Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Laughter echoed throughout the basement and Mahiru’s side hurt. He almost smeared paint onto his hand because he was laughing so much. Mahiru and his friends were making figurines for their next D&D game. Next to him, Misono said: “Why did you talk me out of buying the new set for us to use, Mahiru? I almost failed my art class last year. Just look at my demogorgon!”

“I think it’s fine, Misono. No one knows what a demogorgon looks like anyways.” Mahiru turned the figurine in his hands. He thought the misshapen eyes were charming and placed it on the board. “My cousin, Licht, is going to stay with me starting tomorrow. I hope you guys don’t mind that I invited him to our next game. I’m thinking of baking cookies for the event. What kind do you guys want?”

“Strawberry.” Lily quickly suggested.

“Strawberry cookies? I don’t think those exist.” Mahiru pointed out and the four friends laughed together. They returned to their wooden figurines and talked. They lost track of time and they didn’t realize how late it was until Misono suddenly slumped onto the couch. He chuckled and said, “It’s ten. We should get Misono home before Mikuni sends out a search team for him.”

Misono would fall asleep at exactly ten. Mahiru walked to his friend and gently slipped the paintbrush from his hand. As he put away the supplies, Tetsu and Lily helped him clean the basement. They had been friends since grade school and spent so many nights together that they had a routine. He took Misono’s arm and helped carry him up the stairs.

“Be careful on your way home.” He told the three when they reached the front door. Lily lived next door but Misono’s house was further away. Tetsu would take him home on his bike. Mahiru helped lower him onto the bike rack. He placed his hand on his shoulder to lightly shake him awake.

A loud screeching from the woods woke Misono instead. He almost fell off the bike but Tetsu quickly caught him. The four looked towards the woods where the sound came from. Mahiru didn’t know which animal could’ve made the sound. He thought he saw a faint, blue light in the distance. His brows furrows and he grabbed Tetsu’s bike to stop them from leaving.

“What do you think that was? I never heard a bear sound like that. It sounded like that it could be near your home, Misono. Maybe you should stay over tonight. My uncle isn’t home but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind either. We can all stay and have a sleepover like when we were kids.” He suggested. “I’ll call Mikuni and tell him that you’re at my house so he won’t worry.”

“I’m sure it’s just an animal or something.” Misono reasoned. They lived in a small, sleepy town so he didn’t think anything could happen to them. He didn’t want to burden Mahiru either. “You don’t need to worry like you’re our mom, Mahiru. You’re sixteen like the rest of us. Anyways, Tetsu will be able to fight whatever made that sound.”

“Okay. I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Goodbye.” Mahiru still appeared a little uncertain about letting his friend leave but he relented. He returned to his home and he stood in the open doorway for a moment. He watched their bike disappear over a hill. Before he walked back inside, he waved to Lily. He locked his door. He couldn’t help but glance towards the window.

What was that roar he heard?

Misono yawned again and unconsciously leaned against Tetsu’s strong back. He felt safe and comfortable with him. He wrapped his arms around his waist so he wouldn’t fall off. Tetsu could easily reach his home in minutes but he would go slowly for Misono. Due to his weak body, he would often become sick or dizzy easily. He thought Misono had his own strength like how brilliant he was.

Tetsu would also take his time bringing Misono home because he enjoyed his quiet company. The road was dimly lit by the street lamps but he knew the path well. “Thank you for teaching me French. More tourist from France are visiting the onsen. It’s easier to help them when I know a little of their language. Can you teach me more?”

“Sure, I have time this weekend. You can come over and I’ll give you another lesson. Avez-vous pratique?” He asked. They exchanged short sentences in French. While his accent wasn’t as refined as his, Misono thought he improved a lot. He was a little disappointed when they reached the large gate in front of his home. He jumped off the bike and pressed the code to unlock the gate.

“Do you want me to walk you to the front door?” Tetsu offered. While Misono would’ve liked to spend more time with him, he had to shake his head. It was already dark and he didn’t want to keep him later than he already had.

“First Mahiru and now you, Tetsu? How many times do I need to tell you guys that I can take care of myself? My brothers are already super protective of me.” He groaned softly. He smiled reassuringly at him and said: “After I lock this gate, it will be impossible for anyone to follow me. The walk from the gate to my front door isn’t that long either.”

Misono shut the gate between them and shook it lightly to show him how strong it was. He waved to him before they parted ways. He would occasionally glance over his shoulder to look back to Tetsu riding away. His house was secluded and near the edge of the forest yet he would go out of his way for him. That kindness brought a smile to his lips and he started up the path to his home.

It began to rain so he raced to the door. The house was dark and he wondered if his brothers were still at work. He took the phone off the wall to call Mikuni and tell him that he was home safe. He could only imagine how much he would worry if he didn’t call him. While they were only half-brothers, they were a close family. His father divorced Mikuni’s mother and married Misono’s mom when the former was young.

“Hello?” After a few rings, Mikuni answered.

“Hey, Mikuni, I’m home and— Mikuni? What the hell?” He was confused when static suddenly overtook the call. Misono told himself that it was merely because of the rain. Thunder shook the glass window and Misono stood on his toes to close it. As he pushed the lock down, he noticed something standing in his front yard. It was difficult to make out what it was between the rain and darkness.

His stomach started to turn when the tall, human-like creature turned towards him. He wasn’t sure if it saw him but he instinctively dropped to his knees to hide. Misono didn’t know how it could’ve entered his home without triggering the gate’s alarm. He rushed to the phone to call his brother again. His nerves made his fingers trembled as he turned the dial.

Misono never took his eyes off the door as he waited for Mikuni to answer again. The static on the phone suddenly became louder and it made him wince. The moment he dropped the phone, the door was slammed open. Misono bolted to the backdoor.

“Someone’s home late. Did something come up at the hospital?” Hyde asked when Mikuni walked into the kitchen. He was still wearing his clothes from the previous night so he knew that he just finished his shift. He slipped a pancake onto a plate for him but he also teased him: “If something did happen, you probably spent all night filling out police reports with a cute sheriff.”

“You have a strange idea of a romantic night.” Mikuni rolled his eyes. His gaze fell onto the third plate on the table. “Is Misono still changing? He’s going to be late for school.”

“I got home from work late and I slept in. I thought I should make breakfast first and then wake him up.” He admitted. Their family struggled for money after their parents died. While they inherited the large, stunning cabin from them, they didn’t have the heart to sell their childhood home. Mikuni became a nurse to help support his siblings through school.

“You should wake him up first. Misono cares about school. Hey, Misono, wake up!” Mikuni stood and walked down the hall to his room. He knocked on the door several times yet Misono didn’t answer. He could be a deep sleeper but he should be awake by now. Since he called last night, he knew that he returned home. A sense of unease settled over him and he threw open the door.

His room was empty. Mikuni stared at the neat bed and he knew that it hadn’t been slept in. His stomach dropped and he dashed into the room to search for him. At first, he felt denial and he hoped that Misono was merely playing a prank on him. He searched every place Misono could hide. Each time he failed to find him, the feeling of dread grew.

Mikuni ran back into the kitchen. “Hyde, did you check on Misono when you got home? He’s not in his room. Please, tell me you know where he is.”

“No, I went straight to bed.” Misono wasn’t the type to leave without telling them first. Hyde was worried for his brother but he couldn’t show it. The situation would only become worse if both of them panicked. He tried to think of a logical explanation. “Maybe he went to one of his friend’s house and left a note that you overlooked. I’ll give him a call.”

He made the suggestion but he was doubtful of it himself. He would’ve heard his brother leave even though he slept in. Inwardly, he was upset that he hadn’t checked on him as soon as he got home. While he called all of his friends, Mikuni combed through the cabin for a note Misono might’ve left for them. “Hey, Mahiru. Sorry to call you so early but is Misono there?”

“No, he left last night around ten. Is something wrong? I can ride over and help if something happened.” Despite how Hyde tried to hide his worry, Mahiru could hear it. He immediately offered to help because Misono was a close friend. “If he’s missing, Lily and I can search the woods for him. We know all the places he would go.”

“Let us deal with it for now. This town is small so I’m sure someone spotted him. There aren’t many places he could go either. I’ll make a few calls.” In the corner of his eyes, Hyde saw Mikuni return. He knew that he wasn’t able to find anything from his expression. “I have to go, Mahiru. I’ll call you back once we find him. Don’t worry too much and go to school.”

Hyde was only a year older than him and he needed to go to school too. Mahiru didn’t remind him of that though. He was tempted to skip class himself and help look for him as well. He wished he hadn’t let Misono and Tetsu leave when it was so dark. “Mr. Tsuyuki said he ordered a new radio for our AV club. It should be arriving today. Maybe he went to school early to test it.”

“Tell me if you find him at school.” He replaced the phone on the wall and started to make another call.

“I’m going to the police station to report him missing. I know Misono and he wouldn’t just disappear like this. He would’ve left us a note or woke you up.” Mikuni interrupted him. He put on his jacket and glanced out the window. He prayed that Misono wasn’t hurt in the woods.

“Don’t we need to wait twenty four hours to make a missing person report?” Hyde called after him.

“That’s just a myth TV shows use to increase tension in their crime dramas. Even if they do tell me that, I’m dragging the sheriff here to help us look for Misono.” Mikuni’s eyes were so determined that Hyde didn’t doubt that he would threaten a police officer. “Look around the cabin while I’m gone. We’ll search the woods once we get back.”

JeJe walked into his office but he almost immediately turned around to flee when he saw Mikuni sitting in his office. He couldn’t leave after their eyes met. His brown eyes were filled with concern, which was rare for him. They knew each other when they were children yet he couldn’t remember the last time he saw his confidence shaken. “What happened?”

“Misono’s missing. I tore apart our house but I can’t find him anywhere. He would’ve told me if he went to a friend’s house or something. Do you have a police dog that can track his scent? I brought some of his laundry that we can give them.” Mikuni started to take the sweater out of his bag but JeJe stopped him.

“Our police force doesn’t have the budget for police dogs, Mikuni.” JeJe couldn’t think of anything more important to Mikuni than his family. It seemed like that part of him hadn’t changed. No matter his faults, he thought that was one of the best aspect of him. “I’ll write a report and send out a request for volunteer searchers. Where was he last seen?”

“Last night, he had a D&D game with his friends at Shirota’s house. I did get a call from him a little after ten but I could barely talk to him. The storm made the connection bad. I don’t know if there was anyone with him because of that.” They drifted apart as friends because they both became busy with their careers. Mikuni hoped he would help him as an old friend.

“It’s near impossible for someone to climb over the gate around our home. You’ve been there so you should know that too. I made a list of people who knows the passcode for the gate.” Mikuni handed him the slip of paper. From how Mikuni spoke, it was clear to him that he thought someone kidnapped Misono.

“I know you’re worried about your brother but we shouldn’t jump to any conclusions. Nine times out of ten, the missing kid is with a relative or a friend. We haven’t had a serious crime in our town in fifteen years.” JeJe meant to console Mikuni but a flash of irritation appeared in his brown eyes. In contrast to the clashing emotions in his eyes, his voice was cold.

“Don’t you think I would’ve checked with his friends already? They said he went home. Don’t give me any crap about him skipping school either. He’s a good kid who goes to all of his classes. He’s not like us when we were his age.” Mikuni’s hands gripped his pants. “Something happened to Misono. I can feel it. He has a few friends but the other kids pick on him. What if…”

He trailed off and silence stretched between them. JeJe knew it was best not to make promises but he said: “I’ll find your brother, Mikuni.”

“Tetsu!” Mahiru called to his friend when he saw him standing over the crowd. He pushed his way through the clustered students to speak with him. The conversation he had with Hyde that morning echoed in his mind. Since Tetsu brought him home, he hoped he knew or seen something that would tell them what happened to Misono.

“Good morning, Big Bro.” He greeted him. Mahiru was breathing heavily when he finally reached him. He had to take a moment to catch his breath. He wanted to ask Tetsu the questions he had but he could barely speak the words before someone interrupted them.

“It looks like you’re out of breath after running only five feet. I didn’t think we would find someone weaker than the rich kid.” Mahiru groaned even before he turned around and saw it was. Two of the school’s bullies were walking towards them. He didn’t want to deal with their taunts when he was so worried for Misono.

“Can’t you two just leave us alone today? I don’t have time for either of you.” Mahiru snapped at them. He didn’t like to be rude with people but he lost his patience with them. The shorter bully started to shove him until Tetsu stepped between them. He was stronger than most high schoolers but he rarely fought and only protected his friends.

“Hey, Assholes, leave those kids alone!” Another voice came between them. Hyde walked towards them with Lily trailing behind him. His hard glare was enough to intimidate the bullies into leaving. He stopped beside Mahiru and said, “Are you guys okay? You need to get a reputation like mine and others will avoid you like the plague.”

Hyde joked dryly to hide how worried he was. He felt Mahiru’s eyes on him and he already knew he wanted to ask him about Misono. His voice became small when he told him, “We haven’t been able to find him yet. Mikuni went to the police to make a report. I’m going to skip and help them search but I stopped by to see if he’s here. Have you heard anything?”

“Misono’s missing?” Tetsu and Lily gasped at the same time.

“We should skip and help you search too.” Mahiru suggested again. Tetsu and Lily immediately nodded in agreement. “Thinking simply, we can search better if there are more people. We’re his best friends and we will know where to look first. At least let us help after school.”

“The best thing you can do is wait at home in case Misono goes to any of your houses.” He said but the main reason he didn’t want them to search was for their safety. They didn’t know what happened to Misono and he was worried someone took him. It could be dangerous if another person was taken. “Call the sheriff’s office if you think of anything that can help.”

Hyde checked his watch and he saw the bell would ring soon. He wanted to avoid teachers seeing him so he stepped back from them. “Be careful on your way home, Kids. See ya.”

The moment Hyde was too far to hear them, Mahiru said: “So, we’re going to search for Misono, Right?”

“Yup.”

“I’ll be back in a few hours but use this super-com to contact me. You should be able to reach me since we’re going to be in the woods nearby. There are emergency numbers on the fridge you can reach Tsurugi or Uncle Toru at.” Mahiru instructed his cousin, Licht. He stuffed supplies in his backpack and he hoped he thought of everything he would need.

“Where are you going at this hour?” Licht was new to town and he would be staying with Mahiru while his parents were on tour. He didn’t know many people aside from his cousin. “Uncle Toru called earlier and told me to stop you if you try to sneak out. I never thought you were a rebel, Mahiru.”

“My friend went missing last night. I’m going to go look for him. It’s an angel mission!” He explained. Licht was rather eccentric and thought he was an angel. Mahiru hoped his phasing would convince him to let him leave. “Also, if you let me go, I’ll take you to the piano in my school. You can practise.”

“Should I go too?” Licht stood so quickly that his chair almost fell over.

“Thank you but no. Stay here in case my Uncle calls to check on me.” Mahiru said. For once, he was glad that his uncle worked out of town so often. He could leave to search for Misono much easier. He waved goodbye to Licht as he walked outside.

Tetsu and Lily were already waiting in his driveway. They discussed where they would search first on their lunch break. Mahiru climbed onto his bike and they drove down the road to the woods near Misono’s home. They would often play pretend there as kids. In the dark of night, the tall trees became more ominous to him and they seemed to creak.

He stopped at a bike trail and stared into the woods. It was dangerous to ride on the uneven ground in the dark so Mahiru stepped off his bike. He walked with his bike next to him and held a flashlight in his free hand. Mahiru thought of the roar he heard and he wondered if it was connected to Misono’s disappearance. He shined his flashlight over the ground but he didn’t see any tracks.

“It looks like it’s going to rain.” Lily saw the clouds gather above them and block the moon. “I brought an umbrella but it’ll be difficult to use our bikes if the road becomes muddy.”

The bushes shook next to them and the sound made the three jump slightly. Whoever was approaching them didn’t speak so they couldn’t know if it was Misono. Mahiru took a deep breath and walked to the bush. He pointed the light and found a boy about their age. He wasn’t Misono or anyone from their small town. “Hello? Have you seen a boy with violent hair? He’s around this height and—”

Mahiru gasped when the boy fainted. He dropped his flashlight and rushed forward to catch him. The stranger was slightly taller than him and his weight almost made him fall. He managed to keep his footing on the wet ground and he wrapped his arms around his waist. He looked back to his friend and said, “I think he has a fever. We should take him to my house.”

Chapter Text

“Mahiru, do you think it’s a good idea to bring a stranger back into your house? We don’t know what he was doing in the woods so late at night.” Lily said as he helped him take the blankets down to the basement. They brought the unconscious boy back to his home but he hadn’t woken up yet. He didn’t know if he made the right decision but he was certain he would regret leaving him in the forest.

“Once he wakes up, we can ask him why he was in the forest. His clothes were dirty and he has a fever.” Mahiru remembered how warm his body felt when he fainted. It was difficult to put his heavy body on his bike and take him home. “He must’ve been in the woods for a while. Maybe he saw what happened to Misono. He looked scared when we met him.”

“I’ll be next door so call me if anything changes.” Lily wanted to stay with Mahiru but had to return to his home before his brother discovered him missing. He told himself that Licht was staying with him so he would be safe.

“Bye, Lily.” Mahiru walked down to the basement and he was confused when he found it empty. He had placed the boy on the couch and they were only gone for a few minutes. He would’ve heard the door if he left and the window was shut. Mahiru placed the blankets on the couch and glanced around the room. He noticed that the chair in front of his desk was askew and went to push it back in place.

Mahiru stopped when he saw the boy huddled beneath his desk. He pushed aside the chair and knelt in front of him. He appeared wary so Mahiru spoke in a kind voice. “What are you doing under here? You’re sick so you should be resting on the couch. Come out and I’ll help you back. I also made soup for you. Usually, I have a rule against this but you can eat it on the couch.”

He held out his hand but the boy shook his head. Mahiru didn’t understand why until the stranger crawled out slightly and pointed to the window above their heads. The couch was right across from it and anyone could see it from the outside. After Mahiru closed the curtains, the boy seemed to relax more. “Are you afraid that someone will find you here? Are you in trouble?”

Once again, the boy was silent. Mahiru thought that it was best not to push him too much and placed a dinner tray in front of him instead. “You don’t want to sleep on the couch but you have to eat at least. You can stay here for a while and recover. Lily lives next door and Licht is staying with me for the month. They’re very trustworthy so don’t worry. Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name’s Mahiru.”

The boy didn’t tell him his name. Mahiru was glad that he took the food from him at least. He cautiously sniffed the soup but he took a bite. His red eyes widened after he tasted the soup and he continued to eat as if he was starving. Mahiru smiled, happy to see someone enjoy his cooking. The bowl was quickly emptied and he handed it back to him.

“Is that a tattoo on your wrist? Zero-zero-seven…” Mahiru mumbled quietly. As if burned, he quickly drew back when he heard the number. He pulled his sleeve over his wrist to cover the tattoo. “I’m sorry. I don’t know many teenagers with tattoos. What does that number mean?”

In answer, he pointed to himself. Mahiru took a moment to guess what he meant. “Is that your name? It’s a little strange to call you by a number. Can I give you a nickname? Oh, I know! Kuro. Seven is a lucky number and black cats are lucky too. Well, they’re lucky for me. I adopted a stray cat once and you remind me of him. Do you like the name Kuro?”

“… Kuro?” He spoke for the first time. Mahiru was surprised since he had been silent for so long. His voice was quiet but he thought it was also warm. He was glad that Kuro was beginning to trust him. He hoped he would be comfortable enough to talk more in the morning. With that thought, he took the tray and set it aside.

“I’m sorry we don’t have more rooms. Licht is already staying in my uncle’s room so you’ll have to sleep in the basement. You don’t want to sleep on the couch but you can’t sleep on the floor. How about we make a compromise?” Mahiru suggested as he came back with the blankets. He lightly nudged Kuro aside and spread a futon on the ground. “We can make a pillow fort for you.”

“Pillow fort?” He repeated and he appeared confused.

“Have you never made a pillow fort before?” Mahiru frowned. What kind of life did he have to not know what a pillow fort was? He would often make them with his friends when he was younger and they were common in movies. He briefly explained the concept to him and he helped him build a pillow fort. They pushed chairs into place and Mahiru draped a blanket over the futon.

“There we go! How do you like your very first fort, Kuro?” He asked.

Kuro slowly crawled into the fort and sat down. He patted the futon a few times before he laid down and curled into a ball. He was almost like a cat who was adjusting to his new home. Mahiru thought that it was a little endearing. He gave him a warm smile and pulled the blanket over him. Kuro looked up at him and whispered, “Thank you. This is nice.”

“I’m glad you like it. If you need me, I’ll be upstairs. My room is the first door to the right.” Mahiru told him and he started to leave. “Get a good night sleep. We’ll talk more over breakfast and see what we should do next. Your parents must be worried so we’ll call them as soon as we can.”

“No.” Kuro caught his hand and stopped him from leaving. Fear entered his red eyes and he vehemently shook his head. He stumbled over an explanation until Mahiru squeezed his hand gently. He took a deep breath and said, “Too dangerous. Better to hide. They hurt me. They will hurt you too. Bad people.”

A chill ran through Mahiru. He could only imagine what Kuro went through but it was clear that he was afraid of the people after him. They found him in the same woods Misono disappeared in so the two events could be related. Mahiru held his hands a little tighter and reassured him. “We won’t let those people find you here. We’re friends now so I’ll help you.”

“Friends?” He tilted his head slightly.

Mahiru guessed that he didn’t know the meaning of the word either. “A friend is someone you care about and will do anything to help them. Now, it’s time to go to sleep. Sleep tight.”

“Good night,” He whispered back.

“I should be out there.” Hyde muttered to himself. He sat in a chair next to the window and stared at the driveway outside. Mikuni told him to wait at home while he searched the woods with the volunteers. He understood that he needed to stay in case Misono came home. It was almost midnight and waiting became more difficult. He read that the chances of finding a missing child alive became less likely overtime.

Hyde jumped to his feet when he saw a bright light enter the driveway. He realized that it was JeJe’s police truck and he ran outside to meet them. He stood on the porch and waited for the two. It was dark so he couldn’t see their expressions well. When only two people stepped out of the truck, his heart sank. They weren’t able to find Misono.

Mikuni’s feet dragged as he climbed the porch. He passed Hyde without saying a word and walked into the house. He had a lot of questions but he knew that Mikuni was in no mood to answer any of them. JeJe followed them into the house. Hyde asked, “Were you able to find anything?”

“Unfortunately, no but we won’t give up. We started with the places near your home and we’ll go out from there.” He reassured him. Mikuni ignored their conversation and spread a map of the town on the desk. He crossed off areas they had searched. His brows furrowed as he circled areas his brother could be. He only looked up when JeJe stood beside him.

“Do you think Misono would go to a family member’s house? I know you don’t have any relatives in Hawkins. Maybe your mother who lives in the next town.” JeJe asked. Mikuni response was a pained laugh that he disguised as scoff. “Mikuni, I know your family is complicated but I have to ask these questions. If we want to find Misono, we have to consider every possibility.”

Mikuni didn’t reply to him but turned to Hyde instead. “You should go to bed, Hyde. It’s late and a school night.”

“Shouldn’t I be here to answer questions and help think of ways to help Misono? He’s my brother.” He insisted yet Mikuni merely repeated himself. Hyde huffed and stormed to his room. After waiting and feeling useless, he hoped he could help a little. He didn’t know why Mikuni wanted to keep him from the investigation. He slammed his door hard enough to shake the photos on the wall.

“Hyde is right, you know?” He pointed out.

“Do you know how many times we’ve seen our mother since the divorce?” Mikuni asked but JeJe knew he didn’t want him to answer. “Exactly once. When Papa died, she came down for the reading of his will. He didn’t leave her anything. You should’ve seen the scene she made. She doesn’t bother herself with her biological sons so why would she help Misono who isn’t related to her?”

His face hid the hurt he felt but he couldn’t keep it from JeJe. Mikuni sighed and looked down the hall. “Hyde is more sensitive than people think. Don’t put more pressure on him by bringing up pointless things like our mother. She disappointed Hyde more than enough times.”

“And you?” The combination of pain and bitterness in his voice pulled at JeJe’s heart. Mikuni didn’t answer so JeJe went on. “I’ll talk to her for you. This is just to confirm that Misono hasn’t left town. She might’ve seen Misono around the city. Think about your brothers.”

“When did you get better at manipulating people? If you were like this in high school, you would’ve been able to talk me out of a lot of bad choices.” Mikuni joked dryly. He pulled down a notebook from the bookshelf. He flipped through the pages until he found a business card. “Mother’s number and address is on the back. The lawyer gave it to me but I never thought I would need it.”

“I’ll give her a call tomorrow afternoon. Then, we’ll continue to search for Misono. You should get some sleep while you can.” JeJe slipped the card into his pocket. He didn’t know if he should leave Mikuni after his brother disappeared but he couldn’t stay. “Make sure to lock the doors and windows. If anything comes up, give me a call.”

“I almost want the bastard to show up again. I would break his knees and ask him where he took Misono.” Mikuni stood and walked him to the front door. “Goodbye, JeJe.”

“Goodnight, Mikuni.” He nodded to him and walked to his truck. As he was pulling out of the driveway, there was a knock on the window. He was slightly surprised to see Hyde standing beside him. He switched the car to park and rolled down the window. Hyde had sneaked out through his window to speak with him briefly. “I didn’t get to ask you more about the search.”

“This town is small but a lot of people have volunteered to help search for Misono. You should remind Mikuni that. He has a bad habit of trying to do everything on his own. He goes to pretty bad extremes too.” He thought of the plans Mikuni would make in high school. “Lily told me that Misono is smart.”

“He is the top of his class in everything except PE. The only game he would win is hide-and-seek. He’s good at hiding in small places that no one would think of.” He told JeJe. Hyde wanted to reassure himself that his brother was safe no matter the situation he was in. “I’m sure Mikuni already told you about this for the search. Thank you for everything you’re doing, JeJe.”

“My name is actually Doubt. JeJe is a nickname Mikuni gave me because he said that’s what my laugh sounds like. It caught on.” Since Hyde was younger than them, he wasn’t surprised that no one told him his given name. JeJe leaned back in his chair and looked towards the light in Mikuni’s window. “You’re a family so make sure to take care of each other.”

“I don’t know what’s stranger: the fact that your name is Doubt or that you laughed once in your life. You and my brother must’ve been close.” He said but JeJe shrugged.

He spoke with him a few minutes more before he returned to the house. Hyde intended to sneak in through his window but then his eyes met Mikuni’s in the doorway. He groaned to himself because he could already hear the lecture his brother would give him. He walked through the door but he tried to hurry past him. “I’m in no mood for your overprotective brother act.”

“I wouldn’t have to be over protective if you had any common sense! Leave this to the adults. You’re just a high schooler so you need to focus on your future.”

“How can I focus on anything when my brother is missing?” He snapped back.

Their argument was interrupted by the phone ringing. Mikuni didn’t want to answer but he knew he had to. The call could be about Misono so he picked up the receiver. He waited for the person to speak yet there was nothing but silence. He started to believe that it was a prank caller until he heard a soft voice. It was almost overtaken by static. “Misono? Is that you?”

“Misono is calling?” Hyde rushed to his side and tried to grab the phone from him. He held the phone between them so they could both hear the call. They strained to hear anything over the static but it was difficult to make anything out. He heard a strange sound that was almost like an animal yet it was also like a rumble. “Misono, where are you? Are you calling from a payphone?”

The static became louder and overpowered the voice on the other side. Mikuni was forced to drop the phone when electricity from the phone shocked him. He was dazed for a moment while Hyde quickly took the phone again. The line was dead and he frantically pressed the tab. He cursed loudly when he realized that it was pointless and saw that the phone was charred.

“Was that really Misono?” He whispered.

“Are you making three breakfasts?” Licht asked. His sudden appearance made Mahiru jump a little. He wasn’t able to sleep much last night either. Between Kuro and Misono, he had a lot of questions. He didn’t want to worry Licht so he forced himself to smile as he placed a plate of waffles on the table.

“This is for my friend, Kuro. He slept over. I wasn’t able to introduce him to you last night since you were sleeping when we got back.” Mahiru debates how much he could tell his cousin. “I promised that I would let you use the school’s piano but I might have to skip first period. I’ll still talk to Mrs. Shirohara to let you practise. Can you head to school first and wait for me?”

“I never thought you were the type to skip.” Licht thought about the previous night and how Mahiru went out to find his friend. He thought the reason he would be late was related. If he was so worried for his friend that he would break the rules, Licht couldn’t stop him. “Alright. I don’t know where the school is though. More important, where is their music room?”

“My high school is down the street.” He drew a small map for Licht to find the school. “You can also talk to Lily and he can talk to Mrs. Shirohara for you.”

Mahiru returned to making breakfast. After he arranged everything on a tray, he walked down to the basement. He set the food in front of the fort before he lifted the blanket. He found Kuro fast asleep under the blankets and Mahiru thought that his expression was peaceful. It was almost a shame to wake him up. Gently, he shook his shoulder and said, “Time to wake up.”

“No, I don’t want to go back there anymore.” He groaned and his brows started to furrow. He thought there was a hint of fear in his voice and it confused Mahiru. Kuro crawled deeper under the blankets and tried to block out the light. He realized that the room was much warmer and quieter than he was used to and peeked his head out.

The events of the past night came back to him and he relaxed. He slowly looked around the basement until his eyes met brown ones. Mahiru smiled at him, “Good morning, Kuro. Can I check your temperature? If you’ve gotten better, you can have waffles.”

He didn’t move until he nodded his head. He pressed his hand against his forehead and found that it wasn’t burning anymore. Mahiru nudged the tray towards him and prompted him to eat. Kuro picked up the warm waffle and thought of the simple porridges he would have every morning. The waffles were as delicious as the soup he gave him last night.

“I have to go to school but I’ll show you around the house first. I’ll close all the curtains before you come up so you don’t need to worry about someone seeing you.” Mahiru remembered how wary he was the previous night. He wanted to make him feel comfortable and safe. He sat across from him and watched him eat. “Can you tell me about yourself?”

After a pause, he answered: “My name is Kuro.”

“I know that, Kuro. I was the one who gave you the nickname. What do you like to eat? What do you like to do for fun?” Mahiru wanted to ask him about the bad men after him. At the same time, he worried that he would become more guarded if he asked him too much. He was so quiet that he didn’t expect him to answer.

“I’m allowed to draw.” The way he phased his answer confused Mahiru slightly. Allowed? It was becoming more apparent that the people who hurt Kuro kept him isolated and restricted. Mahiru took out a set of clothes that he also brought for him.

“I have a lot of sketchbooks you can borrow. While I get them and close the curtains, you should change into these clothes. You’re taller than me so I got you some of my cousin’s clothes for you. He won’t mind that you’re borrowing them.” He took the empty tray and let Kuro have his privacy to change. Mahiru paused at the top of the stairs and looked back to him.

He hoped he would trust him soon. He turned away from him and walked to the windows to shut the curtains. Licht had already left and the house was quiet. Mahiru thought that it was for the best since he didn’t want to overwhelm Kuro. He walked back to the basement and knocked on the door. “It’s safe to come out, Kuro.”

The door opened slightly and Kuro glanced outside. Mahiru was standing on the other side and they were closer than he expected. He could see small details in his red eyes and he thought they were a unique colour. Kuro’s voice brought him back to reality. “Can I come out? You’re blocking the door.”

“Oh, sorry.” Mahiru blushed and stepped back. “I’ll show you around the house and lend you my paint set. You can play my NES if you get bored while I’m at school. Have you played The Legend of Zelda yet?”

“Where is that music room?” Licht wandered through the halls. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself since he wasn’t a student. Even if his intentions were pure, the teachers would kick him out for trespassing. He hoped he could find a map of the school near the front entrance. He heard mutters behind him and he turned towards the voices.

A group of teenagers were standing nearby and they pointed towards a blonde boy. “Look who is finally going to school. It’s that quiet kid whose brother went missing. How much do you want to bet that he might’ve killed him? Loners like him always end up being crazy.”

Mahiru told him that his friend went missing and guessed that he was also this boy’s brother. He didn’t know how someone could say something so insensitive to a family member of a missing person. He decided to approach him. When he stopped next to him and saw the poster he was pinning to the billboard. Licht lightly tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

“Hello, my name is Licht. You don’t know me but my cousin, Mahiru, was a friend of Misono. He told me that your brother was missing. I’m sorry.” He said and Hyde smiled sadly. Several people had given him their condolences but he didn’t know how many actually cared about Misono. He had overheard the teenagers’ earlier whispers but ignored them. He thought he could trust Licht since he was Mahiru’s cousin.

Then, Licht went on. “Don’t lose faith that we’ll find your brother. Mahiru is an angel— well, angel in training actually. No matter, he will find your brother.”

He continued to talk about angels and Hyde started to believe he was mocking him. His lips twisted into a scowl and he turned away from him. “I don’t need your fake sympathy, Angel Cakes. Go back to your friends over there and gossip. I don’t care. The only thing I care about is finding my brother and you’re distracting me.”

Licht was too shocked to reply before Hyde walked away.

Chapter Text

“The game is almost ready.” Mahiru said as he plugged the game system into the television. He walked back to Kuro who was sketching on the recliner. He was curious about what he was drawing and glanced at the sketchbook as he stood next to him. The page was blank and Kuro simple glide the pencil over the paper. “Are you having trouble thinking of something to draw?”

“Sensei always told me who to draw.” Kuro told him and put down the sketchbook. He glanced around the living room and found that it was different from the sterile room he knew. The warm colours were welcoming and the plush furniture was comfortable. He didn’t know if he could touch anything so he stayed in the recliner.

“You can draw whatever you want now. If you see something that inspires or intrigues you, you should try to draw it. I’m not an artist so I don’t know what kind of advice I should give you. But I’m a great baker and you can have as many cookies as you want.” Mahiru pointed to the jar of cookies on the table. “Just be careful not to get crumbs everywhere.”

He reached down and took the controller from the table. He sat on the arm of the recliner and placed the controller on Kuro’s lap. As he studied the game controller, Mahiru scrolled through the channels. “You have to be on channel three to play. But if you get bored of the game, you can watch cartoons. Just click this button on the remote to find another channel.”

Kuro changed the channel like he showed him. A movie appeared on the screen and he tilted his head at the confusing costumes the actors wore. “Why are they wearing disguises? There’s a lot of singing and dancing too. Are they trying to perform a ritual?”

“It’s Halloween and the characters are at a ball.” From Kuro’s expression, it was likely he didn’t know about the holiday. He smiled sympathetically and told him, “Halloween is my favourite holiday. People dress up and go around the neighbourhood to collect candy. We’re a little old for trick-or-treating but there are fun things to do like the Halloween Ball.”

They watched the scene where a boy approached a girl and asked her to dance. Mahiru spoke his thoughts out loud. “Isn’t it romantic? You’re sitting alone but then a mystery person comes and asks you to dance. You probably think I’m weird. Most guys prefer action movies over romantic comedies.”

“I don’t think it’s weird. I’ve never been to a Halloween Ball before but it looks like everyone’s dancing.” Kuro thought Mahiru would be able to find someone to dance with easily. He was kind and he made him feel comfortable with his smile. His next words made Mahiru blush. “I can dance with you at the ball. We’re friends now.”

He realized that Kuro didn’t fully understand the concept of asking someone to dance. Mahiru wasn’t sure if he should explain it to him. Instead, he said: “Thank you but the Halloween Ball is held at our school. You're too scared to come upstairs without the curtains being closed so you won’t be comfortable at the ball. It’s okay, Kuro. Let’s get back to the video game.”

Mahiru switched the channel so they could play the game. He leaned closer to Kuro and taught him how to play the game. He was so close that he could smell the subtle scent of his hair. Kuro stared at the buttons on the controller and thought back to the control panel Sensei showed him once. He wasn’t allowed to touch the buttons no matter how curious he was.

“What does this one do?” He asked but he almost immediately bit his tongue. He was accustomed to people being irritated with him if he asked them too many questions. Yet, Mahiru only smiled and explained the controls to him. Kuro relaxed and played through the level with Mahiru’s help. He quickly learned the game mechanics and beat the next level.

“You’re pretty good at this. Oh, watch out for the fireball.” Mahiru found himself caught up in the game and excitedly patted his arm. Time passed quickly without him noticing as they played and talked. The clock above the television caught his attention and he sat up. “I missed two periods already. I should get going. Feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge if you get hungry.”

“Okay,” He said despite how much he wanted him to stay. Kuro looked down and saw a lever on the side of the recliner. He became curious and reached towards it. “What does this do? Is it connected to the TV like the controller?”

Kuro pulled the lever to test if it would affect the television. He was surprised when the chair suddenly tilted back and he was laying down. The sudden movement made Mahiru lose his balance and he fell forward onto Kuro’s chest. Mahiru groaned softly and rubbed his head. “Well, it looks like you found the release lever. It turns the chair into bed if you pull it.”

“Was I not supposed to pull it?” Kuro asked, worried that he upset or hurt him. The regret on his face pulled on Mahiru’s heart and he smiled reassuringly at him.

He patted his hair and said, “It’s okay. Next time, make sure you warn me or else I might fall off.”

Mahiru slipped off his lap and gently took Kuro’s hand. He tugged him to his feet and showed him around the rest of his home. After he finished giving him a tour, they returned to the living room. He put on his backpack and then faced Kuro. He was looking over the photos on his mantle. Mahiru moved to stand next to him and said, “That’s a photo of Uncle Toru, Tsurugi, Licht and me.”

“Your family?” Kuro looked at the next photograph and pointed to Mahiru standing with his friends. “You.”

“That was the year we won the science fair. It was a lot of fun.” His smile became sad when he looked at Misono. He was still worried for him and he wished he knew where he was. He sat Kuro’s expression in the corner of his eyes and there seemed to be something troubling him.

Kuro reached out and pointed at Misono. He didn’t say a word and Mahiru asked, “Do you recognize him? Did you see him last night in the forest?”

“Not in the forest.” Kuro shook his head and dropped his hand. “Somewhere dark.”

“Can you tell me about it?” Mahiru didn’t want to push him but he needed to find his friend. “Please, tell me about where you saw him.”

“You said the person called you after I left?” JeJe picked up the phone to examine it. The receiver was charred like he described earlier. He briefly told him about the call already but JeJe didn’t know what to make of it. “Last night’s storm must’ve caused the burn. You should get another phone and check the wiring for your home. For the call, it’s probably a cruel prank.”

“But I heard Misono’s voice! Hyde did too. Misono didn’t say anything but I know it was him. Can’t you ask the phone company for records of incoming calls?” Mikuni insisted and he could see that JeJe was skeptical. “I know I sound desperate but it was Misono’s breathing. If Lily called you, wouldn’t you know it’s your brother.”

“I would be desperate for any sign that he was alive. Mikuni, this is difficult but we need to keep a leveled head.” He reminded him. “If you get more prank calls, you can keep a record of them. I’ll look into them if they become a problem. Let’s focus on finding Misono. Where would he go if he was in danger and he can’t run to his friends?”

“He had a fort in the woods but I already checked it the day we discovered him missing. There’s a short cut through the back fence that he uses.” Mikuni led him to the backyard. He took him to a corner of the fence where there was a small gap in the bars. JeJe was surprised Misono could fit through the hole even though he was small. “Hyde ran his car into the fence and made the hole.”

“I have several questions about that but I don’t want to know the answer. There aren’t any sign of blood. If he used this hole to run away, it means he wasn’t hurt.” Mikuni felt slightly relieved. JeJe glanced up at the top of the gate. “Are the security sensors in the same area?”

“Yeah. Give me a boost and we can climb over the fence. It’s faster than walking around the house. Don’t trip the alarm.” He ordered and JeJe groaned. He didn’t want to argue with him throughout the investigation so he gave in quickly. JeJe cupped his hands and helped him reach the top of the gate. Mikuni placed his hands on his shoulder and stepped onto his palm.

He pulled himself onto the stone pillar at the corner of the gate. Mikuni was careful not to move in front of the alarm’s sensor. Once he was perched safely on the small ledge, he reached down to help JeJe climbed up. The gate was tall and it would be difficult for anyone to climb over it. They were only able to scale the gate as a team because they would often do so as children.

JeJe jumped to the ground first and turned around to help Mikuni down as well. He was taken by surprised when Mikuni leapt off the pillar and into his chest. He managed to catch him without tumbling to the ground. With a groan, he said: “You need to warn me before you do something like this.”

“We don’t have the time when Misono’s missing.” He slid down and took his hand to drag him away. “We already searched the west side of the woods where his fort is. We should look for any clues Misono might’ve left behind in the east side now. It’ll help us organize the search party.”

The search party wouldn’t officially gather until the afternoon but Mikuni wanted to spend as much time searching as he could. They walked through the woods and he scanned the ground. He didn’t know what to look for but he hoped something would stand out to him. He trusted JeJe’s experience as the town’s chief and asked: “How do you know something is a clue?”

“Since we don’t know what happened to Misono, it’s hard to say what to look for. For now, just look for anything that’s out of place.” JeJe told him.

“What about that?” Mikuni pointed to a grate cover laying on the ground. He picked it up and searched the ground around them. A few feet away, there was a pipe tunnel. He walked to the small tunnel and held the grate against the opening. It appeared to fit and Mikuni looked through it. “Do you think Misono could’ve crawled through here to escape the person chasing him?”

“It’s pretty small and you’ll have to be desperate to crawl through here.” JeJe remembered Hyde telling him that Misono was able to hide in small spaces. Would a teenager be able to pry open the grate off the tunnel though? He knelt next to Mikuni to look through the tunnel. “Property of The Servamp National Laboratory. That’s the energy plant nearby.”

“That must be where he is!” Mikuni shot to his feet. “We should go there right now.”

“We can’t go barging into a private, government property, Mikuni. There’s a proper way to do things. We have to call them and explain why we want a tour of their facilities. He might not be there though. If Misono crawled to the other side, they would’ve sent him to the police already.” JeJe reasoned. Mikuni didn’t appear satisfied with that answer and sighed. “I’ll give them a call and we’ll go there tomorrow.”

After school, Tetsu and Lily went to Mahiru’s home. He didn’t go to class so his friends wanted to check on him. They knew Mahiru was kind but they weren’t certain if he should’ve taken in a stranger. Licht was staying with him so they knew he wouldn’t be alone with him. They knocked on the door and waited for Mahiru to answer.

Tetsu noticed that all of the curtains were drawn even though it was the middle of the day. He wasn’t able to think about it much before Mahiru opened the door. A relieved expression appeared on his face the moment he saw them. He unhooked the chain on the door and let them inside. With a hushed whisper, he pointed to the basement. “I need to tell you guys something in private.”

“What is it?” Lily was worried by how tense Mahiru was. He couldn’t see the boy they helped the previous night and he wondered if he told Mahiru something strange. They followed him down the basement where Kuro was sitting in a small, pillow fort. He had the super-com in his hands and he shuffled through the channels.

He heard them approach and he looked up. Mahiru knelt in front of him and gently took the radio from his hands. He wrapped his hands around his and squeezed them lightly. He could see that Kuro saw nervous and he wanted to reassure him. “It’s okay, Kuro. You can trust Tetsu and Lily. They were with me when I found you in the woods.”

“Friends?” He whispered and Mahiru nodded confidently.

“What is he still doing here, Mahiru? I thought you were going to take him to the police.” Lily whispered to him. He thought it was better to let the police help him because they had more resources. He wanted to focus on finding Misono as well.

“I was going to but that might put Kuro in danger. There are dangerous people after him. We can’t let them find him.” Mahiru took a deep breath and hoped they would believe his next words. “I think he knows what happened to Misono as well. This morning, he was able to point out Misono in this photo. We did find him in the same place Misono disappeared. The bad men could be involved as well.”

“Isn’t that even more reason to tell the police?” Lily pointed out. “We should tell our parents at least.”

Tetsu walked past both of them and knelt in front of Kuro. He placed his hands in his shoulders and shook him lightly. “Do you know where Misono was taken? If you know what happened to him, please tell us. Help us find him, Big Brother.”

“You’re going to scare him, Tetsu.” Mahiru knew that Tetsu would never hurt a person but he rushed to stop him. He felt protective of Kuro and placed himself between the two. He could tell that he had been through a lot and he didn’t want anything else to hurt him. “You’re not going to get any answers if you force him like that.”

“This isn’t going to get us anywhere. I’m going to get my brother.” Lily was JeJe’s brother and he thought it was best if he knew about Kuro. He turned to walk up the stairs but the table flew into his path. The three stared at the furniture that began to pile in front of the stairs. Cautiously, Tetsu tried to pull the table away from the stairs. The table flew back to the entrance like a magnet.

“No.” The voice made them turn around. There was a trickle of blood flowing out of his nose.

“Kuro, what happened to your nose?” Mahiru walked to him and wiped the blood with his sleeve. He couldn’t stop picturing the furniture moving and question how they were able to move on their own. In a soft voice, he asked: “Did you just do that, Kuro?”

“I don’t want to go back to the bad people.” His words caused the room to spin beneath Mahiru’s feet. He didn’t know how to process that Kuro was able to move things with his mind. He thought that it was only something he would see in movies. “Are you scared of me now? I can leave.”

“You’re my friend so I won’t let you face those bad men alone.” Mahiru whispered back. He turned to face his friends and said, “Let’s not do anything rash and take a moment to think. We can talk about what we should do after dinner.”

“That demon called me a fake. Can you believe that, Kranz?” Licht complained to his friend over the phone. He laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “He thought I was one of those gossiping jerks when I tried to be nice to him. Then, I wasn’t able to find the music room either! Maybe I can sneak back into the school tomorrow. Hopefully, Mahiru will be able to go to school.”

“If you don’t have anything else planned, do you want to go to a party? My friend is throwing a party and it’s in the town Mahiru lives in. His house is on Mirkwood, near the woods. It’ll be fun.” He suggested. Licht considered it but he doubted he would have much fun. Kranz would likely be the only person he knew at the party. He didn’t have many friends since his family moved a lot.

Then, Kranz said: “It has been a long time since we could talk in person.”

“Yeah. What’s the address?” Kranz was the first friend he ever made and he cared enough to send letters and call. He gave him the address and he wrote it down quickly. He grabbed his jacket and climbed down the stairs. Mahiru was in the dining room with his friend and Licht waved to his cousin. “Mahiru, can I borrow your bike? I want to go to a friend’s house. This is his address.”

“This is close to Misono’s home. That was where my friend disappeared. I don’t think you should go near the woods when it’s dark outside. There might be bad men in the woods or other dangerous things.” Mahiru warned. He looked to Kuro but he didn’t add anything else. Kuro knew Mahiru wanted him to warn Licht about the woods but he couldn’t describe the things he saw there.

“I’m a strong angel so you don’t need to worry about me.” Licht puffed his cheeks in annoyance. Mahiru knew how stubborn his cousin was and that he could quickly become unreasonable. With that thought, he was surprised when Licht seemingly relented. He muttered something and walked away.

He sneaked into the garage and found Mahiru’s bike resting against the wall. Licht told himself he would apologize to Mahiru once he returned. He didn’t know where the house was but he knew its general location. He rode the bike down the street and towards the woods. The street signs helped him find his way to Mirkwood.

The lighting suddenly changed around him and he realized that it was the headlights of the car. He moved closer to the sidewalk to let the car pass. The car slowed next to him and the window rolled down. It was dark so he couldn’t see the driver. Licht was able to recognize his voice though. “You shouldn’t be out at this time of night. Where are you going? I can give you a lift.”

“Keep your eyes on the road, Shit Rat.” Licht snapped back.

Hyde was confused by his tone and he turned on his dashboard’s light. They were finally close enough for him to see him clearly and he recognized him from the school. He pressed the gas and drove forward with the intention of ignoring Licht. He thought he was like the other high schoolers he knew and decided that it was best not to bother with him.

His shift ended early and he planned to search the forest for any sign of Misono. He glanced at Licht in the mirror and groaned to himself. Hyde couldn’t leave him riding his bike alone in the dark when his own brother disappeared in a similar situation. He slowed down until Licht was beside him again. “Do you need a ride? If it’s close, I’ll drop you off.”

Licht was surprised by his offer since he believed he would drive away. He considered it but his pride stopped him. “I think I’m close to the party already so I don’t need your help.”

“You think?” Hyde raised a brow but Licht didn’t respond. He watched him ride away on his bike and he didn’t stop him again.

“Where is Hyde?” Mikuni finished installing the new phone and looked at the clock. His brother should’ve returned ten minutes ago. He wished he could call him but he didn’t have a cell phone. Misono was missing and he didn’t want the same thing to happen to Hyde. The phone rang and he hoped that it was Hyde to tell him he was working a double shift or JeJe with news.

“Hello?” He answered the phone but the person didn’t answer him immediately. The line was filled with static and he remembered the last call was similar. He didn’t know if he was deluding himself but he thought he could hear someone breathing heavily. “Misono, is that you? Please, tell me where I can find you.  It’s okay if you don’t know where you are. Just tell me what you can see.”

Mikuni twisted the cord around his finger as he listened for an answer. He almost dropped to his knees when he heard Misono’s voice. “Home…”

He wasn’t able to hear anything more as the static abruptly became louder. The sound made Mikuni winced but he forced himself to hold onto the phone. He closed his eyes and focused on the call for any distinct sounds. Mikuni noticed that the buzzing was from more than the phone and opened his eyes. The lights and electronics around the living room were flicking on and off.

“Mikuni!” Small sparks almost burnt him but he quickly dropped the phone. He saw that the phone was charred like before. The lights all turned off by themselves but Mikuni couldn’t move to switch them back on. He didn’t know if something was wrong with the electricity or if he was losing his mind.

The lights in the hallway flickered back on but its strange pattern caught his attention. He walked down the hall and stopped in front of Misono’s room. Mikuni glanced down where light filtered out from beneath the door. He took a deep breath and stepped inside. The room was empty and the same as how he left it. “I’m losing my mind.”

“Where is your ancient courage?” The cassette player blared to life. Mikuni recognized it as a quote from Coriolanus, one of Shakespeare’s plays. Both of his brothers liked his work and had audio cassettes of his plays. He stood in front of the cassette player and stared at the spinning wheel. He thought he could hear more sounds from the player and his brows furrowed.

“Misono?” As if responding to him, the lamp next to the player began to brighten. He thought it would explode because of how bright it became. The lamp and the record shut off and the room was pitched in darkness again. Mikuni’s hands shook as he grabbed the large player to examine it. He hoped there was a logical reason why it played by itself.

A low grumbled echoed throughout the room and Mikuni thought it was from the player. He looked up and dropped the cassette when he saw the wall start to deform. He stepped back sharply and tripped over the carpet. Mikuni blinked a few times and the light came on again. Everything appeared normal but Mikuni was certain he saw something in the wall.

Chapter Text

Licht parked the bike when he arrived in front a large home. He checked the address Kranz had given him but he already knew it was the right house. He could hear cheers and laughter from inside. After he locked the bike to a tree, he went to knock on the door. The party sounded noisy but he hoped that it wouldn’t be too crowded. He only wanted to speak with his friend again.

A boy opened the door and Licht stepped inside. The teenager greeted him with a slurred hello and it was clear that he was drunk. Licht glanced around the room but he couldn’t see his friend or many others. “My friend, Kranz, invited me. Where is he?”

“The party’s in the back. Kranz just left because he accidentally cut his hand. He should be at the bus stop about now. Even if he’s not here, you can stay and we can get to know each other.” He tried to wrap his arm around his waist but Licht slapped his hand away. His hard glare was enough to deter the boy but he left with an irritated grumble. “You’re no fun. Stay if you want but I don’t care.”

Licht didn’t bother to give him a reply and turned around to put his shoes back on. Since Kranz left already, he decided to go home and apologize to Mahiru for stealing his bike. He didn’t know anyone at the party and he doubted he could be friends with them. He wished that he arrived a few minutes earlier so he could’ve walked Kranz to the bus stop and talk with him a little at least.

As he left, Licht noticed a grand piano sitting in the living room. He walked to the piano and pressed down on a key. He hadn’t been able to practise with the instrument since he moved into Mahiru’s home. Licht decided to practise one song before he returned home. He looked around the house for a light switch but he couldn’t find one.

“They design an entire wall to be a window but they can’t afford proper lighting. Don’t rich people like their privacy?” He clicked his tongue but he sat in front of the keys to play a lulling ballad. Licht played the song so often for his parents that he didn’t need the music sheets to know the notes. He loved playing the piano and he was quickly swept into the music.

At first, he didn’t hear the low growl approaching him.

The song ended and Licht tenderly ran his fingers over the keys. A strange sound echoed inside the piano and it made Licht pause. He was certain he never heard the instrument make something so eerie. The piano seemed to snarl but the sound was muffled with static. Licht placed his hand on the piano’s cover to open it but he hesitated. In time with the growls, the lights above him started to flicker.

A flash of light behind him caused him to jump slightly and he spun around sharply. He found Hyde standing outside of the house with a camera in his hand. Licht reasoned that the light and sound must’ve been from his camera. He ran out of the house to yell at him. “What are you doing here, Shit Rat? Did you follow me?”

His voice surprised Hyde as well and he turned to him. He was confused by his words but then he lifted his camera and said: “I told you that I want to look for my brother in the woods. It’s dark so I use my camera’s flash as a light. Hopefully, I might catch a clue in the photos as well. Was that piano music I was hearing earlier you? You’re pretty good.”

“I’m more than ‘pretty good’, Demon. I’m an angel. Let me see your camera so I can know for sure that you didn’t stalk me to this party.” He ordered. Even in the darkness, Hyde could see how stubborn his blue eyes were so he decided it would be better to hand him his camera. Licht was aggressive but he didn’t think he was the type to destroy his things recklessly.

“Be careful with my camera, Lichtan. I had to work three months to buy it.” He said and looked over his shoulder to the tiny screen on the camera. The light from the camera illuminated Licht’s face and he saw how beautiful his eyes were. He didn’t notice him staring as he skimmed through the photos he took earlier. The time codes in the corner told him that Hyde was being truthful.

Licht came across a picture taken in the daytime and said, “This is nice. Is this your brother, Misono? I saw the missing poster of him earlier.”

“Yeah, this is Misono.” He nodded and took the camera back from him. Hyde placed it back in his bag and started to leave. Licht’s next words made him pause.

“At school, I wasn’t trying to make fun of you or anything like that. I wanted to ask you where the music room was.” Licht said. He didn’t reply to him and he wondered if Hyde believed him. He watched him walk back into the woods. Once he was gone, Licht took his bike and returned to Mahiru’s home.

“Kuro, will you help me wash the dishes?” Mahiru asked him as he stood from the table. The dinner they shared with Lily and Tetsu was tensed despite his effort to keep everyone comfortable. He asked them about their day at school but Kuro’s psychic ability lingered in the back of his mind. He had questions but he kept them to himself.

Mahiru stood next to Kuro and placed his hand on his shoulder. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t reply to Mahiru’s question. Gently, he patted his shoulder again to get his attention. He said, “Will you help me wash the dishes Kuro? I’ll soap while you wash. Tetsu, Lily, you two should go to the basement and wait for us.”

“Okay,” Kuro had never done chores before but he wanted to postpone answering questions as long as he could. He gathered the dirty dishes on the table and followed Mahiru to the sink. He stood next to him and watched his brief explanation on how to wash dishes. For a while, they washed the dishes in silence. He knew Mahiru was waiting for him to speak first so he said: “Thank you for the food. It was good.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed the noodles I made.” Mahiru smiled up at him. His expression became more serious as he continued, “Kuro, I want you to know that Tetsu and Lily are good people. They were… pushy earlier but that’s only because they want to find Misono. They’re worried about him. I know you’re scared of those bad men so I won’t force you to leave this house. Can we compromise though?”

“Compromise?” He echoed the word and Mahiru nodded. He told him the definition and Kuro’s brows furrows. In the past, he could never compromise with his father during the tests he gave him. Mahiru was different and kind. “Misono is your friend. I can try to help you but it’s still too dangerous for me to go outside. There is a way for me to find him though.”

“That’s great, Kuro!” Mahiru’s smile beamed up at him. He hugged him tightly but then leaned away. His smile became apologetic as Mahiru wiped the bubbles from his hair. “Sorry, I was too excited and got soap bubbles in your hair. It should come out with a little water though. After we finish up here, we can go downstairs to tell Lily and Tetsu that you’re willing to help.”

“But no outside.” He insisted and Mahiru nodded understandingly.

“There is one more thing I want to ask you about your powers. When you moved the tables, your nose bled. Does using your powers hurt you? I don’t want you to push yourself to help us if that’s the case. You’re my friend, just like Misono.” His brown eyes were full of concern.

Kuro knew a lot of people who wanted him to use his gift for their own goals. He hoped that Mahiru was different since he was kind to him even before he saw his abilities. “I was born with powers but I don’t know much about it myself. I could move things, hears things, and see things others can’t. Father put me into a special program so I can control my powers. I don’t remember much of my childhood but…”

“Are the bad people you’re running from that program?” Mahiru asked in a soft voice but Kuro didn’t answer him. He didn’t say a word yet his expression screamed in pain. Kuro ran the plate under the water and the sound of the sink became louder between them. He looked up from the water when Mahiru placed his hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Kuro. You don’t have to tell me but I’ll protect you from them.”

A sad smile spread across Kuro’s lips. “That’s a strange thing to say. You’re going to protect the monster with powers? You’re already doing a lot by hiding me here so you don’t need to do anything.”

“But I want to, Kuro. We’re friends so you can depend on me. You’re not a monster either so don’t call yourself one. With your powers, you’re more like a superhero! I’ll show you a few manga with heroes who have abilities like yours.” Mahiru offered. He handed him the last plate and washed his hands. “Let’s go talk to Lily and Tetsu now.”

Kuro nodded and followed him to the basement. The two were sitting on the couch and they looked up when they walked into the room. He could feel their eyes on him and his eyes dropped to the ground. When they would’ve asked him their questions, Mahiru stopped them. “Kuro agreed to help us but it’s dangerous for him to leave the house.”

He walked to the table and pushed aside the DND figurines. Mahiru gestured for Kuro to sit before he spread a map over the table. He sat next to him and said, “This is a map of the town and the forest. My house is here and this is the woods where we found you. Misono went missing around here. Can you circle where you saw Misono last?”

Kuro took the pen from Mahiru and slowly drew over the wooded area next to Misono’s home. He drew two circles close to each other. He folded the map in half so a circle was on each side. He held up the map and explained, “We are here but Misono is in the Upside Down.”

“How can we get to him?” Mahiru placed his hand around Kuro’s and made him lower the map onto the desk. He didn’t understand what Kuro was trying to tell him and why he called the woods ‘the Upside Down’. He thought of his abilities and thought he knew something he didn’t. “The police already searched through the woods but they didn’t find Misono.”

“Under.” Kuro repeated. He poked the pen through the paper and caused a hole in both the circles. From their confused stares, he knew the three believed he was crazy. “I thought it was impossible to enter the Upside Down. I can only project myself into the darkness when father wanted me to… The only way you can enter this space is if you create a hole.”

“You think Misono fell through one of these holes?” Tetsu picked up the map and looked through the hole. “How can we find this hole and bring him back?”

“Can we believe what Kuro is telling us? A hole that takes us to another ‘Upside Down’ world sounds outlandish. I want to find Misono as quickly as possible. We can’t run around and look for something that might not exist.” Lily insisted. Mahiru understood how he felt since Kuro’s explanation was outlandish. But, he didn’t think Kuro was lying to them.

“Kuro made things move with his mind so there might be more things in this world we don’t know about, Lily. If Misono fell through a hole like he said, it would explain why there hadn’t been a hint of him in the forest.” Mahiru reasoned. “We’ll try to find the portal in the morning but we’ll give up if we don’t find it before school. After that, we can use traditional investigating to search for him. I want to find Misono too.”

“Okay,” Lily nodded. “Can you find Misono in the Upside Down?”

“Misono is hiding.” He picked up a DND character sitting on the corner of the table. Mahiru recognized the wizard figurine as the one Misono would often use. Kuro placed him in the center of the map, next to the hole. “But he’s close.”

“Hiding?” Tetsu’s brows furrowed slightly. “If Misono’s underground in the Upside Down, wouldn’t he be searching for the portal to come back to our world? What is he hiding from?”

Kuro pointed to another figurine and moved it onto the board next to the wizard. Mahiru didn’t understand what he meant to tell them. “A demogorgon?”

Hyde walked into his house and he did his best not to wake his brother. He searched for Misono well past midnight but he didn’t find a clue that could help him. He intended to develop the photos he took at school tomorrow. Hopefully, he could see something he missed in the darkness. He looked down at his camera and scrolled through the pictures he took.

He paused on the photo with Licht playing the piano. While he searched for his brother, he heard his song and he followed it to the party. Hyde wondered if Licht was being truthful when he said that he wasn’t like the popular students he knew. He was certainly more talented than anyone he knew. He forced himself to put the camera away with the thoughts.

He was tired and he wanted to collapse in his bed. Since he hiked through the woods, Hyde had to take a shower before he slept. He hoped the running water wouldn’t wake Mikuni. The last thing he needed was his brother lecturing him about staying out so late. The home was dark so he assumed that Mikuni was already asleep.

He passed Misono’s door and he heard a dull static noise drift into the hall. He was confused by the sound and he opened the door. Inside, he found Mikuni asleep and leaning against the bed. Hyde didn’t know how to react to the sight at first. He assumed that his brother missed Misono and decided to sleep in his room. He understood his feelings but why was he sleeping on the floor?

Quietly, he took a blanket from the bed and placed it over his lap. He thought of all the times Mikuni would do the same for them. Misono has a habit of falling asleep anywhere and Hyde tended to stay up late. Since he was the oldest, Mikuni took care of them after their parents died. Hyde felt selfish that he didn’t realize how stressed he was earlier.

He went to stop the cassette player but he accidentally changed the track. Hyde cursed lightly when he heard Mikuni wake behind him. He shut off the player and turned to face him. “Sorry to wake you. I know it’s super late but please don’t get mad at me. I stopped by the woods to look for Misono and lost track of time.”

“You turned off the cassette.” Mikuni shot to his feet. His urgency confused Hyde as he watched him turn on the cassette player again. “I heard Misono’s voice coming from here like the time we heard him over the phone. He’s trying to tell us how to find him. You can’t turn this off. What if we miss a message from him?”

“The phone call could’ve been Misono but it’s impossible for him to contact us through a cassette player. This thing can only play the cassettes we put into it.” Hyde thought of the phone call. He had to question his own sanity and if he truly heard his brother’s voice. “Neither of us has been sleeping well and we’re probably hearing thing, Mikuni.”

“I know it was him.” He retorted and he never took his eyes off the cassette player.

Hyde sighed and decided not to argue with him. “If you’re going to sleep here, you should at least use the bed. We both have a full day tomorrow. I plan to hand out more posters and you need to visit the power plant with JeJe. I’m sure that place has more answers than a cassette player. Night, Mikuni.”

“His brain function is normal so let’s proceed to the next test. Bring in the next sample for Subject Seven.” The scientists’ voices around Kuro sounded far away to him. He was sitting in the room alone while the scientists were in the next room. They watched him through a window and wrote notes on a clipboard.

Every day, they would have him complete a few tests. The days blended together until he eventually lost track of how much time passed. He couldn’t remember his life before the experiments. The scientists would give him different object to move or crush. More recently, they would have him find different objects or people within the facility.

Kuro didn’t understand the scientific terms they used or what they wanted to find with the tests. Occasionally, he would wonder if they wanted to refine his abilities or if they were experimenting on him.

The door opened and Kuro sat straighter. He thought the scientists would bring in another object but a cat walked inside instead. Kuro had only seen the animal once before but he wasn’t able to touch it. Yesterday, they had shown him a picture of the cat and told him to locate it. He did as he was told and drew the room the cat was locked in.

Kuro wondered how the animal found its way to the observation room. The cat approached him and rubbed its head against his leg. Hesitantly, he reached down to pet the cat. He found that it was warm and soft. It purred softly before it began to lick his fingers. He was shocked when the cat jumped onto his lap but he didn’t push it away. He continued to pet the cat and play with it.

“It’s time for the next stage.” He glanced up from the cat when he heard his father’s voice through the speaker. Their eyes for a moment but he quickly looked back down. “Put the cat on the table.”

Without a word, Kuro did as he was told. The cat repeatedly tried to jump back onto his lap. He thought it wanted to play with him more but he could hear the scientists become frustrated with the wait. He was afraid that he or the cat would be punished if he made them wait too long. “Father, how do I make the cat sit still?”

“I told you it’s unprofessional to call me that during these tests.” His harsh reminded made Kuro flinch. He repeated his command, “Put the cat on the table.”

“Yes, Sensei.” He lifted the cat off his lap and placed the cat in front of him. Kuro was grateful that the cat laid down on the table. The cat rolled onto its back and he rubbed its stomach. He liked the furry creature but he wondered how it was connected to the experiment. He knew better than to voice that question though.

“For the first test, lift the cat’s front, left paw.” The scientist instructed and Kuro’s eyes widened. He had only been told to use his powers to move inanimate objects in the other tests. He could feel the scientists staring at them and they tapped their pens against their clipboards. The low sound echoed around him and his stomach started to turn. “Lift the cat’s front, left paw.”

Kuro’s hand trembled but he forced himself to move. He lifted his hand and used his power to make the cat to the same. Through his powers, he could feel how fragile the cat was. He was afraid he would hurt it if he used his power on it too much. The moment the scientists finished taking notes, he let go of the cat. He lightly petted the cat as an apology for using his powers on it.

“Next, make the cat stand on its two back legs.” They ordered him but he hesitated. He turned to his father and silently begged him to end the tests. “Make the cat stand.”

“Will that hurt the cat?” He asked in a small voice. Kuro rarely questioned them during the tests but he felt conflicted when the cat purred at him.

They didn’t answer him aside from stating, “Make the cat stand or we will put you in the closet for an hour.”

“I…” His hands tightened into fists on his lap. He didn’t want to be trapped in the small room again but he couldn’t bring himself to use his powers on the cat again. His mind raced for a way to find a way to refuse without angering them. The scientists yelled at him through the speak while his father merely glared at him in silence. The cat started to hiss at the window as well. “It’s too loud!”

Unintentionally, he used his powers and the blinds on the window dropped. The room fell into silence and Kuro’s heart sank. He could only imagine how angry his father was that he used his abilities without his permission. He grabbed the cat and scurried to the corner of the room. Kuro sank to the ground and sat with the cat against his chest.

He heard people approach the room and he locked the door. Kuro knew that it would only delay them. He buried his face in the cat’s fur and wished he could escape the facility.

“Kuro!” He was shaken awake by the cry of his name. Mahiru’s eyes stared back at him and he instinctively threw his arms around him. He gently stroked Kuro’s hair to comfort him. Earlier, he heard him yelling so we went to check on him. He found him in the midst of a nightmare and tried to wake him up. “It’s okay, Kuro. You’re safe here with me.”

“Safe.” He nodded. Mahiru could see that he was trying to reassure himself of that and his heart ached for Kuro. He hugged him a little tighter. He didn’t know what he went through but he hoped he could replace all those memories with better ones.

“Do you want me to sleep down here with you tonight? It’ll be like a sleepover. That’s when friends stay up all night and have fun. We can talk or watch a movie.” Mahiru suggested. He took a spare pillow from the couch and dropped it next to Kuro’s. He moved the tiny television in front of the fort and then sat beside Kuro. “Do you mind if I sit next to you?”

“It’s okay.” He nodded. Mahiru sat close to him and he could feel the warmth of his arm. Kuro relaxed and watched the late night movie with him.

Chapter Text

A thump woke Mahiru and he opened his eyes with a groan. His mind was still hazy from sleep and he nestled against the warmth next to him. After a moment, he realized that he was sleeping with his head on Kuro’s chest. He felt flustered and he sat up quickly. While he had sleepovers with his friends before, he had never been so close to another person. He touched his burning cheeks and he tried to calm his racing heartbeat.

There was another sound above him and Mahiru wondered who it could be. He glanced at the time and it was a little past midnight. He thought that Licht was already asleep and his uncle would’ve called him if he was going to return home soon. Mahiru stiffened when he realized that it could be a home invader. Kuro told him that people were after him for his abilities.

Footsteps continued to echo around them and Mahiru thought over what they should do. He looked down at Kuro but he was uncertain if he should wake him. With his telekinetic powers, he was strong and he could easily fight the intruder. On the other hand, he had already been through a lot and Mahiru didn’t want to scare him. He felt protective of Kuro and he wanted to make him feel safe.

He pushed aside his fears and crawled out of the small fort. Mahiru draped a blanket over the entrance to hide Kuro before he left. He was careful not to make a sound as he crept up the stairs. He grabbed a broom so he would have a weapon to defend himself. The logical side of him knew that the broom wouldn’t be effective if the person had powers like Kuro.

He followed the sound of footsteps and eased the basement door open. Among the silence, the creak of the door sounded like thunder to him. Mahiru stepped into the dark hall and looked around. He walked to the front door and peered through the small window. He couldn’t see a car outside and the door was still locked. “I must be hearing things.”

He relaxed and reassured himself that the people after Kuro couldn’t possibly know that he was hiding in his house. They had been careful not to be seen and only his friends knew about him. He decided to return to the basement and go back to sleep. He had school tomorrow and they planned to search for Misono after that.

As he passed the kitchen, the door began to open. Mahiru started to scream but a hand covered his mouth and pulled him back. He looked up and found Kuro standing behind him. He lifted his other hand and slammed the door closed with his abilities. The door rattled and Mahiru pressed closer to Kuro. He felt his breath brush against his ear as he whispered. “Hide. If it’s the scientists, I’ll deal with them.”

“They’re after you so you should be the one to hide.” Mahiru turned in his arms and lightly placed his hands on his shoulders to push him towards the closet. “Maybe I can make them leave. Call the cops while you’re hiding in the closet.”

The rattle of the door was followed by a loud bang. Mahiru jumped slightly but he tried to hide how frightened he was. He was certain that Kuro would insist that he protect him if he knew he was scared. Then, he heard a familiar voice on the other side of the door. “What’s with this door? Mahiru, are you asleep? This door is jammed!”

“Licht?” Mahiru assumed his cousin was asleep upstairs so he was shocked to hear his voice. He silently nodded to Kuro and signalled for him to let him in. Slowly, Mahiru opened the door and he was relieved that it was only Licht. Other questions came to him though. “Did you just go outside, Licht? You’re wearing your sweater. I told you that you shouldn’t go out at night because it’s dangerous! I thought someone broke in and you almost gave me a heart attack.”

“I can’t believe I’m getting a lecture from you when I’m the older one.” Licht groaned. The only thing he wanted to do was to go to bed. He felt irritated and tired so he was in no mood to listen to his lecture. He wasn’t able to meet his friend like he planned and he had to bike back to the house in the dark. “Can we talk about this in the morning? I’m sleepy.”

“This is serious, Licht! I warned you that my friend went missing recently but you sneaked out anyways. The woods is dangerous and I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Mahiru argued. While Licht was older than him, he wanted to keep him safe. It was impossible to stress how serious the situation was without telling him everything. “At least tell me when you’re going out.”

“I thought I might interrupt your slumber party with your boyfriend.” Licht shrugged. His words caused Mahiru to blush but Kuro was oblivious to the reason. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell your uncle or anyone else that your boyfriend stayed over.”

With those words, Licht walked up the stairs to his room. Mahiru couldn’t say anything else to him so he decided to go back to the basement with Kuro. He checked the locks on the doors and windows before he went downstairs. He crawled into the small fort and buried his face into the pillow. “That scared ten years off my life.”

“Mahiru?” Kuro whispered his name and lightly poked his shoulder. He rolled onto his side and made space for him to lay down as well. Mahiru stared up at the makeshift ceiling because he was too shy to face Kuro. “Mahiru, why didn’t you wake me up when you heard something. It was dangerous to go alone if it was someone from the lab.”

“I didn’t want to scare you. You might’ve been forced to use your powers too.” He answered. Mahiru took out a napkin and wiped the tiny sliver of blood from his nose. The smile he gave Kuro was full of compassion and trust. “If it was anything dangerous, I trusted that you would run up there to save me. Friends protect each other.”

“Boyfriends especially? That’s what Licht called us.” Kuro said and noticed how his face became flushed again. “Did I say something wrong? I didn’t think that word would be rude. Are we not friends and that’s why you got upset?”

“I’m not upset. We are friends but being called boyfriends is different.” Since he had to describe what a friend was to him, Mahiru doubted he knew what the word meant. He tried to think of the best way to explain it to him. “I understand if you think boyfriends are friends who are guys but it’s a little different. It’s when two people are in a romantic relationship. They kiss, hold hands and go on dates.”

“Like in the movie we watched?” He recalled the ending where the two characters kissed. Kuro blushed as well and he pulled the blanket over his face. He didn’t realize that Mahiru was laying on the blanket and the motion caused him to roll to the side. He accidentally pushed a pillow of place and the fort fell down around them. “Sorry.”

To Kuro’s surprise, Mahiru started to laugh. The tension around them disappeared. He pushed aside the blankets and pillows and laid next to Kuro again. “We’ll have to rebuild the fort in the morning but it’s time for bed now.”

“I can drive myself to school, Mikuni. You don’t need to drop me off me as if I’m five years old.” Hyde complained in the backseat of JeJe’s police truck. His brother insisted that they drive him after he learned that he had skipped school the previous day. He knew that Mikuni wanted to keep him out of trouble and he was worried after what happened to Misono. Yet, he groaned: “JeJe, tell my brother that he’s being overprotective.”

“I’m staying out of this.” He said as he parked the car in front of the school. While there were a lot of rumours around Hyde, JeJe knew that he was a good kid. He would act out at times but he never had to arrest him. “You’re still seventeen, Hyde. Your brother wants what’s best for you too. You won’t be able to graduate if you miss too many classes.”

“You said you’re going to stay out of our family drama but it looks like you took a side.” He rolled his eyes. Hyde stepped out of the car and lightly knocked on the window. After Mikuni rolled down the window, he said: “I’m going to develop my photos after school. It shouldn’t take too long. Can you pick me up at six instead of four?”

“Okay. Stay out of trouble.” Mikuni told him and ruffled his hair. They waved to each other before he walked into the school. He was glad that JeJe waited until Hyde entered the building before he drove away. While he didn’t say a word, he knew that JeJe understood why he was worried about his brother. They could easily picture Hyde running into trouble to find Misono.

JeJe arranged to speak with the scientists at the energy plant with the hopes that they saw Misono the night he disappeared. They didn’t have proof that he crawled through the tunnel and entered the facilities but it was the only lead they had. He was certain that Mikuni would chase every lead they had until they found his brother. For his sake, he prayed Misono was safe.

As the drove down the road, Mikuni turned off the radio and asked: “Do you think I’m being too strict on Hyde? Our old man was worse but…”

“You can hover a little less.” JeJe said and his answer made Mikuni pout. “I know you’re concerned that Hyde will run off and I understand why. We don’t know what happened to Misono. Maybe you can give Hyde some advice instead of chaperoning him everywhere. Tell him to hang out with his friends and go to parties like normal teenagers his age. That might get his mind off everything.”

“He doesn’t have many friends. Hyde had to grow up quicker than kids his age.” After their parents died, life had been difficult. Mikuni worked hard to provide for his family but Hyde got a job to help make ends meets. They both wanted Misono to have an easy life. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t protect Misono the night he went missing.

“Hyde isn’t the easiest person to get along with. He’s haughty and stubborn.” His comment earned him a light punch from Mikuni. It didn’t hurt and JeJe chuckled instead. “Maybe he needs to find a reasonable and patient person like you have.”

“I’m neither stubborn nor haughty. I can’t describe you as patient either. From the time you picked us up to now, you’ve sighed and groaned at least five times. Didn’t your parents teach you that it’s rude to do that?” Mikuni retorted. “Hyde needs someone who can handle his antics and kick some sense into him.”

“I don’t know if he’ll find someone like that easily.”

They approached the power plant and he stopped next to a toll booth. JeJe lowered the window and showed his badge to the worker. “I am Sheriff Doubt. This morning, I spoke with Dr. Gear about a missing child who might have passed by. I want to check your cameras to see what direction he might’ve went. He should be expecting me.”

“Dr. Gear is waiting for you in the lobby.” He nodded and opened the steel doors for them. He drove through the gate and parked his car. Mikuni stepped out and stared at the laboratory. He never gave the building much thought even though it sat near his home. JeJe stood next to him and placed his hand on his back. With a gentle push, he led him forward to the entrance.

They entered the lobby and walked to the reception’s desk. A man wearing a suit was already speaking with the receptionist. He turned around when they stopped next to him. “Sheriff Doubt? I am Dr. Gear. You requested a tour of our facilities. I’ll be honest though, you’re wasting your time here. It’s nearly impossible for someone to sneak inside.”

“This is just to cover all of our bases, Sir.” JeJe said. He saw how Mikuni bit his tongue and he knew he wanted to snap back at the man. The dismissive tone he had angered him. He held himself back because they needed their cooperation. Mikuni hoped that their cameras would show them what happened to his brother. “I told you that we think he crawled through a tunnel.”

Gear nodded and led them outside to the drain pipe he described. Mikuni knelt next to the grate cover and examined its worn edges. The tunnel appeared large enough for Misono to crawl through. JeJe glanced around them and pointed to a camera nearby. “Do you have the footage from Thursday and Friday like we requested?”

“Yes. Please, follow me.” Gear instructed and walked back towards the building. Mikuni waited until the scientist turned around before he tucked something inside his pocket. As he followed him through the halls, he noticed a hallway blocked by restrictive tape. He couldn’t see much beyond the opaque curtain but he was able to make out people in bulky suits.

“Mikuni?” He turned back when JeJe said his name. He walked into the dark room where the video was already prepared. The date on the screen was the night Misono went missing and they sped through the video. People passed through the screen but not one of them was his brother. The recording stopped and Mikuni didn’t hide his disappointment.

“I’m sorry you didn’t find what you were looking for. There’s a thousand cameras around the building. No one can come in or leave without us knowing. If your brother was here, we would’ve sent him to the station.” Gear said. “Shall I show you two out?”

“We can find our way out.” JeJe said. For a moment, Mikuni didn’t respond and continued to stare at the screen. He only looked away when he felt his hand on his shoulder. Mikuni sighed but stood and walked out of the building. He opened the passenger side’s door for him. He didn’t immediately close the door after he sat down. “Are you okay, Mikuni?”

“I thought I would find something.” He took out a strip of fabric from his pocket. “I found this stuck to the pipe cover. There’s no way to tell that it’s Misono’s but… We didn’t see him on the camera though.”

“Do you remember the night Misono went missing and the search party the next night?” The way he suddenly changed the subject confused Mikuni but he nodded. JeJe leaned closer and whispered into his ear. There were cameras watching him and he worried that they might overhear him as well. “It rained those nights but it was a clear day in the video.”

“They tampered with the video?” He was focused on finding Misono that he hadn’t noticed the detail. Mikuni looked down at the cloth and he pictured his brother scared in the building. He recalled how he heard his brother in the cassette player the previous night. Maybe Misono was inside the lab and he found a way to contact him through a radio.

Mikuni tried to jump to his feet but JeJe stopped him. He placed his hands on his shoulders and eased him back into the car. “You can’t run in there without more evidence, Mikuni. They’re hiding something but we can’t know if it’s related to your brother or not. Once we have more evidence, we can push them for answers. Trust me, Mikuni.”

“Okay,” He relented with a small nod.

Kranz hadn’t returned any of Licht’s calls and he was starting to worry about his friend. The teenager at the party yesterday told him that Kranz returned home alone. Mahiru’s lectures about the dangers of going out alone echoed in his ears. A feeling in his stomach told him that something was wrong as well. He decided to take the bus and visit his friend.

He went to the bus station and bought a ticket. Licht checked the schedule and he was glad that it would arrive soon. He searched for a bench to wait for the bus. A groan escaped him when he saw a familiar demon waiting on the platform. Hyde was reading a book so he hadn’t noticed him yet. He muttered to himself, “Why do I run into him everywhere I go?”

Licht thought it was best to avoid him so he leaned against the wall and waited for the bus. Even though he intended to ignore him, he found himself staring at Hyde’s back. Was the reason he was at the station related to his missing brother? Before he could finish the thought, he noticed a group of teenagers approaching him. He recognized them from the party last night.

“Hey, Hyde, we heard you were creeping around the woods last night. Were you spying on my party?” The teenagers surrounding him but Hyde barely gave them a glance. “Are you skipping town because of what happened to your brother?”

“Why are you here? I was searching the forest for my brother. You don’t need to be scared that I have evidence of you and your friends drinking underage at that party. I don’t take pictures of clowns.” Hyde shot him a glare. He didn’t flinch when the boy grabbed his shirt and roughly pulled him to his feet. “Do you want to fight me? It’ll be bad if you get injured before your basketball game.”

“You act tough for someone who carries around a toy.” He grabbed the camera from around his neck. Hyde immediately jumped forward to take it back but his friends held his arms. He couldn’t afford to replace the camera if they broke it. Another boy took the photos he had stuffed in his book. “Look at all this creepy stuff.”

“Let him go and give back his camera.” The group was surprised by Licht’s voice. There were more of them than him yet his glare was unwavering. Hyde took the opportunity to wrench his arms free from their grip. He assumed Licht was friends with them when they first met but it was clear he was wrong.

“Weirdos stay together, I guess.” The boy scoffed and started to hand back the camera. Then, he tossed the fragile camera behind him and it shattered on the ground. Hyde’s anger flared but he quickly held it back. He couldn’t start a fight or else the authorities would take him in and Mikuni would question why he was at the bus station. He walked past them and picked up his broken camera.

The group walked away but Licht stayed. He knelt next to him and collected the photographs they threw on the ground. “Thanks, Angel Cakes, but you don’t need to worry about these pictures. I already looked through all of these and there’s nothing here that can help the investigation. We should get off the road before the bus comes.”

“Are you going to Oakwood to look for your brother?” Licht asked as they stood. He had a handful of photos in his hand and held them out to Hyde. He didn’t take them and shook his head so Licht placed them in his bag. From his expression, he could tell that the photos made him frustrated. He spent an entire night in the forest but he couldn’t find anything.

“Misono hasn’t stepped foot outside of this town but our mother lives in Oakwood now. Well, she’s my mother but not his. It’s complicated.” He said as they sat on a bench. Hyde stared down the road and wondered where his brother could be. “They haven’t had any luck finding him here. The only person he knows outside of here is her. It’s a long shot but I have to try.”

“Don’t you have a car?” Licht remembered how he saw him driving the previous night. “Wouldn’t it be faster to use your car instead of waiting for the bus?”

“My over protective brother took my keys so here I am. He must be worried that I would do something reckless like drive to the next town to look for Misono.” He joked sarcastically. “Why are you going to Oakwood?”

“My friend lives there. He hasn’t returned any of my calls and I think something happened to him. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.” Hyde understood his feelings and patted his shoulder lightly. He didn’t say anything but Licht understood that he was trying to comfort him. “I’ll find my friend and your brother will come back safe.”

Chapter Text

The bus rocked lightly as it drove to Oakwood and Licht had drifted off during the ride. While the city was nearby and the trip would only take half an hour, he was tired. A sharp jostle from the bus woke him and Licht groaned slightly. He rubbed his tired eyes until he realized that he was sleeping against Hyde’s arm. He blushed and hastily moved away from him.

Licht was expecting Hyde to make a sarcastic comment or tease him but he was asleep with his head resting against the window. He didn’t wake up after the bus jostled again so he must’ve exhausted. He wondered how long he stayed up searching for his brother and how many nights he did so. When they first met, he thought Hyde had an abrasive nature but it was clear that he was different.

They reached Oakwood and the bus came to a stop. He placed his hand on Hyde’s shoulder and lightly shook him awake. Hyde groaned and tried to push his hand away. “Hey, wake up, Shit Rat. The bus stopped and if we don’t get off right now, it’s going to take us to the next town. I don’t want to be stranded in a town I don’t know because of you.”

“Fine, I’m up, Lichtan! Aren’t angels supposed to have soft and light voices that comfort humans? You’re mean and aggressive.” His gruff comment earned him a flick on his forehead. He groaned but he stood and followed him out of the bus. Hyde looked down at Licht and wondered why he took the time to wake him when he wanted to go see his friend.

He told himself that it wasn’t his place to pry and he had enough to worry about with Misono missing. Hyde started to walk away but then he noticed Licht take out a map from his bag. He said, “You said your friend lives here but do you know your way around town? I know this place well and I can walk you to your friend’s house. It can be my way to repay you for waking me.”

“I can handle myself. I’ve visited him enough to know where his house is.” Licht brushed aside his offer and walked down the street. Since his parents travelled often for their tours, they would leave him with relatives. He rarely stayed in one town for long but he Kranz was one of the few friends he had. He followed the map he brought with him to find his friend’s house.

Licht was glad that Kranz lived near the station so it was easy to find his house. He walked up the short steps to knock on the door and waited for an answer. While he didn’t see anyone when he peered inside, there was a car in the driveway. He knew Kranz went to band club after school but he could speak with his parents at least.

His back straightened when he heard the door open. He was a little disappointed that Kranz’s mother was the one to answer because he was hoping to see him right away. The woman appeared surprised to see him but her expression quickly turned to concern. She grabbed his arms and shook him. “Do you know where Kranz is, Licht? He didn’t come home last night.”

“He’s not here? I came here to see him.” He told her. Her expression fell and Licht was certain he did the same. She gestured for him to come inside and talk but he was too shocked to move immediately. Licht thought of Mahiru’s warning and a rock dropped into his stomach. Did something happen to his friend? He forced himself to move and walk into the living with her.

He sat on a chair in the living room and Licht told her as much as he could. “Kranz invited me to his friend’s party in Hawkins. When I got there, they told me that Kranz hurt his hand and already went home. I didn’t stay at the party after that. This morning, I tried to call him but he didn’t answer and I got worried. I came to check on him.”

“He didn’t come home last night and we reported him missing right away. We talked to the police and they’re looking for him. He would never stay away from the house this long without calling to tell us.”

“Can you give me the detective’s number? I’ll tell them everything I can about last night and the names of people who were at the party. The information might help them find Kranz.” She gave him the station’s number and he used her phone to call them. Licht nervously twisted the phone cord around his finger as he spoke with the detective.

He wanted to mention Misono’s disappearance to him but he could feel Kranz’s mother watching him anxiously. She was already frantic with worry and the news would only make her more stressed. He made a note to himself to memorize the detective’s number and call them again after he returned to Mahiru’s house. “Thank you for the information, Sir.”

“I’ll call you again if I remember anything else.” He said softly. Licht had hoped the visit would be reassuring but it only gave him more concerns. Where could his friend be? He spoke with Kranz’s mother for a few more minutes until he had to leave. Mahiru would lecture him if he missed the bus and returned late.

During his walk back to the bus station, he was distracted by questions and thinking of possible scenarios. He couldn’t be certain that his friend’s disappearance was connected to Misono’s but it occurred in the same woods. They hadn’t been able to collect many clues with Misono and he started to worry about their chances of finding Kranz.

“You finally visit your mother after years but you won’t even talk to me.” The sound of an argument pulled Licht out of his thoughts and he turned towards the voices. Beyond a chain linked fence, he saw Hyde. Licht stopped and watched him speak with a blond woman. He assumed she was his biological mother but the glare Hyde gave her didn’t held any familiar warmth.

Hyde walked past her and opened a shed to look inside. He clicked his tongue when he didn’t find Misono. A part of him already knew that it was unlikely that Misono went to her house but he was running out of possibilities. He was desperate to find his brother safe and uninjured. Behind him, his mother said: “I already told Sheriff Doubt everything I could. Why would you think he was here?”

“He has to be somewhere!” Hyde yelled and turned to face her. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration and sighed. He reminded himself he needed to be calm. “Misono doesn’t take risks and he’ll stay where he thinks it’s safest. But we can’t find him anywhere in Hawkins. Family is everything to him so he might’ve turned to a relative to help if he was kidnapped and escaped. If there’s a chance he’s staying with Grandma in Europe, I will go there to find him.”

“He’s not my son so I would’ve sent him home to you.”

“I am your fucking son and you would send me back to Mikuni if I showed up here bloodied and bruised!” Hyde spat back at her. “I didn’t come because I was delusional enough to think you would protect him. I trusted Misono’s faith in family. He’s not here so I’m going home.”

He started to leave but then his eyes met Licht’s on the other side of the chain linked fence. Hyde walked towards him and he appeared so angry that he thought he would’ve yelled at him for eavesdropping on a private conversation. He climbed over the fence and landed beside him. Without a word, he took Licht’s hand and dragged him down the street.

“Hyde?” He whispered his name. Licht felt how his hand trembled in his and squeezed it gently. He was surprised when the shaking stopped and he held his hand back. Neither of them was able to find the person they come to Oakwood to find. “Are you alright?”

“I will be once I get out of this damn city.”

Kuro had his eyes closed as he turned the dial of the radio and focused on the static. He forced the radio waves to stretch further and searched for conversations that could lead to Mahiru’s friend. There was a soft click and the static stopped. When he opened his eyes, he found Mahiru’s face close to his. Mahiru had leaned over his shoulder and shut off the radio.

“You’ve been listening to the same static over and over again. I don’t know what you find so interesting in it but you have to eat lunch.” Mahiru stood and took Kuro’s arm to pull him up. “I’m going out to search for Misono again but you won’t be home alone. Licht will be here. I made a lot of food so you can heat it up if you get hungry for dinner.”

“It smells great.” He said and the compliment made Mahiru smile. Kuro watched him walk up the stairs to the main floor. He could hear him hum and the pleasant sound relaxed him. He thought of the laboratory and the constant whispers and stares. He found it difficult to focus his powers in that environment but he was forced to participate in their test. With Mahiru, he could freely use his power on the radio.

He switched the radio back on and the static became words. Clear the quarry and prepare to deposit the package. Have the trooper…

“Father?” Kuro whispered after the connection trailed off. He had been searching the woods for any sign of life and he didn’t know why he would be there. Were they searching for him? He checked the map Mahiru showed him before and found the quarry they mentioned. The location wasn’t close to Mahiru’s home and breathed out a sigh of relief.

Above him, he heard Mahiru answer the door and his friends’ voices followed. Mahiru walked down to the basement and he took the map he was looking at. “I closed the curtains and told Licht not to open them so you can go upstairs without much worry. I’ll come in through the garage so you don’t have to open the door for anyone.”

“Okay.” Kuro nodded. Mahiru had left to search for Misono several times but he still felt worried sitting in the basement alone. Mahiru could see his fears in his expression and he did his best to reassure him before he left. He took the map to his friends and discussed where they should search next.

“The quarry is near the woods so he might go there for water if he’s hiding from the demogoron. We should check if there’s signs of a campsite there.” Mahiru reasoned. He was focused on the map so he didn’t see the way Kuro stiffened. He was a little surprised when he placed his hands over his and forced him to close the map. “What’s wrong, Kuro?”

“Dangerous. Can’t go.” He insisted and his eyes screamed louder than his words.

“Do you know something about the quarry? Is it related to Misono?” Lily asked but Kuro fell silent. He only told Mahiru pieces of his past and he was worried the rest would be too much. He looked down at the ground but he saw Mahiru stand in front of him.

“Let’s not push Kuro too much, Lily. I want to find Misono as much as you do but Kuro has been through a lot. He’s scared.” Mahiru defended him. “He has helped us a lot and told us about the Upside Down. We need to find the hole Misono fell through to bring him back.”

“Not at the quarry.” Kuro didn’t know what the scientist intended to do at the quarry but he had to keep Mahiru safe from them. He showed him kindness and Kuro grew to care for him. Mahiru risked a lot to shelter him and he felt guilty for that. “I can go with you to the woods to find the portal but not in the quarry. My powers can help.”

“Your nose bleeds whenever you use your abilities. Doesn’t it hurt you to use your power too often? I’m grateful for your offer to help but I don’t want you to strain yourself. Also, it could be dangerous for you to go out with the scientists searching for you.” Mahiru frowned. Kuro walked past him and grabbed a white blanket from the fort.

“I can wear a disguise.” He wrapped the blanket over him like a cape.

“Our DND group already have a wise wizard but there’s room for a lion familiar.” Mahiru took out an old coat he had fashioned into a lion costume last year. Kuro slipped on the jacket and he pulled the hood over his head. “The fur should hide your face. You can come with us but tell us if you start to feel lightheaded or need to go home.”

With the compromise, they walked to the garage. Mahiru opened the garage door and walked his bike outside. He noticed how Kuro hesitated to follow him outside and turned back to him. He patted the small rack behind his seat and said, “We only have three bikes but you can sit here, Kuro.”

Mahiru gave him a reassuring smile and Kuro stepped out of the door. He had never felt the sun on his skin before and its warmth tingled slightly. He lived within the laboratory all his life and it was night when he escaped. Afterwards, he hid in Mahiru’s basement. He climbed onto the back of his bike and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Are you sure this is safe?”

“Tetsu would let Misono ride on his bike like this all the time.” Mahiru told him. He biked forward and the small jostle of his bike made Kuro hold him closer. He glanced around him worriedly and then pressed his face into Mahiru’s shoulder when a car passed. Kuro was worried about a scientist recognizing him.

Mahiru turned his bike and rode into a wooded path. “You can look up, Kuro. Feeling the wind in your hair is one of the most fun things about biking. People rarely take this path so you don’t have to worry about anything.”

Hesitantly, he lifted his head and rested his chin on Mahiru’s head. He had to admit that the cool breeze was nice. Lily rode next to them and asked, “So, do you sense where Misono could be?”

“I heard voices to the east when I was listening to the radio.” He gave them the opposite direction of the quarry.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go home and rest, Mikuni? We don’t know how long it will take to collect information on the laboratory. When was the last time you ate?” JeJe asked. They spent most of the day together so he already knew that Mikuni only had a light lunch before they went to the lab. “You’re going to be very little help if you burn yourself out. What about Hyde?”

“I asked Jun to pick him up from school for me. I also left a note and some money on the table for him to order pizza.” Mikuni wished he could support Hyde through the investigation and the confusion but he also needed to find Misono. “Reading a bunch of articles shouldn’t take too long so I should be able to get home before dark.”

“These things are small but tedious and this can take hours.” JeJe warned. They wanted to collect information on the lab to see if there could be a connection to Misono’s disappearance. Since the lab worked under the government, it would be difficult to find details on their work. They went to the library to collect information on the lab through articles.

JeJe walked to a shelf and pulled down a binder of newspaper clippings. “The newspapers are organized by publisher, topic and date. Here are the Times’ articles. You should sit down and start looking through them while I get the other publishers.”

Mikuni nodded and carried the binder to a desk and flipped through the articles. In the corner his eyes, he saw a librarian approach JeJe. He answered her by shaking his head and holding up the binders in his arms. “Do you need any help finding anything? I would love to help. If you’re not busy after this, would you like to go on a date, Detective?”

“I’m busy with the missing person’s case.” He rejected her politely. JeJe walked to Mikuni and then sat on the chair next to him. After he organized the binders on the table, he noticed the frown Mikuni wore. He leaned closer to him to read the article Mikuni had in front of him. Mikuni couldn’t meet JeJe’s eyes and stared at the headline without reading the text. “Did you discover anything?”

“I just started.” He felt a hint of jealousy but he quickly shoved the feelings aside. Misono and Hyde needed him so he didn’t have time for an old flame. “You know this library well. You must spend a lot of time here after we graduated. I thought you were more of an art nerd than a bookworm since you would make those bottled ships. Do you still make them?”

“Sometimes. I would come here occasionally to read world news.” They lived in a small town with few crimes but JeJe was dedicated to his work. He saw the way Mikuni would glance from him to the librarian. “There’s nothing between me and that woman so you don’t have to worry about me being distracted during the investigation.”

“That’s good to hear.” He said and flipped to another article. Mikuni saw a picture of the lead scientist they met earlier and the caption made his brows furrowed. “The lab was created to research possible energy sources. Why would their lead scientist be a neurologist who specializes in the brain? Are there any articles about them discovering solar power or something else?”

“Not that I can see but it could be classified information. They have been through several lawsuits though. Here’s one where people complained that the lab is a waste of tax dollars since it hasn’t discovered anything in almost a decade. The government continues to give it decent funding though.” He held the newspaper between them.

“This says that Dr. Gear was moved from Project Servamp to the energy plant.” Mikuni took out the strip of cloth he found near the large drain. He held it next to the newspaper and said, “Look at this picture with Gear and the lab participants. This fabric might be from a hospital gown like the ones they’re wearing. What were they researching in this project?”

“It doesn’t say much but they were looking for a new weapon for the cold war with Russia. Project Servamp was discontinued. They were forced to stop because their experiments and methods were found to be unethical.” He summarized the article. “This doesn’t connect them to Misono’s disappearance though.”

“What if the CIA continued this project in secret?” Mikuni knew his conclusion was outlandish but it was clear the lab wasn’t what it claimed to be. “The grant money hasn’t helped them find anything related to energy. They could be redirecting that money to something else. Maybe Misono was in the woods and he saw something or someone the lab didn’t want him to see.”

“We only have circumstantial evidence but it’s a start. We can build a case and force them to open their books to see what they’re really doing. Let’s start taking notes.” JeJe said and slid a spare notebook in front of Mikuni. They started to copy information from the articles. He turned the page and his eyes narrowed as he read the title.

Mother claims Servamp Laboratory kidnapped her son.

“Mikuni, there’s a cold case…” He started but then he realized that Mikuni was asleep beside him. He glanced towards the clock and saw that it was late. The library would close soon so he should work for a few more minutes and then drive Mikuni home.

He was surprised that he hadn’t fallen asleep earlier. Mikuni had been stretching himself thin between working late at the hospital and searching for Misono during the day. He was certain that Mikuni would force himself to stay awake if his body would let him.

JeJe wanted to let him rest and gently pushed his hat over his eyes so the light wouldn’t disturb him. He also took his coat and folded it into a square. Carefully, he slipped it under his head. A beep from his radio surprised him and he accidentally let his hand slip. The impact woke Mikuni and he groaned. He glared at him and said, “You could’ve woken me up nicely.”

“Sorry.” He said before he responded to the call. “Sheriff Doubt Doubt.”

“A body had been found in the quarry. It’s a kid.”

The short message sent a cold chill through Mikuni and he jumped to his feet. “Is it Misono? We need to go to the quarry to see if it’s him. Can they tell if he’s hurt? I have medical training so I can help.”

“No, I am taking you home and then I will go to the quarry to check on the body.” JeJe said and Mikuni glared at him. He placed his hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. “We haven’t confirmed that it’s Misono. I don’t want you to see the body unless you need to. Trust me, Mikuni.”

“He’s my brother!” Mikuni bit his lip. A part of him was afraid to go to the quarry and have his worst fears confirmed. “What if Misono needs me? I’m a nurse so I’ve seen blood before. You don’t need to protect me.”

“Treating a stranger as nurse is much different from seeing someone you love hurt. There will be firefighters and an ambulance there if he needs help. I’ll be there as well.” JeJe reassured him and tenderly rubbed his arms. “I promise I’ll go directly to your house afterwards and tell you everything. Please, just let me take you home.”

“Fine.” He agreed.

Chapter Text

Hours had passed since they started their search and Mahiru wondered if they should return home. The moon had replaced the sun and they wouldn’t be able to see the gate even if they passed it. He was disappointed that they weren’t able to find Misono. Mahiru still had a lot of questions about the gate and if they could rescue his friend from the Upside Down.

He felt himself start to become disheartened and forced the doubt from his mind. Mahiru reminded himself that they had Kuro’s help to find Misono. Kuro’s knowledge about the Upside Down and the Demogorgon was still little but they could discover the answers together. He didn’t know what they would face during their investigation but he felt confident with Kuro by his side.

He could feel Kuro’s heat against his back as he rode his bike down the bumpy road. Mahiru wanted to look back to see that he was comfortable but he needed to keep his balance on the bike. Even as he reminded himself of that, Mahiru found himself distracted by his warmth. He was glad that Kuro came to trust him enough to leave the house.

He could feel how strong Kuro’s arms were since they were wrapped securely around his waist. He didn’t expect him to be so strong since he had been confined by his captors. Between his strength and his psychic abilities, he was a powerful person. Yet, it was clear that he was scared and sheltered. Kuro hadn’t told him much about the people who were after him but it was clear that he had been through a lot.

Mahiru wanted to protect him and give him the life of a normal teenager. He started to ask him what he wanted to do once they returned home but then he felt his head fall onto his shoulder. His breath against his neck was steady so he had likely fallen asleep. He reached up and briefly patted Kuro’s light hair. “I guess it’s time to head home.”

“Are you sure we can’t look a little longer?” Tetsu asked next to him. While it was dark and he couldn’t see his expression, Mahiru knew he was worried for Misono from his voice. He understood how he felt but it was dangerous to stay out all night. He tried to think of a compromise until their conversation was interrupted by sirens.

In the distance, they could see a firetruck pass by. Mahiru couldn’t see fire or smoke in the night sky so he wondered what they were responding to. The firetruck was quickly followed by an ambulance and patrol cars and worry settled over the group. It was impossible to know if their presence was connected to Misono’s disappearance or not but then Lily said: “That’s JeJe’s truck. He’s the lead detective of Misono’s case. We should follow him.”

The three nodded and they turned their bikes around to follow the firetrucks. The abrupt jostle of the bike caused Kuro to wake up and he groaned. He didn’t raise his head from his shoulder but he turned his face slightly. Kuro noticed the way Mahiru’s brows were furrowed and he forgot how tired he was. He couldn’t sense any danger around them. “Is something wrong, Mahiru?”

“I hope it’s nothing but we’re following JeJe’s car.” He briefly explained the situation to him. Mahiru didn’t want to show how scared he was. Since JeJe had ambulances with him, there was a chance that Misono was hurt. He wondered if Kuro was able to sense his fears when he placed his hands around his on the handle bar. The way he squeezed his hands comforted him.

Their bikes were slower than the vehicles so they reached the quarry while the emergency responders were already busy. It was difficult to make sense of the situation due to the amount of people on the scene and voices overlapped each other. Lily spotted his brother, JeJe, speaking with another detective. He wanted to ask JeJe about the situation but he could easily imagine him sending them home.

They hid their bikes in the bushes before they crept closer to see if Misono was with JeJe. Due to the chaos, no one saw them. Mahiru knelt behind the firetruck and peered towards the pool of water where the firefighters were. A rock dropped in his stomach and he prayed that nothing happened to Misono. He wanted to close his eyes but every muscle in his body was stiff with fear.

He heard snippets of the men’s conversation. “Body… Drowned… Inform Mikuni…”

“Mikuni? Does that mean they’ve found Misono?” Lily whispered but Mahiru couldn’t answer him. A chilling realization slowly came over him even as he silently made a thousand argument that the body couldn’t be Misono. The voices echoed around him and Mahiru unconsciously took Kuro’s hand. He needed to feel his warmth and prayed that he was having a terrible dream.

The headlight of the vehicles reflected off the dark water and he could see the firemen bring something to the shore. While it was too far to see the person’s face, he recognized the violet jacket Misono would always wear. Mahiru couldn’t deny the situation anymore and he felt as if he was plunged in cold water. He sank to his knees and his hand slipped from Kuro’s.

“Mahiru?” Kuro reached out to help him stand again. Mahiru would usually have a hopeful smile but now his expression was full of pain. He didn’t know what to say but he wanted to take his pain away.

“We were planning to go to the quarry but you said that we should search the woods instead. Misono was here the entire time. Did you know that when you told us that?” Mahiru asked the question in a barely audible whisper. He didn’t take his eyes off the water as he went on. “You said you would help us find him alive. Why did you lie and make me think he was alive?”

Mahiru didn’t wait to hear his answer before he ran back into the thick bushes. He wanted to distance himself from the sight of his friend being pulled out of the water. Between the darkness and tears filling his eyes, he couldn’t see where he was going. It didn’t matter since he didn’t have a destination in mind. He simply wanted to run far away from the truth.

He tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. His hands scraped against the dirt but he barely felt the pain due to how numb his body was. Mahiru pushed himself up so he was sitting on the ground. He didn’t have the energy to stand and run again. Tears gathered in the corner of his eyes but he couldn’t cry. He thought of when his mother died and how the grief paralyzed him at the time as well.

He heard footsteps behind him but he didn’t turn around to face the person. Mahiru did his best to wipe the tears from his eyes but more quickly replaced them. The person walked around him and then knelt in front of him. Warm fingers touched his cheek and helped him brush away the teardrops that clung to his lashes. Their fingers became tangled together and Mahiru brought their joined hands to his lap.

Kuro thought Mahiru would push him away and he wouldn’t blame him if he did. His shoulders trembled so Kuro gathered him into his arms and let his body heat warm him. The wall Mahiru had created to stop his tears crumbled and he let out a small sob. Tears shook his body but Kuro held him through everything. Tenderly, he rubbed his back.

“I wanted to protect you but, in the end, I hurt you. I’m sorry, Mahiru.” Kuro apologized. He gently took his hand and saw that they were injured from the fall. The grazes were small and they weren’t painful but Kuro carefully wiped the dirt from his palm.

“I’m not angry with you but… Misono was my first friend. I can’t believe he’s gone and—” Tears choked him and he couldn’t continue. Mahiru bit his lip and rested his head on Kuro’s strong shoulder. He understood if Kuro wanted to keep him from finding his friend’s body but he wished he hadn’t given him hope that he was still alive. “I wanted to find my friend again.”

I’ll bring him back for you. Anything to make you smile again, Mahiru. Kuro silently made the vow.

Mikuni paced back and forth on the porch and stared at the driveway for JeJe or Hyde’s car to pass through the gate. When he came home, he found Hyde missing and Mikuni assumed he left to find clues about Misono’s disappearance. He had told him to stop going into the forest at night but he continued to investigate alone. Hopefully, JeJe would give them good news.

He hated the waiting and worrying alone. Mikuni didn’t know how JeJe was able to convince him to stay behind instead of going to the quarry. A million different scenarios came to mind. They reported that they found a body and he hoped that it was a mistake or a miscommunication.

The cold forced him to return inside. Mikuni rubbed his arms as he stepped into the living room but it didn’t help warm him. He turned on the light but then they started to flicker until they burned out. The electricity had acted strangely the days following Misono’s disappearance. He didn’t know if the two were connected but he thought of how he would hear his brother’s voice through electronics.

Mikuni walked through the dark room and searched for a flashlight. A spark of light caught his attention and he turned towards it. The lightbulbs in the hallway were acting strangely and he stood in the doorway to study them. The lights slowly lit a path to Misono’s room and he recalled that the same thing happened a previous night. He had heard Misono’s voice then.

With that thought, Mikuni rushed into his brother’s bedroom and went directly to the cassette player. He turned on the machine and a reading of Shakespeare’s play started. Mikuni pressed his ear against the speaker but he couldn’t hear his brother between the voices of the actor. He bit his lip and pressed the skip button to search for the quote he heard before. Mikuni said, “Where is your ancient courage?”

A jolt of electricity shocked him and he pulled his finger off the button. The cassette player began to rewind until it stopped on the quote: “Extremity was the tier of spirits; That common chances common men could bear; That when the sea was calm all boats alike show’d mastership in floating… You were used to load me with precepts that would make invincible the heart.”

“Boats?” Mikuni regretted that he wasn’t as knowledgeable about Shakespeare’s work and what his riddles meant. The cassette player repeated the quote. It mentioned water and Mikuni hoped it wasn’t Misono trying to tell him he was at the quarry. “Misono, if you’re trying to tell me something, please let me know it’s you. Are you here?”

He held his breath as the machine skipped through the play until it stopped on a single word: “Here.”

“Oh my god.” Mikuni gripped the large cassette player in his hands. He knew it was outlandish to think that his missing brother was using the cassette to speak with him. A part of him had to question the entire situation yet he was desperate to find his brother.

He picked up the cassette player and carried it into the living room. Then, Mikuni went into Hyde’s room to grab his cassette player and collection of Shakespeare’s plays. He arranged the two players next to each other and loaded them with as many recordings as he could. He also set up two lamps in front of the machines. Mikuni hoped his plan would help him communicate with his brother.

“Misono, are you here?” He asked and his heart soared when the recording repeated ‘here’ like before. “You can talk with me through the cassette player like you did earlier. I’ll keep my questions simple. You can turn on the right lamp to say ‘yes’ and the left one will be ‘no’. Do you think you can do that?”

The right lamp flickered on and then slowly dimmed but the small sign was enough of an answer for Mikuni. He had a lot of questions and he didn’t know where to start. Mikuni glanced at the family portrait on the wall and asked.

“Are you alive?” Once again, the right light turned on. “Are you somewhere safe?”

As hopeful as he became earlier, his heart sank when the left lamp brightened. Mikuni forced himself to stay calm so he would be able to find where Misono was. He needed to focus on rescuing his brother. “Do you know where you are? If not, describe what you can see. Anything can help, even if it’s small.”

Mikuni took out a notepad as the cassettes skipped through tracks with a sharp screech. He became more fearful with each word Misono used to describe where he was. He didn’t know how to connect the words to discern his location. “Home… Strange… Cold and dark… Monster…”

There was a long pause and the silence was punctuated by soft knocking. He realized that the sound wasn’t from the cassette tapes but echoing throughout the room. Mikuni was alone in the home yet the sound slowly became louder. Suddenly, the room became silent. He stood and debated if he should go investigate the cause of the sound.

He didn’t want to leave the cassette players in case Misono sent him another message. The sound could be caused by an animal and he was looking too deeply into what it could be. Mikuni glanced down at the notepad on his lap and stared at the word ‘home’. How could that be true? He and Hyde had searched through the entire house but they didn’t find a hint of him.

As he was arguing with himself, the knocking started again. He walked to the wall where it sounded like something was trying to break out of the drywall. Mikuni thought of the night that he imagined the wall briefly morphing in the shape of a monster. He assumed that the night was merely a nightmare caused by stress. He had to question if it was merely a dream now.

Hesitantly, he ran his hand over the worn wallpaper. His finger brushed against a frayed seam of the wallpaper and he gripped the edge. He tore off the paper from the wall and he expected to see the monster he saw that night. He gasped when he found Misono huddled on the ground with his back facing him. Mikuni immediately reached out and tried to hold him.

He was stopped by a thick barrier between them and Mikuni slammed his fist against the opaque wall. He didn’t know what he was seeing but the only thing that mattered was his brother before him. Mikuni ripped more of the wallpaper to see more of Misono’s location. The wall almost appeared to be a mirror of the living room with Misono in front of the large tape players.

Misono’s voice travelled through the cassettes behind Mikuni. “I want to tell you more but it’s coming.”

“Misono?” His voice seemed to reach him because Misono turned around. His eyes widened when he saw him and he pressed his hand against the thick barrier. He was afraid for his brother but, more than that, he was relieved to see his brother again. “Thank goodness, you’re alive. I’m going to find a way to you so wait for your big brother.”

The lights began to flicker above them and Mikuni saw the way Misono’s face paled. He had assumed that Misono was the one affecting the lights in a similar way he spoke with him through the cassettes. A monster crept into the room and Mikuni quickly understood his fear. Mikuni held back a scream because he knew panicking would only make Misono more scared.

“I’ll save you, Misono. I don’t know how but I will! For now, find somewhere to hide. You’re great at hide-and-seek and I know you’ll outsmart that monster.” Mikuni reassured his brother. His stomach turned as he watched Misono disappear into the house. He had told him to run for his safety yet it hurt to lose him after he finally found him.

Mikuni grabbed a fireplace poker from the stand and marched back to the barrier. As hard as he could, he swung the iron stick at the wall. He barely made a dent in the wall and the little damage he caused was quickly sealed. He refused to give up and struck the wall again. Adrenaline rushed through him as he repeatedly hit the wall. His frustration formed tears in his eyes and he was so focused that he couldn’t hear someone enter the room.

A hand gripped his wrist and then an arm circled his waist. He fought the person’s grip but he was pulled away from the wall. Mikuni only stopped struggling when he recognized JeJe’s arms around him. His hold loosened when he felt Mikuni relax. He turned on his hold and looked up at him with wide eyes. “JeJe, you have to help me break down the wall. Misono is in there!”

“What do you mean, Mikuni?” JeJe’s question made Mikuni turn back to the wall. His heart dropped when he saw that the strange barrier and world was gone. The wall had returned to normal except for the damaged drywall. He could only imagine what JeJe thought of him at the moment. He only had concern and sympathy in his eyes though.

“I know this will sound crazy but I was speaking with Misono a minute ago. He was alive but there was something after him. It looked like a lizard person without a face. We need to save Misono before that thing could find him.” Mikuni insisted and shook him urgently.

“You should sit down.” He said in a gentle voice and eased him onto the couch behind him. JeJe rubbed his back and waited until Mikuni was a little calmer. “I know you’re under a lot of stress. This isn’t easy to hear but I need to tell you about the quarry.”

“Oh god, did you find a body? That monster must’ve attacked that kid and now he’s after Misono.” Mikuni concluded.

“Mikuni, we found a body. It’s Misono.” In reaction to his words, Mikuni’s face fell. He silently shook his head and JeJe held his hand. “I’m sorry, Mikuni. I saw the body so I can confirm that it’s Misono. I promised that I would find your brother but I wasn’t able to. We have a theory about what happened but we can discuss it tomorrow. You should get some sleep.”

“I don’t know what you saw but it wasn’t my brother!” Mikuni yelled and shot to his feet. “I don’t want to hear your theories.”

Chapter Text

Mahiru laid in his bed and he stared at the window. Classes would start soon but he couldn’t find the energy to stand or prepare for the day. His best friend was gone. He was still in shock and the events after he saw his body was a blur. He had a vague memory of Kuro carrying him on his back and how they walked home in silence. The only thing he remembered clearly from that night was Kuro’s strong arms holding him and comforting him.

There was a knock on his door but Mahiru didn’t move to answer it. After a few minutes, the door opened and his uncle walked into his room with a cup of hot chocolate. Usually, Mahiru would be excited to see his uncle but his feelings were drowned out by the grief of losing Misono. He sat up and took the warm cup his uncle passed him. “Thank you, Uncle. I’m sorry for sleeping in.”

“You can skip school today, Mahiru. JeJe called me this morning and told me what happened. I came home as soon as I could. I’m sorry about your friend.” His uncle sat on the edge of the bed and patted his head. “I already called your teacher and told them that you might need to take a day to recover after… Your teacher understood. Do you need anything, Mahiru? Even if it’s just a talk, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you but I want to be alone right now.” He answered in a hushed voice. Mahiru had lost his mother at a young age and he wondered how he coped with the pain the first time. He took a sip of the hot chocolate and the simple taste was comforting to him. He was grateful for his uncle’s support but he didn’t want to burden him with his feelings. “I’m sorry that I made you return from work early.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Mahiru. You can lean on me and tell me if there’s anything you need. We’re family.” He reassured him and then stood. “I’ll get started on breakfast. You can come down to eat whenever you feel ready. Licht left earlier but you should try to talk to him when he returns. It might be easier to talk with someone your age.”

He thanked him again and then his uncle left the room. Mahiru placed the hot chocolate on the desk next to his bed and his eyes fell onto the photos lined together. He picked up two picture frames: one of Misono and the other of his mother. With a sigh, he fell back onto the mattress. He thought he could throw himself into his work to distract himself from his mourning. Yet, he couldn't summon the energy to do so.

His eyes fell onto his closet and he said, “You can come out, Kuro. I don’t think my uncle will come back so you don’t need to hide.”

Kuro stepped out of the closet. Since his uncle returned that morning, he couldn’t stay in the basement anymore. He moved his tent into Mahiru’s closet to stay while they decided what they should do next. He sat beside Mahiru on the bed. They stayed silent for the moment because neither knew how to start the conversation.

Honestly, Kuro was surprised that Mahiru continued to shelter and hide from the bad men searching for him. He no longer needed his help to search for his missing friend. Kuro thought of how hopeful Mahiru was to find his friend and he felt responsible for the disappointment he felt now. He wished he could do something to make him smile again.

“You told your uncle that you wanted to be alone. Do you want me to leave too?” A small weight pressed against Kuro’s back and he realized that the warmth belonged to Mahiru. While he was lost in thought, he had moved behind him to lean against his strong back. Mahiru closed his eyes and he hoped he could borrow his courage and strength.

“Can we stay like this for a while?” The request was spoken in a soft whisper and he wouldn’t have heard it if they weren’t so close. Mahiru’s hand was on his shoulder and Kuro hesitantly touched it. He had comforted him the previous night and he eased the pain in his heart. Kuro wasn’t the best with words and he thought of something he could do for Mahiru.

The bed shifted next to them but the change wasn’t caused by either of them moving. Mahiru lifted his face from his shirt to see what could’ve caused the mattress to shift. He was surprised and confused when he found that there was now a pile of comic books next to them. He leaned away from Kuro to examine their sudden appearance and a handheld game landed on his lap. Next, the large game console slid across the room to them.

“Are you bringing these into the room, Kuro?” He asked even though he already knew the answer. Kuro blushed and covered his face with his sleeve. His shy expression made Mahiru blush as well but he reached out to cup his face in one hand. He gently pushed aside Kuro’s hand so he could wipe the blood from his nose. “My uncle will question how the game system made its way up here.”

“When I started staying here, you gave warm food, video games and comic books. Those things made me happy. I thought they would make you smile if I gave them to you.” His explanation touched Mahiru’s heart and he smiled softly. He had introduced him to a lot of new things since he left the lab but the thing that he cherished the most was Mahiru’s kindness.

“Oh, Kuro, thank you.” Mahiru gave Kuro a chaste kiss on his cheek. He stood up and gathered the comic books into his arms. “We need to think of an excuse for why you’re here so my uncle will let you stay with us. Those bad men are still after you. I should call Tetsu and Lily to check on them since they must be mourning Misono as well.”

Kuro used his powers to lift the radio communicator and brought it to the bed. He switched it on and started to shift through the different channels. Mahiru assumed that he was calling their friends and sat next to him. He was about to tell him the channel to call Tetsu but then he saw Kuro’s nose begin to bleed. His nose would only bleed when he used his power but Mahiru couldn’t see anything moving.

“Are you okay, Kuro? Your nose is bleeding.” Mahiru grabbed a few napkins and held it out to Kuro. A loud screech left the radio and Mahiru instinctively covered his ears. The sound was different from normal static and he thought it sounded similar to an animal. The room fell silent and wondered what caused the noise.

A small voice came through the speaker. “Where is your ancient courage?”

“Misono?” Mahiru grabbed the radio from Kuro’s hands and called his name for a response. He was certain that he heard his friend’s voice and his hands started to tremble. He turned to Kuro for reassurance that he hadn’t misheard. Kuro reached towards him and caught the tear that had formed on his lashes. “Was that Misono? He’s still alive?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Mahiru.” He told him. He began to sway slightly and Mahiru wrapped his arms around him to keep him from falling off the bed. Kuro felt dizzy and he laid his head on Mahiru’s lap. “I saw him in the Upside Down. He’s still there, I think. I can use the radio to listen to people but it’s hard. My head hurts.”

“I can get you an aspirin that will help the pain.” He offered as he gently stroked Kuro’s hand. Mahiru didn’t want to stand when he was laying on his lap and he appeared in pain. As happy as he was to learn that his friend was alive, he didn’t want Kuro to push himself to find him. “Kuro, if using your power hurts you, please stop. You can rely on me instead.”

“He said: ‘This power is the only reason you’re here’.” Kuro echoed the warning that he heard countless times. Mahiru didn’t know who told him such a terrible thing but it caused anger and sadness to rise in him. It was clear that he had been through a lot and he wanted to protect Kuro.

Mahiru took Kuro’s hands in his and said: “Powers or not, I care about you, Kuro. I just want you to be happy so please don’t think things like that. I’ll always be here for you.”

Licht traced the steps Kranz would’ve taken to walk from the party to the bus. He hoped he could come across any evidence of someone taking his friend or something similar. The police were investigating his disappearance but Licht was too worried to simply wait for an answer. Mahiru’s friend also vanished in the same forest and they recently found his body in the quarry. He prayed that Kranz didn’t have the same fate. He didn’t have many friends since he moved a lot and stayed with different relatives. Licht cherished the few people he had.

The forest was dense and Licht didn’t know if he would be able to find anything among the undergrowth. He shook the doubt from his head and he reminded himself that he was an angel. His friend needed him and he refused to let any fear he had stop him. Licht focused on the ground but everything looked the same to him. How were detectives able to find clues so easily in television shows?

In the distance, he could see the house that held the party. Licht considered asking the teenagers if they knew anything more about what could’ve happened. He wasn’t the best with social situations but he needed to try. He walked closer to the house and spotted the grand piano through the glass wall. The sight caused him to remember speaking with Hyde that night.

He overheard the news that Misono had been found dead and Licht could only imagine how Hyde felt now. He had been so determined to find his brother but had been pointless. Licht thought of Hyde’s photos that he had picked up after the teenagers broke his camera. He kept them in his backpack with the intention to return them but he forgot about them until now.

Licht shrugged off his backpack to take the pictures out of his bag. Hyde had taken the photos the night of the party and he might’ve taken a picture of Kranz without knowing. The chances of that happening was low yet he needed to try. He skimmed his finger over the glossy image but it was difficult to make anything out of the dark shadows.

He came across the photo of himself playing the piano. Licht was positioned in the far corner of the frame so he doubted that Hyde had meant to capture the image of him. There was a dark smudge behind him and he wondered if it was caused by a printing error. He held up the photograph to compare it to the scene before him but Licht couldn’t see anything in the house that could’ve caused the shadow.

“… This almost looks like a person.” Licht said to himself. The dark shadow was too tall to be a person and he could barely make sense of its hunched position. He recalled the inhuman growl he heard from the piano that night and wondered if it was caused by the shadow behind him. “Hyde didn’t mention seeing this thing when we talked.”

The ground darkened beneath him and Licht’s instincts to run started to scream. He hesitantly turned around and a rock dropped into his stomach. He gripped the photo in his hand and turned away to run as fast as he could. Licht could be reckless and rash but he knew he had to run in that situation.

“Only family can go into the room but I’ll be waiting in the lobby if you need me. After you identify the body, I’ll get the autopsy report and tell you what happened. We examined the scene and we think that Misono fell into the water.” JeJe opened the door for Mikuni and Hyde. They were deathly silent and he understood why they were so solemn.

Hyde entered the police station first but Mikuni paused in the doorway. His hands tightened into fists and he looked up at JeJe. The vulnerability in his brown eyes made JeJe wish that he hadn’t made a promise he knew he couldn’t keep. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t find your brother, Mikuni.”

“Are you giving up?” His question confused him and he raised a brow at him. Mikuni bit his lip in frustration. While JeJe hadn’t said a word in response, it was clear that he didn’t believe that he had seen Misono in their home. He didn’t care if the world thought he was crazy as long as he could save his little brother. “Misono is still out there. I don’t know what you dragged up in the quarry but it wasn’t Misono.”

JeJe knew that saying anything further would only anger Mikuni so he only followed him into the morgue where the body was being kept. He could only imagine how he would react once he saw his brother’s body. He was clearly in denial about his brother’s death. No matter what, JeJe would do his best to support the Alicein family.

He imagined how he would feel if Lily went missing and sympathized with Mikuni’s situation. They hadn’t spoken much before the investigation even though they had been friends in high school. Their time together reminded him of how close they once were. He wasn’t able to find Misono for him but he would do everything he could to help him now.

“Let’s get this over with.” Mikuni strode into the lobby where Hyde was already filling out the forms the receptionist gave him. He went through the motions of writing his name without absorbing the situation. His face was blank and he could tell that it was caused by shock and grief more than anything. The receptionist explained the process of identifying the body to them.

“The body is being preserved in one of our fridges. You can’t enter the room or else it’ll containment the evidence. There is an observation room with a two-way mirror that will allow you to see the body. After we confirm that the body is Misono’s, we’ll have you sign the release form. You will be able to take the body tomorrow and hold a funeral when you’re ready.”

Hyde immediately hated the morgue and covered his nose as he followed the secretary into the hall. How could something be so sterile yet still smell of death? The thought of preparing a funeral for his little brother was terrible but he didn’t want to leave him in such a cold building. Mikuni’s steps were purposeful next to him and Hyde wondered what he was thinking.

The woman left after she showed them to the observation room so she could give them privacy. Hyde was hesitant to look up from the floor because he was afraid of what he would see. His brother’s hand dropped onto his shoulder and the small action helped him. He took a deep breath and he forced himself to look through the glass. A man stood next to a desk covered by a blanket.

The blanket was lifted and Hyde felt the world crumble around him. His brother was lying dead before him. Hyde had to cover his mouth to stop himself from throwing up. He stumbled away from the window to dash back to the lobby where he could throw up.

He heard Mikuni’s voice behind him, “That’s not my brother. He has a birthmark on the inside of his wrist. Can you show me if he has that birthmark?”

JeJe was waiting in the lobby for Mikuni and Hyde to return. He stood when Hyde burst through the door but he was barely able to talk to him. He looked after him and debated if he should go after Hyde or wait for Mikuni to come out as well. He couldn’t decide before Mikuni stormed out shortly afterwards. A doctor tried to reason with him.

“Sir, you can’t cause a scene.” The doctor said. “Please calm down. You need to fill out the forms so we can release your brother’s body to you and confirm that he is Misono.”

“That thing isn’t my brother. I don’t care how real it looks but it isn’t Misono!” Mikuni screamed over him. “I know my brother and you’ll never be able to trick me.”

“This went worse than I thought it would.” JeJe said to himself as he watched Mikuni storm out of the morgue. He wanted to go after him but he didn’t know what he would say to him if he did. Mikuni likely needed a moment to calm down. He went to speak with the secretary and hoped he could get some answers for their next talk.

“I feel sorry for that family.” She said. “They really loved Misono.”

“They’re a close family. I would like to give them some closure, even if they’re still in denial about Misono’s death. Can I speak with Hattori about the autopsy and ask him a few questions? Do you have the file?” He asked. JeJe had been the sheriff for years and most of the town knew him.

“Hattori didn’t do the autopsy.” She said and JeJe’s brows furrowed in confusion. “The state troopers who discovered Misono’s body were the one who did the autopsy. They claimed jurisdiction since the body was found in the quarry.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” He said and stared down the hall.

Hyde was in no mood to entertain visitors when he heard a knock on the door. He marched down the hallway with the intention of telling the person to leave. He threw open the door and his scream became caught in his throat when he saw that it was Licht. Between how pale he was and how he was trembling slightly, Hyde’s frustration became concern.

“What’s wrong, Lichtan?” He asked and let him into the home. Licht had a photo clutched in his hands and he questioned if it was related to why he appeared so shaken. Hyde thought it was better not to push him for an answer and brought him to the living room. He considered making a warm drink to help calm him but he was worried about leaving him alone when he looked so pale. He tried to lighten the mood by joking. “How did you know where I lived? Do I have a stalker?”

“Mahiru said his friend, Misono, lived near the party. There aren’t many houses in this area so I ran door to door until I found you.” Licht told him. His breathing was a little uneven so Hyde wondered how many doors he knocked on before he reached his house. He didn’t know why he would want to visit him though. Then, Licht turned to the hole in the wall. “What happened to your wall? Is it safe here?”

“Mikuni thought we needed a new window.” His words were tinted with sarcasm. Licht slowly lowered himself onto the couch and Hyde sat across from him. “The town likes to say that ‘Alice lived in a glass house of madness’. I always wondered which of us they were referring to. I’m starting to believe that they meant all of us. After this week, I would prefer to live in Wonderland.”

“I was worried that… that thing was the one who made the wall.” Licht unfolded the photograph and flattened the creases against his leg. “The night of the party, you took this picture. You said you wanted to throw these photos away because you didn’t find anything. I think you did without knowing. Look at this shadow. It’s a true demon. I was hoping that you would know more about it.”

“This looks like discolouration caused by overexposure when you develop a film roll. I was careful when developing these photos.” Hyde would’ve brushed the image aside but then Licht gripped his hand around the picture. He watched the way he chewed on his lower lip. Licht didn’t know if he would believe him and chose his words carefully.

“This morning, I was searching the woods near the party where Kranz disappeared. I saw this large mantis demon. I know this sounds crazy but I didn’t imagine it. The demon was the same height as the shadow in this photo.” Licht persistently stabbed the shadow in the picture with his finger. His blue eyes pleaded with Hyde to believe him. “It wasn’t just an animal. This beast was tall and lanky and its face…”

“It didn’t have a face?” Hyde echoed the words that Mikuni had told him. His brother had been so insistent that a monster without a face had attacked Misono. Even if his claim was outlandish, a part of him wanted to trust Mikuni and believe that their brother was still alive. He waited for Licht to say something else and describe another monster.

Then, he felt Licht’s hand trembling against his skin. He didn’t answer him but his reaction was enough to tell him that he was correct. Hyde examined the shadow again and he had to admit it looked like a tall monster. He stood and went to his backpack to get his folder of film negatives. He spread the rolls on the table before him until he found the photo.

“The negatives aren’t damaged or overexposed. That shadow that appeared in the photograph was actually there.” Hyde’s mind was racing and he couldn’t take his eyes off the monster. “Mikuni was right this entire time. He said he saw Misono being chased by this thing.”

Hyde explained to Licht everything his brother had told him about the monster in their walls. His words made him cling onto the hope that Kranz could be alive like Misono. The fear he felt when he first encountered the monster disappeared and the feeling was replaced by anger. “We have to find that thing! It could have Kranz and your brother. Let’s tell Mikuni that we have photo proof now.”

“I can do this on my own.” He thrust the photograph into his pocket. He marched to the closet and threw the doors open. Hyde knelt in front of the safe that was hidden behind a pile of shoeboxes. Licht walked behind him and his eyes widened when he saw the gun. As he loaded the gun, Hyde said: “I’ll deal with this thing and save my brother.”

“I’m coming with you! That thing has my friend.” Licht grabbed a bat he saw leaning against the wall. Hyde placed his hand on his arm and he assumed that he intended to stop him.

“You’re a pianist, right, Lichtan? Your hands could be hurt if you try to fight that monster with a baseball bat. Take the gun.” Hyde placed the weapon on the ground. “I have a powerful swing.”

“Let’s go find that monster. It should still be in the area that I found it earlier.”