Ryunosuke closed the closet gently, careful not to disturb the silence now thick in the apartment.
The business card was clenched in his hand, its edges biting into his skin like it wanted to leave a mark.
There was nothing else hidden among his father's belongings—only fragments of a life left unfinished.
Unanswered questions tangled in dust.
He moved slowly to the living room and sank into the couch.
The cushions exhaled beneath him.
He felt heavy—drained by the weight of knowing, and not knowing.
"You're looking in the wrong places."
The voice—soft, calm, familiar—sent a chill down his spine.
He looked up.
Lilith stood across the room, beside the window.
The light filtering through the blinds seemed to bend around her, uncertain of how to reveal her.
He didn't move. Didn't flinch.
Only watched her, guarded.
"Why are you here?"
Lilith stepped forward with that signature grace, her violet eyes glowing in the soft shadow.
"Because you're confused. And I need you to see clearly."
"Do you work with Victor Navarro?"
His voice was sharp. Tired. Angry.
Her eyes narrowed—barely. Amused.
"No. Victor and I are very different people, with very different goals. But we do share one common truth."
"And what's that?"
She tilted her head, as if inviting him to lean closer.
"We both know that reality is rarely what it seems."
He hesitated.
"Then why me?"
She studied him for a moment.
Her presence was overwhelming yet oddly comforting—like standing too close to a fire.
"Because you and I share the same goal. We both want the truth.
And Victor has something I need—something I've sought for a very long time."
"What is it?"
Her smile returned—small, distant.
"Not yet. Some truths are more dangerous than others."
His heart stuttered in his chest.
"How do I know I can trust you?"
She moved closer.
With graceful ease, she lowered herself beside him on the couch.
Close enough that he could feel the warmth of her presence.
Her eyes held his.
"If I meant you harm, Ryunosuke..."
A pause. A beat.
"...I would have done so already."
He swallowed, realizing something startling.
He believed her.
She could've hurt him—so many times. But hadn't.
She never forced anything. She only waited. Watched. Spoke. Guided.
"I don't even understand what you are," he said.
"Are you even real?"
Her gaze softened, almost tender.
"I'm real, Ryunosuke. Just not in the way you understand it."
"Then in what way?"
She paused. Chose her words carefully.
"I come from another world."
Her voice was gentle. Matter-of-fact.
"Somewhere far away—and very close. But the details... they're complicated."
He blinked.
"Another world."
Disbelief warred with something else—wonder, maybe. Or fear.
"Why come here?"
Her eyes turned distant.
A thread of sorrow passed across her face.
"Because what Victor Navarro holds… it could help me return."
A beat.
"But I can't get it alone."
Ryunosuke stared at her.
Behind the calm, he sensed something—loneliness, or desperation.
A quiet yearning she never let fully show.
He made a choice.
"Alright," he said quietly.
"I trust you."
Something flickered in her eyes—surprise, maybe. Gratitude.
Then she nodded, steady once more.
"Then let me guide you."
Her voice softened like dusk.
"Together, we'll find the truth."