The Hunt Begins

Midnight – The Concert Hall

The final note of Silent Prayer hung in the air like a whispered secret, slowly dissolving into a heavy, expectant silence. For a heartbeat, the entire hall held its breath.

Then—thunderous applause exploded, reverberating off the walls and shaking the backstage corridors. Under the glare of the spotlight, Kira—no, Luna—stood motionless.

Her face was hidden behind a sleek black mask, and her expression was as unreadable as a sealed letter. The cheers, the strobing lights, and the sea of outstretched hands were overwhelming, yet inside, she felt a chilling void.

With a graceful bow, she turned away from the adoring crowd and began her retreat backstage. There, Renn was already waiting, practically vibrating with exhilaration.

"Luna, that was—" Renn began, his voice a mix of awe and impatience.

"Did you handle the press?" Kira's tone was flat, void of the emotion expected after such a performance.

Renn huffed, clearly irked by her detached reaction. "Yeah, yeah, I told them no interviews. But seriously, that performance? Insane. The internet's going wild!"

Kira removed her earpiece without a word. "I'm leaving now."

Renn sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Right, of course you are. No afterparty, no celebration—just straight back into the shadows."

She shot him a fleeting, cold glance.

Renn raised his hands in surrender.

"Fine, fine! I'll make sure no one follows you."

With a curt nod, she slipped away into the night.

---

At the Yukimura Household

In a modest, dimly lit bedroom, Hanae lay curled up on her bed, clutching a frayed pillow as if it could shield her from the past. The sting on her cheek still burned, but it was the ache in her heart that hurt more—echoes of her mother's venomous words haunted her every thought.

"She is not your sister."

"She is not part of our family."

But Hanae refused to accept that. To her, Kira had always been more than blood—she was the only sister she ever knew.

Tears threatened to spill, but Hanae blinked them away, steeling herself. She had to be strong.

After a long, silent moment, her trembling fingers began to type on her phone:

"Are you okay?"

---

Inside the Car

Kira sat in the backseat of a sleek black car, lost in her own thoughts as she idly scrolled through her phone.

A new message popped up on the screen:

Hanae:"Are you okay?"

She stared at the message for what felt like an eternity. Kira had long resolved to keep her distance, to isolate herself from the chaos of her family's life.

And yet—Hanae's concern chipped away at that resolve.

With a heavy sigh, she locked her phone without replying. Moments later, the car door slid open and Renn hopped into the front seat, brushing off the lingering chill of the night.

"All set for tomorrow?" he asked, his tone casual yet laced with knowing undertones.

Kira offered a tight nod.

"No more distractions. Let's keep it simple."

Renn's eyes searched hers for a moment.

"I know you better than that."

But there was nothing more to say. The silence in the car spoke volumes.

---

Kairos' Hideout

In a darkened room lit only by the cold glow of multiple monitors, Kairos sat poised before his screens.

One display showcased Luna, the enigmatic masked idol, standing beneath pulsating stage lights. Every performance was recorded in his mind—each note, every subtle gesture meticulously memorized. She was his mystery, an intoxicating enigma he was determined to unravel.

On a second screen, a very different image appeared: Yukimura kira. A girl with piercing, calculating eyes, exuding quiet intensity and unspoken secrets. For weeks, he had watched her, piecing together her routines, tracking her every move. No one had ever intrigued him like this.

Yet a disquieting thought gnawed at him.

Why did Luna's voice sound so hauntingly familiar?

His fingers drummed on the desk as he toggled between the two images, his eyes narrowing in contemplation.

"Who are you?" he murmured under his breath, the question hanging in the dim light. A faint, knowing smirk played across his lips. He was close—he would discover the truth soon enough.

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