the arrival....

(Rai perspective)

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The door opened, and I saw him. The kid they’d been talking about. Taro.

He stumbled in, his clothes disheveled, his eyes wide with shock and fury. He looked like he had just woken up from a nightmare, but I knew that expression all too well. We’d all been there. Hell, most of us still were.

The other kids in the lounge stared at him, curiosity mixed with a kind of nervous energy. He was the last one to arrive here—one of the final fifty, just like me and the others. But something about him was different. I could feel it.

"Okay, guys, no need to look at him like he’s a weirdo," I said, breaking the silence. I could see him trying to get his bearings, but he was still off, like he wasn’t fully present yet. I walked over to him, extending my hand. "Hello. Your name must be Taro, right? My name’s Rai."

He looked at me, but there was no recognition in his eyes, no sense of camaraderie. Just raw, unfiltered rage. Before I could even blink, he slapped my hand away, hard.

"I don’t have time for you," he spat, his voice low and dangerous. "Where is the man?"

I frowned, trying to keep my voice calm. "Do you need some rest?" I asked. I wasn’t sure if he even understood where he was yet.

"No," he snapped. His eyes burned with an intensity that sent a chill down my spine. "Where is the man?"

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "He’s at the main panel of this building," I said, still keeping my distance. "Also, sorry for not asking permission, but... one of the girls noticed you were thirsty, so she fed you some water while you were sleeping."

Taro didn’t even react to that. He just stared at the floor, his fists clenched at his sides. His whole body was tense, like a spring ready to snap.

"Just leave... me... alone," he muttered, his voice barely audible, but there was no mistaking the edge of pain in it.

I took a step back, raising my hands. "Alright. Whatever you need, man."

He didn’t acknowledge me. He just walked to the back of the lounge, away from everyone, like he wanted to disappear into the walls. The other kids went back to what they were doing, though I could still feel their eyes glancing over at Taro every now and then.

I started to walk away, giving him space, but then I remembered something. I turned back to him, my voice light but casual. "Oh, and one more thing... There are three parts to this entrance exam. A little birdie told me that the next part has something to do with critical thinking."

Taro didn’t even look at me. "I don’t care," he muttered.

I shrugged. "Fair enough."

But as I walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this kid—Taro—was different from the rest of us. There was something in his eyes, something darker. Like he wasn’t just here to survive this hell like the rest of us.

No. Taro had a different goal. Something personal. Something dangerous.

And I had a feeling it had something to do with that man he kept asking about.Taro had slinked to the back of the room, silent and withdrawn, like a wounded animal licking its wounds. He didn’t want anyone near him, that much was clear. But I knew better than to approach again—at least, for now.

I leaned against the wall, watching him from a distance. Naoki, the girl who had fed him water, wandered over to where I stood, her eyes tracking Taro with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"Is that kid okay?" she asked, her voice low but full of wonder. "He’s got the eyes of a psychopath..."

I glanced at her, smirking. "Don’t toy with him. He’s more of a weirdo than you, Naoki."

She rolled her eyes at me but didn’t lose the grin. "Well, maybe he needs healing," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder like she had some grand plan.

My smirk dropped. "Don’t tell me you’re thinking of going over there..." I warned, but the second I opened my mouth, she was already gone. Just like that—*poof*. Naoki had this way of disappearing and reappearing wherever she wanted, and this time, she decided to pop up right next to Taro.

I cursed under my breath, rubbing my temples. "Oh no... this will be bad..."

From where I stood, I could see her now—standing next to him, her arms crossed, a playful look on her face like she was about to tease him or something. Taro, on the other hand, was still. Too still. Like he was trying to pretend she wasn’t even there.

Naoki, being Naoki, didn’t care about awkward silences. She was relentless. She leaned forward, her voice just loud enough for me to catch.

"Hey, Taro, right?" she said, with that trademark cheerfulness of hers. "I’m Naoki. I gave you water earlier while you were out cold. You looked like you needed it."

No response.

Taro didn’t even twitch. He just kept staring at the floor, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. His eyes were dark, distant, like he was stuck somewhere else entirely.

Naoki, undeterred, plopped down on the couch next to him, crossing her legs. "So, I guess we’re stuck here together for the next few days. Fun, huh? Any chance you wanna talk about... well, anything?"

I wanted to yell at her to stop, but I didn’t move. She was already in deep, and now all I could do was watch this trainwreck unfold. Naoki had a habit of poking around in people’s business, and usually, it ended up okay. But Taro? He wasn’t like the rest of us. That much was obvious.

Taro’s fingers twitched, but he didn’t lift his head. He didn’t speak. The silence between them was thick, tense.

Naoki, still smiling, tried again. "You know, everyone’s been through a lot during this entrance exam. You’re not the only one who’s seen some crazy stuff. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m pretty good at listening."

Finally, Taro moved. His eyes shifted just slightly, flicking over to her, but the look on his face was... unsettling. His expression didn’t change—still stone-cold—but the way his eyes bore into Naoki’s, it was like he was reading her every intention, every word she’d said.

"I don’t need anyone," Taro finally muttered, his voice low and hollow. "Especially not you."

Naoki blinked, surprised but not offended. "Well, okay. But everyone needs someone at some point," she said, still trying to keep it light. "Just thought I’d offer."

Taro turned his head, locking eyes with her now, and for the first time, I saw it—something dark, something dangerous flickering behind his gaze. His voice was ice-cold when he spoke again.

"Leave me alone," he said, each word dripping with a quiet fury. "You don’t know anything about me. You couldn’t possibly understand."

Naoki hesitated, the playful smile slipping just a little. But before she could say anything else, Taro stood up, his movements sharp, almost violent. He stepped away from her, heading toward the farthest corner of the room, like he wanted to put as much distance between himself and everyone else as possible.

I let out a slow breath, shaking my head. Naoki looked over at me, her usual bravado slightly shaken.

"Rai, what’s *with* that guy?" she whispered, frowning.

I shrugged. "I told you not to mess with him. He’s... got some issues. You can see it in his eyes. Whatever he’s been through, it’s not like what we’ve faced."

Naoki didn’t respond. She just watched Taro, her expression serious for once.

But I could tell she wasn’t going to back down. Not yet. She had gotten a glimpse of something in him, something raw, and Naoki had never been the type to walk away from someone broken.

I just hoped that, for her sake, she wouldn’t push him too far.

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