Kibishi's POV

  Caring Center

  The group that saved all of us located us in a pce where they took care of people who had first arrived here. If I had to compare it to something, I guessed it was like a hospital of sorts. There was probably a better example, but that was the vibe I got from the pce.

  The air carried a fresh chemical aroma when you stepped inside, brushing against your nose.

  Yeah, hospitals had that kind of smell. Or maybe a busy corporate office, but it didn't matter. At the very least, the pce gave us a roof over our heads, food to eat, and drinks to wash it all down. As for me, I'm pnning on getting some food with my friends, of course.

  Well, I tried to have a good time, but then David ruined the mood by teasing me—making those goofy eyes and raising his brows whenever Tao and Riley weren't paying attention, lost in their own conversation. I didn't want trouble, so I ignored him as he put on puppy eyes, feigning sadness. But no matter how many times he pulled that face, I wouldn't back down.

  With nothing else to do, I looked around. First, I spotted the girl who had "scolded" Tao and me for clinging to each other. Well, it was mostly Tao, but I figured it was partly my fault for not stopping us from drawing attention. So I'd take the bme too.

  Huh.

  Now that I thought about it, I never learned her name.

  More than that, I wondered why she'd joined the army. For a good cause? Family reasons? Whatever it was, it showed how strong and brave she was.

  "Aha! So that's your type, eh?" David nudged me with his elbow, grinning. I sipped my drink, eyes closed. "What's with you trying to hook me up with anyone you think is cute?"

  "Ooh!~ So you admit she's cute, Kibishi?~" David hummed, swaying side to side in excitement. I didn't even need to look to know his expression.

  "Are you two trying to sneak off and get some girl's number again?" Riley's voice dripped annoyance. She wasn't exactly mad, but something about her tone felt... disappointed.

  "C'mon, chill, Riley! What's wrong with having fun?!" David slung an arm around my neck, nearly making me choke on my drink. I narrowed my eyes, but he just ughed. Riley, meanwhile, stared daggers at him—like a mother disappointed in her son's nonsense.

  Uh-oh. Not good.

  "W-what?" David sweatdropped under Riley's gre. She huffed, cheeks puffing out like an overinfted balloon, and looked away with a dramatic "hmph!"

  "Nothing. I'm going to the bathroom, then getting more food with Tao. And you two can't come." She stood up slowly, arms crossed, her pout so exaggerated it could've been a manga panel.

  "Wait, you're not serious, are you?" I asked nervously.

  "Come, Tao. Let's leave these two dogs to drool over girls." Riley announced coldly, gave a final, even puffier face, and marched off. Tao hesitated, then cpped her hands together and bowed apologetically.

  "I'm sorry! I'll calm Riley down, but you better apologize when we get back, David. Okay?"

  With that, Tao hurried after her.

  I sighed and held my head.

  "Sorry, man..."

  "Nah, it's fine. I know you were joking." I forced a smile. "Riley's right, though. A break from all that walking is a good idea."

  "True. Oof..."

  "What's wrong?" I raised a brow.

  "I gotta take a shit. Wanna come?"

  "N-no, I'm good. I'll... stay here."

  "Suit yourself." David shrugged and headed to the bathroom.

  I shook my head. As much as his antics annoyed me, having someone like him around eased the tension. His carefree attitude—though it nded him in trouble—gave him a perspective totally different from mine.

  Given his history with Riley, it made sense why he was like this. I couldn't stay mad. Same with Riley—her walking off was just her way of dealing with him. They were childhood friends, just like Tao and me. That was enough for me.

  Still, I wondered if I should start eating without them. Nah. I'd hate if they did that to me. I'd wait.

  But waiting might take a while...

  "Maybe I'll walk around..." I muttered.

  I gnced at the ceiling, debating. On one hand, leaving might worry the others since we were new here. On the other hand, stretching my legs sounded nice.

  In the end, I stayed put.

  I chuckled dryly.

  "I'll starve, but at least my friends'll starve with me." My eyes wandered.

  The pce was roomy—tables piled with food and fancy drinks, people ughing, probably relieved after prison. The vibe was infectious. After being trapped so long, none of us thought we'd taste freedom like this again—

  Ba-bump!

  "...Ah..."

  Again.

  Ba-bump!

  Again.

  Ba-bump!

  My throat went dry. The light mood shattered like gss. My head grew heavy, heart aching—not from physical pain, but something deeper. A lost memory? Maybe the sudden freedom overwhelmed me.

  I clutched my head, but that wouldn't calm it. Maybe I did need food.

  No. I can't.

  Water. I'd trick my stomach with water.

  Yeah. That'd work.

  I headed for the table...

  .

  ..

  ...

  ........

  Outside the Building??

  I walked toward the table...

  .

  ..

  ...

  ........

  A Dark Alley??

  I reached for a gss of water—

  Static!

  "Ah!" I jolted, brain buzzing.

  When I looked around, I wasn't inside anymore. I was... outside?

  "Huh? When did I—?" I whispered, scratching my head. Was hunger messing with me?

  Static!

  "Ngh!" My skull throbbed.

  The alley darkened. Shadows stretched unnaturally, like ink bleeding through paper. The air reeked of smoke and something metallic—iron? My skin prickled.

  Static!

  Dead bodies. Fire everywhere. What the hell? I lowered my hand—red liquid stained my fingers.

  "Blood...?"

  Crash!

  A trash can toppled. The sound echoed too loud, too sharp. Creatures—the same ones from the prison—lurked nearby. Their eyes glowed faintly in the dark, jaws sck with hunger. Seeing them triggered something—

  Static!

  My arm moved on its own. Muscle memory. A bde fshed in my grip—since when was I holding a knife?

  Ssh!

  I split the creature's skull open. Brains spilled like butchered meat, spttering my boots. The weapon in my hand felt familiar, warm, like an old friend.

  "You got what you deserved," my voice growled, foreign even to me.

  Static! Static!

  The world flickered. The creature's body twitched, then dissolved into bck sludge. The other ones hissed, stepping back.

  But I wasn't done.

  My body lunged—

  .

  ..

  ...

  ........

  Back in the Caring Center

  "Kishi...? Hey... Kishi! Kishi!"

  "Ah!" I jerked awake, drenched in sweat. My hands trembled.

  "What?! Where?!" I wiped my forehead—no blood. Just sweat. The cafeteria noise rushed back in: cttering ptes, ughter. Normal. Safe.

  "Damn, that must've been some dream," David said, frowning. He'd returned, Riley and Tao in tow. All three stared at me like I'd grown a second head.

  "Are you okay?" Tao asked, her voice small.

  "Here. Eat." Riley pushed a pte toward me, her earlier pout repced with concern.

  "A... dream?"

  I ughed weakly. Relief flooded me. Not real.

  "Yeah... a dream..."

  "Y-yeah." Tao nodded, though her eyes stayed wary.

  "Eat up, bro! You look starved!" David grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes.

  "Right." I took the fork Riley offered.

  The others sat, digging into their meals. I stared at my food. What was that? Was I that out of it? Instinctively, I gnced at the door.

  Ba-bump!

  A fsh of golden hair—a dark-skinned guy in a mechanic's suit beside her.

  The room darkened again, this time in a light-blue haze. My head pounded. I blinked, and everything snapped back to normal. I shoveled food into my mouth, gulping down guilt like it was part of the meal.

  That hair... familiar. Like from a forgotten dream.

  The others watched me but stayed quiet. Maybe they felt guilty or just knew I wouldn't expin.

  Huh.

  Sanity.

  Why did that word cross my mind?

  But like everything else, I shoved it to the back of my head.