"You have taken a great risk to come here, abandoned son of Khun."

"...what do you want?"

"To satisfy my curiosity. Also, did you not seek me out for help?"

"I did not ask for help."

"No, but you need it. I can offer you protection."

"In exchange for…?"

"That natural distrust of yours will get you nowhere. But you are perceptive. You are right, I will need you to do something of great importance. There is someone I need you to look out for me. In return, I will keep you safe from the dangerous prying eyes of your family."

He sighed, seeing no real option out of this. "Who is it that I have to babysit?"

The smile directed at him was soft and tender, the first time he had ever seen such a crack in the man's exterior. However, he knew that smile was not for him. "A child. The poor thing...so young, and yet he is to be used as a weapon for her vengeance."

"Who's vengeance?"

"It does not matter. Now, will you accept my offer? I can sense your family closing in."

He clutched the stolen suitcase tighter, the presence of strong, violent shinsu closing in. His options were...well, in all honesty, what option did he have? He accepted the offered hand without a moment's hesitation.

xXx

Twenty-five nights.

That's how long he has been wandering around looking for this boy. At this point, he was wondering if Enryu had sent him out on a wild-goose chase just to spite him. He had considered but rejected the notion. Enryu had no reason to be so spiteful. As far as he knew, this was the first time he had met the legendary Irregular.

Still, nothing would explain the reason behind his constant waiting and wandering, looking for this 'vessel of vengeance.' The landscape was barren with no life in sight. At this point, Khun was beginning to realize that he had taken greenery for granted.

"If I see one more large boulder, I swear," he muttered, trudging forward.

With a frustrated huff, Khun sat down and leaned against a large stone. Staring up at the fake moon, he pursed his lips. Would Enryu still hold up his end of the deal should he fail to find this charge of his, the son of Arlene? If that was the case, then he needed to come up with a backup plan to avoid his family.

The quiet night in the barren land encouraged his loud thoughts. He had never heard of the name Arlene, though after some consideration, he should not be too surprised. The king and Ten Great Families were very thorough in eliminating anything that hinted of a threat or a weakness to their powerful line. To display any weakness would be to encourage an attack and disrupt the lifestyle and power they so tenaciously held on to.

Still, he wondered what type of a person Arlene was. Despite the mystery shrouded with her name, and his brief meeting with the tight-lipped and cryptic Enryu, Khun had managed to gather that she was of some importance to the Ten Families. Vengeance was something Khun was familiar with. The Tower was ripe with them. If Arlene had a vendetta against the Ten Families, then Khun was just as eager to find this vessel she had left behind.

The rumbling of the ground pulled him from his thoughts. The foundation of the earth crumbled beneath his feet, and Khun scrambled up just as the floor caved. Gripping his bag, he leapt away, eyes wide as he attempted to assess the possible threat. When no further movements were made, and nothing from the gaping hole revealed itself, Khun cautiously moved forward towards the edge. Withdrawing a dagger from Manbarondenna, he listened for any threatening sounds. Careful to test the ground so that it did not crumble beneath his feet, he glanced down. "Hey, are you alright down there?"

Something in the darkness moved. A pair of golden eyes looked up at him in awe. Khun remained still, staring down at the small movement. When no harm came to him, he pocketed the dagger but withdrew a small glow stick from Manbarondenna. The beam fell on the form of a small boy clinging to a precarious tower of rocks. A choked sound escaped from the small mouth, and Khun realized that the boy was crying.

Concern filled Khun and prompted him to make a decision. Khun slipped Manbarondenna over his head, the crossbody strap fitting snuggly. Carefully testing the area near the hole, he descended down into the cave. "Hang on a minute, I'm coming down."

Either the small boy did not hear or understand him. Either way, the boy frantically scrambled up to get to him with desperate cries. Worried that the boy would hurt them both with his frantic movements, Khun quickly descended downward. His feet met with an unsteady foundation, but he quickly regained his balance. "Hold on," he chided to the boy. "I'm coming."

His eyes took time adjusting to the darkness. He was careful where he placed his feet as he climbed down. Manbarondenna bumped against his hip when he momentarily lost his hold and a stone crumbled. He could hear the excited chirps of the boy down below, and Khun gritted his teeth. It was obvious that the boy was more adept at this than he was.

When his feet touched solid ground, he barely had a chance to gather his bearings when something slammed into the back of his knees. Khun stumbled forward and looked down to see the boy clinging to his legs.

"Hey," he grumbled, irritated. "Let me go."

The sound of sniffling reached his ears, and he paused. The boy, desperately clinging to his legs as if he were a lifeline, was crying once more.

Khun furrowed his brows. This was the vessel of vengeance? This dirty, malnourished boy was meant to be a tool for some act of revenge? An unfamiliar feeling, one he could not yet identify, set root in his heart. The thought of so much responsibility placed on an unsuspecting child bothered him. He doubted the boy even knew of the plans Enryu had spoken about.

Khun shifted his body, but the boy merely clung on tighter. With a sigh, he swiftly pulled away, despite the boy's cries. Khun quickly turned and kneeled down to embrace him. "It's alright. I'm here now." He placed a hand on the crusty head of hair, hoping to soothe him. The boy clung to him all the more tighter, as if physical touch was all he needed.

Enryu was not clear in his instructions. He had merely told Khun to find the boy, nothing more. Well, he had found him, but Khun was unsure what to do now.

His train of thought gave him pause. Since when did he need to wait for the orders of others? He was always one to set his own rules, never abiding to the laws of others. It was the very reason he had left his family in the hopes of climbing the Tower; to forge his own path and take over his family. This task set by Enryu was merely another addition to his plans. If anything, his situation with the boy was made easier because of the lack of instructions.

He weighed the options of taking the boy with him outside, but he quickly dismissed it. So far, Khun had yet to hear a single word from the boy. Questions swarmed through Khun's head. Could he read? What about language or basic self-defense training? Khun didn't get his hopes up. It seemed as if this child was ill-prepared for the outside world.

Well, Khun would just have to fix that.

He was glad he had come prepared. However, now he felt like a babysitter rather than a watchful caretaker. The boy would not leave his side, gazing up at him with wide golden eyes beneath the dirty bangs covering his face. The grime covering his face was smudged from where the tears had fallen. He was only clothed with a dirty cloth, and even that was doing a poor job at covering his body.

That, Khun decided, would have to be remedied.

He had remained still, sitting on the ground with the child in his arms. The boy had ceased crying, occasionally sniffling every once in a while. His hands still clung to Khun's shirt, as if he was afraid that Khun would leave him.

Khun smiled, his hand resting on the boy's shoulders to gently pull him away. "It's alright," he said. "I'm not going anywhere."

The boy blinked up at him, yet his death grip on Khun did not abate.

"Here," Khun said, gently holding the boy's hand. "Does this make you feel better?" He rubbed his hand. "I'm not going anywhere."

The boy looked at their clasped hands and held them up so he could examine them with wide eyes. It was as if he had never been touched before.

Khun smiled in what he hoped conveyed his reassurance. "See? It's going to be alright."

The boy seemed happy to have another living being down in this cave with him. Once Khun was able to convince the boy that he was here to stay, he was able to withdraw a rag and bottled water from Manbarondenna. Khun wet the cloth for the boy to see. His movements were slow and steady so that he would not alarm him. However, he did not need to worry. The boy was watching him with intense interest without a trace of fear in his eyes.

It was a bit unnerving. Khun had only ever seen an open expression of vulnerability in the victims of his family. Such an array of innocence was quickly abused. It was a trait the Tower did not foster.

Khun first demonstrated what he was going to do, rubbing the rag on his face. He did his best to smile and show that the rag was not harmful. He held the rag out between them. "Your turn," he said. He did not know if the boy could understand him. Still, the boy did not move, but rather watched him with wide eyed innocence.

"I'm going to wash your face," Khun started. He gently pressed the cloth to the boy's forehead. "You're dirty."

The boy blinked several moments but merely smiled. He stayed still as Khun gently scrubbed. Soon, the cloth was brown, and the boy's skin a healthy pink.

Khun hummed thoughtfully, wondering how else he was going to clean the boy. Was there perhaps an underground water system? There had to be. Otherwise, how had the boy survived without water?

"Do you have a name?"

The boy blinked, as if he did not understand.

Khun sighed. "Fine. Then how about this? Because it took me twenty-five nights to find you, we will call you 25 Bam." He meant it as a joke, but the way the boy's expression lit up, he knew he could not take it back.

Perhaps the boy could understand him after all.

Khun pointed to himself. "I'm Khun Aguero Agnis." He paused, wondering if that would only confuse the boy. "I'm Khun." He pointed back at the boy. "You're Bam."

The boy nodded with a bright smile. "...am…"

Khun's lips stretched into a small smile. Alright then, this was going to be interesting.

xXx

He stayed in the caves longer than he needed to. When the sun rose above the hole, he remained there with Bam clinging to his side. He told himself he was only staying because it was a waste of time to move around. He had already scouted out the barren landscape, avoiding the monsters roaming the land. There was nothing for him out there.

However, he had to admit that the main reason he stayed was because he made the stupidest decision to look down at Bam. When climbing up the makeshift tower Bam had built, Khun had made the unfortunate mistake of looking down. He saw Bam at the base of the tower, watching him with such forlorn eyes but obediently waiting for his return.

Khun had remained in place for a good few seconds before sighing and forcing himself to continue climbing, to leave, even as he felt the weight of Bam's mournful gaze pull his heart back down.

Well, if he was going to stay, thank whatever God was out there that he had come prepared. Manbarondenna could duplicate, so he was not worried about running out of bottled water, food, or clothes. He had an assortment of weapons hidden away; the ones he stole from his father, and his own personal weapons of choice.

He was attempting to set some boundaries between himself and Bam. First of all, the cuddling had to stop. But no matter how much he attempted to firmly remind Bam that he liked his space, the boy still clung to him. In fact, Khun had experienced more physical affection from Bam in one day than he had ever experienced in the 17 years he had lived with his family.

There were times in the night when Khun would wake up to the feeling of someone slipping beneath the blankets with him. One particular night, in a heavy sleep, Khun had felt someone draw close to him.

He had reacted as if he were being attacked. His dagger was in hand, slashing at the air as he sat up, his glare thunderous, yet his heart beat with fear. Unbidden, memories of horrible sleepless nights in the manor flashed through his mind, and he tensed, waiting for the next attack.

But no attack came, save for the hurried scuffling of feet and a small whimper.

He blinked, remembering where he was and who he was with. He looked down at the dagger in his hand, the small droplet of blood dripping from the tip.

Guilt filled him once he realized what he had done.

The dagger fell to the floor.

"Bam!" He scrambled up, eyes searching the darkness. "Bam, please, I'm sorry." Excuses died on his tongue. What good would they do? He was not going to explain himself. He only needed to know that Bam was alright.

Something tugged on his foot, and he stopped. Looking down, he saw Bam, on his knees, reaching out for him. His body trembled, as if he would crumble at any moment. In that moment, Khun realized that even though he had been hurt, Bam could not bring himself to leave. To be alone.

Khun fell to his knees. "Bam, let me see your face. Are you hurt?" He was too quick to reach out because Bam flinched, and Khun's heart dropped.

"Bam," he said softly, resisting the urge to reach out and touch him again.

Bam finally looked up, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. A swift, red slash across his cheek dripped with blood where Khun had cut him.

Khun was slow with his movements, his hand reaching out to gently touch Bam's shoulders. When Bam did not pull away, Khun moved closer until he was holding him. He stroked Bam's hair, regret filling him.

"I'm sorry."

He learned to hold Bam close at night. Though he was not used to the cuddling, he figured that he had to adapt. Bam's hesitance only lasted for a brief moment before he eagerly cuddled up next to Khun. Over the days, as Bam's injured cheek began to heal, Khun found himself relaxing upon the close contact.

xXx

Eventually, he managed to convince Bam to leave his side for a bit when he taught him a game of tag. Originally, he had thought about playing hide-and-seek, but the cave was too dark and Khun did not want to risk it. Even with the glowsticks he had brought with him, the cave would cast suspicious shadows.

Bam did not seem to understand at first that when it was his turn to be 'it' he was not supposed to tackle Khun head on. Khun learned that the hard way when he began running and Bam had leapt on him with a joyous cry, barreling into him. Khun had fallen forward with a startled shout, his face crashing into the dirt. Bam sat on top of him, giggling.

Khun grunted. "Bam...get off." A sound that Khun had yet to hear emerged from Bam, and Khun's eyes widened. Was Bam laughing?

Khun flailed. "I said get off! Jeez, how are we supposed to play if you won't let me be it?" He stopped struggling with a huff.

Bam's laughter subsided and the weight on Khun's back shifted as Bam leaned forward. Something soft touched Khun's ear and he could not help but flinch. He felt Bam's hand retract.

"Sorry." It was one of the few words Khun was able to teach him.

Khun sighed. "It's alright. You like my earrings?" He craned his neck in an attempt to see Bam, but he was hindered in his movements.

"Pretty."

He tried to shrug. "I guess they are." With determination, Khun pushed himself up on his hands and knees. He moved his arms to hold Bam's legs firmly in place. Bam let out a startled squeak, his arms wrapping around Khun's neck as Khun stood up with Bam on his back.

"We're playing a different game," Khun huffed as he piggybacked Bam. A distant memory, one he thought buried, flickered through his mind. A memory of an older brother, one who preferred video games to socializing, carrying a smaller boy on his back.

"Here we go, my cute little brother."

Khun's lips quirked upward. But the memory was long gone now; a name and face hazy with the mark of time.

His gaze flickered over to the small pool of water, waist-deep, and he smirked before running. Bam squealed, Khun's true motives still unknown to him.

Khun leapt forward, crashing into the water. Bam's shrieks of delight echoed in the cave, and it occurred to Khun that they might be too loud for unwanted ears. But for the moment, as Bam splashed him, Khun could care less. Besides, he had a dagger strapped to his thigh should he need it to protect himself and Bam.

Finally crawling from the pool of water, Khun took notice of Bam's shaggy appearance once more. Despite the clothes Khun had given him, he had yet to do anything about Bam's hair. He dare not think what a nightmare it would be to brush through those tangled knots. It looked like all manner of dirt had taken up residence in his hair.

Bam squeezed the water out of his long hair. The dark locks nearly covered his face in a hazelnut colored curtain. But the smile visible through the mop was as bright as ever.

Khun gently touched Bam's searching hands, alerting the boy where he was. He carefully moved the hair out of Bam's face. Bam blinked as water dripped in his eyes.

Khun gently smiled. "I want to cut your hair so that you can see." He guided Bam's hand to his own hair. "See? I want to cut it short like mine."

Bam frowned for a bit as he tried to decipher what Khun was saying before his expression brightened up again. "My hair...like Khun's."

Khun nodded. "Yes, I'll take care of it." He pointed at the floor. "Sit down." Bam was quick to obey, sitting down with his hands folded on his lap. The heat generator that Khun had withdrawn from Manbarondenna was a sure way of drying their clothes.

Khun's scissors cut through Bam's hair, the long brown locks falling to the ground. When a particular knot of hair was released from Bam's head, he heard Bam exhale.

Khun paused. "Did that feel good?"

Bam nodded, his hands reaching up to touch his quickly shortening hair. The weight he was shedding from his head had to feel good, and Khun could only imagine the back and neck pain Bam had been carrying all these years. With the proper treatment, Khun had no doubt that Bam's long hair would have been suitable for style and care, but not with several years of neglect. No, the only option was to cut it all off. A tragedy, really, because it would take a while to grow it all back.

Khun paused in his work. Bam's hair was now above his shoulders. "Oops." A word he thought he would never utter slipped through his lips. The haircut was uneven. As he stared at it, he frowned in disapproval.

Bam beamed. "Thank you!" He touched his uneven haircut.

But Khun was a perfectionist, and he had Bam sit back down. "Here, I'll fix it." The scissors went to work again. "It's shorter than you wanted." His tone was apologetic. But Bam was still smiling, touching the base of his neck and running his hands through his short hair. He gripped Khun's hands.

"I...like it. Thank you."

And not for the first time, Khun was smiling back.

xXx

"A is for…"

"Apple," Bam responded.

"B is for…"

"B-ball. Bam!"

Khun chuckled. "Sure thing." He flipped the page of the textbook. "And C?"

"Chocolate!"

Khun paused and glanced at Bam with a raised eyebrow. "Well...yes. But is this your way of telling me you want a chocolate bar?"

Bam smiled, looking a tad, just a tad, embarrassed. "Yes please."

Khun sighed and closed the textbook. "Alright." Normally, he would have Bam eat a proper meal before dessert, but Bam had been doing so well in his studies he figured an early reward wouldn't hurt. They were merely going over the basics of the common language, which Bam would need since he did not have a Pocket.

As he looked through his bag, Khun frowned. He was considering what they should have for dinner. In fact, all he had to choose from were four different options. Manbarondenna could duplicate anything and therefore they never ran out of food, but the bag could not make new things. As a result, Bam was only exposed to four different meals.

"I'm sorry Bam," Khun found himself saying. "But we are always eating the same thing."

"That's okay," Bam said as he opened the wrapper of his chocolate bar. "I like eating the sandwiches and soups."

"Yes, but," Khun sighed. "In the Tower, you would be exposed to so much more." Some good things, and bad. Now that he thought about it, there were things he wanted Bam to experience. Music and festivals, different foods and the comfort of a warm bed.

"Khun," Bam asked, fiddling with the wrapper of his candybar. "I've been wanting to ask you…" his voice trailed off with hesitancy.

Khun glanced up when Bam failed to continue. "Yes?"

Bam would not meet his gaze. "When are we...when are we going to leave?" He finally looked up.

Khun blinked. "Leave?" He glanced upward at the ceiling of the cave.

He supposed Bam would ask him this. Khun was prepared for the number of questions Bam might have asked. As a result, he had answers prepared. However, he was also aware of the warnings Enryu had put in place, and Khun was fully aware of the consequences he would face should he go against a powerful Irregular.

Khun settled down, crossing his legs, and gave Bam his full attention. "I don't know," he answered. "But I would like to. I would like to leave with you and show you the outside world. But I am not allowed to."

Bam blinked. "Why?"

Why indeed. Khun did not know why Enryu did not want Bam exposed to the outside of the Tower just yet. He was supposed to wait until the Tower called him. But Khun feared that they would be chosen at different times. Would they ever see each other after that?

"I was told to," he answered.

"Who told you?"

Khun's heart squeezed. "I can't tell you that. Not yet." For the first time, Khun broke his gaze with someone. "Not until you are chosen to go up the Tower." Even then, Khun was unsure if they would still be together.

Bam reached over and squeezed his hand. "It's okay. I trust you."

Khun pulled his hand away with a violent shake. "You shouldn't." He gave a harsh laugh. "You trust so easily, but it's one of the reasons why I like you so much." He stared at Bam with a dark gaze. "You should not trust me so easily. You do not know me. For that matter, you shouldn't trust anyone so easily until you are absolutely sure of their intentions."

Bam's eyes were wide. "But-"

"Bam, I am the only one you know, but that is not a good enough reason to trust me." He resisted the urge to lean forward, to embrace the boy and wipe away the uncertainty. "The world we live in, the Tower, it is not kind, and trust is a beacon for betrayal."

Bam trembled. "Is it so wrong to trust you? You're all I know. You came for me."

Khun felt like he had been stabbed. How could he do this? How could he lead him on and make this boy so dependent on him? "Bam, I was...I was sent for you." He hated saying it, hated it so much. It implied that he was not truly there for Bam.

"But you stayed."

Khun paused, his eyes wide. Bam met his stare.

"Why did you stay?"

You

But he could not say it. Not yet. So he looked away, giving in to weakness because it was better to hide from the truth than face it.

The only sound in the air was the occasional 'drip' from the water. Even Khun's thoughts were mercifully silent even as his heart raged loudly against his ribcage.

Warmth enveloped him and Khun glanced to see Bam cuddling up next to him. His dark eyes were downcast, but he clutched at the fold's of Khun's shirt. It was as if he was attempting to make himself as small as possible, to remain unnoticed even as he sought companionship.

Khun relented and wrapped his arms around Bam, pulling him close and gently stroking his neatly cropped head of hair.

He didn't think it would be this hard to try and let him go, to let Bam go. But he could not leave anything up to chance. One day, the Tower would call for them. The chances that it would call them both together at the same time was extremely slim, and Khun needed Bam to be ready to face the harsh Tower on his own.

Khun also needed to prepare himself for the inevitable loneliness, for the gap in his heart to reopen where Bam once occupied.

"Bam," he started, still stroking his hair. "You just have to be ready for when I am not around."

Bam's shoulders trembled and Khun worried for a moment if he was crying. He couldn't deal with tears now! What if he made it worse when he tried to comfort him?

But Bam's voice was clear. "I don't want you to leave me."

"I don't want to leave either." His voice rang with conviction. "I want to stay with you. I really do." He hoped Bam could hear the truth in his voice. "But if that does not happen and if we are separated, just know that I will find you. Eventually. I don't care how long it takes. I will find you."

"But I don't want to leave." Bam looked up. "I'm happy here with you."

Khun smiled. "The Tower does not care. Soon, we will be called to climb it." Still, he wondered if his desire to climb was strong enough to be called, or if his desire had changed.

"But when that happens," he looked him in the eye. "I promise I will find you." He held up his pinky, and this time, Bam's tears fell. "Alright? This is my promise to you."

Through tears, Bam nodded and entwined his pinky with Khun's.

xXx

That day came. He saw the guardian standing before him. Khun barely had a moment to react before his vision was filled with a golden light.

Panic filled him. "Wait!" he screamed. But the guardian did not yield to his wishes. Khun looked around widely. "Bam!"

"Aguero!" The desperation in his friend's voice cut through Khun. He looked up just in time to see Bam running towards him. Khun reached out, hoping to catch him, to say something, but his words were cut off, his vision blurry.

He was no longer in the cave. The air no longer smelled of wet earth, and he could not hear the sound of Bam's voice. His hand closed around thin air.

"No," he whispered, trembling. He clenched his fists. "You didn't give me a chance to say goodbye!"

No one answered him. The guardian was silent. No one was there to watch as he fell to his knees as despair washed over him. He had left him all alone. He thought he had more time, a chance to say goodbye, to prepare him.

In all honesty, he wanted to stay by his side and take Bam up the Tower.

Except he should have known better. He should never leave anything up to chance.

"All that you seek can be found at the top of the Tower."

Khun narrowed his eyes. He had to keep climbing. If he gave up now, what hope would be there for Bam? His pinky was warm with the reminder of the promise he had made to Bam. He would find him, and he would wait for his friend.

He stood up with grim resolve. "I'm ready to take the test."