Berkeley's there, and with the hunters possibly tracking him, I can't afford to put him—or myself—at greater risk."

Kazuki's expression darkened. "Where will you go?"

"I'll figure it out," Hime replied, her tone steady but tinged with weariness.

Kazuki hesitated. The words formed in his throat before he could stop them. "You could stay at my mansion."

Hime blinked, caught off guard by his suggestion. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a nurse stepped into the room, her expression tense.

..............

"Excuse me," the nurse said, her voice quiet but urgent. "There are visitors."

The sterile smell of antiseptic filled the air, mingling with the faint aroma of rubbing alcohol lingering on the countertops. Kazuki's sharp gaze flicked toward the door as the nurse stepped in. Her movements were careful, almost hesitant, and her wide eyes betrayed the calmness of her voice. A faint draft crept into the room from the hallway, brushing against his skin with a cold edge.

Hime's body stiffened beside him, and her mind raced. Visitors. The word echoed ominously in her thoughts. Who were they? Hunters? Could they have tracked him? Her eyes darted to Kazuki, who was already on edge, his posture tense as if anticipating a fight.

Kazuki's sharp instincts flared. Something about the timing, the nurse's demeanor, and the faint sound of muffled footsteps down the hall felt... wrong. He had dismissed the subtle signs earlier—a lingering presence on his routes, the shadow of movement when he wasn't looking—but now the pieces clicked into place. The hunters might have been tracking him, too.

"They've been watching me," he muttered, his tone low and grim.

Hime glanced at him sharply. "What?"

Kazuki shook his head, his thoughts racing. "I noticed something... off earlier. But I didn't think—" He cut himself off, his jaw tightening. "We don't have time for this."

..............

Hime jolted upright, her body reacting before her mind could catch up. Pain shot through her leg, sharp and unforgiving, and she stumbled.

Kazuki caught her immediately, his strong arms steadying her. "Idiot," he muttered, though his voice was thick with worry. "You're in no condition to move."

"I have to go," Hime said, urgency tightening her voice. "I'll call you tomorrow, but I can't stay here."

Kazuki's grip didn't loosen. His dark eyes bore into hers, frustration and concern warring in his expression. "You're not going anywhere on your own."

"It's dangerous," she countered, her tone firm despite the tremor in her voice. "I know you're strong, but this isn't about strength. It's about being smart."

"I don't care," Kazuki snapped, his voice low and commanding. "You're coming with me. No arguments."

Hime shook her head, her stubbornness flaring even now. "Kazuki, you don't understand—"

"No," he interrupted, his tone sharper now. "You don't understand. Do you think I can just let you walk out of here like this? You're injured, hunted, and still trying to carry everything on your own. Enough, Hime."

She opened her mouth to retort, but he grabbed her wrist firmly, his touch neither rough nor gentle. His eyes softened just enough to betray the desperation in his voice. "Please," he said quietly, his voice raw. "Let me protect you."

Time seemed to slow, the air between them heavy with unspoken tension. Hime stared at him, her sharp mind processing his words, his tone, the faint tremor in his voice. She wanted to argue, to maintain the walls she had built so carefully, but something in his expression—something raw and vulnerable—shattered her resolve.

Her knees buckled, and she collapsed into his arms, trembling uncontrollably. The fear she had suppressed, the relief she didn't want to acknowledge, and the exhaustion that had weighed her down all surged forward at once.

Her voice was barely audible, a whisper that carried more weight than a scream. 

"Please,"

 She said, her tone cracking. 

"Save me."

Kazuki's arms tightened around her, holding her as if to shield her from the world. His chest tightened at her plea, his own resolve solidifying in that moment. Hime—the calculating, untouchable Venus—was letting him in, trusting him in a way no one else ever had.

The sterile smell of the treatment room faded into the background as Kazuki's focus narrowed to the woman in his arms. His voice was steady, but the determination in his eyes was unrelenting. "I will," he said softly, his words carrying a promise he had every intention of keeping.

This time, no one would touch her. Not the hunters. Not anyone.

And this time, she wouldn't have to face the darkness alone.