"Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge." – Plato

The smell of tea and ink lingers in the air while the TV drones softly in the background. Outside, it's quiet and Tsuna keeps the blinds shut from prying eyes. He lives on the 11th floor but it doesn't hurt to be careful. Namimori is a small city with people who talk. That's something he didn't want to get involved in.

Carefully, Tsuna draws out a new set of suppression runes in his notebook that he'd been working on for a month. He looks over the neat sigils he had written out inside the form of a semi-large circle: half-rectangles, crescents with wonky curves, dots in the shape of an inverted triangle, and the end of rings that curves outwards instead of connecting.

"—all the number on your screen and obtain a free hour consultation on your child's affinity before their first summoning rites!" a bubbly woman says from the TV. "We guarantee that—"

Tsuna grabs the remote from his desk and changes the channel. He scoffs under his breath. An hour consultation for something that requires only a blood test and an actual expert on affinities? People are either really desperate or really stupid.

"It has been 2 weeks since the Splinter has attacked and the police still have no leads yet on the suspect," a male reporter says. "The last victim, 32-year-old Mori Kotone, is now in Namimori Psychiatric Hospital along with four other victims."

Tsuna can't help but pause in his research and peer over his shoulder. Three smiling portraits flash on the screen with names underneath them: 32-year-old Mori Kotone, a plain-faced woman in pink nurse scrubs; 49-year-old Fujimoto Yoshio, a tanned middle-aged man posing in his flower shop; 15-year-old Sugimoto Ryoko, a young teen wearing Namimori Summoner Academy's black uniform; and 26-year-old Kondo Azumi, a businesswoman with sharp eyes.

There isn't anyone in Japan who doesn't know about the Splinter. Ever since the case broke two years ago, it had sent everyone in a frenzy. The police thinks there are more victims, more Summoners whose demons were forcibly removed from their Bond, but they have nothing to go on except for Summoners suffering from the repercussions of a severed bond. The best way it can be null and void is with consent from both parties. With the oh-so creative name Splinter, thanks to the media, the perp hasn't been caught yet but has already made several public enemies.

It made Tsuna bristle when he first heard about it. A Bond Mark is the sacred knot of the relationship between a Summoner and their Summon, and it should be respected as such. What the Splinter does is barbaric.

"So far, there have been 11 victims, 6 of which who passed away from heart failure," the reporter continues as the screen cuts to his serious face again, "but there are suspicions about more we are currently unaware of. The police has refused to comment at this time on current investigations, instead informing the public to keep an eye out for the perpetrator and continue staying vigilant. The early 8 P.M. curfew is still being reinforced and every street has patrol officers in position. We encourage citizens to call the police if they see any suspicious ac—"

A loud knock on the door makes Tsuna nearly jump out of his seat. He hisses when he knocks over the inkwell, but quickly saves his papers from being soiled. Black ink drips onto the floor, plopping lightly against the wood. Before he could grab some paper towels from the kitchen, someone knocks on the door again, even louder this time.

"Shit," Tsuna mumbles, turning off the TV.

Grabbing his cardigan and making sure he's wearing his turtleneck and gloves, he stalks towards the door before he remembers his sunglasses. After putting them on, he peeks through the peephole. He steps back. Okay, did he just see police detectives on his doorstep? He tries to rack his brain to think of anything he's done wrong in the past month but comes up blank. He doesn't even have a parking ticket.

They knock on his door again, louder this time. The runes on Tsuna's stomach slightly burns but he ignores it, making note to reinforce them later—again. It's always that one who manages to disintegrate through his seals faster than the others.

"Sawada-san," an officer says. "We know you're in there. Please open the door. We're not here to arrest you."

"You don't even have a parking ticket!" his partner chirps, a woman. "So you really don't have anything to worry about. You're a good boy, aren't you?"

Tsuna's brow twitches while the male detective sighs. "Nakamura."

"I'm just telling the truth." The woman doesn't seem all that guilty for what she said.

Tsuna finally unlatches the lock on his door and pulls it open. "Yes?"

The male detective immediately straightens up. He's wearing a cheap suit that has a smidge of coffee peeking from his collar. Tsuna wonders if he knows. "Sawada-san," the detective says, showing him his badge, "I'm Detective Ito and this is my partner, Na—"

Nakamura sticks her hand out and interrupts, "Nakamura Harumi. Full name, full disclosure." She grins brightly, her eyes crinkling, but Tsuna isn't charmed by the gesture. "Are you going somewhere?"

Tsuna shakes his head. "My eyes are sensitive to light." There's a Bond Mark in his left eye that he prefers to remain unseen. He hates contacts and an eyepatch is a little too much, so sunglasses it is.

He glances down and notices Nakamura's Bond Mark on the back of her hand. It's a pentacle like all standard Bond marks. Inside is a design of a loopy star that circles in and out of each other, spiking in some places, and a small dot in the center. Her demon is a Sun-attribute, and they seem to have a strong Bond. The more complicated the design, the more powerful a Bond. And since Nakamura has it on her hand where it's easily noticeable, there's a strong amount of trust between them.

"Is there something you need?" Tsuna says, foregoing the handshake.

"May we come in?" Ito says.

Tsuna studies them for a moment, wondering just what the hell is going on. He didn't give much away, only slightly irked that he has to tilt his head up due to Ito's superior height. Honestly it's just two or three inches but Tsuna hates people quite literally looking down on him. It hurts his neck. The burn on his stomach flares a bit. He ignores it.

"Yes," he finally says, opening the door wider. "Would you like something to drink?"

"I'm fine but thank you," Ito says, stepping past him.

"If you have tea, I'll take it," Nakamura says, giving Tsuna a smile.

Tsuna isn't dumb enough to know that it's just an excuse to snoop around his apartment. It's not that large but it has all the necessities he needs: a bedroom, bathroom, a small kitchen, and a living room where he does most of his work. It's clean and nothing's out of place aside from the puddle of ink by his working desk.

"You can sit at the couch," Tsuna says, gathering his papers on his desk and locking them inside his drawer. He doesn't really care that the detectives sees him putting them away. They aren't for anyone's eyes but his alone. "Do you have a preference, Nakamura-san?"

Nakamura grins. "Surprise me."

Tsuna doesn't respond to the playful quip. He can feel the runes on his stomach slightly waning. Rolling his eyes, he starts boiling the water in a kettle and takes out some green tea packets. He peeks over his shoulder to see Nakamura perusing his bookshelf and Ito taking a glance in his bathroom.

Quickly, Tsuna splays his hand over his stomach and closes his eyes. He immediately enters Jura, the small realm where a Summoner can meet their bound demon within the dominion of their Bonds. It's a sacred place that's exclusive to both parties in the relationship, taking shape of whatever the demon wishes. There's nothing but simmering heat and a tall gate for this Summon. Its lock is the Bond Mark on Tsuna's stomach, a pentacle with black jagged wind currents that aren't perfectly centered, tilting at an angle. Tiny tendrils curl out on the edges and long serrated lines crisscross behind the currents, connecting to each points on the pentacle.

"You're ridiculous," Tsuna mumbles, waving his hand in the hot air. A faint, breathless chuckle echoes from inside and nothing else.

A complicated jumble of red runes appear before him in the form of a circle. His lips thin when he sees a myriad of symbols singed off, slowly being eaten away by crackling energy. The progress isn't as alarming like the first couple of times—trials and errors are the best ways to learn how to improve—but still impressive nonetheless. Tsuna narrows his focus on the runes as a whole and raises a hand, exhaling softly. His finger glows orange as he swiftly inscribes more sealing runes into the symbols; he grits his teeth when he meets resistance, like a heavy weight suddenly resting on his arm, but it's nothing new, just another hurdle to jump over that he's learned how to do countless times.

Soon the new sealing runes settle and drift to their designated places, glowing red when they reconfigure and connect with the others. Tsuna sighs, shaking his quivering hand to get rid of the tingling sensation. "That should keep you occupied," he says.

"You always give the best toys to play with, Tsunayoshi," a rumbling voice booms from inside the gate. "What timing, catching me before I get bored again."

Tsuna rolls his eyes, more annoyed than terrified at the sharp edge in this demon's voice. "You're generally saner than the others but you need to work on being more subtle." He offers a lazy, two-finger salute at the gate. "Have fun. The new ones needs a little bit more brainpower than muscles this time. Spice things up a bit."

He leaves before the demon can respond. Inhaling slowly, Tsuna opens his eyes in the real world just in time for the water to finish boiling. He takes out two cups from the pantry and pours the hot water inside. After plopping the tea packets inside, he carries them to the couch where the detectives sat, snagging some paper towels along the way. "Have fun exploring?" he says, handing a mug to Nakamura.

"Oh, you're an interesting young man, Tsuna-kun," the detective says, accepting it with a small nod. "Can I call you that?" She doesn't wait for Tsuna's response. "Your research is fascinating but no lectures, no public talks, no signings—nothing. It's like you're a ghost. Took us some time to find you and what do you know? You were under our noses all along, right here in Namimori."

Tsuna places his cup on his working desk. "Sweet-talk isn't going to make me feel any more comfortable around you, Nakamura-san." While the detective laughs, Tsuna kneels down to clean the puddle of ink on the floor with paper towels. "I'm also pretty sure that you're not here to talk about my day either."

Nakamura smiles over the brim of her mug. "Sorry to say, but no. Would that make you feel better?"

"We're here about a case we're working on, Sawada-san," Ito says, giving his partner a warning look. Tsuna's eyes flit downward to watch the black ink bleed into the paper towels until he picks them up and wipes the floor clean. Some smudges remain in the wood. "We've been trying to find someone who could help us, but there's not a lot of experts in Demon Runology in Japan."

After dumping the soiled paper towels in the trash can, Tsuna picks up his mug and leans back against his desk, facing the detectives. He raises a brow. Though he still receives offers for more research opportunities or a conference invitation, he never accepts them. Aside from the fact that Tsuna's not people-savvy, he's not fond of being under the spotlight. There is a reason he's left the field for what he calls independent study. Less eyes on him means more work on keeping his secrets locked away.

Tsuna blows his mug gently. "Not many here because people are more concerned with keeping demons out, not in."

Ito nods, his eyes grave. "Yes, we've read your research."

"I found The Inner-Mechanisms of Our Bond Marks riveting," Nakamura says with genuine awe in her eyes. "I've never read anything like it. Most research says that demons are just an unnecessary extension for us to feel a sense of power about ourselves, but they've had a bad rep for God knows how long." She's the only one who laughs at the small quip.

Tsuna sips his tea slowly, relishing in the burn on his tongue. It keeps him on his toes. "How would my work help with your case? You seem like you know enough already."

Ito shakes his head. "It's different to know things and how to apply them, Sawada-san. Your past research has been extensive and is still used in major academic settings. No one has been able to go as far as you have since you've left the field years ago."

Nakamura shrugs with an impish smile. "Some people like someone else doing the heavy lifting for 'em. Plus, no one has the resources like you do, Tsuna-kun. Your daddy's position in Vongola Corp is a nice touch, wouldn't you say?"

"While you're here," Tsuna says, his gaze unwavering, "I'm to understand that you're under time constraints since you're busy with other cases."

"Yes, Sawada-san," Ito says, bowing slightly in apology. "As I've mentioned before, we're here to ask for your help on one of our current cases. I'm sure you've heard about the Splinter."

Tsuna frowns. His mug burns against his palms. "The one on the news."

Ito nods. "Yes. We've been chasing them for two years now but haven't been able to find any leads or evidence to who they are. The only constant is the growing number of victims."

"Why do you approach me now?" Tsuna says, sipping his cup. His tongue tingles feebly and it isn't because of the tea. He resists the urge to sigh.

Ito grimaces but it's Nakamura who speaks up first, "There's been lots of changes in the police force. The old Chief didn't want anyone trying to get outside help with this one. If anyone did, they would've been fired on the spot." She shrugs, seemingly indifferent to the whole ordeal. "It could be chalked up to some pride issues. Who knows? New chief now, and new rules. Told everyone to do whatever they could to solve the case. And here we are."

"We can't divulge any more information than this to you, Sawada-san," Ito says. "But we ask you to seriously consider this. There are lives at stake and we don't know how long this will last or if another victim shows up."

"Might as well say yes," Nakamura chimes in. "We came all the way out here for you anyways and I'm pretty sure you've been itchin' do something beside whatever you're doing now."

Ito gives her a sharp look. "Nakamura!"

Tsuna easily brushes off what Nakamura said and considers the offer. He isn't keen on going out in public, not after being so cooped up in his apartment for four years, but he admits that this case is nothing like he's ever witnessed. People just don't go around severing Bonds. That alone is murder. His only concern is if he can maintain a safe distance from the case. It won't be good if he falls in too deep. Finally, Tsuna sets his cup down on his desk.

"If I say yes, I don't want my involvement publicized," he says slowly. "And if there's a time when I change my mind, I don't want anyone stopping me if I choose to leave. If you respect me, I'll respect you. Those are my terms."

Ito perks up immediately. "I don't think that will be an issue, Sawada-san. Thank you. Is it alright if you come to the station with us now? We'd appreciate it if you start helping us as soon as possible."

"No fanfare, promise!" Nakamura says with a grin.

Tsuna knows that she isn't lying despite her over-enthusiasm, but it doesn't paint her in a better picture either. "You promised."

He changes his gloves before he leaves, dumping the stained ones in the laundry basket, and meets the detectives outside. Nakamura gives him an easy smile as they enter the elevator. "It's not that cold out for gloves."

"If you knew how much bacteria and germs are on a human's hand, you'd wear them too," Tsuna deadpans.

The elevator doors close with a small ding. The small space smells like stale cigarettes. Ito shifts behind Tsuna as the elevator descends. Nakamura's smile doesn't disappear.

"You had them on when I offered a little handshake."

Tsuna doesn't miss a beat. "I don't like you."

Nakamura outright laughs.

When they arrive at the police station, crowds of reporters and cameramen bustle on the front steps, waiting for a chance to catch anyone leaving off-guard. The doors remain shut. Ito drives behind the tall building to avoid the journalists' line of sight and enters a private parking lot that's nearly filled with other cars.

"We have our own secret back entrance through here," Nakamura says, leading Tsuna down a dirt trail. "Helps if the reporters can be a pain in the ass." She kicks ups some cigarette butts from the ground. "And if we want to smoke in peace."

Ito just sighs and doesn't attempt to stop Nakamura at this point. She talked a lot back in the car about her thoughts on Tsuna's past research, but he was more focused on the slight tingling on his left bicep, and his mind strayed to the runes he had in place for that demon, already thinking of ways to reinforce them.

The station is fairly busy with cops and detectives bustling around their cubicles. Keyboards clack from the computers and copy machines whir incessantly in another room down the hall. Ito leads Tsuna to a separate office room, their windows covered by blinds, and opens the door. Three detectives turn when they enter, two men and one woman. Tsuna recognizes them immediately, and they do as well.

"Tsuna-kun." Sasagawa Kyoko, once the school's idol back in the academy and still beautiful as ever, stands up from her chair with a warm smile. Her orange hair is much longer now, tied back into a neat ponytail. "It's good to see you again. You look well."

Tsuna politely nods in greeting. "Kyoko-san." He looks to the other men; one sizes him up impassively and the other offers him a small smile that he doesn't return. "Hibari-san, Kusakabe-san."

"Oh!" Nakamura claps her hands. "What a touching reunion! I forgot you were classmates before. And three weeks early, too. The actual reunion won't happen until then."

Tsuna admirably maintains a straight face while Hibari looks like he wants to chuck the woman out the window. This probably isn't the first time she got on his nerves. Even though Tsuna isn't a major fan of violence, some people just deserve to get hit. He diverts his attention to the glass writing boards across the room, glancing over the pictures of 11 victims and their case notes. They're mostly generic portrait shots displaying smiling faces. He recognizes three from the news.

"How many are alive?" Tsuna asks. The notes are detailed about each victim's schedule on the day they were attacked but all the locations are random and too spread out to really pin down the Splinter's comfort zone. He can see why the police couldn't find any leads.

Kyoko appears by his side, her brows furrowed. "These 5." She gestures at the whole second row. "They're currently in Namimori Psychiatric Hospital. Three are barely responsive and the other two are violent. They're kept sedated so they won't harm themselves or others. Why do you ask?"

"And the others I presume are dead?"

"Yes," Ito says somberly. He opens a file in his hand. "All of them died in different spans of time but the most common COD was heart failure." He frowns. "Some of them were too young to experience that."

"What about their Bond Marks?" Tsuna inquires. "What did they look like?"

"Will that help in catching the perp?" Kyoko says.

Tsuna notes that she didn't call the maniac by their coined title. "It won't help you find the person doing this but it might help bring up a suspect list. Bond Marks are like DNA. They can tell you certain things about the relationship between a Summoner and their Summon no one else knows, and we'll be wasting time questioning people the victims knew. A Bond is essentially sacred." He glances at the other detectives who study him in varying amounts of curiosity and skepticism. "Do you have pictures of the deceased's Bond Marks?"

Nakamura smiles with teeth. "We can do you one better. Our lovely Kyoko-chan here had the wonderful idea of taking pictures of the deceased victim's Bond Marks every day up until their deaths. It wasn't so hard since they were kept strapped down for the most part."

Kyoko shakes her head. "I only did what was common sense."

Tsuna nods. "Then show them to me."

Kusakabe, who had been more or less silent throughout the ordeal, immediately brings everyone's attention to a screen on the other side of the room. He types something in his laptop before a series of pictures appear on the display. "The first victim we found was Yamada Ichiro, 17-years-old. He was an esteemed stud—"

Walking closer to the large screen, Tsuna raises a hand to stop Kusakabe from continuing further. "You don't need to give me those kinds of details," he says, studying the teen's Bond Mark on his bare left shoulder. The hazy edges inside the pentacle curl messily over each other, obscuring the majority of the design, but Tsuna can make out a smoky outline of a bird's beak or the end of a spear. "Just tell me if he said anything when you first found him."

Kyoko picks up another file and flips a page. "The reporting officer couldn't really catch what he was saying, but he said that he heard Yamada mumbling something. Nurses at the hospital supported it. He was saying a name—Jun. There's no one in his friends circle or in his family with that name, so we assumed it was his Summon's."

Tsuna skims over the rows of labeled pictures. They span for 59 days, about roughly 2 months. He'd seen very few cases of a severed Bond, courtesy to a secret bust Vongola made on a small pharmaceutical company years ago. Thankfully, they hadn't gotten far and everyone involved in the horrible experimentations were apprehended. None of it was made public due to the fact that it would cause panic like the Splinter is instigating now.

"The mental and physical deterioration rate differs for each Summoner but it always ends with heart failure," Tsuna says casually.

"Tragically poetic, isn't it?" Nakamura says.

Kyoko purses her lips. "This isn't the time for that, Nakamura-senpai."

Tsuna ignores them. He steps closer to get a better look. "Kusakabe-san, can you make these bigger?" He points at the original, then at Days 14, 29, 34, and 46. The man does as he sees, neatly arranging the images into larger rows on the screen. "Compare them. Can you see the difference?"

He knows they can't, and their silence is telling, until Hibari speaks up for the first time, his eyes slightly narrow. "They are fluctuating." Tsuna smiles slightly to himself as he turns his back. He had forgotten how the notorious prefect was one of the best students back in the academy despite his notorious bloodthirsty tendencies.

Kyoko tilts her head. "Eh?"

Ito rubs his chin and leans back in his chair. "They all look the same."

Nakamura nods. "Yup. Is this supposed to be a trick question?"

Kusakabe just frowns. Tsuna points at Yamada's Bond Mark again. "Yamada's demon is a Cloud-attribute. They have their own distinct designs but can generally be characterized as vague, smoke-like figures and somewhat unstable, just like a cloud. Neither anyone here has a Cloud-attribute except for Hibari-san. He must be attuned to what his own mark looks like, just like any other Summoner, so he might've been able to tell if there's a difference; however, it's more about if you have sharp eyes. Cloud and Mist-attributes are just trickier than others to parse through."

Kyoko exclaims quietly in awe while the others seem to view Tsuna in a new light. He points at the other pictures. "If you look closer, the change is subtle but there." He taps on the tip of the vague, beak-like shape in the pentacle on Day 14. "This is suddenly veering to the right. And here"—he takes a step forward to gesture at the image of Day 29—"it's back to its original state again, but the top here is pushing inward."

There's something about this phenomenon that rubs Tsuna the wrong way, like a small itch in the back of his head. He reveals nothing going on in the innards of his mind. This is something he has to confirm himself, just to make sure it isn't some trivial hunch. However, his hunches never proved him wrong before.

"There was an experiment about pain reception for both Summoners and their Summons several years ago," Tsuna says. "Both parties of a Bond went through a pain simulation and the scientists then noted how their Bond Marks would shift in response to each other's pain. Some Summoners have said that they felt what their Summons felt, too. However, the experiment only lasted three weeks before it was shut down and the research was deemed unfit to be used."

Kyoko pales. "Wait." She flips through Yamada's file to another page. "I've asked the staff at Namimori's Psychiatric Hospital to give my daily reports about Yamada's status along with the other victims before they died. On March 15th, they told me that Yamada couldn't calm down despite being sedated. He just kept screaming like he was in pain. The same things happened on March 30th, April 4th, and April 16th. He was catatonic after each episode and they didn't happen again until he died."

Ito looks grim. "While this all sounds horrible, this doesn't bring us any closer to the Splinter."

"No," Tsuna says, making the man tense. "I'm unable to tell you who they are. All I can do is help you catch them. Am I right in assuming that you're not a Summoner, Ito-san?"

The man averts his gaze to his hands on the table. "I'm not, no. I chose to go to public school rather than the summoning academy. It just didn't seem like something I wanted to get myself into."

Tsuna nods. "No one is judging you for that, Ito-san. I just want to make a point that a Bond isn't something to glean over. Whether it's good or not, most Bonds are benign. The demons are victims here, too."

"You seem to be fond of the idea when you're not even a Summoner yourself," Nakamura pipes up.

Kyoko taps her chin. "Well, this just confirms that the Splinter is taking the demons somehow and doing something to them. We just don't know what."

Tsuna purses his lips. "I don't think that's everything, Kyoko-san. Since the Bond Marks are still present, I need to see the rest to draw my conclusions." He takes out his phone to check to the time and sees it's mid-afternoon. There's not much to do today but he'd rather think on this more back at home. "Is it possible if I can get all the images? I can sift through them on my own and give you a better prognosis."

Kyoko nods. "Of course. Kusakabe-san."

The other detective types something in his laptop. "If you give me your email, I'll send them to you right now, Sawada-san."

After Tsuna tells him, Kyoko offers to give him a ride home. He accepts because anyone other than Nakamura is appreciated. He doesn't miss her pout and only offers a slight smile in response when he leaves. Some of the police in the station had thinned out in the last hour or so, but a few still linger around on break with coffee in their hands. Several of them grin and wave at Kyoko, which she returns politely.

"I'm really glad you came out to help us, Tsuna-kun," she says when they enter her car. Tsuna slides in the backseat rather than in shotgun.

"It's nice that the ranks changed in time before things got worse," Tsuna replies dryly. A faint tingle spikes up in left bicep again before it disappears. Ah, right.

Kyoko chuckles. "Nakamura-senpai talks a lot. I know she can be a little…much but she's a really good detective, just—"

"Annoying?"

Kyoko huffs. "Unconventional. She and Ito-senpai have been working together for a long time and they have one of the highest closing rates in the department. They're the ones who found you. You can trust them."

"Trusting stalkers? And I thought you were police. There's supposed to be a law against that."

Kyoko laughs. "Just doing their jobs." She glances at him through the rearview mirror. "But I'm glad they did. I've never seen you since the academy."

Tsuna has never disliked Kyoko. Even though they had been in vastly different parts of the food chain in Namimori Summoners Academy, she had never been unkind to him, not even after what had happened in their 7th year before his father appeared out of nowhere and took him out.

"I didn't think you'd be a detective," he says, looking out the window. Third Street has never changed while he lived in Namimori. The too-good-to-be-true discounts and sales are brazen across the shop windows and outside stands. He quietly peruses the throng of people on the sidewalks. They're all nameless faces, people just going about their day, normal. "You look good though. It suits you."

Kyoko laughs again as she stops at a red light. "Thank you."

"It's a compliment."

Kyoko waves him off. "I know but don't push yourself. I'm not Nakamura-senpai."

Tsuna's lips slightly twitch. "Exactly."

They drive the rest of the way in comfortable silence, which doesn't take long. Tsuna's apartment resides in a quiet neighborhood in Midori, a bit better than most and secluded. His mother knows him better than his father does anyways. Kyoko stops Tsuna before he leaves and hands him a card. "This is my number," she says. "Don't hesitate to call me for anything.

Tsuna accepts it and tucks it in his pocket. "Thank you. I'll let you know what I find."

Kyoko nods. "Take care, Tsuna-kun."

He watches her leave before he enters his apartment building. It doesn't seem like he'll be sleeping much tonight.

The epiphany strikes him when he finishes looking at the last deceased victim.

He had taken out an old pin board from the closet and hung it in his living room with printed pictures of each victim and their Bond Marks. He hadn't taken notes. There's no need to. Half of the puzzle pieces are already clicking together in his head. Writing will just impede the flow. Tsuna takes another sip of cold tea while he peruses the last deceased victim's Bond Marks and the days on which they had shifted. And that's where something clicks.

"There's more than one of you," Tsuna mumbles.

It's a suspicion that had been brewing in his mind since Kyoko pointed out how the demons were taken as well. Though Summoners can generally have more than one Summon, it's highly unlikely since a Summoner's core reservoir is unable to handle many all at once without being drained. A Bond requires both mental and spiritual fortitude, which is categorized in 6 different elements: Storm, Rain, Sun, Lightning, Cloud, and Mist. There are two others considered a myth but there are Summoners with those elemental reservoirs, particularly Sky. Skies are the only ones who could handle taking on more than one Summon if they're strong enough, and because they can handle taking on any demons with a different attribute. Not much is known about them since there are so few in the world, but they're considered rare and highly-valuable if presented at the age of 14.

Since this Splinter, or now Splinters, is most likely taking the demons from their Summoners, there are several possibilities that might open this case wider. Tsuna's left bicep stings again, making him sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. He wraps his hand around it, then closes his eyes, immediately entering Jura again for the second time that day. This time, the realm is slightly warm and foggy. The Summon's Bond Mark acts as a lock on a tall gate. Its design has no discernable shape, just randomly flickering tendrils of smoke that spew out several flecks of blotches. If one looks closer, there's a hazy shape of another swirl of smoke behind them.

And this time, a figure approaches the black bars. Tsuna doesn't move from his spot, standing several feet away from the gates. "Don't you have anything else to do?" he says with no bite.

A tall man steps forward from the shadows. Half of a bull's skull drapes over his head with long, thick black horns that sprout from the side, only letting Tsuna see his pale chin and black lips. Dark liquid trails down from the empty eye sockets, a harsh contrast against pure white bone, and a heavy cloak drapes over the man's right shoulder, obscuring half of his bare torso from view; his hands are black up to his forearms and his nails are talons slightly curved at the tip, almost elegant. When the demon grins, he shows off his long canines without shame. "Tsuna, thanks for finally making an appearance. It's been, what, 4 months?"

Instead of checking on the runes over the Bond Mark, Tsuna steps forward, then takes another step, and another. Soon he's standing right outside the gate. "I need something from you, Skull," he says, keeping his gaze on the Summon's black boots. They're splattered with old and new blood.

"Hm?" Tsuna can sense the demon's grin widening. "What?"

"I'm sure you've heard about Summons being taken from their Summoners. I've been asked to help the police today about it."

Skull tilts his head. "Why would you do that?"

Tsuna purses his lips. "Because it's barbaric. It's cruel."

"But you don't like getting involved." There's no hostility or judgement from Skull, just raw, unbridled honesty that Tsuna appreciates, unlike with the others. "It's ironic, actually."

Tsuna sighs and shoves his hands in his pockets. "You guys are different." He shifts his weight slightly to his right leg. "Having one of you was already a surprise, two was seriously pushing it, and now eight—I feel like taking a nosedive off a cliff."

"No one has summoned any of us in years," Skulls says, leaning his cheek on his palm. "And we don't like to share."

Tsuna narrows his eyes. "That doesn't mean to just kill people for no reason."

"No reason? I never agree with how the others think but I think that their actions were justified." Ignoring Tsuna's withering look, Skull straightens up to tick each gruesome event off with his talons. "It wasn't the most friendliest greeting, but even Reborn thinks that Bermuda was justified in killing your rites proctor when he blamed you for cheating. The men who tried to mug you—it was only a slash to their necks but Lal Mirch always talks about it like a fruitful conquest."

Tsuna's hands curls into fists. "Stop it."

Skull just nonchalantly raises a third talon. "The woman who nearly ran you over—Fon took more pleasure in breaking her bones than crushing her vehicle. The Summoner that tried to kill you. What was his name? Enma? The one you thought was a friend?"

Tsuna involuntarily takes a step forward. "Skull."

This time, Skull slowly rises on his feet. "There's one thing I despise, Tsuna." His voice is soft, almost gentle, but there's a rumble from his chest that rattles Tsuna's bones. "I tasted it when I devoured his demon, how much he envied you, how much he loathed you. There wasn't any ounce of good in him at all, just misery."

It's too late when Tsuna realizes how close he's standing to the iron bars, to Skull. He can feel the faint heat emanating from the gate, warm on his skin. He glares at the demon, craning his neck to look into the skull's empty eye sockets. "You won't say another word," he hisses. "I didn't come here to be reminded of all of your sick actions."

Skull unfurls his talons and lowers his hand to hover by Tsuna's cheek. It doesn't touch the bars. "Why do you always try to repress yourself?"

There's a thrumming pulse behind Tsuna's ears that he ignores. "You don't know what you're talking about." He says it more desperately than he intended.

Skull sounds more curious than offended. "You've done research. We gave you clues and bits and pieces to help you understand our Bond, to understand us. Why don't you acknowledge what we have when you already acknowledge what others have? Why is their suffering more important than what we share?" He looms over Tsuna and stands much closer to the gate than he should. Warning bells ring in Tsuna's head but he can't bring himself to move. His feet won't listen. "Why do you let Viper erase the existence of each and every one of those humans that tried to hurt you from their loved ones, their friends, and the ones that saw everything?"

Tsuna finally manages to take a step back; his heart threatens to burst in his chest and he can't bring himself to bring. He shouldn't have gotten close. He needs to get away, clear his head of the horrible truths Skull is spouting. Still, he forces a weak glare at the demon. "I didn't come here to be lectured. This is why I can't have any of you as my Summons. None of you deserve that kind of luxury."

He swivels on his heel to turn his back on Skull and to make a fucking point. When he's taken at least 5 steps, he almost leaves when a soft click echoes ominously in the air. He stiffens.

"You forgot something, Tsuna," Skull says in amusement.

Tsuna whirls around just to see the gate slowly opening, the hinges groaning from disuse. There's no time to react. Tsuna leaves when a loud rush of wind blows across the realm. He heaves in a gasp when his eyes open in the real world again. Quickly, he rushes over to his desk to grab the ink pen, knocking over his chair in his haste. He falls onto his knees, gritting his teeth from the growing pressure on his left bicep. The tip of the pen glows orange from the magic he's desperately pouring into. First the circle, then Skull's personal runes, then root, capture and se—

Tsuna cries out when a heavy boot steps on his wrist. It's not enough to break bones but it's enough to keep him in place. The orange glow wavers on the pen's tip. The air has turned stale and Skull's overwhelming presence suffocates the room.

"What's the saying humans have?" Skull drawls, flicking a talon. The pen immediately jerks away from Tsuna's hand and clatters distantly in the kitchen. His heart sinks. "Your head was just in the clouds, Tsuna."

A/N *strangles Muse* Why can't you leave me alone?

So, this happened. Was supposed to be a one-shot but I would've been very mean and left you peeps with a horrible cliffhanger so thank my beta, nico, who convinced me otherwise. :'^)

And I wrote this in present tense for some reason I can't fathom but hey, some practice for that. :^D

Thank you so much for reading… Send help please because my Muse isn't very nice…

Have a lovely day~

Little Miss Bunny