Rin sat on the sofa of her home. Her new home in Seoul for the summer. A bandage was wrapped around her head and left thigh. She exhaled slowly, watching the stars twinkle in the night sky. Large clouds drifted by, but they didn’t fully block the view of the full moon or the illuminated darkness above.

  She wore a shorter skirt than she usually did—. On top, she had on a cream-colored short-sleeved shirt. She had grown fond of the color and would often ask Uncle Remmy and Vix to pick out similar clothes whenever they could.

  She placed a hand into the sofa cushion and gently kicked her legs back and forth. She frowned.

  She missed her old sofa back in the apartment in Chicago. She had grown used to the city. More than that, being able to visit Chippy so easily had meant a lot to her. Now she was halfway around the world. Visiting her was out of the question.

  Suddenly, a shadow streaked down the large cascading window in front of her.

  She gasped just as a man opened the sliding glass door and stepped inside.

  “Vix! Y-You scared me…”

  “I told you—when I come home late, I’m taking the balcony entrance!” he snapped back, already pulling off his black shirt.

  Rin pouted at him.

  “What?” Vix asked flatly. “I didn’t even do anything!”

  Rin turned her head away in annoyance.

  Vix sighed, running his still-gloved fingers through his hair. He was now down to his black undershirt and Enforcer pants.

  “Those bandages bugging you?”

  “…Yes,” Rin admitted in a small voice. She still didn’t turn her head, missing the faint smile that crossed Vix’s face.

  He grabbed fresh bandages and walked over, kneeling beside the sofa. First, he carefully removed the wrap around her thigh.

  “Hey, kid,” he said quietly. “Can I ask you one small favor?”

  Rin whipped her head around the moment she felt his touch, eyes wide as a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

  “Y-Yes…?”

  “Can you stop, uh… getting into near-death experiences at the end of every school term?” he asked dryly. “This is the second time, and I really don’t want to make this a habit.”

  Rin covered her mouth, stifling a gasp.

  “I-I wasn’t trying to!”

  Vix chuckled—warm, genuine.

  “Ha. Yeah, yeah. I know. But seriously, stop it. I’m supposed to protect you, and when this keeps happening, it makes me look bad.”

  “But it was Drenco’s fault! And that loser didn’t even get punished!” Rin protested. “Just some stupid preliminary one month suspension—for the time!”

  “Yeah. I know,” Vix said calmly. “I agree with you. It’s unfair.”

  He finished re-wrapping her thigh and moved on to the bandage on her forehead. His focus softened as he worked, giving Rin his full attention. When his fingers brushed her skin, she leaned into the touch without thinking.

  “Director Benneth tried really hard to get him expelled,” Vix continued, “but with Alphonse becoming a director himself… things got complicated.”

  Rin pouted again.

  “That’s dumb.”

  “It is,” Vix agreed, smiling as he secured the fresh bandage on her forehead. “But we’re gonna work on ignoring that for now.” He gave her shoulder a gentle pat. “Mind if I join you?”

  “N-Not at all…” Rin whispered, watching his face as he slid into the seat beside her.

  “…You’ve changed,” Rin said softly after a moment.

  “Huh?!” Vix exclaimed, startled. “W-What do you mean?”

  “Like… I don’t know…” Rin said, looking down as she started swinging her feet again. “You’re nicer to me.”

  “N-Nicer?”

  “Yeah…”

  Vix stared blankly through the large window, eyes unfocused, lost in thought.

  “I… I wasn’t nice to you before?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Pfft!” Vix waved her off. “…Okay, be serious. Was I really not nice?”

  “You kept yelling at me!”

  “Okay, but that’s only because you kept being a brat!”

  “I just wanted to spend time with you!”

  “And I didn’t have time!”

  “And now you do?!”

  “I—” Vix bit his lip, stopping himself. “…I guess I do now.”

  “How?!” Rin demanded.

  Vix looked away. Memories flooded his mind, and he shrank back slightly.

  “…I just learned… how to make time…”

  His eyes widened at the end as realization struck him.

  “I—I need to see someone.”

  “Someone?” Rin asked. “This someone taught you how to make time?”

  “No… but she did make it very clear what would happen if I didn’t learn.” His voice dropped. “I—I can’t lose her…”

  “It’s a girl?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh…” Rin turned her gaze back toward the window. “Yeah. You should go see her. Maybe thank her.” She paused. “Especially for me?”

  “Huh? How—why you?!”

  Rin giggled softly.

  “Because… she made you nicer to me.”

  Vix blinked, then rubbed the back of his head with a quiet chuckle.

  “Well… I think she did.”

  “Vix?” Rin began. Slowly, she turned her head to meet his eyes. He looked back at her.

  “What’s up?”

  “Are you… going to be, like… my dad now?”

  “Dad?” Vix scoffed lightly. “Nuh-uh. I don’t know the first thing about taking care of kids. You mostly take care of yourself. I just keep the fridge stocked and the bad guys away.” He pointed a proud thumb at himself.

  “Right…” Rin said softly. “So then… do I have parents? Will we ever find them?”

  Vix opened his eyes fully and looked at her before shrugging.

  “Well, that’s a hard nail to strike. From everything I’ve found, you don’t seem to have any parents. Even with memory loss as severe as yours, I should still be able to piece something together with magic. But you legitimately… don’t have anything—wait a goddamn minute.”

  He stood up abruptly, rubbing his chin as realization began to form.

  Rin shrank back slightly, watching him jump to his feet, hoping—quietly—that he’d found some better explanation.

  “…If you don’t have parents,” Vix muttered, “then how are you here?”

  “…Me?”

  “…Forget I said that.” He dropped back down beside her. “You’ll learn that in school. Anyway—don’t worry. I’ll figure everything out. Just focus on your studies and—”

  “I know, I know,” Rin finished for him with a smile. “Become a normal girl.”

  “Hey,” Vix said quietly, turning to face her.

  Rin followed his gaze, looking back at him.

  “Everything is going to be okay, alright?” he said softly—so gentle.

  Rin’s cheeks warmed again, her lips parting as a small exhale escaped her. She felt completely grounded as he comforted her. Not even to comfort her—he did it effortlessly, without her having to ask. He cared. He truly cared.

  And that made Rin’s insides flutter with a sense of safety she had only felt once before.

  Vix may not be her father. Hell, he didn’t even need to be. Just the way he looked at her—like she mattered more than the world in that moment—choosing over everything else just to say those words… it melted her completely.

  “I’ll be right here with you,” Vix continued, “figuring all this stuff out. You’ve got a long life ahead of you, and it seems like we’re stuck with each other for it. Like it or not.”

  He leaned back slightly.

  “But one thing’s for sure—I am your dad. Just think of me as… I don’t know. Your big bro?”

  “Big… bro?” Rin echoed. “Like Yaxon is to Chippy?”

  “…You know what?” Vix sighed. “That works too. Captain really is turning his life into a viewable soap opera starring me, isn’t he?”

  This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

  "That sounds so mean!” Rin giggled. "Everyone says he's a good person. Would he really do something like that?"

  “…You’ve no idea.”

  #

  Alphonse stirred his drink carelessly—

  no, wasn’t the right word.

  He stirred it over and over again, gripping the stem of his wine glass between his index finger and thumb. Sure, the amber liquid inside swirled obediently, but it wasn’t being enhanced or enchanted with any spell that could possibly calm his nerves.

  One leg rested over the other as he lounged on a luxurious sofa large enough to seat twenty guests. His free arm sprawled along the backrest.

  He sat in the center of an enormous apartment high above Tokyo. Warm yellow lights bathed the floors and walls—dim enough to lull someone to sleep, yet bright enough to reveal every detail. Kai, standing by the massive cascading windows, gazing down at the seaside city below.

  Kai happily sipped his drink. A deep red liquid filled his glass.

  A vein in Alphonse’s forehead twitched as Kai raised it to his lips.

  Another twitch.

  “Mmm… delightful,” Kai said, admiring the glass. He then turned to face Alphonse, lifting a finger toward him.

  “Are you going to have that?”

  “Y-Yes. I am,” Alphonse replied stiffly.

  Kai pouted.

  Alphonse saw it. Then, fighting every instinct telling his hand not to tremble, he lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip. For the first time in his life, the alcohol worked him.

  A moment passed between them.

  Kai raised his glass and gulped down the rest of his drink.

  “Ahh… a burn that luxurious never gets old.”

  “Truly, it doesn’t.”

  “Really?” Kai asked, tilting his head. “Then why have you let your conversation go cold?”

  “I-I was just… lost in thought.”

  Kai smiled. An innocent one.

  Alphonse could only see it for the smug jab it truly was.

  He couldn’t take it anymore.

  He stood abruptly, nearly spilling his drink.

  “You must disclose to me who this Rin girl is!”

  “W-What?!” Kai stammered in mock shock.

  “At once!!!” Alphonse demanded.

  “I’ve no idea who—or —you’re talking about!”

  “Don’t play dumb with me, Your Majestry!” Alphonse shouted. “How is there a Nepton in this world?!”

  “I-I truly don’t know! Commander Nepton must have taken a fancy to a girl and—”

  “Bullshit!”

  Kai fell silent at once, barely holding back his laughter.

  Alphonse saw it again.

  “That girl provoked my son!”

  “Your son took it upon himself to her!”

  “It’s because she initiated a confrontation!”

  “A matter meant to be handled by the Directors of Kormadyne handled by the Directors of Kormadyne—and guess what?” Kai snapped. “, a Director of Kormadyne, handled it!”

  “Mark my words, Your Majestry. No good can come from sharing a power as great as Commander Vix Nepton’s. If that girl shares a mana-link with him, the world has a right to know. The king must be able to reassure the people of this planet that she will remain in good hands—unlike your best sworn soldier. The golden sword meant to bring light to us all, who remains buried in shadows beyond your watch!”

  “You leave him out of this!” Kai barked. “It was under command that he disappeared for the past two years.”

  “Bullshit!”

  Alphonse’s grip tightened until the glass shattered in his hand.

  “M-My apologies…” he said immediately, dropping to the floor and pulling out a pristine white cloth. He wiped the liquid from the polished wooden floor. Most of it had already soaked into the grain, leaving not even a stain behind.

  “Also,” Kai added casually, “what mana-link?”

  He said it just loudly enough to let Alphonse hear his own mistake.

  Alphonse practically leapt to his feet, gray hair falling messily across his face.

  “Your Majestry! Do you take me for a fool? The reason the great Commander would ever take in a child is because the New Grand Army has intentions with her! And the only sensible explanation is a ”

  “How do you know the Commander didn’t accidentally bang someone and spawn that child?” Kai asked flatly.

  “…Okay, there’s a chance,” Alphonse admitted through clenched teeth, “but it’s never that simple, is it?”

  “Well,” Kai whistled crudely, “when I order him to stay intimately active for a year straight, he might’ve gone a little overboard!”

  “…Seriously?” Alphonse stared at him, aghast. “You just certain Enforcers of yours to— to with the women of the world?!”

  “In retrospect,” Kai said thoughtfully, “I’m starting to think your earlier theory might be the better one to stick with.”

  Alphonse looked away, utterly flabbergasted for a moment.

  “A-Anyway,” he snapped back, “turn the child over to the King. Now. She’s too dangerous to be left in—”

  “My watch?” Kai cut in sharply, crossing his arms. “You dare defy the Grand Sorcerer Supreme’s wish to see one of his best Enforcers ?”

  “Happy?!” Alphonse shouted. “This isn’t about some foul emotion one indulges in! This is a matter of humanity—of ”

  “No,” Kai replied firmly. “It isn’t. It’s a question of Vix being a proper guardian.”

  He tilted his head. “Don’t tell me you want them enlisted in parental counseling.”

  “Well, if it’s under the King’s Army of the People, then yes!”

  “That just sounds like military school!” Kai snapped. “Not happy-go-have-some-fun-being-a-wizard time!”

  Alphonse blinked at him. “You swear you’ve only had one drink?”

  “I want more,” Kai demanded.

  Alphonse facepalmed so hard the slap masked the grand floor-to-ceiling doors opening behind him.

  “Your Majestry,” Alphonse said calmly, “things could be a lot worse.”

  Kai blinked at him.

  Alphonse noticed.

  “I came here out of great respect for you. No—greater respect than for the King himself. I could have gone to him and demanded immediate action. I could have aligned myself with his allegiance instead of yours.”

  Kai’s mouth parted slightly. He took a small step back, eyes widening.

  That was it.

  This had worked countless times before. A gentle shift of the golden card into another table. A little butter where it mattered most. Never having your eggs in one basket. And just like that—people always gave in.

  “…This could have been far messier,” Alphonse continued, placing a hand over his heart. His voice growing louder now masking the footsteps behind him. “But I have faith in you. You are on the side of humanity, as am I—as are all of us who dedicate our lives to those who come after us. But especially the fallen! I trust you, Your Majestry. I trust the Great Grand Sorcerer Supreme—”

  A hand landed on his left shoulder.

  “Actually,” a calm voice corrected, “it’s .”

  Alphonse whipped his head to the side.

  A white-gloved hand held his shoulder. His eyes followed it upward—then immediately dropped. A man stood beside him. White hair. A faint blue pearlescence woven through it. He had lowered himself just enough to meet Alphonse at eye level.

  His eyes.

  A swirling mix of blue and violet. Galactic. Impossible to look away from.

  Then they pulsed.

  A dim flash. A glow.

  “Hey there,” the man said quietly. “Get out of this room.”

  Alphonse nodded at once. He turned and excused himself with dignity and grace, fully aware of the he had just been granted.

  The doors shut.

  The man stepped forward into Alphonse’s place and faced Kai, hands clasped behind his back. His posture was rigid—perfect.

  Their eyes met.

  Finally, the man smiled.

  “…Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up,” Kai said, his eyes flickering.

  Then, softly—barely under his breath:

  The man whipped his head around as if he’d been punched in the gut.

  “M–Me?” He pressed a hand to his chest, genuinely offended.

  Kai and the man stared at each other.

  Then Kai broke first, snickering.

  Both of them burst into laughter.

  The white-haired man shook his head, pulled out his wand, and lazily fired a spell behind him. It struck the apartment’s entrance door. The entire doorway pulsed, shimmered with pink-and-purple enchantment, then faded as if nothing had ever happened. He stepped fully into the room and stood beside Kai.

  “Long time no see, dude,” he said, twirling his wand in his left hand.

  “Long time no see?” Kai shot back, still wiping tears from his eyes from laughing too hard. “More like of vanishing and leaving—oh, I don’t know—the entire world in the dark?! And what’s that? You’re just gonna spin your wand around like it isn’t half the reason you’re even such a big shot?”

  “Eh,” the man shrugged. “It doesn’t care.”

  “I’m pretty sure it hates you.”

  “Nahhh,” he replied lazily. “I’m like… ninety-nine point eight percent sure it’s a masochist. It’s like that annoying ex you swear you’ve finally broken up with, only for them to come back in seven months claiming they’re pregnant—and you’re the father. Some seriously tough shit.”

  Kai stared at him.

  “…I’m guessing you’re speaking from experience, Yaxon?”

  “…Maybe.”

  They laughed again.

  Yaxon sheathed his wand and clasped his hands behind his back. His posture straightened—perfect, disciplined, the textbook image of an etiquette-first soldier—as he stared down at the city through the window.

  “This is a really nice view.”

  “Forget the view,” Kai said, turning to face the city as well. “Do you have idea how relieved people are going to be knowing you’re back? I mean—people who are closest to you. Hell…”

  Kai hesitated, then his eyes widened. “…You back, aren’t you?”

  The question slipped out quieter than intended.

  Yaxon lifted a hand and waved it lazily, somewhere between a shrug and a dismissal in a so-so manner.

  “Ehh…”

  “Oh, come on!” Kai snapped, spinning on him.

  “You have to be back!” Kai snapped. “Don’t you see? Nothing has been working out according to your plans!”

  “What are you talking about?” Yaxon replied calmly. “Everything’s been going exactly according to my plans.”

  “Oh yeah?” Kai shot back. “You lost the Director’s seat to Alphonse! Don’t tell me was part of your plan!”

  “Oh, it was.”

  “…What?”

  “Yup.”

  “No—no, wait—” Kai waved his hands defensively. “I will not be dragged under your usual antics!”

  “No, really. It went quite well.”

  “Losing to Lord Vandergrift was your plan?!”

  “Yes.”

  “WHY?! Why would you do that?!”

  “Just to screw with him.” Yaxon chuckled to himself. “Hehe…”

  Kai dragged a hand down his face. “I swear to the stars… Where have you been, anyway?!”

  “At my lab.”

  “WHY?! Don’t you know what’s happened—”

  “Sorry. I feel like I’m close to a breakthrough with the staff.”

  “What? Why?” Kai snapped. “There no breakthrough. It’s just an object that happens to resemble your wand.”

  Yaxon sighed—still smiling—and tilted his head. “Oh, you sweet summer child.”

  “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Kai said flatly. “Anyway—you just sealed the room from eavesdroppers and spies. Care to tell me why you’re here?”

  “I just wanted to visit my good friend.”

  “Oh. Really? I’m honored. Truly.” Kai deadpanned. “So I assume you’re here to help with the situation in Egypt?”

  “Nope.”

  “…Explain to Vix why he’s been on babysitting duty for two years?”

  “Nah.”

  “Okay, okay. Then your squad knows you’re here, right?”

  “No. I’d like to keep it that way for now.”

  Kai pinched the bridge of his nose. “—Or maybe you’ll help me investigate the mysterious square mile of forest that got incinerated in New York?”

  “Oh! Actually, yeah. I can help with that.”

  Yaxon reached into the inner lining of his robes and pulled out a wand, casually dropping it into Kai’s hands.

  Kai blinked, raising an eyebrow.

  The wand was wrapped in a strange material—somewhere between vinyl and leather—its surface swirling with rainbow hues all the way to the tip. And instead of a point, the end bore a small, cartoonish gloved hand, frozen in an accusatory finger-point.

  “…Uh,” Kai said slowly. “What is this?”

  “The source of that fire,” Yaxon replied. “I took care of it.”

  Kai stared at the wand. Then up at Yaxon. “…Something tells me were the source of that fire.”

  Yaxon shrugged, snickering under his breath.

  “Unbelievable…” Kai muttered, tucking the wand into his inner robes. “Guess I can tell Milo to call off the twins.”

  “Oooh,” Yaxon teased. “You guys got desperate, huh?”

  “Yeah? And whose fault do you think that is?!”

  Yaxon laughed warmly.

  Kai shook his head—but he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

  Kai straightened and looked at Yaxon—but Yaxon wasn’t aware of his gaze.

  Kai sighed softly this time before speaking.

  “…Are you ready to let go?”

  “Never.”

  “…I feel the same,” Kai admitted. “I don’t think I could ever prepare enough for it. Even with all my foresight.”

  “I feel like everything’s going to be alright,” Yaxon said lightly. “You know I don’t like giving up on things easily.”

  “Oh really?” Kai replied dryly. “What did you do during the Harbonger attack in Rio?”

  “…”

  “Exactly. You threw them into your ridiculous vault in less than five minutes after assessing the situation.” Kai turned fully toward him. “This is serious, Yaxon.”

  “I know. I know.” Yaxon deflated slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just… . It’s a feeling I can’t really explain, you know?”

  He stepped closer and placed a hand on Kai’s shoulder.

  “Everything’s going to be okay, man.”

  Kai exhaled through his nose.

  “Tell you what,” Yaxon continued. “Come visit my lab sometime. I’ve got something I want to show you.”

  “Really?” Kai raised a wary eyebrow. “Just like that?”

  “I did mention the staff, didn’t I?”

  “I think you’re chasing a cold end.”

  “Meh.” Yaxon shrugged. “Speaking of… I’ve been keeping an eye on the freshmen at Kormadyne. They’ve been pretty interesting.”

  “…Really?” Kai asked carefully. “Does this have anything to do with Rin?”

  Yaxon chuckled.

  Kai shook his head again—but when he looked back at Yaxon, his expression changed.

  His eyes were softer now. Sharper.

  His smile was gone.

  “…It’s not just the girl,” Yaxon said quietly. “I think those kids are going to change the world as we know it.”

  Hello everyone!

  Xay here — thank you so much for reading and finishing Volume 2 of Rin’s Road.

  Writing this volume has been incredibly meaningful for me. It pushed the story closer to the long-term vision I have for this series, and honestly… there were moments where I doubted myself. Times where I wasn’t sure how to move forward or if I was even doing the story justice.

  But your comments, messages, and encouragement genuinely helped me push through those moments. Because of you, this volume became something far better than I ever imagined it could be.

  Your support hasn’t just helped my writing either. It’s motivated me to improve my art and visual storytelling, allowing me to better bring certain scenes to life the way I see them in my head. I want to continue growing faster and stronger as both a writer and an artist so I can give this series everything it deserves.

  You truly do more for me than you realize.

  Thank you — sincerely.

  And don’t worry — Rin’s Road is far from over.

  Volume 3 is already in progress, along with its cover art and concept pieces. You can expect more action, deeper drama, richer magic, and a major shift in tone and pacing as the story begins to turn in new and exciting directions.

  While I take a short break before Volume 3, feel free to check out my sister series:

  Our Love Isn’t Leased (But Saving the World Definitely Is)

  A rom-com action story following Rin Kirishima (a fox hybrid) and Ferry Arlet (a wolf hybrid) as they stumble through love, chaos, and the inconvenient responsibility of saving the world just to stay together.

  Thank you again for reading, supporting, and sharing this journey with me.

  I can’t wait to show you what comes next.

  Wait till next time — THE END! ??

  Scribble Hub

  Royal Road