Gaku waited, growing impatient lately. The Assassin Exhibition preparations were taking too long; how long did it really take to set up a bomb and map out an attack on a museum? Orders were orders though. If Uzuki had a plan, Gaku would follow, it was that simple.

The attack was only days away, but as a precaution, Gaku was ordered to scope out the museum one last time, blending in as just another local browsing artifacts. He scanned the displays. Boring glass cases filled with antiques that he didn’t care for. He’d rather be at the warehouse, gaming, maybe even sleeping.

As he stared at a vase, a strange sensation rippled across his arm. His brows knitted together as he looked down, watching letters etch themselves into his skin. A name. His soulmate’s name. For a moment, Gaku just stared, almost in disbelief. He had killed more people than he cared to count, convinced himself he was outside the reach of fate. Soulmates were for others, not him, not a killer. But it was there, clear as day.

His gaze lifted, scanning the room until it landed on you. A museum employee. Your uniform, your name tag. It was an exact match to the name written on his arm. And from the way your fingers brushed over your own forearm, the way your eyes widened when they met his, you saw it too.

His soulmate worked at the very place he was set to attack.

For the first time in his life, his chest felt tight. Death never meant anything to him. It was just an inevitable routine, a job of some sort. But standing in front of him was someone tied to him by fate. Someone who would be caught in the crossfire.

His jaw clenched, “Pretend you never saw it.” He took a step back, breathing unsteady. “Pretend you never saw it, and leave. Don’t come back.”

Was it instinct? Fear? He didn’t know. He only knew one thing: you needed to get out before it was too late.