Their destination was the private office known as “Bullseye”, the entity that usually served as the liaison between Liberi, Koncel, and their various contractors. Enarky, seated among the other five, rested quietly in the back of the van and even felt drowsy on the long drive.

He paid little attention to the passing scenery or the passing time; he had no idea what time it was, and he felt neither really hungry nor really thirsty, which was odd. His mind simply shifted too rapidly back and forth, between excitement and regret, so much so that it drained him of his physical strength and replaced his need with utter tiredness.

Therefore, his neighbors better distinguished and kept watch over the road, as the scrubland gave way to mountains, then scattered villages emerged from between them, until they entered the heart of a different city, more picturesque, seemingly less developed, and instead embracing a Gothic style with its narrow, winding cobblestone streets, its slender roofs adorned in near-mystical pinnacles and finials, as well as numerous emblematic sculptures gracing the center of town squares, some of which were lined by water fountains.

That being said, at that hour, the streets were less bustling and vibrant than in the daytime, however, the moon, rising high in the atmosphere, still imbued every facet of the townscape with sufficient light to be noticeable.

The van cruised through the streets with a steady, confident hum. Koncel, at the wheel, held his eyes open as they approached a nondescript, shabby-looking building, then watched as a garage door swung open automatically to let them in.

The vehicle drove into a basement, a parking garage bathed in twilight and marked by a geometry some might describe as anxious and ambiguous, the kind of place that has Enarky falling into sleepiness even more effectively... If it wasn't for Sachi Jackalorian's sudden noisy yawning.

Sachi: "Goddamn! Felt like a whole ass week!"

Gravel: "D-don't just suddenly yell like that...!"

Koncel tapped the steering wheel and let out a sigh once he had finished parking up.

Koncel: “Well, then... First mission teaming up, let’s just say it was a pleasure.”

Liberi: “Hehe, did it blow your mind watching me crush those jerks back to back? I guess you learned real quick to let me handle things after that.”

Koncel: “Haha, you think you’re stronger than me?”

Lola: “I hate to interrupt your bonding time, sweethearts, but we’d really like to get out.”

Sachi: “Yeah, this kid’s a smelly walking corpse.”

Enarky: “H-hey!”

That remark from Sachi was completely uncalled for, and he pretended to roll his eyes away as Koncel and Liberi went down first to open the doors for everyone.

The group—consisting of the five victims, the two mercenaries, and then the outsider, who could indeed hardly stay upright on his knees—headed without further delay toward the light of a passageway at the end of the confined lot.

There were instantly three persons awaiting near the passage, three obvious members of the organization. In the middle, an aged lady in bureaucratic uniform, wearing a closed, serious face.

Koncel: “Greetings, Headmistress.”

Liberi: “Yo.”

Two armed agents stood by her side; the awkward figures behind the two mercenaries kept quiet.

Headmistress: "Please escort the subjects to the hearing room. Carchmünd and Liberi, I will speak with you shortly. You may return to your quarters."

She promptly turned on her heel and allowed her two agents to formally escort the six individuals, all of whom were more or less responsive. Enarky started to join the procession, his eyes scarcely open. The mercenaries didn’t spare a single glance behind them as they strode purposefully ahead, causing a twinge of anxiety in the young man, who was still weary.

His group made fairly rapid progress down the corridor, climbing a slope, going up some stairs, and passing through a concrete building with few plastered walls. Ultimately, it bore no resemblance to a fortress. Within seconds of walking across the sticky tile floor, its state became more clinical once they reached the level where magic, though inhospitable, was at work.

Behind reinforced glass panes, where cold rooms stood beneath the neon lights, a thin number of employees worked in methodical silence, interrupted only by the hum of the ventilation systems, the clatter of keyboards and the muffled rings of internal telephones. Walking down a straight corridor, Enarky glanced at the noticeboards covered in timetables, the coded topographical maps which made no sense to him, and the modestly equipped computer workstations. How many places, so well concealed and obscured, were still functioning to meet people’s needs? Even at the heart of this city, order was bound to give way to waves of crime and shadowy activities at regular intervals, and not every revolutionary used their resources for the good of the community… That’s it – are the people here the sort who weave their web without a care for what it ultimately traps to death, or do they stretch out their ropes so that as many innocent people as possible can cling to them in difficult times?

More importantly – what are they playing at? How can they fail to see that he doesn’t belong among them? Liberi finally turned his head back without pausing in his stride, meeting the young man’s deeply concerned gaze and offering him a smile that did little to reassure him.

Were they simply relying on Liberi and Koncel’s professionalism? Or did nobody really know what the sixth person they were bringing back looked like? ‘Robert’ something, was it?

Why am I only worrying about this now? I’m not supposed to be here at all.

Just then, they stopped.

Enarky: “...”

The group walked into the hearing room. The two officers remained stationed outside the door, locking it once everyone was inside. Enarky blinked frantically; he was now being held here with the other five, whilst Liberi and Koncel had gone off on their own. The room was so empty, so hollow – one single table and one single chair in the centre, the circular fluorescent light on the ceiling piercing the whites of the walls and floor tiles right through one's retinas. It really should be a crime having lights like this on at this time of night.

"Pah! Can’t believe you said 'thank you' to that bunch of scum. You don’t realise they’re going to use us exactly as the alchemists would have done?!" Sachi Jackalorian’s deep voice boomed out…

Poor Cinderella, who’d gladly taken the chair at Lola’s invitation, jumped and pressed her lip between her teeth. Gravel grimaced, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling, hands in his pockets. “But you don’t know any of that… Stop being so pessimistic and just be content for a couple of seconds.”

Sachi raised his voice even further, “Ah yeah, I see. There’s really no one here who understands a shit thing about all this, is there?”

Lola, standing upright beside the table, simply stared into space, her head bowed, offering no reaction. Samuel backed up against the wall, leaning back with his arms crossed and an inscrutable expression on his face.

Gravel: “Maybe you shouldn’t start yelling like that, Jackie. We’re not sure if this room is soundproof—”

Sachi: “Call me ‘Jackie’ one more time and I’ll make you eat a tile off the floor, you ass-kisser. Clearly, your plan is to get whipped and caged; mine is to stay a free man—”

He loses his temper, striding toward Sachi with heavy footsteps. “Watch what comes out of that filthy, racist, mouth of yours! Go ahead, show some balls and run away if you can! You’re just a big mouth!”

Sachi stood his ground, white-hot with rage, spitting out his brainless rant, “I’ve got at least twice as much balls as the guy giving ‘thanks’ to those who wanna screw us over!!”

Gravel: “You wanna fight, asshole?! You call me weak—you got caught just like the rest of us! So calm the hell down, you’re not going to do a damn thing!!”

Sachi: “You think you’re gonna live?! I may’ve gotten caught, but I don’t have your pathetic little-ass survival instinct!! Don’t act all tough—!!”

Enarky's heart is pounding heavily in his chest—

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN YOU'RE ALIVE?!

Don't you realize how hard it was?!

I, at least, risked my life and broke every bone in my body!!

It wasn’t so I could hear you trash the efforts of the day that changed my life!!”

All eyes were fixed on him.

Everyone, wondered why it was him raising his voice now, but above all, they were once again asking themselves the same thing as when they saw him approach them first earlier that day.

Who even is this guy?

Enarky: “I decided to do some crazy stuff today, and I’m sure you’d never dare go through the same experience I've had!!”

Enarky: “So before you call others weak, take a good look at yourself in the mirror, you green mop!!—”

He is suddenly grabbed by the throat, pinned against the wall by a hand stronger than his own, and his breath is cut off sharply.

Sachi’s eyes are blazing, his fangs are bared, and his fist is raised—a surge of rage that should have been entirely predictable, but Enarky definitely was not picking up very well.

He squeezes his eyelids shut, expecting one more blow that would finally prove decisive to his face, but...

WHAM—

Gravel: “…! ”

Cinderella: “…!!”

Samuel: “...”

—Rather, it was Sachi’s completely knocked-out body that was slammed to the ground with a swift, unannounced blow. Enarky suddenly gasped for air as his hand grabbed hold of the top of his shirt.

She was so fast that he found himself blinking feverishly once again...

Sachi is truly knocked out, lying on the ground.

Lola: “...”

She sighs, grinning—

Gravel and Cinderella watched this unfold, stunned, but Samuel let out a breath of disapproval. “Idiot…”

Lola smiled, her voice sparkling and light, “Ah! You finally said something, S?” Her earrings swayed gently as she tilted her head to one side, a look that was both playful and calculating.

She directed that same comforting smile once more at Cinderella, who appeared in shock, sitting still at the table. Enarky coughed, scared out of his wits and, of course, the most shaken of all.

Enarky: “…T-…Thank you…”

Lola: “Huh? For what?”

Enarky: “You-… He-… was choking me and…”

Lola: “Oh, for real? I really didn’t notice… I just hit him because I was having trouble thinking about our situation in silence."

Enarky: "... Huh..."

Gravel: “Y-you're damn strong, girl...!”

Lola giggled, “Hehe. Yeah, well, someone had to take care of raising your good old Samuel right here. I'm kind of like his big sister, ya know!~”

Samuel retorted in a grim demeanor, “Cut the crap...”

Enarky badly wanted to sit down, but he didn’t quite dare move anymore. Thoughts raced through his mind, unsure if he’d done the right call in yelling like that.

Gravel: “Hey, man, ease up.”

Enarky looked up at him… this guy who approached him with a touch of compassion in his eyes must have been only a few years older than him. Gravel told him, “I don’t know who you are, or why you’re with us. But I think you’ve convinced me there’s a noble meaning behind your wounds.”

Enarky glared..

Gravel: “Can you tell us your name?”

•

•

•

Liberi: "Enarky?"

Koncel: “Yeah, you can't hide it.”

Liberi: “Ah, yea I know, he’s kinda cute, right?~”

Koncel: “That’s—not what I meant.”

Liberi: “Huuuh?”

Koncel: “You saw something in him. I get the feeling you’ve never met anyone like him before.”

Liberi: “ ...Hm.”

Liberi grabs and pulls on a cleaner hoodie, then quickly changes the bandage on his face... He and Koncel are alone in the room set aside for them, which serves as a locker room, a dormitory, and also an armory. Under this particular lighting and as the humanoid replaces his bandage, Koncel notices out of the corner of his eye that he’s applying it horizontally across his face over his nose, because this patch of “skin” —present only on the lower part of his face and on his neck—seemed to be coming loose, falling off easily like a peel, revealing the corpse-like blackness beneath if he didn’t hold it in place...

Liberi: “...Can I ask you a question in return?”

Koncel: “What?”

Liberi: “Do you drink?”

The man raises an eyebrow, “Uh, yeah, sometimes?”

Liberi pressed on, “Why do you drink?”

Koncel: “…Because whiskey tastes good? It helps me push certain anxieties aside, pretend they don’t exist.”

The artificial one gave him a little chuckle and continued with a clear idea in mind, “Great. Now, do you gamble?”

His counterpart grimaced, “What are you getting at…?” The sly gaze grew more insistent, so Koncel shrugged, “Tsk, yeah, I’ve dabbled in it before—” The sly gaze pressed again, “All right, okay, fine! I was into gambling before I became a mercenary.”

Liberi: “And why did you like gambling?”

Koncel: “…Seriously?”

Liberi: “For the winnings—we agree on that, right?”

Koncel: “You’re a fucking genius.”

"Hehe... Good. Now get this, this is what I think."

"Today, Enarky probably took on the riskiest gamble of his life, even though he knew neither the rules nor the possible rewards.

And he drank an astronomical amount of whiskey, to face his concerns head-on and charge right into them."

Koncel: "..."

Liberi: "Do you see what I mean?"

With a contented look, he stretched his arms overhead, feigning a yawn he wasn’t really expected to make. “That weirdo confessed to us that he wasn’t sober when he went after the kidnappers to get revenge. And actually, I may have caught a hint of his breath at least twice~”

That remark earned him a suspicious look, but he concluded, “He went out there and risked his life without knowing what he’d get in return. And he got himself drunk to directly tackle his anxieties instead of avoiding them, like you said.”

“So to answer your question… No, I hadn’t met anyone like Enarky yet."

to be continued...