The darkness of night hung heavy over the north wing of the Palais d'Étoile. Refia Arcronos stood by the window of her room, gazing up at the moon. On her desk lay a polished rapier and a star-transmission talisman bearing her third directive. *"Execute the target before the next rampage occurs. Fail, and you too shall be put to death as one of the Stardust."* Cold words. For two days, she had remained in this room, clutching her sword, unable to move. Every time the night of the deed arrived, Leon's smiling face surfaced in her mind. Those eyes he had shown her in the forbidden archive—unshaken even after learning the truth. (I am... a tool of the stars.) She told herself this. The teachings drilled into her since childhood at Fort Noir. Cast aside emotion. Fulfill the mission. You are nothing but a blade. And yet. The warmth of her own fingers, having once held Leon Crawford's hand in return, still had not faded. Refia exhaled deeply and fastened the rapier to her waist. The hour when the second moon of the deep night had passed its zenith. Her expression was as blank as stone, but only the tips of her fingers, gripping the door handle, trembled faintly. *Clack, clack, clack.* Rhythmic footsteps echoed through the stone corridor. "Lord Leon." She called out before the door to his room. The door opened. Leon, dressed in his nightclothes, showed his face. His dark navy, unruly hair was disheveled, and his heterochromatic eyes—the left a sea-like blue, the right a silver-gray—reflected Refia in the darkness. "[surprised] Refia...? What are you doing here at this hour?" There was no wariness in his voice. That stabbed at her heart. "[gentle] There is something I wish to discuss. Would you come outside with me?" Leon noticed in an instant that something about her demeanor was far from ordinary. But he followed without suspicion. He was always like that. He trusted people too much. The two stepped out into the narrow corridor of the north wing, where moonlight streamed in. Cold flagstones. All the candles lining the wall sconces had gone out, and only the pale blue moonlight cast long, slender shadows. Refia put three paces of distance between herself and Leon. Then, she turned around. "[whispers] Lord Leon." Without a word, she drew her rapier. The silver blade reflected the moonlight, gleaming coldly. Leon's entire body went rigid. "[scared] R-Refia...?" She did not answer. She closed the distance. One step. Another. The tip of the sword was aimed at Leon's throat. *(I'm going to be killed.)* The instant that realization raced through his mind— Leon's left eye blazed with a violent indigo light. Uncontrollable light spilled from his fingertips. An explosion of Neptune's power, far stronger than the rampage in the first chapter, sending rippling waves through the entire corridor. The walls wavered, the air distorted. Refia used her Chrono Star power to slightly decelerate the flow of time. But this time, the phantasm was projected onto space itself. It came from outside her perception. An image surfaced on the stone wall. A gray stone chamber. Slender moonlight streamed in through a small window fitted with iron bars. The walls were the rough-hewn stone masonry characteristic of Fort Noir, and a cold, damp air hung in the room. In the corner, a little girl sat hugging her knees. She appeared to be seven or eight years old. She wore a soiled training uniform, and purple bruises ran along her left arm. Her long silver hair clung to her cheeks, matted with tears and sweat. Tears endlessly overflowed from her violet eyes. Desperately stifling her sobs, her shoulders trembling, she wept. Her lips moved faintly. —*Why was I born?* —*Why won't anyone save me?* The girl slowly raised her face. Leon recognized that face. "[scared] Refi...a...?" Refia's hands, still holding the rapier at the ready, began to tremble. The young version of her in the phantasm murmured in a fading voice, to no one in particular. "[whispers] ...Help me." It was at that moment. *Clatter.* The rapier fell from Refia's hand. A single tear spilled from her violet eyes and fell onto the stone floor. The dam of her emotions had completely burst. "[crying] ...I cannot... do it..." Her voice trembled. "[crying] I... cannot bring myself... to kill you..." Unable even to pick up her sword, she collapsed to the ground on the spot. Leon, his back still pressed against the wall, called her name with a shaking voice. "[scared] Refia... what on earth..." In his eyes, fear and pain at the sight of her phantasm mingled together. Just then. Innocent footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor. *Patter, patter, patter.* Still in her nightclothes, sleepily rubbing her eyes as she walked, was—Lily Crawford. Her short, dark navy twintails swayed, and her sea-blue eyes, both of them, were still half-closed. "[sleepy] Nnn... Big brother, your snoring is so loud I can't sleep..." And then, she beheld the scene before her. Her brother pressed against the wall. Refia collapsed on the floor. The silver rapier lying on the ground, illuminated by the moonlight. The lingering indigo remnants of the phantasm still wavering on the corridor walls. Lily's eyes opened wide and clear. "[scared] ...Refia, what is this?" Her voice was stunned. Refia looked up. Her eyes met Lily's. She could no longer cover anything up. Everything had been exposed. It was then. *Thud, thud, thud.* From the depths of the corridor, the sound of multiple armored footsteps echoed. Heavy, rhythmic, the footsteps of trained soldiers. "[serious] Star power reaction detected! Head to the north wing!" A shout shook the stone walls. Refia assessed the situation in an instant. She picked up her rapier and returned it to her waist. With her face still wet with tears, she stood up. "[serious] You must leave here immediately." It was a commanding tone. Faster than Leon could swallow the words he was about to demand, Refia grabbed his and Lily's arms. "[scared] Hey, Refia!?" "[serious] I will explain later. For now, run." The three of them broke into a run. They slipped through the back passages of the Palais d'Étoile and burst out into the darkness of night from the kitchen's service entrance. The cold air bit at their skin. Looking up, the Star Crystal Tower shone white, as if looking down upon everything. The city of Prière was silent in the dead of night. Only the sound of three sets of disordered footsteps echoed on the cobblestones. Refia took the lead, running while judging their escape route. Leon pulled Lily's hand, desperately chasing after her. "[scared] Big brother, I can't... breathe...!" "[serious] Hang in there, Lily!" They crossed the stone bridge over the Riviéra River. The moon reflected on the water's surface, wavering. It was only when they entered the labyrinthine alleys of the La Ruelle lower district that the footsteps of their pursuers finally grew distant. The three pressed their backs against the stone wall of an alley and caught their breath. Breathing heavily with their shoulders, Leon and Refia's shoulders touched. Both looked at each other at the same time. "[angry] Why... did you stop?" Leon's voice could not fully hide its trembling. "[angry] Why did you stop trying to kill me? That sword was for that purpose, wasn't it?" Refia did not answer. But. Leon noticed that her hand was ever so slightly gripping his sleeve. It must have started as a gesture to indicate direction during their escape. And yet, now they were stopped. Her fingers trembled faintly. Leon noticed it too. But he could not shake her hand off. Lily, still bewildered, looked back and forth between their faces. "[scared] Refia... Big brother... what happened...?" At that moment— "There they are! They fled into an alley in the La Ruelle district!" The angry shouts of the guards drew near once more. Refia pulled Lily's hand and started running. A dead end. They had hit a wall. "[scared] Damn it...!" Footsteps closed in from behind. Just then. *Creak.* The wooden door of an abandoned house opened slightly from the inside. "[cold] Unless you've got a death wish, get in. Now." A low voice. Without hesitation, the three were pulled into that darkness. The wooden door closed. The interior of the abandoned house was, contrary to its exterior, a well-kept hideout. Every shelf was crammed with books and map fragments, covering the walls. The pale light of a lantern illuminated dust motes floating in the air. Within that light stood a young man in a cloak, arms crossed. Ash-brown, unkempt hair. Amber eyes that constantly moved as if searching for something. Three piercings lined his left ear, and ink stains clung to his fingers. A boy who did not look seventeen, bearing an air of world-weariness. "[sarcastic] Sheesh, what an honor—a visit from the royal palace entourage in the dead of night." Oswald Grim shrugged and glanced at Leon's face. Next, he directed his gaze at Refia. It lingered. For a long time. "[cold] Can't say I'm fond of sheltering someone from Voile Noir." His gaze was fixed firmly on the minute pattern—the organization's mark—etched onto Refia's wrist. Refia's eyes narrowed sharply. "[cold] Where did you learn of that?" "[sarcastic] I make a living selling information. It's harder for me to find things I *don't* know." He raised the lantern light slightly and tossed a blanket to Lily. "[gentle] You're shivering, little lady. Cover up with this." Lily accepted the blanket and looked up at him, still in a daze. "[scared] ...Who are you?" "[casual] Oswald Grim. Just an information broker. Talk later. Stay here tonight and wait for morning. Don't go outside until the Curia's guards have pulled back." At that moment. Leon finally forced out the words of his interrogation. "[angry] ...What is Voile Noir?" He turned to face Refia. His shoulders were trembling. "[angry] Were you... here to kill me, from the very beginning?" In the chilled air of the abandoned house, Refia remained with her head hung low. Oswald silently folded his arms and watched over the two of them. Lily clutched the blanket and stared at her brother's face. A long silence. The only sound was the footsteps of the guards fading away outside. Eventually, Refia's lips slowly parted. "[whispers] ...Yes." Just that one word. In that instant, all color drained from Leon's face. The lantern's flame flickered faintly.