'It has been a long time hasn't it? Since me and the squad transmigrated.'
A skinny boy in the slums sat up. His black hair stuck to his forehead, sweat mixing with dirt. Four bodies lay sprawled across the floor like corpses dumped after a brawl, and another sat slumped in a chair, snoring softly. The faint sound of breathing ruined the illusion of death.
"Oi! Wake up, useless idiots!"
His voice bounced around the shack. None of them stirred. Not the ones on the floor, not the one in the chair.
Amon clicked his tongue. Figures. Those idiots could sleep through an earthquake.
He turned toward the corner. A bundle of firewood sat stacked like treasure. They had risked their necks for it. Some of it was damp, some rotting, but it was all they had. He grabbed a few pieces and walked outside.
The morning was gray. Smoke from other fires drifted above the slums. The air smelled of rust, mold, and sweat. Amon knelt on the dirt and made a small fire. The flames struggled to live, weak and thin.
The door creaked. Lilith stepped out. Even in rags, she carried herself with a strange grace. Her green eyes glared, sharp and tired, while strands of wheat-gold hair fell across her shoulders. She didn't look like she belonged here, but here she was.
"Amon, what's the food?" she asked.
He smirked, poking the fire. "Ratatouille the second and his family of rats."
She blinked. "You're kidding."
"Do I look like I'm kidding?"
Lilith sighed and leaned against the doorframe. "Disgusting."
"Then don't eat."
She crossed her arms, watching him. From inside, the others shifted but didn't rise.
"So? Are Adam, Medici, and Klein awake?" Amon asked.
"No," Lilith said. "I tried kicking Medici. He rolled over."
"Figures."
Amon reached into a ragged bag and pulled out a wrapped bundle. The smell hit hard. Sour, pungent. Meat, or something close to it.
Lilith wrinkled her nose. "That's poison."
"Breakfast," Amon said.
"Still poison."
He tore off a strip, tossed it into the fire, and let it sizzle. "Back home you probably ate like a princess. Now you've got rats."
She gave a small laugh. "I miss eggs. And bacon."
"Too bad."
The fire crackled. The slums around them woke up. Shouts echoed, dogs barked, and metal pots clanged.
A groan came from inside. Then a voice. "Ugh. What time is it?"
"Time for you to get off your ass, Adam," Amon said.
Adam stumbled out. His blond hair was messy, his white cloak already dirt-stained. A small silver cross still clung to his neck, though it looked more like scrap now. His eyes, however, stayed bright, innocent in a way that didn't match the filth.
"…You're cooking again?"
"Yes."
"…We're doomed."
Lilith smirked. "Told you."
Amon ignored them and pulled the stick from the fire. He lifted the charred meat and blew on it. One bite. Chewed in silence. His face gave nothing.
Adam's eyes widened. "You're actually eating that?"
"Food's food," Amon muttered.
Another figure stepped out. Medici. His crimson red hair fell all the way to his waist, shining even in the weak light. Once he might have looked like a warrior prince, but now dirt streaked his face, and his black shirt was torn at the sleeves.
"…Smells like ass," he said.
"Better than your face," Amon shot back.
Medici walked over, sat down, and snatched a piece of meat before Amon could react.
"Hey!" Amon snapped.
Medici grinned while chewing. "Sharing is caring."
Lilith groaned. "Idiots, both of you."
"True," Adam muttered.
A voice came from the shack, muffled and dramatic. "If I eat one more rat I swear I'll ascend and slap God."
Klein dragged himself out. Thin, sharp-faced, with brown eyes that still carried the faint aura of someone who once dressed in suits instead of rags. He leaned on the doorframe like a dying scholar forced into the mud.
"Good," Amon said flatly. "Tell him to send us home while you're at it."
That shut them up. The fire burned quietly.
The chair scraped. The one who had been slumped in it finally stirred. Bethel rose, posture straight despite his ragged clothes. His black hair, darker than night, caught the light just enough to reveal thin strands of white mixed in. His cerulean eyes opened, rippling layers of blue locking on the fire. Without a word, he stepped over, picked up a piece of the charred meat, and ate in silence.
Lilith raised a brow. "You're not going to complain?"
Bethel chewed slowly, then swallowed. His voice was calm, almost polite. "Food is food. Complaints won't fill your stomach."
Klein groaned. "Ugh, another heartless one."
"Better than another loud one," Bethel said without looking at him.
The group laughed, except Klein. He muttered curses under his breath.
For a moment, things almost felt normal. Smoke, banter, fire, food.
Then shouting rang down the street. Harsh, angry, close. The sound of wood splintering followed. Then a scream.
Lilith tensed. "What now?"
Adam frowned. "Sounds like trouble."
Medici yawned. "It always does."
Klein perked up. "What if it's food trouble?"
"Then we move," Amon said.
Bethel glanced at him, calm as ever. "And if it's death trouble?"
"Then we move smarter," Amon replied.
Silence. Then Lilith nodded. Adam looked uncertain, but didn't argue.
Medici stretched. "Fine. But if I die, I'm haunting Amon first."
"Get in line," Klein said.
The six of them rose. Hungry, filthy, and tired. But alive.
The slums outside were waiting.
And maybe, just maybe, there was something out there worth more than rats.
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I'm admitting that my imaginations to continue kept waning and waning every fanfic I create so I will drop the dino and ophis one (I still want to continue that shit)
And btw nice to meet you again mysteries and goodbye my timeless angels (demons)