"Oh my god!" Miku cried, shocked. She had taken Rin shopping like she'd promised, and then after dinner, she'd taken Rin to have a bath. However, that was abruptly put on hold when Rin took off her shirt, and Miku noticed the huge gashes running across her back. "What happened?!"

Rin blushed, looking down. In honesty, she'd forgotten about her injuries, since so much had happened, and the pain had been there so long she was mostly used to it. Besides, she couldn't see them, so she had no idea of how bad it looked. "I-I got hurt," she mumbled, though she was sorely aware that was already obvious now.

Rin was standing in the old pair of shorts she'd been found by Mikuo in, without her shirt or the torn strips of cloth she'd used to bandage the wound. Miku, who was still fully dressed, stared at the wound for a while, pursing her lips. She didn't know what to do about this, so she handed Rin a towel quickly. "Here," she said, as Rin took it uncertainly. "Cover yourself with this, but not that wound, understand? Try not to touch it at all."

Rin nodded, holding the towel over her chest, as Miku went to find her father, who was sitting in the garden with Mikuo, playing a card game while they passed the time. "Daddy!"

Both Kaito and Mikuo looked up at her curiously. "What is it?" Kaito asked.

"Rin's hurt! It's really serious, I-I don't know what to do about it," Miku explained, still somewhat shocked about it. "I think you'd better come look at this."

Kaito and Mikuo glanced at each other, and they both got up, coming inside. Kaito followed Miku into the bathroom, when Rin was still sitting on the edge of the tub, biting her cheek and glaring at the ground to hide her embarrassment. Kaito hardly had to look at the wound before he looked up at Miku and said tersely, "Go get the doctor."

Miku nodded, hurrying off. Mikuo, who'd figured it be better to stay outside the bathroom, looked in now, concerned. "How bad is it—oh..." He paled when he saw the wound - three long gashes, all parallel and running diagonally across Rin's back. "Oh my God."

"Rin, how'd this happen?" Kaito asked softly, looking Rin in the eye when she glanced up.

Rin bit her cheek again. "I... We were the only ones left," she said quietly. "So we ran, but we were cornered at the edge of a lake. The Hunter was going to kill us both... so I pushed Len out of the way. I blacked out then, and when I woke up, I was sinking in the middle of the lake. I swam back to shore, but when I got there, Len wasn't. There was no body, no blood—I mean, besides my own."

"Oh... Oh my god. You took that to protect him?" Mikuo asked, amazed.

Rin shrugged. "We're twins, but he was the younger one, and he was always a little weaker than me, so I've always protected him from people that tried to hurt him. He did the same for me in his own way, since he's smarter than I am. We've always looked out for each other."

Kaito smiled. "That was a remarkable thing you did, Rin. You're quite brave."

Rin looked down, and for once, she looked sad. "I know, but... I feel like I must've done something wrong, if Len was still kidnapped anyway... What if it turns out he really is dead, and I'm the one who survived, even though I pushed him out of the way? I feel like that... wouldn't be fair. It makes me wonder if maybe I just saved myself."

"There was no way you could have known what they'd do, Rin," Mikuo said. "You were doing your best to protect him while you could. If you hadn't pushed him out of the way, he would have gotten really badly hurt, like you were, and he could've died right then."

Kaito nodded. "Mikuo's right. You mustn't over think your decisions. You pushed him out of the way to protect him, and regardless of how it turned out, it doesn't make your choice selfish."

Rin was silent for a while, staring at the floor. "...I guess if Len had been thrown, injured, into the lake like I was, he would have been much worse off. He never could swim."

Kaito smiled softly. "Besides, you need to be thinking about the future! You can't anything done when your head is stuck in the past. If you want to find Len, you'd need to first find the Hunters, right? So you got to train hard, and be positive."

Just then, the door swung open, and in walked Miku, followed by a woman in her mid-thirties, with mid-length brown hair, brown eyes, and a mature demeanor. She was the local doctor, whose name was Meiko Sakine. In her hands she carried a medical kit.

"All right, who am I looking at?" She asked, and Kaito showed her the small blonde girl hunched over her towel. "Oh my. Here, come lie down on your stomach. Tell me, how'd this injury come about?"

"I survived an attack from the Hunters!" Rin declared, and the way she said it now made her sound like she was proud of it.

"You're kidding?" Meiko looked at her uncertainly, then glanced up at Kaito as if for some type of confirmation, as she got out her medical supplies. "Really?"

Rin looked at the older woman with a look of absolute assurance. "Really! And next time, it'll be me who strikes!"

The brunette laughed good-naturedly. "You're certainly brave. Well, fiery one, I hope you can bear with me; I'm about to disinfect your wound."

Rin was as tough as they came—instead of crying, she bit Mikuo's hand, and when it was all over, her wound doctored up and bandaged properly, she just rubbed her shoulder and growled under her breath, as Miku handed her a cup of tea. The doctor had bid them farewell, telling them Rin would heal fine, though a scar would likely stay from her injury. Kaito and Mikuo had both gone off to bed in their own rooms, and Miku had let Rin into her own, where they now both sat on the edge of the bed.

"You should rest, now," Miku said, smiling softly. "That wound will take a while before it's fully healed, and you don't want to push it, alright?"

Rin grunted her understanding, lying down in Miku's bed, letting herself relax for a little while. She could work tomorrow, but for now, she pushed away her worries, and fell into a calm, deep sleep.

~oOo~

Meanwhile, deep within the walls of Gakupo's fortress of a home, Len sat, curled up at the corner of his bed, unable to sleep. What had he just... endured? His head throbbed; his body ached with the weight of something he couldn't quite put into words. Whatever that machine—and that monster—had done, it had definitely taken its toll on him. He felt weaker, and exhausted, and though it was over now, his whole body trembled. He couldn't tell whether it was the pitch-black monster within the machine, or if it was just his imagination after what he'd seen, but everything looked... darker. Like the shadowy beast had sucked the light right out of his eyes, and the life out of his body.

He couldn't stay here. He couldn't do that again, let alone regularly. He didn't understand what it was doing, or what Gakupo was trying to accomplish, but it didn't matter. He needed to escape, now more than ever. He didn't care where he went—anywhere would be better than here, with that thing.

Shuddering, Len looked around his room. When he'd returned, there were guards standing outside his door. All the furniture had been put back, the bed bolted down this time, the old, rusty chain replaced with a brand new one, and the springs taken out of his bed. Len didn't understand why Gakupo didn't fix this all up before he was thrown in here, if the man knew he'd try to escape. Was he toying with him? Was he really that confident Len wouldn't be able to escape? Was there even a point to trying, then?

No, Len thought stubbornly, shaking his head. He couldn't just give up. He couldn't afford it.

What time was it? There were no windows in his room. He hadn't seen the sun or sky since he'd been dragged into this mansion, and he got the strangest feeling, as if it had been nighttime for a very long time. And he didn't even know with Gakupo. As far as Len had seen, the man didn't even seem to sleep. Was he even human?

Suddenly, the door to Len's room swung open. Fearing it was Gakupo, Len backed up further into the corner of his bed, as if to hide, but it was not Gakupo who walked through the wooden door. Rather, it was a servant of some kind, a teenage girl with long chocolate brown hair. She was wearing the same sort of collar as Len was, though there was no chain attached to hers, and an outfit like a maid's. In her hands she held a tray, with a plate of food, a fork, knife and a glass.

The girl half-smiled at Len as she peered into his room. "You're the new one, aren't you?"

Len blinked, staring up at her in confusion. "W-what...?"

The servant-girl walked up to Len, setting down the tray of food beside him on the bed. "You're not the only prisoner Gakupo's taken. I'm Kokone, by the way," she said, smiling. Len didn't smile back.

"I'm Len," said he, looking down. "Why are you here?"

Kokone sighed, sitting down. "Gakupo swindled my parents. They didn't have a lot of money, and when they were really in a pinch he showed up, said he could help them out if they just paid them back in time. But he tricked them, and demanded more money than they could produce, and he took me instead. He said he'd return me once they paid off their debt, but every year, he just demands more money..."

Len swallowed hard, staring at the brunette with apprehension. "Then... How long have you been here?"

"...Five years. You look about twelve, right? I was your age when I was first brought here," Kokone said sadly.

Len shuddered, as if he was listening to his own fate. "But... I don't have parents. Everyone I know died right before Gakupo found me."

Kokone shrugged. "Everyone's got a different story here, and you've been treated differently from the others already, anyways. Usually, you'd be doing the same thing as I am now. What does he want you for?"

Len shrugged. "What about that woman I saw in the dungeon? She wasn't doing anything at all. Gakupo just spoke to her."

Kokone shook her head, sighing. "I don't know what she's here for. No one but Gakupo is allowed to speak to her. I know she's treated differently than the others, too, so you've got something in common with her."

Len bit his lip, hugging his knees tightly. "...That lady, she sounded like... She knew me somehow. But I know I've never met her."

"Again, I wouldn't know anything about her," she said, standing up. "You better eat up, okay? Whatever Gakupo's using you for, you don't look well. You better keep up your strength. I'll come back for the dishes later."

"...Thanks," Len said quietly, and the girl was gone, the door locked behind her. Why was she allowed to walk around? Was it because she didn't cause trouble and try to escape like Len had? Or did Gakupo just think she wasn't capable of escaping? Or was he really just toying with Len?

Scrutinizing the tray Kokone had left with him, Len held up the glass of water. This wasn't drugged, was it? Len sighed. As if it even mattered whether it was or not—he'd eat it regardless. He couldn't just starve. Nevertheless, he sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his torn-up hands, making sure everything was still functioning, wondering vaguely if he'd be able to tell. He certainly wasn't sleepy—in fact, he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to sleep for a while.

He sat quietly, contemplating his surroundings, what he had on hand, and what he knew, which wasn't much. He didn't even understand why he was here. Even if he managed to break this chain again, where could he go from here? There were no windows, and guards outside the door.

Sighing, Len took a sip of his water. Even as he tried to convince himself of how futile trying to escape was, he scoured his mind for solutions. Well, if the chains weren't rusted, he could always make them rusty, right? Water did that to certain metals, but that would take a long time, if it even worked. Maybe he could find another way...

He wasn't as hungry as he thought he'd be. He tried to eat, stabbing at his food with his knife, but the unease, the dread rolling around in his stomach made him feel near sick when he forced himself to swallow.

His hands stung with pain; his chest and head both felt heavy. He was exhausted, yet when he closed his eyes, he remembered what he saw within the darkness of that pitch-black monster, and he was wide awake again. The very shadows seem to taunt him.

He bit his lip, for the umpteenth time, and his lip tasted bloody. He said nothing when Kokone returned an hour later, still smiling that weak half-smile, and took the tray of half-eaten food away. He didn't know what to say to her, who seemed to be desperately holding onto what little hope she had left, despite having already been here for five years. Len didn't even know if he could last that long like this.

It was a long night. A night that felt like eternity, because here, it always seemed to be nighttime. No sunshine could be seen or felt past the cold walls that he was trapped within.

~oOo~

In the dark early morning within Gakupo's manor, two guards stood in the cold stone and wood hallways, barely alert. One, a nineteen-year-old with black hair, save for the cobalt blue streak running down the side of her bangs, yawned loudly in the chill quiet. Her mismatched eyes, of red and blue, were still foggy with sleep. "God, it's so early…" She groaned, stretching her arms high above her head. "What are we even doing here? This is boring…"

"Be quiet," The other guard said sharply, a man in his thirties with long pinkish-red hair, pulled into a low ponytail that twisted into a spiral at the end. He was wearing a pair of red-rimmed glasses, which he adjusted now. "Our job is to guard the new prisoner. You know that, Ruko."

Ruko sighed, but it might have just been another yawn. "But he's just a kid, right? What's he gonna do, Ted?" She glanced at the door, frowning. "What's the boss want with the kid, anyway?"

"It's none of our business," Ted replied, frowning slightly. "We just have to do our job."

Ruko grimaced, but just yawned and said nothing. After a few minutes, a maid walked down the hall, holding a tray of food. She looked up at the two guards, and smiled politely. "Good morning."

"Here for the prisoner, Kokone?" Ruko asked, pulling out the key from her pocket, and unlocking the door. Kokone nodded her thanks as she pushed open the door, then gasped in surprise when she was pulled in through the door roughly. The crash of the tray echoed through the mostly empty hall as a young boy grabbed the girl with one arm, holding a knife to her throat with the other hand.

A split second after it happened, both the guards were up and facing the boy, but before they could unsheathe their weapons, the boy yelled, "Don't move! If you do, I'll kill her! Move away from your weapons."

The guards froze, staring hard at the boy in shock. Slowly, they raised their hands from their swords, putting their hands up to show they wouldn't attack.

"What do you want?" Ted asked in a low voice, glaring at the blonde child.

Len stared back, trembling slightly despite his harsh words. "The key. Get rid of this stupid chain." He glanced at Ruko. "Leave your weapon there, and unlock it."

Ruko scowled. "Y-you bastard—"

"Do it!" Len yelled, pressing the blade against Kokone's throat. Just do it, he thought silently, desperately. He didn't want to hurt Kokone.

Growling, Ruko dropped her sheathed sword on the ground, then stepped forward, pulling a key from her pocket. His eyes boring into her cautiously, Len kept his grip on Kokone tight, biting his lip to hide his nervousness. Ruko unlocked the chain, and Len backed away from her quickly, edging his way out the door with the chocolate-haired maid in tow. Careful to keep facing both guards, he made his way down the hall, heart racing. Once he was through the door, into the main hall, he released Kokone.

"Sorry," Len said quietly, looking down.

"I-it's alright," Kokone said shakily, looking up, but he was already on the move, down the stairs of the main hall, though he knew the guards would see him. He didn't stop, running down to the hall where he knew there was a back door.

Once he reached the hall, at the end, where the guards stood, they saw him, and seemed to recognize him as a prisoner, and marched towards him to apprehend him. He ran straight forward, which seemed to confuse the guards a bit, but they didn't slow, until Len made a beeline for the open kitchen door and ran inside.

People were bustling around, cooking, cleaning, carrying food around. Stoves were on, pots of water were boiling, but Len didn't stop, running around one counter as the guards chased him through the hazardous obstacle course. Len ran under the arms of a cook working at a stove, and the guards behind him knocked the cook right over, along with his cooking. As the clatter and crashing sounds filled the room, along with the shouts of the guards, a few who had their hands free looked up to help catch Len, but he'd already circled around the counter and was back out the door.

Len ran straight for the now un-guarded door, unlocking it quickly and pushing it open. As he dashed outside, the rising sun blinded him for a moment, the cold air biting at his skin and lungs, but he kept running. The plan was to head out into the woods, then turn to find the road which would take him to town. There was a very distinctive line where the trees started, and he ran towards it.

As soon as he passed the first few trees, though, with a high-pitched crack, a shock of electricity burst from the collar around his neck, coursing through his body and down to his feet. With a scream of pain, Len fell to the ground, shuddering violently as a strange metallic taste filled his mouth. His limbs felt numb and shaky, and he backed up weakly, unable to stand.

"What's wrong?" Came the voice Len dreaded, as Gakupo walked up to him casually, gun strapped to his belt. He was wearing thick, black, rubber gloves. When Len looked up at him, the man grabbed by the neck, lifting him off the ground without any apparent effort. With a cruel grin, Gakupo told him, "I know how badly you want to leave. Why don't you go, then?"

Len said nothing, still shaking with the shock from his collar. His feet weren't even touching the ground, as Gakupo half held him, half choked him.

"Do you need a push, maybe? Here, go on," Gakupo said, holding Len out to the edge of the trees, laughing as the collar shocked him again, holding him so that the shock lasted longer. Len cried out in pain as the electricity tore through his body, unable to think.

Finally, Gakupo pulled him away, still holding him by the neck as he said, "That collar has magical runes engraved into the sides. It'll shock you if you leave my property, and the farther you go, the more it would hurt, until eventually it would kill you. It's designed to never come off. The whole place could be burned to the ground, and you still wouldn't be able to leave. Get it?" He laughed as if he'd made a joke.

Len choked on a sob building up in his throat, barely able to breathe with the hand clamped around his neck. Smirking, Gakupo pushed Len towards the border of his property again, laughing as Len screamed. When the purple-haired man finally stepped away from the border, Len was barely conscious, but he glared at Gakupo bitterly.

"Well, I think you're ready to come back inside, don't you?" Gakupo said nonchalantly, throwing the boy over his shoulder, and carrying him back to his room. When he reached the door to Len's cell, the guards outside looked rather frightened, but Gakupo dismissed their apologies, dropping Len onto the bed. He also dismissed Ruko when she moved to attach the chain to Len's collar again.

"Don't bother," He said, smirking at the boy. "I doubt he needs it now."

Ruko returned to her post outside the door, but before Gakupo could go, Len grabbed his wrist as tightly as he could, trembling from pain and fear, but he glared determinedly nonetheless.

"W-why am I here?" He asked shakily. "I deserve to know at least that much. What are you doing with that—that monster?"

Gakupo stared at him coldly, not seeming terribly bothered to respond, but eventually, that cruel grin was back, and he told Len:

"You're helping me create a weapon."