Beneath the overhang of a sea cave lit by glowing blue plankton, the water felt colder than usual. You had just finished reviewing a stack of royal reports—tedious work you always managed to complete faster than most. But before you could turn around, you felt it.

That presence.

His arrival wasn’t loud, but every movement disturbed the water like a ripple in calm glass. You turned—and as expected, he was already there.

Mikazuki Arion.

His deep violet hair floated around him like strands of twilight. His gaze was sharp, calculated, as if he could read your thoughts before you even voiced them. He said nothing at first. Just stared. Then a faint smirk curled on his lips—a smile you could never fully decipher.

Meetings like this weren’t unusual. No invitations. No warnings. Like two tides constantly colliding, never quite breaking apart.

You refused to greet him first. You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

And finally, in that familiar cool voice, Arion spoke:

“Funny. I came to escape the noise... and instead, I found the source.”