The gear-like knob twisted, causing resounding hissing sounds even as the door opened quickly, revealing Negan with hands crossed at the other side, with his ever present smirk.
" So you finally conquered your boots, huh ?" He jested as if knowing Kyrie was lying earlier, but even while Kyrie chuckled, doing his best to keep his nervousness masked.
Negan's back was already turned on him and was swiftly heading to the entrance, which served as their exit in this situation.
The air outside the private ward he had just walked out of tasted different. Copper and coal, oil and disinfectant. Kyrie stood in the corridor, hand still on the door behind him, and finally breathed in Stria for the first time, watching as Negan walked off.
"You coming?" Negan called, snapping him out of his daze. " Yeah," Kyrie responded, and he quickly followed behind, taking in his surroundings, the late afternoon sun turning the corridor amber. Filtering their way in through the windows. The nurses moved around with footsteps resounding on the polished tiles, chattering here and there.
Kyrie walked behind Negan, conscious of the way people's gazes slid past them. They were not invisible, but not particularly noteworthy either. After all, it was just two men walking out of a hospital.
Except Negan was special, and the way staff members subtly straightened when he passed suggested they knew it. Not from just his appearance alone, he could be considered just another well-dressed gentleman man but it was something else. His Presence? Authority? The casual confidence of someone who knew exactly how capable and dangerous he was.
They pushed the doors of the entrance, and the view of the era came rushing in.
The fascinating wonder that was the strian Republic, a nation finely designed with the alluring mixture of Victorian aesthetic and industrial innovation and this was one of its cities, this was Strevus, a city with cobblestone roads stretching the distance as far as kyrie's eyes could see and buildings of different sizes made of brass, brick and steel lined on both side of the street with gas lamps fitted alongside.
Even while Kyrie stared, he was obviously surprised and mesmerized, leaving a pleasant smile on Negan's face, who was in a half-turn and observing the boy.
It was as if he had seen this so many times before, since each episode left the boy's memories blurry and he needed to blend into the world all over again, something Negan was always around to help him with, and the boy had a talent for.
Kyrie's surprise was waning when shadows fell over him, forcing his eyes upwards where he witnessed airships that conquered the skies, sounds of gears and machinery trailing behind the magnificent balloon constructs.
They flew alongside the clouds and birds, about three of them, and if one squinted enough, would be able to catch a glimpse of people on these ships.
" Is it becoming familiar again? " Negan asked. Turning away as he continued walking to the left-hand side of the street.
" Something like that," Kyrie murmured, still taking it in.
Kyrie's memories recognized all this, it wasn't too much, but Brett's consciousness found it fascinating and beautiful.
His gaze left the skies and dwelled on what was right in front of him, even while he followed Negan. There were steam-powered carriages running along the street, their engines chugging and hissing, wheels clicking excitedly over cobblestones.
Horses still existed here too, pulling more traditional carriages for those who preferred them or couldn't afford the newer technology. The two types of transport mixed on the road, creating a strange system that seemed to cover for everyone.
Kyrie and Negan walked on the sidewalks alongside men and women who were finely dressed in the typical Victorian era attire, gowns for the ladies, formal suit wears and top hats for the men, with a touch of gear-like accessories.
Goggles hung on the foreheads of most, with some individuals having metal prosthetic arms with obvious gears and clog clicking alongside them, and an orb-like device strapped to their attire. It seemed quite popular but Kyrie couldn't determine the purposes forNow.
In no time, they arrived in front of a steam-powered vehicle, which fully aligned with the era, the most eye-catching part of it being the chimney-like vent on top of it, which released an occasional poof of smoke.
It was definitely nothing Brett had seen before, but Kyrie's memories recognized them, and almost instinctively, he had moved to open the door and enter the car like it was a recurrent activity.
" Guess you still remember this baby ?"
Negan laughed while he opened the driver's seat, even while Kyrie entered through the passenger seat. Both of their entry was welcomed with the odor of smoke while the leather seats of the car squeaked.
Negan didn't dally as he immediately turned on the ignition, causing the car to wobble slightly, even as the engine coughed a few times, and after a quick jolt, the engine finally came alive.
" How you enjoying your first time in a steam car post episode? "Negan asked while not expecting any answer, guiding the vehicle into the flow of traffic with a smooth turn of the wheel.
" I don't know yet, hoping you drive as smoothly as you flirt," Kyrie joked. The memories were there, he'd ridden in this exact car dozens of times, but experiencing it with full consciousness felt entirely different.
They rolled forward, joining the stream of vehicles and carriages moving through the streets of Strevus.
The city unfolded around them, residential areas with neat rows of houses giving way to commercial districts packed with shops, restaurants, and businesses. Signs advertised everything from mechanical prosthetics to Quality imported tea to psi-dampening charms.
That last one made Kyrie's eyebrow rise. "Psi-dampening charms?"
" Snake oil," Negan said dismissively. "50% of the shops selling protection against psions are running scams. The other half are run by psions themselves who know exactly how useless those trinkets are."
He glanced sideways at Kyrie. "People fear what they don't understand, so they buy solutions to problems they can't see, it's a tale as old as man "
"But psions are public knowledge " Kyrie said, "Right?"
Negan's expression darkened a little. "Officially? The Strian government acknowledges that 'individuals with special cognitive powers exist. Unofficially?" He gestured towards the streets outside the car.
" A fair share of people go their whole lives without confirming they've met a real psion. They hear tales, buy charms, and feel safer. The government prefers it that way, keeps panic down, keeps order up at least that's what they would like us to believe"
"And the Psions?" Kyrie asked
"Keep their heads down, their abilities off, and their identities hidden. The smart ones, anyway." Negan's eyes met his briefly, a more serious expression on his face.
" If I am to give you advice " he said before pausing for a moment and spinning the car's wheel to overtake another.
Kyrie waited, sensing this was important.
Negan continued, his tone losing all its usual lightness, "It would be simple, don't use your powers openly. Not where I can't see you. Not where people you don't trust can see it. Stria might tolerate psions, but tolerance isn't the same as safety and fear nakes people dangerous."
The words settled in Kyrie's mind. This was real. This was survival advice from someone who'd clearly learned how to play the game and navigate its difficulties.
"Understood," Kyrie replied quietly.
Negan's expression softened slightly. "Good". Kyrie had noticed Negan's eyes constantly scanning all this while, not just the road, but rooftops, alleys and the faces in passing. It didn't seem like paranoia but a habit.
"You always this alert?" Kyrie asked.
"Old habits," Negan said. "They keep you alive," knowing exactly what the boy meant.
"Duly noted. " Kyrie nodded even as Negan spun the wheel, guiding them into a narrower street with the buildings much closer to each other.
"Now," he said, his tone as light as usual, "let's get some food in you before…."
They barely covered any distance when a figure stepped into the street ahead of them, causing Negan's hand to tighten on the wheel as two other figures followed.
Kyrie leaned forward, squinting through the windshield at the people standing ahead, facing their approaching car.
"Negan?" Kyrie said carefully.
"I see them." Negan's voice had gone flat. Dangerous and yet calm.
"Put your goggles on. Now!"