I listened to every word, no matter how crazy it sounded, very carefully. He went deathly silent afterwards, and I also let the silence stretch.
It was deep. I could understand him. It was like how debt, and my mother never allowed me to quit medical, even when I hated every second of it. It's not like I couldn't have, my mother was really nice, but could I really?
So much was at stake. If I met someone like that woman, I'd be awfully in love too…
My eyes wandered to Alya's asleep body above, her memories, her thoughts, her realization… they were a bit similar.
But Vanitas's and mine prisons were still a lot different. I wasn't about to be sold to slave traders and watch someone I love die by quitting.
This world, it's kind of messed up…
"I am sorry you had to listen to that… I was just… I don't know, it's not like me."
"Vanitas." I said with a warm smile, "It's alright."
He paused. I could hear the sound of suppressed sobs, like he'd put a cloth in his mouth, and was crying as quietly as possible. I pretended not to hear. What a guy.
After confirming he had stopped crying, I got to work.
I closed in on the metal door, brushing my fingers against the cold, rough texture of the tiny keyhole. With a single thought, my blood aggressively coursed through my finger, and the next second, my nail grew, entering and unlocking the door in one loud, satisfying click.
My eyes were instantly overwhelmed with stimulus, finally able to see his cell.
Surprisingly, it was kinda nice. There were no torture devices. I mean, there were some, but not the horror movie kind, like some long whips lying all around the dirty ground, or a mattress made purely of glass shards. I hicked, holding back a puke, imagining what they must have been used for to have this much blood over them.
But besides that, it was more like a normal prison. Maybe even better? Hell, I unfortunately never went to prison, so it was hard to compare.
But there was a proper bed with a hard mattress that could fix my back pain most definitely, with two pillows at that. And then, something I had my eyes stuck on from the beginning, my mouth watering— a proper modern toilet! I didn't have to do business on farms, at least.
But that wasn't even all. In the center, there was a clean wooden chair and table with a dirty mug, and tens of books placed messily all around.
Just for reference, our cell's most esteemed items were piss, blood, and shit… Most of it ours.
And then finally, my eyes met the man's himself.
Oddly Calm, but I could see the redness, and some wetness. The T-shirt he muffled his sobs with was also right beside his foot.
"Welcome." He forced a smile, observing every part of me with intrigued eyes.
I nodded, "So, what's the plan?" I asked as I walked up to him, sitting in a lotus position close to the chair.
…So fucking tall!
Even while sitting, he reached my upper chest. I was over six feet for reference… He's gotta be like seven feet to be there. His body too was as weird as his height, incredibly bone skinny, like a stick, but tight lean muscles were still visible, and they looked aesthetically pleasing too, dude was pure muscle mass, like top athletes, or super models.
He tapped his long feet, motioning me to take a seat. I did.
He slowly raised the grey cuffs, "These." I turned on [Eye of Sanguine] to take a more careful look, and yes, they weren't normal. They had an extreme, boiling, or even hotter temperature exuding from them, piercing my eyes from just the brightness.
"If you can open the Arcana Restrain Cuffs, I will be able to help you. I require nothing else, and assuming from how you opened that door, I think you can help," he said softly.
Arcana? This… It's just magic? Magic exists?! Can I ask him about it?
"...Feel free to ask any questions you might have Lucien. I think I can consider you my friend from how much trauma I have dumped on you, haha." Taking in my eyes clung to the cuffs like a moth to the light.
My eyes glowed as I patted his shoulder, "What's Arcana?" I asked without hesitation.