Taking a deep breath, I savored the silence and solitude for a few more moments before shuffling feet just beyond my door reminded me I had to return to the world. With a gentle touch, I placed the letter back in its spot before standing up, stretching my back until I felt my bones popping beneath my skin. It was a comforting reminder that everything was going to be alright.

After taking a few more deep breaths, I steadied my trembling hands and tried to ready myself for the inevitable encounter with everyone else. The guilt still consumed me, but I could at least be in their presence without thoroughly berating myself. Whenever something catastrophic occurred in my past, I would usually retreat to my room and have a good cry. Though it may not have been the healthiest way of coping, it was my form of therapy. Only when I had done, that could I muster up the courage to face the others.

After glancing back at my room one last time, I opened the door to find Suu staring up at me with wide emerald eyes.

"Dad!" she shouted, leaping up and tackling me into a tight embrace. The sudden impact sent me reeling back a few steps, but she mercifully wasn't heavy enough to send me crashing to the ground. As it was, I barely managed to keep upright as she enveloped me with her feelers.

"H-Hey, Suu," I murmured, slowly wrapping my arms around her. Her face was squished against my chest, already soaking my shirt. Feeling her clutch me tightly nearly broke the dam all over again. It wasn't just guilt that time, though. No, it was that burning sensation that hollowed out my chest.

My rage was absolute and all-encompassing. Not only at Layra for poisoning the girl I had grown to view as a daughter, but mainly at the one person who knew it would happen and still allowed it. My vision grew blurry, and my fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms, causing me pain.

She looked up at me with her childlike face, her expression full of concern. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice muffled against my shirt. I studied her features briefly, noting her ability to imitate facial expressions had improved. But this wasn't an imitation. It was something genuine.

The rage faded and simmered to a level where I could stop shaking, ebbing away as I leaned into Suu's embrace.

When had this girl become my crutch?

"I'm better now," I softly replied, resting a hand against her head and closing my eyes. "I'm just happy you aren't hurt."

"Poison doesn't bother me much," she happily chided me, giggling. "I'm too strong to let it beat me!"

"It still makes you a little snippy," I said with a chuckle. I squeezed gently before opening my eyes and pulling away to give her a warm smile. "How are the rest doing?"

"Mm..." Her feelers released their hold on me, returning to their original length as her expression became solemn. "It's not great. Rachnee says her head is pounding, and Miia keeps apologizing incessantly. The others are... doing alright."

My shoulders sagged, though I couldn't tell if it was from another surge of guilt or relief that things weren't as bad as they could've been.

"Okay," I nodded. "Let's head down then. I real-"

"Hey!"

A loud voice called behind me, and I turned to - Mmf!

I was surprised as Zoe lunged towards me, her arms encircling me with a fierce embrace and her lips crushing against mine with passionate intensity. Despite the blissful sensation, the suddenness of her advance almost caused me to stumble and fall had it not been for her strong arms keeping me firmly in place.

I had barely had time to process what had just occurred before Zoe abruptly pulled away, her fingers tightly squeezing my arms as she gazed into my eyes sternly.

"You ain't hurt, right?" she asked, her gaze flitting over my body. "If that bitch touched you..."

"I'm fine," I gasped, blinking rapidly and struggling to get my bearings. My lips still tingled, quirking upward. "She... Oof, she didn't touch me, thanks to you guys."

"... Wasn't us that stopped her," Zoe grumbled, releasing her hold on me and looking away. "Miia did. She kept the bitch from takin' ya and Kurusu."

"Is that so?" I said slowly, looking down the hallway towards the stairs that descended to the first floor. I turned back to her with a warm smile. "Well, if it's all the same, I appreciate it; I wasn't sure you had received my text."

"I didn't," Zoe replied a little heatedly. "At least, not until later. We only got here in time was 'cuz Centorea got through to us on a priority channel. We were about to start an op."

"Oh." I opened my mouth and closed it again, unsure what to say. "Um..."

"Don't worry 'bout it," Zoe dismissed, shoving her hands in her pockets and cocking a hip to the side. She furrowed her brows and seemed uneasy for some reason. "... Y'all should go talk with your housemates. We can talk later."

"Okay," I responded, frowning in confusion. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but I could tell she didn't want to discuss it. I started to reach out and place my hand on her shoulder, but I stopped myself for some unknown reason. "Thank you again, really," I said, offering her a small smile.

"Jus' doin' my - Ah, fuck it," Zoe said before giving me a big hug again. "Be more careful from now on," she whispered in my ear, feeling her cool breath send goosebumps up my skin. She squeezed tightly once more before letting go. "See ya around!" she said as she walked away, waving Suu and me goodbye with a smile.

We watched her go, and as we did, I struggled to make sense of her.

Maybe even she couldn't make sense of herself.

"Let's go, Suu," I said quietly. At that, the two of us began to walk down.

"I've never seen her look sad before," Suu idly observed.

"I have," I told her, folding my arms across my chest. "I don't particularly care for it."

"Me neither."

A few moments later, we arrived in the family room, and Mero's face lit up with delight as she saw us enter. Despite the absence of Kurusu, Miia, and Papi, the other occupants were present.

"Aki, you are well!" she cried joyously, pushing herself forward, her wheelchair squeaking as she did. "I was so worried when you didn't wake along with us..."

"I assured you he was well, did I not?" Cerea spoke up from where she stood by the couch, a pitcher of water in her hand.

"That's Mero for you," Rachnera groused from the couch, clutching her head with one claw and reaching for the offered pitcher. She sounded like hell. "Ever the worrier."

Lala, I noted, sat silently in a chair off to the side. Her gaze was distant.

A tumult of conflicting emotions surged within me upon seeing them. Relief. Elation. Fury. Remorse. I quickly dismissed such feelings, pushing them deep down within me—no need to ruin the moment for Mero and the others.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," I promised them, smiling at Mero. "I'm just relieved you guys are okay, too."

"As good as can be," Rachnera replied, setting down the empty pitcher with a satisfied sigh. Wait, did she just drink that whole thing that quickly?! "I feel like an ogre just trampled my head, but it's nothing compared to a hangover."

Without prompting, Suu stretched her feeler across the room and refilled the pitcher at the sink without moving her main body an inch. We all watched in awe; it wasn't new for Suu to be helpful, but she usually gave it her all. Once she noticed our gazes, she tilted her head to the side and innocently asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

"Not at all." Rachnera was the first to recover, happily taking the refilled pitcher and bringing it to her lips. "Thank you, Suu."

After a few moments of silence, I asked, "So, where are the others?"

Cerea answered, setting her hands on her hips and her ears falling a touch before she continued. "Papi expressed a wish to fly around town on her own after the debacle," she said. "And as for Master and Miia, they are currently in the backyard having a... discussion."

I followed the direction of her gaze to the sliding glass door that opened out onto the yard, and there they were. Kurusu had his back to us, so I couldn't see his face, but Miia... looked devastated, tears streaming down her face, constantly wiping her eyes and nose. She spoke quickly, and while I couldn't make out her exact words, I could imagine what she was saying.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable at the intimate scene before me, I was about to look away when Kurusu tenderly embraced Miia. She stiffened momentarily before finally reciprocating his embrace, burying her face into his shoulder. As I watched, I noticed her head shaking ever so slightly, and I found myself unable to look away.

The two of them stayed in that embrace for a few moments before Kurusu reluctantly released his hold of her. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder before turning away. Miia stayed where she was, her gaze fixed on the ground and her hands hanging loosely at her sides. Kurusu stepped inside, sliding the door shut behind him, and regarded the rest of us with tired and sorrowful eyes. His usual warm and cheerful smile was nowhere to be seen.

He said, "I'm going to Sports Club Kobold and Aki; I'd like you to come with me. Anyone else is welcome to join us if they'd like."

I nodded silently, not quite understanding but still accepting.

"We should discuss what happened this day," Cerea stated, giving Kurusu a concerned but determined look. "At the very least, to understand-"

"It seems clear to me," Rachnera piped up. "Miia's mother poisoned the lot of us to abduct Honey and Counselor, and Miia and Lala stopped her."

"That's not-!"

"We should give Miia some space right now," Kurusu interjected, his tone firm yet gentle. "Besides, Papi isn't home yet, and if we're going to have a house talk about it, then she should be here too. Don't you agree?"

"... Yes," Cerea admitted. "But we should not delay it, lest certain... misunderstandings arise."

"And I promise you that won't happen," Kurusu said, giving her a small reassuring smile. "Let's just take some time to relax for now. We can discuss it further when we are all together for dinner later."

"Great. Aki?" Kurusu shot me an expectant look and started to walk past me.

"R-Right," I said, following him. "Anyone else wanna come?"

"I would like to stay and tend to Rachnera if that is alright," Mero replied.

"Well, I guess I'm stuck here now," Rachnera said with a hint of amusement. "It's all good, though – Honey seems to want your company right now."

"I shall join you," Cerea answered, her hooves clopping against the wooden floor as she walked over to us. "Perhaps the exercise shall relieve from stress."

"Cool cool," I said before glancing at Suu. She shook her head.

"I'm gonna wait for Papi," she told me. I nodded.

"Fair enough," I said. "Alright, guess we'll see you guys later."

After putting on our exercise outfits and picking up our water bottles, we silently went to Sports Club Kobold. The atmosphere was tranquil - Kurusu usually had something to say to break the uncomfortable silence, but today he was quiet. It was hard to decipher his mood without blatantly staring into his face and analyzing every expression. Whatever was bothering him was as yet a mystery.

The three of us arrived at the gym, which was bustling with activity. It seemed that the number of liminals and humans had doubled in the past week. On the sheer surface climbing wall, two small breed arachnes were dangling, accompanied by a humanoid subspecies of arachne called a Jorogumo. I believe they were native to Japan.

There were many new faces in the workout area on the first floor. A cyclops and tetrad arms took turns dead-lifting while a group of five satyrs gathered around a couple of the leg-pumping machines whose name was unknown. Other creatures, such as lizardfolk, kobolds, usagimimi, nekomimi, and even a gorgon, could be seen bustling around the space.

Despite the gloomy day, a broad smile spread across my face as I watched the rush of new patrons. Polt must have been ecstatic - and this place was sure to become even busier with the upcoming expo.

"Cerea, what floor did you say the dojo was on?" Kurusu asked, snapping me from my reverie.

"The sixth," she immediately replied before eyeing him curiously. "To what end?"

"Well..." Kurusu gave a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. "This may sound selfish, but I was going to ask Aki if he wanted to spar a little."

Uh, what now?

"Really?" I asked, disbelief plain in my voice. "Where'd that come from?"

Kurusu looked conflicted as his smile faded away after his chuckle. After silence, he finally shrugged and said, "I think it'll benefit us, that's all. I can't explain it; I just have a feeling about it."

Oooookay.

"I haven't stepped into the ring to spar for over a decade now," I thought, running my fingers over my stubbly chin. I needed to get a shave soon. "But if that's what you want, I'm in."

I was a bit uneasy, of course. I clearly remembered Kurusu's mean right hook and did not want to be on the receiving end of it. Granted, the circumstances were completely different, but it was still enough to make one wary. There was also the fact that I hadn't sparred or even wrestled in ages. There were probably some old reflexes and muscle memories still buried deep down, but a true fighter, I was not.

"Great!" Kurusu started heading to the elevator a little more quickly than before. "Let's get going."

Cerea and I exchanged worried glances, and I was the first one to avert my gaze and chase after him. I heard her long exhale from behind me before she followed. It was evident something was troubling him, but Kurusu could never readily divulge his feelings unless a substantial amount of alcohol was involved.

Besides, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to hit something, too, after today.

A short ride in the elevator brought us to the sixth floor, and my eyes widened in awe at the sight of the dojo. It was like a much larger version of the dojang I attended in middle school - all floor mats and mirrored walls. Even more impressive was the armory of mock weapons and pads of various shapes and sizes. My gaze was affixed to the sparring rings in the center of the room; two liminals engaged in a duel.

To my amazement, I recognized one of them as the fishfolk I had encountered what seemed like an eternity ago: Fontaine, one of Polt's closest acquaintances that had assisted her in constructing this place. The sandy-hued fishfolk's adversary was... a werewolf, I assumed, albeit one with azure fur and strikingly scarlet eyes. Fontaine proceeded cautiously, deliberately, while the werewolf appeared to caper around his adversary joyfully. I would have never anticipated witnessing a fishfolk move with such skill, somehow utilizing his awkward build to his benefit. It was... captivating, in a way.

"Does he live here?" Cerea sighed in exasperation. Who was she referring to? I was about to ask, but a dark shadow briefly blotted the lights above us.

"Hail, Centorea," greeted a voice that rumbled like the mountains.

A towering and imposing figure descended upon us, his grey slit eyes meeting ours. We involuntarily stepped back, although he was not dangerously close; such was the intensity of his presence. His body appeared hewn from obsidian, the purest black that seemed to devour the light surrounding it. His draconic wings and sharp-clawed hands were folded behind him, standing erect as if on guard. A tapestry of scars decorated his stony flesh, proudly displaying a lifetime of violence. His horned head, narrow and javelin-like, slowly swiveled to face us.

My body screamed at me that this man was incredibly dangerous and powerful, a killer and that I had to flee immediately. I had to fight every urge within me to stay put, and I had to make sure I didn't make eye contact with him.

"Greetings, Master Omran," Cerea bowed before the gargoyle, extending one foreleg ahead while the other kneeling. "How fare you?"

"Well, thank you," he inclined his head. "And who are you two? Humans rarely come to this dojo."

"This is my M-host, Kimihito Kurusu," Cerea replied quickly after a momentary stutter. "The gentleman here is Akihiro Bando, an assistant host, and liminal counselor, here to promote cultural exchange."

"I see," Omran said in a voice that reminded me of grinding gravel. "And what brings you here?"

"We'd like to spar a little if that's okay," Kurusu replied, stepping ahead of me. Truly, he was made of sterner stuff than I.

"Typically, only liminals should be sparring here for quite clear reasons," Omran remarked, his long tail swaying like a snake. "However, if two humans face each other, I don't have a problem with it. Centorea, can you get them some pads? They're not warriors, I can tell that much, and they may not be able to control themselves properly."

"Yes, sir." Cerea quickly complied with his request, far more quickly than I expected the proud woman to. Did she respect him that much? Or was there something else behind it?

"While she takes care of that, follow me to the sparring ring," Omran all but ordered, and I found myself obeying easily. While he walked ahead, Kurusu rested a hand on my shoulder and pulled me closer.

"Sorry if I'm seeming a bit weird right now," he apologized quietly. "It's just... I have a lot on my mind now. I don't know what to do, and this was all I could think of for some reason."

"Don't worry about it, man," I responded. "I'd be a little worried if you were the same as always, to be honest."

"Heh, maybe," he chuckled softly. "Besides, I got the impression you're pretty angry, too."

At that, he patted my shoulder once before picking up his pace, almost catching up with Omran.

Well... he wasn't wrong.

Wait.

"Too"?

To be continued...