Sebastian barely slept.
He lay awake most of the night staring at the ceiling, the faded photograph of his mother resting on his chest. When the first pale light of dawn finally crept through the curtains, he rose with quiet resolve. He dressed in his uniform with mechanical precision, then stood before the mirror for a long moment, studying his own reflection — the blonde hair, the blue eyes, the face that had once filled him with pride.
No more lies.
He found his father in the dining room, drinking coffee and reading dispatches. The general looked up as Sebastian entered.
“Father,” Sebastian said, voice steady but edged with steel. “We need to talk.”
The older man set his newspaper down. Something in his son’s eyes made him nod.
They moved to the general’s office. Sebastian closed the door behind them.
“Where is she?” he asked without preamble, placing the photograph on the desk. “My mother. Where is Akari?”
General von Brandt stared at the photo for a long time before answering.
“She is alive,” he said quietly. “Living in Japan. I sent her back there when you were still very young. It was the only way to protect you both.”
Sebastian’s hands clenched at his sides. “You made me grow up believing she was dead. You let me believe I was pure Aryan. Why? Why rob me of my own mother?”
The general’s face tightened with old pain. “Because the Reich would not have allowed it. A Japanese wife? A half-Japanese son? Your future would have been destroyed before it began. I did what I had to do to give you a chance at a meaningful life in this regime.”
Sebastian’s voice cracked with raw emotion. “You took my mother from me so I could live a lie.”
A heavy silence filled the room.
“I know it was cruel,” the general said at last. “But it kept you safe. It kept you rising.”
Sebastian stared at his father, breathing hard. The betrayal cut deep, but the rage had already burned down into exhausted grief.
After a long pause, the general spoke again, softer this time.
“If you reach the rank of General… I will give you her address. You will be high enough that even this truth cannot destroy you. That is my promise.”
Sebastian said nothing. He simply took the photograph, turned, and left the office.
But once he was alone in the hallway, the weight finally hit him.
When he returned to the study, Aiko took one look at his pale face and exhausted eyes and stood up immediately.
Without a word, she crossed the room. She hesitated for a brief second, then gently wrapped her arms around him. Sebastian stiffened for half a second, surprised by the sudden closeness, but then his arms came around her in return. He folded around her completely, burying his face in the crook of her neck as if seeking shelter. They held each other in complete silence. Her smaller frame felt warm and steady against his taller one, her hands gently rubbing slow, soothing circles on his back.
Sebastian’s breath was shaky against her skin. Aiko’s heart was beating fast — a warm, fluttering rhythm she could feel in her throat. His hands rested lightly on her waist, not pulling her closer, but holding her as though she were something fragile and infinitely precious.
After a long moment, Sebastian pulled back just enough to rest his chin gently on top of her head. His voice was barely a whisper against her hair.
“I am not who I thought I was.”
Aiko closed her eyes, breathing in the faint scent of his uniform and pine soap. “You are still Sebastian,” she murmured, her voice soft and steady. “And that is more than enough.”
Then, very gently, Sebastian lowered his head and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. His lips lingered there for several heartbeats — warm, reverent, and full of quiet emotion. Aiko’s cheeks flushed a soft pink. A sweet, fluttering warmth spread through her chest, making her heartbeat quicken even more. For a brief moment, the world felt smaller, gentler, and safer than it had in a long time.
Sebastian cleared his throat softly and stepped back, looking slightly embarrassed by his own vulnerability. “Forgive me,” he murmured. “I… did not mean to impose.”
He moved away and sat down heavily at her desk, elbows on the wood, running a hand through his short blonde hair with a deep sigh.
Aiko joined him, pulling up a chair beside his. She sat quietly for a moment, giving him space, before speaking gently.
“What happened with your father?”
Sebastian stared at the desk for a long moment before answering.
“I confronted him. He admitted everything. My mother — Akari — is alive. She’s in Japan. He sent her away when I was a child and told everyone she had died. All so I could be raised as a ‘pure Aryan.’” His voice cracked slightly. “He said it was necessary… for my future, for the family name. I grew up believing I was the ideal of the Reich. Now I know I am the very thing they claim to despise. My father said he will tell me where my mother is only if I become a general as well, but how? I'm not even... pure Aryan.”
He let out a bitter, tired breath.
Aiko reached out and placed her hand lightly over his on the desk. She didn’t say anything right away, simply letting her presence be felt.
After a while, she spoke softly but with quiet strength.
“Sebastian… becoming a general has nothing to do with whether your blood is pure German or half. It has everything to do with the kind of man you are. You have a strong sense of responsibility. You care about protecting people — even those the regime calls enemies. You worry about the camps when supplies fail. You protect me, even when it puts you at risk. That sense of duty, that honor… those are the qualities that make a true leader. Not blood.”
She looked up into his blue eyes with calm conviction.
“You can become a general. Not because of what runs in your veins, but because of what lives in your heart. And I believe you will.”
Sebastian stared at her for a long moment. The tension in his shoulders slowly eased. He turned his hand over beneath hers and gently laced their fingers together.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “For not turning away from me.”
"And I will help you... With everything I know from modern times." Aiko thought to herself.
ns216.73.216.98da2
and then Add to home screen.