"He's missed breakfast again, hasn't he?"
Walking through a bright hallway illuminated by both the morning light coming in from the windows and the dazzling chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, a tan-skinned female with long bunny ears spoke to herself.
"He was probably up all night reading again. Even as a Quirkless, he finds a way to keep himself busy."
Running her fingers through her white hair, she stretched a few times, making her way to a specific door.
And upon reaching it, she twisted the handle.
"Rin, you should really manage your time more responsibly..."
But before she could finish, Rumi froze as she stared.
What appeared in her line of sight was a boy sitting on his bed, hair messy, bare-chested and most notably, dark circles under his eyes.
The boy stared into the air, his eyes wider than usual as he failed to move, maybe forgetting to even breathe.
The usual vibrant green in his eyes seemed fainter than normal while his skin also seemed paler.
"R-Rin?" Rumi, unsure of what exactly to make of this situation, mumbled.
This seemed to snap him out of his trance as he slowly turned his head to her, a weak smile creeping onto his face.
"Ah...Rumi...I'll be right down."
"Are you alright?"
Upon her saying this, Rin couldn't help but stare at her.
Despite her words...her expression remained blank, her tone flat, making his weak smile grow bitter.
"Yeah...I must be coming down with something, that's all. I'll be out in a minute." He added, turning away as his eyes returned to the empty space.
Rumi wanted to say more, but in that small exchange, she felt like her words and anything more would be meaningless.
Therefore, she simply nodded as she left.
Seconds passed as silence prevailed, even the very breeze seemingly halted as though it too wished to honour Rin's wishes.
"...I had no other choice. I would have died. No matter how much I wanted to change the outcome of things, I couldn't. I had to play with the cards dealt. So why..."
Rin lowered his head as he grabbed his forehead, his expression contorting into an uncomfortable one as the memory of dragging Isagi's corpse as bait flashed in his mind.
"So why do I feel so bad? I'm sorry...Isagi."
***
Opening the front door to the mansion, the bright morning light blessed Rin's darkened face as he stepped out, wearing his usual white hoodie.
As he raised his head, he looked around, briskly skimming over each face he saw.
'It's all the same...'
Despite having once seen the liveliness in these morning gatherings, the bright light from the sun seemed wasted on the gloomy and lifeless atmosphere.
'No emotion...no weight to their words...nothing more than soulless shells.'
Rin muttered inwardly, watching the rest of the Nulled go about their day.
This is what he once was.
Cattle whose mind was chained.
Watching this all now only made him let out a sour chuckle. To think the hell he went through might have been more like a blessing in disguise.
"Rin!"
Rin looked up as the smile faded from his face, witnessing a girl around his age with chin-length green hair, large round glasses and freckles, smiling as she came face to face with him.
But most notably, as she waved, one could see deep diamond-shaped holes in the centre of her palm.
"Sakura..." Rin acknowledged her presence.
'Even her. She's smiling, but I see it in her eyes...'
Sakura was known as the most lively of their bunch. But only now could he see.
Her dark abyss for eyes that seemed like they had no end. She was no better than the rest of them.
"I just wanted to let everyone know, Ms Ino has just gotten news about my Transfer!" She exclaimed in a cheery voice.
'Transfer...'
The process of a Nulled being transferred out of the Mansion. The reason for this could vary.
For some, they show new signs unseen before with the Quirknull disease while others show signs of beating it altogether.
The latter, though rare, weren't unseen. Those who beat the disease are then immune. That's how they had workers who supervised the Nulled like Ms Ino.
If it sounded vague, that's because it was.
'This is supposed to be the explanation given to us. But now, I don't know anything other than the fact that wherever they took the transferred Nulled is also where they took Ollie and Isagi's corpses.'
Sakura continued to ramble as they walked toward the bench Isagi usually sat at.
'Everything they told us, hell, this very world...it's all a lie.'
He thought, looking around. He didn't know whether he should be fascinated or distraught at the fact that such a vibrant and vivid world, one which he'd lived in his whole life, was fake.
'Is the Quirknull even a real thing?'
Sure, all the Nulled here coincidentally weren't the best at bringing forth their Quirks, but he couldn't help but remember Ollie and how proficient he was.
Maybe their problem wasn't a disease holding them back but simply a low mastery of their Quirks.
'Who knows. I've never seen what happens when the Nulled are out being evaluated.'
But as he took a seat at his bench, he couldn't help but ask himself one question.
'If this is all a lie, what is this place? What is the purpose of us being here and...'
He paused as he turned to stare at a familiar closed gate.
'What really lay beyond those gates?'
"Rin!"
Rin snapped out of his trance as he turned, his eyes locking with Dion's, Rumi's and Sakura's.
He hadn't even realised when he'd sat or that there were others around him.
"What's wrong with you today?"
"Everyone!"
Their queries were cut off as all heads turned to Ms Ino who stood before the mansion. And as usual, the blonde-haired man stood behind her.
Seeing them, Rin's muscles unknowingly tensed as if he were prepared to pounce.
He could see Ino's gaze brisk over them, but questions flooded his mind.
'Was she looking at me?'
'I could have sworn her glare lasted an extra second in this direction.'
'Does…she know?'
Either way, his questions would be answered in the coming seconds.
"I'm sorry to inform you all that both Isagi and Oliver were suddenly transferred late last night. Unfortunately, their symptoms took a turn for the worse."
Rin pursed his lips as he turned his head and stared at his lap.
Questions were answered, but that didn't make him feel any better. No, quite the contrary.
"I'll send forth all your best regards. That will be all. We'll start your evaluation in a few minutes."
Upon saying this, the suited duo made their way toward Rin's group while exchanging brief comments with the rest of the Nulled.
"You all were closest to Isagi, isn't that right? From what I remember, you also had a strong relationship with Oliver, isn't that right, Rin?" Ino placed her warm hand on Rin's shoulder, the boy's head still lowered.
A second passed until he raised his head, blank like the others as he replied.
"That's correct. Please send them my deepest regards. I'll miss them." He answered, prompting Ino to smile.
"I will."
"How about you, Sakura. Prepared for your Transfer soon?"
Sakura smiled as she nodded.
"I'm ready. I knew this day would come."
"Of course. This is a new day of Quirknull, everyone. Our efforts here are saving countless others in the future. Especially so for our local Prodigy over here." Ino commented with a slight chuckle as her eyes focused on Rumi.
Rumi remained quiet, only nodding.
"So-called "Prodigy" that is. It's like your body refuses to develop as we expect it to. Don't slack off." The blonde-haired man behind Ino, or rather Renji as they knew him, commented from behind.
This kind of comment was expected of him. He was always the "No nonsense" type. He told things as they were with a strict expression but it always came off as him being a snob.
"Anyway, let's all start, shall we?!" Ino exclaimed.
As usual, the Nulled all rose in succession.
And as usual, Renji whispered something in Ino's ear before heading down the hill toward the gate.
Rin followed this, watching the man's usual routine as the Gates would swing open as if they knew he was approaching.
But this time, unlike usual, Renji didn't head into the darkness.
No, instead, he turned as he patiently waited for the gates to shut, only then leaving.
"What's wrong with you all today?"
Rumi's voice once again entered Rin's ear. But he turned, surprised to find her gaze wasn't glued to him, but instead to Dion who stared into blank air.
"Huh…what? Nothing. Let's get going." Dion, her usual smile returning as she waved Rin goodbye.
'Her…It's harder to tell if hers is genuine.'
There was no void in her eyes. She actually possessed substance to her words and actions and it showed in how she spoke.
Nevertheless, Rin turned back to the gate, staring, deep in thought.
"You look like Oliver."
Rin's heart THUMPED as his eyes widened, turning as he locked eyes with Rumi who had spoken these words.
She was on her feet, prepared to leave before saying these last words.
"Take care of yourself." She finished, finally leaving.
Rin was left alone, staring with wide eyes with a crestfallen expression.
'Shit…'
His expression slowly softened as he looked down, tightening his fist.
'What kind of hell is this…'
Upon saying this, he couldn't help but backtrack.
'No…rather what will it do to me? Will I lose myself like Oliver or…what other option is there?'
He raised his head, prepared to turn to the gate before…
'Huh…'
A single sharp eye peeking out from behind a curtain of long yellow hair.
Rin was alone. He was Quirkless.
He didn't take evaluations.
But he wasn't the only other Quirkless here.
'Him…'
Rin stared as his heartbeat started to quicken.
Three people entered the gate that day but there were four people present to see everything happen.
'This guy…'
And when only one of those three came out, there was still the fourth single outlier who remained.
'He was here…'
Rin stared at the quiet yellow yellow-haired man who sat at the bench a small distance away from him, the latter's single eye piercing into the boy as the former continued to stare.
'He saw it. Everything…He knows!'