4 Sneaking In

The truth?

What's the truth?

What's determined as false?

Who's to say who's right or wrong?

As Akira found his way to the rear of the Kogetsu mansion, those questions continued pounding in his head.

Five stories tall, the Kogetsu mansion had survived through many generations of bloodshed and war. Now, the aging paints peels in certain corners, and graceful creepers line the lower windows. Large gardens bunch up near the entrance of the mansion, surrounding a nude sculpture of the greek goddess of love, Aphrodite bathing in the middle of the waterfall.

Just a little ways behind it, is a short but wide marble staircase, with prickly rose bushes dotting the sides. They lead to a large pair of red oakwood doors lined with gold. The doors each had the life size sideviews of two-dimensional stone white Cupids sculptures facing each other, crossing daggers in the middle. Cupid here, is portrayed as a fullbellied child with small wings and dangling legs. His realistic cherub face portrays a slight hint of of a sneer, as both Cupid's mischievous eyes face the viewer instead of each other. The daggers that were crossed blades in the middle are polished so brightly, you wouldn't be able to tell if it was but a sculpture or a dagger.

Whoever enters through those doors, would certainly make a grand entrance, or an exit, just like how Gaia would have wanted. To make an impact on whatever or wherever she goes.

But those doors were not how Akira planned to get in. Akira had skipped school for the first time of his own violation, and not for assassination. His grandmother Gaia, has eyes and ears everywhere so, by evening, she would have known he didn't attend school or took any missions. He would have to find a way to conceal the matter of the bowling center from her, before she seeks to steal it from him, and use it for her own selfish gains.

Thankfully for him, even though it was his first time skipping school, it wasn't his first time sneaking out. Inami used to sneak him out all the time, back when they were kids. Inami also built all sorts of weird escape routes back then, and got Akira to help him test it, as Akira is the young heir, and nothing would happen to him even if he were caught.

This route that Akira is using right now, is called Project Beetle. It's the safest and fastest of all routes built by Inami and leads straight to his bedroom, just what he needs right now-To reach his bedroom by 6.05pm. Annie, Gaia's personal maid would come knocking precisely at that time to pick him up for dinner and escort him to the dining hall so that he would be punctual for the 6:15pm family dinner.

Stopping at a large tree leaning on the black fence at the back of the mansion, Akira climbs up a few branches, leaving him at just the right height to jump onto the neighbouring tree, directly into the Kogetsu family compound. He looks around him, narrowing his eyes as he tries to spot any black crows or yellow cockatiels in his vicinity.

The only risk in Project Beetle, are birds. The yellow cockatiels and crows have mini cameras imbedded over their pupils so whatever they see, will be transmitted to the security team on shift, so Akira has to be extremely careful. Also, these birds are specially trained to head towards a loud source of noise. He had managed to avoid the other cameras disguised as fruits on the trees as he was one of the members assigned to maintain the condition of those highspec cameras, so he knew exactly where they were located, as well as their blind spots-but that's where the birds come in-to cover them.

Akira closes his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to scan for the radiation immitting from the devices. In his mind's eye, everything becomes clear. In that moment, Akira carefully maps out the location of every device and began timing his safe entrance into the compound. Looking at his watch, it's 5:58pm, he has only seven minutes to make it back to his bedroom. The slide takes about ten seconds so he should make it in time..

He sits on the branch, concealed by the leaves just as he feels a bird flying towards him. Akira tilts his face towards the trunk of the tree, and tried to make himself as small as possible. Peeking out from the corner of his left eye, he spots a yellow cockatiel pecking it's feathers from the branch horizontally across from him.

Closing his eyes, Akira takes a deep breath as he waits for the bird to fly pass- almost five minutes passed-but the bird still remains, pecking at it's feathers enthusiastically!!

"Shit-" Akira murmured under his breath as he looked at his watch- 6:02pm

Akira looked around desperately for something to use from his surroundings when he spotted a small acorn hanging from just above him. Reaching out, he grabbed the acorn and tossed it, aiming for one of the cameras disguised as fruits-

With a loud clack, it instantly attracted the attention of every bird in the near vicinity, including the yellow cockatiel right infront of Akira.

The danger gone, Akira used a hand to grab onto one of the black poles on the fence infront of him and swung himself safely into the Kogetsu compound, landing on the branch of a large oak tree. It wobbled slightly with the addition of Akira's sudden weight, and leaves rustle as they fall to the ground. Akira held his breath and stuck as close to the trunk as he could, listening out for any of the security guards-the Shadows.

After one precious minute, Akira glanced at his watch nervously- 6:04pm- He quickly hopped off the large branch and swung himself silently onto the ground. Closing his eyes, Akira reached into one of the numerous holes between the roots of the large tree, and grabbed a rhinoceros beetle with a black and green metallic sheen. Flipping it over, he spots Inami's mark, a golden dog curled up in a circle. Next, he spreads his fingers on a large piece of bark, and pressed on it for a couple seconds-

HISS~

A rectangular shaped hole was revealed, Inami's mark in a corner of the box, and a rhinoceros shaped hole in the middle. Akira held the struggling beetle and pushed it into the hole. It froze and settled in the hole as a click sound came from under him, and Akira stepped away in time before a trapdoor opened.

Akira peered into the dark hold and glanced at his watch. 6:04-

38seconds

39-

Akira sighed and sat at the edge of the hole before grabbed the top of the trapdoor and slid into the dark.

47seconds

48

49

50- a large suction force pulled Akira upwards and threw him back down onto the tube. Akira watched the walls of the silver tube and realised his butt didn't feel as painful as it did the last time he slid through it. Maybe Inami made some adjustions the last time he came? At fifty-six seconds, Akira slid into the light and landed on his dollar chair at his study table. He turned around in time to see the slide contraption folding itself back into the ceiling board just as a knock came from his bedroom door.

"Young Master Akira," a woman's voice called out.

"Her ladyship Gaia has sent me to escort you to the dining hall, are you ready sire?"

Akira quickly steadied his breath before he called out-

"In a minute Maria, I'm still doing my homework-"

"Young Master Akira, you know Her Ladyship doesn't like to be kept waiting-"

"I'm still in my school uniform!!" Akira yelled as he threw his cupboard doors open, frantically pulling out a random suit and throwing it on.

"Young Master Akira, please hurry up or I will have to excuse myself and enter to help you," Maria, Gaia's personal maid called out with a threatening voice.

Akira tossed his joggers and shirt into a laundry basket at the foot of his bed and buttoned his shirt as quickly as he could.

Maria was no joke when it came to dressing and punctuality. She could insult you in a hundred different ways about your fashion taste and you wouldn't even realise.. She has a stopwatch on hand all the time, if you are even a second late, you will get to face her wrath.

"Young Master Akira, you have exactly five seconds left before I let myself in, and show you to the dinner hall-"

"I'M DONE-" Akira yelled as he threw his front doors open, panting.

Maria stared at Akira with bright blue eyes surreptitiously, raising a thin blonde eyebrow.

"You're... On time," Maria nodded in approval and turned as Akira sighed behind her.

"Wait!" Maria said as she turned around and stared as Akira started fidgeting-

<Did I forget something?> Akira wondered to himself as Maria narrowed her eyes and walked closer towards him. With every step she took towards him, he backed up, until he hit the wall. Maria's eyes pinned him to the wall as her eyes trailed down to his tie.

"I was just about the put it a good word about how on time you were today, Young Master Akira, but you have really disappointed me. Has no one ever taught you how to tie a proper Windsor knot?" Maria asked as she grabbed the collar of Akira's shirt in a threateningly fashion.

"UHHH-" Akira looked down to see his tie slightly crooked.

"Fix it, and let's hasten our pace. Her Ladyship is waiting." Maria tsked and headed to the dining hall.

Sneaking back in for now, success!! Akira cheered mentally as he followed Maria to the dining hall.