In the warehouse, things felt ominously unnerving. Harsh fluorescent light casts long shadows that seemed to mirror a calm before the storm. Shinji was perhaps the only one to get the impression that something was off.

　　"Hey, Hiyori, did I forget to buy milk again?" he asked, sitting down.

　　"I told you already!" she answered with a grudge. "There`s milk in the fridge!"

　　So what was this strange sensation he was feeling? Trying to figure out what it was, he got in a hunched position on the sofa to consider what was wrong.

　　"Something on your mind, Shinji?"

　　Leaning back, he looked upside down, only to see Silas standing in the shadows. There was a touch of amusement in his tone, prompting Shinji to remain silent for a long moment.

　　"You alright?" Silas asked.

　　From Shinji`s point of view, he couldn`t make out Silas`s expression, whose face was being obscured by the darkness. So he slowly turned around to see clearly. When he did, he noticed a broken mirror next to Silas. And what he saw in the reflection was an unsettling, fragmented image in which his eyes were glowing crimson red.

　　To Shinji, it was as if an epic swell of violin and low brass were being played, gradually building up the tension. The more he stared into Silas`s cold eyes, the louder the dramatic orchestral music played. It was as if they were the only two in the room, with light from above shining from the ceiling.

　　Silas stared at him with unwavering intensity. Then, without a word, he walked away.

　　If there was anything going on in Shinji`s mind, he was likely asking himself what had happened. The light he saw in Silas`s eyes had a different glow to it. They hadn`t flickered with what he remembered. Rather, they seemed jarringly misaligned, as if they were brimming with manic intensity.

　　Yet from the way he walked and how he sounded said otherwise. He was belying his calm fa鏰de that not even Shinji could tell something had changed.

　　" " "

　　Silas eventually found himself on top of the roof. He stood there, the wind brushing against his garments.

　　Not long ago, the manifestation and him had a battle within his inner world. Seeing that Silas was here now only meant that he came out as the victor.

　　The battle itself started with an epic clash. No matter how much the manifestation tried, it couldn`t seem to cut Silas`s body. After Silas decided to enforce his will again, it was finally subdued, and the Hollow took its place.

　　Only this time was different: Silas had gained full control of Ichigo`s Quincy powers!Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

　　"You hadn`t said anything to me all day," he heard someone say. Turning around, he saw Lisa standing not too far off. "You`re not upset that I rejected you last night, are you?"

　　When Silas remained expressionless, she became a little clumsy in her speech. "I was just kidding," she said.

　　Silas, by all means, remembered everything that took place after he lost his memories. The only reason he even found an attraction toward Lisa was because she had a similar resemblance to his wife on earth.

　　Then there was the fact that he purposed in his heart to use her for his own gain. Why else would he even remotely get close to her?

　　"Rose was asked to perform at a concert outside of town tomorrow," she said. "I was hoping you`d tag along with the rest of us."

　　"Who`s all going?" Silas asked.

　　"Oh, um& Myself, Hachigen, and Love."

　　A spark flashed in Silas`s mind. Too long had it been since he`d dwelt with the Visoreds. Now was the time to end this charade. He was going to slay every last one of them!

　　" " "

　　The very next morning, the sounds of a brass rang through the open windows of a car. Alongside that sound was Rose`s voice, nervously humming. Today was a big one for him, being a guitarist and all.

　　Crammed into Love`s beat-up van were Silas and the four members: Lisa, Hachigen, Rose, and Love.

　　"Finally, a break from all those chores," Love boomed, steering with one hand. "Gonna blow the crowd away, huh, Rose?"

　　"Let`s hope it`s not literally," Rose muttered, fiddling with his guitar case. Despite his bravado, it was clear that he was a little anxious.

　　Silas, perched in the back seat, turned with a warm smile. "Don`t worry, Rose. You`ll do great." His voice held a sincerity that went unnoticed.

　　Lisa, sitting beside him, caught a flicker in Silas`s eyes, a fleeting moment of darkness that contradicted his cheerful demeanor. Had she imagined it? She dismissed it as nerves. After all, Silas still struggled with his amnesia, so she believed.

　　The van eventually stopped in an open park near the wood. Everyone exited the vehicle to see nestled pedestrians all scattered for the event. An entire stage with dazzling spotlights could be seen in the center.

　　Rose, a natural in the mosh pit, found his element immediately, disappearing into the throng. Since he was to be preparing in the backstage area, the group let him be. Love`s and Lisa`s attention was caught by a booth selling Japanese comic books. It was too irresistible for them not to at least skim a few pages.

　　Silas watched each of them separate to enjoy themselves, leaving him alone with Hachigen. He gazed over the friendly giant to see him nervously looking around.

　　"You okay, Hachi?"

　　Hachigen gnawed on his lip, saying, "Yeah... I`m not well-acquainted with being in big crowds because of my height."

　　Silas leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Tell you what. How about a little pre-show procedural? Just us two."

　　Intrigued, Hachigen followed Silas into the woods, stepping. While walking further and further away from the concert, Silas`s fa鏰de faltered. A cold glint gleamed in his eyes, a stark contrast to the warmth he`d displayed moments ago.

　　"Hachigen," he said, his voice no longer a friendly murmur. "If a cat was stuck in a tree here, would you rescue it?"

　　"Well& I mean, I don`t see why not."

　　Silas pointed up, causing Hachigen to look in that direction. To the giant`s surprise, there was an all-black cat actually stuck in a tree. It beamed in their direction, elegantly moving its tail to show off its independence.

　　"Ugh! We`ve gotta do something to help it," Hachigen said. But when he looked back, Silas was nowhere to be seen. "Huh? I& Ichigo, where did you go?"

　　Before he could utter another word, a crimson arrow zipped through the air and pierced him in the skull!

　　At the concert, the music swelled. Rose had just taken center stage, with a lot of the audience applauding him. Lisa joined them, cheering her friend on.

　　Today, she thought, was going to be worth remembering.