Kazuki rubbed his temples, trying to push past the barriers in his mind. "There's something... I almost remember. Something about a project called Bifrost. Does that mean anything to you?"
Reina frowned. "Bifrost? No, though the word is unfamiliar." She studied him intently. "These memory blocks... I might be able to help you break through them, but it would require deeper magic than I've used here. And it would be dangerous—for both of us."
"Dangerous how?"
"Memory blocks exist for a reason. Sometimes they're placed as protection—to shield the mind from trauma. Other times, they're like cages, containing something dangerous." Her amber eyes searched his. "Breaking them could
"release whatever is being contained."
Kazuki met her gaze steadily. "If my memories can help stop these attacks, I need to try."
Reina was silent for a long moment, clearly weighing her options. "It would require privacy and specialized implements I don't have here." She glanced toward the door. "And Valerius will be watching closely now."
"You could help me escape," Kazuki suggested quietly.
A humorless laugh escaped her. "And be labeled a traitor? Lose everything I've worked for?" She shook her head. "No, there are other ways." She stood, pacing the small cell. "I need to consult some texts. And I need to examine one of the bodies from the monastery attack—perhaps there's a connection we're
"perhaps there's a connection we're missing."
"How long do I have until dawn?"
"About eight hours." She paused, considering. "I can delay Valerius for perhaps another two, but no more. By midmorning tomorrow, you'll either have provided answers that satisfy him, or..." She didn't finish the sentence.
"Or I'll be subjected to 'enhanced questioning.'" Kazuki completed grimly.
Reina nodded. "I'll return as soon as I can. In the meantime..." She hesitated, then removed something from inside her sleeve—a small silver key. "This opens the manacles they'll likely use tomorrow. It's not much, but it might give you a chance if things go badly."
She pressed the key into his palm, her fingers lingering on his. "I'm not
fingers lingering on his. "I'm not convinced you're innocent," she said softly. "But I'm beginning to believe you're as much a victim in this as those poor monks."
After she departed, Kazuki carefully hid the key in the seam of his trousers. Then he returned to his efforts to break through the barriers in his mind, focusing on the fragmented memory of Project Bifrost.
As he concentrated, another image surfaced—a symbol drawn on a laboratory whiteboard. A complex geometric design resembling a modified caduceus, with twin serpents wound around a central staff, but instead of the traditional wings at the top, there was a mask-like face divided down the middle—one half smiling, one half frowning.