The Bookkeeper

Fear rules those who submit to it, stripping them of everything, yet those who rule fear are the ones who possess it all.

With all his experience and deep understanding of fear, he should have been the one to master it—one of the few who do, if not the very best. But here he was, lying in bed, bandages wrapped tight around his ribcage, holding him together, just barely.

Fear, his greatest tool and his most formidable foe.

"I need to get rid of this damn disease once and for all," he muttered, shifting on the bed.

But the pain wasn’t letting up. Not even close.

At that moment, Leo and Ash walked into the room, carrying potions in their hands.

"It’s been four days, and Aeris still isn’t back. What’s going on?" Leo asked as he stepped closer to the bed.

Raiden shrugged. It was a question that had been gnawing at him too these past few days, but there was nothing he could do, and he wasn’t about to waste energy stressing over it.

However, just as Raiden reached for the potion, the door creaked open. It was Levi, a smirk tugging at his lips as he casually flipped a dagger between his fingers.

Raiden narrowed his eyes, watching him saunter in. Then, without sparing him another glance, he drank the potion. That smirk alone was enough; something interesting was coming.

"Where have you been?" Leo asked, his voice edged with concern.