Kaede paused mid-step as her father's voice suddenly cut through the air, calm yet carrying an undeniable weight. She froze, her fingers gripping the doorframe tightly. She didn't turn to face him immediately, though his words lingered in the silence.
"Don't fall for Ash," Kaito said, his voice carrying the familiar authority that made her chest tighten. "His goals are distant. Who he is right now—it's not who he'll be in the end."
Her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, she almost felt like a child again. His warning was sharp, his words like a blade slicing through her thoughts, and for an instant, all she could do was stand there. She didn't want to turn around. She didn't want him to see the conflicted look in her eyes.
"You know what I mean," Kaito continued, his voice softer now but still firm. "Ash isn't like us. He's got a different path, one that'll change him, and maybe... us too."
Kaede's heart raced. She wanted to say something—anything—but the words lodged themselves in her throat. The truth was, she wasn't sure what she felt about Ash anymore. He was a mystery, a puzzle she couldn't quite solve. But her father's warning made her doubt every instinct she'd had since she'd started following him into this game.
"I'm just... watching," Kaede finally managed to whisper, her tone distant, as if she were trying to convince herself more than anyone else.
Kaito's silence hung in the air for a moment before he spoke again, his words laced with a quiet intensity. "Watching's fine. But don't let it pull you in. Ash will change, Kaede. And you need to be ready for that."
Kaede's fingers loosened from the doorframe, and with a slow exhale, she turned her back to him, walking away without another word. Her mind was racing, thoughts tumbling over each other like a flood. Kaito's warning had shaken something deep within her, something she hadn't wanted to confront. But as she walked away, the weight of his words pressed down on her, sinking deeper than she ever imagined.
She glanced once more toward Ash, focused on his training, and a strange feeling settled in her chest.
Who is he really? she wondered, a question now haunting her every thought. And more importantly, what will he become?
With that, she stepped into the corridor, her father's warning echoing in her mind, her heart uncertain of what path she was truly walking down.