Before Rhys’s arrival, Eun-woo used to have frequent nightmares. Calling them nightmares didn’t seem right. They were more like distant mories, distorted by ti, but so vivid they made him shiver.
It wasn’t the content that was shocking, but the possibility that it had all really happened.
In his nightmares, lipstick slid slowly over pink sheets, muffled echoes of won’s screams mingled with the crack of sothing breaking and the frozen stare of a man on the verge of collapse.
Then, a window.
Beyond the glass, a multitude of eyes watched him unblinkingly, arranged in impossible spirals, surrounded by white feathers that didn’t look like those of a bird, but rather like sothing ancient and malford. A long, wet tongue ran hungrily across the glass.
Then he saw his small, trembling hand trying to open the lock...
When the window opened, Eun-woo would wake up startled, with tachycardia and sweating.
He was glad to have Rhys’s company, it was like a repellent to bad thoughts and nightmares.
Rhys lay down next to Eun-woo on the floor, facing him. After a sigh, he closed his eyes, ready to rest.
They’d been together for a week, mostly in a silence that was warm and comforting. Their interactions were limited to exchanging short, whispered sentences and the gentle pronunciation of each other’s nas.
Eun-woo scanned every inch of his companion’s face. He had morized its structure, but he felt a strong urge to touch it. This was for the sole purpose of recognizing it by touch.
He reached out, his fingertips briefly brushing Rhys’s forehead. For a mont, he thought Rhys might flinch, but he didn’t; instead, his expression softened. He silently gave him permission to continue.
Eun-woo’s fingers slid cautiously over the fine, perfectly sculpted lines of Rhys’s face. His skin was smooth, warm despite resembling polished marble.
He traced the defined arch of his eyebrows, his long eyelashes, and his firm cheekbones. Every feature of his companion seed designed to attract and be worshipped. He was too perfect.
When he finally reached her lips, Eun-woo gasped, feeling a chill run down his spine.
Rhys’s lips were soft and pillowy, slightly chapped, but a beautiful red. Very similar to strawberries. He wondered if they tasted like strawberries too.
Then he caught a whiff of a fragrance that made him crave more, much more...
Eun-woo abruptly pulled his hand away, and Rhys opened his eyes as a result.
"What’s wrong?" Rhys asked.
"Your sll," Eun-woo replied as he sat down across from Rhys, "I don’t know how I didn’t notice before, but you have a distinct sll."
He didn’t know how to interpret his companion’s scent, nor did he have anything to compare it to; he was only certain that it was a strong, pleasant sll. Very different from that of the other Guides.
He liked Rhys’s scent, it was a calming essence.
Rhys imdiately covered his face with both hands and rolled onto the floor, his back to him. Eun-woo tilted his head and looked at him in confusion. Had he said sothing inappropriate?
A screech and the tal door opened.
Rhys stood up, intending to flee the cell, but Eun-woo grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Do you have a fever?" he asked worriedly.
"No..."
Rhys’s face was bathed in crimson tones.
Eun-woo didn’t insist.
He let go and looked away. If he’d said sothing wrong, he had to make up for it sohow.
"We’re not going to the showers today," Eun-woo said as he stood up and walked over to the wall. "I want to give you sothing."
With that, he pulled from its hiding place a small, round, flat tal disc about the size of a bottle cap. Its surface was cool to the touch and bore a barely visible, weathered relief.
He examined it for a second before putting it in his pants pocket.
"Follow ."
Rhys nodded, the blush gone from his face.
Like fish swimming against the current, they strayed from the usual path and avoided the showers. Instead of following the routine, they took the opposite hallway, a less-traveled part of the complex.
On either side were identical rooms, all with their doors wide open. They were empty and silent. They had probably belonged to Specins who had fallen ill and were later removed by the n in White.
Eun-woo led Rhys to a secluded tal door, tucked away at the end of one of the hallways. When he pushed, it opened with a loud creak, revealing a narrow staircase dimly lit by a fluorescent light flickering above.
The stairs spiraled up and down, but thick glass walls had been installed across the entire landing to block the way.
Rhys reached out and touched the glass. It was a smooth, cold surface that made the staircase a dead end.
Eun-woo ignored the glass and focused on the strange machine against the wall at the far end of the landing. It humd softly. Brightly colored plastic bottles and tal cans glead behind its dusty glass.
Eun-woo had studied its chanism. It worked if you inserted a round, flat object through a slit and pressed the appropriate button.
"A vending machine?" Rhys asked, surprised.
"Is that it’s na?"
"Yes. Although it’s strange that there’s one here..."
"Pick one," Eun-woo said as he pulled the object from his pocket. He’d never checked it before, but it seed like the right size to work.
"You do it. You saved that coin for a reason, didn’t you?"
Eun-woo looked at the object in his hand and ran his fingers over it. Coin. He didn’t even know that object was called that. He liked the na.
Rhys was right, that coin was hard to find and one of his few prized possessions, but he wasn’t averse to the idea of sharing it with him.
He shook his head and pointed at the machine.
"Co on, ti is running out."
Rhys smirked.
Eun-woo was very stubborn sotis... He liked it.
He quickly scanned the small catalog of drinks, so were exclusive brands for the upper class and others bore the seal of the Blackwood company.
He jumped for joy when he noticed a tal can, smaller than the others, with a brown design and an illustration showing a steaming cup.
Rhys pointed at the drink, his eyes sparkling with excitent.
"Hot chocolate," he said, "I’ve never had it."
Eun-woo smiled, inserted the coin, and pressed the button with the steaming mug. He hadn’t tried it either, which made him share Rhys’s excitent.
After two squeaks, the can of hot chocolate fell down a small platform. Eun-woo bent down and picked it up with the hem of his shirt. It was warm, but not as warm as the trays of food.
He offered it to Rhys carefully and they both exchanged happy smiles.
A buzzing sound and Eun-woo paled, the doors would close soon.
"Run!" he warned, taking the lead.
He didn’t want to be left out in the cold and have to face the Butchers, those beastly monsters who only wanted his blood. Besides, he was with Rhys, so how could he protect him?
They reached the hallway just as the doors began to close. Eun-woo reached out as if it would stop the cell door from closing. His vision blurred.
They were going to stay out.
Then Rhys quickened his pace and reached the threshold of the cell. With a swift movent, he used his body weight, bracing his arms and legs against the fra, to stop the heavy tal door from closing.
The space was narrow, barely a crack, but just enough. Eun-woo reached it at the last second and, ducking slightly, clumsily squeezed through the gap held open by Rhys’s body.
Once his partner was inside, Rhys stepped back and let the door thud shut behind them.
Both of them had sweaty skin, palpitations, and labored breathing. They lay on the floor, drained of energy, trying to catch their breath.
Rhys started laughing.
"That was... intense," he admitted without erasing his smile.
Eun-woo was touched by the Guide’s expression and smiled too. They were safe, and besides, they had a can of hot chocolate in their possession.
Rhys opened the can and handed it to Eun-woo, who shook his head.
"It’s yours."
Rhys insisted with a slight wave of his hand until Eun-woo finally accepted.
The aroma enveloped him first, thick, sweet, and emanating a nostalgic warmth. Slowly, he brought the can to his lips and took a small sip.
The world stopped for a second.
His palate was flooded with an unfamiliar flavor. It was creamy and sweet, not cloying, but comforting. He hadn’t known a drink could make him feel like this, as if soone had draped an invisible blanket over his shoulders.
It was delicious.
"I love it!" he exclaid. He took another sip before passing the can to Rhys.
Rhys imdiately let out a satisfied sound.
"Damn! This thing is out of this world!"
Sweet flavors were scarce abroad, even the upper class fought over them, tasting that drink was a complete luxury.
"If I could, I’d have a monopoly on chocolate," Rhys joked.
"I think..." Eun-woo murmured, staring at his companion. "Chocolate is a flavor ant to be shared."
He smiled.
Eun-woo didn’t notice, but for a mont, Rhys’s gaze rested on him with a mixture of fascination, wonder, and warmth. As if Eun-woo’s small smile, so innocent and fleeting, had been enough to captivate Rhys completely.
"You’re right." Rhys smiled back, and along with it, the can of chocolate.
It was good to have a cellmate.
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