She barely noticed the soft scraping sound coming from the far corner of the room. It was faint, barely audible beneath the sound of her frantic heartbeat, but something was there.

Her eyes darted to the wall, just as a small crack appeared, widening slowly. The wood of the house groaned, and a loose section of wallboard fell away, revealing a narrow hole, too small for a person to fit through… unless they were small and nimble.

Juno's breath caught as a familiar, violet eye peeked through the hole.

Ain.

His head was tilted slightly, his usual smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, though there was an edge to it that Juno had never seen before.

He slithered through the hole, his body contorting and wriggling as he emerged into the room with ease. “Well, this is a fine mess," he muttered, tone annoyed.

Ain gave himself a shake, particles of dust flying off as he did. “Don’t mind me,” he said, light but serious. “Just thought I’d pop in, since it’s not like they’re really keeping you here, right?”

Juno looked at him, her expression a mixture of relief and disbelief. She had no idea how he’d managed to find a way in, but she was glad he had. She had thought she might have to wait hours, or worse, days, before someone came to help.

“I was starting to think I wouldn't see you again,” she muttered.

Ain let out a soft chuckle, moving closer. “Oh no. Wouldn’t dream of it. Though, you’ve been quite the topic of conversation.” He paused. “Sereph... He’s really interested in you, huh?”

Juno’s face paled at the mention of the demon. “He’s a freak,” she spat. “I don’t know what his problem is, but I don’t like it.”

Ain stepped closer, his violet eyes studying her carefully. His usual playful demeanor had shifted, his gaze turning almost… serious. “He’s got a plan. And it involves you.” Ain leaned in. “He’s not just playing around. He wants you for something… and I’m not sure you’re going to like what it is.”

Juno slumped against the wall, her mind racing, but she tried to stay calm. "What are we going to do, Ain?"

Ain grinned, a small, sly smirk. “We get you out of here, obviously,” Ain replied, glancing at the hole. “But we’ll have to be careful. It’s not just Sereph we need to worry about. This house is full of them. So, we wait for the right moment.”

Juno nodded, grateful for Ain’s presence, but the weight of Sereph’s words lingered in her mind.

She looked around the room, but there was no obvious way out. The walls were bare, and the only furniture was a rickety old table and a chair. She tried to think about their next move instead of panicking. Staying focused was the only way out.

“Look at you acting like a big girl,” Ain said with a grin.

Juno shot him a look, half-exasperated, half-grateful. Ain leapt onto the table, studying her face.

His grin never wavered. “You really have got some guts, huh? I’ve seen grown men piss themselves in less scary situations.”

 His comment made her smile but she looked away. Ain chuckled, his tail flicking back and forth. "Ah, don’t worry too much. This is just routine work for me.”

Juno’s brow furrowed slightly. “You say that like you’ve been in this exact scenario before.”

“Well, maybe not exactly this one," Ain admitted with a smirk. "But I’ve been in enough tight spots to know things always have a way of shifting."

Juno exhaled through her nose, not entirely comforted. "I don't want to sit around waiting for something to change. If we’re getting out of here, we need to do something."

Ain's ears twitched, and he gave her an approving nod. "Not a bad mindset, I'll give you that." He leaned back slightly, studying their surroundings. "Though you do realize they probably won't kill you, right? That changes our options.”

Juno narrowed her eyes. "And how would you know that?"

Ain’s expression darkened just a bit. "Because of Gin. You think it was a coincidence that Sereph picked up on his scent? You’ve been around him enough that it’s practically soaked into you. And trust me, these people don’t forget a scent like that." He paused, eyes gleaming. "Especially not someone like Gin."

Juno clenched her fists. “So what? Does that mean I’m just some kind of leverage to them now?”

Ain shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe they’re just curious why someone like you would be hanging around someone like him. Either way, that probably buys us time.”

Juno swallowed hard, unsure whether to feel relieved or even more uneasy. She knew nothing about Gin’s past, but if his reputation was enough to keep her alive, she wasn’t sure what that said about him or about what might happen next.

Ain chuckled, and they started to look around, studying the surroundings closely. She couldn't see much in the dark, and everything in the room seemed useless. Juno glanced around, her eyes landing on the only thing illuminated enough: the small window high up on one wall. An idea sparked in her mind. "Ain, come here," she whispered urgently, motioning for the cat to join her.

Ain padded over, his violet eyes questioning. Juno knelt down and cupped her hands together. "I think you can fit through that window," she said. "I'll lift you up so you can take a look outside."

Ain tilted his head, considering her plan. "Alrighty, let's give it a shot."

Juno lifted Ain, holding him steady as he peered through the window. He was small, soft, and light. He sniffed the air, his ears twitching as he assessed their surroundings. She was surprised by how easily he fit through the gap.

“Well, you got a good eye, I’ll give you that. And I can't see any guards outside…” He continued to sniff the air, trying to discern any smells coming from outside.

A small flicker of hope ignited within Juno's chest as Ain confirmed that the coast was clear. She swallowed, her throat dry. “Good. Okay, great. At least there's a chance of escape.” She paused, a frown etched upon her face. “But I can't go with you...”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right… You're not exactly built for squeezing through tight spaces, are you?” He chuckled lightly, his smirk returning to his face, but noticed her frown deepening in concern. “Hey, don’t get so gloomy on me, I’ll figure something out, aight?”

He left her hands to step on the small gap the window had and turned toward her.

“You're not gonna leave me here, right?” She was scared, even if she tried to hide it, and being left there without Ain made her stress even more.

Ain's eyes widened in surprise. “What, leave you here to those idiots? As if!” He smiled more genuinely now. “I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a coward. You're stuck with me, darlin’.” His tone was surprisingly warm and reassuring for the cheeky cat.

Juno let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Ain's words were surprisingly soothing, calming the rapid beat of her heart just a bit. She still didn't think she could escape herself, but knowing she wouldn't be left behind made things slightly less dire.

“Okay, Ain. Be careful out there.”

Ain gave her a final nod before squeezing through the window. He dropped down to the ground outside and quickly disappeared from her sight. Juno sat back, the room feeling even more oppressive now.

Her hand slipped into her pockets, and she froze at the cold touch of metal. Her fingers brushed against the familiar shape of the knife she had taken from Gin’s boat. A small spark of hope flickered in her chest. If there was one thing she could control right now, it was this.

The door was her only way out. She approached it cautiously, then pressed her ear against the old wood, straining to hear anything from the outside. The faint sounds of commotion reached her, Ain was certainly causing some trouble out there, and that could work to her advantage.

Gripping the knife tightly, she began working at the door’s hinges. The blade slid between the metal and the frame, the rusted metal scraping in protest. Her hands trembled slightly, but she ignored the shaking. The quiet, rhythmic motion of prying the hinge apart focused her mind, drowning out the fear and panic that kept creeping in.

A soft snap sounded as the top hinge gave way. Juno exhaled, moving quickly to the lower hinge. The pressure on her wrists grew as she worked, but the satisfaction of seeing the hinge finally break free pushed her onward. The door creaked as it shifted slightly, and Juno squeezed through the small gap she'd made.

The hallway outside was illuminated by flickering lanterns. She could make out the shapes of more doors, and a staircase leading down. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she took a deep breath, her determination driving her forward.

Just as she reached the stairs, she heard shouts from the other side of the house; Ain’s distraction was working. Her goal was clear: find her way out and reunite with him.

As she descended the stairs, the sound of the demons' voices grew louder, and the tension in her chest tightened. But Juno refused to let fear take over. She had come too far to turn back now. With every step, she weaved through the dark hallways, narrowly avoiding a few close calls with the demons searching the house.

She entered the new room, her heart pounding in her chest as she took careful steps. She scanned the area quickly and nothing seemed out of place. The room was quiet, so she moved farther in, her eyes darting to the corners, making sure there were no surprises waiting for her.

A guttural breath broke the silence behind her. Juno spun, a scream dying in her throat as the demon loomed there, massive, small eyes glinting in a face too wide for them. It lunged at her.

She'd never fought anything in her life. Never had to. Her body didn't know what to do except panic, and panic made her slow, she threw the knife up more out of flinch, and it barely mattered. The demon's hand closed around her wrist and wrenched it sideways, hard enough that something in her joint screamed in protest and the knife clattered from her fingers uselessly. Pain shot up her arm. She bit down on the sound that wanted to come out.

“Let go–” Her voice cracked, thinner than she wanted it to be. She tried to twist free and the movement made it worse, made spots crawl at the edges of her vision.

The demon's grip didn't loosen. But its eyes had gone somewhere else, darting toward the door, toward the hallway beyond it.

“Boss said don't hurt her.” Its voice had dropped low. Its fingers stayed locked around her wrist, but they'd started trembling. “Said if I hurt her, he'd–”

It swallowed, throat working like it had physically choked on whatever came next.

“Can't let her leave either.” Sweat had beaded along its hairline. “He was very specific. Said he'd know. Said he'd know exactly how, if I–” It cut itself off again.

“Know what?” The question came out before she could stop it, closer to morbid curiosity. “What did he even say to you?”

The demon's eyes went wide, like it had already said too much just by existing in front of her. “Nothing. Nothing, I– I shouldn't have–”

Juno's chest had gone tight, like every time before the coughing started. Not now. Please not now. She swallowed against it and used the one weapon she had left: she slammed her heel into its knee, putting everything she had into it, which wasn't much, but it was enough.

The demon staggered, grip finally tearing loose. Her wrist throbbed, already swelling, and the movement sent her stumbling back a step, breath hitching.

She didn't wait to see if it recovered. She grabbed the vase off the side table, it was heavier than she expected, and her arms shook trying to lift it, and swung it into the side of its skull with everything her thin arms could manage. It shattered on impact. The demon dropped, out cold before it hit the floor.

The cough finally broke loose, doubling her over, one hand braced against the table while the other cradled her wrist to her chest. She pressed her sleeve to her mouth until it passed, ragged and wet-sounding in a way she didn't want to think about right now.

When she straightened, breathing hard, she looked down at the demon and thought about how it had been more scared of Sereph than anything else, more scared of disappointing him than of a fight it should have won without trying. She thought about that too long, standing there, and didn't like where the thought went. Didn't like that somewhere in this building, a man who wanted her dragged back to him had thought carefully enough about what that meant to make sure even his own men were more afraid of him than they'd ever be of her.

She didn't waste time chasing it further. She still had to find Ain. She still had to get out.