Chapter Text
Bailey Cain, or Kai as he prefers, is a high school student. He has a light skin color and platinum blonde hair, good-looking but cold face, wearing a rectangular thin black glasses due to all the studying. His academic performance is quite good, as well as his being trusted and liked by the teachers for two reasons:
1.Kai always helps the teachers out.
2. His father is the powerful researcher Zeno Cain. Kai also gets along well with other classmates, except for the one Collie Tyler, or at least Kai personally thinks.
Collie Tyler, close friends call him Ty, is one of Kai’s classmates. Tyler also performs well in school, which is only a bit less than Kai. But Tyler takes advantage of sports, which Kai’s athletic performance is only average. He has tanned skin and a black short wolfcut, and scars on his abdomen that he had a hard time hiding from classmates during PE class.
All the other students think they’re alike, but Kai doesn’t really like Tyler. Out of envy and a bit of competition, Kai sort of treats Tyler as a rival. As for Tyler, he doesn’t really care. He just wants to grow up from this poor situation and get a job and have a peaceful life.
Here, there are creatures that turn into human-like figures, rarely with animal ears or tails, or specialized senses different from humans(such as hearing or running).
Most of them would have a certain extent of feature when they were born, depending on the proportion and species of animal genes their parents have. In this world, the rights of human and non-human are the same, just like people with different races. Kai’s father told him that he’s a canis, Tyler grew up in an orphanage, and the director assume that he’s a canis.
Kai gets ill easily, when he does, he won't come to school. These days it has become worse, in the past semester, the frequency of Kai being sick is about twice a month. But now, it’s like a weekly routine, he’ll disappear one day every week, hopefully, his grades won't drop thanks to various assistance from classmates.
Although Kai doesn’t want to admit it, Tyler is one of the most helpful classmates, teaching him class works. Kai found it both useful and annoying that he understands everything Tyler explains easily, for their train of thought being similar.
“I also use that method as the solution.” Said Tyler when he saw Kai’s calculation on paper.
“Everyone knows it’s a faster formula.” Replied Kai, hiding the annoyance of them thinking the same.
“Well yes, but not everyone has the ability to understand and use it this way, see here? You made a mistake.” Said Tyler, pointing out a miscalculated number.
Kai’s ear reddened and changed the number quickly. “Only if I am not sick and go to school everyday, I will surely perform better than you!”
“Sure you will.” Tyler shrugged, with no hidden sarcasm.
–
This Saturday, Tyler has to go to Kai’s home, for it’s unfortunately Friday when Kai is absent. Kai wouldn’t want his work to be put over week, and they can’t do the work in school on weekends.
Following the address he got from the teacher, Tyler reaches a building that looks nothing similar to a place to live. It’s more like an office building, or laboratory. He got inside and asked the security guard, and reached the 6th floor where Cain lives.
Walking through the white and bright corridor, Tyler feels an uncomfortable deja vu from the deep of his memory. Putting aside the uneasiness, Tyler knocks on the door. A few moments later, the door opened with Kai’s tired face.
“Come on in.” He says. Tyler found that Kai’s voice remains the same.
The house looks more like a home compared to the outside, but still, it makes Tyler feel like he has no free will, everything is disciplined and regulated. Growing up in such a place, no wonder Kai acted and performed well in school.
Kai leads Tyler to his room, for there is no space outside like a living room. Tyler can see an open kitchen with two stoves, one refrigerator, a coffee machine, and a small dining table with only two chairs. Other rooms are all closed, identical white doors make Tyler wonder whether the Kains have ever mistaken the rooms.
The only door that is not plain white is Kai’s room, his door is painted with canary yellow, with a clumsy but earnest handwriting of “BAILEY’S ROOM” tag hanging on the door. Noticing Tyler’s attention to the nametag, Kai quickly pushs the door open.
“Get in.” He said.
—
Thankfully Friday’s classwork isn't hard, they finish the session in about 3 hours.
“That’s all, and remember there'll be a short quiz next week.” Tyler says, collecting his things and standing up.
“Thanks.” said Kai, sounding more tired than usual. He didn’t stand up but remains sitting, only eyes looking up at Tyler.
Tyler wonders if Kai is weaker, or is it just because he’s at home being more relaxed. He reaches out a hand for Kai to hold. Kai sighs softly and accepts it, takes Tyler’s hand and stands up.
They walked out Kai's room, meeting a man in white. His hair is grey due to the black and white hair, red-brown eyes giving a sense of wisdom and bold.
"Seems like you got friends here, Bailey." The man says elegantly, giving both boys a gentle smile. But shock flashed his eyes when he looked at Tyler again.
Kai wants to correct him that they are not friends, but the man seems to be very interested in Tyler.
"What's your name? Are you the same age as Bailey? Is your species canis? " The man walks toward Tyler, asking in a polite but eager way.
"Who are you?" Tyler steps back. He should not have met the man before, but something in his mind told him that this man is bad.
"Ah, sorry for my sudden disgrace. I am Bailey's father, Zeno. Nice to meet you." Zeno hold his hand out, fixing his eyes on Tyler.
Tyler quickly shooks the hand, and replied. "I'm Kai's classmate, and I suppose I am a canis, that's what the director of orphanage told me."
"Orphanage? Interesting." Zeno gave a meaningful smile.
"I know it'll be very inappropriate and rude, but can I draw your blood for inspection? I want to confirm something." He then asks.
"Of course not! What are you thinking dad? He's leaving, right Tyler?" Kai stands between Tyler and Zeno. First, the question is ridiculous and nonsense. Second, why does Zeno care about a classmate of his?
"Y-yes I'll be leaving." Tyler secretly thanked Kai for interrupting, he bows slightly to Zeno, the latter give him a nod.
"I'll lead you out." Kai says from behind, following up.
–
"Sorry about that, my father." Kai says when they entered the elevator.
"Mm." Tyler doesn't know how to respond, also deep in his thoughts, trying to dig some memory out from the very long past.
He remembers that there were bright lights, cold metals, and blood—the reason why he dislike the color red. He heard his own whimper from the hurt, scars on his waist that remain dark even now. But that's all he could remember, he was very small and didn't know any word then, after all. Tyler also have no idea how he ended up in the orphanage, only the vague vision of round glasses and kind smile the director had that day.
DING
The elevator stopped at 1st floor.
Tyler snaps back to reality and walk straight out of the elevator, but a grip on the wrist stopped him.