"Where are you heading this time, Dryz?" Sai's voice cut through the quiet night as he hastily followed Dryzza toward her car, his footsteps echoing against the pavement.
"Go back inside, Sai," she replied, her tone low and clipped, almost swallowed by the soft hum of the wind. She pulled open the car door with an air of finality, her movements precise and deliberate.
"Not until you tell me where you're planning to go," Sai groaned, quickly stepping in front of the car, blocking her path with arms spread wide. "Don't tell me you're going to storm into Dr. Takahashi's manor. We're set to search the place again tomorrow. Can't you just wait and stick to the process?"
Dryzza's jaw tightened, her knuckles gripping the edge of the car door. "If we stick to the process, every step we take will already be anticipated," she countered, her voice sharp yet calm.
"And what will that accomplish?" Sai snapped, his frustration bleeding into his words. "Gathering evidence that can't even be used in court because it was obtained illegally? Is that your plan?"
"Evidences that don't follow rules still hold truths," she shot back. "Sometimes truth doesn’t wait for permission to be uncovered.
Sai stepped closer, his stance firm, his gaze pleading as their words crackled in the charged space between them. Before he could speak, Dryzza’s voice rang out, sharp and unyielding.
"Everything no longer makes sense, Sai. You know that as well as I do. This case—every thread we pull unravels into a dead end... unless we bend the rules."
Sai exhaled, his frustration evident, but his voice softened as he replied. "I understand completely. But I'm worried about you." His tone wavered as he continued.
"The three of us have witnessed things—things we never imagined were real—magic. How the fuck should we react? Of course nothing would make sense. It's just that every magic has its price. If that ruby charm you’re holding wields good magic, then its counterpart is pure malice."
He hesitated, lowering his gaze. "And that Tomoya guy? He warned us for a reason. They’re handling something we’re not equipped to deal with."
Dryzza’s expression softened momentarily before she sighed, her resolve solidifying once more. "We’re public servants, Sai. Protectors. It’s not just about solving this case; it’s about shielding those kids from harm—"
"You’re a kid yourself!" Sai cut her off, his voice cracking with desperation. "I can’t—won’t—stand by and watch you get hurt again. Please, just listen to reason."
Their unspoken fears lingered in the silence, a fragile moment where duty and concern battled for dominance.
It took a tense moment before either of them moved. Sai stood his ground, ready to escalate if Dryzza insisted on leaving. He even tightened his grip on the taser clipped to his belt, silently weighing whether he'd actually use it to stop her.
But before Sai could argue further, Dryzza’s focus shifted. Her sharp eyes locked on a sleek black car parked across the road in front of their station, its headlights still faintly glowing.
“Dryz, I’m talking to you—” Sai started but faltered when he noticed her expression shift.
Dryzza’s brows furrowed as a familiar man exited the back seat. She didn’t need a second glance to recognize him.
“Dr. Takahashi,” she murmured, her tone laced with equal parts curiosity and suspicion.
Sai followed her gaze and frowned. “What the hell is he doing here at this hour?”
Dryzza didn’t respond immediately. Her eyes locked on Takumi’s figure, studying him as he approached with his usual air of unflappable calm. His steps were deliberate, each one echoing faintly in the quiet of the late hour. She finally stepped forward, her gaze sharp, as if challenging him even before a word was spoken. Takumi’s eyes flicked to her, noticing her presence with a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“What brings you here at such an odd hour, doctor?” Dryzza greeted, her tone edged with teasing, but the undertone of curiosity couldn’t be missed. Sai hovered behind her, visibly tense. He looked ready to jump in at any moment, clearly worried that Dryzza might push the conversation into dangerous territory.
Takumi met her gaze evenly, a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice. “That’s ‘good evening,’ Detective Del Rosario,” he corrected, glancing pointedly at her name tag as if to emphasize his familiarity with formalities.
Dryzza’s lips curved into a small, almost mocking smile. “Hmm,” she hummed nonchalantly, brushing off his correction with practiced ease.
Sai took the opportunity to step forward, offering a polite smile to diffuse the subtle tension building between them. “Good evening, Dr. Takahashi,” he greeted warmly, extending a hand. “I’m Detective Saito Hamada. We’ve met before—at your house, if you recall.”
Takumi accepted the handshake with a polite nod. “Ah, yes. Good evening, Detective Hamada.”
“How can we assist you tonight?” Sai asked, his tone earnest, though there was a slight edge of nervousness as he glanced at Dryzza, silently pleading for her to keep things civil.
Takumi shifted his attention between the two detectives before speaking. “I’m here for a specific matter—a request, actually,” he said, his tone steady. “I need to speak with Detective Zachary.”
The mention of Zachary seemed to catch both Dryzza and Sai off guard. They exchanged quick, questioning glances before Sai managed a response. “Detective Zach…?” he echoed, his brow furrowing slightly. “He’s not here at the moment. It’s after hours.”
Takumi’s expression didn’t change, but there was a subtle tightening of his jaw that Dryzza noticed immediately. “I see,” he said, his voice calm but clipped. “It’s rather urgent.”
Sai hesitated, clearly caught between procedure and Takumi’s apparent urgency. “If it’s that important, perhaps we could arrange something,” he offered. “Would you mind stepping inside? I can try calling him for you.”
Dryzza crossed her arms, her gaze never leaving Takumi as if trying to decipher his true intentions. “Urgent, huh?” she murmured, half to herself. “Funny timing for an urgent request.”
Takumi glanced at her, his expression impassive but his tone carrying an undercurrent of steel. “Yes, Detective Del Rosario. Timing is everything, isn’t it?”
For a moment, the air between them felt charged, as though an unspoken challenge had been issued. Sai cleared his throat awkwardly, gesturing toward the entrance. “Shall we?” he prompted, breaking the spell.
Takumi inclined his head slightly and stepped toward the station. Dryzza lingered for a moment, watching him, her mind racing with questions she couldn’t yet put into words. 
Finally, Dryzza heaved a deep, exasperated sigh, the weight of her conflicting emotions pressing heavily on her. She rubbed her temples, as if trying to massage away the frustration building inside her.
"You’re a public servant, Dryzza Del Rosario," she muttered under her breath, her voice low but charged with determination. It sounded more like a mantra, almost as though she were chanting a spell to force herself into reason.
"Even if that guy gave you and your team all kinds of grief just to secure his cooperation in searching the ruins of the Takahashi manor... you’re still obligated to help him."
Her words were laced with sarcasm, but there was an unmistakable truth in them. Her job demanded that she put personal feelings aside, no matter how much someone might irk her.
She straightened her posture, as though reminding herself of the badge pinned on her chest, its weight symbolic of her duty to serve without prejudice.
Dryzza glanced at the station entrance where Sai and Takumi had disappeared moments ago, her jaw tightening.
"Even if he’s insufferable, self-righteous, and about as approachable as a stone gargoyle," she grumbled to herself, "he still came to us. And that means something—and he forgave us from trespassing goddamnit."
Dryzza carefully unwrapped the ruby charm from the heat-resistant cloth in her coat, its faint glow casting ominous flickers of light onto her hands.
Her gaze lingered on it, her thoughts spiraling back to Takumi. He had seen her during her leap through time—there was no doubt in her mind. If Tomoya remembered their shared experiences, then surely Takumi did too.
Sliding the charm back into her coat, she steeled herself. “I’ll take my chances,” she muttered under her breath.