Vol 0
Subject X
Chapter 7: The Empath Goddess and the Grey Oracle Meet the Fallen Angel
After my conversation with Aoi, my associate and I traveled to Washington D.C.
There was someone we wished to meet.
Natalie.
She barely knew me and, if I were being honest, seemed somewhat intimidated by my presence. My associate, however, was another story. Natalie held a quiet respect for them, enough that she eventually agreed to speak with us.
At first, she refused.
Not because she hated him.
Not because she feared him.
But because she pitied him.
Even after everything that happened.
Even after everything he became.
I could never understand that level of empathy.
I never will.
I considered asking her to join us, but that possibility vanished long ago. Natalie now had a family of her own. A husband. A child.
We had no right to drag her back into this world.
After a long silence, Natalie finally agreed to tell us her story.
And so, the story began.
---
April 2023.
Rain clouds drifted above Washington D.C. as students waited inside a high school classroom.
The teacher had yet to arrive.
Predictably, chaos followed.
Several students launched paper airplanes across the room.
Others talked loudly.
Some wandered between desks.
Meanwhile, Matt slept through all of it.
As usual.
A few rows away, Natalie and Margaret sat together discussing something in hushed voices.
Then—
Beep.
A small notification echoed from Matt's phone.
Natalie glanced down.
The signal.
Earlier that week, Matt had designed a simple sensor system for the hallway. The moment a teacher approached, everyone would know.
Of course, Matt had been too lazy to install it himself.
So Natalie had done it.
The second the warning sounded, the classroom transformed.
Students sprinted back to their seats.
Books opened.
Conversations died instantly.
The room became the image of perfect discipline.
Natalie casually pulled a rubber ball from her pocket and tossed it at Matt's forehead.
Thunk.
Matt jerked awake.
Natalie threw his phone.
Matt caught it without looking.
A moment later the classroom door opened.
The teacher stepped inside.
Her eyes narrowed.
"What was all that noise?"
Margaret immediately stood.
"Oh, we were just reading."
The lie came effortlessly.
The teacher stared at the class.
Then at Matt.
Then back at the class.
"Really?"
She pointed at him.
"Then why does Matt look like he just woke up?"
Every student silently prayed Matt would save them.
Matt looked directly at the teacher.
Then shrugged.
"Yeah. They're lying."
The entire classroom collectively regretted trusting him.
"I was asleep."
Several students buried their faces in their hands.
The teacher sighed.
"Extra homework."
Groans echoed throughout the room.
Then she continued.
"On another note, we have a transfer student joining us today."
The room quieted.
"Please welcome Xomu. He's an exchange student from Japan."
A boy stepped inside.
Long black hair.
Red eyes.
An expression that seemed detached from the room around him.
The students examined him curiously.
Matt looked once.
Then immediately returned to sleeping.
Natalie continued observing.
Something felt strange.
Not frightening.
Not hostile.
Strange.
His eyes wandered without purpose.
Dark circles rested beneath them.
He avoided eye contact.
He didn't appear nervous.
He appeared disconnected.
As though some part of him wasn't present.
As though he had entered the classroom physically while his mind remained somewhere else.
The teacher smiled.
"Go ahead and introduce yourself."
Silence.
Xomu didn't respond.
Several seconds passed.
The teacher lightly tapped his shoulder.
Only then did he seem to return to reality.
Natalie raised her hand.
"He can sit next to me."
The teacher sighed.
"Very well."
Xomu took the empty seat beside her.
And for the first time all day, he seemed slightly less distant.
---
School ended beneath a violent storm.
Rain hammered the windows.
Thunder rattled the building.
Then suddenly—
Darkness.
The lights died.
A collective groan filled the classroom.
The teacher rubbed her forehead.
"The generator's outside."
She paused.
"I probably shouldn't ask students to do this, but..."
Natalie's hand shot up immediately.
Margaret raised hers as well.
The teacher smiled.
"We can't let the girls do all the work."
Her eyes drifted toward Matt.
Sleeping.
Again.
"Oh, thank you for volunteering, Matt."
Matt woke up.
"Huh?"
A few moments later, the group headed outside.
Natalie.
Margaret.
Matt.
And unexpectedly—
Xomu.
The rain struck like bullets.
Matt carried an umbrella.
A very small umbrella.
One designed specifically for himself.
Natalie wasn't surprised.
Together they reached the generator.
After a few minutes, power returned.
The lights flickered back to life.
Their mission complete.
Everyone returned soaked.
Except Matt.
---
Later that afternoon students began leaving for home.
Natalie, Margaret, and Matt headed toward their bus stop.
By then Natalie had managed to acquire an umbrella.
As they walked, she noticed someone standing alone.
Xomu.
He stared upward into the storm.
Motionless.
The rain poured over him.
Yet he didn't move.
Didn't react.
Didn't seem to care.
"What is he doing?" Matt asked.
Margaret shrugged.
"Who knows?"
Natalie looked at him.
Then she looked at the umbrella in her hand.
And without another word—
She ran.
Matt and Margaret stared in confusion.
Natalie stopped beside Xomu.
Then handed him the umbrella.
Xomu blinked.
For a moment he genuinely looked shocked.
Natalie smiled.
Then immediately turned around and ran back.
"Bus is leaving!" Matt shouted.
She barely made it.
The doors began closing.
Then suddenly—
A hand grabbed her wrist.
Natalie turned.
Xomu stood there.
Rain dripping from his hair.
Confusion filling his eyes.
"Why?"
Natalie tilted her head.
"Why what?"
"Why would you help someone like me?"
For a moment, Natalie studied him.
The question wasn't rhetorical.
He truly didn't understand.
So she answered honestly.
"Because I think we'd make good friends."
The doors closed.
The bus pulled away.
And for the first time in a very long time—
Xomu watched someone leave while wishing they would stay.
---
The next day.
Saturday.
Natalie gathered her investigation group.
Their sixth case.
Nine members in total.
Including herself.
"We've got another mystery."
Matt groaned immediately.
"What is it this time?"
Natalie smiled.
"A haunted house."
Matt looked offended.
"A haunted house."
"Yes."
"That's your case?"
Margaret intervened before an argument could start.
"We barely get any investigations."
Natalie nodded.
"Exactly."
Matt sighed.
"Fine."
---
Several hours later they arrived.
An abandoned mansion.
Thirty years untouched.
At least according to local rumors.
The house loomed above them like a corpse refusing to collapse.
Matt adjusted a pair of night-vision goggles.
Natalie stared.
"Are those really necessary?"
Matt smirked.
"You should've brought better equipment."
Together they entered.
Floorboards groaned beneath their feet.
Dust filled the air.
Then they found a room.
And everything changed.
Words covered the walls.
Hundreds of them.
Carved.
Scratched.
Written with desperate force.
One message read:
Save me, Paul.
Another:
Burn the Fushimiya Family.
Another:
Sobu Did It.
Then—
Subject X.
Silence filled the room.
Margaret stepped back.
"What is this?"
She looked around nervously.
"The person who wrote this has to be insane."
"No."
Natalie spoke softly.
Everyone looked at her.
"Not insane."
Her eyes drifted across the damaged walls.
"Broken."
---
Then something moved behind them.
Every flashlight swung around.
A figure stood in the darkness.
Everyone froze.
Even Matt.
Then his eyes widened.
"...Xomu?"
The group stared.
"Xomu!?"
Natalie raised her flashlight.
The beam illuminated his face.
And what she saw made her heart sink.
Xomu was shaking.
Violently.
Tears streamed from his eyes.
Yet he was laughing.
A broken laugh.
A painful laugh.
A laugh that sounded as though it had shattered years ago.
"It can't be my fault..."
"They made me do it..."
"I just wanted a normal life..."
"You don't understand..."
"You don't understand my suffering..."
The room fell silent.
Matt stared.
"What the hell are you?"
Xomu's eyes drifted toward them.
"I can't let any of you leave."
Margaret immediately hid behind Natalie.
Several others followed.
But Natalie remained where she stood.
Because she didn't see a monster.
She saw pain.
And pain was something she understood.
Slowly—
She approached him.
Every member of the group wanted to stop her.
Nobody moved.
Natalie reached forward.
Then gently took his trembling hand between both of hers.
"Then let me understand."
Xomu froze.
Natalie smiled.
"Let us understand."
For a brief moment she saw it.
Not the details.
Not the memories.
Just the shape of it.
Something larger than him.
Something that had twisted him long before he arrived here.
Something he couldn't escape.
"Please, Xomu."
His knees gave out.
He collapsed.
"Why..."
His voice cracked.
"Why would you..."
"Because we're your friends."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Xomu slowly backed away.
Natalie understood immediately.
He wasn't rejecting them.
He was afraid.
Afraid of what might happen if they stayed.
"Let's go."
The group obeyed.
One by one they left.
But before leaving, Matt stopped.
He turned around.
Unlike Natalie, he wasn't trying to save Xomu.
Unlike the others, he wasn't afraid either.
He simply looked at him.
As he was.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
"I don't know who you are."
Matt adjusted his goggles.
"And honestly, I don't care."
A pause.
"But stay away from us."
Then he left.
Leaving Xomu alone.
---
For the first time in his life, someone had treated him like a human being.
Natalie had given him something he thought had died long ago.
Belonging.
Acceptance.
Hope.
And now—
He wanted that feeling again.
Desperately.
As the group disappeared into the distance, Natalie glanced back.
A figure stood in the mansion window.
Watching.
Waiting.
The neighbors later asked about the investigation.
Natalie simply smiled.
"It was nothing."
The others agreed.
"Just animals."
And with that—
They left.
Unaware that they had just changed the course of Subject X's life forever.
End of Chapter 7.
Vol 0
Subject X
Chapter 8: Mary the Saint, the Hidden Solomon, and Cain the Exiled
Natalie looked visibly disturbed.
My associate studied her expression.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "We can stop if you wan—"
"No."
The answer came immediately.
Natalie lowered her gaze for a moment before looking back up.
"We're not finished."
Silence filled the room.
Then she continued.
---
The unknown narrator begins recounting Natalie's testimony.
---
A few weeks had passed since the incident at the abandoned mansion.
It was now May of 2023.
The group had changed.
Not openly.
Not dramatically.
But enough.
Whenever Xomu appeared, conversations became shorter. People found excuses to leave. The once comfortable atmosphere now carried an invisible tension whenever his name was mentioned.
Everyone avoided him.
Everyone except Natalie.
She continued speaking to him exactly as she always had.
Which only made Matt more suspicious.
For weeks he had felt something was wrong.
He couldn't explain it.
There was no evidence.
No logic.
Just instinct.
And Matt trusted instinct more than most people trusted facts.
One evening the group gathered at Natalie's house.
All nine members were present.
As usual, everyone entered first while Matt lingered outside.
He stood near the doorway.
Watching.
Listening.
Thinking.
Then suddenly his eyes narrowed.
The lazy expression vanished.
For perhaps the first time since any of them had known him, Matt immediately took control.
He slammed the door shut.
"Close the blinds."
Nobody moved.
"Matt?"
"Close the blinds."
Still nobody moved.
Then his voice rose.
"NOW."
The room froze.
Everyone immediately obeyed.
Curtains were drawn.
Lights were switched off.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Natalie stepped forward.
"Matt, what's wrong?"
Matt rubbed his forehead.
"I knew something was off."
"What?"
"For weeks."
His voice was unusually serious.
"I felt like somebody was watching us."
Margaret blinked.
"You mean a stalker?"
Matt pointed toward the window.
"No."
His eyes darkened.
"I mean Xomu."
The room erupted into panic.
Several people rushed toward the windows before stopping themselves.
Others immediately began whispering.
Natalie remained calm.
"Wait."
She looked toward Matt.
"Are you sure?"
Matt stared at her.
"No."
Then he added:
"I'm certain."
Natalie sighed.
"He wouldn't do that."
Matt laughed.
Not because something was funny.
Because he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Natalie."
His voice was flat.
"You always assume people are better than they actually are."
"And you always assume they're worse."
"Reality usually proves me right."
Natalie folded her arms.
"People can change."
"No."
Matt shook his head.
"People don't change."
The room fell silent.
"They just become better at hiding who they already are."
Nobody responded.
Even Natalie couldn't immediately argue.
A few hours later, night had fallen.
Despite everyone's objections, Matt stepped outside.
Alone.
The others watched nervously through the windows.
Rain drizzled lightly from above.
Matt shoved both hands into his pockets.
Then spoke into the darkness.
"Come out."
Silence.
"I know you're there."
For several seconds nothing happened.
Then movement.
A figure emerged from the bushes.
Xomu.
His uniform was slightly messy.
Dark circles rested beneath his eyes.
For a moment he looked exhausted.
Then he smiled.
And the smile felt wrong.
"What do you want?" Matt asked.
Xomu tilted his head.
"What do you think I want?"
"An answer."
The smile widened.
"Natalie."
Matt sighed.
Of course.
"Natalie?"
"I don't care about your group."
Xomu's expression softened.
Almost dreamlike.
"I just want Natalie."
Then it shifted.
His eyes sharpened.
"She's the only one who understands me."
Matt stared at him.
"She's known you less than a month."
"Yet she understands me better than anyone else ever has."
Matt shrugged.
"Not a high bar."
Xomu's smile twitched.
For a moment he looked amused.
Then hurt.
Then angry.
All within seconds.
"You all look at me like I'm some kind of monster."
Matt yawned.
"Nah."
The response caught Xomu off guard.
"I don't."
Xomu frowned.
"You don't?"
"To judge somebody, I'd need to care."
Matt looked genuinely tired.
"That sounds exhausting."
For the first time, Xomu looked uncertain.
Then his expression darkened.
"You all want to take her away from me."
Matt laughed.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The problem."
Matt pointed directly at him.
"You think you're the protagonist."
Xomu froze.
"You act like your life is some tragic story."
Matt's eyes narrowed.
"You think you're special because you've suffered."
Xomu clenched his fists.
"You don't know anything about me."
"Maybe."
Matt nodded.
"Maybe not."
Then his tone hardened.
"But suffering isn't unique."
The words struck harder than shouting ever could.
"You think nobody else has experienced pain?"
Xomu looked away.
Matt continued.
"You aren't special."
The smile disappeared completely.
"You aren't chosen."
His fists tightened further.
"And you definitely aren't some tragic hero."
For a brief moment, genuine hatred flashed through Xomu's eyes.
Then fear.
Then sadness.
Then anger again.
Like multiple people were fighting inside him for control.
At that moment the front door opened.
Margaret stepped outside.
Unlike Natalie, she was clearly nervous.
"Xomu..."
He turned toward her.
Immediately his expression softened.
Then hardened again.
Then softened.
The shift was unsettling.
"Why are you doing this?" Margaret asked.
For a moment he looked like a child.
Lost.
Scared.
"I..."
He lowered his head.
"I'm afraid."
Neither Matt nor Margaret expected that answer.
"I'm afraid she'll see me the way everyone else does."
His voice cracked.
"I'm afraid she'll leave."
Silence followed.
Matt crossed his arms.
Then asked the question that had bothered him since the mansion.
"What is Subject X?"
Everything changed.
The air itself seemed to tighten.
Xomu's expression froze.
Not anger.
Not sadness.
Fear.
Pure fear.
His voice became quiet.
Dangerously quiet.
"Tread carefully, Matt."
For the first time all night, Matt didn't have an immediate response.
Xomu stepped backward.
Slowly.
Then turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Two Days Later...
Monday.
The classroom buzzed with idle conversation as students filtered into their seats.
For once, however, something felt off.
Natalie wasn't there.
The empty chair near the window seemed strangely noticeable.
The teacher walked to the front of the room carrying a stack of papers.
"Before we begin today's lesson, I'll be returning last week's exam results."
A few students groaned.
Others sat up eagerly.
"The third-highest score belongs to Margaret."
Margaret smiled modestly.
"The second-highest score belongs to Natalie."
A few students nodded. Nobody seemed surprised.
"And the highest score..."
The teacher glanced down.
"Perfect score. Xomu."
The room became quiet.
Xomu visibly tensed.
Instead of pride, discomfort flickered across his face.
As though attention itself irritated him.
On the other side of the room, Matt slowly opened one eye.
A perfect score.
Interesting.
Not because he cared.
But because he remembered something.
Natalie never missed school.
Yet she wasn't here.
Meanwhile, Xomu kept tapping his foot beneath his desk.
Again.
Again.
Again.
A rapid rhythm.
Impatient.
Waiting.
Watching.
Matt stared for several seconds.
Then shrugged.
"Not my problem."
He lowered his head.
Immediately the teacher slammed a paper onto his desk.
"Matt."
"Huh?"
"You received the lowest score in the class."
Matt glanced at the paper.
"Did I pass?"
"Barely."
"Then I passed."
The teacher pinched the bridge of her nose.
Matt went back to sleep.
The bell eventually rang.
Lunch period.
Matt headed toward the rooftop.
The wind brushed against his face as he sat down alone.
Peaceful.
Exactly how he liked it.
Then a shadow appeared.
Matt looked up.
Xomu.
A cardboard box sat beneath his arm.
Without permission, Xomu walked forward and dropped it onto the ground.
The lid opened.
A chessboard.
Pieces neatly arranged.
Matt stared.
"...A chess match?"
Xomu grinned.
The grin looked forced.
Unnatural.
Like he wasn't entirely sure how normal people smiled.
"I don't know who you think you are, Matthew Leobard."
He unwrapped a lollipop.
"But you and your friends are becoming a problem."
Matt leaned back.
"I think you've got the wrong idea."
"Oh?"
"I don't think about you enough for you to be my problem."
For a brief moment Xomu froze.
Then he laughed.
Then the laughter stopped.
Then it returned.
His mood shifted so quickly it felt unsettling.
"You all look at me like I'm a monster."
His fingers tightened around the lollipop stick.
"You think I don't notice?"
Matt moved a pawn forward.
"I don't."
Silence.
Xomu blinked.
"What?"
"I don't look at you like a monster."
Matt shrugged.
"To judge you, I'd have to care."
The smile vanished from Xomu's face.
For several seconds he simply stared.
Then he sat down.
Moved a piece.
The game began.
---
Meanwhile...
Natalie stood inside the abandoned mansion.
Dust floated through broken beams of sunlight.
The room containing the carvings remained untouched.
She approached the wall again.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Then placed her hand against the rough surface.
Closed her eyes.
And asked herself one question.
What made him like this?
Darkness swallowed everything.
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
A grandfather clock echoed somewhere beyond sight.
The world became gray.
Emotionless.
Empty.
Natalie opened her eyes.
But not in reality.
This was the world she imagined through Xomu's perspective.
The walls were clean.
Untouched.
A knife appeared in her hand.
Instinctively she began carving.
Words.
Names.
Fragments.
Every mark felt different.
Some cuts were calm.
Others violent.
Almost desperate.
Like whoever carved them had been drowning emotionally.
One phrase stood above the rest.
Burn The Fushimiya Family.
Hatred.
Raw hatred.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Hatred.
Then another phrase.
Subject X.
The moment she carved those words, a strange feeling washed over her.
Not rage.
Not grief.
Something worse.
Dehumanization.
As if those words stripped away a person's identity.
As if someone had stopped being human and become an experiment.
A label.
A thing.
Natalie's eyes opened.
The vision disappeared.
Yet she still couldn't understand.
There were pieces missing.
Important pieces.
And without them, she couldn't save him.
---
Back on the rooftop, Matt won.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Three consecutive victories.
The final king fell.
Matt stood.
"Good game."
He turned to leave.
Suddenly—
Xomu exploded forward.
His foot shot toward Matt's head.
Matt didn't move.
Didn't panic.
Didn't even flinch.
His hand rose.
Caught the kick effortlessly.
Silence.
Xomu's eyes widened.
Matt looked bored.
"Is this supposed to scare me?"
The grip loosened.
Xomu stumbled backward.
The lollipop cracked between his teeth.
Matt adjusted his sleeves.
"Less than a month ago you looked shy."
His expression hardened.
"Now you're acting like some movie villain."
Xomu's smile twitched.
Then disappeared.
Then returned.
Then disappeared again.
Like multiple versions of him were fighting for control.
Matt walked away.
Leaving him alone.
Again.
---
Several hours later.
Xomu stood outside Natalie's house.
His finger trembled above the doorbell.
Then pressed it.
The door opened.
Natalie smiled.
Immediately Xomu lowered his head.
"I need you."
Natalie's expression shifted.
Concern.
Confusion.
"W-What?"
"You're the only one who can fix me."
His voice cracked.
Tears formed.
Then vanished.
Then returned.
The instability was obvious now.
"I don't know what's wrong with me."
He grabbed both of her hands.
Desperately.
"Please."
His eyes shook.
"Run away with me."
Natalie's heart sank.
"Xomu..."
"We can leave."
His words became faster.
More frantic.
"We can disappear before they find me."
"They?"
"I can protect you."
"Xomu."
"Please."
Natalie gently pulled away.
The rejection was soft.
But it shattered him.
"I can't do that."
The color drained from his face.
"I thought I could help you."
Her voice remained calm.
"But I think you need professional help."
"No."
The word escaped instantly.
"No no no no no."
His breathing accelerated.
"This wasn't supposed to happen."
Natalie stepped back.
"Xomu—"
"They got to you."
His expression twisted.
"Matt."
"Margaret."
"The others."
"They turned you against me."
"What are you talking about?"
Xomu stared into empty space.
As though seeing someone else entirely.
Then whispered:
"Just like he did..."
Natalie froze.
"He?"
But Xomu was already backing away.
"I won't let them take you."
Then he ran.
Disappearing into the night.
---
Days passed.
Then Xomu disappeared from school entirely.
No messages.
No explanations.
Nothing.
Until one evening.
Matt was taking out the trash.
Something struck the back of his head.
Darkness.
---
When he woke up, he was tied to a chair.
A dim room.
Duct tape.
Rope.
The smell of mildew.
Someone sat beside him.
Margaret.
Also tied up.
Xomu stood before them.
Smiling.
Too widely.
Too unnaturally.
"Well."
He spread his arms.
"If it isn't Matt and Margaret."
Margaret tried screaming.
Duct tape immediately covered her mouth.
Matt yawned.
"Seriously?"
Xomu blinked.
"What?"
"This is your grand plan?"
Xomu frowned.
Then laughed.
Then frowned again.
"You don't understand."
He grabbed a camera.
"You two are going to confess."
"Confess?"
"To manipulating Natalie."
Matt stared.
Then laughed.
Actually laughed.
The reaction confused Xomu.
"What?"
"This might genuinely be the dumbest thing I've ever seen."
Water splashed across Matt and Margaret.
Xomu expected fear.
Instead Matt sighed.
"Now my clothes are ruined."
Confusion spread across Xomu's face.
Then Matt looked toward a nearby window.
"By the way."
"Smile."
Xomu turned.
A camera lens stared back.
His expression shattered.
The door burst open.
Natalie entered.
Behind her stood the rest of the group.
Xomu's eyes widened.
"Why..."
Natalie looked heartbroken.
"Because this was the only way to help you."
"No."
His voice cracked.
"No."
"WHY THEM?"
His scream echoed through the room.
"They don't value you!"
Matt interrupted.
"Honestly, Xomu."
"You disappoint me."
Xomu turned.
"What?"
Matt stood.
Untied.
Completely free.
"When did you—"
"Ten minutes ago."
Silence.
"You could've escaped?"
"Yep."
"Then why stay?"
Matt smirked.
"Evidence."
Margaret removed her restraints.
Still acting terrified.
Perfectly.
Everything clicked.
It had all been a trap.
The realization broke whatever composure Xomu had left.
Police sirens erupted outside.
Red and blue lights flashed through the windows.
The door opened again.
Officers rushed in.
Xomu backed away.
"No."
His breathing became erratic.
"No no no no."
Handcuffs clicked around his wrists.
The fight was over.
As they dragged him toward the exit, he looked only at Natalie.
Not the police.
Not Matt.
Only Natalie.
And for the first time—
He looked terrified.
Not angry.
Not obsessive.
Terrified.
"WAIT!"
His voice cracked.
"NATALIE!"
The officers continued pulling him away.
"If they take me they'll find me!"
Natalie's eyes widened.
"What?"
"They'll find me!"
"What do you mean?"
But he never answered.
The police forced him into the car.
The door slammed shut.
And Xomu disappeared into the night.
The last thing Natalie saw was his face pressed against the window.
A face caught somewhere between victim and villain.
Then the vehicle drove away.
And Subject X was gone from their lives.....
A Few Months Later...
The leaves had begun changing colors.
Summer was ending.
Natalie had officially entered her junior year of high school.
Life had returned to normal.
At least on the surface.
The group of nine had gathered once again inside Natalie's living room.
A stack of folders sat on the coffee table.
Another case.
Their seventh.
Margaret sat across from Matt with a chessboard between them.
Matt lazily moved a knight.
Margaret immediately captured it.
Matt stared at the board.
"...How."
Margaret sighed.
"You literally handed me the piece."
"Strategic sacrifice."
"You've said that five times."
Matt looked at the board for several seconds.
Then pushed over his king.
"I resign."
Margaret smiled triumphantly.
"You've never won a game against me."
Matt leaned back into the couch.
"That's because I've never played chess before."
"You said that last time."
"It was true last time."
Margaret rolled her eyes.
Across the room Natalie was organizing documents.
Despite everything that had happened, she still smiled.
Still worked.
Still helped people.
Yet there were moments when she would become unusually quiet.
Moments where her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Nobody mentioned it.
Nobody needed to.
The front door opened.
The rest of the group arrived one by one.
Soon all nine were together again.
Natalie clapped her hands.
"Alright everyone."
The room quieted.
"Our seventh case officially starts today."
A few groans echoed throughout the room.
Matt immediately stood up.
"Good luck."
Natalie grabbed his sleeve.
"No."
Matt frowned.
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
Before he could react, Natalie began dragging him toward the door.
Matt looked completely unbothered.
"As your consultant, I advise against this."
"You aren't our consultant."
"Then I resign from whatever position I don't have."
Margaret laughed.
The rest of the group followed.
For a brief moment, things felt normal.
Then one of the students paused.
"Wait."
Everyone stopped.
The television in the corner was on.
A news broadcast.
The student slowly pointed.
"...Guys?"
Natalie turned.
So did everyone else.
The screen displayed a photograph.
A familiar face.
Xomu.
Natalie's eyes widened.
The reporter spoke calmly.
"Earlier this morning, juvenile detainee Xomu Takahashi passed away due to complications while under state supervision..."
Silence.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
The room seemed frozen.
Natalie's smile vanished.
The reporter continued speaking.
But the words blurred together.
She couldn't focus.
The only thing she could see was that photograph.
The photograph of a boy who wanted someone to understand him.
A boy she failed to save.
Matt stood up.
Walked over.
And switched off the television.
The screen went black.
The room remained silent.
Natalie lowered her head.
"...I should've done more."
Nobody answered immediately.
Matt finally spoke.
"You couldn't."
Natalie clenched her fists.
"There had to be something."
"There wasn't."
His response was immediate.
Certain.
Brutally honest.
Natalie looked away.
"But if I understood him sooner—"
"You didn't."
Matt interrupted.
The room became quiet again.
Matt rarely spoke seriously.
Which was exactly why everyone listened.
"You met him for less than a month."
Natalie remained silent.
"You didn't create his problems."
Matt crossed his arms.
"You weren't responsible for fixing them either."
The words sounded cold.
But for Matt, that was as close to comfort as he knew how to give.
Margaret nodded.
"He's right."
Natalie looked toward her.
Margaret smiled sadly.
"Sometimes people break long before we meet them."
Nobody spoke after that.
Several seconds passed.
Then Natalie took a deep breath.
Another.
And another.
Eventually she stood up.
The sadness remained.
It probably always would.
But she forced herself forward anyway.
She picked up the case file.
Looked toward her friends.
And smiled.
A smaller smile than before.
But a genuine one.
"Even so..."
She held up the folder.
"We still have a case to solve."
A collective groan echoed throughout the room.
Matt immediately attempted to sit back down.
Natalie grabbed both of his wrists.
"Nope."
"Release me."
"Nope."
"I am protesting."
"Denied."
"This is tyranny."
"Move."
Natalie pulled him toward the door.
The others laughed and followed.
Soon the house was empty.
The television remained dark.
The photograph of Xomu gone.
The world moved forward.
As it always did.
And somewhere in the back of Natalie's mind, she silently hoped that wherever he was now...
He had finally found the peace he spent his entire life searching for.
End of Subject X