Samori stared at the dark body of water as it slowly seeped back into the darkness below. It was closer this time, and he thought that next time it would definitely claim their lives. But he had thought that last time, and somehow they had managed to survive.
"Come on, let's go," he muttered to his sibling, grabbing her hand and walking quickly through the tunnel, away from the view of the water.
Torchlight lit the tunnels and allowed them to traverse their way in the darkness. Samori wasn't sure how long civilization had been in these tunnels, but all his life, as he knew it, had been clad in the darkness of this elaborate maze, perilous tunnels, and uncaring caves. He hated it, while many of the inhabitants praised the darkness, the walls, and the rising water that claimed the lower levels of Howl.
[How many days do we have left, brother?] his sibling Bean asked, squeezing his hand as their small voice rang inside his head telepathically.
Samori had grown to know Bean's Potential quite early on, when they had refused to speak to anyone. It had felt natural when Bean's voice suddenly appeared in his mind. Samori began to think about Bean's question, calculating the speed at which the rising had occurred in the past and the speed at which they could climb to the upper levels of Howl. His eyes moved furiously as the imaginary numbers came to his mind, assisting his hypothesis.
'Two days until we would feel the ground beneath our feet grow damp. Five days until we too would be enveloped into the darkness of death,' Samori thought to Bean.
[Enveloped in the darkness of death? You're so dramatic. Death ain't that bad,] Bean chuckled.
Samori gave Bean a side-eye. 'I'm dramatic, and your sense of humor is dark.' Thinking back at her feels normal to him because that's how they always communicate.
After that exchange, they hurried home to inform their mother of their short adventure. She had sent them to the waters to check, but Samori thought she might have had an ulterior motive or two. When they walked into the abandoned hotel, the familiar smell of mothballs, burnt popcorn, and old aluminum foil hit both Samori and Bean.
[We're baaaack,] Bean yelled. From looking at her, no one would have assumed she was this jolly. She wore a long grey T-shirt that acted as a long dress for her, there were small holes here there but she's probably call it one of her best outfits. Her brown skin isn't ashy but pale due to the lack of sunlight in Howl just like every other person's skin. Some were definitely ashy though. What set her apart was her yellow eyes and straight black hair. Mother called her a Black Bean because that's what she would have always named a cat if she had one, therefore, insinuating the Bean looked like a cat.
Her inability to show emotion or expression existed as an extension of her Potential but Samori and the rest of her familia knows all of her expressions lived in her head.
Suddenly, Bean stopped walking and squeezed Samori's hand tight while pulling at the same time.
[Sam, something's really wrong. Everyone's heads are very, very quiet,] Bean whispered, her voice smaller and more shrill than he had ever heard from her.