The door unlocks and swings open. After a step, Stella’s group freezes in place, surprised to see Ken. They stare at each other for a couple of seconds before Stella breaks the awkward silence.

  “Mikaelis, you're alive!” She shouts as she walks toward him.

  Mikaelis? Oh, right, my fake name. Ken assumes they searched through his belongings and found his fake ID. But to be sure, he asks, “I am… but how do you know my name?”

  “Sorry! We dug through your stuff, and found your ID,” Stella answers apologetically, not even giving her group a chance to speak.

  Figures.

  Suddenly, a large ringing noise blares throughout the house. Melanie says something, but is drowned out by the noise. She quickly walks over to the alarm panel and enters a code on it to turn it off.

  “And that’s that,” Melanie sighs after turning off the alarm.

  Before she could continue, Bristol spoke, “Huh, so you thought you could find your stuff and escape before we got back?”

  “How did you-” Ken stops as he notices the mess he left around the house as he was searching. Too sloppy. “Hmph, pretty much. On the topic, where are they?”

  “That’s on a need-to-know basis, pal.” Bristol picks up a chair and places it in front of Ken, sitting on it and facing him. Preparing to interrogate him.

  Do I need to go through another one of these?

  “Stella, call the Orderlies and tell them we have a fugitive,” Bristol says.

  “Wha- why?! He-” Stella says in surprise before being cut off.

  “Doesn’t matter, he’s clearly involved in business we don’t want to know. Now go.” Bristol coldly answers. Stella angrily walks outside while Bristol returns his focus to Ken. Ken realises that Bristol wasn’t aiming to interrogate him, but instead act as a watchdog, stopping Him from leaving.

  Why bother?

  Taking a deep breath, Ken leans back and chooses to accept it, his mind constantly distracted by Senzo’s corpse, preventing him from thinking ahead. His mind flashes to a book cafe that Senzo took him to frequently.

  Five years ago.

  The young boy from that was saved by Senzo, no longer wore rags but casual clothes. They were more comfortable than anything he had felt in his life. That day, they were heading somewhere.

  Initially, he was overwhelmed by the pedestrians; their movement and casualness caught him off guard. He couldn’t relax and was afraid that someone would catch him. Sometimes he attempted to flee, but Senzo would always hold his hand, telling concerned citizens, “Sorry about that. My kid brother is just a little anxious.” As time went on, the boy would calm down and get used to people. Their first few outings were just getting him used to people.

  After numerous weeks of getting him used to crowds, they eventually reached the cafe. When they arrived, Senzo disappeared for a couple of minutes and returned to the boy with some books.

  “Today, you will be learning to read,” He cheekily grinned at him. From that morning, they would spend most of the upcoming days going through the books, sounding out each letter and word until the boy was able to read on his own.

  Halfway through the second day, he would be distracted by the snacks Senzo ordered. Noticing this, Senzo looks at him and says, “Hungry, I see. Should have just told me.” He then waved down a waiter and showed the boy the menu. He looked at it, unsure what was going on. The waiter and Senzo watched him patiently, but the boy was unsure what to do. Nervously, he tapped on a strange brown object and said, “Choc-late…muff-...in…”

  Suddenly, the waiter nodded their head and disappeared, returning with a chocolate muffin and placing it in front of the boy.

  “Good job! You did that all on your own!” Senzo cheers. Taken by surprise, the boy checks with Senzo if he could eat it. Senzo only smiles, and the boy goes ahead. It was sweet.

  “I honestly never thought you would learn this quickly,” Senzo surprisedly said on the fourth day. “Guess we can move on to full-blown conversations next, Kid!”

  As the days went on, the boy only improved in his speaking, able to hold increasingly lengthy conversations as time went on. A month later, while they walked toward the cafe, they spoke to one another.

  “You know, maybe I will ask out the waitress there. She is pretty cute,” Senzo thought aloud.

  “Leave the poor woman alone; she only speaks to you because of the tips you give her,” the boy sharply responded, not looking away from the book he was reading.

  “So mean. Maybe I will tell her that I am being bullied by you,” he complained.

  “Hmm, didn’t Byron scold you the other day for flirting too much?”

  “Nope, he is just angry cause I have the charm he doesn’t,” Senzo laughed as he combed his hair. “But returning to the topic, have you figured out a name yet? It’s getting awkward referring to you as Kid.”

  After a deep sigh, the boy responded, “Does it matter? I’ll just be dead in a couple of weeks, so why bother?”

  Senzo stopped and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, “Kid… never say that again. Look how far you made it in the last couple of months. The fact you still pushed through and learnt all that stuff so quickly…you got a real wonder engine on your shoulders.” Senzo breaks out a smile, ”On your own accord, you made it here, don’t disappoint your past selves who worked for you to be here. Honour yourself and live.”

  The two stood there quietly, the crowd brushing past them and going about their day. Bothered by the silence, Senzo speaks, “Let’s go, Kid. I don't want to miss Pamela at the Cafe.”

  “Ken…You can call me Ken.” The boy surprisingly answered.

  Senzo stops and thinks for a moment upon hearing the boy's choice. “Ken, huh?” Senzo repeated with a small grin. “Weirdly generic, but I love it.” Ken smiled and caught up to Senzo as they made their way to the Cafe.

  Ken’s focus returns to him and finds that Bristol is still watching closely while Melanie is staring at his bandages from the corner.

  Can’t lose here.

  Sitting up, Ken surveys the group. From what he can tell, Bristol is the only one committed to getting him arrested. Melanie is more concerned about his wounds, while Stella is presumably outside. It seems Bristol is the only issue.

  This guy only wants me because he doesn’t know what I’m up to. Let's see if we can’t fix that.

  Ken takes a more relaxed and open posture, staring directly into Bristol's eyes, “Alright, what do you want to know?”

  A confused and surprised expression appears across Bristol's face, evident that he wasn’t expecting this to happen. After a couple of seconds, he responds, “Who exactly are you?”

  Taking a deep breath, Ken thinks of what to say while Melanie watches. After a moment, he responds, “My name is Ken. The identification document you found earlier is a forgery.”

  “Oh?” He gives a knowing glance at Melanie before continuing, “And why would you need a forgery? For criminal activities?”

  “Not really. The real reason is because I wasn’t documented upon birth, so to conduct my activities without suspicion, I had a forgery made,” Ken responds, not faltering as he answers.

  Bristol takes a moment to digest his words before continuing, “Undocumented, huh. A little strange that you are being so honest, it makes me want to cry with this sudden change of heart.”

  Ken notices the sarcasm in his voice, Bristol taking his words with a bowl of salt.

  Melanie walks toward the two men, interested in the conversation, “Say you are telling the truth, it doesn’t explain the wounds or the sketchy stuff you had on you,” She asks, keeping her arms crossed and standing behind Bristol.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Ken looks over to her and back to Bristol. He continues, “These wounds were from the Ascenders. I’m sure you have heard of them.” Upon hearing their name, A worried look appears on Bristol and Melanie’s faces. “Huh, guess even you would know them. To keep things short, I’m working with Sora Yamamoto to put an end to them. I was following a lead…” he pauses as he recounts the events, the image of Senzo’s corpse flashes in his mind, “I…” he loses focus and his thoughts go awry, “I was following a lead, and-...” Senzo’s death still haunted him, unsure of how to push past it.

  Bristol watches him, confused, “Hey, be quick with it. We-”

  Melanie places her hand on his shoulder to stop him from continuing, noticing the change in Ken’s demeanor. She crouches to be at eye level with Ken, “Take a deep breath and continue.”

  Ken gives a slight nod before following her instructions. He takes a deep breath and, repeating it a couple of times, he continues, “Sorry about that, I guess the exhaustion is catching up to me. As I was saying, I intentionally walked into a trap to acquire information. But I didn’t expect them to have so many people after me. While I was escaping, I fell into a shiv that a child I had drop-kicked was holding, impaling myself without realising it.”

  “DROP-KICKED A CHILD?!” Both Melanie and Bristol shouted in surprise.

  “Yes, they were in my way, and I could tell they were a part of the Ascenders. After escaping, I accidentally ended up near your house. The wound left me with no other choice, and I decided to risk asking again for help.”

  Before Bristol can respond, the front door suddenly opens, and Stella walks in, her face showing that she is ready to start a fight. Looking toward them, she adamantly says, “I don’t care what you guys say, I’m helping him whether or not you want to! So if you’re going to cal-” She pauses as she notices the three of them staring at her. Her expression becomes confused as she asks “Did something happen?”

  Melanie steps away to quickly catch her up to speed on what happened, while Bristol keeps watch over him. Ken watches her face and notices her surprise as Melanie shares his story. But for some reason, it looks more as if she were amused. Not digging too deep into that, Ken decides it would be best for Melanie to explain to save himself the repetition. After a couple of moments, Melanie and Stella join Ken and Bristol.

  “See, I knew you weren't a bad guy!” Stella says proudly.

  Bristol puts his hand in front of Stella to interrupt her, saying, “Hold on there, Stel. What makes you so sure we are just going to believe you? This could just be another lie.”

  Ken's eyes remain focused on him, and he says, “Okay, then. What can I do to get you to believe me on this?”

  Bristol thinks for a moment, giving some thought to the question. Good, seems like they're nudging a bit. After a couple of seconds, Bristol asks, “Then tell us about that corkscrew driver you had on you earlier. The one you used for…” he puts up his hands and creates air quotes as he says, “Butcher work.”

  Ken can feel his pulse tighten as he swallows his saliva.

  “Come on, now,” Bristol says, Melanie and Stella listening to Ken's next words closely.

  Ken hesitates for a moment, but right now, he doesn't have much choice. They are already shaky; there’s too much risk if I make another slip. Bristol is already not buying my story. These guys will only side with me if I am brutally honest. Lying is unwise. He takes a deep breath and, with a serious face, says, “I used it to murder Markov Vordier.” Their eyes widen as the words leave Ken's mouth.

  “The hell?!” Bristol shouts in surprise and anger. “Tch, knew you were bad news.”

  “That was you?!” Melanie says as she takes a more cautious stance, while Stella watches with a curious look.

  “Yes, that was me. But it wasn't my choice,” Ken retorts.

  “The hell you mean it ‘wasn't your choice’, you always have a choice!” Bristol argues, becoming visibly more aggressive.

  Ken grins at the words Bristol said, finding it amusing, “Oh, wish I could think like that. Must be nice living in that nice little world of yours.”

  Bristol knocks over the chair as he stands up, ready to fight, “Oh, you want to go, asshole?!”

  Melanie steps between them and pulls Bristol away while soothing him. Meanwhile, Stella picks up the chair Bristol knocked over and sits on it. She gives a slight smirk and says, “Please, continue.”

  Ken looks at her, surprised and confused by Stella's sudden change in behavior. Was she always like this? Ken’s eyes narrow as he tries to read her. Her posture, her actions, her expression…it's not like the person he saw when he was chained in her room. Was it an act?

  Moving his mind from it, he speaks, “As I was saying, I was on orders to do so. My ex-boss needed someone expendable, so I was sent in. If I failed, I was going to be considered a sacrificial lamb, and since I succeeded, I became a liability.”

  A confused expression appears on Stella’s face, “A liability?”

  “Correct,” Ken says as he leans slightly back, “If you weren’t aware, Markov was the Ascenders' second-in-command, and my now-dead boss wanted to send them a message. Now that everything has gone sideways, I don’t really have anyone to turn to for help, hence why I’m here now.”

  Stella takes a moment to think before continuing, “But didn’t you say you were working for Sora Yamamoto? Why not ask him?”

  Ken is surprised by how perceptive she was, “Well, I couldn’t really reach them, and besides, they still don’t entirely trust me either.”

  Stella gives a slight chuckle before speaking, “Your story is so shaky. First, you aren’t documented and are implicated in a murder. Then you're in with the top brass of the Slayers, but you can't call them for help. And now you are being hunted and have no one to turn to,” She smiles slightly, “You see the humour and absurdity in your story, right?”

  Ken leans back and evaluates her words. Thinking about it, he never truly grasped how bad and absurd the past couple of days have been for him. If I were to explain it to anyone else, it would be natural for them not to believe me. Ken leans forward and speaks, “I don’t exactly have control over what happens to me. This may be absurd to you, but it has been an uphill battle for me. I just want to be able to lie in bed one day and have nothing to do…But unfortunately, we are dealt the cards we are dealt. I don’t intend to hurt anyone who doesn’t deserve it. I just want my vengeance and to rest peacefully,” He pauses upon hearing the words slip his mouth. I’m going off-topic again. He looks towards Stella, who is listening intently, seemingly amused.

  After a brief moment of silence, Stella places a finger on her chin in thought while Bristol and Melanie watch, curious about her judgment. Several minutes later, she sighs and rubs her temple with her hand, leaning back so that her head hangs over the chair. “Sigh…I really hate using my brain this much…But…I am a little curious, so how about this?” She leans forward with a mischievous smile, “I’m going to give you back most of your stuff on the condition that I am your keeper.”

  Bristol tries to interject, but Stella pre-emptively puts out a hand to stop him, surprisingly making him quiet down without effort.

  Ken feels a slight chill travel down his spine, unsure why he is uncomfortable with the proposition. “What’s your end goal here?” Ken asks her.

  She gives a slight chuckle and shrugs her shoulders, “To be honest with you, things have been uninteresting as of late. My songs have been uninspired for some time, and monotony is just a slow death. If your story is true, it may be the kickstart I need.”

  Ken replies, noticing her naivety, “This isn’t some game or movie! This sort of stuff has a way of getting worse.”

  She leans in closer, and her smile becomes slightly menacing, “That isn’t your decision to make.” A sudden image of Byron flashes across Ken’s mind as she says that, feeling powerless to respond.

  Ken looks toward Bristol and Melanie, frustration welling up inside. He asks, “Whatever. Are they going to join too?”

  Stella quickly looks at them, and her casual demeanor returns, “It’s up to them. There isn’t any obligation for them to join us.” Melanie and Bristol look as if they, too, are surprised by the twist of events. Their faces tell Ken that they are unsure whether they are with her or not.

  She grins and says, “Well, I guess it's just me and you for now.” After that, she stands up and does a light stretch. She quickly turns to Bristol and Melanie and says, “Okay, I’m going to get ready to head out with him. Make sure not to call the cops and be nice to him.”

  She walks toward the couch and opens the pillow next to him. In it were all of Ken’s belongings. Huh, who would have guessed it was this close? She takes Ken’s burner phone and corkscrew and throws them to Bristol and Melanie, Bristol being the one to catch them, “Alright, that is for insurance. I’m going to take a shower and get ready. Feel free to make yourself at home while you wait.”

  As she leaves toward the bathroom, the three watch her leave, Melanie sighing as she facepalms and Bristol saying to her, “Honestly, I worry for her sometimes.” He looks towards Ken and says, “Tch, I don’t know what has gotten into her, but make sure to take care of her while you’re out there.”

  Ken looks at him and confusedly responds, “I’m surprised you don't want to join to keep an eye on her.”

  Melanie walks into the kitchen and begins preparing coffee for herself while Bristol answers, “I wouldn’t trust you to catch a cold, but if we went with you for that reason, she would make sure we lost you two.” Having nothing else to say, Bristol takes a seat at the kitchen counter facing the lounge, giving Ken some breathing room but still keeping an eye on him.

  Accepting his situation, Ken quickly grabs his equipment and clothes. After putting on his clothes, he felt some control come back into his life

  Melanie takes a small paper bag and places it on the counter next to a large jug of apple juice, “Mika-, I mean, Ken. Before you head out, eat this. It's an unfinished steak with some vegetables. You need to make sure to replenish that blood you lost.”

  Fixing his collar, Ken looks at her, confused by the meal, “Thanks?” he says. While he was hungry, he didn’t expect them to give him his next meal.

  “Just take it. Melanie knows what she is talking about,” Bristol unexpectedly interjects.

  Ken carefully approaches and opens the bag, unsure what to make of the gesture. Opening the bag, he found a container carrying a rather expensive-looking steak with an assortment of cooked vegetables. As he eats the meal, he ignores the tension from Bristol by distracting himself. Unsure what to do next, he contemplates his next action. He thinks back to what happened at Senzo’s safehouse. Senzo…Trying not to focus on his mentor, he remembers the phone he took before running.

  Quickly digging through his pocket, he pulls out Senzo’s burner phone. Turning it on, it had about a quarter of the battery left. Hmmm, password-protected. If I remember, Senzo told me his password in case I needed his phone. Ken quickly enters the code Senzo told him about and unlocks it. Upon opening it, he immediately gets a pop-up with the following message: ‘Echo ended due to insufficient storage. Please clear the file manager to manage storage space.’ An echo? What were you up to, Senzo? Unable to hide his curiosity, Bristol peeks subtly.

  Accessing the saved echo’s, he finds one that spanned two days' worth of time.