The following morning, the silence of the house was broken by the clinking of pans and the greasy scent of frying bacon. Arthur awoke with a heavy mind, sleep still clinging to his body. He rubbed his eyes, massaging his forehead as if trying to banish a persistent ache, and walked toward the kitchen, where Alice stood before the stove.
— Good morning. Are you feeling any better?
Arthur asked, keeping a safe distance. His eyes, still blurred from sleep, scanned Alice's figure, looking for signs of how her bandages fared beneath her clothes.
Alice nodded curtly while flipping the omelet. Her wounds were no longer weeping; the effectiveness of her dressings was evident—an efficiency that highlighted the stark difference between her self-care and his.
— Why didn't you wake me? I could have helped.
— I didn't think it was necessary. It's just breakfast. Nothing too complex.
She turned her head deliberately to face him, her gaze sharp. Arthur took a step forward, feeling the sting of her distrust—a ghost that constantly lingered between them.
— Sometimes it feels like you do it on purpose. I'm not dead weight that can't help. Here, give me that.
Arthur pulled the frying pan from Alice's hands, taking her place at the stove.
— Let me handle the stove; you can make the coffee and warm the toast. It's easier if we split the tasks, don't you think?
...
— Fine, since you insist. Just try not to burn anything, alright?
She moved away toward the refrigerator. Arthur caught a glimpse of the inside: it was completely full. The abundance, so different from the scarcity of days ago, hit him as a reminder of just how volatile their situation was.
— You even did the shopping. Alice...
"She doesn't trust me with even the basics. So why keep me around? Aren't we supposed to be partners? I hope it's just her stress..."
— Never mind. Next time, just call me if you need help or if the chores pile up, okay?
Arthur finished the omelets Alice had started, cracking a few more eggs into the pan. Alice watched every movement from the corner of her eye.
— Why are you frying more? I already did six eggs... that's enough for the two of us. Not counting the bacon and toast.
She asked.
— I'm frying some for Hanna. She must be starving.
...
Alice set the utensils she was using down on the table; the click echoed through the kitchen. She turned her body and crossed her arms, facing the boy who was still tending to the food.
— You intend to provide a free energy source for a HU lackey? Seriously? You heard her say that a rich diet is the foundation of her anomaly, and you're handing it to her on a silver platter.
Her eyes narrowed.
— It's just a basic breakfast, nothing exaggerated. We can't just leave her down there without food or water.
He finished the last omelet, setting it aside as he grabbed some bacon from the fridge, heading to the sink and using the cutting board to dice it into cubes.
— I was somewhat stunned when you suggested she stay with us. But now this...? What is going on in your head, Arthur?
She asked firmly.
— I... I don't know. I really don't know...
He breathed deeply, continuing to cut the meat.
— ... Since I woke up in that room, I haven't had a single answer. I woke up hungry... afraid... helpless. And... to make it worse, since the day you almost handed me over to them, I've been dreaming of voices... and a mist. A fog in my head that won't go away.
Shk... Shk...
— But, when I hugged her to try and calm her down... I felt something strange. Probably because we're anomalies, a physical reaction to the contact. She's in the same situation as I am... maybe even worse. If we're in the same boat, maybe she can be on our side.
He finished speaking with the final cut.
— I see. But does she think the same? She could be playing the "good girl" part very well, waiting for us to lower our guard so she can behead us at the first opportunity.
...
— I know, but it's worth a try. And, from her reaction yesterday... from what I felt, I can say... it was as natural and true as it gets. I... I just want answers, Alice. Do you understand me?
He let go of the knife, resting it on the board.
— ... Fine. I agreed to let her stay, so I have no room to complain. But that doesn't mean I'm going to shake her hand like we're childhood friends, especially after she brutally ripped open my abdomen.
Alice spoke, spitting distrust and caution.
— If you trust your senses that much, go ahead. Take her the breakfast, but don't even think about undoing those chains. Because if you let her go... I'll start seeing you as an enemy.
The threat hung in the air, dense and cold.
Arthur simply nodded, understanding.
---
Arthur descended the basement stairs with the tray neatly arranged. Hot coffee in a thermal mug, omelets and bacon placed symmetrically on the plate.
Stopping on a step where he could glimpse the area, he saw the girl scratching the floor with a metal blade extending from beneath her toenail; the blade wore down and chipped with every scratch.
He descended the final steps quickly, the sound of his feet echoing in the room before he stopped.
— Hanna? I brought some breakfast for you. I don't know what you prefer, but... I hope you like it.
...
Without receiving an answer or even a glance, he stepped closer.
— Are you okay? It looks like... you didn't sleep.
...
— Eat a lit—
— Go away...
She murmured, stopping her scratching when the fragile blade snapped.
— Are you sure?
Arthur repeated.
— ... You took everything I had left...
She completely ignored Arthur's persistence.
— I can't go back anymore... if I go back, they'll kill me. I only had one more chance to prove I was still useful, and I failed pathetically. I sank his reputation even further...
She tried to generate another blade, but the extending metal crumbled instantly.
— ... You took my only purpose. In the end, I'll just go on being a draft.
Arthur stood motionless. Her words stung—an echo of his own insecurity.
He stepped closer despite her rejection. He knelt before her and sat back on his heels, placing the tray on the floor and sliding it toward her.
— You might as well kill me now; I have no meaning left.
Her eyes darted from the plate to Arthur's eyes.
— I know you only kept me alive so I'd tell you something important later, but I really... I don't know anything. So just end it already.
— I just want you to eat, that's all. You're weak and very pale.
...
— Why are you being so receptive to me? I would have handed you over on a silver platter if I had caught you, and I wouldn't have felt any remorse afterward. Why...?
She asked.
— ... I identified with you. I woke up a few days ago with no memory, afraid... full of paranoia and doubts. Yesterday, when Alice was interrogating you, I saw that you're in the same situation as I am...
...
— I don't have a purpose. And you, who already had fear and insecurities... now you have nothing left to cling to either. But...
He extended his hand to her.
— ... I might not have a purpose yet, but I have a desire to at least get answers that make me remember who I am. You can join me in this search for answers, and who knows, along the way, you might find your purpose again. I'm giving you a new chance to start over... with someone who is in the same boat.
...
His hand remained extended in the air, Arthur swallowing hard as he waited for some sign from the girl. Then... once more... the physical touch between the two.
Hanna's palm pressed against Arthur's; the touch sent the same sensation of calm and comfort... like being inside a cozy house while, outside, it pours rain from a cloudy sky.
"I... I've never felt this sensation before. It's warm... comforting. It's... different from the Doctor's lab. It's so... strange."
She thought as she processed everything at once.
— Fine... it's worth a try. At least if the boat breaks, I won't sink alone.
Arthur sighed in relief, offering the most genuine smile the girl had received in a long time.
— Well, I guess it's a start. Now eat something, okay? Otherwise, it'll get cold and taste bad.
Arthur pushed the plate a little closer to the girl, who swallowed hard and fixed her eyes on the center of the plate. She wanted to refuse; it wounded her pride. But before she could think before reacting...
Nham nham— glup! pf!
— Careful not to choke, the food isn't going anywhere.
Arthur said in a soft tone as Hanna began eating the food clumsily. Scraps falling, face messy, and completely ignoring the presence of the silverware.
Hanna ignored him at first, continuing to eat like a hyena that hadn't fed in weeks.
— I don't want to rush you or anything... but I'd like to talk to you about the HU. I don't mean about what they want with me... you already said you don't know. But I want to know what it's like inside.
The boy informed her, still patient.
— ... The HU is divided into sectors. Each researcher has their own sector, and each anomaly has that same sector to stay in, depending on the researcher responsible for them.
...
— And the more results the researcher delivers, the better their sector becomes. That's all I know that's important.
She finished speaking before returning to devour the last remains of food on the plate.
"One researcher can only be responsible for one anomaly? Then why were there so many doors where I woke up?"
Arthur grew more pensive.
— One researcher can only handle one anomaly? How do they perform these experiments? What was your sector like? How—
Arthur stopped instantly upon seeing Hanna's scowl begin to form under the barrage of questions he was firing.
— Sorry... I got a bit carried away. You've said enough. If you feel comfortable later, you can tell me, okay?
He began gathering the plate and placing it back on the tray carefully.
— Are you... leaving already?
Hanna asked, her eyes trembling as she watched Arthur move away, the warmth slowly fading...
— Yes... I have to go up and see if Alice needs anything. But don't worry, I'll come down here every now and then to see you, okay?
He said, stepping closer just to lightly ruffle her hair—a careful gesture of concern that felt like...
affection?
— It won't be long before you're out of these chains; I just ask for a little time... trust takes a while to form, unfortunately.
"Oh, don't make that face, Arthur! I promise I'll never t...—"
— ...
Arthur's chest filled with warmth and a sensation he couldn't recognize.
— Anyway, I promise I won't abandon you down here. I'll be back soon.
Arthur turned, heading back toward the stairs.
Hanna stayed there, her hand moving to touch where the boy's palm had just been. A sensation so... familiar.
"A new chance for a purpose? In the end, he's just using me for his own benefit. But... it's so different from the Doctor. I think... I can get used to this strangeness."