I lay down after talking to Blake. She and Sun were talking to her parents. Ankh was still in the garden. Then I heard Amber scream. I got out of my old bedroom and headed to check on her.

My mom wasn't home, she was going to take care of her mother. I looked at my stepsister. “Are you alright?” I asked in a concerning voice.

“I… I … had a nightmare.” She cried. Then I saw someone peeking in the window. They had a White Fang mask. I jumped out the window. “Be careful Corey.”

Ankh looked at me. “Damn it Boy, use the Goddamn Door!”

I flipped him off as I chased after the Fang member. Why were they peaking through Amber's window?

I saw Sun and Blake running on the rooftops after Illa, she was our childhood friend and a member of the Fang.

I darted through the narrow streets, my claws still extended, my mind racing. Ilda? I hadn’t seen her in years, not since she disappeared into the ranks of the White Fang. Seeing her now, spying on Amber, sent a chill down my spine. What was she doing back here? And why Amber?

Blake and Sun moved swiftly across the rooftops, their silhouettes barely visible in the moonlight. Blake’s agility was impressive as ever, leaping from roof to roof with ease. Sun, with his nimbleness, kept up, his golden tail flicking behind him. They were gaining on Ilda, but I wasn’t far behind.

I rounded a corner, cutting through a side alley to head them off. Illa jumped down from the rooftops, landing just ahead of me. Her mask gleamed under the moonlight, but I could see her dark eyes behind it—eyes that once carried warmth, now filled with something else.

"Illa!" I called out, skidding to a halt. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She froze for a moment, then turned to face me. "Corey… You shouldn’t be involved in this."

"I’m already involved," I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through me. "You were watching Amber. Why?"

Her eyes darted between me and the approaching figures of Blake and Sun. "It’s not what you think," she said urgently. "I’m trying to protect her."

Sun got into a pose for his semblance. His clones go to hold her down. I backed off as my hands were shaking badly. I froze up.

Blake pauses and turns around but is urged by Sun to continue forward. Sun soon loses control over his Semblance due to lack of Aura and releases his clones, falling to his knees. As soon as the clones disappear, Ilia aims her weapon at Blake. Sun calls out a warning. Blake turns around in time to see Ilia's cracked White Fang mask crumble away. Recognizing her, Blake narrows her eyes. Sun expresses surprise that they know each other. Annoyed, Ilia changes color to red skin with yellow blotches that match her hair and eyes before lashing her weapon at Sun. It hits him in the chest with an electric charge, and he goes down.

Blake cries out and Ilia points her weapon at her, demanding that she hand over the Scroll. Undaunted, Blake refuses. Her skin changing to green and blue with matching blue hair and eyes, Ilia tells Blake that she should not have returned. She then takes a couple steps back and then sweeps her weapon in a downward arc, creating a forceful dusty wind to block Blake and allow her to disappear.

Blake rushes over to Sun, who is bleeding from where Ilia's weapon made contact on the left side of his chest. Holding her hands over it, she calls out for someone to help them and tells Sun to hang on. I stood there suffering from my inner trauma of the Fall of Beacon.

_________________________________________________________

The next day, sunlight filtered through the windows of Blake’s family home, casting a warm glow over the room. I sat in a chair beside Sun’s bed, my claws retracted but my hands still trembling slightly. He lay unconscious, his chest bandaged where Ilia’s weapon had struck him. His breathing was shallow but steady. Blake sat across from me, her arms crossed, eyes locked on Sun. Her expression was a mix of anger, worry, and guilt.

“He’ll be okay,” I said, breaking the silence, though I wasn’t sure if I was reassuring her or myself.

Blake didn’t respond at first. Her ears twitched, and her gaze stayed on Sun. Finally, she sighed. “I should’ve seen it coming. Ilia… she’s changed, but not enough to make me forget who she was. I just didn’t think she’d go this far.”

I nodded slowly, my mind still replaying the events of the night before. Ilia’s words echoed in my head. She was trying to protect Amber. From what? From who?

“She wanted my Scroll,” Blake said, her voice low but steady. “Why? What’s so important that she’d risk everything to come after it?”

I leaned forward, my elbows resting on my knees. “You think it has something to do with Salem? Or Ankh?”

Blake’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Ankh. “Ilia said Amber was in danger… and if Ankh is involved, it makes sense. He’s been hiding something, and Ilia knows what it is.”

I clenched my fists. “We need answers. And we need to find Ilia before she tries again.”

Blake stood, pacing. “Agreed. But we can’t rush into this blindly. Sun needs time to heal, and we need a plan.” She turned to me, her amber eyes sharp. “Corey, you know Amber better than anyone. Is there anything about her that could make her a target?”

I hesitated. Amber was human, innocent, and had never been involved in anything that would draw attention from the White Fang or Salem. But the fact that Ilia and Ankh were connected to her somehow… it didn’t sit right with me.

“No,” I said finally. “Amber’s just a kid. But if Ankh’s been feeding information to Salem, maybe it’s not about who she is—it’s about what she represents.”

Blake stopped pacing, considering my words. “Hope,” she said softly. “If they’re targeting Amber, they’re trying to break us down. And Ilia… she’s being used.”

“We need to talk to her,” I said. “Find out what she knows.”

Blake nodded. “And stop whatever plan Ankh and Salem have for Amber.”

Just then, Sun stirred, groaning softly. Blake was at his side in an instant, gently touching his arm. “Sun? Can you hear me?”

He blinked, his golden eyes fluttering open. “Blake…” His voice was weak, but his usual playful tone was still there. “Did I… get hit by a truck?”

Blake smiled faintly, relief washing over her face. “Something like that.”

Sun chuckled weakly, then winced. “Remind me to never piss off Ilia again.”

I stood, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You did good, Sun. But we’ve got work to do.”

He nodded, his expression serious. “Whatever you need, I’m in. Just give me a minute to… not feel like I got fried.”

Blake and I exchanged a glance. There was still so much to do, but at least we weren’t alone. Together, we would figure this out. We had to—for Amber’s sake.

I need to get over what's stopping me from fighting. “Blake, I'm sorry that I froze last night.” I felt something was wrong with me mentally.

“Corey…” Blake's mother walked in with a tray of tea. “I wasn't expecting you to come over so soon.”

“Hello Kali.” I waved at her.

Kali smiled warmly as she set the tray down on the table, her calm presence filling the room. “It’s good to see you again, Corey. You’ve grown.”

“Yeah,” I said, forcing a smile. “It’s been a while.”

She handed Blake and Sun their cups before turning to me. I accepted the tea, my hands trembling slightly as I wrapped them around the warm cup. Kali noticed but didn’t comment, her eyes soft with understanding.

Blake sat back down, her gaze lingering on me. “Corey, you don’t have to apologize for last night. You’ve been through a lot.”

I shook my head, my grip tightening on the cup. “That’s no excuse. I froze when you needed me. I let you and Sun down.”

Sun groaned from his spot on the couch. “You didn’t let anyone down, man. You were there. That’s what matters.”

Blake leaned forward, her amber eyes searching mine. “You’ve been carrying this alone, haven’t you? The Fall of Beacon... your team…”

I felt my chest tighten, my heart pounding in my ears. I forced a chuckle, trying to deflect. “I’m fine, Blake. Really. Just a little rusty.”

Kali’s gentle voice cut through my façade. “Corey, pretending you’re fine won’t make the pain go away. I’ve seen this before—the weight of loss. You can’t carry it alone.”

I looked away, swallowing hard. The images of Azu and Sumire flashed in my mind—their laughter, their strength, and the moment I lost them. My robotic arm twitched involuntarily, a constant reminder of that night.

“I… I should’ve done more,” I muttered, my voice cracking. “I should’ve saved them.”

Blake reached out, placing a hand over mine. “You did everything you could. Azu and Sumire wouldn’t blame you for surviving.”

“But I do,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I can’t stop thinking about it. Every time I fight, I hear their voices. I see their faces. What if I freeze again? What if I fail again?”

Kali knelt beside me, her hand resting on my shoulder. “Grief is heavy, but it doesn’t have to define you. Let those you’ve lost be your strength, not your burden.”

Blake nodded, her grip on my hand tightening. “You’re not alone, Corey. We’re here. And we’ll get through this together.”

My hands were shaking. I dropped the cup and it shattered. At that moment, I saw Azu and Sumire being attacked by a Raxorwing. I panicked and ran out of a window.

“Does he do that a lot?” Sun asked, confused.

Blake laughs. “A bit.”

I sprinted out into the open air, my heart pounding as the memory of Azu and Sumire's last moments played on repeat in my mind. The Razorwing's shriek, their screams, and my helplessness—all of it felt real again, like it was happening right in front of me.

I stumbled into the garden, my breathing ragged. My claws extended instinctively, but there was no threat here—only shadows and the quiet rustle of the trees. I collapsed to my knees, clutching my robotic arm, as if trying to ground myself.

“Get it together, Corey,” I muttered to myself, my voice shaking. “They’re gone… They’re gone.”

Footsteps approached, light and cautious. I didn’t need to look to know it was Blake.

“Corey,” she said softly, kneeling beside me. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

I shook my head, unable to meet her gaze. “It’s not okay, Blake. I’m not okay. I can’t stop seeing them. Every time I close my eyes… I failed them.”

Blake sighed, sitting back on her heels. “You didn’t fail them. You fought for them, Corey. You fought alongside them. That’s what they’d want you to remember.”

I let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow. “Would they? I was supposed to protect them, Blake. And now they’re gone, and I’m…” I held up my robotic arm, my voice breaking. “This. Half of me feels like I don’t even belong anymore.”

Blake reached out, gently placing a hand on my arm. “You belong, Corey. You’re still you—no matter what. And we’re not giving up on you.”

I looked at her, tears blurring my vision. “How do you keep going, Blake? After everything we’ve lost? How do you keep fighting?”

She smiled faintly, her cat ears twitching. “Because I have people who believe in me. People who remind me I’m not alone. And so do you.”

I wanted to argue, to push her away, but something in her words stuck. Maybe she was right. Maybe I wasn’t as alone as I thought.

Blake stood, holding out a hand. “Come on. Let’s get you back inside. Sun’s probably worried I let you jump off a roof again.”

I hesitated before taking her hand, letting her help me up. “Thanks, Blake. For not giving up on me.”

“Always, Corey,” she said, her voice steady. “Always.”

As we walked back to the house, I felt a flicker of something I hadn’t felt in a long time—hope. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep me moving forward.

_________________________________________________________

~Girio’s P.O.V.~

I was getting ready for my next assignment: Find and bring Ruby to the Mistress. I was going in my pathetic Cowboy Persona Dan Crimson. To think I will be that dumb-sounding person for another bit.

My real semblance isn't Stubbornness, it's Trickster. I'm able to mimic someone else's Semblance. It helps when you're an actor. I was able to trick everyone into believing that I was Dan Crimson. Nobody knows who he really is or where he is. Salem wanted me to find out what Relic was hidden at Beacon Academy. I failed that mission but we were able to get rid of Ozpin and shut down the CCCT.

“Hold up Girio.” Emerald looked at me.

“What is it?” I crossed my arms.

“I'm wondering if you need any assistance with this mission.” Emerald looked at me. I hated the way she looked.

“No, I'm going back undercover as Dan Crimson so you don't need to get involved.”

Mercury looked at me. “Take it easy.”

I adjusted my hat, slipping back into the persona of Dan Crimson. The carefree smirk, the relaxed cowboy drawl—it was second nature to me now. “Don’t worry ’bout me, partner,” I said, giving Mercury a mock salute. “I’ll be just fine wranglin’ up this here mission.”

Emerald frowned, clearly unconvinced. “Just remember, Girio, Ruby isn’t some pushover. She’s fast, she’s clever, and she’s got her team. You can’t underestimate her.”

I tipped my hat, hiding the irritation flashing across my face. “I don’t plan to. She’s a big fish, and I’ve got the right bait.”

Emerald looked like she wanted to argue, but Mercury cut her off. “Let him do his thing. The cowboy act might be ridiculous, but it works. Somehow.” He snorted, shaking his head.

I shot him a grin, leaning into the persona. “Ridiculous? Pardner, I reckon you’ve got no appreciation for style.”

Turning on my heel, I started toward the exit. Their voices faded as I left the room, replaced by the cold, hollow sound of my boots echoing down the hallway. The farther I got from them, the more the mask began to slip.

Dan Crimson was a role, a costume I could wear and discard at will. But Girio? Girio Uyiko was real, and he was growing tired. Salem’s orders weighed heavily on me, as did the faces of those I’d deceived. The thought of Ruby Rose, her unwavering determination and kindness, made the job harder than I wanted to admit.

I paused in front of a mirror, staring at my reflection. The smirk was gone, replaced by a shadow of the person I used to be. “One step closer,” I muttered, steeling myself. “One step closer to finishing this.”

The door ahead opened with a hiss, and I stepped out into the moonlit night. I had a new target, a new plan. Ruby was the key to Salem’s grand design, and I was going to find her.

But as I walked toward the transport waiting to take me back into the world of the living, a small, unwelcome voice whispered in the back of my mind. What happens when they see the real you, Girio? What then?

I shoved the thought away, donning Dan Crimson’s grin once more. It didn’t matter. They’d never know.

A/N: As of Posting this, I'm 24 now. Happy birthday to me.