Miku walked in front of Luke, casually putting her arms at her back. Luke followed behind her, wondering how he was still carrying five shopping bags in his hands. As they reached their gate, Miku turned around, smiling.
"Hey, onii-chan. We should do this again."
Luke let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, we should. But first, a little help with these?"
Miku glanced at the bags in his hands and giggled. "Aww, my onii-chan needs help with some bags?"
"Haha. Very funny. Just help me, would you?"
"Okay, onii-chan." Miku took two bags from him and went inside. Luke sighed as he followed her inside, but the moment he crossed the threshold, something changed.
As they made it to the door, Miku inserted her key. The lock didn't click. She twisted the key harder. Still nothing.
Miku pouted. "Jeez, what's with the door?"
Luke placed his hand on the door, sliding it open. "Nothing's wrong… it's already open," he answered, his eyes scanning the entrance. He noticed shoes by the genkan. 'So, she came home early,' he thought as he and Miku walked in.
"Okaa-san? We're home." Miku called as she took off her shoes, but no one answered.
"Okaa-san?" Nothing.
Luke's eyes narrowed as he walked through the corridor. As he passed by the living room, the television was on. He paused, looking back at Miku, who was puzzled.
"... onii-chan?" Miku hesitated, her voice barely a whisper. "Is… something wrong?"
Luke gave a casual smile. "Of course not," he said, trying to suppress his instincts. "Just stay here."
"Why?"
"Just… stay, please."
Miku studied him for a second before giving a small nod. "Alright, but… be careful."
"Relax, I got this." Luke assured her. He turned, heading to the kitchen. The moment he turned, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a minute he exhaled, " it's time I see through a different lens," he muttered before opening his eyes.
Then, his eyes snapped open.
The natural black of his eyes were gone, replaced by the gold and silver of his irises and pupils. His Apostle perception.
The house remained the same. Reality did not.
The walls suddenly felt transparent—not physically, but conceptually. Luke could see the faint signatures bleeding through them, traces of life and energy layered over the familiar shape of his home. Every human presence burned with its own color. Every supernatural trace left a scar in the air.
Luke stepped into the kitchen, scanning the room. He turned to the counter, noticing a faint trail of Sora's signature and another one. As he walked toward it; he saw her phone. It was still on. He pulled out his phone to check the time.
'A minute after six. Twelve minutes before we got here,' he thought as he pocketed his phone. Another minute passed before Luke unzipped his jacket, feeling a little hot.
Luke walked over to the stove. It was on and set on high. Luke's eyes narrowed as he studied it. It looked like it had just been turned on, but its heat felt unnatural. "Well, that's weird," he said, turning it off.
"Whoom."
Before he could process anything; a gust-like wave passed him, making him jump back. He saw cracked traces of the unfamiliar signature leading to the living room.
Luke's jaw tightened. He knew the living room wasn't the only room in there.
There was another one. Sora's room.
The signature was still looming through the living room, leading to Sora's bedroom. Having no time to think, he headed for the door. As Luke put his hand on the handle, he paused for a second.
Luke slowly turned the handle, pushing the door open as he stepped into Sora's bedroom, his Apostle perception immediately searching every corner for a trace of what had happened.
The room looked almost untouched as if no one had been there. Luke looked around Sora's room, noticing the signatures overlapped with each other.
"No sign of conflict," he said as he walked over to her closet, feeling her signature inside it. He glanced inside the closet, spotting an empty clothes hanger. "And her coat is gone, meaning… she left. But with whom?" Luke pondered as he went to Sora's bed.
The bed looked made, but Luke's eyes noticed something: both signatures were settled on the bed. Luke scanned the bed, noticing a slight ruffle on the bedding. 'Looks like they had a little chat,' he thought.
As he turned to leave, something on Sora's bedside table caught his eye. He picked it up, examining it between his fingers.
"A black feather," he murmured.
Luke studied it carefully. He knew Lamina's feathers well enough to recognize that this wasn't hers. It wasn't Zeriel's either. The spiritual residue was unmistakably that of a Watcher—but there was something unfamiliar about it.
His fingers tightened around the feather.
"Then whose is it?"
Luke turned the feather between his fingers, studying the faint spiritual residue clinging to its barbs. He had seen Lamina's feathers before. This wasn't hers.His eyes narrowed.
"So you were here…" he muttered.
A quiet voice came from behind him.
"Onii-chan?"
Luke froze. He slowly turned toward the doorway.Miku stood there, one hand resting against the frame. Her expression had changed from curiosity to concern.
"I thought I told you to stay behind."
Luke glanced back at the feather in his hand.
He had no idea how he was going to explain this.
"Where's okaa-san?" Miku asked, hugging her cat plush tightly.
"Uh… she left," Luke managed as he pocketed the feather in his jacket. "I'll find her, I promise."
"How? You don't know where she is."
"Don't worry, Miku. I'll get her back."
"But what if you—"
"Miku." Luke's voice interrupted as he crouched to meet her eyes. He placed his hands on her shoulders, "do you trust me?"
Miku stared at her brother for a second before giving a small nod, "I do trust you. But… I don't know what to do."
Luke's expression softened.
For a moment, he didn't see the Apostle's signature burning beneath his skin or the unfamiliar feather hidden inside his jacket.
He just saw his little sister, scared.
Luke glanced toward the hallway.The house felt different now. Too quiet. Too empty. He knew he couldn't leave Miku here; but taking her with him wasn't an option either. Not when he didn't know who had been inside their home.
Luke reached up and gently brushed a stray strand of hair away from Miku's face. "Then you don't have to do anything."
Miku blinked.
"I'll handle Mom."
"But—"
"And you," Luke continued, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "are going somewhere safe."
Miku frowned. "Where?"
Luke hesitated.His eyes moved toward the front door.Then toward the black feather hidden in his jacket— and he already knew the answer.There was one person outside his family he trusted enough to put Miku in their care.
"Subaru."
Miku tilted her head. "Subaru?"
"Yeah. She's reliable."
"You know her that well?"
Luke gave a faint smile. "Well enough."
Miku hugged her plush tighter. "But what about you?"
Luke's smile faded slightly. "I have to find Mom."
"Can I come?"
"No."
Miku's expression fell.
Luke immediately softened his voice. "Not this time."
"But onii-chan—"
"Miku." He crouched again until they were eye level."I need you to do something for me."
"What?"
"Stay with Subaru until I come back."
Miku stared at him. "And you'll come back?"
Luke paused for only a second, but Miku noticed.
Luke smiled again."I will."
She narrowed her eyes. "You're doing that thing again."
Luke blinked. "What thing?"
"That smile."
His expression faltered as Miku stepped closer."You smile when you're scared."
Luke stared at her and for once, he didn't have a clever response.He sighed and placed his hand on her head."...You're getting too observant."
"I learned from you."
A quiet laugh escaped him. "Yeah. I guess you did."
Luke pulled out his phone.His thumb hovered over Subaru's contact for a moment.He had never asked her for anything before.Not really.
But Vera's words came back to him. "Don't solve this alone."
Luke stared at the screen. Then he pressed the call button.
"Kazama?"
Luke glanced toward Miku.
"Subaru. I need a favor."
"Kazama? You need a favor?"
"I need you to look after my sister."
"…Miku?"
"Just until I get back."
"What's going on?"
"I can't explain over the phone. Can you do it?"
The line stayed quiet for a moment. Then, Subaru spoke. "Yeah. I can."
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