[Start of Arc 2 - The Daniels Estate]
[The Daniels Estate, Havok, Piasu, Ryomania, May 7th, Tuesday, 6:00 AM, 2025]
I woke at 6 A.M. to the shrill beep of a gilded alarm clock I had no idea was here the night before.
Sunlight streamed through silk curtains, painting the room in gold. The guest bedroom screamed luxury — mahogany furniture, velvet drapes, a bed softer than clouds. But the opulence felt hollow.
I stood up and looked into the standing mirror. The cuts and bruises on my body were already healed just from sleeping.
"It's just from sleeping, surely..." I yawned and rubbed my eyes.
I stumbled to the window and peeled back the curtains. The Daniels' estate sprawled before me — manicured hedges, marble fountains, and the large family garden where Amelia could faintly be seen watering plants.
After all the chaos of yesterday, we were finally free, for now. I took a deep breath. For the lives lost. For the guilt festering in Cathy's eyes. For the ghost of Keito Nakamura, whose voice still hissed in my nightmares.
Still, there was no running from my thoughts.
"The world still moves on without us, huh…?"
I needed fresher air. Deciding I couldn't just sit here drowning in my own head, I went for the door. I reached for the doorknob, but it swung open before I could twist it.
A young woman stood before me with long black hair that had red streaks of color in it. She had matching red eyes and scars on her face. She wore a white t-shirt with a pink leather jacket on top and some standard blue jeans. She also had on a black backpack with a baseball bat sticking out of it, and a faint golden badge on the side.
"Yo, homewrecker, who let you in—"
Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand.
"Jamie! Oh my gosh, it's so good to see you! Eeek!~"
Before I could process anything, this strange girl tackled me into a hug like I was a giant stuffed panda, laughing and jumping excitedly.
"Uh... Hey? How do you know my name? Are you another maid? Where's Jack? And... what happened to your clothes?" I said as I pointed to the sawdust and pink paint stains on her t-shirt.
She giggled and looked intensely at me, letting go of me — only to nearly hit me with the baseball bat sticking out of her backpack as she turned around.
"Maid? Dude, I've known you since you were still in diapers, but damn... You've really grown up, huh?" She looked me up and down slowly, smirking and extending a hand to me. I shook it gently.
"I'm Erika Daniels, the big sister of that little dirtbag. C'mon! Let's go have breakfast!" She grabbed my wrist and started dragging me down the hall before I could even blink.
"I know you don't remember me, obviously. But I've known you since you were a beansprout. You three used to come here and play with Jack a lot back in the day… Anyway, I heard about everything that happened to you guys from Amelia. I'm sure you met her, she's a cutie. She called me last night so I rushed back home. Work's been... a nightmare. Sorry about the attire, I got into some stuff." She glanced back at me, chuckling sheepishly.
She did look exhausted.
"You weren't home yesterday. Right. It's okay, that's how work can be."
"Oh, tell me about it. I had to leave in a rush when I heard you and your little friends were here. We've both been busy, huh, big boy?~" She glanced over her shoulder again with a wicked grin. "Let's just get it out of the way — I work for The Syndicate. I know Jack mentioned that already, he can't keep a secret to save his life! We've never talked much about it at home, but it's not like it matters, you already know. Don't worry, I'm not here to kill you or anything. You're safe... for now."
"Safe? Right. That's comforting…"
Before I could retort further, we reached the living room, where Cathy and Jack were already in an argument.
"Calm down! The cops won't find us, and even if they do, we'll fight them off— Oh, morning, bro. Sis." Jack waved to me before glancing back at Cathy with a smirk. Cathy glanced my way once before looking back at Jack.
"Fight them off?! You're a right nutter, you know that? Jack, we can't stay here forever! And if you're suggesting we kill cops — so help me... I'll beat you to a — James, tell this... creature that w-we can't just... kill people! Right?"
"We've already killed in self-defense! But I mean..." He gestured with his hands at us.
I looked at Erika. She just grinned and pushed me towards the couch gently. I sighed.
"Uh… How about we stay here for just a week? Let the heat die down. In the meantime, maybe Erika can tell us more about The Syndicate."
"Straight to business, huh? That's what I've always loved about you, Jamie... Fine! I'll tell you what I can, but don't expect me to spill aaaall the secrets. Classified info, ya know? Anyway, you're safe here. I'm not on a mission so nobody has to know about you, m'kay? Just don't destroy anything else. You messed up the lawn and all." Erika put her backpack down on the couch and pulled out a black hair-tie, tying her hair in a ponytail.
I exchanged a quick glance with Cathy and Jack, and we nodded in unison.
"Great! No offense, but after everything that happened, I could go for some grub." Jack stood up and did a front flip off the couch, landing with a flair that had zero necessity.
I raised an eyebrow, finally sitting down on the couch next to Cathy.
"Who does flips in a living room? Bloody moron..." Cathy pinched the bridge of her nose and looked up towards the ceiling. Erika just watched us with a grin on her face.
"People with style, Cathy. Get on my level." Cathy shot him a glance and scoffed. He grabbed a golden bell conveniently lying on the coffee table and rang it once.
Not even a moment later, the head maid, Amelia, sprinted in from one of the hallways. She carried a tray with four sandwiches stacked perfectly with toast, eggs, and bacon. The smell was mouthwatering — an actual improvement from the chaos we'd been living through recently.
Unfortunately, she tripped over her shoes. The tray tipped, the sandwiches ready to meet their doom on the floor. Cathy flicked her wrist, and the tray floated mid-air before gently landing on the coffee table. She even cushioned Amelia's fall.
"Watch it, Jack's a natural disaster in full black! Are you okay, ma'am?"
Amelia huffed and stood up, adjusting her mobcap.
"It is alright, Miss Ariston. It was my fault for hurrying... I've been trying to get faster and faster at answering the bell recently, it's really fun!"
"Oh yeah, blame me, huh? Cathy's a political hazard for anyone under 100!" He smirked as Cathy grabbed the salt on the coffee table, ready to throw it at him.
"What does that even mean— Stop. Let's all calm down."
Erika plopped down on my right side on the couch, lounging with her legs stretched out towards my lap.
"Just a little bit of horseplay between friends, don't worry about it. Jack's always been like that. Right, Jamie?"
Amelia bowed politely and turned away.
"I-I apologize for my clumsiness yet again! It's my fault, please don't argue for my sake..."
"You're fine, dismissed," Erika said, grabbing the tray off the table and putting it on her lap.
Amelia nodded and left.
"Damn, Cathy! That was cool. Didn't know you had it in ya. Just kidding, of course I know! I'm like, super cool so I recognize cool when I see it. Way to show off your... Gravity or whatever!" Erika barked out a throaty laugh as she took a large bite out of a sandwich off the tray, gently setting it back down onto the table. Jack also grabbed one and laid back.
"Mhm... that's good. Oh yeah, this reminds me… It's decided. I'm training you three to become stronger! If you're crashing here for like a week or however long, you're not just going to laze around the house until a meteor falls from the sky, no no no, you're going to put in work~" She winked my way and patted me on the shoulder, grabbing her sandwich again and biting into it.
"Stronger? What for? More of The Syndicate's special ranks? And why are you even helping us? This isn't right..." I moved to stand, but she put her hand out to stop me, pushing me gently back onto the couch.
"Oh please, calm down. I already told you you'll be safe here. And don't act so coy. You've got it written all over you. The wide-eyed look, the tragic backstory, the determination... all textbook hero stuff. And hey, maybe I'm just helping you out 'cause you're cute~" She continued eating and winked again at me. I turned away and rubbed my forehead.
"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Cathy finally sat down next to us on the couch, arms crossed. Pouty as ever. Glaring at Erika.
"Believe me, sweetheart, if I wanted to harm you... You wouldn't have gotten into this house in the first place. I've seen literal tigers with more Flow than you." Erika met Cathy's death stare with a sinister grin. I gently grabbed Erika's shoulder and pushed her back.
"Uh… Can we…? Let's not argue... Like Mrs. Amelia said. Okay?"
"Nah, I was just joking with ya. Oh, and Amelia isn't that old, don't call her miss. She's like, twenty? Eighteen? I forgot. She's short and sweet like her famous cakes, that's what we know her by, right, Jackie?"
"Mhm! She's adorable!" he said, with a mouthful of sandwich.
"Which is why I call her sweetie — but no, seriously though... I want to help you…"
"Yeah yeah, you have pet names, whatever. Look, we'd better make a plan if we're serious. If we're going to train. We need to decide what we're working toward. Otherwise, we're just punching air. So… What tips do you have?" Jack bit into his sandwich again with exaggerated relish and leaned over the couch to look at Erika.
"Tips? Pfft. Training isn't about tips, Jackie. It's about sweat, blood, and tears — and sometimes a little psychological trauma for flavor~" Erika winked at me and snuggled closer to my side. I shifted away.
Cathy gave her an unimpressed look, arms crossed as she leaned back on the couch.
"Wow. Great pep talk. Truly inspiring."
"Hey, don't knock it till you try it! Besides, your powers need refining. Right now, you're just... angry. I can fix that."
My eyes caught the thoughtful expression on Cathy's face. I grabbed a sandwich off the tray and bit into it.
"You know, Erika... how do you know so much about this stuff? And why would someone working for The Syndicate want to train us? Why? I can handle your... motives. I've seen things. I want to know."
"Haven't we all? Hey bro! Catch!" Jack suddenly threw a slice of bacon my way, but Cathy caught it. He chuckled through her death stare...
"Jack! I told you, no throwing food, ever. Geez... His stupidity is almost frightening sometimes." She sighed and propped her head on her hand as she looked at me. Jack shrunk back onto the couch, still smirking. He respects Erika.
Cathy tried to pop the bacon slice into her mouth and failed as she leaned over and the bacon slice fell back onto the tray.
"Gee… It's heartwarming to see you three together, but… It sucks that Jasmine couldn't be here. Yeah, I know. The Boss took her and the body of your other friend, Sakura. Haven't met her yet."
The three of us exchanged a knowing glance, saddened by everything that had happened.
"You just had to bring that up, didn't you?" Cathy looked at her with visible anger. Erika just smiled gently.
"Calm down, Cathy, she didn't mean it in a bad way… She's reminiscing…"
"Sure am! She seemed like the sweetest among you, no offense…" She chuckled and leaned over next to me.
"Wherever she is, I'm sure she's fine. She's got to be! Right?"
"Right… Anyway, I'm sure you'll figure that type of stuff out between yourselves. I can't say anything. I'm technically under contract… Oh, and to answer your earlier question — I know a lot about 'these things' because I work for The Syndicate, obviously. And I want to help you, what don't you understand? I know, I know it's strange and sudden and a shock to you after… last night… But… I don't have any ulterior motives. Swear. Oh, and I'm totally sorry about what happened with Normand—"
Jack threw another slice of bacon at me. I moved without thinking and caught it in my mouth mid-air.
"Jack! Quit it... But thank you. We're sorry about what happened too..." I chewed thoughtfully and turned to Erika again.
Cathy looked ready to throttle Jack. She pinned him onto the couch with her powers.
"I swear... Jack, if you don't stop acting like a goddamn—"
"Hey! Stop it. We're having a calm and peaceful breakfast. Got it?! Look, I want to train you 'cause you have potential, don't look into it. Also, I'm not under strict orders. Ask me some damn awesome questions or get the hell out of here, you and your three-penny-looking haircut. You're messing up my vibe." Erika slammed her fist onto the coffee table, rattling the tray.
Cathy let go of Jack, struggling to hold in her anger. She met my eyes and once again looked to the window.
"Geez... It was just a joke."
"Stupid joke…"
Erika's answer didn't exactly inspire confidence, but I let it slide for now. Jack, seemingly unphased by anything, grabbed a plate of eggs and bacon off the tray, shoveling it all into his mouth.
"Mmph... You're being all mysterious again... Just spit it out, Erika. You hate The Syndicate, don't you?"
Erika leaned back. She grabbed her own knees with a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Don't push your luck, kiddo. Let's just say I have my reasons for wanting to stick around — and my reasons for wanting to see certain people in that organization squirm. And others win. And I can do whatever I want, got it?! Now ask something else, something fun."
Cathy raised an eyebrow and hovered over my lap to sit next to Erika. I once again scooted to the left.
"And yet, you're still working for them. Doesn't that make you complicit?"
Jack whistled under his breath.
"That's a fun question..."
"Wow, Cathy. Way to kick a girl when she's down. I'll be complicit later, when it matters~" She winked but didn't elaborate further.
"Erika, what does training actually entail?"
"You'll see. Right now you're all muscles and instinct. You'll get control soon enough." She pointed her bat at Cathy and Jack. "But you two are even worse! You repel each other, no pun intended. We'll start with the basics, alright? Strength, focus, control. Then we'll work on using your powers under pressure. Sounds fun?"
"Define fun."
"Not dying."
Cathy groaned and curled up into a ball on the couch.
"Great. Just great… It's like the same person, cloned…"
I smiled despite the heaviness of her words. For better or worse, this was our new normal. I was starting to like this banter. My eyes once again drew to the outside. The rising sun set a golden hue across the room, making it a joyful memory.
"The sunlight is so warm, and I really like this sandwich... Thank you."
Erika chuckled and took another bite of her sandwich which had now unfortunately gone cold. Jack leaned back against the couch and put his hands behind his head.
"Did you know Erika is actually really strong? She is a master at The Ten Steps! She's mastered almost every step except for the last three. I think."
Erika shot him a dangerous glance, a 'subtle' warning to not pry any further. We sat in awkward silence for a bit after that.
"I know this is off topic, but is there a gym here? Also, how the heck does your family afford this estate? It's like the biggest one I've ever seen... Or been in for that matter."
"Mhm... there's a gym alright, but I don't use it as much anymore... I like other forms of training. Ah, as for the estate, it's more complicated, but long story short, dear old dad founded the Coco-Cola company and fell in love with our mom, founder of the Pepo-Cola company. Time passes, yada yada, eventually they get married, have us, and make a brand new ass-kickin' corporation together, 'Daniels-Richardson Co'. Guess who was the main inspiration for their best selling drink…? Hint hint…" She pointed at herself and wiggled her eyebrows.
Jack laughed and took a swig of a Coco-Cola can that just so happened to be unopened and lying on the tray. What great fortune for this air-head.
"It's you! Erika Daniels! It's this strong alcohol drink or something with different flavors... I wouldn't read much into it, just know that it made our parents rich! And technically we're rich too, but meh... my allowance isn't even that big."
"That's 'cause you'd spend it all on Coco-Cola, even though we get them for free!"
"I'm not that dumb, sis... I buy clothes! And action figures! And cool... I dunno, things?"
Cathy crossed her arms and leaned back on the couch, she looked up at the ceiling, feeling a little annoyed.
"Ah, makes sense... I thought your name was familiar. Erika Daniels whiskey... My dad used to buy the heck out of it when I was younger, I hear it has a kick to it. But doesn't that make you famous or something?"
Erika barked out a laugh and stood up, stretching languidly before sitting right back down on the couch.
"Oh, it's got a kick alright! Just like lil ol' me! But nah, I just tell people it's a coincidence and they buy it, most of the time at least. Losers~"
[The Daniels Estate, Havok, Piasu, Ryomania, 6:31 AM, May 7th, Tuesday, 2025]
After a few more minutes of eating and bickering, we went our separate ways throughout the estate.
Erika headed somewhere downstairs into the basement of the mansion, a large sprawling set of hallways and rooms underneath us. Not even Jack was allowed down there. Or Amelia.
Cathy volunteered to wash the dishes in the kitchen next to the living room. There were three kitchens in the mansion; this menial task allowed her to process yesterday's events. Meanwhile, Jack was outside, trying to fix the lawn by raking the grass back into place and failing.
I took a shower in the upstairs bathroom and finally changed clothes, borrowing one of Jack's black t-shirts and various sweatpants. Erika said he never wore those.
I went back downstairs into the living room, now fully dressed, and Amelia appeared, graceful as ever.
"Oh my! Y-you surprised me! Mistress Erika said you could use a tour, Master James. You are new here after all... Come along, it's better than brooding here all day."
I raised a brow but didn't argue. The idea of getting to know this massive estate was intimidating but intriguing.
"Alright, please lead the way."
I followed her, and almost immediately, I realized how absurdly large this place was. It had four stories.
"This place truly is massive..." I said as she led me down a hallway leading to the back of the mansion.
Amelia chuckled and slowed down her pace to match mine.
"It truly is, but it's also beautiful! Come on, let's go out into the garden."
She showed me the huge garden which featured a hedge maze and beautifully cut and trimmed bushes all around.
"This is amazing... Everything smells so nice and the air is cool! It feels familiar. Do you tend to everything around here?" I stopped to smell a rose on one of the bushes. It reminded me of Mr. Nakamura.
"Um... Yes, I do! I take care of the whole property, and I don't mind! I love taking care of the garden. I cut out every single bush you see, and Mistress Erika occasionally helps whenever she isn't at work..."
"And this hedge maze too?"
"Yes, that's right! Mistress Erika and Master Jack used to have races through the maze when Master Jack was younger. He always got lost, and Erika..." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Let's just say she wasn't above climbing the hedges to cheat."
I smirked and put my hands behind my back.
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how old are you?"
Amelia stopped and looked at me with a wistful smile.
"I'm eighteen years old... Mistress Erika is twenty-five, but she likes calling me sweetie. I don't mind. I like it! It makes me feel fuzzy and warm."
That didn't make sense to me, but her tone implied I shouldn't inquire further. I didn't.
"Okay... Sounds about right."
We moved on to the gym ten minutes later — a state-of-the-art facility with more equipment than I knew what to do with. Amelia gestured to a weight rack with a faint smile.
"This is Master Jack's domain. He spends hours here — part stress relief, part obsession."
I nodded thoughtfully as I looked around. It was a big open space, about three rooms worth.
"He's got the muscle to show for it." I glanced at the punching bags lined up in the corner. "And what about Erika? From what I've seen she's fit too. And she mentioned something about letting go of the gym? Not using it anymore... Why's that?"
Amelia smirked and grabbed a small weight off the rack, 1 kilogram, holding it up with both hands to me. I smiled and took it from her.
"Mistress Erika is more of a sprinter. She works out just enough to stay fit, but don't let her fool you. She can keep up when it counts. She used to train more when I was younger and Master William and Mistress Gloria were around... I'm not sure why she stopped." She suddenly took the weight from me and with too much force put it back on the weight rack, rattling it. "S-sorry... I don't like discussing these intimate things with anyone really…"
"No, it's okay. I didn't realize it was so personal for you."
Without a further word, she went towards the gym's exit. From there, she showed me the library. It was a towering, cathedral-like room, with shelves that stretched up to the vaulted ceiling.
"This place just keeps getting bigger and bigger..."
"That's just what it feels like, Master James. I assure you it's only as large as needed!"
Despite her strange response, I continued following her. Something was off... But I didn't pry further. The smell of aged paper and leather filled the air, and I could see why someone might lose themselves here for hours. I surely could.
However, at the library's heart stood a white door — plain, sterile, glaringly out of place.
"What's in there?"
Amelia stopped in her tracks, looking almost perplexed as she glanced between me and the door.
"I don't know... I've never seen that door before. It must be something Mistress Erika is doing. She leads a pretty private life." Her smile didn't reach her eyes.
"Right, probably just a broom closet."
It was out of place, to say the least. Unlike the rest of the library, which was rich with mahogany and gold accents, the door was plain and sterile, almost clinical. Her tone suggested I shouldn't push further, so I didn't. Not yet, anyway.
[The Daniels Estate, Havok, Piasu, Ryomania, 10:31 AM, May 7th, Tuesday, 2025]
We toured the rest of the mansion. A few hours passed. I didn't mind the walking at all and neither did Amelia. I saw kitchens, bathrooms, lounges — before ending up back near my room.
As I walked past Cathy's door, I heard something that stopped me in my tracks. A muffled sob. After everything we went through, I couldn't walk by. I knocked thrice and opened the door.
Cathy was hovering up on the bed, her face buried in a pillow. She turned her head just enough to glare at me.
"What do you want, idiot? I'm fine... I got over it yesterday, mostly."
I stepped in and sat down on the edge of her bed. She peeked at me before letting out a huff and tossing the pillow aside.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry we couldn't bury Normand — I mean, nobody knew that was going to happen. We'll find your dad. Make him pay."
The words seemed to cut through her defenses. She looked away, her jaw tightening, but I noticed the way her eyes started to glisten. Carefully, I reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder.
My eyes widened at the sight. Her aura didn't push me away. She didn't seem to notice how my hand was somehow going through her barrier. It happened again.
"Why though? So I can end up like Normand? So you can? Fuck... He was just a kid! A scared, stupid kid... And that's exactly what we are, all of us... Stupid whiny babies! We can't... We shouldn't have ended up here—"
We locked eyes again just for a brief moment. She swatted my hand away — still not noticing the fact that it breached her aura.
"I don't need your pity. Just... just go away." Her voice wavered, and for all her bravado, she leaned again into my touch ever so slightly. "I just... I wish things would've gone differently... I miss Jasmine, I miss how life used to be... Even though it was kind of shit." She chuckled and wiped some of her tears away, grabbing her pillow again and holding it tightly to her chest. "He... abandoned us after Normand disappeared. Took Yoshio and everything valuable and left. My mom was sick — she couldn't work, and I had to scrape by with part-time jobs just to keep us afloat. I used to work at a pizzeria we ate at when we were younger, Ron's. And when she died..."
Her voice cracked, and she buried her face in the pillow, her voice barely audible and clearly trying to stop herself from crying.
"He should've been there for us! For me... Damn him!"
Her shoulders shook as she cried into the pillow, and despite my current condition, I felt a pang of helplessness and sadness for her.
"Look, I get it. You're angry, and you have every right to be. But dwelling on the past won't change anything. If you want revenge, then fight for it. Channel that anger into something that'll actually make a difference... Not just for you but for others too. Remember what Mr. Nakamura said? If you're gonna fight, at least fight for love."
She didn't respond immediately, so I took my chance to stand up and head for the door. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Hey, James... thanks. For listening, I mean. For being here. And for everything else..." She paused, wiping her eyes. "And for the record... I don't blame you for Normand's death. That's on me. If I'd been there for him in the first place, maybe he wouldn't have—"
She trailed off, her voice breaking again.
I leaned against the door and gave her a small smile.
"I'll see you at dinner."
As I left her room, I felt the weight of her words settle over me. Each of us had our own struggles to face, our own grudges against The Syndicate. Except for Jack, I had no idea what his deal was yet. Other than Erika working for them. Even Amelia seemed highly suspicious. Sooner or later though, all roads would lead to The Boss. Again.
I wandered through the mansion, making my way to the library to read and relax. I stepped inside and my eyes drifted once more to the strange white door, which was now slightly ajar. A white light seemed to pour out from it.
An eerie sensation crept up my spine, like unseen hands brushing against my skin. The same whispers I heard in the battle with Normand began again, faint and indistinct, pulling at the edges of my mind. I saw memories, fading memories and visions. An opened letter. A rifle. A soft voice calling my name. "James! James! Wake up!"
I once again shook my head to dispel the thoughts.
"Damn it... I've got to get to the bottom of this."
I walked towards the door and opened it—
———
That cold house is in my nightmares,The memories I have of it are ghostly.I passed by it each day in my head and it still haunts me,And I get no eternal sleep.