Watari barely had time to rest before a boot pyfully nudged his side. He gnced up to see his roommate, Kaito, grinning as he leaned against the doorway.
“That’s my proud Yoriki,” Kaito said, smirking. “First mission and you’re already getting talked about. You might even get promoted soon.”
Watari groaned, rubbing his sore shoulders. “Man, don’t jinx me. I already had to deal with some crazy core-enhanced maniac. If that’s what Musabori ‘training missions’ are like, I’m in for a long career.”
Kaito chuckled before his gaze dropped slightly, flickering toward Watari’s wrist. His usual pyful energy dulled just a bit.
“Y’know… I really wish I had one of those.”
Watari blinked, following his stare. His bracelet.
“Without a core, guys like me can only do so much,” Kaito muttered, rolling his knife between his fingers. “Feels like we’re just pying soldier while you and the real fighters are out there rewriting the battlefield.”
He let out a ugh, but there was something bitter under it.
“If I had a cube… maybe I’d be something more.”
Watari was quiet for a second before nudging Kaito’s arm. “Hey, don’t sell yourself short. There were like 40 guys in that bar, and none of them had a cube either. Not everyone needs one to be dangerous.”
Kaito snorted, waving him off. “Yeah, yeah, keep up the motivational speeches, Big Bro Watari.” His grin returned.
Watari’s expression softened as he thought back to the kids at the orphanage. The happy memories were interrupted.
“But let’s talk about something way more important.”
Watari raised an eyebrow. “More important than my glorious future as a Heishi?”
Kaito nodded, suddenly serious. “I heard a rumor.” His voice dropped conspiratorially. “There’s a ghost on the lower floor.”
Watari stared. ”…A ghost.”
“Dead serious. A couple of guys went down to storage st week, and one of them swears he saw a figure move in the dark. Heard whispers too. Blood-curdling whispers, man.”
Watari rolled his eyes. “And you want me to come with you because…?”
Kaito’s grin widened. “Because you owe me, my dear Watari. Three weeks of training, and I’ve barely asked for anything. It’s time to cash in that debt.”
Watari sighed, already regretting his life choices. “Fine, but we’re not going alone. I’m dragging Mi-chan with us.”
“Oh, good, I love third wheels.”
“You’re the third wheel, idiot.”
Watari let out a small ugh, but it was ced with uncertainty.
?A SHORT CUT
“I can’t believe I let you idiots talk me into this.”
Yumi crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed as the three of them slipped through the dimly lit halls of the Musabori stronghold.
“C’mon, Mi-chan,” Watari whispered. “Aren’t you the least bit curious?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
“You really wanna die tonight?”
Kaito snickered. “You two flirt like an old married couple. It’s honestly kinda cute.”
A fist smmed into Kaito’s side.
“Ow, ow! Okay, fine, I’ll shut up!”
Watari was about to add to the chaos when he felt something shift. The air got heavier, like the pressure had dropped. The hall stretched ahead of them, flickering red warning lights casting eerie shadows on the walls.
It was dead silent. Too silent.
“Okay… I’m getting actual bad vibes now,” Watari muttered. “Kaito, I’m bming you for this.”
“Hey, I just told you about it. You’re the one dumb enough to agree to come. I swear, this pce is like a horror movie set. Ghosts, weird experiments, underground bs… What do you think we’ll find?”
Watari tried to look confident, but his voice was shaky.
“Uh… probably nothing. Probably just some equipment that’s malfunctioning.”
Yumi rolled her eyes again, but her curiosity was piqued. She was on edge now, eyes scanning every corner of the dimly lit hallway.
“You’re the one getting jumpy now, Idiotari.”
Watari’s nerves were clearly getting the better of him. He jumped at a slight sound from behind a door.
“What was that?! Did you hear that?!”
Kaito ughed, patting Watari on the back. “It’s nothing, man. Rex. Probably just some rats or something.”
Watari jumped back, clenching Yumi’s sleeve.
“RATS?! Kaito, you go first!”
Kaito gave another small chuckle then took the lead—
But the tension in the air was undeniable as they approached the b doors. There were
no guards, no signs of life… just a red light fshing ominously on and off, casting everything in a bloody hue.
The hairs on Watari’s neck stood up.
“This… this is it. This is where the rumors come from, huh?”
Kaito seemed completely unfazed, pushing open the door slowly.
The ominous noise that had caught their attention earlier echoed once again. It was low, almost mechanical, but sent chills down their spines.
Yumi, ever the professional, looked unbothered.
“It’s just some equipment malfunction. Don’t get worked up.”
But as they crept further into the b, they stumbled upon something far worse than any ghost.
In the center of the b, under harsh, flickering lights, there was a figure strapped to a chair.
Various tubes were connected to their body, and wires ran from their head into a machine. A low, rhythmic beeping sound filled the air as they froze, staring at the person in the chair.
Watari whispered in horror, his hand involuntarily reaching for Yumi’s sleeve.
“What… is that?”
Yumi’s expression was unreadable, but a cold chill passed through her. She was no stranger to experiments like this, but this sight—this was something else.
She slowly stepped forward, kneeling next to one of the machines. Her voice was soft, but filled with pain.
“They’re… testing something. They’re using people as subjects… just like they did with Nao.”
Watari’s mind raced, fshing back to Yumi’s brief mention of Nao at the campfire. The realization hit him hard.
He was disgusted, but at the same time, he felt a deep sense of dread and anger.
“We need to get out of here. Now.”
Yumi nodded silently, her face showing the strain of the situation, but she kept her emotions in check.
As they backed away from the b, they could hear someone approaching from down the hall.
They quickly ducked behind some crates, trying to remain out of sight.
