The room was dark, with the only source of light being a dimly lit lamp. In the room, a trio of rugged men seated anxiously at a desk. Across from them, a slender man dressed in blacks and grays and a crow-like mask covering his face's upper half. "We'll ask one more time." One of the three men barked. "Can we trust you to carry out this mission?" The shaded man relaxing in his seat with his arms stretched behind his head chuckled. "For the last time, I'm sure I can help assist those already doomed by fate." The men exchanged looks and begrudgingly handed the paper to the masked man. "We'll see how you do within a month." One of the men said, sighing. Carelessly skimming the paper, the man couldn't help but think, how hard can this mission be? * The bell rang faintly to signal the start of lunch. The hallway, usually quiet with just whispers and the faint sound of IV drips, was now filled with the loud chatter of a variety of different conversations buzzing around the cafete

The car suddenly came to a jolting stop. "Huh?" Rick lifted his head lethargically. "This is as far as I'll go." The taxi driver said. "Alright," Rick muttered, rubbing his eyes. "How much?" "A hundred and twenty." "Christ..." Rick looked down at the girl, who, to his surprise, was still awake. "Give me a second." Rick began feeling his pockets for his wallet. "Eh...?" Rick kept feeling his pockets anxiously. "Don't tell me..." The driver mumbled. The girl suddenly tapped him. "Huh?" He glanced down. "Your wallet fell out when you gave me the Band-Aids." She informed him. There was a sigh of relief from both men. "Thanks a lot," Rick said, begrudgingly handing over a hundred and twenty. "By the way," the driver began. "There aren't any hotels within this town, but the people are pretty easygoing!" He laughed. "Hey!" Rick cried out. "W-wait...!" However, the driver sped off. "Son of a-" Rick once again noticed the girl accompanying him. I guess I'll have to work on

A few days later, there was a knock at the door. "Come in." Rick tilted his head towards the door. Nothing. "Hey, Sena, I said come in!" He spoke up louder. However, the door opened to Rick's surprise. It wasn't Sena; rather, it was another lady. This lady was tall with broad shoulders. Dressed in a white blouse, with a long blue skirt. She had long red hair tied in a messy bun resembling a ponytail. Rick stared for a solid second. His vision wasn't the best; in fact, he probably needed glasses soon, but this was not his landlady. "Um..." The lady looked around. "Don't mind me, I guess. I'm just here to get a few more of my things..." She mumbled as she walked over to the kitchen. Rick was floored. Was she in the right home? Was she an intruder? Would she pounce any second? Then it hit him. Before he and Maru moved in, Sena had mentioned a friend who had previously lived in their home. "Are you-" He began. "Did you," He rephrased. "Did you used to live here?" The lady loo

“Thank you again, Rick." Abbey smiled as she stepped foot into her home. "No need to thank me, just tell Sena I said hi." He smiled. "Goodnight." She said, shutting the door. * "Hey, kiddo, I'm home!" Rick called up as he was walking up the steps. Maru quickly rushed over to greet him at the door. "What took you so long?" She huffed. Rick laughed and then realized he hadn't gotten the groceries. "Uh," Rick began as he scratched his head. "I forgot." He chuckled. Maru looked at him, confused. "You forgot?" She questioned. Rick sighed. "It stopped raining; if you want to come, we can go now." Maru's eyes twinkled. She grabbed his arm, not realizing her own strength, as she pulled him down the steps. "Wait!" Rick cried. "You need a coat!" He exclaimed. * "Ready now?" Rick asked, fixing her coat. "Mm!" Maru smiled excitedly. "Can

About a week had passed since the incident; however, Maru had seemingly moved on from it.While Maru quickly moved on, Rick had his concerns.What if the man’s call for the retreat was a hoax of some sort? What if he reported back, arranged something else, or had bigger plans?He couldn’t be sure.*“Rick?” There was a knock at the door.“It’s open, Sena,” Rick answered.The door opened to reveal Sena with a man behind her. Rick's eyes widened as his heart began to race.It was the man who led the rest of the men during the attempted kidnapping.“What are you-” Rick stammered.“Is something wrong?” Sena asked, looking at him in confusion.“Sena-” Rick began.“Can I talk to you?”Sena looked at the man then back to Rick.“Yes, of course."Rick pulled her to the kitchen.“Wh