code of the vanished...

From Reo's perspective, everything felt like a storm. The moment Ichika left the room, I immediately regretted my words. But I couldn’t let Rinku know that. So, with a roll of my eyes, I muttered, “Why was I left with you again?”

Rinku’s glare was sharp enough to cut through steel. “Did you see what you just did, you idiot?”

I groaned, irritated. “What do you mean? I did nothing.”

His anger flared, and he stepped closer, towering over me. “*Nothing?* She wouldn’t even tell me about her past. What the hell makes you think she’ll tell you?” His voice was like a growl, the frustration dripping from every word.

The weight of it all hit me like a brick. I hadn’t just been rude; I’d hit a nerve, a deep one. I’d hurt Ichika.

“So I hurt her feelings,” I muttered, the guilt sinking in, twisting in my gut. I never meant to make her feel like that. “I gotta ask if she’s okay.”

Before I could move, Rinku grabbed me by the collar, yanking me up so fast I barely had time to react. His eyes were burning with a fury I hadn’t seen before. “You better fix this,” he snarled, his voice low and dangerous, “or I’ll hit you harder than Ichika did.”

I gasped, trying to breathe, his grip tightening. “Fine… just… let me go!”

Rinku shoved me back, his eyes still blazing. “Get out of my sight. And make sure Ichika doesn’t cry, you idiot.”

I straightened my clothes, still a bit shaken. But instead of acknowledging his warning, I couldn’t resist teasing him. “I don’t understand you, Rinku. You and Ichika aren’t even siblings, judging by your different hair colors. You’ve got red hair, she’s got that galaxy hair thing going on. Your eyes are red with pink, hers are purple with blue. Are you two dat—"

Before I could finish, Rinku’s face went beet-red, and he exploded. “NO, YOU IDIOT! NOW GET OUT!”

He shoved me out of the room before I could react. I stumbled into the hallway, half laughing and half annoyed. Rinku’s flustered face still fresh in my mind.

As I walked down the hallway, I sighed, muttering to myself. “Those two are an odd pair. Ichika’s only 15, but she handles medicine better than doctors with a decade of experience. And Rinku? He’s a top-tier assassin, even at his age. It’s… pretty weird.”

I paused, glancing back at their room. They didn’t fit together, not at first glance. But there was something between them—something stronger than I could put into words. Huffed, I shook my head.

“Whatever,” I muttered, heading toward the dorm exit. I just had to make sure I hadn’t messed things up more than I already had.(masked man perspective)From behind my mask, I stared at the dimly lit room, the shadows stretching across the cold stone walls. General Takeshi stood before me, his face a mixture of hesitation and fear, but I could see the doubt in his eyes. Doubt was dangerous. Insubordination, even more so.

“There’s someone in the facility,” I began, my voice calm but laced with venom. “Someone pretending to be one of us. A spy from China. We must find them and kill them immediately.”

I watched Takeshi shift uncomfortably, his hands twitching. He always had this weak spot, this unnecessary sentimentality.

“But what if it’s a kid?” he said, his voice trembling slightly. “We can’t do th—"

I slammed my fist against the desk, the sound reverberating through the room like a gunshot. “I DON’T CARE IF THIS PERSON IS 12 YEARS OLD!” I bellowed, my rage bubbling to the surface. I stepped closer to Takeshi, my shadow looming over him. “Find them. And neutralize them.”

Takeshi stammered, his resolve crumbling under my gaze. “But… we’re risking the other children. The people…”

People? Did he really think I cared about *people*? I let out a slow, cold laugh. He didn’t understand. He never did.

“They’re just tools,” I said, my voice low and sharp, slicing through his weak arguments. “Pieces on a chessboard for me to use. Nothing more. I am the king, General Takeshi. Most of you? Pawns, expendable. Replaceable.”

I could see the fear flicker in his eyes as he realized where this was heading.

“But some pieces… some pieces have value.”

I turned away from him, pacing slowly, deliberately. The dim light caught the edge of my mask, casting distorted shadows around the room. “Rinku… Ichika… a few others. They’re different. They’re useful.”

I stopped, turning back to face him, my gaze piercing through the mask. “You, General Takeshi, are my bishop. My solid defense. My rook is Ichika, sharp, reliable, a cornerstone of the plan. And Rinku—he’s my knight. He moves in ways the others can’t even comprehend.”

The rest? The rest were just there to fill the board. “The other pieces,” I said coldly, “I don’t need.”

I walked toward him, each step slow and deliberate. “Now go. Neutralize the spy. That’s an order.”

Takeshi swallowed hard, nodding quickly before turning to leave, but I could still feel his fear, his hesitation lingering in the air.

Weakness. It disgusted me. But I would use him, just as I used all of them. Because in this game, there was only one rule: *I win.*

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