The scent of bleach and disinfectant hits me in the nostrils before my eyelids even manage to part. I manage to force my eyes open, the fuzzy haze above me sharpening to reveal a pattern of water-splattered ceiling tiles. One of the fluorescent lights buzzes at a consistent rhythm in a low-frequency noise that resonates inside my head.
I tried to move, but the scratchy bed sheets stuck to me like rough paper. The weight of my left arm drags on as the transparent plastic tube connected to a cold metal needle embedded in the back of my hand tugs on my skin. A machine beeped steadily next to me, its artificial beat matching the throbbing pain inside my head.
"Eughh."
"Oi! He's awake!"
Footsteps grew louder as the ringing of my head simmered down.
"Where- no. What, what happened?"
"Akio. We're back home."
Kai's figure loomed over me, his eyes a blend of relief and seriousness.
"It's been 3 days since then."
Beside Kai, another figure grew closer.
"Yo, mister runaway and try to solve the problem on my own."
Tch.
"I-"
"You're lucky we're in a hospital right now, because if we weren't you'd have your head ringing again."
"S-sorry, Soke."
"You, and Kai, matter of fact, decided to leave in the middle of night. And do what?"
"We.. we wanted to save the hostages.."
"They're all gone, Akio. All but one single boy who managed to get back home safely."
That kid. So he managed to get back home safe, huh. That's good.
A faint smile ran across my face.
"Stop smiling idiot. I'm not saying that things would've gone any different considering our own plan to retreat. But Akio."
He knocked my chest.
"We're team Soke."
My pupils snapped wide, swallowing the iris. A sharp, electric glint caught the overhead light, my stare locking onto him.
"You're right. I'm sorry."
"Mister Soke, he still managed to save someone. Aki even got his charm and defeated Ruhen-"
"Ruhen's dead, I saw."
I... killed Ruhen.
For a moment, my heart felt shallow, like a part of me broke and restitched itself back together.
"And as for his charm, we're gonna need to have a talk about that."
"It's Pain Packer."
"I see. It's also this Pain Packer of yours that worsened your condition."
...right. Just before I blacked out, I deactivated pain packer. And then-
"It's a self destructive technique, isn't it?"
"Tch."
"Akio, does the use of pain packer have an equal effect on yourself."
That was, unfortunately, the case.
"...yes."
"Then. I need you to hold me to a promise."
"Listen, it's fine! I just have to be careful in-"
"Promise."
My eyes twitched. "Rghh. Fine..."
"Pain packer is a last resort. I'm sure you can use your coloured sparks just fine, right? For now, those will be enough."
"But, Soke, seriously-"
"You should've heard yourself when we saw you collapse that day."
"..."
"Ruhen, what were his final moments like?"
"I guess... he was able to find his own resolution."
"I see."
Then, the words he told me right as he fell to the hands of death replayed in my mind.
"Soke!"
"What is it?" He looked startled.
A stern expression formed on my face.
"I need you to take me to Chairman Lucien."
"What-?"
"Please!"
Soke's eyes glared at me, an eventual forfeit. He sighed.
"Alright, alright. Better get going then."
The back of my hands sank into the firm mattress as I propped myself into an upright position, bandages covering my torso becoming more and more constricted.
It was the same for Kai, his wounds still plastered with thick white bandages, though he had clothes on.
"Hey, fool. Catch!"
A sweater and jeans were thrown at me.
"Uh, thanks."
***
I stood across the chairman, my knees hitting the sterile tile with a dull thud.
Anessa stood next to him, her posture as straight as usual.
"Must we really go through with this each time we meet?" The chairman looked unbothered.
"Ah, sorry."
I propped myself up.
"So, Akio. Why was it that you requested a meeting today? You've just recovered, I hear."
"Yes. About the mission-"
"I've heard. But Soke told me that if it weren't for you and Kai, then not even the boy would have made it out. Don't dwell on it."
"Sorry... but I received some particularly concerning information before Ruhen died."
Everyone's eyes shot open.
"And what may this information be, exactly?"
"The reason that demon from a week ago knew our name. How the rebels knew Soke."
The chairman's eyes sharpened.
"He mentioned... demon cultists."
"Do continue."
"He said they were an organisation with people from both kingdoms. Ruhen's rebel group was under his control, and I'm sure there's many more."
"Did he tell you anything else?"
Memories of back then flashed in my mind.
Right!
"He said their goal was the.. resurrection of primordials."
The chairman's eyelids sprang open, his eyes dilated in fright. His hands landed with a loud bang on the oak table. He rose up suddenly with a hurried and choking push, staring me down with his heaving chest. It was the same for Soke.
"Is that true, Akio!?"
I was startled. "Ah! Yes, I'm certain."
The chairman seated himself once more.
"This is bad, Soke. We have a revolution on our hands."
"What exactly are these, primordials?"
He sighed. "Listen, all of you."
Kai and the rest sprung up.
"The primordials are the demons that have existed since the beginning of time. They are incredibly powerful and ancient creatures that were sealed hundreds of years ago, along with the Demon King."
The strongest demons, and they were sealed?
"Uhm, Mister Chairman, if they were sealed, then how exactly do you think the cultists plan to resurrect them?"
"There is a way. And only one way, to resurrect the primordials. A key."
A key?
"What do you mean a key?"
"Not a physical one, of course. A manifested key, it's a charm." Soke interrupted.
"Wait, hol' on a sec. The key's a charm!?"
The chairman hunched back on his chair.
"Yes. The key to the primordial's seal is a charm, passed down in the royal family of Aurelia."
I raised a doubt. "Wait, you don't mean the King is-?"
"No, not him. The key charm is an extremely rare manifestation that has rarely appeared over the past centuries."
"So then, what's the problem. Without a key, they can't-"
"Until recently. Only a few weeks back, we were notified that the key had once again, manifested in a member of royal lineage."
Only a few weeks back? That's only a bit after the cadet exam.
"Listen. Team Soke, I trust you five with this information. So I need you to confirm with me."
Our faces formed a stern expression at the chairman.
"What you are about to hear, can not, under any circumstances, leave this room."
I gulped.
"Gotcha, Lucien."
"Yes, mister chairman."
"Arright."
"I understand."
"The holder of the key, may be someone you are quite familiar with."
We?
"She was included among the batch of rookies that passed with you. Diana Roy. The King's granddaughter."
Diana. It's true, the name did in fact ring a bell.
"More importantly, I think I've clarified something clearly with this discussion."
The chairman stood up.
"It is highly unlikely that these cultists would immediately make a move so conveniently after a new key has formed."
Soke's expression hardened.
"And the only people that are aware of Diana's royalty and heritance of the key are high ranking cadets like Soke, me, Anessa, and the king himself."
Light escaped the room, consumed by the crushing shadow which spread upon the ground until it began engulfing us. Everything had connected, not a single piece was missing in the puzzle.
"It seems that..."
The Chairman leaned forwards and his figure cut a sharp outline in the fading darkness.
"We have a mole on our hands."