Chapter Text
The click of the door as it opened and closed reverberated throughout the barren lobby as Lyes cautiously stepped through the entrance. Everything was exactly as he remembered; the dull, grey atmosphere, the extended hallway with a solitary set of stairs leading upstairs, the plain white walls, and the glass double doors leading to the stairwells.
All seemed too familiar, yet somewhat strange.
The air felt cold, but not enough that Lyes could feel it. As he walked down the hallway, the only thing that was noticeably different from usual was the slight chill in the air. The hallways were completely devoid of sound, leaving a stillness that was almost unnerving. He moved in near-silence, his shoes barely making a sound on the polished wood floor.
Typically, Gabriel's presence would already have been felt in the small office, with the faint humming of his machines coming from behind the opaque glass windows, occasionally interrupted by a loud expletive or hushed chuckle, usually in response to some misfortunate mishap. Where could he be by now?
Lyes paused outside the office, listening carefully for any sign of life inside. It didn't take long for him to hear soft breathing from inside. Those sounds belonged upstairs, at the end of the hallway. He took another step forward, hesitating slightly before opening the door.
When Lyes opened the door, he was expecting to find Gabriel peacefully seated in his recliner, deep in thought as he worked on some issue or other. However, he was shocked to discover a completely different scene, a sight that made his heart skip a beat.
A forlorn figure knelt on the floor, their hands tied above their head and their mouth gagged. They wore a plain grey dress whose long sleeves covering their wrists. Their hair hung messily down their back, and a thin layer of dust was visible on their bare shoulders. Fear was evident in their wide-open eyes as they stared ahead at Lyes.
Lyes found himself unable to look away from the mysterious figure before him. It was obvious that they were unlike any other person he had ever encountered; a strange feeling of familiarity washed over him, despite their peculiar appearance, as if he had seen this person before, or perhaps as if something was missing from the scene.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” Lyes tried to reassure, walking closer towards them. “I just want my friend.”
They remained unmoving, though they watched Lyes warily, clearly unsure of how much danger there was in being here. After taking another step forwards, Lyes reached out his hand towards the stranger.
“Here.” Lyes said. “Take my hand. If you let go of my hand, I won’t touch you anymore.”
It only takes a split second for them to decide whether or not to trust Lyes. He noticed their body tensing slightly, but after a tense second or two, they tentatively reached out their hand, slowly allowing Lyes to grasp their fingers.
Lyes' hands felt frigid in comparison to the warmth of others; his skin was chilly to the touch, and when Lyes clasped their hands, an intense feeling of heat began to spread through his body. Despite this, Lyes still did not let go.
It did not take long for them to reach the first floor, and Lyes led the figure over to the couch, whom was situated against the right wall of the room. As soon as they took a seat, the mysterious figure abruptly turned and released one of Lyes' hands.
"You are hurt." Lyes pointed out to their back, where blood was staining the back of their dress. "What happened?"
No answer. Lyes came to the realization that they did not wish to discuss the matter any further, and he chose not to press the issue.
"Do you have a name?" Lyes asked instead.
“Relz.” They managed to croak out. Their voice sounded weak, as if their throat was dry and raspy from disuse. "My name is Relz.”
Relz. A beautiful name, but so simple. Yet fitting.
Relz looked up at Lyes. "Are you going to kill me?" They asked. It was hardly surprising that someone like them would say such a question. Lyes wondered if there really was anything to be scared of; after all, what harm could he possibly do to Relz?
“Kill you?” Lyes repeated, confused. “Why would you think I would want to do that?”
Relz shrugged slightly, staring intently at Lyes. "I know humans. They always have ulterior motives," Relz said, sounding as if this conversation was a normal thing. "Maybe you are planning to use me to get your way somehow."
"And use you how?" Lyes questioned, raising his eyebrows. "Use you for your information?"
Relz's expression hardened slightly and they glared directly into Lyes' eyes, their stare piercing him. Even Lyes could tell that Relz wasn't stupid. "If you're not trying to trick me, then what does that make me?"
"Not a human, no." Lyes replied truthfully, well aware that his response wasn’t entirely true. Relz scoffed. Lyes was reminded of a cat, annoyed by its unwanted pet. “But I don’t see why that should matter to you. You can live or die however you choose.”
“I’m supposed to live, and I intend to.” Relz retorted. “Whether you kill me later or not doesn’t change the fact that this is the best course of action.”
"So you will remain alive, even if it means sacrificing yourself." Lyes noted with surprise. “How thoughtful of you."
"Ironic…” Relz grumbled. “Considering the circumstances. What's your name anyway?"
"My name is Lyes." Lyes hesitated, unsure how much to divulge about himself. He knew that Relz was intelligent enough to understand most of it anyway. "It’s very nice to meet you."
The corners of Relz's lips twitched upwards for a moment, but they quickly returned to the same neutral expression they had displayed previously. They were silent, and they simply stared at Lyes, waiting for him to continue the conversation. Relz appeared bored.
Uncomfortable. Uncaring.
“Do you know anything about Gabriel Koehler?” Lyes blurted out. He regretted it immediately, knowing exactly who Relz was after hearing Gabriel’s name. Relz’s entire posture stiffened slightly, although they maintained their unwavering gaze. “He used to be friends with me. But now, we don’t see eye to eye at all.”
“Is that so?” Relz spoke in a nonchalant tone, still maintaining their neutral mask.
“Yes.” Lyes nodded solemnly. “Do you have any idea of where he is?"
"No. Not a clue." There was still no indication of emotion or anything else besides Relz's indifference. "I have no idea who this Gabriel Koehler is."
"You don't?" Lyes repeated surprised. "Don't you remember anything?"
"Should I?"
Lyes' brow creased in perplexity as Relz's words, while consistent, failed to make any sense to him. It was clear to Lyes that something wasn't quite adding up.
"Can I treat your wounds?" It was better to change the subject. "Or would you rather I leave you alone?
Relz said nothing in response, choosing to remain silent instead. After a moment of uncomfortable stillness between the two of them, Lyes rose from his seat and went over to a cabinet that was close by. He took out a few medical supplies and then pivoted to face Relz once again.
In spite of himself, Lyes was becoming more intrigued by Relz than concerned. He couldn't figure out why they acted the way they did. They appeared almost defiant at first. And yet, now that he'd gotten past their aloof exterior, he noticed they weren't acting.
“Sit tight.” Lyes instructed, approaching Relz. “Let me take a look at your back.”
Relz's back was smeared with a large scrape that ran all the way over the back of their skull. Lyes carefully applied a disinfectant-soaked towel into the area before wrapping a bandage over the damage, as the wound was still bleeding freely.
“Are you going to leave now?” Relz asked quietly. Lyes glanced over at them and frowned. They were looking straight forward, unblinking and impassive, yet their eyes reflected worry.
“I suppose that’ll be up to you.” Lyes remarked, getting up. “But it’s not over yet.”
Relz remained silent, not uttering a single word, and stayed seated on the couch. Lyes checked to make sure Relz was alright before leaving the room. However, Lyes' attempt to provide some sort of comfort to Relz seemed to backfire and only made matters worse. Lyes was well aware that eventually this situation would resolve itself in an unfavorable manner.