Garrika lay unconscious on the bed, her long black hair spilling across the sheets, wolf ears twitching faintly even in her sleep. Trafalgar had hauled her up there with Barthâs help, and now the three of them occupied the room together: one sleeping, one shaken, and one calculating.
Barth sat hunched in a chair, his eyes fixed on the floor as though heâd committed a crime. His hands trembled in his lap, and his breathing was shallow. For him, putting Garrika under had felt far too close to harming her.
Trafalgar, meanwhile, was busy searching the drawers of the bedside table. He pulled one open, raised an eyebrow, and shut it again quickly. The second and third werenât much betterâstuffed with things that made him click his tongue in disgust. Finally, in the fourth, he found what he needed: a set of steel restraints, four pairs in total.
He pulled them out, the metal clinking sharply as they hit the surface of the table.
Barthâs head shot up. "W-what are you going to do with those!?" His voice cracked with alarm, his imagination clearly leaping to the wrong conclusion.
Trafalgar turned to him, deadpan. "Iâd prefer if your imagination didnât run that wild. Garrika is probably stronger than both of us. The only reason she was captured is because more than twenty men jumped her at once. Sheâs at least some Core stages above mine, since Iâm only at Spark. If she wakes up angry, she could tear me apart in seconds. And you? You wouldnât even last that long."
Barth blinked, his panic cooling into unease.
"Thatâs why," Trafalgar continued, holding up the cuffs, "weâre securing her. All four limbs. Itâs not pretty, but itâs the only way we walk out of here in one piece."
Barth hesitated, then slowly stood. His movements were stiff, but he understood. Together, one on each side of the bed, they locked Garrikaâs wrists and ankles to the posts. The sight wasnât noble, but it was necessary.
When it was done, Trafalgar stepped back, dusting his hands off. "Good. Now we wait."
The room settled into silence once the cuffs clicked into place. Garrika breathed evenly on the bed, still lost in the haze of Barthâs skill. The faint glow of the wall lamps made the place feel more like a cage than a bedroom.
Trafalgar dropped onto the sofa across from the bed, stretching out his legs as if he had all the time in the world. Barth sat stiffly beside him, shoulders hunched, eyes glued to the floor. His nervousness hung thick in the air.
Minutes passed. The only sound was the steady ticking of the wall clock and Garrikaâs quiet breathing. Finally, Barthâs voice broke the silence.
"...Trafalgar."
"Hm?"
Barth shifted, swallowing hard. "Is it... true? That youâre only Spark rank?"
The question came out timid, hesitant, but once it was spoken, the boy froze. His eyes widened as if heâd just realized he might have crossed a dangerous line.
He sat frozen, thoughts racing. âI shouldnât have asked that. Heâs going to be angry. Heâs going to kill me...â
Trafalgar turned his head, his gaze steady, piercing directly into Barthâs wide eyes. He didnât say anything at first. Just looked at him.
Barthâs heart hammered in his chest. He quickly turned his head away, panic rising. âHeâs going to snap. I shouldnât have said it. Stupid. Stupid.â
But Trafalgarâs tone was calm, almost casual when he finally answered. "Yeah. Spark rank. I awakened my core at fifteen. Thatâs all there is to it. Nothing mysterious."
Barth blinked. The tension in his chest eased, surprise softening his expression. He hadnât expected an answerâat least not such a simple, straightforward one.
For a moment, the fear in him gave way to curiosity. He dared to look back at Trafalgar, though only briefly, before shifting his eyes down again.
"...I see," he whispered.
Trafalgar leaned back against the sofa, arms crossed. "Satisfied?"
Barth nodded slowly, though his mind spun with questions he didnât dare ask. The silence returned, but it was a little less suffocating this time.
The silence stretched again, but this time it wasnât as heavy. Barth fidgeted with his hands, then dared to speak. "So... you really awakened at fifteen? Thatâs... incredible. Itâs late, sure, but still. To come from a family like yours and manage it then... itâs rare, isnât it?"
Trafalgar smirked faintly, leaning his head back against the sofa. "Rare, yeah. Incredible? Not really. Just means Iâm behind." His tone carried a layer of sarcasm, but his eyes stayed closed as if the matter didnât bother him.
Barth hesitated, then shook his head firmly. "No... it is incredible. I mean it." His voice carried a sincerity that made Trafalgarâs smirk falter.
He cracked one eye open, turning to glance at the boy. Barth wasnât stammering this time, nor hiding behind nervous glances at the floor. His eyes shone, full of an earnest admiration Trafalgar hadnât expected.
âDidnât think heâd take that seriously,â Trafalgar thought, caught off guard by the almost childlike awe in Barthâs expression.
"Youâre really something, Trafalgar," Barth continued. "Most people wouldnât admit it so openly. Most people wouldnât even bother answering me. But you... you just said it straight. Thatâs... well, it makes me want to trust you."
Trafalgar let out a quiet laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Youâve got strange standards, Barth. But Iâll take it."
The roomâs fragile calm was shattered by a faint sound from the bed. A low groan, followed by the rustle of sheets.
Both Trafalgar and Barth turned their heads instantly. Garrikaâs fingers twitched against the cuffs, her body shifting slightly as consciousness began to creep back. Her wolf ears flicked, tail giving a sluggish twitch.
Barthâs back stiffened. "Sheâs... sheâs waking up," he whispered, his voice already shaking.
"I can see that," Trafalgar replied, standing smoothly. With a thought, his weapon materialized into his handâMaledicta gleaming in the dim light, its blade pulsing faintly with a dark shimmer.
Barth stood too, though his knees looked ready to buckle. His eyes darted between Garrika and Trafalgar as if unsure which one to focus on.
Garrika let out a sharper groan, her eyes fluttering open. For a moment, she looked dazed, confusion flickering across her green irises. Then recognition struck like lightning. Her gaze sharpened, and her lips pulled back in a snarl.
"You..." Her voice was raw, thick with anger. She tugged against the cuffs, the metal rattling violently as her strength surged back. Her wolf tail lashed behind her. "Iâm going to tear you apart."