18:54 – 14.12.16094
Kurai had barely set foot inside the cell when the tension hit him like a wave.
A girl with silver-blue hair lounging lazily against the wall smirked at him, licking her lips like a predator sizing up her prey.
Novva: "So, what got you here, boy?"
Kurai said nothing. He walked past her like she wasn't even there.
Novva (grinning wider): "You're gonna ignore a girl like me? That's bold."
She slinked closer, eyes dancing with mischief. The moment her fingertips brushed his arm, Kurai's expression darkened. he clenched his first and turned, fist draw, ready to strike-
But a hand caught his wrist mid-swing.
???: "Let's all calm down."
The voice was deep but composed, and came from a man with sharp features and steady posture. He held Kurai's wrist firmly but without malice.
???: "No need for violence. My name's Kenzo. It means 'modest'. Let's try to live up to it."
Kurai yanked his hand back and clicked his tongue. "Tch."
Novva: That was way too close, psycho!"
Kurai didn't respond. He walked to the farthest corner of the room, slid down against the wall, and closed his eyes.
Novva(pouting): "This guy's no fun."
Kenzo: (chuckling lightly): "Give it time. He'll open up eventually."
"I don't want anything to do with any of you. Don't get me involved." Kurai said, voice low, cold.
"Well, look who decided to speak." Novva turned around.
Kenzo: "Let him be, Novva. We all handle this place differently."
Novva: "He's acting like some angry brat begging for attention."
Kurai (without opening his eyes): "I can hear you."
Novva: Then don't interrupt!"
Kurai cracked an eye open and shot her a flat, unamused look.
Kenzo: "Alright, let's try again. That was a rough start. I am Kenzo. The overly friendly one is Novva. And the girl over there..."
He motioned to a quiet figure curled in the shadows.
"...that's Anna. She's half Spanish, half-Japanese. The guards...they've taken a special interest in her lately."
Kurai glanced at her. She was small, bruised, withdrawn. She hadn't looked up once. But there was something beneath that silence. A faint hum of energy that pulsed like static in the air. Barely noticeable. But there.
Kurai stared harder, and said calmly "You're an Itsuko user."
The cell froze. The faint energy vanished instantly, snuffed out like flame.
Kenzo and Novva turned to him, eyes wide with fear.
Anna lifted her head slowly, trembling. Her tear-streaked face locked onto Kurai like she'd just seen a ghost.
"Who... who are you?" Anna said, voice shaking.
"That wasn't my question." Kurai said unflinching.
"I was hiding it...We all were. How could you tell?"
Kurai: "We? So all three of you are Itsuko users."
Anna looked down, hands flying to her mouth. Her eyes darted to Kenzo and Novva in panic.
"It's a misunderstanding, Kurai..." Kenzo, forcing a chuckle.
He stepped in close, eyes narrowing. "You're not gonna tell the guards, are you? You wouldn't...betray us, would you?"
Kurai (shrugging): "What do I gain from telling them?"
Then, with a glance at Anna: "She needs to learn how to suppress her energy. I could sense it from outside the cell."
Anna (snapping): " I'm doing my best!"
Kurai: "And 'best' doesn't mean good. If these idiots ever figure out how to actually sense Itsuko, you're the first one they'll come for."
Anna's fists tightened. "You didn't answer. Who are you? Do you use Itsuko too?"
Kurai's voice grew quieter. "I used to have something I could name powerful. A power peoplefeared. Now I have nothing. And I'll carry that nothing with me for the rest of the short like I have left."
Novva (brows furrowed) : "How does someone lose that?"
Kurai: "Doesn't matter. What matters is that if anyone finds out what she is, we all bum with her, seeing your fear after myself found out."
Kurai leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes again.
'I said I didn't want to get involved. But if she slips, I get dragged down too. This isn't for them. It's for me. I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead.'