There was a cup of steaming green tea in front of each of us.

  "Fresh jasmine tea," he added. "Please enjoy. I do have quite a lovely collection in my pantry."

  "Smells good," I said, picking up the cup.

  "Did you see any interesting birds on your walk?"

  "No," I answered truthfully. "I didn't."

  He nodded. "Of course. It was a lovely day for a walk, though."

  He was being kind. I could tell he was trying to make small talk. Trying to make me comfortable.

  I didn't understand why. He should have been angry. Frustrated. He should be trying to figure out how to get rid of me.

  But he didn't seem to care about that.

  He was acting like... like he wanted to know me.

  I took a long sip of tea, studying him. He wore a button-up shirt and slacks. He looked like he'd come straight from a business meeting.

  I didn't know what his job was. I didn't know anything about him except that he was a former Sentinel.

  He smiled again. There were wrinkles around his eyes.

  "Thank you," he said.

  "For what?"

  "For protecting Maya," he replied.

  I didn't know what to say. I stared at him over the rim of the cup, my dark eyes reflecting back at me in the green water.

  "Why?" I asked.

  "Why what?"

  "Why did you thank me?" I asked. "You don't know me. I'm not one of your family members. I'm a stranger. You have no reason to be grateful. For all you know, I put her in that danger in the first place. I'm a threat."

  His face softened, his expression shifting to one of deep sadness. "Ah. I see. It must be difficult to not trust people."

  "I don't trust anyone," I corrected him.

  "Yet you protected my daughter. Why?"

  "Because... it was convenient," I replied. "It suited my interests."

  "Interests," Mr. Hoshino mused, taking a sip of tea. "That seems like an awfully vague word. What does it mean?"

  "I don't care," I replied.

  "Perhaps," he acknowledged. "But you still admitted you protected my daughter. So... thank you."

  I sipped the tea again.

  Crap, I'd walked straight into that one.

  "And I appreciate your honesty," he added. "Most people would lie. They'd make up a story. They'd try to make themselves look like a hero."

  "What do you think you know about me?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Why do you think I'm here?"

  "You're lost," Mr. Hoshino said simply. "You're lost, and you're afraid. And we're here to help."

  "Maybe a little, but all I can keep doing is move forward."

  "Maybe you need a rest," he suggested gently.

  "I can't," I replied.

  "So you say," Mr. Hoshino said. "But... you still protected my daughter and spent the afternoon with her."

  "I... I told you why," I answered. "It was convenient."

  I wanted him to drop it. I wanted him to stop being so kind. I wanted him to treat me like a threat, a stranger. I knew how to deal with that. I could handle that.

  But this? This was something else entirely. I didn't know how to respond.

  So I said the only thing that came to my mind. I didn't want him to think I was weak.

  "I really... don't have much of a choice," I continued. "I can't leave. I'm stuck here. I'm a danger to anyone around me, but I don't have anywhere else to go for now until I figure out what's next. So I'll stay, and I'll try not to cause any more trouble."

  "I understand," Mr. Hoshino said, his voice soft. He leaned back in his chair.

  "You think you do," I countered.

  "I do," he insisted. "I was a Sentinel since the first day the System activated. I've seen what happens to people who get too close to the Dark. I've seen what it does to them. I've seen what they become."

  That gave me pause. This man. This 'retired' Sentinel.

  He wasn't just a former kid playing a hero. He was a veteran. He'd seen things. He understood. He was scarily good at setting up logical traps. I had to be more careful.

  I met his gaze. The tea cup trembled in my hands. I had to fight the urge to throw it at him, to make him stop looking at me like that.

  "So," he said, leaning forward. "Let's talk about your World Skill."

  I froze.

  My mind raced.

  He didn't know. He couldn't know. He was guessing. He was fishing. He was trying to get me to confess to something.

  But what if he did? What if he could see something I couldn't?

  I put down my tea, staying silent.

  "Do you know what a survivor is, Reimi?" he asked, his voice gentle. "A survivor is a person who has done everything possible to stay alive in a world that is trying to kill them. Like I said. I was a Sentinel. I've seen pain in those tunnels, and monsters and incomprehensible horrors beyond counting. Most people are kept away from the really dangerous high-ranking portals, you know? There are things I've seen that I cannot forget. Shadows. And I can see that same shadow looming over you. So I know you are afraid. And that is okay. Fear is not weakness. Fear is the body's warning signal, telling you that there is something that can hurt you."

  I didn't say anything. I stared at the tea.

  "You are a very strong girl," Mr. Hoshino continued. "You are strong because you are alive. Now, I do want to know - and I will take your word at face value. Do you have System access? Not everyone with a World Skill is a Sentinel. Goodness knows my wife and I dealt with enough rogues in our time."

  I hesitated. I was fairly certain he was fishing and cold reading now, but I could work with that.

  Slowly, I nodded.

  Mr. Hoshino's smile widened, crinkling his eyes. "Good. So when you helped my daughter and her friends last night... that was not a one-time thing for you, was it?"

  "No."

  "And do you intend to continue helping them?"

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  I paused. I looked up at him.

  "Yes."

  "Good," Mr. Hoshino said. "I am glad. Are you willing to tell me what you can do?"

  I stared at him. Something sharp and cold stirred in my chest.

  "I can navigate and break barriers. It is why I was alive and safe when they found me in the dungeons. Locks and traps are also usually no problem for me."

  It was a half-truth. The whole truth was far more dangerous. It would have led to more questions, more digging. And it would have made it harder to leave.

  I activated my Cinder Eyes of the Forsaken Waif.

  Those red eyes of mine had always struck terror into my enemies.

  And now that I could see him with them.

  He was... impressive. Nowhere near my strength, even with my reserves drained, but I'd seen less. I'd seen people who were supposed to be 'Heroes' with less than a quarter of the raw mana that he had. He hadn't been slacking off in retirement.

  His aura was a deep, forest green - a color of stability and earth. And there were faint echoes of something else... something that was almost unnoticeable to most, but to me, it was a bright, blinding beacon.

  His entire aura hummed with a deep, powerful resonance. He'd been a Sentinel, yes. But he'd been more than that.

  He was hiding his power behind a veil of suburban domesticity. He was a tiger pretending to be a housecat.

  "It's called... the Cinder Eyes," I stated. "It allows me to see through walls. See heat, mana flow, and structural weak points. I used it to help the girls navigate the tunnels last night."

  I looked at him.

  "I see," Mr. Hoshino said. He looked at me, a thoughtful expression on his face.

  I watched him carefully. He seemed to be processing the information. Which was strange to me. Most people at least flinched in terror when they saw my bright red, burning eyes.

  "Does it have any other uses?" he asked.

  "I am not comfortable with sharing them. It is the only thing I have to my name," I deflected, trying not to reveal my hand. "And as I said, you have no reason to trust me. For all you know, I could be a villain. I could be a monster. I could be a threat. You shouldn't be so trusting, you know. People die when they're too trusting."

  "I will take your word for it," Mr. Hoshino said.

  And he did. He didn't push. He didn't pry.

  He just nodded, and accepted my answer.

  But I knew.

  He was a smart man.

  He could tell I was lying, or at least not telling the whole truth.

  "So you're not going to turn me in?" I asked.

  "I wouldn't dream of it," Mr. Hoshino said. "You're a person, not a problem. You have a story, and you have a right to tell it at your own pace. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do. You are a survivor. And I will respect that."

  I stared at him. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to react.

  He stroked his chin. "Nevertheless, that is very useful. I am glad. That will be helpful to her, and her friends." He reached forward. He gently touched the back of my hand. "Thank you, Reimi."

  His touch was gentle. Warm.

  I wanted to recoil. I wanted to pull away, to jerk back and put my guard up.

  But I couldn't move. It was like I was frozen, paralyzed by his kindness.

  "Maya is a good girl," Mr. Hoshino continued. "But she is young. She has a good heart, but her mind is inexperienced. Her friends, too. They are all learning. They are going to make mistakes."

  "You trust them," I said.

  "I do," Mr. Hoshino confirmed. "And I trust you. You protected my daughter. From what it sounds like, you saved their lives. Even if they don't want to worry us with details."

  "Maybe," I allowed.

  "You have a good heart, too," Mr. Hoshino said, standing up. "No matter where you are from."

  I stared at the table.

  "I really don't," I whispered. "I don't have a heart. Not anymore."

  Mr. Hoshino's smile faded a little. "Not anymore, you say? I hope someday you will realize that is not true."

  I finished the tea. "I should go check on Maya."

  I was about to get up from the table, when he cleared his throat one more time.

  "They told me they're taking you to see the outlet this afternoon," Mr. Hoshino said, a hint of mischief entering his tone. "Y'know. Shopping, they say."

  "They're going to help me get my hands on some new clothes," I lied. "My old stuff is... well. Not suitable."

  "Althea told me," Mr. Hoshino said. He was enjoying this way too much. "But you know, if you're going to be going on 'outings' like that, you'll need a way to pay for your own things, right?"

  I stared at him blankly.

  "Maya and her friends are registered with the Association as a trial team. They have a small stipend and a small portion of their take from any authorized raid. But you... you're not registered. You have no legal identity. You can't work a normal job."

  He pulled a smartphone from the pocket of his slacks and unlocked it. He tapped a few things, and then held it out to me.

  "Sign up for the local Bounty Board," he said. "It's not an official job, and it's not under the Association's purview, so you won't get flagged by their system. But it's a good way for people with... unique skills... to make some money on the side. There's always a few incursions in the sewers. A few rogue automatons in the old factories. Minor things that the Association doesn't have the manpower or the desire to handle. Some of it is even completely non-combat. And it pays. Not well, but it pays."

  The phone displayed a registration screen. It was a simple, no-frills interface with a single text field for a name and a button for 'Submit.'

  "You can use the name I gave you," Mr. Hoshino suggested gently. "Hanako Yamada. A bit of a creative stretch, but it'll keep the nosy neighbors from asking questions. And we can file it under a new work visa later."

  I stared at the screen. 'Hanako Yamada.'

  It was a lie. A fabrication. An identity that didn't exist.

  It was perfect.

  I took the phone from him.

  "What's the catch?" I asked, my voice flat.

  "The catch is that you use the money for good things," Mr. Hoshino said. "Like clothes. And food. And helping my daughter and her friends not get themselves killed."

  He smiled. "And, you know, a nice pair of shoes is always a good idea. We have a local shoe store. It's very nice."

  I typed the name and ID number into the phone and hit 'Submit'.

  The screen flashed, and a new screen popped up, displaying a list of available 'missions'.

  "Just one... thing. Why exactly do you have a burner phone with a pre-made fake ID on it just lying around?" I asked, handing him the phone back.

  He laughed. It was a warm, genuine laugh. "Let's just say my wife and I have a few of our own runaways over the years."

  His eyes glowed faintly, and he held out his other hand. The phone's screen flickered, and a small holographic card materialized in his palm. It was a driver's license, with a picture of a stern-looking young woman with short, black hair, and the name 'Hanako Yamada' printed on it. The address was the Hoshino residence.

  "That looks nothing like me," I said.

  He scoffed.

  "The picture is close enough. To be blunt - most of the local Association admins are white, Reimi," he said gently, putting the ID into a plastic sleeve. "No one is going to question the Japanese exchange student living with the Hoshino family. They will chalk it up to a haircut, water retention, or makeup."

  I stared at him. I couldn't believe this was happening. I was being given a new identity. A new life. A new chance.

  I didn't want a new life. I wanted my old one back.

  "Look at me, Reimi," Mr. Hoshino said, his voice firm.

  I looked at him.

  "I know you're not what you seem," he said. "I know you're not a normal teenager. I know you have secrets, and I know you're running from something. But you're here now. You're in my house. And as long as you're here, you're my responsibility. I'm not going to let you get hurt."

  He put the ID in my hand.

  "And I'm not going to let you get killed," he added. "So you're going to take this ID, and you're going to use it. And you're going to let us help you."

  I looked down at the ID. The name felt strange on my tongue.

  "Why would you trust me? You don't know me," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "You don't know what I've done."

  He looked at me, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of something other than kindness. Something darker. Something harder.

  "Because I've seen what the Dark does to people, Reimi. And I've seen what happens when they have no one to turn to. I'm not going to let that happen to you. I'm not going to let you become another casualty."

  He leaned in, his voice barely audible.

  "I've lost too many people to the Dark. I'm not going to lose another person who isn't a lost cause."

  I stared at him. I felt a lump in my throat. I didn't know what to say.

  His eyes flashed green. "My Eyes of Gaia may not be what they used to be, but it can still see that your soul is screaming. You are not evil. I would have called my associates at the Legion immediately if you were. As it turns out, you are not the only one with eyes that see more than they let on."

  I didn't flinch. Instead, I narrowed my own eyes in return.

  "Are you done with your interrogation?" I asked.

  He smiled. "For now."

  I took the ID. It was cool to the touch. It felt real.

  "Good," Mr. Hoshino said, leaning back in his chair. He looked like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

  "Now go with my daughter and her friends," he said. "They're waiting for you. Go on. Go get some clothes. The ID will work. I promise."

  I stood up. I walked to the door, then paused as he spoke again.

  "You know... it's been twenty-two years since those things started appearing."

  I stood there, my hand on the front door's handle.

  "I'm retired, but I remember how hard it is to find good excuses when your parents are asking questions. I was nineteen when the System activated here, you know? I had my whole life ahead of me. I was going to be a musician. I was going to travel the world. Then the dungeons started opening, and everything changed."

  I turned around slowly.

  "My friends and I... we were some of the first. We weren't Sentinels. We didn't have training. We were just kids who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We had to learn how to fight on our own. We had to learn how to survive. And we did. But we paid a price. Not all of us are here today."

  I looked him in the eye. "I'm.. sorry."

  He smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Don't be. It's not your fault. Just know that you are not alone. There are others like you. Others who have lost everything. Others who are running. And there are people who want to help."

  He stood up and walked over to me. He put a hand on my shoulder.

  "Go," he said. "Get some clothes. We'll talk more when you get back."

  He opened the door for me.

  "Be careful," Mr. Hoshino said. "I told Maya no illegal dungeoning. I mean that. But..."

  He smirked. "I know Maya. She's stubborn. And I have the strong feeling you you are, too. So I am asking you, Reimi: please don't get in over your heads. Come home safe. I don't care what you have to do, or what lies you have to tell me about what you're doing or where you're going. Just come home safe."

  I didn't say anything. I just nodded slowly, a strange tightness in my chest.

  "It's.. just a trip to the mall," I said. My voice came out hoarse and scratchy. "Nothing more."

  Mr. Hoshino nodded. "Of course. Outlet malls can be very dangerous places. So don't mind me if I'm being a concerned father. And remember, if you need anything, I'm here. I can help you." He raised both hands with a smile. "That is a promise."

  I gave him a small nod and stepped through the foyer.