Kaito flipped through the pages of his tablet, scanning the information Master Tonio had managed to find. How the older man got his hands on all the documents, Kaito didn't know. However, he did know they were no closer to narrowing down whoever tried to assassinate him.

"I find it a bit concerning these so-called Thorns are attacking at random," Mew muttered as she poured over her own tablet.

Only Kaito and Mew were in the library reserved for the academy's faculty. Since it was hardly used – the professors preferred to rely on their own books to teach their material – Kaito and Mew knew they could work without being disturbed. Neither bothering to turn on the bright lights, Mew and Kaito sat at a table in the corner and relied on a lamp to illuminate their surroundings.

"What do you mean?" Kaito asked, looking up.

Mew also turned her attention away from the tablet she held and answered, "Blowing up a community college on holiday? Trying to assassinate a lord? Those things have nothing in common. Even if the bomb wasn't supposed to go off, trying to assassinate you is a really big step in the rebellion direction.

"But not a productive one, or at least not yet. Without a following, nobody is going to celebrate those accomplishments. If there was an assassination, it would spread fear into the hearts of every citizen, including the ones you would want to be on your side. That would be giving everyone who would want to follow you a reason to want nothing to do with your cause."

"You give the Juliets too much credit, Mew. Nobody said they're that smart," Kaito said after the silence hung in the air for half a minute. Yet as he spoke the words, that blonde Juliet popped into his mind. Miku said she was smart. He believed it.

"They can't be that stupid, either," Mew retorted. "Even if there are only three of them, one would have been bound to think, 'Hey, guys, I don't think this is a good idea. Maybe we should have a fourth member first?'"

"You don't speak as if you're taking this any more seriously than I am, you know."

"I just don't understand. We hear rumors of a Juliet rebellion, but we see very little proof of that – yes, no need to mention the bombing and failed assassination. I get it. However . . . with all the talk we hear, one would think we would be seeing some walking to go along with it. Yet we don't see much at all. What if the Thorns aren't a real threat after all? What if this mysterious Juliet rebellion is actually a cover for something else?"

"Something else?" Kaito pinched his brows. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Just . . . just . . . ," Mew waved her hands as if she was trying with no success to grab an object that was in front of her but floating away. "Just something!"

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Tame your tongue, Mew. You're starting to sound like one of those women who make absurd stories out of nothing."

"This isn't absurd!" Mew exclaimed, cheeks burning red. "Think about it, Shion: What are we doing here, exactly? We're doing all this investigating, but what has come from it so far? I would call it a game of cat and mouse, but it's not even that. We're chasing something that's barely there and taking every bread crumb we see as proof that the mouse is out there. What if there is no mouse? What if we're cats chasing the light from a laser?"

"Don't you think you're overanalyzing this?" Kaito shook his head. "Look, I understand why you think you might be onto something, but it's not as if what you're suggesting makes any more sense. Of all the people out there, who would want to bring down society except the lowly Juliets? And even if there is someone else, why hide behind Juliets? Your suggestion, though interesting, doesn't have any more meat to it than the Thorns, of which I have personally acquired information from on more than one occasion."

Glaring at Kaito, Mew simply shut off her tablet, stood, and walked away without another word. After she had gone, Kaito shook his head. He never understood why women always had to be so unreasonable. It wasn't that Mew's idea was a bad one, but it was excessive. She was overthinking everything, dismissing the proof they all had gathered thus far.

With that in mind, Kaito pulled up his report from his interview with Galaco. It was informative, and far more solid evidence than what Mew suggested, even if what had happened later could mean that Galaco lied to him. Even if the Thorns were far too small and scattered, there was an attempt on his life. Things such as this don't happen for no reason.

Just then, a call came in. It was Kaiko. Answering it instantly, Kaito asked, "Is everyone all right?"

"We're fine, cousin. Still in hiding and the like," Kaiko answered, rolling her eyes. "You worry more than a mother hen."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"You didn't call me for the purpose of messing with me, did you?"

"I was actually going to tell you that we were going to be on our way to the academy by tonight," Kaiko said, "but since you're going to be that way, maybe Aunt Yanhe, Akaito, and I can just stay here."

"I'm sorry," Kaito apologized. "There's simply been a lot going on, and it's difficult to keep a level head when one thing happens right after another."

"Yeah, I know," Kaiko replied, demeanor softening. "I guess I have been a little on edge, too. It's not as if one can ever be properly prepared for such things."

"Everyone is okay, right?"

Kaiko nodded. "We're all doing fine. Aunt Yanhe is understandably anxious for your sake, but that's pretty much it. No threats on our lives or anything like that."

Silence, then, "Are you any closer to figuring out who tried to . . . to . . . Well, you know."

"The police reports came in yesterday, but they have no better ideas than we do." Kaito sighed. "Whoever did it covered their tracks well, but we think we might have found something."

"That's unsettling." Kaiko hugged herself. "I'll see you soon, Kaito."

"Not soon enough," Kaito replied. Before he hung up, Kaiko quickly called his name. "Yes, Kaiko?"

"How's Miku doing?" she asked.

"She's okay, all things considered," Kaiko answered. "Honestly, I think she's handling this better than the rest of us combined."

"I feel as if everything's falling apart and I'm helpless to do anything about it," Miku said, face buried in her knees. She was in Luka's room, sitting on her friend's bed, legs pulled to her chest. Luka also sat on the bed, the back of her skull resting on the headboard.

"I understand, Miku. Truly I do." Luka spoke softly, too softly, as if the world would shatter if she said anything louder than a whisper. "After Gumi and I were caught . . . Never in my entire life have I felt so helpless. I pleaded and begged and did everything else I could think of to convince Mistress Prima to not . . . but my words fell on deaf ears. Her mind was made up, and there was nothing I could have done differently to stop her."

Seeing a tear slip past Luka's eyelashes, Miku reached out and took her friend's hand. This was the first instance they had spent time together since before their holiday break. With everything that had happened in their respective lives since, it had felt more like two acquaintances getting to know each other instead of friends who used to see each other every day catching up. Despite it, Miku knew this made sense. Nobody could go through what either of them had and remain the same person after those events.

"How long did you know?" Miku asked a few minutes later. "That Gumo was actually a Juliet, I mean."

"A few weeks before break," Luka answered. "That's why I decided to not go home: I wanted the chance to get to know her without having to constantly be worried anyone would happen to see us. Most of the faculty was off for those four weeks, too. We truly didn't expect anyone at all to discover us. Except they did, and now . . ." Luka started crying again, and all Miku could do was squeeze her friend's hand.

It's a blessing Rin was only whipped, Miku thought, fearing to imagine what could have been.

"What sense does this make?" Luka mumbled through her tears. "How come she has to die while I get to live?"

"Gumi was a Juliet," Miku gently reminded Luka.

To this, Luka had no response. Still she clutched Miku's hand like a lifeline. Then, "I can't believe I've been blind for so long."

When a confused Miku requested that Luka explain, Luka said, "I never really thought I could ever have anything in common with a Juliet, not until I met one and got to know her without my prejudices getting in the way. I'm a terrible person."

"No, you're not," Miku argued. "You only acted the way we were raised to act."

"That doesn't mean I treated those girls rightly."

"It doesn't, but it's not too late to change."

Luka laughed without humor. "What difference will it make? Even if I change, the rest of the world isn't going to change with me. Things will stay the same, and more tragedies like this will happen because hardly anyone will question it. This is the way things are."

"But do they have to be this way?" Miku asked, more to herself than to Luka.

Nonetheless, Luka still answered, "So what if things have to be this way or not. They are this way, and I don't see how they will ever change."

Remembering Rin, stripped down to nothing but her bare skin, tied down as she was whipped to her very bones, filled Miku with anger. Rin did nothing wrong. She didn't deserve to be punished so harshly. Yet because Rin was a Juliet, nobody would fight for her justice. It wasn't a blessing Rin was only whipped; it was still a crime against her rights as a human being.

"The world will change," Miku said with such determination and conviction that it stopped Luka in her tears. Looking her friend in the eyes, Miku added, "I don't know how, but things will change."

"What you say is impossible," Luka muttered, but Miku could see in her eyes that deep down, Luka wanted to believe in the possibility.

"Impossible or not, it will happen," Miku vowed, "and I will do whatever it takes to see this through."

By this point, Rin began to wonder if there would ever again be a period in which her back didn't hurt. Her wounds hadn't completely scabbed over before she was ordered to clean the entire ballroom by herself. Perhaps the academy wouldn't give her a proper execution, but that didn't mean they weren't going to try working her to death after injuring her badly enough to risk infection.

Gritting her teeth, Rin pressed her forehead against the cool glass. Sweat covered her body, making her dress cling to her. She had only started by cleaning the windows, and already she felt like giving up. Her back hurt too much for her to even stand. Cleaning the entire ballroom was impossible.

"Need a hand?"

Unable to believe it until she saw it, Rin looked over her shoulder to see Cul take the cloth from Rin's hand and begin wiping the window. More Juliets started to enter Rin's peripheral. As Rin looked around, she saw every Juliet in the academy, those on duty and off, taking initiative to begin cleaning the massive ballroom.

"None of you are supposed to be here," Rin whispered, unsure if she was hallucinating the whole thing.

Cul smirked. "Do you want us to leave? Because we can totally leave."

"No . . . , but why are you here?"

Now Cul's smile softened. "After hearing what happened to you, we all decided to hell with everything and sent a group to talk to Head Juliet. I was one of the girls who went, and you wouldn't believe how easily she gave in. Heartless Head Juliet made it an absolute order we help you, and you know what, nobody argued with her."

Cul used her head to point at the entrance, and when Rin looked, she saw the greenette Juliet standing in the doorway. "Pet Juliet is watching over us while Head Juliet keeps Mistress Prima distracted."

Tears welling in her eyes, Rin fell forward and wrapped her arms around Cul. The red head tried to hug Rin back but dropped her arms when Rin whimpered at the contact. She pat Rin on the head instead.

After they broke the hug, Cul threatened to beat up Rin if she didn't rest while the others cleaned the ballroom. Rin resisted at first since this was her job so she should at least help, but seeing how Cul would not relent, Rin gave in. Not sure what else to do, Rin walked slowly to Pet Juliet and stood beside the woman.

For the first time since coming to the academy, Rin studied Pet Juliet. The green hair should have been the dead giveaway, but Rin didn't think to look for the signs until now. Square jaw, sharp nose, long lashes that curled towards her eyebrows – these were all traits shared with one other person Rin knew.

"Your name is really Sonika, isn't it?" Rin asked so quietly only Pet Juliet could hear.

Pet Juliet blinked, taken aback. Swallowing, she nodded her head. She didn't look in Rin's direction.

It took a lot of effort for Rin to force the next words out. "Gumi was your daughter."

Even though it wasn't a question, Pet Juliet still answered with another nod. This time when she blinked, it was to stop the rising tears. However, one still escaped and ran down her cheek.

Rin reached out and took hold of Pet Juliet's hand. The woman didn't hesitate to wrap her fingers around Rin's. In that moment, Rin wanted to know this woman's story. She wanted to know what lead Pet Juliet to where she was, how she tried so hard to protect her daughter only for it all to be naught. Then Rin wondered if Pet Juliet knew all the same things Head Juliet knew.

Yet regardless of what Pet Juliet knew and didn't know, there was one common knowledge between Rin and this woman. Gumi's death wasn't to warn the other Juliets about interacting with Cinderellas. Gumi's death was an act of revenge. Rin knew it, and she didn't doubt for a second that Pet Juliet knew it as well. Head Juliet already confirmed as much.

When the perfect opportunity presented itself to Rin, Mistress Prima was going to have hell to pay for what she had done.