Moonlight bled across the field of white flowers.
Young Stone and young Kingston stood facing each other, both breathing hard.
Blood streamed down Stone's forehead, dripping from his chin onto crushed petals below. One of his eyes twitched shut from the swelling, but he still grinned through it.
"King…" Stone panted. "I think I got it."
His fingers trembled slightly as purple fire sparked weakly around them.
"The way we can restart… we'll be able to go back to the Knight Academy, jus—"
"Stone."
Kingston's voice cut through him immediately.
Stone blinked.
Kingston slowly removed his jacket.
The movement felt heavy.
Deliberate.
"We just lost one of our closest friends."
The wind shifted softly through the flowers.
Kingston stepped past him.
"…Don't lose me too."
Stone frowned.
"…What?"
Confusion spread across his face.
"King, what're you talking about?"
Kingston didn't answer immediately.
He walked deeper into the field.
White petals stained red beneath every step.
The moonlight caught the blood running down his arm.
"Stone."
His voice was quieter now.
"You always wanted to be a leader."
Stone's expression slowly changed.
Kingston stopped walking.
Then finally turned toward him.
His eyes—
Usually cold.
Usually composed.
Were shaking.
"Then lead me."
The words cracked slightly.
"Lead me to a future where none of our friends ever die again."
A pause.
Kingston clenched his fists.
"And that includes us too."
The flowers swayed around them.
"Lead me to something better, Stone."
A single tear rolled down Kingston's face.
Stone froze.
Then suddenly—
Tears burst from his eyes all at once.
Not quiet tears.
Not composed ones.
Ugly.
Shaking.
Painful.
Because for the first time—
Stone realized Kingston was scared too.
Present Day
Stone's eyes opened.
Darkness filled the room.
Purple irises glowed faintly beneath messy braids as he stared at the ceiling in silence.
The memory lingered longer than usual.
He slowly sat up on the edge of the bed.
Exhaled.
Then rubbed his face hard.
"…Man."
The room was quiet except for the faint hum of Tao generators beneath the warehouse.
Stone stood.
Pulled on his coat.
And started preparing for the day.
Elsewhere
Kingston leaned against the wall of a crowded town street.
A black hood covered most of his face.
A mask hid the rest.
People walked past him without even noticing.
Which was exactly how he liked it.
He took a slow breath.
"…I wanna get this day over with."
"You found anything?"
Kingston glanced sideways.
Yumi stood near the corner of the alley, arms folded.
Kingston sighed.
"No."
He adjusted the hood slightly.
"How are we even supposed to predict where he's gonna be?"
Yumi frowned.
"The 5th moves around too much."
The name sat heavily between them.
5th Asura.
"The Demon of War."
Kingston looked out toward the street again.
People laughed nearby.
Shops buzzed with life.
Normal.
Peaceful.
"…He's avoiding us on purpose," Kingston muttered.
Yumi nodded slightly.
"Well, yeah."
A pause.
"He probably still blames himself."
Kingston's eyes narrowed faintly.
"No."
His voice came quietly.
"He blames Stone."
The alley fell silent.
Yumi looked away slightly.
"…Can you blame him, you said?"
Kingston didn't answer immediately.
Because honestly—
No.
Not entirely.
Years ago, Stone had chosen rebellion and left the man in the dust, forced to live by his own decisions
And somewhere between those choices—
Everything fell apart.
Kingston closed his eyes briefly.
"…Still."
His voice hardened slightly.
"We need him."
Yumi exhaled through her nose.
"The Hunter Games won't be enough?"
Kingston shook his head once.
"No."
His gaze sharpened.
"If the Kingdoms are really moving already…"
The air around him cooled slightly.
"…then the Knight Academy isn't gonna stay safe for long."
Yumi's expression darkened.
"You think the false Scissors are involved?"
"I think someone wants war."
Kingston pushed himself off the wall.
"And the allies we have in the Hunter Association are the only reason it hasn't started yet."
The street lights flickered faintly overhead.
Yumi stared at him.
"…You really think he'll help us?"
Kingston adjusted his mask again.
Then quietly answered:
"No."
A pause.
"But Stone does."