…Understood.
Static bled in with the screams, swallowing them whole. The void brightened with each passing second until—Pure white.
V's eyes, nose, mouth—blurred into the light, his face blank like a sheet of paper.
Scream replaced—Static noise.
His faceless head hung toward the floor, shoulders weighed down. Blood smeared across his knees from his chipped nails. Words came to mind, yet no instrument to sing them.
The void glowed white as snow—yet he had no eyes to take it in.
A voice.
Like a needle threading across a silk—soft, deliberate—muffling the static. Warmth grazed his skin, spreading like wildfire.
…up …
Fingers pressed to his cold, white cheek. Even without a face, a single tear escaped—Slipping into the warmth.
"WAKE UP!"
V's eyes strained open. His blurred vision cleared until the wooden ceiling of his room greeted him. His head turned—Eve sat at the edge of the bed.
"Good… You're finally awake."Her smile was thin, her brows drawn tight, as if she were holding something fragile in her hands.
V's eyes narrowed. Slipping past her, Kevin stood behind her with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Guess one of us didn't have a good night's sleep," Kevin said. "You alright?"
Eve shuffled, reaching for the beaker and glass on the nightstand.
"Yeah… I'm fine… I think"
V sat up. The blanket slid from his chest. Each movement dragged, as if his limbs waded through water. For a moment, he stared down at the blanket pooled around him. Then—whispers crept in. His brows drew together as he pressed his fingers against his eyes, rubbing in slow circles."Here," Eve said, holding the glass toward him.
"Yeah… thanks." V held out his right hand, still rubbing his eyes. Kevin stepped forward—his face scrunched up.
"Hey, kid… What the—"
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOUR ARM?!"Eve screamed.
The glass slipped from her grasp and shattered, Water pooling across the floor. V jolted back.
"Huh? What are you—" V glanced down. His eyes pealed wide.
From his elbow and right to his fingertips—Holes.
Minuscule to the size of a ping pong ball, dotting his entire arm as if something chewed through him all night long.Yet—No blood.
Not a whimper of pain.
V's lips parted, his eyes jittered like insects, his ears boiling. He looked at Kevin, whose brows crashed together as if he looked at something rotten.
"Oh…I'm gonna hurl," Eve muttered, pressing her palm against her lips. Her face turned pale. V glanced at her—then quickly yanked the blanket over his arm.
Sweat beaded down his cheek and soaked into the blanket. Eve's eyes flickered at his, turning towards him. She frowned with knitted eyes, her mouth tensed.
"It's okay… Everything's okay. Does it hurt?"Eve asked, resting her hand on top of the blanket. V's eyes calmed for once, looking at her.
"N-No… I don't feel any pain… I don't know what's wrong with me," V whispered, eyes fixed downward.
"I'll grab a med kit, 'kay?" Eve stood and scurried out.
Kevin — eyed V like a hawk, scanning every twitch, every breath.
V glanced at him—" Don't worry. We'll fix this…" Kevin said, his lips curved in reassurance. V managed a faint smile back.
Kevin rubbed his chin—" Just as I thought…"
Eve rushed back, scurrying towards V and began treating him. Kevin stood by them, but the voices of the two blurred, only sometimes humming in response—
"Something about you… Are you really… human?" Kevin wondered.
A few days passed.
V moved into Kevin's room. Nothing changed after the incident. The city's Streets buzzed like the day they'd arrived.
His chin rested on the window frame, eyes distant.
"Creak—"
"Morning, kiddo. Come down when you're ready for breakfast." Kevin said. V nodded without turning. The door clicked shut behind him.
Outside, a magpie robin perched on the sill, tugging at its own feathers. V's lips curved faintly."Good morning," he murmured.
Jazz spilled from the record player downstairs.
Thump Thump Thump.
V's footsteps fell in rhythm with the melody. The pub was half empty while the voices of the seated danced with the jazz.
Kevin sat at their table, newspaper in hand and a cigarette in his lips. Across from him, Eve slept with her face buried in her arms — hair wild, drool shining on the table. Her soft snoring almost blended with the saxophone.
"Umm… Is she gonna be alright?" V asked Kevin, pointing at her.
"Hm? Oh yeah, she's not much of a morning person, let her be." Kevin folded his paper, putting it down. While V tiptoed around her and sat.
"The guys from the main branch are coming tomorrow, make sure you pack up by nighttime," He crushed his cigarette in the ashtray.
"We're… already leaving?" Eve yawned, rubbing her eyes..
"Hm… shame since the city's pretty nice here," She added while stretching her eyes wide open.
"With that being said, you kids have the day off. I'll be away for some…Ahem — Important business." Kevin's chair dragged behind him, Eve snorted, her lips curled upwards,
"Picking up girls first thing in the morning? Real important, huh, unc?"Eve's eyes narrow with a smug grin on her lips. Kevin smirked —
"Well… can't deny. The gals here are pretty good," Kevin replied.
"Wow! You really said that to your niece, what a shitty adult!" She grinned. "Though… I agree, the girls are hot," Eve added.
Kevin laughed. "I know, V thinks the same, too, right?"Kevin's head turned toward V, whose eyes were fixed on the light spilling through the front door — Sharp, expectant, as if he were waiting for something to step inside.
"Uhh… V?" Kevin called out.
V jolted."Huh?—uh, Sorry. What were you talking about?" V's lips forced to curl up into a polite smile. Kevin frowned. For a moment, it looked like he was staring at a frightened child.
"V —"
The tone snapped through the air. His shoulders flinched before he turned his head.
"Comb my hair, would ya?" Eve asked, nudging the chair back.
She walked towards the stairs without waiting for a reply. Kevin sighed.
"Well, you heard the lady. I'll be off then. See ya," He waved over his shoulder and slipped out the front door.
V watched until Kevin's figure disappeared through the door. Then he rose, eyes drifting towards the stairs, and followed.
Knock knock —
The door clicked open. Eve sat by the windowsill, gazing at the street below with quiet indifference. Her eyes shifted towards him as he entered.
"Took ya long enough," Eve said, holding out a wooden comb.
V glanced at it. His fingers brushed against hers—Cold to the touch. Eve's eyes narrowed for a second, then softened again.
"Umm… I've never really done this before," V said, a sheepish blush rising to his cheeks.
"Pfft— Never brushed a girl's hair before? Guess that makes the two of us,"
Her lips curved—slow, gentle—and for a moment, his fingers didn't feel so cold.
The curtains swayed gently as the quiet rasp of brushing filled the room.
Eve's eyelids eased shut, a low hum slipping from her throat as V worked through the knots in her hair. She swayed gently with each stroke, letting the comfort soak into her bones.
"Damn… I could get used to this," She muttered.
A small curve crept across V's lips. He held her hair in his palm, the strands flowing like silk between his stiff fingers. His arm moved steadily despite the rigidity in his joints—almost doll-like. When a tangle caught on his bandaged hand and slid free, a faint pinch pulled across his face.
"Has… it been keeping you on edge?" Eve asked, meeting his reflection in the vanity mirror.
V twitched, eyes lifting toward hers. His entire right arm was wrapped in bandages—less for protection, more as if to keep something contained.
"H-haha. Is it that noticeable?" His voice was thin, fragile—like glass ready to crack.
"I'm not great at reading people," Eve said with a shrug, nudging her head lightly against his hand, "but you? You're easy. Like an open book."
"I-I see… Is that a bad thing?" he asked, guiding the comb down her hair again.
"In a world like this? Yeah. That'll get you killed."
She turned around, a sly curve at her lips as she pressed a finger to his chest—sharp and playful.
"But lucky for you, you've got me to read you."
She leaned back, crossing her legs, elbow propped against the table.
"Go on then, spill."
Eve asked as she tilted her head to her side.
V hesitated, then glanced up through his bangs. Her soft smile loosened the tension in his face.
"It's… I can't explain it," he said. "But something about this city feels wrong. Like I'm missing something right in front of me." A bead of sweat slid down his cheek.
"The city? Really?" Eve frowned. "We've been here for days. No weird people, no weird food, the place is clean."
"I know, but… I can't shake it." His brows drew together, the crease on his face saying everything his words couldn't.
Eve watched the strain tighten his features. Her gaze drifted toward the door—as if reminded of a presence she'd felt earlier.
"I think you need a break, bud," She stood up, a light strut in her step as she walked toward the door.
Clack-
Stepping into the hallway, she glanced left.
"No luck finding girls?" She asked.
"Nah. Felt like napping. Been a while since I had a good one," Kevin said, leaning against the wall outside her room.
V poked his head out.
"What are you doing here, Kevin?"
Kevin waved lazily, rubbing the side of his neck—as if bracing himself—before a small pop echoed from the joint.
"Well, I'm off to bed. What are you kids doing again?" he asked, turning back.
Before V could answer, Eve yanked him by the arm with ease.
"Isn't it obvious?" She linked her arm with his.
A faint blush crept up his face, and the subtle scent of lavender brushed past him.
"We're going sightseeing!" she declared, flaring her nostrils in excitement, her eyes shining brighter than most stars. She glanced at V again, tilting her head.
"Right?"
V nodded.
Gasp—
Kevin froze, his skin going pale like cracked porcelain. He snapped his head back, stumbling as his feet scraped across the floor.
"M-M-M-Makes sense! she's at that age, y'know—but this is Eve we're talking about! My niece! In the first place, when was she ever—"
He slid into the corner of the corridor, curling up like a kid put in time-out, muttering nonsense.
"Uh… What's up with him?" V asked, pointing at the dejected mess on the floor.
"Probably sulking cuz he couldn't land a date—" Eve waved her arms up dismissively.
"NO!" Kevin shot up, jabbing a trembling finger at her.
"What I'm freaking out about is Eve, my own niece, my own flesh and blood—going on a date?!" He stared at her like she was some exotic creature scientists hadn't catalogued yet.
"You're dead meat, old man."
Heat practically steamed off her. For a second, Kevin swore her face warped into something demonic.
"Um… uh…" V's voice was swallowed by their bickering as Eve yanked Kevin back and forth by the collar like a rag doll.
"Hey!" V said, louder than before.
They both froze. Eve still gripping onto Kevin's collar. Both of them looked his way.
V blinked.
"W-What's a date?"