A loud banging disturbed Noir, causing him to twitch in his sleep. Calling it persistent would be an understatement—the knocking was relentless as he twisted and turned, trying to ignore it.
And yet, it grew more insistent.
Noir opened his eyes and sat up with no wasted movement. Three sharp knocks rang in his ears.
"Kid?" Jackie's voice dragged out the word from the other side of the door. "Hey, kid." More knocking followed. "I'm trying to give you your privacy, but if you don't get up soon, I'm coming in. The day's already started."
After a few seconds, she pulled out her master key and reached for the lock. Before she could insert it, the knob turned, and the door opened slightly.
"Yes?" Noir muttered, a hint of reluctance in his voice.
"You hungry? I made breakfast over at my place."
The mention of food made Noir realize he hadn't eaten in over a day. His stomach growled in response.
Stepping out from behind the door, he closed up behind himself and waited for Jackie to take the lead.
"I guess that's a yes?" she said, already heading back to her place, Noir following behind.
JACKIE'S PLACE, RIGHT NEXT TO THE APARTMENT'S OFFICE, STOOD OUT WITH ITS house-like exterior. Unlike the other single-story units, hers was a two-story space, merging the first and second floors of the complex into one.
It had its own separate balcony, a triangular-shaped roof, and a backyard. It was like the house came first, with the apartment being attached to it later on.
Inside, the dinner table was set with a feast—eggs, bacon, biscuits smothered in gravy, sausage, and stacks of golden pancakes. The air was thick with the scent of warm, hearty food.
Noir sat at the table, staring at the spread before him. The sight and smell were unfamiliar. His years in Mille Dan had conditioned him to survive on nothing but cold, bloody meat.
"Well?" Jackie gestured toward the food. "Eat up."
Slowly, Noir reached for a thick slice of bacon—the only thing that resembled what he knew. He took a bite.
Then, he stopped.
The taste, the texture—it was different. Not raw. Not bloody. It was a memory he had never experienced, yet one that now existed.
Jackie watched him with curious eyes. "Is everything okay?"
Overcome by its deliciousness, Noir proceeded to stuff his mouth with more bacon.
"Woah, slow down," Jackie teased. "It's not going anywhere."
Hmm, I wonder when the last time he had a home-cooked meal was. Or a warm one at that, she thought.
"Hey, kid. Keep eating, but try to listen to me, okay?"
"If you're going to be staying here, I'm going to need you to start doing some chores. We don't know how long your stay will be, after all." Jackie smiled. "I'll even make sure to pay you so you have some cash in your pocket when you leave."
Noir paused. "What are chores?"
"They're, uhh— It's like work. Things to do, even. And I'll give you money for doing them."
"Why do I need money?"
"Oh god," Jackie groaned, dragging her hand down her face. "Okay, you see that bacon you're eating? It's good, right? Well, if you ever want more, you can use the money I give you to buy more."
"So money is used to buy bacon?"
"Yeah, no. It's used to 'buy' just about everything. Everything you see in this house was bought with money, including the house."
Noir paused, looking around at all the things in the house. "You must have a lot of money."
Jackie smiled, brushing her nails across her shirt proudly. "Yeah, I guess you could say I do alright."
Feeling thirsty, Noir reached for a small cup filled with a brown liquid that reminded him of the murky river water he used to drink. But the moment he took a sip, he spat it out just as fast.
"Yeah, coffee isn't for everyone," Jackie said, wiping droplets of the drink from her face.
"So what chores will I do?" Noir asked, oblivious to the residual coffee still on his face.
ACROSS THE STREET, IN THE MEN'S BATHING ROOM OF CELSUS SPRINGS SPA, NOIR stood with buckets of hot, soapy water and a push broom for scrubbing.
"Fun fact," Jackie began, leaning against the doorframe. "This is one of the few places in the world where a cold water spa makes more sense than a hot one. The kingdom stays the same temperature year-round. There's an old story about how, before this continent was inhabited, a meteor crashed here, leaving a massive crater. Over the next four hundred years, nature took its course and regrew over it. They say that impact created the Mille Dan River and is the reason the wildlife here is so diverse."
Jackie rubbed her hands together, a satisfied grin creeping onto her face.
"That meteor is supposedly still buried beneath the land, forming a dome of heat over the kingdom. Just a story, of course, but it does explain why the temperature is so consistently humid all year. No matter the season, in Meteor Kingdom, it never changes. And people are always looking for a way to cool off."
Thinking about how much money her cold water spa raked in each year, Jackie took her leave, but not before issuing instructions to Noir.
"Anyway, kid, we're closed on Sundays, so there won't be any customers. The women's baths are next door—start there once you're done here. When you've finished everything, come see me in my office at the apartments across the street."
"Okay," Noir replied, wasting no time as he poured the bucket of water onto the floor, beginning to scrub like Jackie instructed.
AS NOON CAME AROUND, NOIR WALKED INTO JACKIE'S OFFICE. AS HE STOOD THERE at her desk, waiting for her to acknowledge him, she relentlessly calculated numbers. While standing there, he couldn't help but listen to the radio playing in the back.
"Freq 107 presents: Petty Criminals. Starring: Adam Cesario, Francis Fable, and Claudine Edmee. Written by: JoJo Mar," announced a voice over the radio before police sirens began to fade in.
BO
"Can this thing go any faster, Tsumari?!"
TSUMARI
"I'm trying, but the guy in front of us keeps swerving.
He's making it difficult to pass him!"
BO
"Alph, open the trunk and start throwing things at the
cops. Try to get them off of us."
ALPH
"On it. This filth was beginning to make my skin break out.
It should be just fine for tossing."
TSUMARI
"Hey, don't talk about my car!
It's not filthy; it's just lived in."
BO
"Tsumari, give this guy a little love."
Tsumari gradually increased their speed, tapping the back of the swerving car's bumper. In response, the driver leaned half-way through the window with a beer in hand, waving his drink angrily through the air.
BO
"Oh my god! This scumbag is
driving under the influence!"
Tsumari and Alph simultaneously voiced their disapproval.
TSUMARI
"Oh my god!"
ALPH
"That fiend!"
BO
"Let me take the wheel.
Tell him to pull over."
Relinquishing the steering wheel to Bo, Tsumari leaned her head out of the window.
TSUMARI
"Hey, scumbag! Pull over!"
To their surprise, the man pulled over, and so did they. As the drunken man exited his car, Bo and Alph exit theirs, slamming their doors behind them. Instantly, they began beating him up, and while doing so, they made sure to inform him of his poor decision to drink and drive.
BO
"You're endangering the lives of these
innocent bystanders on the road!"
ALPH
"People like you make me sick!"
As they taught the man a lesson, the police finally caught up and separated them. Pulling Bo and Alph off of the man, they brandished pairs of handcuffs.
OFFICER ONE
"You two are under arrest for breaking and entering!
Where's your third accomplice?"
Tsumari slouched down in the driver's seat, rolling up her window and locking her door.
OFFICER TWO
"You've caused dozens of people emotional damage!"
TSUMARI
"Sheesh, all we did was spam the input button on
everyone's TV."
But before they could put the cuffs on, Alph informed them of the man who'd been drunk driving. He was lying on the ground half-conscious, reaching for his beer a few feet away.
DRUNK MAN
"Uuuh."
ALPH
"Officer, that man has been drunk driving!"
OFFICER ONE & TWO
"What?!"
OFFICER ONE
"You filth!"
Releasing Bo and Alph, the officers jumped on the drunk driver with their batons out. They too began informing the man of his poor decision-making.
Jackie scooted her chair back and leaned over to switch off the radio.
"All done?"
"Mhm," Noir replied with a single shake of his head.
"Great, take these." Jackie handed him a plastic bag and a pair of gloves.
"What do I do with this?"
"Go around the complex and a little ways down the sidewalk to pick up any trash you see on the ground. There's a dumpster on the right side of the complex—once the bag is full, toss it in there."
Noir took the bag and gloves, but as he began walking out the door, Jackie stopped him.
"Hey, kid, catch." She tossed him a lunch bag. "Make sure you eat before you start."
After an hour, Noir returned empty-handed once again.
"All done? Great. I have just one last thing for you to do, but it might take a while."
Jackie stopped in her tracks, covering her nose.
"All I have left for you is to pull some weeds growing along the sidewalk and against the sides of the apartments. And after that… you really need to bathe. What, did you play in the dumpster after tossing out the trash?"
Hours later, when Noir finished pulling weeds and Jackie wrapped up her accounting, she taught him how to run the bath in his apartment. She brought a bar of soap, a bathing brush, and a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, explaining how to use them in case he didn't already know. Her instructions included draining the tub and refilling it for a second round of washing.
As she finished, Noir began taking off his clothes, only for Jackie to yank his shirt back down.
"Hey! Wait for me to leave before you start getting naked!"
Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. "Wait, you don't have a change of clothes, do you?"
Stepping out, she returned with a pair of sweatpants.
"This is all I have. They're baggy on me, but they should fit you just fine. You get in, and I'll run to the store and pick up a few things."
After Noir had followed all her instructions, he sat there in the suds-filled bath, staring at the wall. His skin was glowing, and his hair was looking healthier than before. Bored, he sank down in the tub—allowing the nice warm water to soak his scalp. This was a feeling that Noir had come to enjoy while bathing. But, without even a second thought, he let out a sigh of relief and instantly began choking on the water.
Once again, Noir heard coughing and choking that was not his own. As he tossed about, trying to grip the edges of the tub, he stood to his feet, looking around as he coughed and wiped the water from his eyes. But, no one was there.
It had been half an hour since Jackie left, and despite how nice the warm bath had felt, Noir had something else that had been on his mind since his arrival at Margeaux Quarters. Stepping out of the tub, he placed on the sweatpants Jackie gave him and exited his apartment.
RETURNING FROM THE STORE WITH ESSENTIAL CARE PRODUCTS, CLOTHING, AND shoes, Jackie arrived at the entrance of the complex.
"I hope I didn't take too long. I wasn't really sure which sizes to get him, so I ended up having to ask a boy his size. Ugh, I can't believe I made him work all day in nothing but those cheap slide-ons! I'm such an idiot! I–"
Jackie paused upon realizing she had stepped on something.
"What's this?"
She knelt down, picking up a wood plank. She looked around, wondering where it could've come from, when finally she noticed an open door on the second story—apartment 230 had been broken into.
Nearly dropping everything, she began rushing up the stairs to see what had happened.
Did someone break in and rob the place? she thought to herself, her heart pounding uncontrollably as her body trembled with fear.
Reaching the entrance of apartment 230, she laid eyes on someone standing in the living room with their back to her.
"Hey, what are you–" she hesitated, realizing who the person was.
"Kid?"
Slowly, Noir turned around, holding two framed photos in his hand. One was of a woman and child that he felt resembled him. The other was Jackie with two other women and a man.
"Even though I'm unsure as to why, even I can tell that all of me isn't here—at least not in the way it might've been before. But something kept telling me to come here, to this room. And when I finally got the chance to, I came in and found these pictures. I might not be able to remember anything about my life before waking up in the swamp, but I couldn't help feeling like I might've known the people in these photos at some point in life." Noir paused for a moment before continuing. "Jackie, do you know who I am?"
When he turned around, Jackie saw the vessel around his neck, lying flat against his chest. But something about it felt different—off in a way she couldn't quite place.
"What? I have no idea who you are," she said, taking up her guard. "I don't know what it is you're looking for, but you sure as hell won't find it here."
"Jackie," a voice whispered to her. "It's been too long."
"Mona?" Jackie replied instinctively, her voice cracking as she lowered her guard.
Even after all these years, Mona's voice was unmistakable to her.
"Yes, it is me, my friend."
"I–but how?"
Jackie reached toward the vessel, her hands trembling, unable to form a sentence. But realization struck, and she pulled away, placing a hand over her mouth and stomach—the terror enough to upset her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stepped back, holding onto the wall. She was overwhelmed by a storm of emotions, her confusion deepening.
"That symbol. Mona, you didn't," Jackie cried out in agony, her worry barely escaping her lips. "You promised you wouldn't. This can't—It can't be. We all agreed that Liability's Accord was forbidden!" she shouted, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Jackie," Mona spoke softly—despite the heavy guilt in her voice, her words drew Jackie's attention as if they demanded it. "I know I've been selfish, but if I could do so just once more and ask that you remember our promise. It would mean the world to me, especially considering that my world has been brought right before you. I know I didn't keep my part of the promise and disobeyed yours and Marcelo's wishes, but please once again be the sister I never had and keep yours. Protect my sweet boy until the very end, just as I did."
As Noir made his way over to Jackie, a grandfather clock somewhere in the apartment began to toll, signaling midnight. Suddenly, the vessel hanging from his neck began to singe and burn, dropping from its rope. As it disintegrated into nothingness, a blue flame engulfed it before it could even reach the floor.
Noir had no idea why, but as the vessel burned away, he began to feel warmer inside. He still couldn't remember anything from his past, but it felt as though a massive knot in the back of his head had been massaged away.
"Jackie, are you okay?"
Jackie's eyes widened as she froze in the midst of her breakdown. The voice she heard washed over her like a cool wave—not as something new, but as something achingly familiar. Her gaze drifted to the photos in Noir's hands, and for a moment, she didn't see the young man standing before her. She saw a child.
A strange sensation settled over her—not the erasure of grief, but a shift, a reframing. It wasn't as if her mourning had been undone, but rather, it had taken on a new shape, layered with something deeper. A light—one that didn't diminish her pain but added complexity to the long journey she'd endured since losing the second family she had found in the Bordeauxs'.
"You're," she whispered, her hands trembling as they reached toward him.
Noir stepped closer. Close enough to be within her grasp.
"Noir," her voice broke. "My little fiyo."
Jackie pulled him in, holding him tight.
"Of course I know who you are."