Sebastian, on the other hand, felt something he had never experienced before. His mind shook. His body refused to respond for a moment. Pain spread through his head like something had invaded it.
Then he slowly pushed himself up. His breathing was uneven, his mind struggling to process what had just occurred. He pressed his hand against the back of his head, trying to stabilize himself.
He staggered, held his head.
"Damn it…"
The door burst open. A young female officer rushed in.
She moved quickly to Sebastian's side and helped him sit upright.
"Captain… you were thrown?..."
Her eyes found Zekai.
Surprise flickered—then softened into something she didn't understand.
Sebastian exhaled slowly.
"I'm fine."
His fingers trembled once before he forced them still. Like the tremor had been acknowledged… and removed.
After a few seconds, he stood up, regaining control.
Then he looked at Zekai again.
This time—not with calm. But with interest.
"Oh… this is interesting," he said quietly.
"Iris. Bring the Grave Lens."
She nodded and left immediately.
Sebastian returned to his seat, but this time he didn't speak right away. He simply watched Zekai with new interest, as if trying to understand what he was.
Moments later, Iris returned carrying a small object. She placed it on the table in front of Zekai.
But her eyes lingered on Zekai for a moment longer than necessary.
Not fear.
Not hostility.
Something else. Like she was trying to understand what he was.
Her gaze lingered—not out of fear… like something about him didn't match what she understood. And that made it harder to look away.
It was a crystal sphere. Slightly cloudy, with faint darkness swirling inside it. A thin metallic frame held it in place, engraved with subtle markings. It looked lifeless—but something about it felt cold.
The darkness inside it didn't swirl randomly—
it moved like it was observing. Not reacting to the room.
Reacting to him.
The darkness inside tightened—then recoiled.
Like something inside it refused to get closer to him.
Zekai glanced at it, confused.
'What is this… a toy?'
"Put your hand on it," Sebastian said.
Zekai hesitated.
His fingers hovered just above the surface—
a faint tremor running through them before he forced it still, close enough to feel the cold, but not enough to commit.
The chill wasn't on his skin.
It felt deeper—like the object was reacting to him before he even touched it.
Suspicion rose immediately. Everything so far had gone wrong.
"Why should I touch it?" he asked. "What's the point?"
"...You first."
Sebastian's brow tightened the moment he heard that.
"Oh, suspect… you don't have the authority to make demands like that."
Zekai didn't flinch.
"Ever heard of a give-and-take policy?" he said calmly. "You give something… and you take something."
His gaze didn't waver.
"You already tried to push your power into me earlier."
A faint smile formed on Zekai's face.
"And you still couldn't figure out anything from it… even after trying so hard."
That was enough.
Sebastian's anger rose instantly, sharp and visible.
But instead of reacting immediately, he stepped closer—calm, controlled.
He lit a cigarette with one hand, exhaled slowly toward Zekai's face—and in the same motion, drew his gun and pressed it against Zekai's forehead.
Zekai didn't move. Not because he was calm.
Because the outcome… didn't include the bullet.
"Before you even blink…" Sebastian said quietly, "You don't die here because I allow it."
The air between them turned heavy.
Before things could escalate further—
Iris stepped in between them. even though every instinct told her not to.
Not fear. Something worse. Like stepping between two things that shouldn't exist in the same place.
"Please, stop!"
Her voice cut through the tension.
"Captain… please calm down. If you explain things clearly, he'll cooperate. Please."
She didn't understand why… but her instincts told her he wasn't the enemy.
Sebastian didn't lower the gun immediately.
"People die when I decide," he said quietly.
A pause.
"…but I'm starting to think you're not people."
Zekai was still the primary suspect in a case that had spiraled out of control.
But after a moment—
he exhaled, forcing himself to ease back slightly.
Sebastian raised his hand slightly. Dark energy formed again around his palm.
"You can see this, can't you? I know you can. You saw it when I sent it into you earlier. Am I right?"
Zekai nodded slowly.
"Good. Then listen carefully."
Sebastian leaned forward slightly.
"This is called Grave Energy."
Zekai's eyes shifted.
"—and you expect me to believe that explains anything?" he cut in.
Sebastian paused. For a moment—he actually considered the interruption.
Then—
"More precisely," he continued, "it's what we call Residual Absence—the pressure left behind when something is removed from reality."
Zekai's thoughts moved quickly.
"If something is removed… then what remains is…"
Zekai's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…like pressure."
A faint frown.
"…not energy. Something else."
Sebastian nodded slightly.
"Closer than most."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"…and where something refuses to stay gone."
Zekai didn't respond. Not because he didn't understand. Because he already knew something worse.
Sebastian pause.
His eyes sharpened.
"…and reality doesn't agree."
But one question remained. Zekai's thoughts shifted.
'If that's the case… then what is the energy inside me?'
Zekai's gaze stayed on the faint dark energy around Sebastian's hand.
For a moment, he hesitated.
'I didn't care about power before. But now… not having it meant losing people.'
Then he finally spoke.
"What decides who gets that power?"
Sebastian didn't answer immediately.
Zekai continued, his voice low but steady.
"This… Grave Energy. How does someone attain it?
Sebastian studied him for a second. Then he leaned back slightly.
"You don't attain it," Sebastian said.
"It doesn't choose fairly."
A faint pause.
"…and it doesn't explain why."
"And if you did… you wouldn't be sitting here alive."
His eyes didn't leave Zekai.
The faint darkness around his hand flickered—like something incomplete trying to take shape.
Zekai's eyes narrowed slightly.
He tapped the table lightly.
Zekai processed it silently.
"So it's not power created by humans."
"No," Sebastian replied. "It's something humans interact with… if they're capable."
He paused for a moment. Then added—
"And most people aren't."
"So there's nothing to fear," Sebastian said.
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"But you…"
Sebastian glanced at the sphere.
"You're not reacting like someone who just discovered this," Sebastian said quietly.
"So tell me… what did you already touch?"
The moment that question reached him—
The memory of the Fool card ritual flashed through Zekai's mind.
The one he had tried earlier… Zero's ritual.
For a brief moment, his thoughts sharpened.
What if they already know about it…?
His expression didn't change, but his mind moved quickly.
No… whatever I say now will only make things worse for me.
That realization settled in immediately.
Zekai stayed silent. He gave no answer to Sebastian's question.
Zekai's silence didn't help him—it only deepened Sebastian's suspicion.
"Let's see what's inside you."
That—was the real question.
Zekai's fingers twitched slightly. Not from fear of the test.
'What did Zero put inside me?'
'…or what did I become?'
Zekai slowly stared at the sphere.
The darkness inside the sphere tightened—like it was preparing for something.
For a second—his fingers tightened. Not on the table.
On memory. Aron voice.
"…don't leave me behind."
His breath paused.
Then continued. He forced them still like nothing happened.
His eyes flickered.
For the first time since entering the room—he considered something seriously.
If this place had rules… Then those rules could be broken.
His fingers twitched slightly against the cuffs.
"...then they were wrong to begin with."
"I'll find a way."
A pause.
"I'll break them."
✦ End of Chapter 20 — No Escape ✦