Chapter 10(1/2): Rika?

Kei stepped into the living room, hoping for a quiet start to the morning. What he found instead was far from peace.

Rika stood in front of the mirror, her eyes locked onto her own reflection. Her posture was stiff, almost unrecognizable. The wild energy she usually exuded was subdued, replaced by an unsettling quiet. She wasn't glaring at anything, not even herself. She was… thinking. And Kei wasn't sure he liked it.

He hesitated, unsure whether to say something or just let her be. But it was too late—Rika had already noticed him standing there.

"Kei," she said, her voice soft but heavy. "You're up early."

Kei rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling awkward. "I didn't mean to interrupt." He stepped further into the room, glancing over at her. "What's going on? is something wrong?."

Rika let out a sharp breath and glanced at him, but she didn't meet his eyes. "I'm... trying to figure something out." She said it like it was the simplest thing in the world, but there was a weight to her words that didn't sit right with Kei.

Before he could ask more, the door to the living room swung open with a dramatic flair, and Aira entered—gliding in like she owned the place. She was every inch the image of perfection, as always. Her gaze swept over Rika briefly before landing on Kei.

"You're up early," Aira observed, her voice smooth and condescending in equal measure. "You should be careful, Rika. Waking up early might make you lose some of your edge."

Rika stiffened, her eyes narrowing in Aira's direction. "Don't start with me, Aira."

Kei noticed that something in Rika's voice wasn't the usual sharpness. There was something else there—something deeper. She wasn't as quick to snap back, and it was making him uneasy. He knew something was bothering her, but she wasn't saying what.

Aira, unbothered, continued, her smile perfect and irritatingly smug. "Oh, what? You're too tired to argue? That's new. You're not going soft on us, are you, Wrath?"

Rika's fists clenched at her sides. The anger was there, bubbling beneath the surface, but she didn't let it explode. Kei stepped forward, unable to just stand back and watch anymore. "Enough, Aira," he said firmly, looking at her directly. "Rika doesn't need you to lecture her."

Aira gave him a knowing look, one that was both condescending and a little amused. "And what, Kei? You think I'm the problem here?"

Kei took a deep breath, trying to keep his tone steady. "No. I think you're the distraction."

Rika shot him a look, a flicker of gratitude behind the tension in her eyes. She didn't speak, but the weight of Aira's presence was enough to make the entire room feel suffocating.

"Fine," Aira said, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. "I'll leave the brooding to you two then."

Kei watched as Aira moved to sit on the couch, her posture regal, almost intentionally out of place. He could feel the shift in the air between them. There was a quiet understanding growing, but it wasn't just about Aira. It was about Rika.

Rika finally turned away from the mirror, her gaze focused on the floor. "You know, it's... it's hard," she muttered, barely above a whisper. "Trying to control this. I'm supposed to be the embodiment of Wrath, but sometimes, I don't know what that means anymore."

Kei didn't need to say anything. He understood. His eyes softened as he took a step closer to her. "You don't have to have all the answers right now, Rika."

She looked at him, her expression shifting into something more vulnerable than he had ever seen before. "It's hard not to feel like I'm just... being my sin. Like it's all I am." Her voice cracked, just slightly. "But I don't want to be only Wrath."

Kei opened his mouth, about to say something comforting, but Aira's voice cut through the silence.

"That's the problem, isn't it?" she said, her tone shifting from playful to serious. "You're trying to fight it. Trying to run from what you are. Wrath doesn't have time for self-doubt. Wrath is raw, powerful. You need to own that."

Kei turned to Aira, feeling a flicker of annoyance at her harsh words. "What do you know about it?" he shot back. "Not everything is about embracing your sin. Sometimes, it's about finding something else to hold on to."

Aira's eyes flashed with something Kei couldn't quite read, but her lips quirked upward. "Maybe. But when you've lived as long as I have, Kei, you'll learn that fighting against your nature only weakens you. It's pride that makes me strong. It's the same for Rika."

Rika scoffed, but there was less anger in it this time. "Pride," she muttered, the word tasting foreign in her mouth. "Is that really the answer?"

Aira's gaze softened slightly, but she remained composed. "It's not about being Pride. It's about standing tall in who you are. Embrace it, and then you can control it." She turned to Rika, her voice uncharacteristically gentle. "You have more power in you than you realize. But only if you stop questioning it."

Kei couldn't help but feel the tension easing just a little in the room. Aira's words, though harsh, weren't entirely wrong. There was a certain clarity to them—something Rika needed to hear, whether she liked it or not.

Rika's eyes narrowed as she processed Aira's words, but instead of reacting with her usual fury, she sighed heavily, as if releasing a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Maybe you're right," she muttered. "Maybe I've been fighting too hard."

Kei stepped closer to her, offering a quiet smile. "You're not alone in this, you know? You've got all of us, even if we're... kind of a weird bunch."

Rika managed a small, half-hearted laugh. "Yeah. A weird bunch."

Kei reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "You'll find your way. We all will."