Mahiru woke up to find himself in a familiar-looking environment. He was still sitting in Dodo's car, Kuro leaning on his shoulder, fast asleep. Hugh was dozed off in the middle, and at the other window Tetsu was gazing out, as if hoping that they would get to Misono's house faster that way. Lily and Dodo were still in the front seats, talking in hushed voices.

Outside the sun had risen over their heads, and the streets of the town looked they were going through looked exactly like the area around the school. They had to be close now. A little longer, and they would find themselves on Misono's door.

"Where are we?" Mahiru asked quietly, yawning. "We're almost there, aren't we?"

Lily turned around in the front seat. "Oh," he said with a smile, "you're awake, Mahiru-kun? Good morning!"

"Yeah," Dodo's voice came from the driver's seat. "We're almost there. Thank goodness, because if we had to go any further I'd fall asleep on the wheel and drive us into a tree."

Lily gave a soft chuckle. "Thank you for driving all night and half the day for us, Dodo-san. You deserve the rest now."

"Damn right I do. But how much you wanna bet Mitsuki's gonna chew me out when I show up?" He gave a huge yawn and groaned, continuing in a hectic falsetto. "Where have you been all night? What have you been doing? Why didn't you tell us? This is your job, you can't just disappear whenever you want, yada yada yada!"

"Well," Lily said good-naturedly, "she'll probably say all that because she worries about you..."

Dodo groaned quietly and said nothing.

"Is it still far?" Tetsu asked from the window. "We're almost there, right?"

"Yes! Just a few more minutes, Tetsu-kun." Lily smiled understandingly. "You can already begin to wake the other two up."

Tetsu nodded, visibly glad to be given something to do, and gently nudged Hugh awake. "Wake up," he said quietly. "Wake up, Hugh. We're almost at senpai's house."

Hugh made a small sleepy noise and yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Hmm... And I was having such a delightful dream..."

"You can dream again later," Mahiru replied over Kuro's head. "For now we all need to talk to Misono's dad together... hey, Kuro, you too! Wake up, my shoulder's all stiff already."

Kuro groaned and shifted sleepily, obviously not realizing where he was. "Five more minutes... I'll pass on the breakfast, thanks."

"What breakfast? It's afternoon! Wake up, dammit!"

Kuro gave another sleepy mumble and snuggled closer to Mahiru's shoulder, clinging to his arm. Lily snickered in the front seat. Tetsu and Hugh looked at them and then at each other.

Mahiru flushed bright red and shook Kuro violently. "Hey," he shouted, "wake up! We're at Misono's place already! And who says you can use my shoulder as your pillow, geez!"

Apparently the situation seemed to have caught up with Kuro's sleep-riddled mind, and he blinked awake, straightening up with a start. His face was very red. "Awake now," he mumbled, not looking at Mahiru. "Don't wake your poor roommate so roughly. Can't deal."

"Good." Mahiru was blushing too, stubbornly trying to ignore Lily's chuckles and Tetsu and Hugh's curious looks. "How much longer till we're there? Can we see Misono's house already, Dodo-san?"

As if on cue, Dodo hit the brakes and turned into a driveway of the most gigantic mansion Mahiru had ever seen in his life.

"Uh..." he stuttered, trying to stare at everything at the same time until he was dizzy. "I-Is this... the place? Just what on earth are Misono's parents?"

Lily smiled understandingly. "Right, you have never been here, have you, Mahiru-kun, Tetsu-kun? The Alicein family has been very rich and influential for generations. Misono and Mikado-san are descended from a long line of high-ranking politicians."

"They're pretty amazing," Tetsu said quietly. Kuro and Hugh said nothing. In fact, they almost looked like they had been here before and were trying to orient themselves and figure out which way to go.

The car stopped in a spacious garage, and Dodo got out to open the doors, letting them outside. "That's as far as I go," he said, stifling a yawn. "Good luck, everyone. If you need me, I'll be passed out in my bed."

Lily smiled kindly. "Thank you very much for your hard work, Dodo-san."

He stumbled off, leaving the others alone.

"Very well," Lily said, his smile turning forced, "if you would follow me now, please. This way."

He led them out of the garage and through the most impressive garden Mahiru had ever seen– no, it wasn't a garden; it was a park. Rich green grass alternated with bright, colorful flowerbeds, tall, elegant trees framing the scenery, and the paved pathways leading through this paradise all met at a tall, elegant fountain in front of the house. Every so often they caught sight of a maid or servant scurrying around running errands, but other than that the place was quiet, almost too peaceful under the blue summer sky.

A face appeared in one of the windows as they approached the mansion's main entrance, only to quickly disappear again so quickly that Mahiru wondered if he had imagined it. He brushed it off. Right now he didn't have time to think about that; he should think about what to say to Misono's father when they met.

"There we are," Lily said, walking up to the door and pulling out his keys. "Let us hope Mikado-san is still home–"

He didn't need his keys.

Before he or anyone else had the chance to touch it, the door opened, and stepping outside was a middle-aged man with glasses and a long ponytail falling over his shoulder.

"Mi..." Lily paled a little as he forced a smile on his face. "Mikado-san. What a coincidence, I was just going to see you..."

Alicein Mikado didn't return the smile. His eyes roamed over the unbidden guests, one after the other, his gaze darkening with every second.

"Lily," he said, and his voice was sharp with anger and concern. "Where have you been for so long? We were all worried when we heard you were gone, you bastard! And who are these people?"

Before Lily could say anything Mahiru stepped forward. His voice was clear with determination, his mind free of all second thoughts as the words left his mouth, nothing but the pure, uncondensed truth. "We're Misono's friends!" he declared. "We're here to see him!"

Alicein Mikado's eyes focused on him for a long, silent moment, his expression unreadable.

"Friends?" he repeated, and his voice was cold and strained, shadows of panic glinting underneath the ice. "My son has no friends. Who are you? Explain yourselves before I call security on you!"

Mahiru stumbled back, wide-eyed. "What the–?!" he stuttered out, unable to believe what Misono's father had just said. What was he talking about? He had to know Misono had friends at school, right? Was he pretending not to know?

"What are you talking about?" he burst out, shocked and furious. "Of course your son has friends! Hasn't he told you? You can ask him, he'll tell you all our names and–"

"I said he has no friends! My son doesn't know any of you, so stay away from him before you get him into any more danger!" Mikado glared down at him, his eyes full of frantic concern and fear. "Maybe he knew you once, or thought he did, but that has changed. I cannot allow any of you to pull him into any more life-threatening situations."

Mahiru clenched his fists. "We didn't–! At least hear us out, will you?"

A hand on his shoulder stopped him. Mahiru paused, turning around to watch Tetsu step past him, standing face to face with Mikado, looming almost a head taller than him.

"Sir," he said quietly, but Mahiru didn't miss the worry in his voice. "I promise we won't get your son in trouble. If anything we'll protect him." He swallowed. "He's very precious to us too, so we'd never let anything happen to him."

Mikado looked at him, then at the others. They all nodded.

For a second it looked like his expression softened. The fear faded from his eyes, his features relaxing for barely more than a heartbeat. Then his eyes froze over once more, and he took a step back. "No," he said. "Anyone could tell me that and use it as an excuse to get close to Misono and hurt him. I won't believe you. Misono is the only family I have left and you will not take him from me!"

"The only?" Mahiru repeated, surprised. "But what about Mikuni-san? I thought he and Misono were brothers–"

Mikado's eyes turned to steel. "I have no son named Mikuni."

Mahiru stared at him, utterly confused. "No son...?" he asked. "But I thought... Mikuni-san always calls Misono his brother, and your last name– mmph?!"

He couldn't finish the sentence. Lily had clamped a hand over his mouth, giving him an apologetic smile as he whispered, "I'm sorry, Mahiru-kun. It is better not to mention Mikuni-san in this house."

Mahiru simply stared up at him, no longer understanding a thing.

"Leave now," Mikado continued, turning to walk back into the house. "You cannot talk to Misono anymore. And Lily–" He stopped walking to glance back over his shoulder. "Not a word to him about our visitors."

Lily looked like he wanted to protest, then a shadow of resignation fell over his eyes, and he let out a weak sigh. "Yes, Mikado-san."

The door fell closed.

They all stood in silence for a moment, then Lily sighed, letting go of Mahiru's mouth and gazing at the door through which Mikado had disappeared. "What a shame," he said, so quietly Mahiru barely caught the words. "I only wonder who warned him of our arrival."

It was not a coincidence that Misono was sitting and reading on the balcony right next to his father's office. It also wasn't a coincidence that he kept glancing over every few moments, looking out for movements, listening for footsteps. His heart was pounding at the thought of what he was about to do. For the first time in his life he felt like a thief in his own house.

He still couldn't believe what he was planning, but he had to know. He needed answers. And he had a feeling that he'd never get them if he couldn't find a way to unlock the door to the deserted wing and get into his and Mikuni's old rooms.

The paper of the second note rustled in his hand. I told you so. Whoever had written it must have been watching him closely, so closely that they had observed the change in his feelings. Who could that be? Someone he knew? A stranger? Misono wasn't sure if he should really trust that person. But at the moment he wasn't really sure if he should trust anyone. Why was that door locked? Where had Lily and Dodo gone? Why wasn't anyone telling him anything? And why was it all happening now that he was already cut off from his friends?

The click of a door opening cut through his thoughts. He straightened up, shutting the book in his hands and listening. A female voice spoke in a hushed tone, a voice that he faintly recognized but couldn't put a name on. His father replied something he didn't catch, but he sounded frantic, and a second later two sets of footsteps hurried through the corridor and down the stairs. Then the house was silent once more.

Misono crept up to the balcony door, peering inside. The corridor was empty. Not a trace of his father or the person he had been talking to. The office door stood wide open, as if his father had been in such a hurry that he had forgotten about it. Misono frowned. That never happened; his father always made meticulously sure this door was always shut. What had made him run off so quickly that he had forgotten about the door?

Careful not to make his footsteps heard, still monitoring his surroundings and listening closely for any movements, Misono crept into the corridor, sneaking up to the open door and glimpsing inside.

The room was empty. It looked like it had been left in a hurry; the window was still open, the curtains billowing in the wind that picked up stray sheets of paper from the desk and sent them flying to the floor. The desk was scattered in papers; documents were lying spread out all over the place until not a single inch of mahogany was visible underneath, and his father's pen had rolled off to one side, still opened. Misono inched closer. If he remembered correctly, if he was lucky, then the second desk drawer from above should contain–

I knew it.

Glancing around, Misono stooped down and snatched a heavy bundle of keys from the desk, stuffing it into his pocket as he quickly pushed the drawer shut and straightened up. Still no one nearby. Now he just had to get out of here and–

"Young master, what are you doing here?"

Misono froze. All blood drained from his face. Unmoving, unblinking, he held his breath as his wide eyes followed the voice to its origin.

"Mi-Mitsuki-san!" he stuttered out as he recognized the face, gasping a breath of relief. It wasn't his father, at least. And it wasn't someone who would question why he was here or suspect him of doing anything forbidden. "H-How long have you been here?"

"I just got here..." Mitsuki stepped into the office, looking around, and Misono hoped and prayed that she wouldn't notice the way his right pocket had bulged out under the weight of the keys. "Where's Mikado-san?"

"He just left," Misono answered, trying to keep his breath from hitching and his voice from shaking. "He seemed to be in a hurry... I think he went downstairs with someone."

Mitsuki paused for a moment, then she nodded. "All right," she said as she hurried off and disappeared. "Thank you! I wonder what's got into him? Thanks, young master!"

Misono waited until her footsteps resounded through the corridor and disappeared, then he quickly slipped out of the office and hurried off to his room.

Slamming the door behind him, he leaned against it, panting, trying to level his breath. His hands were trembling, his heart pounding against his ribcage. He couldn't believe himself. He couldn't believe he had just snuck into his father's office and stolen something so important and valuable. He felt like a criminal. And yet... he was glad it had worked.

Steadying himself, he pulled the keys out of his pocket, inspecting them one by one. Most of them looked familiar. He instantly recognized the keys for the garden gate and the main door, as well as the ones for the garage, the basement and his father's office. Some others looked more unfamiliar. He turned them in his hands, wondering if they might fit or if he could rule them out so he could only try a key or two on the mysterious locked door. The less time he spent there, the lower his chances of getting caught.

In the end he managed to rule out all but two. His heart picking up speed in his chest again, he stuffed the keys back into his pocket, opened his door a crack to peer outside, and slipped through the corridors without making a sound, walking faster and faster until he was just short of running.

Avoiding the main entrance, he snuck out through a side door, finding himself in a lonely part of the garden. Misono relaxed a little and buried his hands in his pockets, taking a look around. If he looked nonchalant enough, maybe he'd actually make it through the locked door without anyone suspecting him.

He turned a corner and the deserted wing came in sight. Almost there. Now he just had to get there without–

Something brushed the edge of his vision.

Misono whipped around, his eyes flitting from side to side. Everything looked perfectly normal. Was he getting paranoid? He must have seen a bird or stray leaf that had fluttered past him. Or maybe it was just his imagination.

But then why did he feel like he was being watched?

It's nothing, he tried to tell himself, forcing his pounding heart to calm down and stop thudding against his chest. He was nervous about doing something forbidden, that was all. It had made him nervous and jumpy and prone to seeing prying eyes behind every corner. There was no such thing as the feeling of being watched; one could not sense another person's gaze without seeing their eyes or expecting them to look one's way. It was impossible. Sixth senses weren't a thing.

He knew all that. And yet he couldn't help wondering if this wasn't a sign to head back and give up, after all.

No, he wouldn't head back. If there was an important secret hidden behind that door, he had a right to know. And if there wasn't, well, then he'd just put the keys back into the drawer and be satisfied knowing there was nothing his father and Lily and everyone else had been hiding from him. If he didn't muster the courage now, he might never do it.

Swallowing hard and still forcing himself to ignore the invisible gaze tingling at the back of his neck, Misono went on, walking faster and faster. His heart was racing, his breathing flat and much too fast. The keys felt heavier and heavier with every step.

Then, finally, he was at the door, and still nothing was in his way.

Misono held his breath, looking around and listening. The garden around him was silent except for a few singing birds and chirping crickets and the faint murmurs of the fountain in the distance. Not a soul was nearby.

Now or never.

He pulled the keys out of his pocket, careful not to make a noise. Slowly, gently, his trembling fingers searched through the bundle, trying to remember which ones he had singled out to try on the door. Oh, right this one... and that one. Right...

He took a deep breath, clenched his shaking hand around the first key, and brought it up to the keyhole.

It wouldn't even go in.

The other one, he thought hurriedly, fidgeting, almost dropping the keys. So it's the other one!

He pulled out the second key, pushing it into the keyhole. It fit... but it wouldn't turn.

Deep breaths, Misono thought, trying to keep his hands from trembling. Calm down. He had to calm down. He couldn't stay here too long. If he kept struggling with the key, sooner or later someone would come and find him, and it would all be in vain.

He swallowed, steadied his breathing, and tried again. The key wouldn't move. He pushed and pulled and struggled, but the key stayed where it was, refusing to turn even an inch.

Was the lock rusty after all these years? No, that wasn't it...

The second key... didn't fit either?

Misono felt cold. What was the meaning of this? Was there no key for this door in the bundle? There was a key for every door in this bundle. Then where else could the key be? Had it been lost? Did his father not have it? Had he thrown it away?

No, his father wouldn't do that. If there was something important still hidden inside, then his father would never have lost or thrown away the key. It had to be somewhere else. But where?

Was someone else holding onto it?

"There we are." Lily opened the door, beckoning them all inside. "I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, but I'm afraid this is the best place for you to stay at right now. I do hope you don't mind children?"

Mahiru and Tetsu shook their heads. Hugh hadn't heard the question; he was already in the middle of talking to a group of little boys questioning him about his attire. Kuro looked less than enthusiastic, but as soon as a pair of twin faces appeared in the door, his expression lit up.

"Mr. Panda!" Yuri and Mari shouted, running up to him and knocking him over. "It's Mr. Panda! Mr. Panda has come to visit us!"

"What, Mr. Panda?" another voice exclaimed, quickly to be followed by others as one by one, children started running up to the door to see Kuro, who was looking mildly confused.

"Mr. Panda! Mr. Panda is here!"

"Where's Mr. Panda?"

"Hey, wait for me! I wanna say hi to Mr. Panda too!"

Mahiru laughed at the pile of little girls and boys crowding over Kuro, all trying to greet and hug and high-five him at the same time. "Look at this!" he said cheerfully, pulling out his phone and snapping a picture. "You're pretty popular, huh?"

Kuro gave a small resigned sigh. "Can't deal."

Mahiru simply laughed, and Lily smiled too. Even Kuro couldn't quite bring himself to look as tired as he probably should be in this situation, his eyes twinkling with something akin to happiness.

Finally the children calmed down enough to let Kuro stand up, and he scrambled back to his feet, dusting off his clothes. Lily smiled again and beckoned the whole group inside, leading them through the orphanage and up the stairs to a few unoccupied bedrooms.

"I'm sorry there was nothing better available," he said, "but it's the place closest to Misono I could find, and I suppose you would want to stay near him too while we regroup and think of a new plan?"

They all nodded. Tetsu and Hugh moved into one of the rooms, Mahiru and Kuro into the one next door, all trying to make themselves as comfortable as they could in their cramped space. Lily left them alone for the time being, walking back down the stairs to check on the children, who had gone back to playing. He should probably tell Misono he was back, he realized. He had promised, after all.

Tucking his hand into his pocket, he tried to pull out his phone when something else fell down on the floor. His keys. He must have not tucked them in properly earlier.

He stooped down to pick them up– and paused. One of them caught his eye, one that looked as unused as it was old. A key Mikado had asked him to hold onto and never tell Misono about.

Sighing, he picked up the bundle of keys and shoved it back into his pocket. I'm so sorry, Misono. But this is something I can't tell you about.

The keys didn't fit. None of them did.

Misono paced back and forth in his room, frowning and shaking. He didn't understand. Where had the right key gone? Did it even still exist? What was so secret that the key to it wasn't part of his father's all-encompassing bundle of keys?

What should he do now?

He wondered if he should look elsewhere. But where? Was it hidden somewhere? Did someone else have it? Who else could be holding onto such an important key? And if he found out who it was, how should he get his hands on it? Steal it? Maybe it was better to give up altogether...

No, he couldn't do that. Whatever it was that was hidden behind that door, he had to know it. He had to find out, or it would keep bugging him, following him, haunting him forever.

Should he just talk to his father? Was that the easiest way?

No, definitely not an option. His father hadn't even told him about the door being locked. He had never told him a word about what had really transpired that fateful night, so why should he do it now? And how should Misono explain why he had suddenly started second-guessing everything he knew about that night in the first place?

Should he ask Lily, perhaps?

No, probably not an option. Lily couldn't know. Lily was his friend and his family and the closest thing he'd ever had to a brother, closer even than Mikuni himself. There was no way he would keep secrets from him. Lily would never do that. He hadn't told him why he had left yesterday, sure, but he had promised to tell him today. It was probably just some kind of surprise. Lily wouldn't even think of hiding a serious secret from him.

Your family is lying.

But his family only consisted of his father, his disappeared mother about who he didn't even know if she was still alive, Mikuni who had been banished, and Lily. If Lily wasn't lying, then–

Mikuni? Should he ask Mikuni? He had been there the night it happened, hadn't he?

No, no, no. No matter what happened, he would never stoop so low as to ask that bastard. Mikuni probably wouldn't tell him the truth anyway. He'd pat his head and tell him he was too young to know the story or tell him some obviously fabricated lie and insist it was the truth until Misono gave up. He wasn't going through the trouble of asking Mikuni for that.

Just as Misono wondered if he should give up after all, his phone gave a bright and overly loud chime.

He jumped, stumbling as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. The caller ID read Lily. At long last. Hadn't he promised to be back already?

"Lily?" he said into the speaker. "You're late, you bastard! Where have you been?"

Lily didn't answer immediately, and Misono almost thought he had heard him flinch. When he finally spoke again his voice was troubled, clouded even, as if there was something deeply concerning him and he didn't know how to talk about it.

That was a first. Lily always knew what to say.

"I am so sorry for the delay, Misono," he said gently, a brightness to his voice that was completely and obviously fake. "Have you been good while I was gone? You haven't been lonely, have you?"

Misono had, but that wasn't solely because of Lily. "Shut up, you bastard!" he snapped. "Why would I ever be lonely without your stupid face around? I can entertain myself just fine, you bastard!" He paused momentarily to regain his breath. "And don't evade my questions! Where have you been?"

"I... can't tell you."

Lily's voice was so troubled, the words so uncharacteristic that Misono completely forgot to be angry. "What?"

Lily swallowed audibly. "I'm sorry. I'm not allowed to say anything yet, but you'll find out soon enough." The fake cheerfulness returned to his voice. "It's a surprise, all right? So be patient a little longer, I can't spoil it you know?"

It sounded like a cheap lie, and Misono honestly didn't know what to think anymore.

He wanted to believe these words. Lily wouldn't hide anything important from him; that was what he had always thought, and for over sixteen years of his life that had been an unshakable truth. Lily had never hidden anything, he had never lied to him, never kept any secrets, unless you counted small things like surprise trips or Christmas presents or plans for his birthday. And he had never sounded so troubled about it. What could be so important that Lily couldn't bring himself to tell him like he usually did? Was something keeping him? Or someone? But after all these years, what could suddenly keep him from telling Misono something important?

"Lily," Misono said slowly, forcing out the words one by one. "Are you hiding anything from me?"

Lily was silent for a long, long, long time, so long that Misono started to wonder if he had hung up.

"I'm sorry," he replied at last, giving a slow, heavy exhale. "I'd tell you immediately if I was allowed, but sadly I can't, not yet. Don't worry about me, I'm all right. I'll be back soon."

Misono didn't know what else to say, so he hung up and put his phone back down.

He didn't understand anything. What had happened to Lily all of a sudden? Why was he acting like this? What was he hiding? Why wasn't he allowed to tell him? Was he really not allowed, or was that a lie?

Lily wouldn't lie to him. Lily wouldn't keep secrets.

Lily wasn't telling him something.

Lily wouldn't betray him. Lily was his family.

Your family is lying.

No. No! Lily would never do that! Lily would never hide anything from him!

But then why...?

It didn't make sense. None of it made sense. He didn't know what was happening, what was wrong. He didn't know what to do or what to think.

All he knew was that he felt small, small and weak and incredibly lonely.

"So it's all set?" Mahiru asked, straightening up where he sat. "You're sneaking us in tonight?"

"Yes." Lily closed his eyes and smiled heavily. "I know a back entrance that's only guarded by Dodo-san, he'll let us in. I will take you to see Misono after he has returned to his room after dinner."

He hated to do this, doing things behind Mikado's back, but it had to happen. They had to get Misono out before he choked to death in his gilded cage. What they would do afterwards he didn't know, but he still had some time to think. Maybe they could prove that Misono could watch himself just fine. Maybe they could catch the kidnappers and convince Mikado that the danger was gone. They'd be able to think about that when they had got him out safely. For now that was all that mattered.

He was worried, of course. Worried that Misono might not want to go with them. Worried that they would get caught before they reached him. Worried that he might insist on his promise to his father or his responsibility.

Worried that he might not want to go because Lily had been acting so suspicious, or because he still hadn't made up with Tetsu.

He sighed. There was no point in worrying about it, he knew that. He had to go into this with confidence and make the best of whatever happened. That was all he could do.

They'd just have to be extra careful tonight. Whoever had told Mikado of their arrival earlier would definitely be on the lookout again.

"'Kay," Kuro mumbled, yawning and stretching, "if that's all, I'm gonna go take a nap. Wake me up when it's time to go."

He stood up and started making his way towards the stairs, just to be quickly stopped by a group of little children. "Are you free right now, Mr. Panda?"

"Uh... I dunno..."

"Come play with us! We're playing hide and seek, come and join!"

Before Kuro could protest he found himself dragged away as the others watched him go with a grin on their faces. "So much for sleeping, huh," Mahiru remarked with a laugh. "Okay, I'm heading to the convenience store to get us all some snacks. Anybody want anything special?"

"Orange juice!" Hugh shouted, jumping to his feet. "No, wait. I shall grace thee with my company!"

They went off, leaving Lily alone with Tetsu. The boy didn't say anything at first. He simply gazed after Mahiru and Hugh until they were gone, as if he was debating whether or not to leave with them.

"Hey, uh," he said at last, looking a little awkward as he leaned close to Lily, lowering his voice, "do you need anybody to chop wood or carry heavy stuff or something? It's just, I..." He glanced down, suddenly looking very much like the child he still was. "I wanna get my mind off things, and hard work helps me."

Lily placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, smiling gently. "You're worried about Misono's reaction, aren't you? You two still haven't spoken since the day of the festival, am I right?"

Tetsu nodded.

"Don't worry," Lily said warmly, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "Misono wouldn't refuse to leave with us because of whatever happened that day, I am sure. He seems to have long forgiven you. No, if you ask me, he was never upset with you at all."

Tetsu looked up. "Really?"

"Yes. He was confused is all." Lily got up to his feet. "Now come on, we shall find you some hard work to distract your mind."

Lily was back for dinner, but for some reason he seemed... off.

Misono couldn't pinpoint what exactly was wrong. Lily was simply acting strange, out of it, not at all like his usual cheerful self. His smile looked forced. His eyes flitted about nervously. He didn't talk as much as usual, and when someone tried to ask him where he had been, he averted his gaze and changed the subject. Dodo was missing, apparently still asleep in his room, and Lily wouldn't say anything about the reason for his exhaustion either. It was a conversation full of fake smiles and awkward silences.

Finally Misono had enough. He pushed aside his half-finished plate without waiting for the dessert, mumbled "Thanks for the food" and hurried off to his room. He couldn't bear any more of this farce. Enough fake smiles, enough lies and excuses and sudden subject changes. He'd had enough of it all.

Why wasn't Lily telling him where he had been? Why did he seem so out of it? What was he hiding all of a sudden? He had never done that before!

Or had he?

Your family is lying.

What did the person writing these notes know that he didn't? Who were they? Why wouldn't they tell him the truth?

He shook it off. Not important, he told himself. Whatever Lily was hiding couldn't be important. Otherwise he'd have told him already. Lily wouldn't lie to him. He wouldn't keep important secrets. Lily was his friend and brother. He would never betray him.

And yet somewhere, deep down, he wasn't sure if he could still trust Lily as much as he thought he could.

"Here we are," Lily whispered, leading the group in through the garden gate, careful to keep them in the shadows, away from prying eyes. "Thank you for letting us in, Dodo-san."

"No prob," Dodo said around a yawn, almost falling asleep where he leaned against the fence. "Wake me up when you need anything. Actually, don't bother. I'm still beat."

"I kinda like this guy," Kuro whispered to Mahiru as they slipped inside.

"Shh!" Mahiru whispered back as Dodo closed the gate behind them and instantly fell asleep on top of it. "Quiet! We can't get caught now."

Keeping close to the fence, they slipped from tree to tree, shadow to shadow, careful not to make a noise. Lily walked ahead, trying to see and hear everything at once. The garden was empty and dark. The windows on this side of the house were dark too, empty and unmoving. Nobody was around to see them.

Lily walked faster. Reaching into his pocket, he walked up to the back door and pulled out the key, turning it in the lock and peering inside. There was nothing but a silent dark corridor. No sign of anyone–

"Lily."

He froze. Stepping out of one of the doors, looking up at him with stern, suspicious eyes, was none other than Mikado.

He raised a hand, motioning for the others to stay where they were and not make a sound, his eyes still resting on Mikado. He swallowed. What should he say? What should he do?

"What are you doing here?" Mikado asked, and Lily tensed even more. "You never take the back door. You aren't trying to lead anyone else in here, are you?"

Keep calm. Don't panic.

"Of course not," Lily said lightly, faking a smile. "You know me. I of all people know how important it is to keep Misono safe, Mikado-san."

There was a soft knock on the door, and Misono jumped. Nobody ever knocked on his door at this time of the day. It was close to his bedtime, and usually people would leave him alone this late in the evening.

"C-Come in," he called, his voice a little unsteady. After everything that had happened these past few days, he honestly didn't know who or what to expect anymore.

The door opened, and in slipped a maid, the same black-haired one who had done the laundry in the garden just yesterday. She smiled lightly, bowed, and stood near the door, as if she didn't want to actually come inside.

"Good evening, young master," she said quietly. "Pardon the disturbance at this late hour, but your father has sent for you. He would like to speak to you, so if you would please follow me."

Misono jumped to his feat, his heart skipping a beat. His father wanted to see him? Now? Why now? His father never sent for him unless it was an emergency. "What happened?"

"I'm afraid I can't say." The maid bowed again. "Please follow me, young master. He shall tell you directly."

Misono stumbled across the room and walked after her as she led him through the dark corridors, his heart pounding in his chest. What had happened? Was something wrong? Had something happened to his father or someone else? Had he been caught trying to open the locked door? What if–

Wait a minute. Where were they going? This wasn't the way to his father's office.

"Where are you leading me?" Misono whispered, hurrying up to walk beside the maid. "Where is my father? Why isn't he in his office?"

The maid's expression was unreadable, her eyes completely blank and eerily familiar, even though Misono still couldn't recognize her face. "Do not worry," she whispered back. "We're almost there."

She led him to a corner and stopped, holding up a hand. Voices came sounding down the corridor, voices Misono knew all too well. He inched closer to the corner and peered around.

"You know me," Lily was saying. "I of all people know how important it is to keep Misono safe, Mikado-san."

Misono couldn't see his father's face in the dark, but he sounded like he was smiling. "Of course you do. That's why I have kept you around all these years." His voice turned grave again. "But you aren't planning to tell him now, are you? You've been acting strange lately."

Misono's heart stopped beating for a second. Tell him? Tell him what?

"Certainly not," Lily replied, and icy cold spread throughout Misono's chest. "He is better off thinking she really was his mother. Even if he ever does begin to have doubts, I assure you the key to that wing will be safe with me."

The world stopped moving.

Misono staggered. The ground was gone from under his feat. His mind was reeling.

Lily had the keys.

Lily knew what had happened that night. Lily had lied to him. He knew the truth, and all these years he had never told him a single word.

The world as he knew it came crushing and tumbling down around him. Misono's head was blank. The only thing he knew, the only thing he felt was mad, furious betrayal.

"Lily..." he gasped out, stumbling around the corner. "You... Tell me that's not true!"

His father and Lily spun around, blank horror on their faces.

"Tell me it isn't true!" Misono shouted at him, trembling with cold rage. "Tell me you haven't been lying to me for all these years! Say it, Lily!"

But Lily's face was pale, and Misono knew it was all real. Everything he had just heard was the truth.

"Misono," Lily stuttered, trying to force a smile. "I can explain–"

"No!" Misono's voice was shrill and frantic, shaking, reverberating off the walls. "You've told me enough lies! Stay away from me!"

"Misono–"

"Stay away!"

Lily stopped short. His eyes were wide with horror and guilt and shame and a million regrets.

"Misono, no..."

"Stay away!" Misono screamed, his whole body burning, hot tears stinging at the corners of his eyes. "Don't ever come near me again, you... you... you traitor!"

Lily stared down at him, wide-eyed and motionless, shaking. Misono didn't care. He didn't care about anything. His best friend, his brother, his own family had lied to him. He had lied to him for so many years, and not once had he suspected a thing.

The maid slipped from Misono's side, moving past him and Mikado, unnoticed. Her red eyes were fixed on her target. Her hand reached into her apron, fingers closing around cold metal.

Snow Lily, Otogiri repeated in her head. Title: Lust. Alias: All of Love. The most recent member of the original seven Servamps and nearly undefeatable in close combat as long as he has the Alicein family to fight for.

But if he loses the connection that keeps him going, he becomes... vulnerable.

Fast as lightning, she whipped out her switchblade and rammed it straight into Lily's chest.