Inside the O'Hara mansion, even though his fever had gone down, Dean remained asleep on the couch — breath steadier than before.

The whole place was drenched in heavy silence.
The only sounds were the soft ticking of the wall clock and the gentle patter of rain — weaving a lullaby for his exhausted mind.

Then, a voice called to him, echoing through the darkness. 

Quiet — low — like a memory from deep underwater.

“Dean… Dean…”

His brow twitched. He stirred slightly.
Ayane? he wondered. Mrs. Cho?

But no… they didn’t even know his real name yet.
And the voice was masculine — rough. Definitely not theirs.

Dean opened his eyes slowly. The room was hazy in his vision, and a blurry figure stood before him, its face hidden in the shadows.

“Were you asleep?” the stranger asked, tone gentle — almost kind.
Then, the softest smile in his voice:
“I brought you your favorite fruit pie.”

A hand extended toward him, offering the dish.

Dean felt confused but comforted by the familiar warmth in his chest. He reached out—

But before his fingers could touch it, the world twisted.

A firestorm roared to life.
The comfort dissolved into chaos.

Flames rose around him, swallowing a house he knew too well. Smoke clawed at the sky.
A voice — furious, broken — tore through the blaze:

“You damn bastard! Look at what you’ve done to me!”

From within the inferno came a man, fully engulfed —
Except for his eyes.

Burning, vengeful eyes that locked onto Dean as the flaming figure reached out—

Dean gasped, bolting upright — wide awake now, drenched in sweat, heart hammering.

The room was dark, lit only by soft rainlight bleeding in through the windows.

Across from him, someone sat in a chair — silent, half-hidden in shadow — impossible to identify at first glance.

Then a soft, cold voice broke the stillness.

“We need to talk.”

Dean knew that voice in an instant — Ayane. But something was different.

She wasn’t the girl from yesterday — not the quiet, fragile, uncertain one.
This version of her sat with the air of royalty, like she belonged to a darker, older world.

Dean sat up straighter, trying to gather himself.
He cleared his throat, steadying his voice.

“Talk about what?”

Ayane didn’t respond immediately. Her blind gaze remained on him, unwavering — like she could see straight through him.

She tilted her head slightly and then, with chilling calm, asked:

“Who are you, really?”

Dean’s stomach turned.
That question again.
Didn’t they already go over this?

His mouth opened, but no words came.

Ayane couldn’t wait any longer.

Her voice came again — this time colder, more precise:

“And what is Daiki to you?”

The question hit harder than the first.

Dean’s heart lurched.
How could she know to ask that?
Even Daiki hadn’t recognized him yet.
What kind of sight did this girl have?

Still, no answer came.

Ayane leaned forward. Her tone dropped, deadly now:

“If you’re hiding something dangerous… if you mean to hurt Daiki — then believe me…”

She paused — then delivered the rest like a strike:
“I will burn you along with the ground you stand on.”

Dean’s hands trembled.
She wasn’t bluffing. She meant every word.

Still, he said nothing.

Ayane’s voice sharpened further:

“Don’t think you can walk out of here without talking.”

She nodded faintly toward the door — her eyes still fixed on Dean.

“I have people waiting just outside that door — waiting for my orders… so…”

A pause.

With quiet authority:

“…Speak.”

Dean’s eyes flicked toward the door.
There were shadows moving beneath it.
The fear grew colder now — heavier.
His heart sank to his feet.

There was no way out.
Not anymore.

He had to speak the truth… 

And pray the ghosts of his past wouldn’t haunt him.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author’s Note:
Dean may be facing ghosts from the past, but I’ve been facing glowing effects and shading layers all week 😅
This chapter was a big one — intense emotions, tough decisions… and my first attempt at including a full illustration! I’m still learning digital drawing (a.k.a. wrestling with brushes and grayscale), but I hope you’ll enjoy it, even if it’s not “manga pro” level yet.

Thanks for sticking around, and I hope this chapter made you feel something — or at least made you curious about what’s coming next.
(Things are about to heat up… literally and emotionally 🔥👀)