Night had fallen over the cathedral by the time Noir returned to his quarters.
His body ached from the day's humiliation, bruises blooming across his ribs and shoulders. But exhaustion wasn't enough to quiet his mind.
He sat on the narrow bed, a worn book open in his lap—one of several texts Shin Jin had thrust at him before dismissing him for the evening.
"If you're going to survive here, you need to understand the Order's structure. Read these. Tomorrow I'm testing you."
Noir's eyes traced the page, stopping on one section in particular.
The Ashima Clan - Stands as the strongest among all bloodlines within the Ise Order. Their members display remarkable, almost unnatural talent for spiritual techniques. Every generation produces at least one seer of extraordinary ability. The clan attributes this to "blessed ancestry"...
Noir frowned.
Blessed. Strongest. Words people used when they didn't want to question too deeply.
A sharp knock interrupted his thoughts.
He closed the book and opened the door.
Shin Jin stood there, looking exhausted. Beside him was Piers, holding a leather travel bag.
"Evening," Shin Jin said flatly. "Hope you weren't sleeping."
"I wasn't."
"Good. You have a roommate now." He gestured to Piers. "Effective immediately."
Noir blinked. "What?"
"Piers has been here a week. Knows his way around. You don't. Makes sense to pair you up." Shin Jin's tone left no room for argument.
"Also, some seers aren't thrilled about having the Crimson Seer around. Having a roommate means you're less likely to get ambushed in your sleep."
He said it so casually that it took a moment to register.
"People would actually—"
"Yes. They would." Shin Jin looked at him directly. "You're bad luck now. Some are superstitious. Others are just assholes. Either way, safety in numbers."
He clapped Piers on the shoulder. "Try not to drive each other crazy."
Then he walked away.
Silence stretched between them.
Piers offered an awkward smile. "So... hi. Again."
"Hi."
"This is..." Piers shifted the bag in his hands. "I promise I'm quiet. I don't snore. Usually."
"Usually?"
"Well, sometimes. When I'm tired. Or stressed. Or—" He stopped himself, laughing softly. "I'm making this worse."
Despite everything, Noir's mouth twitched. "A little."
"Right. Should I just..." Piers gestured into the room.
Noir stepped aside.
Piers entered, looking around the small space. Two beds on opposite walls, a table between them, one high window.
"Cozy," Piers said.
"Cramped."
"That too."
Piers set his bag on the empty bed, then stood there awkwardly.
Noir stood by the door, equally awkward.
They both spoke at once.
"So do you—"
"I was just—"
They stopped.
Piers laughed. "This is ridiculous. We're going to be living together. We should probably manage a normal conversation."
Noir exhaled. "Yeah."
He moved back to his bed. Piers mirrored him on the opposite side.
Piers' gaze fell on the open book.
"Clan histories," he observed. "Heavy reading for your first night."
"Shin Jin's orders."
Piers leaned forward slightly, seeing which page was open. Something shifted in his expression.
"The Ashima Clan."
"You know them?"
"Everyone knows about them. They're legendary." Piers' tone was neutral, but his eyes darkened slightly.
Noir picked up the book. "I was just thinking... it's easy to call someone strong when you haven't seen it yourself. Makes me wonder if it's really strength, or just fortune. A few exceptional people building a reputation."
Piers was quiet for a long moment.
"What if it's neither?" he said softly.
Noir looked up.
Piers met his gaze, something troubled flickering there.
"Sometimes strength comes from places people don't want to look too closely at." He hesitated. "Sometimes there are... reasons. Buried reasons."
"What do you mean?"
Piers opened his mouth, then closed it. His hands clasped together.
"My grandfather told me something once. Before he died." His voice was careful, measured. "About certain clans. About secrets that get people killed if they speak too openly."
Noir leaned forward slightly. "What kind of secrets?"
"The kind that explain things that shouldn't be explained." Piers looked down at his hands. "The kind that make 'blessed ancestry' sound like a convenient lie."
Silence settled between them.
"Your grandfather," Noir said. "How did he die?"
"In his sleep. Peacefully, they said." Piers' jaw tightened. "The same night he told me what he knew."
"That's—"
"Suspicious? Yeah." Piers managed a weak smile. "I was ten. He sat me down, made me promise never to tell anyone, then told me something that..." He trailed off. "Something I still don't fully understand. And that same night, he was gone."
He looked up at Noir.
"People blamed me. Said I'd upset him. That whatever he told me had been too much strain." His voice dropped. "Sometimes I think they were right. Like telling me meant he could finally let go of the burden. And it killed him."
Noir didn't know what to say to that.
"I'm sorry," he offered quietly.
Piers nodded. "It's why I joined the Order. To understand what he told me. To find out if it was true." He paused. "And maybe to do something about it, if it is."
"Do you think it's true?"
"I don't know." Piers looked genuinely uncertain. "But if it is... it changes everything about how we see certain clans. Certain bloodlines."
He glanced at the book in Noir's hands.
"Just... be careful what you believe about the Ashima Clan. There might be more to their strength than blessings."
Noir studied him. "You're not going to tell me what your grandfather said."
"I can't. Not yet." Piers' expression was apologetic but firm. "Not because I don't trust you. But because... if it's true, knowing could be dangerous. For both of us."
He offered a small smile.
"Maybe once I know you better. Once I'm sure." He paused. "Is that okay?"
Noir considered this, then nodded slowly. "Yeah. I get it."
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Thank you, though," Piers said. "For listening. I haven't... I don't talk about my grandfather much. Or why I'm really here."
"You said you wanted to find the truth," Noir said. "I understand that. I'm looking for something too."
"The person you mentioned earlier?"
"Yeah."
Piers didn't press for details. Just nodded.
"Then maybe we can help each other," he said simply. "When the time comes."
"Maybe."
Piers stood, stretching. "We should probably sleep. Tomorrow's going to be brutal, from what Soo Ah told me."
"Yeah."
They prepared for bed in comfortable silence.
As Noir lay in the darkness, he heard Piers' voice from across the room.
"Noir?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad Shin Jin put us together."
Noir was quiet for a moment.
Then: "Me too."
And despite everything—the nightmare, the curse, the humiliation—Noir felt something shift.
He had a roommate who understood what it meant to carry secrets.
Who was searching for truth just like he was.
Maybe that was enough for now.