The lounge room.
A place to relax and simply enjoy idle time.
Carpets with intricate designs and rugs made of animal hide randomly covered the tile floor. It didn't look fancy, but it brought an odd warmth.
A couple of sofas surrounded a center table with many magazines and board games. Anyone could sit down and read or play a game.
The walls were decorated with photos, paintings, and even faded signs. One didn't have to be an artist to recognize a number of the paintings or a gourmet to find some of the restaurant signs familiar.
There was a bulletin board with a city map, notes, and pins all over it. Perhaps someone would recognize the places it described.
And many other interesting items were found around the room as well.
Old candy dispensers whose sweets had become harder than rock, vending machines with empty cans, bull skulls, candles, and many other gift shop items on shelves and tables.
But among these, three unique antiques were notable: an old piano that is still being tuned, a worn-down grandfather clock that surprisingly still functioned, and a jukebox, the latter of which is given more use than the others.
This room was cramped with so many items, and it might not be classy, but it didn't need to be. One look and anyone could at least recognize something—items of old, when they were humans, and the world was whole.
It was good to realize that even in such hard times, you could remember something, no matter how insignificant.
There is a spark of humanity.
That was the lounge room.
This place was easy to notice as it could be seen from almost any other facility, basically welcoming anyone to rest after finishing restocking supplies, weapon maintenance, exercise, and research.
Its visitors were commonly Yami, Oliver, and Yakumo. The latter could be seen almost all over the base, even in the kitchen.
Adam and Io were often in their room, but most likely than not at the gym, Rin accompanying them if she had nothing to work on in her workshop.
Coco stationed her vehicle to set up a shop near the workshop and loungeroom, but was rarely seen in the latter.
As for Louis, he used most of his time in his research lab, occasionally helping Adam at the gym.
But now, they were all together enjoying their time.
Louis looked around.
Coco's smile, laded with smugness, was something he only saw in times like this. The last cards she held were for her amusement. She enjoyed keeping everyone on edge, as she rarely lost her advantage.
Oliver gave a defeated laugh. Even if Uno could be won with sheer luck, using it was also a skill—a skill he didn't have.
Yami slumped back on the sofa while groaning. He seriously tried to win, unfortunately, Coco was involved, and he realized too late that he was running in circles.
Yakumo, the man provoked into this game with too many participants, slammed his deck on the table. He had a certain pride not easily seen when it came to reading people, not because he hides it well; it's just that Coco is the only one who can keep him guessing like this.
'This… is better.' This thought was not born of the happiness of the moment but of a simple conclusion.
Guilty.
Reprehensible.
Criminal.
Murderer.
Coward.
Spineless.
And all things he could be called, whether he considered them the grating truth or not, the people around him weren't deserving of being labeled as such.
This wasn't their fault to fix, yet they fought for it. Even now, after the problem had become much more arduous, they remained…
'Can't let this fade as well.' Torn and trampled, but it was a resolve not forgotten.
It has always been there, just hazy after many deaths.
"Hahaha!"
He recognized someone's laughter.
The ex-mercenary turned to the man who got him into the game.
And Louis did the same.
'Adam…'
He had too many cards on him—one whole pack of Uno cards… well, he did buy it, so he is using it.
If utilizing luck was a skill, he wasn't simply lacking; he was in the negatives.
Honestly, there was no explanation. Adam wasn't that dull…
How can he have that many cards and not one of them be +2 or +4?
Yakumo pointed at the chuckling man, "What you laughing at! You had way more cards than I!"
"I'm just teaching Io what not to do." Adam, unashamed, hid behind the woman in question.
And she nodded as if agreeing.
'Io…' There was something Louis felt once he saw Io for the first time.
It was too small to know what it was exactly. Like a spark in the dark, her appearance shone a light on a memory too indistinct to give it a proper thought; it faded as soon as it came to him.
He knew that it wasn't her particular white hair. A hair color not seen on many and even less one as silver as hers. It almost glimmered as if moonlight was caught inside, which could only belong in one's imagination rather than the real world.
But now, he felt it clearer.
'Karen.'
She looked like his sister. Strikingly so.
He held so strongly onto the memories of his one and only sister, yet her face had faded so much in his mind that he didn't realize it until Adam restored it with a vestige.
Even if they had similar appearances, she wasn't Karen.
It was simply a coincidence, and Louis left it at that.
Why bother bringing it up to someone who had lost more memories than Adam?
All in all, the sight in front of him was… bright.
There was a worry dissipated by this light.
He thought that this could have been a farewell party, as the issue had become more than what they signed up for.
But now, he felt like it was an unnecessary thought.
Yakumo didn't drag him out of his lab for farewells but to see something. Something that can't be observed on the mountains of paper he had on his desk when he was doing guesswork.
The light-hearted scene lasted until midnight.
Even if sleep wasn't needed, it was well understood that it was most helpful to keep one's mind stable. BOR Parasite might make some human needs a luxury, but they were all hard to let go of.
The place slowly became peaceful as laughter died down, as if ready to leave.
Whether jokes where Louis caught strays from Yakumo or embarrassing stories that were used as comebacks, it all slowly came to a stop.
Snack trays were empty, and board games were put back in their boxes.
'...Yeah, it's time.'
Louis got up once Yakumo looked at him, along with Coco.
The pair of eyes had "You have something to say, don't you?" written all over them.
It wasn't just them; everyone came together knowing that Louis had something to explain. The folder that he kept on his person meant as much.
Though Coco and Rin didn't know what had been discovered during the expedition, the silence that took over after they arrived was noticed.
The researcher walked to the bulletin board, using the many loose pins to plant new documents.
In a single day, the world came to ruin.
The Queen and her Thorns of Judgment ravaged the lands, and with her horrors, she hunted for what was left.
Cerberus took matters into their own hands in a moment of chaos and, in desperation, used BOR Parasites on their fallen soldiers to fight back. These wondrous Biological Organ Regenerative Parasites granted more than healing; they gave their hosts powers and nigh immortality.
But it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Loss of mass and memories after death was expected, and if the parasite was damaged past a certain threshold, only ash was left of the host and parasite.
The negatives didn't stop at that. Not everyone was compatible with them. They had to go to great lengths to find them… even digging up graves and, worse, using children with high compatibility.
In the end, the Queen was defeated, but the crimson mist around the city stopped the survivors from escaping. Her army of Lost is now just wandering monsters.
This is known to almost everyone in the Gaol of the Mist.
Many had doubts about some parts of the story, as Cerberus had chosen to be silent in confirming or denying more details, but many of the revenants who fought in the war against the Queen didn't stay quiet and told their stories.
How were the first horrors different from Lost? They were real monsters that the Queen had to kill, for even her control over them had failed.
Others said that the Elite Lost were more useful in guerrilla tactics, so she disposed of the first monsters she made.
The Queen was a monster who gained human form to blend with people.
There were many stories involving the creation of monsters, the Queen, and the mist around the city. No, stories are still being told at this moment. They haven't come to an end.
Nonetheless, even after collecting all he could from every mouth that spoke…
What Louis had discovered and the events connected through such information weren't something he could ever imagine.
The mysterious phenomena in the city had clear reasons now.
The Queen, the monster who took Cruz's body from her, was truly an unkillable monster.
Even after her defeat, which took Adam's Blood Code and memories to overpower her, she was still immortal.
Cerberus likely tried everything to put her down as her Elite Lost still fought for their Queen, but understanding that they had no way to end her, they settled for an alternative.
A disturbing one at that.
The BOR Parasite that was labeled the "Queen" after it took over its host was simply on another level. Louis guessed that the body was more parasite than human, despite people describing it as more human than Lost.
With this, they bonded parts of the Queen's body to compatible hosts as if they were complete BOR Parasites.
These hosts, Successors, were kept away from each other to stop the Queen from regenerating. The Hunter, the watcher of relics, made sure of it.
But the Hunter's role didn't end there, the Queen's influence on its new host, even if it was one part of many, was overwhelming and corrupted their mind to turn them into monsters. If they lose the battle, Jack would likely end them before they frenzy.
Yet, the one they encountered was fine after Adam made contact with him.
Well, his mind was lucid to an extent, one that shouldn't be. John himself noted it.
"Some of your blood was taken, correct?" Louis asked.
Adam nodded.
The researcher had a few ideas, mostly confirmed by Adam at this moment.
The Hunter's interest in Adam wasn't because they worked together during the Queenslayer operation, but because he was a Successor as well.
One that even he didn't know was possible.
Two Successors' meeting should've been dangerous, yet the Hunter let it happen.
It means that he was also unaware of what kind of Successor Adam was. Seeing him not bring worse effects to John, he took his blood after confronting him.
Checking how truly lucid the new Successor was.
For now, Adam wasn't just the key to possibly fixing the Blood Bead shortage, but also keeping Successors safe from going frenzy.
If so, why not take him away to be sure of its effects?
Because the Hunter is already aware of where they are and has another pair of eyes looking at them.
Davis. That man was basically their neighbor; he was stationed beside the cathedral, constructing accommodations for extra expedition teams that he would manage.
This could also mean that their plan to help with the Blood Bead shortage was helpful to the issue with the Relics in some way.
The Relics certainly gave unimaginable powers. This could also explain why some areas in the city are simply uninhabitable, even for Revenants.
They are places for the Successors to remain undisturbed in their crypts.
It isn't just the rotting Dried Up Trenches.
Like the blazing fire that can't be extinguished, taking a part of the city, and the glacial temperatures of a new mountain brought up by the Thorns.
All this information could cause panic; no wonder Cerberus kept its lips tight on it.
After all, the 20 years after the end of the war up until now have shown many types of people. People with inflated egos creating cults, lunatics creating mass chaos for mere entertainment, and even those who tried to segregate the remaining population.
But how did the group react?
"And what's next?" Oliver simply asked.
It wasn't just him. It was everyone else. Not critical of the worsening situation. Like they had accepted everything as is…
A problem?
We will just have to fix it.
It's that simple.
'Stop moping and go do something, I'll follow.'
Understanding those words to a deeper extent, Louis gave a few words to conclude this explanation of the current events.
All this information, which could be world-shattering, meant only-
"-We will continue with our expeditions, looking for the source," Louis answered.
"Ah," Rin slumped back on the sofa, rubbing her temples, "this changed nothing and everything."
Coco nodded with a blank expression.
Just like how finding out about Adam's identity did nothing to alter his role in the expeditions. Although his real identity was a big deal, it didn't change anything. It just meant that he would have to work hard to get back into his peak.
Compared to Rin's exasperation, everyone else had mild reactions, but it was easy to understand why.
Until the Hunter contacted them, they wouldn't have precise answers, so trying to further guess what else was happening would be a waste of time. The time they could use to rest and go on expeditions.
Yes, they just needed to keep doing what they had been doing until now. No need for overcomplication.
"I'm sorry," Adam said among the pondering companions.
He turned and looked at the expedition team, "I left the formation and put it at risk just by moving on a hunch. The little I knew was too misshapen to be a concrete truth, and I risked it believing it would be for the best in the situation."
'Why didn't you tell us you were a Successor?' 'That was dangerous' 'Tell us next time' 'Can you trust us a bit more?'
Adam found it bothersome how none of those were even remotely insinuated.
As if they agreed not to question him. But he didn't like it.
The decision he took was the right one, but it was one risking everyone's well-being and didn't explain it in detail. He didn't want to be a man who followed the words "The end justifies the means."
Much less with the people he will have to work with to fix the city.
So he continued, "I woke up with no memories of what had happened for the world to come like this, only that the Queen was with me and that Io wished to help me stay sane."
"So," He leaned in for a bow, "I'm sorry I made choices while still knowing so little an-"
But he didn't finish as a hand reached to stop him…
Not the bow, though.
*smack*
But his nonsense.
The rest chuckled as Adam massaged the back of his head; his shades didn't hide the hurt look he gave to Yakumo. He was being sincere. Sure, he knew more than what he let on, but he was truthful about wanting to apologize.
With the palm of his hand warmer, Yakumo said with a grin unruffled by the pair of piercing golden eyes from the attendant, "Alright, forgiven."
Yami lifted his hand as if it were his turn to speak, "I wanna forgive you too!"
Either a joke or a bluff, no other hand reached Adam.
Maybe they were satisfied knowing that he didn't want to make excuses, or they had second thoughts seeing how sharp Io's presence had become at the moment.
Certainly, Coco didn't hide her smile at the events unfolding.
"You know, if you are really sorry, we need to get some new supplies right about now~" Rin readily added, wishing to exploit any weakness in someone like a sly scammer.
"I'm still restocking the Wine and Whisky," Coco commented on the side.
This caused Yakumo's eyes to widen.
"Adam! I take it back, I haven't forgiven you yet!"
Louis was speechless seeing the group bully someone who wanted to apologize…
Oliver held down Yami, who would've said something by now, but Io's hands looked unusually sharp today.
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Word Count: 2,813
Now the gang is up to date with whatever the hell is going on inside the Gahol… kinda.
:D