As Tifani had told me Reika came after me that very night.

The estate was silent, the kind of eerie quiet that made every creak of the old wood seem deafening. I had been expecting her, waiting in the dim candlelight of my quarters with the journal open on my lap. The moment the door swung open without a knock, I knew.

Reika stepped in, her movements fluid, deliberate—like a panther circling its prey. She was always the one who didn’t bother with masks. Where Tifani played the role of the sweet, diplomatic sister, Reika was sharp-edged and unapologetically ruthless.

"Yukina."

"Reika."

"You should’ve left when you had the chance," she murmured, closing the door behind her.

I didn't flinch. "I did leave. And I came back for the truth. Something you and Tifani are so desperate to keep buried."

Reika's lips curled in something that might have been amusement, but her eyes were dark, unreadable. "And what do you think you’ve figured out, little sister?" She took a step forward, the dim candlelight casting long shadows across her face. "That our family isn't as noble as they pretend to be? Because that was never a secret."

"I found out what you and Tifani want to do."

"Is that so...What exactly do you plan to do with that information?"

"Why stop you of course"

"Really,that's respectable of you. Do you have a plan?"

I hesitated.

"Huh didn't think so...You know Yukina , that’s always been your problem. You chase the truth, but you never think about what comes after. What happens when you tear down everything? When the dust settles, will you even know what to do with the ruins?"

I gripped the journal tighter, my knuckles whitening. "I know enough to realize that letting you and Tifani continue unchecked would be a mistake. You manipulate, you control, you destroy anything in your way. I won’t let it happen anymore."

Reika scoffed, crossing her arms as she tilted her head, studying me like I was some interesting puzzle. "And what? You think you can stop me? Alone?"

"I'm not alone," I said, voice steady. "Not anymore."

For the first time, something flickered in her gaze—something uncertain, something calculating. But it was gone in an instant.And for the first time I ever in my life I saw Reika laugh and it was terrifying."And who exactly is your accomplice,Yukina?Summer who's all the way in NY,Sophoneia who's missing,mom,dad?Who is gonna help a little 13 year old girl with nothing but a journal and a foolish sense of justice?"

I refused to let her words shake me. "I don’t need an army to expose the truth."

Reika smirked, shaking her head. "Oh, Yukina. You’re still so naive. Do you think truth alone changes anything? You think people care about justice when power is what truly runs this world?" She took a slow step forward. "Let me tell you how this ends, little sister. You fight, you struggle, you scream into the void—and in the end, nothing changes. Tifani and I will still be standing. And you?" Her eyes darkened. "You’ll be buried with the rest of the forgotten."

My heart pounded, but I refused to let her see my fear. "Maybe," I admitted. "Maybe you’re right. Maybe the world doesn’t care. But I do. And I’d rather go down fighting than become another pawn in your games."

Her expression shifted—just barely. A twitch of the jaw, a flicker of something unreadable in her gaze.

"Brave words," she murmured. "But bravery alone won’t save you from what comes next."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small, ornate key—the same one she had dangled before, but now, it was clear she wasn’t offering it as a choice.

"This is your last chance, Yukina," she said, voice low, almost… warning. "Turn back now, forget about all of this, and I might let you walk away. Or…" She tossed the key onto the desk between us. "You take this, and you open a door that you were never meant to see behind."

The key glinted in the candlelight, a silent, ominous promise.

I swallowed, my fingers tightening around the journal. I already knew my answer.

Reika saw it in my eyes before I even spoke.

"You're making a mistake," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Maybe," I said, reaching for the key. "But at least it’s mine to make."

Reika exhaled sharply through her nose, the amusement fading from her face entirely. She turned to leave, pausing only once at the doorway.

"You won’t like what you find, Yukina," she said, her voice softer now, almost… pitying. "Some secrets are better left buried.And you dear sister are about to become one of them."

What did she mean by that?"Reika,are you threatening me?"

She chuckled."Such a clever girl."

She grabbed my arm.And despite me being strong,Reika was older therefore stronger."Say you liked reading about aunt Sophoneia didn't you?Why don't you join her?"

Panic surged through me as Reika’s grip tightened, her fingers digging into my wrist like iron shackles. My mind raced. Aunt Sophoneia—missing, erased from our family history, her name spoken only in hushed whispers.

"Let go of me!" I snarled, twisting my arm, but she barely budged.

Reika’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. "You just had to dig too deep, Yukina. And now you’ll see exactly what happens to those who do."

Before I could react, she shoved me back. My legs hit the edge of the bed, and I tumbled onto the mattress. The moment I tried to scramble up, she was already at the door.

"Reika, don’t—!"

Click.

The lock turned, the sound echoing in the silence.

I lunged for the door, my palms slamming against the wood. "Let me out!" I shouted, rattling the handle, but it didn’t budge.

From the other side, I heard her soft chuckle. "You like stories, don’t you, Yukina? Consider this your chance to live one. Let’s see if you can find your way out before you disappear just like she did."

Her footsteps faded down the hall, leaving me trapped.

I stepped back, breath coming fast. My candle flickered, shadows dancing wildly across the walls.

She thought she could lock me away like some forgotten secret?

No.

I would find a way out.

And when I did, I was going to uncover everything they were so desperate to hide.