A dark boot stepped out, lightly stomping on the stone ground, the rest of the silhouette moving out.
Both silhouettes stood before the trio, faces hidden by hoods and pale masks. Kanesaki shifted one foot, twist it more to face the two, fist clenching at his side.
Both figures reached and pulled their hoods down, one revealing black hair and other revealing pale hair.
Finally, they moved for their masks, slowly dragging them off.
The first was tall and lean, built with a quiet strength rather than bulky muscle, the kind of body shaped by constant movement and unseen battles. His skin was half-pale, almost stark against the deep blacks of his clothing, giving him an almost otherworldly presence. The sharp lines of his face — high cheekbones, a straight nose, and a firm jaw — gave him a naturally serious look, even if his expression appeared calm. His red eyes glowed softly beneath thick, dark lashes, always watchful and unreadable.
His hair fell in messy, layered waves, mostly black but slashed through with vivid red streaks that framed his face and trailed down the back of his head. It looked untamed, as if he never bothered to smooth it. The black hooded cloak draped over his shoulders and back, heavy and slightly ragged at the edges, suggesting long use. Under it, a fitted black jacket with a silver zipper hugged his frame, and fingerless gloves wraped his hands.
The pale mask he held was smooth and expressionless, its hollow eyes cold and empty, creating a striking contrast to his sharp, intense gaze. Veins and faint lines ran along his exposed arm, hinting at strength beneath the pale skin.
As for the other, he stood a short distance away from the red-eyed figure, an easy contrast in both color and presence. His hair was cut short and slicked back, pale enough to catch the light, giving him a clean, almost polished look despite the rough setting. His face carried a relaxed, nearly careless expression, as if nothing around him was quite urgent enough to disturb his peace. Calm brown eyes observed the scene with quiet attention, steady and thoughtful rather than intense.
The dark brown cloak hung from his shoulders, similar in shape to the other's but softer in tone, draped naturally over his frame. Beneath it, a dark gray shirt fitted simply, unadorned and practical. Fingerless gloves wrapped his hands, worn and flexible. His thick black trousers sat loose and oversized, bunching slightly as they were tucked into muddy black boots, the fabric darkened at the hems by dirt and wear. Altogether, he looked like someone comfortable in motion and in stillness alike — unbothered, grounded, and quietly present in the shadow of the more striking figure beside him.
Akami stepped between the two pairs, an awkward smile gracing her face, her hands playfully paired behind her back as one of her heels twisted into the ground repeatedly.
'Ryuu, they woke up!' she moved closer to the first man, lightly brushing up to him. 'They were curious and wanted to meet you, y'know. You're kinda like their saviour now.'
He gazed down to her, lightly stepped away, moving into Kanesaki and Yasuko's proximity, crimson eyes glaring into theirs.
'You woke up quick.'
His voice was calm, low, yet had a hint of courtesy in it. He looked past the two and then continued walking, shoulder brushing past Kanesaki's as he moved into the living room.
Kanesaki felt Yasuko's fingers tremble, the violent heat of her breath against his neck from where she felt some form of fear.
The second man stepped to the two, a tiny smile on his lips.
'Sorry for him, he can be a bit mute sometimes.' His voice was lighter, happier, more polite. He put a hand out, leaving Kanesaki and Yasuko to just stare at it for a second, with him quickly pulling away in silent awkwardness, finally moving to the living room, too.
Akami laughed to herself, patting the two on their shoulders. 'So, how's it feeling meeting him?'
Yasuko twitched a little, Kanesaki turned to face Akami before he spoke, voice still tired.
'Ryuu..? Is that his name?'
Grinning uncontrollably, Akami nodded.
'Yeah,' she began, walking to the loving room, signalling for the other two to follow. 'Me and him were the ones that came up with the idea for this place. It took a lot of work, fixing a whole electrical system, cameras, working elevators and other things, but we made it work.'
'So why was he there that night? Did he mean to find us?' Yasuko asked, remaining beside Kanesaki as they walked.
'Well,' Akami smiled again, raising a finger as she spoke, almost like presenting a fact. 'To make some money out here, most of us take jobs; y'know, stealing, scavenging, trading, all that stuff,' she stopped wandering at a cupboard, opening it and reaching for a rather clean glass cup, which she then poured some water in. 'Anyways, Ryuu was meant to be heading to one, but saw you and the humans' whole commotion with the Yatzuls. I guess he just thought you two needed some help,' she gazed past her shoulder, eyes blazing at Kanesaki. 'Especially you, given what he said.'
As she moved to sit on one of the couches, Kanesaki's eyes followed her.
'What... What did he say?'
Upon taking a sip, she started.
'Just that you was in a cave with a couple of corpses, a human about to kill you, and a bloodied up captain.'
Kanesaki nodded partially — the description wasn't wrong, just vague.
Yasuko moved to the couch, sitting on the other end from Akami.
'And who's the other guy?'
Setting her glass on the small table by the arm of the couch, Akami went on.
'That's Sho,' her eyes glanced over at him as he moved in the hallway. 'He's not new here, we found him a few years back, he was still young, left in a lab in a burning outpost.'
Kanesaki turned to watch him as he moved to a different room, the door slamming slowly.
'So, he was just a kid?' he asked.
'Mhm,' She nodded as she hummed. 'Not even seen full training. There were others there, humans, I mean. They were probably raiders or something, but they would've killed him or sold him off had we not grabbed him.'
Shifting uncomfortably on the couch, Yasuko pondered.
'So, everyone here really is a Chimera, huh.'
Akami snorted quietly, shaking her head.
'Most of us are, but some of us—'
A rattling knock suddenly rand out from the elevator door down the hall, audible throughout the tunnels, then a voice rang out.
'Akami! Akami! A-Ka-Miii!!!'
The sing-song voice caught Yasuko and Kanesaki off guard, leaving them confused.
Akami shook her head as she rose, stumbling over to the elevator in slight annoyance, yet a smile still grew on her lips.
Kanesaki moved to sit on a chair by the couch, listening out at the elevator doors grinded open, followed by the cheerful voice again, a young man's voice.
The sounds drifted back into the room when Akami brought the man in — both Kanesaki and Yasuko tilted their heads back to see him.
His hair was dark and wild, sticking up in sharp, messy strands that gave him a restless, untamed look. Brightly tanned skin made his sharp features stand out even more, especially his narrow eyes, which seemed tired but always alert, like someone who never truly relaxed.
He wore a loose, slightly wrinkled shirt beneath an open brown jacket, looking both worn and lived-in, as though he had walked through too many long nights to care about looking neat. His clothes hung naturally on his slim but solid frame. A belt rested low on his waist, holding up trousers that fit him just well enough to suggest practicality rather than style.
One hand rested in his pocket, casual and relaxed. His posture was loose, almost lazy, but there was a quiet tension beneath it.
He stared at the two with a look of confused disbelief.
'So you two are real, huh?'
Akami chuckled behind him, gliding past to retain her seat on the couch.
'Told ya. Ryuu doesn't miss with this stuff.'
He laughed weakly, covering a cough with his arm.
Yasuko stared at the man, catching the faint smell of alcohol on him as he wandered to the kitchen.
'I'm not drunk, if that's what you're all thinking,' he mumbled, rummaging through cupboards for some food. 'You Chimera and your senses.'
Again, Akami chuckled, relaxing into the couch as she reached for the remote.
'Why don't you introduce yourself?'
Hearing her words, the man grinned and wandered around to rummage through lower cupboards, picking out a plate.
'Name's Akamine Katsumi, just a regular human, but I like to help Chimera who've lost their way, if you get what I mean.'
'Where's your sister,' Akami started. 'Wasn't she coming to see the new arrivals too?'
Katsumi grunted, running a hand through his hair.
'Said she's busy working on a client's ship, but she'll be down tomorrow.'
Finally relaxed with the TV on, Akami sighed.
'You two can stay if you want, but your rooms are all good to go.'
Yasuko sat up in sudden excitement.
'We have rooms!?'
Her eyes burst out wide, eerily happy smile coating her face as Akami nodded and laughed.
'Of course, just had to finish them up before you two woke up. They're down that hall.'
She pointed down a different hall than the one with the elevator.
Yasuko shot up and practically skipped her way down the hall. Kanesaki stood and followed, needing sleep as he strode.
Akami rested her head back against the couch, Katsumi moving to sit in the chair that Kanesaki was on, hands carefully supporting a full plate of food.
Kanesaki wandered through the hall, striding past a room with the door slightly open. He glanced inside for a second, seeing Ryuu sat on the edge of his bed, cloak and gloves off, just sat there in silence, brooding. Not wanting to disturb, Kanesaki moved, continuing down the hall until he found his door, opening it and moving into his new room.
It was quiet, but the good kind. The walls seemed to have been renovated, built over in wood rather than keeping the cave aesthetic. A single bed sat in the center of the room with sheets already covering it. Off to the left was a desk with a few random books and pens, to the right was a few wardrobes, drawers and there was a table at the bedside with a lamp atop it, the wire extending behind the wardrobes. A single light on the ceiling illuminated the room, yet it was pretty bright.
Moving to the bed, Kanesaki tested the comfort, finding it relaxing enough for his taste, humming in approval.
Finally, he got into the bed, throwing the sheets over himself as he closed his eyes, trying to regain some of his lost sleep.
Chapter 63 — end