The sun was shining in the sky as Yashiro walked into the hospital. She looked up at the scanners on every corner, which checked the psycho pass of newcomers; including hers. Since no alarm rumbled and people around did not turn to her, she stopped in the middle of the entrance hall for a moment, and grabbed the collar of her black mid length coat with one hand to adjust it, only then did she move on.

A nurse greeted her with a pleasant smile and guided her through the hospital corridors, until they reached a room where a television was on in the corner of the ceiling. Yashiro stood in front of the window to look inside. The nurse was talking about the cerebrovascular accident, about how speech therapy no longer worked for the patient, yet she focused on the static image of the room.

When the nurse decided to leave her alone with the patient, Yashiro gulped and slowly entered the room, her steps almost drowning out the voices on the television, those that were speaking of the murder case that had taken place a month before, though in an entertaining way, as if they did not take it seriously or did not want to worry the viewers too much.

Yashiro turned to the thin, motionless figure sitting on the white bed that leaned slightly over the pillow, and stood at the foot of it to look into those empty hazel eyes that were still focused on the hologram. She decided to turn off the television, and soon the room was in deep silence. Only then did her voice echo like a whisper of death, "Hello, Toko."

The sound of an old camera made its way into the room as soon as the hazel eyes were fixed on hers, and Yashiro found herself walking toward her to see the photo on the small screen; she had promised herself that she would at least have one with her. Rikako was still standing by the tree; she was very used to being the center of attention at the academy, and in order to maintain her reputation she always kept a smile in front of any camera; it was the first time, however, that her features looked solemnly relaxed. Yashiro thanked Toko, who grinned at her before leaving, "I'll let you know when it's ready!"

Yashiro gently pushed the wheelchair into the courtyard. The patient's long black hair fell wavy around her shoulders, but at no time did she turn to look at her. Yashiro stopped the wheelchair by a bench and sat in it. Toko Kirino was frozen, her eyes wide open and lost in the distance. Her lips trembled slightly unable to utter a single word. Her hands were clutching the armrests tightly. Yashiro forced herself to turn her head in her direction, closing her eyes for a few seconds.

She felt a strange desire to scream she was guilty, yet she knew that no one would believe her and instead, they would think that she just wanted to be noticed or to feel important. She would be willing to turn herself in to the MWPSB as Sasayama did, since she was not afraid of being caught but of being disappeared just like Toma. And she did not want to die in vain.

Yashiro moved her hand to the hidden holster on her belt and touched the Glock 19, the one she had become accustomed to carrying everywhere under her coat. Possession of weapons was forbidden throughout the country, yet since the Sibyl System was not capable of protecting citizens, she no longer felt safe walking the streets with morally defective people who can evade scanners like herself.

And she instantly pursed her lips; she realized that she could easily kill someone inside that building and there would be no one to stop her, for the scanners did not recognize her. It was as if the Sibyl System itself prompted her to do so. Was she losing her humanity? Was she fading away?

She had told Inspector Kougami that something was fading into him, though she did not exactly know what it was. He wanted to catch the criminal without going into darkness and coming out black, he wanted to be a real detective, even though he was beginning to believe he could not be the perfect agent he had dreamed of so much, for you cannot go in shadows without adapting your eyes. Sasayama knew it all along.

But now she realized that she was fading as well. And it felt strange that she never knew. Toko Kirino turned to her but Yashiro slowly looked away, her eyes starting to glow as she arched an eyebrow for a second, feeling the familiar warmth coming down her cheeks and the heavy stone inside her chest, making it difficult for her to breathe. The truth in those hazel eyes was the light she needed to see, and it was strong enough to leave her blind.

When Yashiro came out of the building, she stopped in her tracks to look around as a tourist who got lost in the new city. Cars were passing by and people were rushing to arrive early in the morning. That was her home, the city where she was born; yet it looked so different to her then. She felt just like a bird singing from a tree; nothing more than a lost breeze.

But as soon as she glanced at the sidewalk across the street, she found a tall man looking at her with his hands clasped in front of him, his amber eyes fixed on hers and his lips seeming to hold back so as not to smile. He was wearing a white shirt and a tie under a beige vest. Something prompted her to move toward the lonely figure, and when she was right in front of him, she stopped again with her head slightly raised.

"I knew you would come here," Makishima finally smiled tilting his head down to look at her more closely.

His deep yet soft voice made her exhale air, the one she had not heard for so long and the one she least expected.

"I had to see her one last time."

"Did it make any difference?"

Yashiro looked to the side barely closing her eyes, "No. It didn't."

After a brief pause, Makishima stretched out one hand and turned forward, placing it gently on Yashiro's back, who turned as well to continue walking right beside him, her gaze reddened by the recent crying lost on the floor while his focused on the front, as if looking at anyone who might get in their way. He placed his hand next to his body again and they kept walking side by side, toward a destination that Yashiro did not know; she let herself be guided by him.

"You may have met many people so far; none have impacted your life. Miss Kirino clearly has and that surprises you. Not in the same way as Rikako has, yet..."

Yashiro blinked a couple of times as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I was so confident trying to help Rikako..."

"To... save her."

"That I lost Toko."

His eyes sparkled, "You were having influence on her as well. But you must know that no matter how much effort you put in; a child will always become what his will desires. Everyone seeks freedom; even if they don't know what it means."

They stopped when the traffic light turned green and when it came back to red, they kept walking.

"My psycho pass has been decreasing since then."

He released a short chuckle and only then did he turn to her, his face shinning with an almost affectionate smile, "People worry if their hues go black, yet you worry if it melts into white. You are truly one of a kind, Yashiro."

They arrived at Inokashira Park and began to walk more slowly as nature fell upon them. They kept in silence from then on, for some people gathered around to take pictures of the lake right beside them. As soon as they walked away Yashiro muttered, "About Toko Kirino…"

"Yes?"

"Don't ever come near her again," she shot back.

His mouth suddenly curved showing part of his teeth, "Or what?"

Yashiro turned completely to face him and grabbed him by the vest, while leaving her right hand in her holster, where Makishima could see the Glock 19. Then he looked back into her iron eyes, and observed each one of them. He blinked as he realized that under the sunlight they were even brighter, and seemed to be furtively melting into a pale blue.

"I'll shoot you."

Makishima opened his eyes wider and gave a soft chuckle, "Fair enough. But don't worry; I'm a man of my word. And I'm no longer interested in her. I was indeed curious about how she would react to her father's murder, but you didn't let her kill Toma."

Yashiro released him and walked away as if nothing had happened, while Makishima arranged his tie before following her. He sat down on a bench under a tree crossing one leg over the other, and Yashiro instead went to the railing in front of him to look at the lake. The smell of water filled her with a calm that she could not find in the streets of Tokyo. It felt strange that such a haunted place was so empty.

"You were the one who helped Toma escape, weren't you?" Yashiro stated more to herself. "First the fire at the academy, then in his apartment."

"I kept my word from the very beginning."

"Toma was not part of the deal, but you clearly used him as well. You betrayed my trust."

Makishima frowned and stood up to get closer, his face suddenly dark, "You knew Miss Kirino would link her father's death to Toma, and that she would go to the enforcer. You wanted chaos for Rikako and students to get out of the way so their hues remained clear, while Toma and the enforcer killed each other. I gave you that."

She clenched her fists on the railing, "Surely you wouldn't lose the chance to let him go. You still had a move for Toma, isn't that right?"

"I was looking forward to seeing what he would do next, indeed," Makishima asserted with the deepest voice she had ever heard. "But I have never lied to you, Yashiro."

"You lied about playing on my side. You have no sides, but pieces."

"Did I ever put you in danger on purpose?"

"I know you are Rikako's art teacher. And probably you are the one who told Toma about her as well. You knew he would want to kill Sasayama after losing Toko. So you didn't let him because you wanted me to do it by myself—"

"You were a player in this game too, Yashiro. And you know that victory leads to losses."

"It's easy to get rid of others when no one cares about you."

Yashiro pursed her lips and frowned. Her lungs emptied as silence progressed. By the time she realized what she had just said, it was too late.

"This isn't about me, or Miss Kirino, or Miss Oryo. It's about Toma. You personally wanted him dead," Makishima raised his eyebrows turning slowly to her.

For a moment, Yashiro closed her eyes and sighed.

"I did not see coming that he would kidnap her. That wasn't supposed to happen. He dragged her straight into his mess. He made her… a witness. Guess I underestimated how destructive he could be. Toma was always… unpredictable. But I got a glimpse through that pretty smile from the beginning… and the conclusion I came to is… that he is dangerous. Maybe that's why… when I heard him talking to Rikako, I instantly knew that he was up to something…"

Makishima squinted for a second and his features relaxed.

"Do you… consider yourself and Toma to be alike?"

"No," she cut him short with a scowling glance. "No. Unlike him, I don't like playing God. Where did that question come from?"

"You seem to understand him more than you realize… even if you despise his actions. Are you sure that the only reason you wanted him dead, is because he made Miss Kirino a witness? Or is it because you did not want to admit that he influenced you in some way?"

Yashiro pursed her lips when she turned to him for a fleeting moment, as if trying to make him disappear right there and then realizing that it was not possible. Makishima smiled like a little boy after playing a prank and she lost her eyes in the water again.

"There was no way he could make it out alive," remarked Yashiro resting her forearms on the railing and leaning forward slightly. "One way or another, Sasayama would have found him. I know he would have."

"I may be a few years older than you but I'm not a fool. You completely hoodwinked everyone; the bureau itself."

"About that—"

"You used Miss Kirino as bait to lure your enforcer. You knew she would go right after her father's killer, and expected Toma to kill him and the inspectors to finish their job. Things didn't turn out as intended, so you led your enforcer to Toma. I was going to turn him over to you as a gift but you did lie to me, for you wanted to kill him from the beginning when I made it clear that I needed him to get information from the MWPSB."

"I'm sorry I tricked you," Yashiro shrugged her shoulders and closed her eyes for a moment. "I didn't know what else to do."

He moved a little closer to place a lock of hair behind her ear, "Be willing to let the world burn just to save one life. That's something I can relate to. I have only a question to ask you."

"Which is?"

There was a brief moment when he raised his head with his body completely upright, looking into her eyes as if searching for something.

"How did this enforcer of yours know about me?"

Yashiro arched an eyebrow for a second, she had forgotten the fact that Sasayama was able to put the pieces together and somehow managed to find out his real last name. Makishima was not untouchable after all, he could make mistakes like Toma, like any human being. And she found the concern in his voice strange, yet especially the doubt.

"He had been conducting his own investigation since long before the Specimen Case. He had clues about a mastermind behind everything, including Toma himself. That's how he was able to link you."

"Is that all?"

Yashiro sighed, "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Of course I do. We were playing on the same side of the board, though each of us had different reasons for making a move. Had you attempted to destroy me; you would have fallen along with me."

Yashiro looked to the side slowly shaking her head, "So this is all a game for you after all. Sasayama was right. Who are you playing with now? Have you found a new piece?"

"Unfortunately, I haven't. But I'm sure I will," Makishima assured, making a long pause and tilting his head slightly to the side.

"You don't want to change this world; you just want to leave it in the dark. Since you can't find happiness, you long to take it away from everyone else. The Sibyl System never recognized your existence, so you're eager to burn it down and be a witness to its own destruction."

He got lost in her eyes for the thousandth time and leaned gently forward, "You can always stop me, Yashiro. Would you ever force me to stop? Would you ever take my freedom from me?"

"No. No… I would not."

They remained silent for a long time when Makishima suddenly whispered, "You were wrong about happiness, for when I am with you..."

She raised her eyebrows unable to utter a single word. He slowly shook his head until he finally allowed himself to smile, and only after half a minute when he turned to the lake, did he decide to continue, "I still wonder why you couldn't finish Toma off when you had the chance, considering you could have ended it all."

Yashiro closed her eyes and turned to the lake in front of her just like he did. She took a deep breath squeezing her hands on the railing and suddenly frowned, "You're wrong. Sasayama would have put two and two together until Rikako, you and your patron were found guilty."

"But there is something else, isn't it?" His quiet voice echoed in her ears.

Yashiro opened her eyes again unable to exchange a glance with him, searching in different directions, "He was there when no one else was."

"And what is he to you now, knowing everything he has done?"

Yashiro slowly shook her head. His expression had been strangely transformed instead; he was observing her with narrowed eyes and there was a barely perceptible smile on his face, as if he were holding back so as not to display such a vulnerable gesture.

"I only got to know Dr Jekyll; I don't know him anymore."

"I like to think we all have a Mr Hyde within us, Yashiro," Makishima raised his head a few inches. "It's up to you to embrace it."

Yashiro was lost in the water, the sun reflecting a strange gleam in her eyes. Her hands relaxed on the railing, and she could not help but confess almost in a whisper, "I won't ever forget the things he did, but I will remember him as the friend he was."

Makishima's eyes slowly opened and for a moment they were both silent.

"You really have the rare gift of finding light in the darkest places, Yashiro."

"And you have the rare gift of finding darkness in the lightest ones."

A smile began to slightly cover his lips, and he narrowed his eyes with tenderness. Then, Yashiro smiled back and rested a forearm on the railing, "We never fully get to know people, don't you think?"

"Perhaps that's precisely what makes them fascinating… beautifully unpredictable."

Yashiro felt strangely absorbed by that look and nodded in response, "Tell me you found something with Sasayama so his death was not in vain."

"It was not my move, but that of a partner of mine indeed," he answered with a sudden smirk. "I haven't introduced you… would you like to join us this afternoon so you can meet him?"

Yashiro arched an eyebrow. Makishima had never introduced her to anyone before, and she wondered why he wanted to do so then, what he needed from her. Yashiro believed it might be something interesting, although he was probably planning to use her in the end. She was suddenly curious about the partner he was talking about and replied, "I would."