Once I ran into the hideout, I ran as fast as I could all the way upstairs into my room and slammed the door shut.

I slid against the door and onto the floor, panting so that I could catch my breath. It's not that running this much would ever wear me out usually, but my mind was a mess after that encounter with Thorn.

“....Thorn….”

Pathetically, I buried my face in my knees and cried.

I knew our reunion was inevitable. I was searching for Crime all so that I could see him again… To ask him how things turned out like this. But I wasn't prepared for it to happen so soon.

“Why…?!” I muttered through tears.

Why was he here?! After all this time, why did he only come here now?! And…

“...Why Luna…?”

It didn't make any sense to me. Thorn clearly knew her, but Luna didn't seem to know him at all. Even so, he was dead set on recruiting her.

So much so that he would even resort to taking her by force…?

No matter how much he changed, that wasn't like the Thorn I knew at all!

The Thorn I knew…

…He was gone. I had hoped that there was a part of him still there, but this encounter only proved there wasn't. I still couldn't believe it.

I thought of the Thorn from my memories… He was always so cheery and bright. He had such a big heart and believed the good in other people. I had looked up to him so much that I emulated him as a leader. After all, he was…

…My old leader…

I swallowed thickly. Those days were long past. I was the one who left… who abandoned him.

“Don't leave me!”

I saw a flash of a crying child. The child, his hands bloodied, was being swallowed by darkness. He reached for my hand, and I—

I screamed without realizing. I could hear the flames again. My flames. And his shriek that came after…

“Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop…!”

I clutched my head and writhed in agony. I didn't want to remember!

My eyes were only getting more wet with tears. It was a pathetic state for a leader to be in.

I have to pull myself together…!!

I slapped both of my cheeks in an effort to stop my crying.

“...Just… forget it…” I muttered.

Forget it all.

I had to forget it. I had to focus and think about the situation at hand.

Luna Ione…

I had never heard that name until she introduced herself. She was pretty, sure, but there was nothing else that really stood out about her enough to warrant Crime's interest in her.

“...Except… a water ability…”

I had never met anyone with a water ability myself, but maybe that was what made Luna Ione so valuable to Crime. Perhaps it was a rare ability.

And thinking of it from their perspective, Crime could very easily use this girl to kill their targets by having her control bodily fluids…

…Gross.

I didn't want to believe that was it, but if Thorn really wanted her for such a gruesome reason, then I couldn't allow her to fall into Crime's hands.

Luna Ione was still a complete mystery to me, but she didn't seem like a bad person by any means. Rather, she seemed to have been caught up in all this. Though, I still don't know how or why.

“....Luna….”

I recalled the look of shock and concern on Luna’s face when I lashed out at her. No matter how upset I was, that wasn't fair to her. It made sense why she was questioning me. She didn't even know Thorn and yet he seemed to know so much about her and her siblings. And if he was really telling the truth, then he was using them as a bargaining chip to get to Luna. This situation directly concerned Luna more than it concerned me. It was wrong of me to let my personal feelings get in the way.

“....I need to apologize to her…”

I knew I had to, but I had no strength left in me to get up. I was ashamed of myself. But I feared that everyone would bombard me with questions if I left my room. And so long as I stayed in here, no one would enter.

It wasn't like I banned anyone from entering my room or anything, but maybe because of my position as leader, the other members never set foot in here unless I did the inviting.

…Not that I ever tried inviting them, but it was a little lonely, to be honest. It felt like there was a distance between us despite being teammates. But thanks to that, I was left to be alone with my thoughts for now. So, for once, I was glad about it.

I laughed dryly. “What would I even say to her…?”

I wasn't ready to explain why I was so upset. I hadn't even told the other members about Thorn, so they were probably just as confused as Luna was.

I untied the red bandana, a symbol of Crime's formation, on my neck, and held it in my palm.

“....”

Thorn's smile used to be a ray of energy, but now it felt like it was hiding something underneath. Something darker.

Because of the cloak he was wearing, I couldn't see if he was wearing his symbol underneath. I doubted it, but…

“...Thorn…”

When I thought about him again, I noticed there were droplets falling onto the bandana.

“...Why did things have to turn out like this…?”

I clenched the bandana tight and held it close as I continued to weep.

From the corner of my eye, I could see the photograph from our memories clumsily sticking out of my dresser.