THE UNSEEN

There was a moment of silence as everyone present tried to process what was going on.

"Kojo..."

Kojo turned to see Cassandra standing at the doorway, her face pale, her movements unsteady. She took a step forward but swayed and staggered. Both Yuki and Leo reacted instantly. Leo got out of his seat, but Yuki was already beside her.

"It's fine, I'm alright."

She took a shaky step forward, her eyes fixed on Kojo.

"I need you to come with me to the Northern continent. To see my father."

"Your father?" Kojo repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, The Pope."

It took a moment for Kojo to process what she had just said.

"Huh?"

It was then that it occurred to him who the Pope was.

"Wait, you mean the ruler of the Northern Continent and head of the Church? That Pope?" Kojo asked quickly with wide eyes.

"Yes, Pope Innocent the XIV."

"I knew it," Sharone said with narrowed eyes.

Leo's face twisted in disbelief.

"Mistress Cassandra! That's... inappropriate. He can't simply meet His Holiness."

Kojo stared at the knight. He had reevaluated his assessment of Leo due to his sincerity, but he was still a dick, so Kojo deleted it from his mind, now firmly cementing his prior opinion.

Yuki, however, was focused on Cassandra, her brow furrowed with concern.

"Have you perhaps had a revelation, Cassandra?" she asked.

Cassandra nodded, her eyes distant.

"Yes. I saw a vision. But... it wasn't mine. I don't know how to explain it."

"What did you see?" Kojo asked, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach.

Cassandra hesitated.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Sharone asked.

"Because," Cassandra whispered, her voice trembling slightly, "telling you might be the trigger for the events I've seen." She turned to Adriana, her eyes pleading for understanding. Adriana, usually a portrait of composure, nodded slowly, her face pale.

"I saw glimpses of it last time when Cassie first got here," Adriana said, her voice strained. "It's... vague. But..." She wrapped her arms around herself, a visible tremor running through her. The sight of Adriana, normally so steady, so shaken, sent a chill down Kojo's spine.

"Does this have anything to do with the Gates of Sephirot Yuki mentioned?" Kojo asked, his voice low and steady.

Cassandra's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of surprise, then she nodded, confirming his suspicions.

Leo, his face flushed with anger, opened his mouth to protest, but Yuki, with a sharp elbow to his ribs, silenced him.

"(I suspect the one called Gran is connected to this somehow. Events are too thorough to be brushed off as simple coincidence.)" Sysia said.

"Most likely," Yuki nodded in agreement.

Kojo turned to Finn and Fiona, a grateful smile on his face.

"Thanks for your help, guys. I really appreciate it."

Fiona modestly looked down, her cheeks flushing.

"It was nothing, really. I didn't even do anything." Finn, on the other hand, puffed out her chest and raised her chin, a self-satisfied grin spreading across her face.

"Yes, yes, praise me more," she said.

Fiona stepped on her foot, and she let out a yelp.

Kojo chuckled, shaking his head.

"Well, I'm grateful for your help regardless. And I think I'm going to have a talk with you, Finn, about your artistic abilities." Finn beamed with pride, while Fiona just smiled.

"I'll come by to see Felix soon, so you two go on ahead. I'll catch you both later!" With a wave, Finn and Fiona bowed and took their leave. Then turned back to Cassandra.

He thought for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak.

The blizzard raged, a white fury that swallowed the landscape. Black Moore, a silhouette against the blinding snow, pressed onward. His thick fur cloak, a dark, luxurious shroud, offered little comfort against the biting wind. Each step was a struggle, his boots sinking into the deepening drifts. He paused, his breath a white plume against the swirling chaos. The vast expanse of the tundra stretched before him, a desolate canvas of white. He glanced back; the faint imprints of his passage already fading, erased by the relentless snow.

A low, mournful howl echoed through the storm, a sound that cut through the wind's roar. Black Moore turned, his gaze drawn to a dark opening in the snow-covered rocks – a cave. He let out a misty breath and moved towards it. He stopped at the entrance, a faint warmth radiating from within, and a distinct sense of another presence.

Inside, a lone figure clad in a cloak sat before a small fire, the flickering flames casting dancing shadows on the cave walls. They stirred something in a small pan, their movements deliberate and calm. A katana, its dark scabbard gleaming faintly, leaned against the cave wall within arm's reach. "Come in, the weather is only going to worsen," said a calm, clear voice cutting through the silence of the cave.

He obliged, taking a seat in front of the fire, opposite his host. The fire's warmth was a welcome contrast to the frigid air outside. He glanced at the person in front of him, and though the cloak and hood hid their features, the voice was a woman's voice.

"Who would have thought," Black thought to himself, then sneezed. They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound the crackling fire and the howling wind. Then, she spoke, her voice low and measured.

"Why is the Empire after me?" she asked as she poured tea from the pan, offering a cup to Black Moore.

"So she knows, huh?"

He accepted, taking a sip, the warm liquid soothing his throat.

"I'm here to stop the Unseen from claiming the Metatron Cube."

"The Metatron Cube?" Unseen repeated, her voice flat.

"It's a divine construct," Black Moore explained, "capable of influencing the Libra System by serving as a key to the gates of Sephirot."

"And?"

Black blinked, surprised by her nonchalance.

"We received information that you were here to retrieve it from the Church, hence your presence in Ezkanur."

"Well, whoever you get your information from is terrible at their job," she said, taking a sip.

"Huh?"

"I have no interest in your Empire's relics," she said, her voice unperturbed, as she poured herself more tea. Her face remained obscured by the deep shadows of her hood. "I am in Ezkanur for personal business."

"And what may that business be?" Black Moore pressed.

"That is of no concern to you," she replied, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I just said it was personal, and you're still asking." She said, downing all her tea in a single swig.

"I'd prefer sake to help calm my nerves, but this will have to do. She doesn't like it when I drink anyway, so there's no need to make her needlessly mad," Unseen muttered and stretched out her hand. Black gulped down his tea and handed her the cup. She wiped them with a piece of cloth, then paused, tilting her head slightly.

"The blizzard will subside in a few hours, but I do not have the time to wait. I am going ahead."

She said, reaching into her cloak and retrieving a small pouch. She then gathered the pan, the cups, and the tea leaves, placing them inside the pouch and tightening the cord. She hid the pouch within her clothes and reached for her katana, but a wall of black flames erupted between her and the blade, cutting her off.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked, her voice calm but edged with steel, not turning to face Black.

"I'm sorry," Black Moore said, rising to his feet.

"Even if our data was inaccurate and you're not here for the cube, I was still ordered to bring you back to Adonis."

"Oh?"

"You are one of the Elite. The battle data we can gain from you would significantly boost the Empire's forces."

A pause hung in the air, thick with unspoken tension. Then, she sighed, a sound of weary resignation in her voice.

"So that's how it is, huh?"

Before she could react, Black Moore moved, a blur of motion, engulfing her in a wave of black flames, the cave suddenly illuminated by the flare.

Unseen walked in the blizzard, muttering curses and saying things about how she was late and how her cloak was ruined. She was wearing the fur cloak Black was wearing.

"Well, I guess I'll have to manage with this," she muttered as she vanished into the blizzard.