"I want to go to Ludina."

"No."

Ha Jinsung just kept eating – he didn't even look up in his response.

It was early in the morning. Dawn had already risen and the sunrise cast out rays of yellows and oranges that painted the sky in many colors. The mess hall, attached to the side of the compound, was quiet and still. Only a few people filled the room. Guards, yawning and stretching and lining up, and the Devoted who had been there before him moved about around the room.

They gave the Ranker and the Slayer Candidate a large berth.

"I'm going crazy. I haven't been able to sleep well in weeks. Last night I didn't sleep a wink."

"I don't see how that's my problem."

"I just need something to do. Something to see."

"Then read. We do have a library."

"I can't read any of those books!"

After the outburst, several different people, guards and Devoted alike, stole glances at the two of them. Then they looked away. Ha Jinsung seemed surprised at the shout, eyes widening. To be fair, Viole was surprised as well. But assurance crept in and the boy straightened his back. In the Tower, multiple languages resided on each Floor with only Pockets allowing people to communicate.

But that was only for the spoken word.

"You can learn the hard way like everyone else," Viole opened his mouth to respond but Ha Jinsung went on, "Or you can scan books and read them off your Pocket."

Viole blinked. "It can do that?"

"It can."

Viole pushed the surprise aside, "Well," he said, "I still would like to go to Ludina. I've been cooped up inside for weeks – first the cave and now this place. I just need to get away."

Ha Jinsung paused at that. Examined him with a searching gaze like the one he had last night. Finally, the man sighed. "Alright," he said.

And Baam beamed. "Thank you!" He exclaimed, suddenly lunging over to hug the man.

Immediately, the Ranker tensed in his arms – stiff and unwieldly. Viole let go and stepped back – suddenly uncomfortable. For his part, Ha Jinsung looked just as awkward. He crossed his arms and glanced to the side, "You'll need a disguise," he said after a moment, "and a guard detail."

Baam smiled. "Sure."

"And I have just the disguise for you."

He tilted his head.

…

It was only later that Viole looked at the "perfect" disguise stretched out on his bed. A dull gold dragoncat mask. Some sort of shinshueh that lived in the upper Floors, Viole at least had to admit that it was quality make with the webbed forehead and scaled cheeks. The second half of the disguise was a red robe with a matching hood to hide the hair and neck. Lastly, there was a blond wig, one with long tresses. Viole didn't really know why that was there.
Viole reached out a hand, brushing against the fabric, unable to think save that, I don't want to wear this.

Perhaps all his experiences of being snuck up on had accumulated, but Viole just felt the need to turn around. From the open doorway of his room Viole watched as two people came around the corner of the hallway. They stopped when they spotted him.

They were a boy and a girl – around his age and lacking the sheer presence that Rankers possessed. Guards most likely. The boy had short, cropped sandy blond hair and an impassive, bored face, not even really looking at him. He stood slouched, as if to cave in on himself and vanish from sight. Unnoticeable.

But the girl was eye catching enough for the both of them.

Her hair glowed. Straight down to her shoulders, ripples coursed through it. If she was a redhead Viole would say that it looked like fire, but instead it was a dark black. Like black flame. Flickering.

"Ah! You must be Viole. A pleasure to meet you." She smiled brightly and held out a hand.

After a beat he took it.

"I'm Taeyang Bok Dol."

Bok Dol. Spearbearers. Crest of a black sun over stilled waters.

How apt.

After that, Viole moved on to shake the man's hand. For a moment he just paused, taking in the palm with a lazy eye, but then he shook.

"Ruard," he yawned.

"So," Viole began once Ruard let go, "You're both on guard duty?"

"Yes," Taeyang replied. "We'll be taking you to the city. We have some errands as well so you'll have to come in with us. Was there anything in particular that you wanted to do?"

"Not really, I just wanted to get out, you know?"

She didn't. Or at least it didn't seem she did – Taeyang gave no nod of encouraging understanding, she gave no smile, she gave nothing at all but just stood there. Oddly, it was Ruard who nodded at that, humming a, "That makes sense. Anyone would get a bit stir crazy. Well," he amended, "Anyone normal."

Taeyang shot him a look then headed around the bend, flinging her hair over her shoulder.

It turned out that wasn't just a dismissive gesture, but rather Taeyang kept her hand on her hair and began to wrap it around her skull, once, twice.

"What are you doing?"

She paused at that, eying him, then she put on a skull cap, pressing the hair to her head.

"What does it look like?"

She then stepped into the room, right by him, and put on the blond wig.

"A disguise. The Gift is just too noticeable." Then she smirked, an expression that seemed familiar yet out of place on this newcomer's face. "Why? Did you want it?"

Baam felt heat rise through his face. "N…no. I'm good."

Ruard smirked as well and for a moment Baam thought he was going to join in on the teasing, but he gestured over Baam's shoulder – to the bed. "You best put on your disguise as well. Don't want anyone recognizing you."

And his sheepish smile faded. Viole walked past the two of them and into the room proper. "Very well, wait outside for a moment."

As the two went outside, Viole looked down at the mask and the robe. He reached over for the dragoncat mask, he felt along its edges, traced the grooves and gills, then lifted it off the sheets. He stared down at its eyes, into the tanned bronze, then flipped it over and snapped it in place.

He didn't waste time examining the robe, but rather slipped it on, letting the cloth fall into place. As for the hood, it consisted of layered cloth that Viole wrapped around his head. There were strings around his neck and buttons down the middle of the chest to latch everything into place. When he was done, Viole looked at his reflection in the mirror. A masked man greeted him back.

Once done, Viole left the room. Both Taeyang and Ruard were waiting for him and Taeyang nodded her head when he approached, that teasing smile back in place. "All ready, I see."

Viole held his hands up, making the long sleeves flap. "Doesn't this go against the point of a disguise?"

"You'd be surprised."

Viole nearly tilted his head in confusion, but just went along with the two of them as they headed down the hallway. Upon stepping out into the compound proper Viole saw dozens of people, the Devoted and guards alike, milling about – dawn had already come fully and day was on them. As they made their way to the front gate, Viole could only hope they made it to Ludina by midday.

The gate rose up with a quiet groan, the metal clanking as it ascended. Viole followed Taeyang and Ruard out, just two steps behind. Since he had come those couple days ago, he had seen the outside from the view from the walls, but it was different now. Down below, on the well-trodden road that snaked out of the compound, it was easy to just get lost in the crags and hills that surrounded them.

He began to feel it then, that creeping sense of wrongness. The fact that both Taeyang and Ruard were so quiet also didn't help. With each step, Viole felt more and more uneasy – a tension hung in the air as the boy eyed the two's backs in front of him.

When Viole rounded the bend and saw Jiggu Reinu-Eurasia there he was practically expecting it.

The weight came on him then, just like before, pressing down on his shoulders and back, but this time Viole did not fall flat on his stomach but took a knee, and felt his body be pressed in the dirt.

"Oh?" Jiggu said.

Then the pressure redoubled.

Once more, Viole wobbled and he might have fallen if he hadn't thrown out his hands to brace himself. His other leg began to twitch, then he dragged it – creating a furrow against the ground. He got his feet under him then pushed up, staggering then straightening out.

Jiggu Reinu-Eurasia looked surprised.

And if he was just surprised then Taeyang and Ruard by his side both looked gobsmacked, both wielding expressions that reminded him of Ho. Yes, Viole had seen such looks before – in another life, in another time. But then Jiggu just smothered his shock and nodded, "I heard of your shinsoo resistance, of course, but this is something else entirely."

"I thought you were on a mission. Why are you here? What are you doing?"

"I'm still on that mission. I'm just here to check out your new cage."

Viole scowled out that, though the Ranker couldn't see it through the mask.

"As for what I'm doing. You're apparently heading out to town, right? We need to make sure you don't how to get to Ludina from here."

Viole wanted to shout, 'I'm not going to run away. Don't you people get that?' but the words did not come out. Rather, he felt the weight, the pressure, surround him, encompass him, and, at last, overwhelm him. He tilted in place, slipping sidewise as the world dimmed and narrowed.

All was black.