The heavy silence of the cell was suddenly pierced by a sharp sound.
It was a laugh—dry, bitter, and so cold that even the walls seemed to shudder.
The strange boy, who until now had been huddled in the corner like a stone statue, was suddenly doubled over in laughter.
This was the first time a sound had emerged from his throat so clearly and loudly.
There was no joy in his laughter, but a deep derision.
As if he were watching a spectacle of Yuki's helplessness.
Yuki's entire body jerked toward the sound.
Luka and Lane, who were occupied with their own conversation until now, froze like statues.
That horrific laughter coming from the dark corner showed no signs of stopping.
"What... what happened?" Luka asked, narrowing his eyes.
The nervousness in his voice was clear.
He gripped Lane's hand even tighter.
Lane, whose eyes had been sparkling with innocence until now, was also staring intently at the laughing boy.
The expression on his face began to shift—
No longer innocent, but unnervingly calm and still.
Yuki saw that the strange boy had finally stopped laughing.
He tossed his head back and looked at Yuki through his disheveled hair.
His lips were still trembling.
Without caring about anyone else, he locked eyes with Yuki and made that same silent gesture again.
As if saying—'See? He is making a fool of you, and you can do nothing.'
Only the echo of that laughter remained in the entire room.
Yuki felt as if he were being crushed between two forces—
The boy who knew the truth, and Lane, who had elegantly swallowed that truth whole.
In Luka's eyes, questions for Yuki were beginning to mount.
The air in the cell had become more suffocating than ever before.
The strange boy moved from his spot.
His steps weren't faltering; they were steady and slow.
Like a predator stalking its prey in silence.
Yuki, Luka, and Lane—all three held their breath as he walked over and stood right beside them.
In the dim light of the cell, his face looked pale and eerie.
Suddenly, he sank to his knees.
He extended his grimy hands and took Lane's tiny palms into his own.
Yuki's heart leapt into his throat; he felt as though something horrific was about to unfold.
"Would you... would you like to be friends with me?" the boy asked.
There was a strange rasp in his voice, as if he hadn't spoken to anyone in ages.
At first, Lane remained perfectly still.
For a moment, a depth descended into his golden eyes.
As if he were peering into the very soul of the strange boy.
He watched him with such intensity that even the air in the cell felt heavy.
Luka and Yuki stood as silent spectators to this bizarre scene.
Then, as if by some magical shift, the tension on Lane's face melted away.
A very gentle, sweet, and innocent smile bloomed on his lips.
A genuine joy sparkled in his eyes.
Making it impossible for anyone to believe this was the same child who had terrified Yuki moments ago.
"Yes, of course!" Lane said with great excitement.
His eyes brightened, and that childish softness returned to his voice.
"I will definitely be your friend!"
Lane happily shook the boy's hands and gripped them back.
Yuki watched this, stunned.
He couldn't tell if Lane was truly happy or if he was playing the same game with this stranger that he had played with everyone else.
Lane's eyes brightened even more.
He gripped the boy's hands tighter with his small fingers.
There was a curious spark on his face, one that only a child possesses when making a new friend.
"What is your name?" Lane asked with great excitement.
His voice echoed against the cell walls, creating a fresh, ringing sound.
The boy—who had seemed like a terrifying shadow until now—slowly closed his eyes.
A smile appeared on his face that was entirely different from his otherwise eerie persona.
He opened his eyes, which no longer held that sharp glint, but a strange depth.
"My name is Haru," he said in a slow, steady voice.
"You can call me Haru."
"Haru Bhaiya!" Lane almost chirped.
His voice carried that childish innocence that could melt anyone's heart.
As soon as Lane addressed him as 'Bhaiya', Haru was startled for a moment.
His shoulders shrugged slightly, and a hesitation flickered across his face.
As if he weren't prepared for that word.
The word 'Bhaiya' seemed to have touched a buried emotion within him.
He lowered his gaze for a second, then looked back at Lane.
This time, there was a glint in his eyes that could be called 'affection'—the protective kind of love.
"Yes... of course," Haru said in a very gentle manner.
His terrifying laughter had now turned into a calm ocean.
Yuki and Luka exchanged glances.
They couldn't understand how the boy who had called Lane a 'danger' just moments ago had now become so close to him.
Had Haru truly befriended him, or did he know a way to pacify that dark energy within Lane?
The silence of the cell was less heavy now, but the mystery had not faded.
Haru gently released Lane's tiny hands and turned his neck to look at Luka.
His eyes no longer held that previous bitterness, but a strange sort of hope.
"Would you... would you also like to be friends with me?"
Haru's voice now floated clearly through the silence of the cell.
Luka offered no reply. He stood as still as a statue.
In this small circle within the cell, where the four of them stood very close to one another, the tension was palpable.
Luka's gaze shifted between Haru's steady face and Lane's hopeful eyes.
Standing right there, Yuki was drenched in sweat.
His face had turned pale, and lines of anxiety were etched deeply across his forehead.
His breathing was fast and ragged, as if he felt an invisible threat pressing against his throat.
He kept twisting his fingers, his nervousness coursing through the air like an electric current.
He wanted to run away from this 'game of friendship,' but his feet felt as if they were sinking into the ground.
Lane, standing right beside Luka, sensed his silence.
He tilted his small face upward and gazed intently at Luka with his large, golden eyes.
At that moment, Lane's eyes sparkled like a falling star.
There was such a magical glint and a silent plea in those eyes that it could melt even stone.
Lane kept hold of Haru's hand while using his other hand to repeatedly tug at the corner of Luka's shirt.
His eyes blinked with a shine that seemed to beg Luka—
'Say yes, Luka! Look, we are all together.'
The small distance between the four of them had now transformed into a strange confluence of hope and fear.