Half-Sight

17 | ally

a/n: it's been a while, but we got an update for half-sight!! 

hope you guys enjoy this one. we're ramping up to the climax now :)

with love,

krissy

recap: hina and ren infiltrated daizo shen's private property. hina found letters addressed to daizo by his family before they died, begging daizo to come home, as well as funeral envelopes with names of kids from ren's orphanage. clues lead hina and ren to realize that daizo has taken bohai to the medicine tower—from where daizo plans to use bohai's technological knowledge to mass-distribute the poisonous white wing compound into the atmosphere.

17. ALLY

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"HE'S IN THE Medicine Tower."

Ren and I crouch in the shadow of an outdoor shochu stall. The stench of distilled liquor burns my nostrils. Above, the Tower rises into the midnight pelt of the sky, a red beacon sweeping its spotlights steadily across the marketplace.

I frown. "Why would he be in the Tower? I thought Daizo wanted him to, I don't know, reprogram something from his house. Because his house was in range."

"Exactly. It was in range, Hina." Ren's eyes are alight with fire. "But it wasn't enough. The guard near the torii said Daizo's mission is to decimate the city, not destroy it. He needs access to multiple locations across the map of Osaka—locations only the Tower has access to. It's supposed to happen tomorrow at midnight. There were a lot—I don't remember—the Castle was one of them—"

"The Castle, the Dotonbori Markets, Osaka Station. I know." My voice lowers. "I saw them."

His eyes search mine, stunned. "Saw what? Where?"

"First floor of the pagoda. He had boxes of white wing down there and a map of all his target locations. Stamps on them, labelled Hirabayashi. I think...seeing what Daizo did at the auction, he's going to set off the hallucinogen in those areas and use that window of panic to fuel an uprising."

Ren stares at me. "Uprising."

"You said it yourself," I continue. Around us, people mill about, slamming down wrinkled cash or rusted coins for fogged-up glasses of alcohol, salted fish, and woven blankets for the coming winter. Each creased frown etched deep into a passerby's face, a look of helpless frustration I recognized in the mirror for years. "People are upset and ignored. They want to feel powerful. I just didn't think it was possible for them to act until you told me about the protest."

Ren turns away, quiet. A passing spotlight illuminates a flash of hardness in his eyes.

I can't help myself. "Did you know that Daizo's parents were looking for him?"

More quiet. Ren lowers his head. "We need to tell Kotomi about Daizo's plan. City's not safe if the police is still chasing their own tails."

"Ren." I scoot closer, brows pulling tight. "It's okay. Just tell me. How much do you know?"

He shakes his head. "Too much."

"I saw Daizo's room," I press. "I saw his wanted posters. His parents had no idea what he looked like or what kind of person he became. But now..." A horrible thought occurs to me. "Where are they, Ren?"