Heizou walked through the streets with a skip in his step. There was a chill in the wind, but he didn't pay attention to it. He was done with work for the week, so he has all day to spend time with his partner.

He continued his walk past Hanamizaka, and into Chinju Forest. The entire area was filled with a blue hue and verdun trees, which were accompanied by squirrels and birds. The grass below was decorated with blue flowers that glowed and swayed in the wind. Heizou followed the rocky pathway that led him into the deeper parts of the forest. It was dark, but that didn't scare him in the slightest. He was far too familiar with this area.

As much as Heizou wanted to appreciate the scenery, he has someone to see. He looked up in the trees, scanning for a certain wanderer. Tracking down his partner in high places has become a routine, one that made him accidentally crash into barks of wood and trip on rocks multiple times. The detective would complain about it, if it wasn't embarrassing to admit.

It isn't long before Heizou spots his partner. To be expected, really, he literally sticks out like a sore thumb.

Resting on a branch is Kaedehara Kazuha, a man with a pair of wings that transition from red to yellow – which are basically two times his size – folded behind his back. Kazuha whistles a tune with a leaf as his instrument, before releasing it into the wind and watching it drift away.

Heizou watches him with a smile. “Man alive, he's ethereal,” he whispers under his breath.

To his dismay, Kazuha looks down at him as soon as the words leave his mouth. Curse him and his sensitive hearing…

Kazuha smiles back and drops down, using his wings to slow his fall. "Greetings, Hei. I assume you're free from work?"

"Yep, I've done everything for now. I'm all yours for tonight." Heizou grins as he watches Kazuha's wings flutter and glow brighter behind him.

He has been with the ronin long enough to have these habits ingrained in his mind. How his wings shine according to his mood, flap when he's excited, twitch when he's nervous...

Yeah, he's pretty good at – what he calls – ‘wing language’.

"Ah, that's great news. If I may, I have the perfect place to relax, if you'd like."

“Why didn't we meet there in the first place?” Heizou furrows his eyebrows for a moment before he lightly shrugs. "Sure, wherever we go is fine with me."

Kazuha gives him a soft smile, ignoring the first sentence, "Alright, then hold tight."

The samurai doesn't give Heizou a chance to respond as he – quite literally – sweeps him off his feet and supports his back with his other hand as he carries him and flies up. Heizou, like a normal human being, instinctively wraps his arms around Kazuha's neck to stabilize himself. They were already above the trees before Heizou realized that he was in a bridal carry and blushed a deep red.

"Was this really necessary?!"

Kazuha merely laughs, "Of course. I would rather not pick you by the arms and hold you while your feet dangle in the air."

"Couldn't we just... walk?!"

"Ah, but wouldn't gliding be faster?"

Heizou groans and buries his face in Kazuha's shoulder, mostly to hide his embarrassment... and shield his eyes from the beaming glow from Kazuha's wings.

So that's why they gathered in the forest instead of wherever Kazuha was planning.

"Whatever, just... get us there, please."

"Certainly, my prince," Kazuha says with a teasing tone, laced with affection.

.

.

.

Kazuha flies them over to Mt. Yougou, where they can see an overview of Inazuma City. He gently sets Heizou down, allowing him to stand on his own.

"Man alive – you weren't kidding, Kazu. This view’s amazing!"

"I'm glad you think so."

Kazuha sits down on the grass, crossing his legs. Heizou follows him, sitting beside Kazuha. The chilly air makes Heizou shiver – it's way colder now that they're on a mountain.

Fortunately, Kazuha notices this and wraps a wing around the doushin to protect him from the cold. Heizou smiles and rests his head on Kazuha's shoulder.

They fall into a comfortable silence, watching the stars in the sky flicker above the city of Inazuma. Most of their nights end up like this, but neither of them are tired of it yet.

Heizou notices that his partner is staring at the horizon, as if he's lost in thought. He observes in concern – it's been happening for a couple of days now, but Kazuha doesn't seem to be willing to tell him yet. Normally, Heizou wouldn't pester him about it, but now he's getting really worried.

"... you have something on your mind again."

Kazuha lightly flinches before turning his attention back to Heizou. “Ah, apologies, I didn't mean to zone out.”

The other furrows his eyebrows and sits up straight. “Something's been bothering you for days now. Tell me, what's wrong?”

He saw the tips of Kazuha's wings twitch before they unwrapped themselves from Heizou's body, now folded tightly behind the avian’s back.

“... it's nothing. Just a bit exhausted.” Kazuha gives him a smile, though both of them know that it's not ‘nothing’.

“It must be something if it's been exhausting you for this long.” He points out.

Kazuha's body stiffens. He starts fiddling with his sleeves.

“No, really, it's nothing. It will pass eventually.”

“And when is that ‘eventually’…?”

“I–... I can handle it, it's okay. No need to be concerned.”

“If it's affecting you, I'm definitely concerned. It's been like this for days, Kazu.”

The other clearly hesitates, looking everywhere but Heizou's eyes.

“... I appreciate it, but don't worry. It will pass, it's nothing important.”

Heizou sighs, dissatisfied, but knowing that they'll repeat the cycle of asking and avoiding, he decides to drop it – again.

“Okay… no interrogation tonight.” He half-jokes, trying to return to his playful self. “But remember, you can tell me anything, alright?”

“Of course. I know I can trust you.”

Then why can't you tell me?

He smiles anyway, now looking at the city lights and changes the subject.

“You're leaving for Liyue tomorrow, right?”

Kazuha hums as his wings start to loosen behind him, "Yes, I am. I might be back after a month though, we don't have anything urgent at the moment. Anegimi (an older sister figure to both of them, Beidou) simply wants to see Ningguang."

"Ah, okay. I'm sure the rest of the crew want to see their families too." Heizou looks up at the night sky. "… actually, I've noticed something."

Kazuha blinks. "And that is…?”

“The stars don't vanish, y’know? Even if we can't see them, they're still up there. Kinda like how beautiful things don't just… stop being beautiful.”

There's a brief moment of silence, before Kazuha looks him in the eyes.

“But stars fade eventually, right? When it disappears, how do we know it's still there to be found?”

Heizou opens his mouth to say something, but no words come out. He presses his lips together and looks down, trying to think of an answer.

“... I don't know. I guess it depends?”

A chuckle, “I'll leave that to you, then.”

.

.

.

It's been a day since Kazuha's departure, Heizou always finds the first week the hardest. Coming home to an empty house is something he doesn't want to go back to, but it's comforting to know that it won't last forever.

Still, Heizou isn't one to be confined in his small home, especially in his line of work. So, he puts on a plain white shirt and brown pants, and goes out on a walk.

He walks along the street of Inazuma, greeting a few vendors that he passes by, and...

Captain Beidou?

She approaches him with a light – well, it was light for Beidou – pat on the back, "Hey, kid!"

Heizou laughs a little awkwardly, "Hello, captain. Aren't you supposed to be across the sea by now?"

Beidou crossed her arms, "We would be, if we weren't missing a member.”

A confused noise came from his throat. “What do you mean?”

She looks up at the sky, her eye flicking back and forth. “I haven't seen Kazuha in days, and there's no way we're leaving without our little barometer.” Beidou diverts her gaze back to Heizou. “Thought he was with you, actually. Maybe he forgot, or something."

The other blinked at the captain owlishly. Wait, what?

“He… forgot?”

“I'm not sure. I doubt it, though. All I know is that he never came aboard. The ship's been here since dawn, but I haven't seen any sign of him.”

The detective looks at her in disbelief. "... he's not with me either. We said goodbye to each other last night."

Beidou’s gaze hardened. "He's not the one to disappear without warning, y’know that. Last time I saw him, he said he was hanging out at your place for a while. I haven't seen him since."

Heizou can feel his intuition setting off alarms in his head.

Indeed, Kazuha doesn't disappear without warning, he would always tell someone. Even so, he's never late for a departure, as far as he knows. Was Heizou deceived...? No, Kazuha would never! He had no reason to! Then... where was he?

Something was wrong.

“... it's nothing. Just a bit exhausted.”

Now he was definitely keeping something from him.

If only he tried a little harder – got Kazuha to open up… maybe this wouldn't have happened.

But what was so important that he couldn't tell him?

Was he threatened?

Was there something after him?

Kazuha would never surrender to anyone, though. He was always a free spirit, roaming the lands where the wind led him. Nothing would take that away from him again.

He wore his heart on his sleeve, that's for sure. However, even he had limits. Heizou respected that, and tried not to ask too much. But now… he might not get the chance to.

"...–zou. Heizou."

Beidou put her hand on his shoulder.

Heizou jolted and looked at the woman in front of him.

"Listen, I know that wandering to archons know where is his thing, but we'll find him. I'll ask the crew if they've seen him."

"Right, right..." Heizou inhaled – when did he stop breathing? "Thank you, captain. I'll try to investigate in the meantime."

"Alright. Let me know if you find anything." Beidou patted him on the back before she left.

Heizou closed his eyes and took deep breaths. What should he do? He said he'll investigate, but there's little to nothing to go off on! All he knows is that there was something off with Kazuha. The situation just got handed to him – is it possible to investigate this early?

Should he tell the Tenryou Commission about this? He probably should. Or shouldn't. Heizou has always worked alone, it's better that way.

But this is Kazuha we're talking about.

Damn it – he doesn't know how much time he has, or any solid evidence that it's foul play!

His intuition has never failed him, though. He knew something's wrong. Or is his mind going overdrive? Is he even thinking right? He feels useless.

No, he needs to focus. He has to start somewhere. Now…

Is there anyone who would target Kazuha?

They're quite cautious when they're in public, though. Kazuha conceals his wings when he's in society, and never goes into the city at night, since he can't hide it without sunlight. No one knows that he's a yokai either, other than close friends.

So why him?

A sharp jolt of frustration strikes like lightning.

Why?

Why?

He knew something was wrong – that there was some hidden variable. But Kazuha wouldn't tell him. He kept smiling, pretending everything's okay. Both of them knew that it wasn't, so why did he bother?

Is he so unreliable that even Kazuha couldn't trust him with it?

It shouldn't make him this angry, but it did.

This was all Heizou's doing. He was supposed to be the one who reads people. It was his damn job, for archon’s sake.

He knows that he can't force the truth out – especially those who aren't willing to talk, but he feels that it's unfair that he was shut out. After everything?

Maybe he isn't trustworthy. That's what his brother said, anyway.

Heizou tries to breathe properly. He hasn't felt something like this, not since–

“Um… excuse me, mister?” A child looks up at him with a concerned expression, “Are you okay?”

The detective blinks and looks back at the little girl. He's shaking. He didn't even notice he was. He even forgot that he was still on the streets. Heizou gives a weak smile to the girl.

“... yes, I'm fine.” Heizou pats the girl's head. Repeating the same lies as him – hypocrite.

“Oh, okay. You can have this chocolate then, Mom says that it cheers people up!”

The kid hands Heizou a chocolate box, which he gratefully accepts. Heizou isn't that good when dealing with children, but this one is rather kind. This is one of the reasons why he became a detective – to protect the innocent. Like this girl, and Kazuha.

“Thank you, that's very nice of you. It's starting to get dark, though. You should get home.”

“Oh… yeah. And you're welcome! Bye!” The girl waves her hand before running off into the opposite direction.

Heizou lets out an exhale and takes a bite of the chocolate as he heads home.

“But stars fade eventually, right? When it disappears, how do we know it's still there to be found?”

I'll find you, and I won't stop until I do. I know you're out there.

.

.

.

Kazuha coughed. The room was covered in dirt and dust, and it's starting to irritate his nose. Everything is dark, except for the faint glow of his wings. The injury on his head is still quite painful, considering that there was little to no healthcare on it. He's starting to think that whoever is behind this is planning to suffocate him here.

The door started to open with a screech, deafening his ears and blinding him with a sudden light. When his eyes have adjusted, Kazuha looks at his assailant, his wings flaring up in hostility.

“So, how's our little bird doing?” The other asked with a maniacal grin as they hook a lantern on the wall.

“I'm not your pet,” Kazuha spat out.

“Ah, that's rich for someone who has been stuck in a cage like the bird you are.”

Kazuha's wings bristled. “What are your intentions? I’m sure you're not here for small talk.”

“Heh, you're right.”

The figure steps on Kazuha's right hand with their foot and grips the other arm with crushing strength, making Kazuha wince in pain and keeping him on the floor.

“You have beautiful wings, or so I've heard. I'm sure you've been complemented as such.” The tone, however, was insincere. “Don't you think it's a shame that the world can't see it?”

Kazuha grits his teeth. “What are you implying?”

The person laughs, “You'll find out soon enough. But for now, I'll give you something that you'll enjoy.”

The ronin narrows his eyes on the object in the individual’s left hand – is that… a syringe? There's a purple liquid inside it…

No – they can't, he won't allow it!

“There's no need to resist, little bird. You won't feel anything after this.”

Stop.

Stop this.

He needs to get away. Get away.

But he can't. He has to! Just run. He doesn't know where. But he has to.

Run.

As soon as the perpetrator comes closer, Kazuha harshly snaps his right wing forward, hitting the person on the head and causing them to stagger back from the recoil.

The avian's pupils narrowed to slits. “Back off.”

The other only scoffs and runs a hand through their hair, already collecting themself, “Feisty, huh?” They start walking towards him in a comfortable stride, like they're on a hike.

Kazuha starts distancing himself, only for his blood to run cold when his wings scrape the wall behind him.

“See? There's no use, really. You've always been easy to catch, y’know.”

The laughter elicited from them rang in Kazuha's ears. His eyes flickered to the seemingly glowing exit – his only chance at salvation – and the figure in front of him, getting dangerously closer.

A deceivingly gentle hand rested on his shoulder. Before Kazuha could react, he was roughly shoved to the side, wings instinctively curling to protect his body from the collision. He hits the concrete with a thud, knocking the air out of his lungs.

His assailant merely stands in front of Kazuha, blocking the way between him and the door. Kazuha notices a mole under their mouth, which has a smirk. The same, one-sided, crooked smirk.

A sharp gasp, followed by feathers slowly flaring. “Wait, you're…”

The person huffs a laugh and tilts their head, “Miss me?”

No…

He needs to run. The exit is right there. Escape.

Kazuha immediately flaps his wings downward, creating a gust of wind to propel him up…

… and slams his head on the ceiling above.

He falls half a meter down, wincing from the sharp pain and lightheadedness.

Taking advantage of Kazuha's failed attempt, the assailant grips his ankle and pulls him to the ground. They press their knee into his upper back and hold the base of his right wing, effectively pinning Kazuha down on the ground.

“Seriously, trying to fly in a small space like this?” They asked mockingly.

The avian clenched his fists, panting as he desperately struggled to escape the tight grip – but to no avail.

The person laughed. That damn laugh.

“Don't worry, you won't need to anymore.”

“Wait–!”

A needle injects straight into his left shoulder, causing Kazuha to cry out in pain.

It hurts. It hurts.

“There we go. It'll kick in after a few minutes. Be a good bird and stay put.”

The light from the exit dims. What can he do? Everything feels so heavy…

… tired… he's tired. It's cold too.

His entire body feels like it's been electrocuted. The burning sensation from his arm quickly spreads throughout his whole body, and the pain in his head spikes in intensity.

Can he hold out for longer? Can he fight this searing pain that flows in his veins?

… he can't. He needs help.

Help…

.

.

.

“... you want to what?” Juza – the chief mate of the Crux fleet – asks incredulously.

Heizou, now in his uniform, stands on the docks in front of the Alcor.

“Check out Kazuha's room. Like I said, I'm investigating a case.”

The sailor lightly scoffed. “How do I know you're not one of the people who took him, huh?”

The audacity to think that I would do such a thing, Heizou thought. Instead of saying that out loud, he showed his badge on his right shoulder. “The name’s Doushin Shikanoin, from the Tenryou Commission. I'm here on official business.”

Juza gave him a once over. “Well, doushin or not, I can't just let you in. Especially when Kazuha’s not around,” he says sternly.

While Heizou understands, time is of the essence here. This is important. He needs to know Kazuha's side of the story, the side that he kept from him.

“Let him in, Juza.”

The pair turns their heads to the source of the voice.

“Captain!” Juza salutes as soon as he sees her. “Are you sure? Him?”

Beidou puts her hand on Heizou's shoulder. “If anyone can find Kazuha, it's him. Now, let him in.”

Juza still looks uncertain, but nods and steps aside anyway, as were the orders from the captain.

“Thank you.” Heizou says with relief.

The captain simply smiles and pats his shoulder before walking aboard the Alcor.

“C’mon, kid. I'll take you to his room.”

.

.

.

“Any update from yesterday?” Beidou asks as they descend upon the wooden stairs under the deck.

“... nothing much. I just know that he was keeping something from me.”

“Keeping something from you?” She asks with a tone of surprise.

Seems like he hasn't told her either.

Heizou nods, “Yeah. I kept asking him about it, but he never opened up.” He glanced at Beidou. “Did he tell you anything?"

She shakes her head. “Nothing out of the ordinary, at least. I did notice that he was more on guard when we met in Ritou by coincidence, though. He was a little stiff – even seemed tired.”

“Did you ask him about it?”

“‘Course I did. He just told me that he was a bit exhausted.”

He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. “He told me the same thing. That was his only response when questioned, and look what happened.”

The sounds of their shoes clacking on wood in a steady rhythm filled the short moment of silence.

Beidou turned a corner and stood in front of a door.

“Whatever it is, we'll uncover it. Just make sure you don't overwork yourself in the process again.” Beidou pats his head before turning around and leaving Heizou to do his work. “Call me if you find anything.”

He smiles. “Of course. Thank you, captain.”

Then, Heizou faces the door and takes a deep breath.

A gloved hand grips the doorknob and turns it, pushing the door open.

The room is… surprisingly a little messy. Kazuha was always organizing the items in Heizou's house. Perhaps he was planning to come back and clean it up later.

Heizou steps into the space, silently closing the door behind him. He notes that the bedsheets are somewhat unkept, save for a single pillow stationed on the headboard. His gaze moves to the desk, filled with numerous papers, as well as a few pens and pencils to write with.

He approached the desk and started skimming through the papers. Rough sketches of wings and flora were scattered throughout the surface. On another, haikus describing numerous scenery were written. Then, he came across a notebook.

The cover was cracked on the corners, worn out by time, but maintained its leathery texture. This must be his journal, Heizou realized.

He flipped through the pages. At first, they were just regular entries and haikus, mostly about the weather. As he kept reading, one particular entry caught his eye.

“I’ve decided to take a visit to Amakane Island this morning. The sea was calm, but no gulls came to visit me today. I found it a bit odd, since the weather was particularly sunny. Perhaps they sensed it too.

I noticed a shadow near the shore, multiple times for it to be a coincidence. Yet, something about it seems… familiar, in an unpleasant manner. Nonetheless, I kept walking. Maybe my memory has been failing me, as it is bound to be eroded by time.”

Another page flipped. The handwriting was a little inconsistent.

“The seas are restless, and so am I. The wind repeats whispers in my ear: ‘It's unsafe, run. There's danger ahead.’ It was overwhelming. The sound of leaves crunching under my feet was suddenly too loud.

I immediately rushed to Ritou. I have never felt this sense of panic since Kunashiri, but those years are long gone. Still, the wind tells me otherwise…”

Heizou flips to the last page, a little more forcefully. He notes that there are jagged strips of paper clinging to the spine of the notebook, suggesting that there were previous entries that were ripped out. The handwriting was visibly strained this time.

“Multiple days have passed, but they have yet to make a move. They won't stop following me. I don't understand, why now? Is it all in my head? What do they want from me? I–”

The rest is an unintelligible smear of ink caused by water stains.

For a moment, Heizou just stood there. His fingers tightened their hold on the piece of paper.

Kunashiri…

Heizou never saw the land for himself, but Kazuha spoke fondly of it. Yet, even with cherished memories, a single one changed his life.

Multiple men who were armed with bows pointed them at whoever had wings. Arrows were shot. Screams were heard. As if that wasn't enough, houses and landmarks were burned down, and Kazuha had no choice but to flee.

Heizou will never forget the first time he met Kazuha all those years ago in the forest – cuts on his feet, burnt scars on his hands, feathers trembling with every shallow breath. It took Kazuha months to share what happened.

Now, based on the journal entries, he's having the same sense of panic as he did back then.

Kazuha's instincts were never wrong.

The wind doesn't whisper doubts.

His intuition was screaming at him too.

Heizou can make an educated guess.

It was them.

“Kazuha…” He whispered under his breath.

Heizou grit his teeth and slammed the journal closed. He left the room in a rush, shutting the door a little too loudly.

They don't have the luxury of time. He needs to find Kazuha.

.

.

.

Heizou navigated his way through Konda Village, observing his surroundings. There's nothing out of the ordinary, he notes. There has to be something. Kazuha usually stays here a night before he departs. Heizou's house is too far, unfortunately. But where the hell does he start–

“Oh, Heizou!"

The doushin looks to his left, “Tomo, it's been a while. Did you need me for anything?” He asks in the most casual tone he could muster.

“Not really, just wanted to say hi. I don't usually see you in the village. You look tired though – what's wrong, my friend?”

Heizou sighs. “It's… it's Kazuha.”

“Heh, still spending his money on whatever he can find as gifts?”

“No, he's– he's missing.”

Tomo’s grin quickly fades. “... what?”

“Yeah, he has been officially declared missing for around two days. I… filed a missing report to the Tenryou Commission.”

A moment of silence passes by. Tomo looks down on the ground with his arms crossed, seemingly deep in thought.

“Y’know, I saw a shop in Hanamizaka. I was about to walk past it, but I saw a feather through the window. I thought it looked familiar.”

The detective’s eyes widened. Is he too late?

“By familiar, do you mean…?”

“Yeah, it looked like Kazuha's.”

Heizou's demeanor immediately switches. “What’s the name of the shop?”

“Uh, let me remember… I think it was… Kodai Antiques? Yeah, or something like that.”

The whole thing unsettles him. Kazuha is just a relic to them, huh? Just an opportunity for profit? Is that why they attacked his homeland? People like these absolutely sicken him. That's what criminals are – hiding under a mask to make them seem like a better person than they really are.

“Do you know the owner?”

Tomo idly adjusts his purple scarf, “I've heard some conversations. I think his name was Junichi.”

Heizou sends a quick smile. “Thank you, Tomo. I'll investigate immediately.”

“By yourself?”

“... yes? My intuition is the only assistant I need.”

The other narrows his eyes, “Allow me to be your assistant, then. You know I would do anything to help.”

“I appreciate it, but it's not that simple. This isn't something you're trained for. You should leave this case to me.”

“Heizou, this is Kazuha we're talking about. He's our friend. This isn't just another case. I understand that you do your work alone, but you don't have to.”

“I know you have good intentions, but the more people we involve, the more risks there is–”

“If you won't involve me, then I'll involve myself.” Tomo bends down to Heizou's height, “So what if there are more people? Isn't that a good thing, my friend? Like you, I can't just sit aside and wait while Kazuha is missing. Please, I want to help. Why won't you let me?”

“I just don't want to add another victim, okay?”

Heizou looks down, letting out a sigh. He could only watch others in agony as they dive deeper into the point of no return. Because of this, he feels an obligation to solve it – to apologize for not doing anything sooner, for not preventing it from happening in the first place. He has to break the cycle to end the list of victims. 'Doushin Shikanoin' is a version of himself that is strong, capable, and intelligent – someone who prides in his success.

'Heizou', on the other hand, is none of those. Uncertain, inadequate, emotional.

Ironic. He hates lying criminals, but uses it like a shield for himself. Emotions are always his weakness. He doesn't want to relive that day.

Heizou watched from the crack of the door. His heart pounded in his chest, knowing that he couldn't do anything to stop it.

His brother wiped a trail of blood from his mouth and looked up – eyes full of exhaustion, with an underlying layer of resentment.

'Yes, Father.'

After that day, Heizou never saw him again. No message, no warning, nothing.

'Heizou. I'll see you on the court. Don't disappoint me either.'

Tomo put his hands on Heizou's shoulders, looking him in the eyes.

“Heizou, I get it. I understand how you feel. But you're only human. You have limits. Kazuha wouldn't want you to do this alone, and you know it.”

The detective looks up at his friend and sees Tomo’s look of empathy.

Heizou takes a deep breath and walks past Tomo.

“Then, let's go to the police station. We're going to find him.”

.

.

.

The desk is filled with files, almost creating a tower on the table. Heizou scans through one folder, before throwing it back to the never ending pile of documents and leaning back on his chair.

“Did you find it?” Tomo asked as he skimmed through another folder in his hands.

Heizou sighs and runs his hands through his hair, “No, I haven't. I knew I should've told Uesugi to sort the files a long time ago…”

Tomo furrows his eyebrows, “Surely we're going to find it eventually…? We've been at it for three hours.”

The redhead blinked. “It's been three hours?”

“Yes it has, my friend.” He said blankly.

Heizou groans and hits his forehead on the edge of the desk, making a loud thud. He looks down at the white cat sleeping on his feet. The feline followed them outside Konda Village, and Tomo insisted on bringing her. Must be nice to be a cat, to sleep without a care in the world…

“Wait… here it is!”

The detective immediately sits up and looks at the folder Tomo is showing him.

“Business name: Kottohin

Owner: Junichi Yen”

Heizou makes a questioning sound. That's not the name of the shop…

“Are you… sure this is the one?”

“Well – his name is on it. I haven't heard of any other Junichi’s…”

He slowly hums and takes the folder from Tomo.

“Location: Hanamizaka, Inazuma City

Hours of Operation: 1pm - 10pm

License Expiry Date: May 18”

“... wait, they shouldn't even be open. Their license expired… six months ago.”

Tomo tilts his head. “What? They didn't renew it?”

“No, not at all.” He averts his gaze to the floor, narrowing his eyes. “They're definitely hiding something.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Tomo looks at the clock on the wall. “Seems like we got time on our hands, though. We should head to the shop to confront them about it!”

Heizou shakes his head, “Hold on, instead of heading straight in, let's find out their tricks first – see what they're doing in the shadows.” He stands up and hands the folder to his friend with a grin on his face. “I have an idea, if you're up for it.”

Tomo laughs and ruffles the other's hair with his free hand, “Are you kidding? I'm in.”

.

.

.

The next day, Tomo stands in front of Kodai Antiques, which has apparently been renamed from Kottohin.

He takes a glance up to his right, making eye contact with Heizou, who has taken cover on top of a tree. The detective gives a thumbs up, giving the signal to begin.

The swordsman nods and enters the building.

A bell rings above the door as Tomo opens it. The area is dimly lit, with red curtains pulled to the side of the windows. The air smells of paper and polish, something Tomo finds a bit unpleasant, but he supposes it's expected. There are multiple shelves of cluttered items, each object clearly originating from different regions.

He's greeted by a young man with short, black, messy hair and blue eyes. His outfit consists of a red shirt under a black vest with a belt on his hips, and gray pants with long boots.

“Hello, welcome to Kodai Antiques. How can I help you?”

“Hi, sir… Junichi? If I heard correctly? I'm looking for something… unique. Something I can display with pride.”

“Ah, of course! We have lots of choices for you to choose from. Come, I'll show you everything.”

“Thank you.” Tomo smiles. I'll expose you in no time.

The merchant brings Tomo in front of a shelf, “Anything specific you're looking for?”

“Hm… something rare. Rich in culture, exotic...”

“A standard expectation.” Junichi comments. He gestures to a giant green jar, detailed with gold patterns and decorated with various gems, “This is from an ancient civilization that excelled in pottery, all the way from Sumeru! Perhaps this is to your taste?”

Tomo hums doubtfully and tilts his head. “No, maybe something smaller, something that I can put on a shelf and admire.”

“Ah, this might interest you then!” Junichi points to a glass jar, with an orange and yellow feather inside.

“It's a new arrival, you see! Believed to be from a yokai whose bloodline has gone extinct. Still in perfect condition!”

Tomo flinched a little. The fate of Kazuha's homeland was never publicized – how can Junichi know that?

“Is that so? Where did you get it?”

“From a supplier who wants to stay anonymous. Gotta respect that, y'know?"

"I see. I was just curious. I don't want to buy a fake, y’know?”

“Ah.” Junichi lightly shakes his head. “Well, they're genuine, like all the other things here.”

Tomo chuckles, “I could tell! The color and appearance is one of a kind.”

“Why, of course! My tastes are not the same as an average Joe.”

“Really? What makes this so different from other feathers?”

Junichi smirks, “I have a trained eye, you see. Other than the fact that it's from a yokai, the color is an obvious one. You don't see these on a daily basis. A beautiful, rich shade of orange, it's not dull or muddy like most birds. It's also clearly larger than a regular bird feather – the length of my hand, as you can see! And the quality is great – clean, durable, sleek…”

Tomo hums and nods, pretending to listen.

“With that being said,” he continues, “there's only a limited stock, so get it while it's still here!”

“Limited stock?”

Junichi tilts his hand side to side. “Well – it is from an extinct species, so that's a given. Which makes this feather even rarer!”

“I see…” He looks Junichi in the eyes, “I’ll take it for half the price. This is only a single feather – can't sell myself short.”

“... half the price? Well, yes, it's a single feather, but that's barely anything.”

“Not enough? Okay, what about a third of the price?”

“Wha– that's even less!”

“Ah, my mistake. A sixth of the price.”

Junichi looks at Tomo incredulously. “Surely you're toying with me…”

Tomo crosses his arms. “I said what I said. It's only one feather. Unless you got something more?”

The merchant lightly scoffs, “Not here for display pieces, are you? Give me a reason first, then I'll consider it.”

“I’ve got the money, isn't that enough?” Tomo takes out a Mora purse and shakes it, filling the room with a jingle. “Like I said, I'm looking for something exotic.”

The seller gives his customer a once over.

“... follow me. I'll show you something exotic.” He gives an uncanny grin, and Tomo isn't sure if it was intentional or not.

Junichi leads him to a velvet curtain behind the counter, opening it and heading inside. It's dark, dusty, and filled with shelves of boxes. There's a desk with other trinkets, Tomo assumes they're items that aren't for sale – or only being sold to a specific set of people.

The merchant goes to a chest deep in the corner of the room. He kneels down and opens it, revealing more feathers that faintly glow in the dark. They look just like Kazuha's.

“Here, a box full of them. None of these have any dirt or fraying – basically the finest I have!”

“Interesting…” Tomo mumbled. There's so many of them. How much did they take from him?

Tomo straightened his posture. “What makes these so special, then? Why keep them hidden?”

“Well, if you put them in the sunlight, they disappear. Pretty cool, huh?”

“Yeah… if they're that amazing, there's probably a verification for them, right?”

“... verification?”

“I mean, surely there's proof that these are… safe? You've hidden them, after all. Are these okay to own?”

“Why would I sell something that you're not allowed to have?” Junichi says matter-of-factly.

“Anyway,” The seller continues, “they come at a hefty price, of course. Like I said, these arrived just recently, you'd be the first one to have it. They aren't something you'd find often.”

“Then how did you find them?”

He sighs, “I told you, some suppliers want to stay anonymous. That’s none of your business.”

“Oh, I believe there are. But why would someone hide their identity if they discovered something as grand as this? Wouldn't you want your name out there? Quite shady, if you ask me. How do I know none of these are illegal?”

A beat.

“I told you, why would I sell you something you're not allowed to have.” He says, standing up. “It's my job, for archon's sake.”

“Why – am I not allowed to express curiosity? Especially when it's an exotic item like this?”

Tomo stares Junichi down – quite literally, considering his height.

“Don't you wonder about the original owner, Junichi? Or even, the yokai themself? Surely you don't buy these sorts of things on a whim.”

“I sell relics, not backstories.”

“So you have a license?”

“Why do you wanna know? You're asking some absurd questions here.”

“I keep asking because you aren't giving me a straight answer.”

“Well, I do have one. You're just a client, why are you asking about my license–”

Junichi’s eyes suddenly widened as he realized something.

“... you aren't here to buy anything, aren't you? Who sent you?”

“I did.”

Heizou emerges through the curtains, holding his Tenryou Commission badge.

“Hands up where I can see them.”

.

.

.

Two men sat on opposite sides of a wooden table inside a plain, small and dim room. On the table, there is a black plastic box between the people in the room.

“This is Doushin Shikanoin, from the Tenryou Commission. Today is Wednesday, November 21, at 10:13AM. This is a taped conversation with Junichi – J-U-N-I-C-H-I, last name Yen, Y-E-N.”

Heizou looked at Junichi in the eyes, holding a worn out folder, a small notebook, and a pen.

“So, this will be a taped recording of the interview, everything the both of us say will be recorded. This will be used to take notes – and I advised you of your rights, is that correct?”

“Yes. Can we get this over with? I've been sitting here for hours.” Junichi said with an impatient tone.

“Okay… so, let's talk about your business. What made you start it?”

“Well, my dad was a collector. He always showed me random stuff as a kid. Fossils, ores, rocks – you name it. My mom didn't get it, but we didn't care.” Junichi shrugged, “They were cool, and we liked it.”

“I see.” Heizou spun his pen between his fingers, “Did your mother stop you both?”

“No, she couldn't care less. The house looked nice, anyway.”

“Ah, so you made the business to continue your passion?”

“Yeah… pretty much. Mostly because of money, though. It's also our main source of income.”

Heizou hums. “I could tell. People say it's quite expensive.”

Junichi scoffed, “‘Course it is, I basically dedicated half my life into that place.”

“Really? Well, right here I have your business license.” Heizou opens the folder and points to an expiry date. “It says here that it expired six months ago. Why didn't you renew it?”

“I–I was… not informed, yeah. It wasn't my priority. Besides,” Junichi grumbled, “it was easier to go under the radar…”

“So that's why you changed the name of the shop?

“... yes.”

“Then… what’s this letter about?” Heizou flipped the page of his folder to show a picture of a crumpled letter he found in between the crates in the shop while inspecting.

Junichi's eye twitched. “Where did you get that?”

“Where you last left it.” He tapped the back of his pen on the table two times. “I'm asking the questions, not you.”

The suspect clicked his tongue. “I got it on my doorstep, it asked me if I wanted to buy feathers. As you can tell, I ordered a bunch of them. Heh, couldn't get that if I had a license, ‘cause that definitely wouldn't pass.”

“... okay...” Heizou pointed to the bottom of the letter, where the signature would be. “There's nothing in this area, do you know the name of the person who sent it?”

Junichi shrugged again, this time with a tilt of his head. “Some guy named Hakuto. I'm supposed to keep that secret, but he hasn't been sending me anything recently, so…”

Heizou blinked. Hakuto?

Did he hear that right?

He never thought that name would be mentioned ever again. All this time… he was alive? And this is what he has been doing…

Why?

What reason would he do this? Kazuha was innocent.

Was taking away his homeland not enough? He was already trying his best to heal and live a normal life with humans, when would they stop?

“… you're looking at me like I have three heads.”

Heizou cleared his throat.

“Sorry, ah… where were we? Oh, right, next question. The feather – were you told about its origins?”

“Yeah, it was from a yokai. Said that it was the last of its kind.”

“Do you know why it was the last of its kind?”

“Nope.” Junichi waved his hand dismissively. “I don't really care, anyway. If it's pretty, people will get it. That's how business works.”

Heizou’s fingers twitched and he took a deep breath. Most criminals have no empathy. Just keep it professional.

“Listen,” Junichi lays back in his chair, crossing his arms, “I ain't the guy you're looking for. I just bought the thing – that's it. Why are you so obsessed with the feather anyway?”

“That feather is from a missing person. You didn't know that?”

“No?”

“Really? Does the name Kaedehara Kazuha not ring a bell?”

Junichi furrowed his eyebrows. “Uh, who? I told you – I just bought it. I don't ask questions.”

You were asking questions just a minute ago, Heizou thought and resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Going back to Hakuto, do you know them personally?”

“Nah, I haven't seen ‘em for myself. I just know they're somewhere on Jinren Island. That's where I send the letters, anyway.”

“Have you told anyone else about Hakuto?”

“No. Never mentioned him at all.”

“Never mentioned him, okay…” Heizou looked in his notepad, double checking if there's any more to ask. “... that's all for today. Can I get you anything?”

“Yeah, get me outta this place.” Junichi groans.

Heizou just sighs. “Alright, alright… man alive. I'll turn the tape recorder off. The time is 11:01AM.”

.

.

.

Heizou returned home shortly after that interrogation. Tomo sat on the dining table, stirring his cup of tea.

“How did the interview go?”

“It went… alright.” He mumbled as he sat on the couch with his gaze fixed on the floor.

“... is something wrong?”

Heizou didn't respond directly. He kneels on the floor and reaches under the furniture, pulling out a worn cardboard box. He dusts it off and opens it, finding a pile of documents, books, and pictures in it.

“Whoa, that's quite the haul.” Tomo crouches next to Heizou. “What's this, my friend?”

The detective pauses.

“It's… my personal belongings from my childhood. Drawings, stories, pictures… yeah, they're all here.”

“Ah…” He smiles and pats the other's shoulder. “It's nice that you still have it.”

Heizou weakly chuckles, “Yeah, I suppose.” I couldn't bring myself to throw it away.

“Speaking of which, why do you need it right now?”

He hums and goes through the stacks of papers, skimming through everything. “Junichi didn't know that Kazuha was taken, so I'll leave him to the authorities, but… he told me who sent him the feather.” Heizou grits his teeth when he sees a name in the paragraphs.

“It's Hakuto, my older brother.”

Tomo’s jaw basically drops to the ground. “I'm sorry, who?!”

Heizou sighs and shakes his head, “I couldn't believe it either. I never thought I would hear that name again.”

“Oh…” Tomo looks at him. “I'm sorry, this must be… shocking news.”

A pause, “Well, I didn't really know him. We never really had any bonding moments before he disappeared.”

The detective picks up an old family photo with a bittersweet smile. They were sitting on a couch, with young Hakuto on the left side and his father on the right. His mother was in the middle, carrying Heizou in her arms when he was still a baby. They were smiling, but it was only for the picture.

Tomo raised an eyebrow, “Wait, he went missing? Why?” He then adds, “I–If you're fine with answering, of course!”

Heizou tightens his grip on the paper. “I don't know. He just suddenly left – didn't even leave a message.”

But for now, he can come to a single conclusion.

Hakuto was involved in the fall of Kunashiri.

How else would Hakuto know about the history of the yokai? All he wanted to know is why.

For money?

Heizou remembers the frightened Kazuha in the forest when they first met as children. The vulnerable and hurt Kazuha who witnessed his home burn and had nowhere to go.

All of this for money?

“Tomo.” Heizou called, throwing the photo haphazardly in the box. “Let's find Captain Beidou. We're going to Jinren Island.”

The other nods and places his cup of tea on the coffee table. “Of course. Let's go.”

.

.

.

The pair make their way to Ritou, where the Alcor is docked. Except, they don't find Beidou at the ship – they find her at a food stall.

“Having lunch, Beidou?” Tomo calls out.

The captain turns around, with a grilled fish in hand. “Ah, yeah. Nothing beats the fish around these parts.” She rips out a piece of meat from the skewer with her teeth before continuing, “Anyway, you got an update about the case?” Beidou asks with concern, despite the casual tone.

“Yeah.” Heizou takes a breath. “Long story short, we found out that Hakuto, my older brother, is selling Kazuha's feathers.”

Beidou stares at him, clearly appalled by the news.

“Kid, I'm sorry, but did you just say... your older brother?”

Heizou slowly nods, “Yes. But just because he's my brother, does not mean I will excuse him for his actions. It is my duty as a detective, and Kazuha’s partner, to put him to justice.” He tightens his fists. “He is a criminal, and he hurt many people – hurt Kazuha. This… I will never forgive.”

The captain had an unreadable expression on her face. Heizou swallowed. Did he ruin Beidou's trust in him? Is she second guessing her decision to help him?

He felt relieved when Tomo took the information well. But the ever familiar doubts continue to echo from the back of his mind, as well as his sped up heartbeat.

If he was smarter, crimes would be prevented before they even happen.

If he did his job properly, victims wouldn't suffer in multiple ways.

If he did something back then, Kazuha would still be here.

… if he was a better person, no one would be hurting.

Beidou opens her mouth to speak, and Heizou instinctively braces himself – for the doubt, the disappointment, the distrust–

"I get it, kid. Family can be complicated. I know you hated it over there."

Heizou simply blinks.

"You shouldn't carry the responsiblity of other people's actions. You already made the difficult decision to start anew with Kazuha at the lowest point of your lives. That's enough."

The detective lets out a breath of relief, "Thank you, captain."

"Don't mention it. Now, what do we do?"

“Are you ready for a trip? We're heading to Jinren Island. We'll confront him there.”

Beidou huffed out a laugh, “Oh, I'm definitely ready. Let's go, the Alcor’s at the back.”

.

.

.

Heizou was the first to get off the ship, hearing the crunch of the sand beneath his feet. He's a bit surprised to find it empty – there's nothing but grass, rocks, and wooden structures. Nobushi and kairagi usually camp here, but it seems like they're on an… off day…? Heizou's definitely not complaining, however. It's easier to investigate now.

The problem, though, is where to start…

“Let's split up,” Heizou calls out behind him. “We'll have to look for clues. Update us if you find anything.”

“Gotcha. Remember to be careful!” Beidou exclaims before starting her own investigation to the right, while Tomo goes to the left.

The detective nods before continuing his path up ahead.

… it really does seem barren here.

The broken, wooden boats on the shore are all but abandoned. Floating debris litter the shore, polluting the water. A single flag pole has found its way half buried in the beachfront, yet the flag in question has been torn off. Twigs and large branches have also found their way on the ground, possibly from a storm.

Heizou crosses the shallow stream between the sand, his red sandals creating small ripples in the water. He continues further into the island, looking between bushes and rocks that never seem to end.

Nothing there, nothing there…

In the corner of his eye, he sees something dark red tumble on the ground. Heizou immediately turns and catches the object between his fingers. It's a maple leaf.

It's dried, brittle, and crinkled. Seems like it has been here for a couple of days. This is the only evidence that Heizou needs. Kazuha’s here.

He turns around on his heels, “Tomo, Captain! Over here!”

Beidou was the first one to arrive. “Whatcha find, kid?”

Heizou hands her the leaf. He watched as Beidou inspected it before lifting her head to look for any potential sources. No maple trees in sight.

“Damn, he really is here.”

“What's going on?” Tomo asks, slightly panting from the running he just did to get there.

“Our detective here found a maple leaf.” Beidou slowly twirls it between her fingers, “It's a dead one, but a maple leaf nonetheless.”

Tomo looks around, exactly what Beidou did a few seconds ago. “... well, Junichi didn't lie to us.”

“Seems like it.” Heizou confirms. “Still, we can't be careless. Our culprit must be quite clever if he captured Kazuha.”

Suddenly, a fluffy animal pokes out of Tomo’s haori and starts meowing.

“... why on Teyvat did you bring the cat?”

“I didn't see why not!” Tomo retaliates, picking up the cat by her torso.

The feline starts sniffing the leaf from Beidou's hand, before squirming out of Tomo's grip. She smells the ground and starts to walk in a certain direction.

“Is she…” Heizou trails off, observing the cat as she continues ahead, still smelling the ground.

Beidou stares at the animal in confusion as well before turning to Tomo, “Did you train it to be a police cat, or something?”

“Uh – no…? But she's good at finding things, I'll give her that.”

“Well, whatever the case,” Heizou quietly goes after the cat, “it looks like she’s got an idea on where Kazuha is. Let's follow her.”

“I knew she would be helpful,” Tomo whispers under his breath – which Heizou just sighs at.

The cat passes by a few broken wooden structures and rocks, maneuvering her small body through small gaps. The sand below their feet has turned into soil as they go further. The island has turned dark as the sun descends in the horizon, the stars and a few fireflies serving as their light source. Neither of the trio said a word – the only sound that could be heard is the rustling of grass from a light breeze.

Tama stops in front of a cave. The opening is as tall as a small hut, which is somewhat visible through the trees in the area.

“... so… he's in here?”

“Looks like it.” Tomo crouches and pets the cat. “Thank you, my friend.”

Tama meows and settles herself on a nearby crate, sitting on it.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Beidou murmurs. "It feels like a trap."

Heizou takes a deep breath, “Same here. But… we're here now, and we have no other leads. Let's go in. Just stay on guard.”

They cautiously enter the cave, light on their feet. Inside, two torches serve as the only light source. From there, they can see that the cave is way bigger than it looks – it's like someone could put the whole Kanjou Commission in here.

There's nothing noteworthy on the walls, it's all rock, as usual. However, there is a table on the left side of the area, accompanied with a crate under it.

Heizou looks at the items on the table. It seems like… a logbook? He flips a page and silently reads the contents.

“Day 1: The tonics arrived today, so I gave it to the subject. He had a violent reaction to it, I'll have to wait until the full effects kick in. Other than that, things are going smoothly.

Day 2: Gave the subject some fish, though he didn't eat it. As long as he's still alive, I suppose. Started feather extraction today, all six in good condition. This'll get quite the haul of Mora.”

The detective's eyes fixated on two words. Feather extraction…?

“Heizou…” Tomo hesitantly called out.

He turned around, looking at Tomo and Beidou, who had already pulled out the crate and opened it. Heizou's breath hitched in his throat. Inside are orange feathers – many of them. They filled the box half way, exactly how they were in Kodai Antiques.

The same feathers that Kazuha used to freely fly through the skies, to explore the world. The only resemblance and connection he had to his homeland – a land he could never come back to.

Just looking at it made him feel sick. How can someone do something so heartless? While he was trying to process everything, something started coming towards him – fast.

“Get behind me!”

Beidou pushed Heizou aside, catching an arrow in her hand that would have shot him right in the temple.

“About time you came out.” The captain clicked her tongue and broke the arrow that she was holding.

A man in a black cloak stepped out of the darkness and under the light of the other torch. He was as tall as Beidou, while holding a bow in his left hand.

“Seems like the cat's out of the bag, huh?”

The figure takes off his hood, revealing a man with maroon, shoulder length hair and green eyes. A scar is slashed on his cheek, reaching all the way to his jaw. Two moles sit on his face – one under his right eye, and one on the corner of his mouth which held a smirk, almost condescendingly.

“... Hakuto.”

The brother laughs, “We meet again, Heizou.”

“I wish we didn't.” The younger one spat out.

“My, what happened to your manners? Isn't it common sense to treat your elders with respect, let alone your brother?”

Heizou thought back to the logbook.

“You don't deserve my respect – especially after everything you did.”

“Really? Why, what did I do?”

“We don't need to remind you.” Beidou crossed her arms. “Let's cut to the chase. Where's Kazuha?”

“Ah, so that's his name.” Hakuto dramatically sighs, “You've got to be quite naive to think that I would just tell you. No… I gotta keep him alive. Where else would I get my Mora from?”

“Have you ever considered – perhaps – getting a job?” Tomo tries, and fails, to ask as calmly as he can.

“Oh, no,” Hakuto says with a laugh, “you don't understand. I get paid way more than regular jobs.”

“Paid more…?”

The man hums, “Since you're my brother, I suppose I can tell you.” He walks forward and starts circling Heizou like a wolf. “An agency took me in. They were the ones who recognized my potential. So, I ran. I couldn't take it anymore – you know how Mother and Father are.”

In the corner of Heizou's eye, he can see Tomo unsheathing his sword before Beidou stops him.

“You ran, and then proceeded to follow the purpose Father trained us for. I don't think you ever escaped, then.” Heizou states tightly.

Hakuto's gaze sharpened, “You're horribly wrong. I'm only standing because I left everything behind in that damn house. I act on my own volition, and it took me where I am. And now, you're here too. We're not all that different, my dear brother.”

A switch flipped in Heizou.

“You and me? ‘Not all that different’? Sure, we were meant to take on the family legacy, and both of us walked out of that hell – but you walked into another.”

“I did what I had to. You would take the same offer. They gave us what our parents couldn't.” Hakuto stands in front of Heizou. “A place, respect… freedom.”

“Freedom? Is that what we call genocide now?” He grabs the logbook on the table beside him, holding it in a tight grip that makes his fingertips go white. “‘Freedom’ won't excuse this, or anything you've done!”

“We were both trained like machines, Heizou. You – of all people – should know that.”

Heizou grits his teeth. “I do know that! But it won't justify you continuing to operate like one."

A huff. “Me? A machine is something with no autonomy, always following pointless instructions. That's something that I have now.”

“A machine is also something devoid of understanding. You left home, and then destroyed another because you didn't have one. Don't you have any idea on the pain and suffering you have caused?!”

“My dear brother, you don't understand. If you went through what I did–”

“I did go through it! And I didn't become you, exactly what Father wanted us to be.”

The detective slams the logbook back on the desk, his last string of patience already snapped.

“Now you tell me, Hakuto. What did you do with Kazuha?”

“So this is about him now, huh?”

“It's always been about him.”

The other huffs, “If that crate you found was anything to go by, I’d say you already know.”

Heizou clicked his tongue and tightened his fist. Nothing goes through that hard skull of his.

“Why do you need his feathers?”

“The feathers disappear for good in the sunlight when the host is dead, so I wasn't able to get much back then. To complete my mission, I need my subject alive.”

“Kazuha isn't your subject. He isn't something you can push around.”

“Really? He seems willing to do my bidding after I gave him some… intravenous fluid.”

A punch landed on Hakuto's left temple, causing him to stagger to the side.

“What did you give him?” Heizou muttered through tightly controlled breaths.

Hakuto's hand instinctively rubbed the bruised area, before he eventually coughed out a chuckle.

“Some good ol’ nakuline. Amazing stuff, honestly.”

Hakuto scoffs.

"We really aren't that different, Heizou."

Before Heizou could respond, he heard wood creaking. The string of the bow was pulled back at a dangerous distance, then Hakuto aimed the weapon at Heizou – and the thread snapped to its original position. Heizou turned to the side, just enough for the arrow to graze his cheek.

Then, he heard a long hiss. This time, it was behind him. A swordsman stepped in, unsheathed his sword, and cut down the arrows that were flying towards them. Not wasting a single second, the warrior charged forward towards the archer.

“Leave this to us, kid.” Beidou says, taking out her claymore as well.

“What? But–”

“Our mission here is to rescue Kazuha, isn't it? If what the bastard said was true, then find him before his condition gets worse. We all know nakuline is no good.”

Heizou wanted to say more, but Beidou left his side to join Tomo in battle.

The detective took a deep breath. She's right, he told himself. They'll be fine.

He frantically looked around the cave, searching for some sort of path. His gaze came across an unlit lantern on the ground, and immediately picked it up and turned it on. From there, he noticed a tunnel that leads further underground. Heizou takes a brief moment to prepare himself, before walking on the rough, rocky trail.

The cold air kept him on edge. The handle of the lantern creaked with each step Heizou took, echoing louder than it should have. When Heizou stared long enough in the darkness, he swore he saw something stare back at him – disappearing when he blinked. Somewhere in the void, he could hear water dripping. It sounded too steady… like it was counting.

Heizou tightened his grip on the lantern handle. He felt straight up uncomfortable. It started to feel less like him holding the light, and more like the darkness holding him.

The light caught on something dull and metallic. Heizou had to double take and leaned in to take a closer look. An iron door stood in front of him, rusty and scarred. He saw spikes of metal on where a handle should be – like it was ripped off.

He slowly puts the lantern down on the ground and exhales, before pushing the door open. He grimaces, feeling the screeching sound of the door ring through his ears. Heizou coughs, swatting away the dust with his hand. When his vision finally adjusted to the environment, his eyes widened.

“... Kazuha…?”

The avian was hunched on the floor, surrounded by stray feathers. The wings that Heizou loved to pet were dull, patched with skin that were once covered. His chest heaved back and forth at a rapid pace. He looked at Heizou with dilated pupils – terrified.

The sight made his heart ache.

“Kazuha…” Heizou quietly called out, making small, light steps towards him.

As soon as he approached, Kazuha backed away. He folds his wings behind him, as if hiding it would remove the damage. He kept his gaze on Heizou.

“You’re fine,” he said. “It's me.”

Heizou reached a hand out to him.

The samurai immediately recoiled and put his head down, bringing his knees close to his chest. He clutched his hair and took heavy, uneven breaths, like he was trying to avoid breaking down.

“Kazuha…?” He softly repeats, as if saying his name any louder would shatter him. Heizou kneels down to face the avian eye to eye. “You’re safe now. I'm here.”

He only shakes his head. A whisper slipped out, rushed and frantic – words that Heizou can't make out. Were those words even for him?

Heizou places a gentle hand on Kazuha's shoulder–

“Don't–!”

He immediately retracted his hand.

“I–” A sob slipped out from Kazuha's lips, “... it… it hurts. I can't–... you've already taken everything, so why…?”

The detective froze. Now that Heizou has a closer look, he can see purple marks on Kazuha's shoulder, like lightning strikes on his skin.

His eyes widened.

Nakuline.

Heizou looks at Kazuha's eyes, watery and glazed over. He's looking at something that Heizou can't.

He wasn't just hurt. He was having hallucinations.

Kazuha wasn't seeing him, he was seeing someone else.

"We really aren't that different, Heizou."

Someone that Heizou is not.

“No, I'm not him. That's not me – please.” Heizou’s voice wavered. “I would never dream of hurting you. Look at me. Please, look at me…”

Kazuha didn't. He kept his head down, afraid of what would happen if he dared to lift it. His hands were clutching his own hair so tightly, it seemed like it was about to be ripped off.

“At least take me instead, they don't deserve this…”

“No, don’t say that–”

The other shook his head, coughing out smoke that Heizou couldn't see. Each cell in Kazuha's body told him to run. Somewhere, anywhere. But where? The entire land was filled with smoke. Feathers littered the ashy ground, some catching fire from the houses. And the screams – it's so loud, make it stop, please–

A sound of a cloth being draped over was all it took for Kazuha to finally look at Heizou.

Heizou had put his haori over Kazuha's head, gently petting his hair under the fabric with a soft smile. He was closer to Kazuha, where he could clearly see his face. Exactly how he calmed him down in the forest back then.

He watched Kazuha's pupils oscillating between narrowing and dilating again – and Heizou saw the exact moment when he finally recognized him.

“... Heizou…?” He said faintly, as if in disbelief.

A relieved sigh escaped Heizou's lips. He slowly brought his hand to Kazuha's left cheek, gently wiping stray tear marks and letting the haori fall onto Kazuha’s shoulders.

“Yes, Kazuha. It's me. I'm here.”

Only mere seconds after those words left his mouth, Kazuha leapt forward – holding on to Heizou as if he would disappear if he didn't.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry… I couldn't–”

“Shh… don't apologize,” Heizou pulled the other in a tight embrace.

“It's okay Kazuha,” He lets out a shaky breath of relief and buries his face in platinum strands of hair, unable to hold back his own tears. “I got you, you're safe…”

“But stars fade eventually, right? When it disappears, how do we know it's still there to be found?”

We never stop searching. I found you. That's how we know.

.

.

.

Heizou closed the door from the police station. It's been a whole week since the incident on Jinren Island. Thanks to Beidou and Tomo, Hakuto has been caught and arrested.

Red sandals clack on the concrete floor as he walks through the streets once again. Heizou lets his mind drift, recalling Kujou Sara's surprise when he left work early for the first time. What can he say, he has priorities.

Everything seems to have calmed down now.

“Hey, kid!”

The ‘kid’ in question turns around, looking at the burgundy haired woman.

“Hello, captain.”

There was a split moment where he felt a sense of deja vu…

“How's the case goin’?”

“Ah, just finished some reports. My intuition tells me that justice will be very soon.”

“Haha, that's great! Oh, by the way, give this to Kazuha, will ya?” Beidou hands him a small box. It smells fishy, literally.

“What's this?”

“Some fish that I grilled up by the port. I even put a few maple leaves as decoration.”

Heizou smiles. “I’m sure he'll love this, thank you.”

“No problem, just doing my thing. Speaking of which…” Her tone lowers, “... how's he doing? Is he doing okay nowadays?”

He sighs, “He's recovering well, just… still afraid to go out. He hasn't been talking much either, but I understand. I think it's best to give him time for now.”

“I see.” The captain nods and pats Heizou's shoulder. “Update me when he's ready, okay? I'll be setting sail to Liyue in a while, but I'll come back when I can.”

“I will, don't worry.” Heizou glances down, “Still, I haven't really… thanked you properly.”

“Hm? For what?”

“... for helping me find him. If it weren't for you and Tomo, I don't think I would've found him as soon as we did, or have the strength to keep going.” He looks up at Beidou. “So… thank you.”

Beidou stares for a few moments, before laughing and ruffling his hair.

“Kid, don't thank me for doing the right thing. What matters is that no one was lost, and we completed the mission. Besides, your bastard brother was all bark, no bite. Beat him up in no time.”

Heizou smiles. It was satisfying to see Hakuto unconscious on the ground after he rescued Kazuha – as apathetic as it sounds.

He opened his mouth to thank her again, but processed what Beidou said, and a chuckle came out instead.

“I'll get going now, the fish will get cold if I don't get this to him soon.”

“Ah, right. Well, take care of him, okay?”

“Of course. I'll see you around, captain.”

Beidou grins and waves goodbye before walking north, while Heizou goes south.

His home isn't anything extraordinary – in fact, it's just a regular old house, which is exactly why Heizou lives here. He takes out the keys in his haori and sticks it in the keyhole, turning it. The door opens with a click, and he enters.

Inside, he finds Mizuki and Tomo sitting on the couch, seemingly having a conversation and drinking tea.

“Oh, Heizou’s back! Good afternoon!”

“Good afternoon, Tomo and Miss Mizuki.” He greets back. “I hope I didn't interrupt anything.”

“Of course not, this is your house after all,” Tomo points out with a chuckle.

Heizou softly laughs before turning to Mizuki. “By the way, how are you feeling, Miss Mizuki?”

“I'm fine, though it could be a lot worse.” Mizuki swirls her cup around, watching the tea spin in it. “His nightmares aren’t getting worse, but they aren't better either. I'll have to extend the timeframe…”

“I see…” Heizou sighs in deep concern. “Sorry for the trouble.”

“Don't be, it's simply my job. It's neither of your faults.” The psychologist finishes her tea and stands up before Heizou could comment. “But please excuse me, there are also appointments that I'll have to attend to at the Aisa Bathhouse, so I'll be taking my leave. Take care, you two.”

“Oh, right. Thank you, Miss Mizuki.”

“It is my pleasure.” She says with a smile.

“It was nice chatting with you Mizuki, and remember to rest!” The swordsman waves goodbye.

Mizuki waves goodbye as well before leaving the house. Tomo glances at Heizou over his cup of tea.

“Mind if I hang out for a bit? I've got nowhere to be at the moment.”

“I don't mind at all. Thank you for keeping Kazuha company when I'm not around.”

“C’mon, don't mention it, my friend. Just say the word and I'll be there in a heartbeat. By the way…” Tomo points at the small paper box Heizou is holding, “... what's that?”

“Oh, it's fish that Anegimi made for Kazuha. Has he eaten lunch?”

Tomo hums, “I see. Yeah, he's eaten, but not a lot. He's still having a bit of trouble with appetite. Maybe the fish will change his mind, though.”

“At least he has something in his stomach…” Heizou mumbles. “Is now a good time to check on him?”

“Uhh, yeah, think so. I'm pretty sure he'll want your company more than anyone right now.”

“Seems like I better check on him, then.” He huffs a light chuckle. “Thank you, Tomo. I'll just be with him in my room.”

“No problem, my friend. Call me if you need anything!”

“Will do!” Heizou says over his shoulder.

The detective navigates through the hallway and makes his way to the bedroom, paper box in hand. He knocks on the door.

“Kazu? It's Heizou. Can I come in?”

A muffled “mhm” comes from behind the door, and he slowly enters the room.

Kazuha is sitting up on the bed, fiddling with a maple leaf that Heizou kept as a keepsake. It seems to be the best decision Heizou made, as it's serving as a sense of comfort for the avian. His wings are tightly folded behind his back, wrapped in bandages.

Heizou’s expression softens at the sight of him. He sits on the edge of the bed and opens the paper box.

“Here, Anegimi made this for you.”

The other looks at the dish, and then to Heizou.

“... for me?”

“Yes, for you. C’mon, you need to eat something.”

He takes out the wooden chopsticks that Beidou left in the box and hands it to Kazuha. After the utensils are taken, Heizou sits a little closer and brushes a few strands of hair away from Kazuha's face.

“How are you feeling now?”

“A bit better.” He says simply.

Heizou only nods and pulls his hand away as he observes his partner in front of him once again. He looks at the wings on Kazuha's back. Rolls of bandages hide the patches of dark skin that weren't covered in feathers. It was much worse the week before, but since then, it seems to have healed, which Heizou is glad to see.

Kazuha keeps his eyes on the food that Heizou put on his lap earlier. His movements are slow and quiet, like on energy saving mode. In fact, he looks sleepy more than anything.

“Do you want to talk, or stay silent for a while?”

“What do you prefer?"

"I'm asking you, Kazu. Focus on yourself, first."

"I–… okay. I'm sorry. We can talk."

“It's alright, don't apologize. I understand.” He brushes the back of his fingers against Kazuha's cheek. Light touches were always his weakness. “Take your time.”

The detective’s hand turns to cup Kazuha's face, and is pleasantly surprised when it is gently nuzzled.

They stay like that for a while, but without eye contact. Kazuha seems to avoid it, for reasons unknown to Heizou, but respects it nonetheless. He can open up when he's ready. What matters is that Kazuha is safe.

Eventually, Kazuha finishes the dish and shifts his body to throw the used box in the trashcan beside the bed. He then clutches the blanket on his lap, keeping his gaze down.

“It won't stop.”

Heizou tilted his head. “What won't stop?”

“The… the nightmares, even with Mizuki’s help. I–... I don't think you should keep trying anymore.”

Hearing that from Kazuha made his heart ache. Heizou has seen him at this point multiple times in his life.

“Kazuha. Listen to me.” Heizou said as he took Kazuha's bandaged hands in his. “We're doing this because we care. You are worth so much more than this.”

Heizou kept his gaze on their hands and squeezed them together.

“Ever since you were missing, I… I spent my days thinking of you, trying to find you. You've been my partner for… for most of our lives. Of course we'll keep trying–”

A drop of water lands on Heizou's hand.

“... Kazu?”

Strands of silver hair hid Kazuha's eyes as he kept his head down, but it couldn't hide his shaking. More drops of water fell on their conjoined hands. He was crying.

“Hey, hey hey…” Heizou gently pried their fingers off, pulling Kazuha into an embrace instead. A hand carded through Kazuha's hair and guided his head to rest on Heizou's shoulder.

Immediately, the avian hugged him back, burying his face in the crook of Heizou's neck and lightly sobbing. Heizou noticed the tightness of the embrace.

“I'm not going anywhere.”

“I know, I just… I suppose I just want to make sure.”

Heizou let out a soft exhale and started scratching Kazuha's scalp. “Then let me tell you this, I'm not going anywhere. Never was, never planning to.”

The only response he received was a hum, and a muffled sniffle. Heizou closed his eyes, cradling Kazuha close to his chest and rocking them from side-to-side. He makes sure to be careful with the other’s wings, keeping his other hand on Kazuha's lower back. Heizou repeats this until Kazuha's sobs soften, and eventually turn quiet.

“... feeling better?”

Kazuha hums again in confirmation, but doesn't make any moves to pull away. Not that Heizou minds, he is perfectly willing to stay like this for as long as he needs.

“Here, why don't we call it a day? You can lean on me.”

Heizou takes a pillow and places it behind him, before slowly laying down on his back and gently pulling Kazuha with him. The avian gets comfortable almost immediately, tucking his head under Heizou’s.

“Thank you, for everything.” Kazuha whispers. Heizou almost missed it from how quiet it was.

“Of course, I got you.” He says with an endearing smile as he plays with Kazuha's hair. “You can rest, I'll still be here when you wake up.”

The response he got was another “mhm”, and that was enough for Heizou. He looks at the bandaged wings on the other's back.

With how damaged they are, would he be able to fly again?

No, he can't stand seeing Kazuha like that. The thought of him being bound to the ground, not being able to soar through the skies… it creates a pit in Heizou's stomach. Both of them have fought for their freedom, and Heizou refuses to watch it be taken away so soon.

.

.

.

Tomo opens the door to check in on them a few hours later, unbeknownst to the sleeping couple. He only smiles upon seeing the two intertwined with each other, before silently closing the door, allowing them to rest. They deserve it.