Kibishi's POV

  Once we had all gone over David and Riley's punishment with The Founder, we went to our assigned rooms for the night.

  Kibishi's Room

  Cree...

  I slowly opened the door and saw the room I was supposed to be staying in. To be frank, it was lovely—nothing too out of the ordinary... under normal circumstances.

  But to me, the room seemed like a fancy hotel compared to the hard wooden sbs that were supposed to serve as our beds in prison.

  First, the walls were gray—likely because they were made of cement, rather than cold steel, like the cells. I gnced around and spotted a ptop near a desk with a gaming chair. That wasn't something you saw every day.

  How did they manage to find that in these dark times?

  More importantly, there were some books on a shelf mounted on the right side of the wall. The ptop and gaming chair were tucked into a corner, so I supposed I could have some privacy there.

  However, I honestly doubted that I'd use the ptop much. I was more the type to read novels, write books, and even try to make my own manga. Of course, when I was little—and on breaks from the family business—I used to look up famous mangakas for inspiration.

  Running a restaurant had never been easy.

  Thinking about my past made me a little sad, and I shut my eyes. I kept wondering why my parents had to die while I was still alive. When I opened my eyes again, I couldn't help but wonder if my sister had escaped the same cruel fate.

  "...No. Your sister is gone, Kibishi. You have to face reality."

  I grumbled to myself and instinctively reached into my pocket. I had something that reminded me of her—something I'd clung to since childhood. A small, crumpled note:

  "I'll be right back to find you, little brother. I promise I'll come back to save you, Mom, and Dad. Love—your older sister! ?"

  I crumpled the note again—not to throw it away, but out of habit. Then I pressed open my neckce, which was shaped like some kind of monster. It popped open, revealing a small photo of my family from when they were still alive, along with another photo I didn't remember taking—one with Tao while she was still inside that box.

  I pced the note inside, and as if by magic, the neckce made room for it. I would've been shocked, but my body was too tired to process anything else.

  So, I closed the neckce and stared at the room again. From where I stood, I could see a bathroom with a shower. The open yout made everything visible. Slowly, I walked toward it, hands tucked into my jacket.

  Since it wasn't far from the door, I reached it quickly. I turned on the lights and saw a showerhead, a curtain for privacy, a mirror, and some cleaning supplies. There was even a toothbrush and toothpaste.

  I rubbed my eyes, too tired to bother brushing my teeth—no. I couldn't be that zy.

  "Maybe a bath will calm me down after all this thinking..."

  I slowly took off my jacket and stepped into the bathroom.

  A Few Hours Later

  After a refreshing bath and brushing my teeth, I changed into my pajamas and headed to bed.

  They were just pin red PJs, so nothing worth mentioning.

  Crunch...

  The bed made a faint crunching sound as I settled my weight onto it. Probably just the springs.

  Reassured, I yawned deeply and stretched my arms.

  Click.

  With a soft sound, I turned off the mp beside my bed.

  I hadn't noticed it earlier, but I did once I started changing. At any rate, I y down on the new bed.

  Like a ship, my body sank slightly into the mattress—not enough to panic, but enough to rex me. The soft sheets made my eyelids heavy. After tossing and turning to find the best position, I finally sighed and pulled the bnket over myself.

  Before drifting off, I stared at the ceiling.

  All the questions from earlier came rushing back.

  None of this really made sense, but at least it was understandable. Supernatural powers aside, my friends and I were safe. We had beds, a roof over our heads, and food to eat like normal people.

  I turned to my side, half-expecting to see Tao sleeping beside me.

  Of course, she wasn't there.

  My heart sank a little.

  Without Tao there to whisper 'goodnight,' sleep didn't seem worth it. I would've sneaked into her room to sleep beside her and then slipped back before morning, but I couldn't. I sighed deeply and muttered 'whatever' under my breath.

  Staring at the ceiling again, I felt a pang of loneliness.

  There had to be a way to hear Tao's sweet, gentle voice. But sneaking out was my only option.

  I guessed that was one of my goals while staying in this organization.

  Another sigh escaped me as I closed my eyes, trying to distract myself from the grim downside of having my own room.

  Darkness greeted me—comfortable, familiar darkness. It soothed me. Not as much as Tao's warmth, but it was a start.

  For a moment, I felt like I was falling off the bed, forcing my eyes open. But it was just my mind pying tricks—I must've been exhausted to imagine that.

  I inhaled deeply, then exhaled. I needed sleep.

  The sooner morning came, the sooner I'd see Tao again.

  With that thought, my eyelids grew heavy, and darkness filled my vision once more.

  I tried to fight it, but it was useless.

  My mind was already drifting away as I promised myself I'd see Tao first thing. Warmth spread through my chest, right where my scars were. My back rexed too, despite the massive scar there.

  "Goodnight, Tao..."

  I whispered into the darkness.