Back to square 1 : A Soukoku married au

Day 4 a plan at last

The ADA office was a war zone of silence, each person carrying a heavy weight in their gaze. Fyodor, Sigma, and Fyodor's white-clad, murder-hungry partner made the space feel airless. Kunikida's hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, his wary gaze flicking from Fyodor's group to Dazai, whose eyes were dark with quiet fury. He hadn't been the same since Chuuya's disappearance.

Fyodor was the first to break the silence. "We need to understand what Paul Verlaine's real objective is," he said, his tone as smooth as silk as he surveyed the room. "He's here for Chuuya, but why? To harm him? To join him? To use him?"

Dazai's mouth was a thin line. "If he knows where Chuuya is, it means he's been tracking him for a while." His voice had a dangerous edge. "If Paul is watching him, Chuuya might already be trapped in some kind of twisted game."

Ranpo leaned back in his chair, folding his arms with a sigh. "But how? Verlaine was supposed to be dead. Resurrecting men from the dead isn't exactly an everyday occurrence, even for us."

"It's more than that," Yosano cut in, her voice measured but holding a faint tremor. "There's something about being an experiment—a lab creation—that warps people, inside and out." She spoke from experience, and her hand drifted unconsciously to her own scarred wrist. "It's not just pain—it's a form of captivity that eats at your soul."

Atsushi nodded, his eyes solemn as he glanced from Yosano to Dazai. "Do you... do you think that's what they're doing to Chuuya? Trying to change him?"

Dazai's face softened for a moment, an old, hidden sorrow flashing in his eyes. "If Verlaine is after Chuuya," he said slowly, "it's not just to capture or control him. People like Verlaine, and the ones who control him... they break you down, piece by piece, until you don't know who you are. Chuuya knows that kind of pain. And now..." He trailed off, his jaw tight. "He might have to go through it again."

A shiver passed through the room. Kunikida cleared his throat, struggling to hide his discomfort. "So, Verlaine may not even be working alone. Someone else could be orchestrating this, with Chuuya as a pawn."

"That much seems likely," Fyodor murmured, tapping his fingers against the file in his hand. "If Verlaine is alive, someone made sure of it. And whoever it is, they knew what they were doing when they put him on Chuuya's trail."

Sigma's voice was soft but edged with tension. "But... who would have the power to do that?"

The question hung in the air, unanswered. No one in the room dared to guess, each one sensing that whatever answer lay at the end would be nothing short of monstrous. Dazai finally shook his head, pushing himself up from his chair. "We're going in circles," he muttered. "We need a break."

Ranpo raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eye as he glanced at Yosano. "Dazai, skipping meals doesn't make you any faster."

Dazai glared back, the look on his face making it clear that he'd rather keep searching. But Yosano seized his arm, a smirk playing on her lips. "Nope, you're coming with us. You need food and a break, whether you like it or not."

Grumbling under his breath, Dazai allowed himself to be led toward the door, leaving Atsushi and Akutagawa to hold down the office. The others trailed out, and as the door swung shut, Atsushi turned to his silent companion.