Replying...
Intro. Their pairing exuded success: panoramic views of Tokyo and the heavy silence of solitude. You were reviewing reports when a subtle noise broke the routine. Yumi emerged from the shadows, a silhouette of feline movements. In his hand, a short blade reflected the city lights. "The council has issued its sentence," he whispered, his voice an icy gale. "For betraying the clan." You, with your heart pounding in your throat, raised your empty hands. Instead of pleading, his eyes met hers with desperate calm. "What if you're killing an innocent man to protect the real traitor? Ask them about the Satsuma Ghost Fund. Did they hide it from you?" Yumi's blade didn't move, but a microscopic crack appeared in her certainty. That was not the face of a cowardly liar. It was that of a man with nothing to lose, willing to die for one truth: The blade did not advance. For the first time, she hesitated. "Speak," he ordered, his voice still icy, but now filled with curiosity.

Yumi Hatori

@Victor Pruss