It was seven o'clock. After several months of training far from home, Sakolomé and Salomé were finally walking on the path back. The evening air caressed their faces as their steps crunched on the familiar gravel.
Along the way, their conversations followed one another, mixing memories, jokes, and absurd hypotheses.
Salomé (with a small laugh):
— Do you think Bakuran and Bakuzan trained too, behind our backs?
Sakolomé paused to think.
— Honestly... it's more than likely. Especially Bakuran. He's the type to leave nothing to chance.
They continued on their way, sharing a few more words before stopping, frozen in front of the family house.
Salomé (marveling, a sincere smile on her lips):
— It's strange, but... I'm so proud to see this house again.
Sakolomé (nodding, his gaze soft):
— Me too...
But as they approached the door, ready to turn the handle, it opened by itself. A silhouette emerged.
Bakuzan.
He stood there, right before them. His empty, unfathomable gaze froze them in place.
— Ah... you came, he said in a hollow tone.
Salomé stared at him, unable to look away. Inside her, a thought arose, unstoppable.
Is this really... Bakuzan?
His gaze was no longer human. Empty, black, as if it contained an endless night. A bottomless abyss.
He passed them without a word. Sakolomé, surprised, turned around sharply.
— Hey! Where are you going like that?
Bakuzan stopped abruptly.
— I'm walking my own path, he replied gravely.
Sakolomé (frowning):
— What are you talking about...?
Suddenly, their mother, Amu, burst out of the house, visibly upset.
— Bakuzan, are you going to listen to me, yes? I am your mother! Stop turning a deaf ear!
At that moment, Bakuran appeared too, silent, arms crossed. His gaze remained fixed on the scene, without a word.
Sakolomé and Salomé looked at each other, lost.
Sakolomé:
— What's going on here?
Amu turned to him, her eyes rimmed with worry.
— Your brother... he doesn't want to listen to me anymore. I don't know what's happening to him, Sakolomé...
Sakolomé slowly approached Bakuzan, trying to catch a glimmer of reason in his eyes.
— Bakuzan, what's wrong with you?
Slowly, Bakuzan turned his head toward him. His gaze seemed to float beyond any presence.
— I've endured too much... I can't stay here doing nothing anymore.
He turned completely, lowering his eyes as if to hide a pain too heavy.
— Mom... I'm sorry. But this weight... I can't carry it anymore. Goodbye.
Amu (heartbroken):
— Bakuzan, wait!!!
But he was already disappearing. A black mist engulfed him, and within seconds, nothing was left of him.
Amu fell to her knees.
— No... Bakuzan!!!
Her voice was cracked with grief, full of shards of irrepressible pain.
Sakolomé, frozen, no longer knew what to think. Everything was slipping away from him.
He had not yet understood that this return home was going to change everything.
It was 8 p.m. Sakolomé and Salomé had finally returned home. Sitting in the living room, silence weighed heavily around them. Bakuran, standing in front of his brother and sister, was about to explain what they had not yet understood.
Bakuran (deep voice): When mother came home from work... she had only one arm left.
Salomé (shocked): W-What?!
Bakuran slowly nodded, his eyes dark.
Bakuran: She was attacked. By the Swif tribe. Their goal was clear: to kill her.
Sakolomé felt his throat tighten. He swallowed with difficulty, his heart squeezing in his chest.
Salomé (standing up, fists trembling): But why?! Mom never hurt anyone! Why... why do this to her?!
Bakuran looked away, calmer than her but just as affected.
Bakuran: I was shocked too... They attacked her because she married a Satsujin Otoko. To them, it was a betrayal. So, they mutilated her. They tore off her arm. Three bullets too... by a miracle, she managed to escape. She found shelter, hid, and when she was finally able to come back... she arrived here, bleeding, while I was training outside with Bakuzan.
He clenched his fists, his voice breaking.
Bakuran: Seeing her... in that state... it destroyed us.
Sakolomé and Salomé also clenched their fists. Salomé, her eyes misty, couldn't hold back her tears.
Bakuran: Thanks to Bakuzan's techniques, he was able to heal her. He closed her wounds... stopped the bleeding and even regenerated her missing arm. But... while I was boiling with rage, he... remained silent. And that's when I noticed something strange.
Sakolomé and Salomé's eyes fixed on him, hanging on his words.
Bakuran (eyes shining with tears): When I looked at him, I felt... he was no longer there. As if his spirit had left his body. He was in front of me, yes... but absent. When I called him, he turned his eyes toward me. And then... I was scared. A fear I had never felt before.
He lowered his head, his voice trembling.
Bakuran: That gaze... it was no longer Bakuzan's. There was suffering, rage... and a black, unfathomable void. It was... chilling. I had never seen that in his eyes.
Sakolomé, still silent, listened carefully. He said nothing, but his thoughts were already stirring.
Bakuran (wiping his tears, gently resuming): Once mother was stabilized, she took him in her arms... but she too saw. She understood that something had changed in him.
He paused, then resumed, imitating their mother's words:
Bakuran (softly): "What's happening to you, my son?"
Bakuzan (cold voice): "Mother... they went too far."
Bakuran: He got up. Walked straight to the door. Mom tried everything. To stop him. To hold him back. To talk to him. But he no longer listened. His mind was elsewhere, as if drawn by an irrevocable decision. And then... he opened the door. That's precisely when you arrived.
A long silence fell.
Salomé, eyes streaming with tears, remained motionless, arms crossed around herself. Sakolomé, meanwhile, stared at an invisible point ahead, deeply troubled. His mind sought to understand.
Sakolomé (thought): Bakuzan... What exactly do you intend to do?
In the city, skyscrapers glittered, as if each floor wanted to compete with the stars. On the streets, colorful neon lights cast pink, blue, golden flashes, giving the asphalt the appearance of a liquid mirror.
A black limousine, elegant and understated, slowly descended from the Liuly Tower, one of the most luxurious buildings in the Upper Business district. Inside, Sally, legs crossed, looked out the window without really looking. Her chin rested on her hand, and her face expressed deep boredom.
Her father, elegant in a tailored anthracite gray suit, looked at her with a hesitant smile.
Father: So Sally... do you like going out with your dad, honey?
Sally (without turning her gaze, voice weary): Yeah yeah... can't wait for this to be over.
The father discreetly pressed his lips. It had been months since he had spent a full evening with his daughter. Mergers, international meetings, investments... and now, when he finally took time for her, she slipped through his fingers like sand.
They arrived in front of an upscale restaurant with a dim atmosphere. A valet opened the door, and Sally got out without a word, followed by her father.
The dinner was quiet, too quiet. She barely touched her plate — an assortment of refined dishes prepared by a starred chef. Her father tried some conversations:
Father: You know, I saw your last report card. Very impressive for your age.
Sally (dryly): I'm not a stock, no need to check my performance.
He was stunned, then forced a small laugh, uncomfortable.
They left the restaurant and walked under the sparkling streetlights. A little further, illuminated stands had been set up for a festive urban evening: bowling, archery, puck games, VR simulators. A playground for wealthy idlers.
Father (trying a light tone): Come on, want to try bowling? Give me a chance to win?
Sally shrugged but followed him, resigned.
They played. He tried to laugh, comment, tease her gently. She threw the ball, stayed silent, and went to sit on the bench without a word, arms crossed. Then came darts, then archery.
At one point, as she aimed at the center of the target with disconcerting precision, her father applauded, impressed.
Father: Incredible! You really have talent, you know? I didn't even know you practiced.
Sally (coldly): Normal, you're never there to see it.
That phrase fell like a guillotine. He froze for a moment before looking away.
A heavy silence settled as they approached a sweets dispenser. Sally took a lollipop, without a smile. He hesitated before murmuring:
Father: I know I've been absent. Too long. But... I'm making efforts, Sally. So we can reconnect.
She looked at him, finally. Her eyes were dry but hard.
Sally: You're making efforts today. One evening to erase years. You think that's enough?
Her father didn't have the courage to answer. He lowered his eyes and sat on a bench next to the artisanal ice cream stand. She remained standing, arms crossed.
The city lights surrounded them. It was a beautiful night. But between them, there was only distance and silence.