Tyki leaned back in his chair, legs propped up on the wooden table in front of him. The dim light of his room barely illuminated the aged and cracked walls, casting shadows that danced like fleeting memories. A cigarette hung loosely from his lips, smoke curling lazily upward in a thin ribbon. He inhaled deeply, feeling the familiar burn at the back of his throat, a sensation that grounded him in the present, even as his mind wandered through the tangled web of secrets and schemes that had begun to fray at the edges.

It had been a month since Lavi had found that damned book—the one that Tyki had tried, and failed, to keep hidden. The book about the vampire families, their long, sordid histories, and their secrets. The histories were all there, laid bare for Lavi to uncover, to read between the lines of old alliances and ancient betrayals. He hadn't expected Lavi to stumble upon it, and now, that fact had complicated everything.

Tyki exhaled a cloud of smoke, watching it dissipate into the air as if it could take his worries with it. But nothing was ever that simple. Especially not now.

At first, it had seemed like a game—keeping tabs on Lavi, watching him, guiding him subtly in the right direction, just enough to keep the Earl satisfied. But now... now it was something else. Lavi wasn't supposed to dig this deep, wasn't supposed to uncover the layers of truth that Tyki had worked so hard to bury.

Tyki wasn't worried about Lavi discovering the truth about the Bookman family, not entirely. That was an old story, one that only had relevance to the few vampires still left in power. What concerned him was the fact that Lavi was getting closer—closer to understanding his own power, closer to understanding the connections that tied the vampire world to darker forces, to the Earl, and to Tyki himself.

And then there was Allen.

Tyki had always known Allen was working both sides. He'd seen it in the way Allen danced between loyalties, how he whispered one thing to the Black Order while feeding information back to the Earl. It was a dangerous game Allen played, one that could easily end in disaster. But for now, Tyki tolerated it. After all, Allen was useful, and he had his own reasons for keeping the boy alive, for letting him believe he could keep his lies hidden.

But even Allen was beginning to slip. Tyki could see it in the way he struggled to keep his story straight, the way he grew more and more uncomfortable around Lavi. The guilt was starting to weigh on him.

Tyki chuckled softly to himself, the sound bitter. "Ah, little Allen," he muttered, flicking ash from his cigarette. "You've gotten yourself into quite the mess, haven't you?"

He had watched the tension grow between Allen and Lavi over the past month. Lavi, suspicious but loyal, always trying to uncover the truth about his past, while Allen danced around the real answers, feeding him just enough to keep him distracted, but never enough to reveal his true allegiance.

Tyki wasn't blind to the strain it put on their friendship. In fact, he relished it. The way Allen's mask would crack, if only for a moment, when Lavi brought up the book or asked about Tyki's connections to the Earl's family. Tyki could see the guilt simmering behind Allen's silver eyes, the way he would retreat into silence rather than face the truth.

But Lavi wasn't a fool. He wasn't the same naive boy Tyki had met in the past. He was learning, growing stronger, and more dangerous. Tyki could feel it—the way Lavi's power was awakening, how he was beginning to embrace his identity as the missing prince of the Bookman family. The more he read, the more he began to realize the weight of his own bloodline.

And that, above all, worried Tyki the most.

Lavi wasn't just another pawn in the Earl's game. He was a wildcard, someone whose actions could unravel years of planning. If Lavi found out the true nature of the Earl's intentions—if he discovered the full scope of the ancient pacts between the vampires and the Earl—it could set off a chain of events that would be nearly impossible to control.

Tyki rubbed his temples, feeling the familiar ache of frustration creeping in. He had tried to steer Lavi away from the truth, had done everything in his power to keep him in the dark. But Lavi had always been too curious for his own good.

A soft knock on the door pulled Tyki from his thoughts. He didn't bother to look up, already knowing who it was. "Come in."

The door creaked open, and Road stepped inside, her eyes bright with mischief as always. "You're thinking too much again, Uncle Tyki."

Tyki smirked, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Someone has to."

Road walked over, her footsteps light, and perched herself on the edge of his table. "Lavi's going to figure it out, you know. You can't keep him in the dark forever."

Tyki blew out another puff of smoke, watching her with a lazy gaze. "I'm aware."

"So what are you going to do about it?" Road tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with amusement. She loved watching the games people played, loved watching how they unraveled.

"What I always do," Tyki replied, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Play along until the time is right."

"And what about Allen?" Road asked, her voice dropping into something more serious. "He's slipping, Tyki. He's going to get himself caught if he keeps this up."

Tyki's expression darkened slightly at the mention of Allen. "Allen's playing his own game. He'll slip, sure. But I'll catch him before he falls too far."

"And if you don't?"

Tyki's gaze shifted to the window, where the shadows of the night seemed to press in closer, as if listening in on their conversation. "Then we all lose."

Road hopped off the table, a wide grin spreading across her face. "You're always so serious, Uncle Tyki. It's boring." She danced toward the door, her laughter echoing through the room as she left.

Tyki remained where he was, the weight of Road's words settling heavily on his mind. She was right, of course. Lavi was getting closer to the truth, and Allen was running out of time. The delicate balance they had been maintaining was on the verge of collapse, and when it did, the consequences would be catastrophic.

But Tyki wasn't afraid. He had lived through centuries of chaos, had danced on the edge of ruin more times than he could count. He knew how to survive. And he knew that, no matter what happened next, he would land on his feet.

Still, a part of him—a very small part—wondered what would happen if things went differently this time. If Lavi found out the truth about his past, about the Earl's plans. If Allen's lies finally caught up with him. Would it be enough to break the game?

Tyki smirked to himself, the cigarette burning low between his fingers. Maybe, just maybe, it would be worth it to see how the pieces fell. After all, he'd always loved a good gamble.

For now, though, all he could do was wait. Wait for the moment when everything came crashing down, and he'd be there to pick up the pieces.

Or destroy them.