The mind can forget... but the heart never!

Chapter 31

Seiya woke up with a pounding headache, surrounded by complete darkness. He tried to reach for his head, but his hands were tied behind his back. Damn it, what had happened? The last thing he remembered was dropping Bunny off at her home, and from there, his memory was blank.

A sinister laugh from a woman's voice echoed from the other corner of the room, catching Seiya's attention. "You're cute, such a shame about you."

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Seiya demanded, his voice tinged with anxiety.

Suddenly, the room was illuminated, and Seiya's eyes took a moment to adjust to the bright light. He found himself in a windowless room with black tiled walls and floor, and a single light bulb dangled from the ceiling. Across from him sat a young, red-haired woman in revealing attire, perched on a white sofa.

Celeste rose from her seat and elegantly walked towards Seiya. She cupped his chin between her fingers and turned his head to the left and then to the right. "You've got potential, I must say. At the very least, you're well-built and seem to have a strong will. Let's see what else I can do with you."

A chilling sensation seemed to grip Seiya as he tried to fathom what this woman wanted. What did she mean by her words? He didn't even know where he was.

Her cold fingers released their hold on him. "For now, I want you to write letters – credible farewell letters to everyone who matters to you, to those who would search for you. You have until tomorrow at the latest."

Seiya let out a bitter laugh. "I won't do that. I know they're looking for me and they'll find me."

Annoyed, Celeste rolled her eyes, then struck Seiya across the face, causing his head to snap back and hit the wall.

"That wasn't a request, it was an order. Remember, I detest defiance and arguments. When I speak, I expect obedience."

The imprint of her hand still burned on his cheek. "Never. I'd rather die. Now tell me, why am I even here?" Seiya hissed, his eyes narrowing into slits.

Celeste chuckled again, amused by his defiance. She seated herself once more on the sofa, crossed her legs, and lit a cigarette. "Believe me, it would be easy for me to make that happen. Your body would never be found. However, the plans concerning you have something else in store."

She exhaled a plume of smoke, then inhaled it back through her nose. Next, she retrieved a phone from her pocket and dialed a number. "The newcomer needs a bit more time to think... Bring the car around... Oh, that sounds interesting... Yes, do that."

With a smug grin, Celeste slid her phone back, stood up, and locked her gaze onto Seiya's eyes. She positioned the stiletto heel of her right high-heel shoe on his outer ankle and pressed down until he cried out in pain.

"I'll be back tomorrow, and I hope you'll be more cooperative by then."

A man opened the door from outside, tossed a pen and some papers in front of Seiya, then pushed him onto the floor and knelt on his back.

"I'm going to free your hands now. Don't make a move until the door is closed again, or things will get ugly," the man growled down at him. Seiya felt the full weight of the man on his back. As his bonds were cut and his hands slid down to his sides, he briefly considered fighting back, but he decided against it. First, he needed to understand who he was dealing with and why he was here. These people seemed extremely dangerous; he shouldn't provoke them too much.

Then, he heard the door slam shut and several locks engage.

He hesitantly lifted his throbbing head, wondering if this could all be just a terrible nightmare. But the pain was too real, and he quickly realized he was indeed trapped in this room – black tiled walls, a white sofa, and nothing more.

Meanwhile, Bunny, Yaten, and Taiki had finished giving their statements to the police. They were once again sitting together on a bench. Bunny's head rested on Yaten's shoulder as they waited for any useful information to emerge.

"He'll come back, I'm sure of it," Yaten tried to comfort her, but his own alarm bells were ringing loudly.

Bunny was lost in her thoughts, completely shutting out her surroundings. Yaten's words barely registered with her until someone crouched down in front of her and she felt palms on her thighs. She looked up and met Mamoru's concerned eyes.

"I heard what happened. I managed to switch my shift for today. How are you holding up?" he asked with a worried expression.

Bunny wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, sniffing into the crook of his neck. Mamoru held her tightly in return.

"Let's get you home. You look terrible," he said, guiding her gently by the hand. She followed him in a daze, allowing him to lead her.

"Would you like some ice cream?" Mamoru asked as they passed a small ice cream stand. Bunny stopped and looked at him sadly. She mustered her courage. "Mamoru, I need to tell you something."

He brought his hand to her cheek, brushing away the last traces of tears. "Even though it's hard for me, I know you care about him and you're worried. But since you're the most important person to me, I'll stay by your side. I love you, Bunny. Let's talk about everything else later."

Bunny swallowed the lump in her throat and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, thank you for everything and for being here," she whispered as he stroked her back. His hugs usually gave her strength, but today, it felt different, wrong, after what had happened the previous night.

"Come on, let me take you home," he said, placing his arm around her waist. But a moment later, Bunny stopped again.

"Could you please take me to Rei's instead? I need someone to talk to... I know you'd listen, but... right now, I need a friend," Bunny said, her gaze fixed on the ground, unable to meet Mamoru's eyes.

He gently lifted her chin, his gaze locking with hers. "Of course, I'll take you to her." He kissed her forehead tenderly. It was as if his lips were branding her skin, a spot where Seiya's lips had touched just the previous night. "Seiya, where are you?" Bunny wondered silently as she followed Mamoru toward the temple.

Meanwhile, Seiya sat on the white sofa, deep in thought, desperately trying to devise a plan. He needed to find a way to hide a distress signal within the farewell letters. But even if he could figure out a method, he didn't know who was holding him captive or where he was, so the information might not be useful.

As he absentmindedly counted the black tiles on the floor, a total of 86, just like the times before, an idea began to form in his mind. He looked down at the floor, noticing the traces of blood and ash. Perhaps he could work with that. Finally, a plan was taking shape. He hoped Taiki would understand his message. Seiya pulled the paper closer and started to write.