The room was quiet except for the soft rustling of the night breeze outside the window.
Yuna sat on the edge of the futon, arms crossed, still looking a little annoyed. Kanashimi sat opposite her, rubbing his slightly reddened ear.
Kanashimi opened his mouth carefully.
"Yuna, I have a— "
Twist!
Yuna's hand shot out like lightning and grabbed his ear again, pulling it firmly.
"Did I ask you to ask questions?" she said sternly, eyes narrowed.
"Nanooo!!" Kanashimi yelped, bending sideways in pain.
Yuna didn't let go. "Tell me properly. How did Haru learn all these things? Kissing? Babies? He's only four!"
Kanashimi winced, trying to speak while his ear was still in her grip.
"He's a child… children have the right to think and ask curious things…"
Yuna pulled his ear even harder.
"Idea comes from environment! And he has been with you for three years! So tell me — what kind of environment did you create that my… that this child is asking about making babies?!"
Kanashimi's face twisted in pain.
"I don't know! But when I was a child, I also thought kissing causes babies—"
Yuna yanked his ear harder.
"Say it less loudly, you idiot!"
"Ow ow ow— How can I say it less loudly when my ear is hurting so much?!" Kanashimi complained, voice strained.
Yuna finally let go of his ear with a huff. Kanashimi rubbed it dramatically, breathing out in relief.
For a few seconds, there was silence.
Then Kanashimi looked at her seriously and spoke in a softer voice.
"But… why not? Why can't we have a baby?"
Yuna's eyes widened. She stared at him in disbelief.
"You can barely handle one and you want another? No."
Kanashimi opened his mouth to argue, but then stopped. He lowered his head slightly, looking nervous.
"Okay… okay. But listen, I… I wanted to say something important before you get any angrier."
Yuna raised an eyebrow, waiting.
Kanashimi took a deep breath.
"Your father… he came to me. He said he was mistaken. He apologized for how he treated you and Haru. He asked me to convince you to return home."
Yuna went completely still.
The room became quiet again. Only the distant sound of crickets could be heard.
Yuna looked down at her hands, her expression complicated — anger, sadness, and hesitation mixing together.
Kanashimi watched her carefully, not daring to say anything more.
Kanashimi's inner thoughts:
Please don't explode again…I know you're still hurt.But he is your father… and Haru needs a bigger family.
Yuna finally spoke, her voice low.
"…I'll think about it."
She stood up and turned toward the door, but stopped for a second.
"And Kana," she said without looking back, "if you ever teach Haru anything weird again… I won't just pull your ear next time."
Kanashimi smiled weakly and nodded.
"Yes, ma'am."
Yuna paused at the door, then added softly, almost too quiet to hear:
"…Thank you for telling me about Father."
She slid the door open and left the room, leaving Kanashimi sitting alone with a small, hopeful smile on his face.
Yuna's eyes snapped open.
The warmth of Master Hikaru's house, the soft laughter of Haru, the gentle smell of miso soup — everything vanished like smoke.
She was back inside the Infinity Castle.
The endless shifting corridors and floating platforms surrounded her once again. The air was cold. The silence was heavy. And Kanashimi was nowhere to be seen.
Yuna sat up slowly, breathing hard. Her silver threads flickered weakly around her fingers as she tried to steady herself. Her heart was still racing from the dream — from the false warmth of that peaceful family life she had just experienced.
She pressed a hand to her chest, eyes distant.
"I… I didn't think you could still do that to me," she whispered to herself, voice barely audible. "I mistook it… when I looked into your eyes. I thought maybe… just maybe… there was still something left."
A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
"How foolish of me."
She stood up, her long black hair swaying as the castle's structure shifted around her. The dream had felt so real — Haru calling her Onee-chan, Kanashimi smiling at her, Master Hikaru treating them like family. For a few fleeting moments, she had allowed herself to believe in it.
But reality was colder.
Yuna's inner thoughts:
Even in my dreams, you still manage to affect me.After everything… after I stabbed you, after I dragged you back in chains…Why does a part of me still hope?Why did I see that gentle look in your eyes again?
She clenched her fists. Silver threads burst out angrily around her, slicing through a nearby floating platform.
"I won't be fooled again," she said firmly, as if trying to convince herself. "You are still a criminal. You still ran away. You still broke everything."
But her voice wavered at the end.
She looked around the vast, empty Infinity Castle. No sign of Kanashimi. No sign of Haru. Just her, alone with her thoughts and the weight of three years of hatred that was slowly cracking.
Yuna closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
When she opened them again, her expression had hardened once more.
"I will find you, Kanashimi," she whispered. "And this time… I won't let a dream stop me."
The Infinity Castle continued to twist and shift around her, as if mocking her inner conflict.
Somewhere in the distance, the real Kanashimi was still fighting for his life — and for Haru.
And Yuna, caught between hatred and an unwanted spark of hope, began walking forward once again.
Meanwhile, deep inside the Infinity Castle…
In a hidden, stable corner of the ever-shifting domain — a small, reinforced basement-like space Kanashimi had created — the real Kanashimi sat against the cold wall, breathing heavily.
Haru was curled up in his lap, fast asleep. The little boy's face was peaceful, still lost in the beautiful dream Kanashimi had woven for him — a warm house, a kind grandfather, and Yuna acting like a real mother.
Kanashimi gently stroked Haru's hair, his own face pale and exhausted. Blood had dried on his clothes from earlier wounds. Maintaining such a massive Infinity Castle while protecting Haru and keeping the domain stable was draining him faster than he expected.
He closed his eyes and whispered to himself, voice strained:
"I might not hold this castle for long…"
His hand trembled slightly as he looked down at his sleeping brother.
"If I use my technique to heal myself… the castle will dissolve. Haru will wake up to reality again. He'll see the blood… the danger… everything I'm trying to hide from him."
Kanashimi's inner thoughts:
Just a little longer…Let him stay in that dream for a few more minutes.Let him believe we have a home with Yuna and Grandpa Hikaru.Even if it's fake… even if I'm burning through my life force to keep it going…It's worth it if he can smile a little longer.
A drop of blood slipped from the corner of his mouth. He quickly wiped it away before it could fall on Haru.
The Infinity Castle around them flickered dangerously for a moment. The walls shimmered, threatening to collapse. Kanashimi gritted his teeth and poured more energy into stabilizing it.
Just hold on…Yuna is coming.I can feel her presence getting closer.But if she finds us now… I don't know if I can protect Haru while fighting her.
Haru stirred slightly in his sleep and murmured softly:
"Onee-chan… brother… don't fight… let's go home…"
Kanashimi's heart clenched. He hugged his little brother tighter, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.
"I'm sorry, Haru…" he whispered, even though the boy couldn't hear him. "Big brother is doing his best."
Outside the hidden basement, the Infinity Castle continued its endless, chaotic shifting — a desperate barrier between his fragile family and the painful reality waiting for them.
And somewhere in that same vast domain, Yuna was walking forward, her silver threads glowing with conflicted determination.
Two sides of the same broken story were slowly moving toward each other.