016 and 015 walked side by side through the hall, their silence unbroken. The stretch was long and sterile, metal walls reflecting the dull glow of the overhead lights. Their footsteps rang too loud against the floor, filling the empty corridor.
They turned a corner. A steel door barred the path. Without hesitation, 016 raised his wrist to the scanner. The bracelet caught the dim light, its surface gleaming faintly before the blue beam swept across it. A pause then the lock released with a heavy click. The door ground open, metal scraping against metal.
The room beyond was vast, its size almost disorienting. Rows of children sat inside, their numbers filling the space. They ranged from ten to eighteen, separated into groups by rank. The higher-ranked sat at the front, clothed slightly better, postures straighter. The lowest lingered at the back, thin, hollow-eyed, their clothing threadbare.
But none of them spoke. The silence pressed down, thick and suffocating. Even the younger ones kept still, their expressions stiff, their gazes fixed on the floor as if sound itself might draw punishment.
016's eyes swept over them, his expression unmoved. His gaze drifted until it settled on 018. She sat apart, and though her body had been brutally cut into pieces before, her limbs were intact now restored as if nothing had happened.
016 lingered on her only for a moment before looking away
018 sat alone, her gaze locked on 016. The smile she always wore was gone. What remained were dead, hollow eyes that didn't waver.
At his side, 015 stiffened. Irritation flickered across his face the moment he realized she was still alive. His teeth ground together as a thought burned in his mind.
016 wasn't in the mood to sit up front, so he drifted toward the back where 014 and Thirteen were. His indifferent face shifted instantly into a mask of smiles.
Thirteen noticed him right away, the corners of his lips lifting—until his eyes caught 015 trailing behind. His smile froze.
016 saw the change and, turning, remembered the presence he had momentarily forgotten.
"Big brother, your rank isn't here. Please sit in the front," 016 said sweetly.
"As well as you. Your rank isn't here either," 015 shot back.
016 fell quiet for a moment. Then, with the same soft tone: "Big brother, if you sit here, the low rankers won't have anywhere left. They can't take high-rank seats, so… please."
015's eyes narrowed, lingering on 016. When did he start drawing lines between us? The thought burned as he turned his head toward Thirteen, teeth gritting against the rising sting of jealousy.
He wanted to refuse and stay, but the thought that doing so might push 016 further away held him back.
015 looked at 016 for a moment, then finally turned and walked off.
016 watched his retreating figure, raising his hand in a casual wave
016 stopped waving and dropped into the seat beside Thirteen. The rest of the day passed quietly with no punishments, no experiments. Still, he kept his distance from 015, avoiding him since their departure in the lounge
By evening, the halls began to thin out. Those not called to the labs were sent to their units getting ready for a lights out, doors locking behind them one by one.
016 lingered in the rehabilitation room, sitting in a chair as the hours slipped away. He hadn't moved for a long time, only watching the lights overhead hum faintly. When the clock caught his eye, he finally rose to leave.
Just as he stepped toward the door, his bracelet flickered[Notification: Report to Laboratory 48B]
016 glanced at the message glowing on his bracelet, his face calm. He left the rehabilitation room and walked straight toward Lab 48B.
When he arrived, the scene waiting for him wasn't the usual.
At the door stood a man. He was tall, broad-shouldered, his long silver hair falling neatly past his shoulders, catching the low light with an almost unnatural shine. His eyes were pure black, deep and beautiful, the kind that pulled at you whether you wanted it or not. He wasn't dressed like the others in the institution, no white coat, no sterile uniform. Instead, he wore casual clothes, simple but elegant, making him stand out even more. He looked… impossibly handsome, almost unreal.
He smiled warmly, as if he had been waiting just for 016.
016 stopped a meter away, his red eyes darkening, stare fixed sharply on the man.
The silver-haired man's smile only grew at the sight, his gaze lowering slightly, watching 016 with calm amusement.
Neither spoke. Their eyes locked, heavy with something unspoken. Then, without warning, 016's expression shifted—his cold mask melted into something soft, almost childlike.
The man blinked, his smile faltering for the first time. A frown pulled at his lips.
016 stepped forward, his movements suddenly hesitant, and gently gripped the fabric of the man's shirt, eyes lowered, voice caught in silence.
The silver-haired man looked down at 016's timid act, and his thoughts curled with amusement. Let's play along, he decided.
016 was seventeen, tall enough compared to most, but standing before this man, his height seemed reduced, almost small.
"Uncle," 016 said softly, eyes lowered, voice laced with careful innocence. "I'm sorry for looking at you like that. I was recently taught to be cautious, so I tried practicing it on you. I hope you're not upset."
The silver-haired man's expression shifted at once. That warm smile spread wider, though inside, his thoughts sharpened. This child… really something. To throw out such a half-hearted excuse on the spot, with that calm face...does he truly think everyone around him is a fool?
He had heard rumors already: his so-called beneficiary had nearly killed a V+ not long ago, over nothing more than a whim. And those annoying 'bastards' had argued punishment was needed, and he had been called to witness if what was decided was enough. Truthfully, he hadn't cared to come. But today something had drawn him. And now, seeing the boy in front of him, he found himself… intrigued.
"It's fine," he said lightly, lowering his voice until it brushed smooth as silk. "It's good to be cautious." His hand fell onto 016's head, fingers brushing through his hair.
016's body stiffened. He had never tolerated being touched, not even the slightest brush without permission. Only 015 was allowed and for obvious reasons. He clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth together with such force it felt as though they might shatter.
The silver-haired man's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, watching the reaction with interest. Then he chuckled softly. "Go on inside. They're waiting."
016 lifted his gaze, eyes calm again, and asked with a voice gentle and deliberately pleasant, "Uncle, what are you doing here? This doesn't seem like a place for someone like you."
The man's smile never wavered. His voice was magnetic, rich enough to make the air itself feel warmer. "I was only visiting someone. Don't worry about me." He pressed a hand to 016's back, urging him forward with casual ease.
016 didn't resist. He stepped through the door—and immediately found himself face to face with 018 once again.