By the time Yuna and Kairo had risen, the sun was already high in the sky. Almost noon.
The smell of the damp morning air waved into the shack, though the trio had grown more accustomed to it now. Kairo was still on the ground from the night before while Yuna looked like she had barely slept.
Both of them had bags under their eyes with Yuna's even slightly bloodshot.
Renji was already up though, and had been for the past few hours. He had already gone out into the city and grabbed a free map of the Royal district earlier– where the catacombs were– and was already planning out their route.
Yuna groaned, fingers dragging through wild hair. Kairo stood up, grunting and rubbing his back. None of them uttered a word. Tension still heavy from last night like an ocean on their backs.
Kairo walked over to the empty bed in the middle and sat down, looking up at the roof, seeming like he'd come to terms with the new reality, though Yuna could see the cracks.
Renji folded the map and stood up, clapping his hands together to catch their attention, which he did. Kairo and Yuna's heads snapped toward him, still groggy.
"I know you both woke up right now, but we still have to get those funds." He said, his voice dry from lack of hydration. "We can't do anything in this kingdom without money."
Yuna nodded, though it looked like she had no intention of getting up. Kairo too seemed to go slothful and lay down on his bed.
Renji's brow twitched. "I'll go alone if I have to." He threatened, though it fell to deaf ears.
Neither gave a reaction to his statement.
Renji let out a sigh. "If you guys don't come, I'll leave you here to rot."
Yuna looked up at him through an annoyed gaze. "For once, I can tell that wasn't supposed to be a joke."
Renji put his hands on his hips, waiting. Yuna let out a quiet groan, but reluctantly stood.
"Let's go, Kairo." Yuna called out.
Kario laid motionless.
Renji let out a groan and stuffed the paper into his pocket. "I'll get you a sword if you come along." He offered.
That got his attention. Kairo's head lifted up slightly, the glassy stare replaced by a string of hope. He slowly sat upright. "Sword?" He repeated.
Renji nodded. "Yes, darling. Sword." He said in an exasperated tone.
Kairo looked over to Yuna, who was waiting with crossed arms. Eventually, Kairo decided to stand up. Slowly, but surely, he had gotten to his feet.
"Meet me outside when you're ready." Renji said, walking out the door. It creaked behind him as he left, before shutting again.
Yuna lowered her hands, letting out a deep breath. Her eyes softened, just a notch. "Well? How about we get you that sword?" she asked, smirking. She turned around and jogged out the door.
Kairo stared at the open doorway, the blue sky beyond too bright to bear.
That's what I need. A sword. I don't need anything else.
He pulled his fingers into a tight fist, causing his knuckles to turn white. With a loud breath, he made his way out the shack.
Yuna and Renji were outside, discussing the route and pointing off in different directions. Kairo strolled up to them, faking normality.
"So, we got a route yet?" He asked, his pitch an octave too high.
Renji nodded, pulling the map out.
It was a rectangular piece of paper, fairly lengthy. It had a detailed structure of the Royal district, where they had once resided. Along the map, was a path that was highlighted in red. It started from the east most side of the map, the end of the slums, and trailed from the heart of the capital, under the royal palace and behind it, where the catacombs were located.
"That… doesn't sound fun." Kairo noted.
"It isn't." Yuna agreed. "Neither is dying of starvation either." she added.
"You… make a fair point." Kairo accepted.
Renji closed up the map and cleared his throat. "Though of course, there's multiple spirits, zombies and whatnot in there, and it would be a death trap to go there without any weapons."
Yuna nodded. "Right. But we have no money yet and our clothes are…" She glanced down, revealing the tattered robe that exposed the top of her cleavage. "Less than presentable."
Renji nodded. "Yeah. Good thing I've got connections that don't need me around."
Kairo squinted. "What does that even mean?"
"Means weapons." Renji said, already turning on his heel.
Kairo glanced at Yuna for some kind of translation, but she just shrugged, smirked, and jogged after Renji.
"Thanks for the TED Talk," Kairo muttered, trailing behind.
They moved through the slums with sunbaked skin and dragging steps, the air growing heavier with every hour. Renji stopped occasionally, bartering for directions, while Kairo drifted in and out of his thoughts—so much that Renji had to tug him back onto the path more than once.
After nearly four hours of weaving through crumbling alleys and makeshift bridges, they stopped at their destination.
Towering above the dirt-caked buildings was something that shouldn't have existed here. A skyscraper—forty stories of polished black stone, each slab etched with glowing red runes. Magic particles shimmered faintly from its surface, like dust catching sunlight. Narrow windows dotted the tower, tinted dark enough to hide whatever lived behind them.
"Woah…" Yuna breathed.
"Pretty much," Renji replied. "You two wait here."
Kairo blinked. "We're not going in with you?"
"Nope. I know you two. You'd blow the place up."
"But—"
"No buts. Park your asses here." Renji said, pointing to a cracked bench with a rusted streetlamp hanging overhead. "I'll be back in ten."
And just like that, he disappeared through the crimson-lit entrance, the door swallowing him whole.
Kairo let out a tired sigh. "He always pulls this stupid 'lone wolf' act," he muttered.
Yuna didn't reply. She just walked over and dropped onto the cracked bench like gravity was stronger today.
"You think he's serious?" Kairo asked, sitting beside her, elbows on his knees, head in his hands.
"About what?"
"Everything." His voice dropped. "He's always composed. Calm. Like he's five moves ahead and just waiting for the rest of us to catch up."
Yuna smirked. "I think he's desperate not to crack. So he keeps this tough guy mask on. Pretends it's all logic and plans… but I know there's more spinning in that brain of his."
Kairo nodded slowly. "Yeah… I guess you're right."
A beat of silence passed.
"But," he added, "do you think we'll ever go back to how we were?"
The question hit the air and just… lingered.
Yuna didn't answer right away. She leaned back, eyes scanning the dark windows above like they held the answer. "Honestly? I don't know. I don't know what happened to us. Or what's happening to us. Or where the hell any of this ends."
Kairo clenched his jaw. "Right."
"But I know we can't stop," she said, softer this time.
He looked up at her, eyes questioning. "Can't stop what?"
"Keeping up," she replied. "With Renji."
He blinked. "With Renji?"
Yuna gave a small smile. "He's the brains. We're the brawn. Remember when he laid out that ridiculous plan to beat Satan?"
Kairo couldn't help but smile a little too. "Yeah. Thought it was suicidal."
"Every step he laid out? Every move he told us to make? Somehow, it all worked."
Kairo nodded, a grin creeping up. "The look on Satan's face was priceless. And that show-off Renji just had to kill him with a damn feather. What a guy."
Yuna chuckled softly. "What a guy, indeed."
They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of nostalgia washing over them like the calm before a storm.
Then came footsteps.
Renji emerged from the building, arms full—no, stacked—with weapons.
Kairo's jaw nearly hit the ground. "What the hell—?"
"No time. Grab something." Renji didn't break stride, dumping the pile onto the bench.
Yuna moved first, snatching up a staff and a wand with practiced speed. Kairo grabbed a sword, the steel familiar against his hip, like a piece of himself had just snapped back in place.
Renji took the last of the weapons—a set of dual daggers—and strapped them on with urgency.
Yuna's eyes narrowed as she noticed the sweat glistening across Renji's brow. "Everything good in there?"
Renji hesitated. Just for a breath.
Then: "No."
Kairo blinked. "What—"
BANG.
The building's door exploded open, slamming against the wall.
All three of them snapped toward the noise.
A shadow loomed in the doorway.
The figure ducked to step through, dragging sunlight with him as he emerged—fully visible now.
Eight feet tall. Skin like cracked stone. Beaded eyes, black as tar. In each hand, a massive wooden club, stained dark with dried blood. His face was still—expressionless. Inhuman.
"A giant," Yuna breathed.
"Good time to run?" she asked, already tensing.
"Great time," Renji shot back, bolting in the opposite direction.
Kairo and Yuna followed instantly, feet hammering the dirt with mechanical precision. Behind them, the grinding crunch of stone on stone echoed louder with each step.
"Faster, people!" Renji called, urgency laced through his voice.
They sprinted, breath ragged, feet burning. Up a flight of worn stairs, hearts pounding like war drums.
"Left!" Renji yelled, and they cut into a narrow alley.
"Climb!" he ordered, daggers already drawn.
Renji vaulted onto the alley wall, finding handholds between protruding stones. He pulled himself up and reached down. Kairo grabbed his hand and scrambled up beside him.
Yuna leapt to follow—but then she heard it.
A thunderous, guttural scream shook the alley. She turned.
The giant had found them. And he was charging.
"UP, UP, UP!" she shrieked, grabbing Renji's hand.
The giant crashed forward, shoulder-first.
Renji yanked her up just in time. They tumbled onto the rooftop as the monster's shoulder SLAMMED into the wall behind them. The structure groaned under the impact.
Yuna rolled to her feet, heart hammering. Renji lay flat, panting.
The rooftop trembled beneath them.
The trio panted in unison, each one clutching their stomachs.
"That was fun," Kairo said, grinning like a madman.
"For a sadistic, sword-loving loser like you," Yuna shot back, wiping the sweat from her brow.
Renji stood up, brushing the dust off his coat. He peeked over the edge of the roof—
The giant below was still staring up at them, clueless on how to climb up.
Renji spat down at the giant. "And stay confused, ugly."
With a flick of his wrist, he sheathed his daggers. Yuna and Kairo were finally catching their breath.
Kairo adjusted the sword at his hip, while Yuna brushed off a fleck of dirt from the mana stone of her staff.
"I'm guessing raiding the tomb comes next?" Yuna asked, straightening her robe.
"Nice deduction. Maybe there's hope for you yet," Renji said, already stepping forward.
Kairo snorted, jogging to catch up with him. Yuna followed, the weight of the silence falling between them like the dusk.
Renji pulled out his map and traced the red path, his finger sliding over the lines with purpose.
"We're actually going back to the capital, huh?" Kairo asked, his tone a mix of disbelief and awe.
"It won't be for sightseeing," Renji muttered. "But yeah. We are."
Yuna raised an eyebrow. "Seems like quite the journey to the catacombs."
"Problem?" Renji shot her a glance, cold and sharp.
"Er… no."
"Good." Renji's voice softened just enough to be dangerous.
They all moved in tandem, the weight of the unknown looming in the air. The city stretched before them—dark, sprawling, and full of secrets. With every step, the line between survival and oblivion blurred.