We watched as the workers hauled massive stone blocks and harvested crops with bleeding, unfeeling hands. The automated trucks were being loaded with crates, each one sprayed with a fine, shimmering pink mist.

  "That mist is the King of Hearts’ DNA," Kaito whispered, his eyes narrowed as he watched the vats. "It’s an emotional anchor. Once it’s in your system, your feelings stop growing. You don't become a zombie, but you lose your 'drive.' You just follow orders because it’s easier than caring."

  I looked at Yuna and Shouta. "But we care. We’re angry. We’re terrified. If we’ve been eating this stuff our whole lives, why aren't we hollow like the rest of them?"

  I thought back to the thugs in the alleyway when we first started training. They were criminals; they felt greed and malice. "Even those kidnappers back in Sector 4... they weren't numb. How?"

  Kaito turned to us, his face half-shadowed by the ridge. "Because I’ve been filtering your food for years, Raizen."

  My heart skipped a beat. "What?"

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  "I can sense Zoryn in everything—even in the 'Essentials,'" Kaito explained, his voice low. "Every time I came over, every time we shared a meal, I was using my fire to burn the King's DNA out of your rations. It’s hard to detect, but to me, it smells like rot. I removed as much as I could so your spirits wouldn't flatline."

  "And the criminals?" Yuna asked.

  "They steal," Kaito said. "They find 'Pure' food caches or they go days without eating the Essentials. If a human eats natural food for two to four days straight, the DNA begins to flush out. The emotions wake up. But for most people, the Kings make sure they never go a single day without a dose."

  Shouta looked at his hands. "So you’ve been protecting us since before we even knew Zero?"

  Kaito didn't answer directly. He looked out at the golden-armored High Lord hovering over the valley, the air shimmering with the Lord's oppressive power. The weight of the secret seemed to press down on Kaito’s shoulders.

  "I’ve been hiding more than just your food, guys," Kaito said. The silver lighter in his hand snapped shut with a sound like a gunshot. "I think it’s the right time to tell you the truth. About why I was the only one who could find you, and why Zero chose me to be your shadow."

  He looked at me, his eyes no longer looking like those of a nineteen-year-old student, but like someone who had watched stars die.

  "I think it’s the right time to tell you who I actually am."

  To be continued...