I woke to the sound of creaking floorboards from the room above me. Another day.

I climbed myself out of bed, scratching at the bandages across my body as they called for me to stop ignoring them. There was a reason why I had woken up, the creaking floorboards were barely one of them. I could tell my body wanted to collapse again onto the aching mattress, but it wouldn’t.

Well, if I couldn’t fall back to sleep. I could at least do the very least to put myself together.

My morning routine wasn’t impressive. A quick shower, soap and water. Run the soapy water through my hair, dry it off, and then it was how I liked it. Then brushing my teeth and getting something from the vending machine before heading to work.

∎∎∎

I stood in the shower for minutes watching as the gross mixture of liquids washed down the drain. Blood, soap, and water; all mixing together to form a pink liquid that swirled in the shower. Parts of my body stung, the feeling apparent as soap brushed past the healing wounds. Yet, there weren’t any blemishes.

Chunks of flesh had embedded into my body, a bullet shot into my shoulder, and I knew that there were shards of glass somewhere in there. Yet, the skin was all the same. As if there was no fight to speak of.

‘A perfect alibi.’ I would’ve thought, before I dragged the tip of my finger against the key symbol on my chest. There would always be proof.

∎

I walked into the part-living room, part-bedroom, brushing my teeth and scrubbing my hair with a moist towel. It defeated the purpose of getting dry, but had to make do.

My head raised for a moment, before it turned sharply in the direction of the complex’s complementary phone as it rang. I tossed the towel back into the bathroom, then tossed the toothbrush landing it into the little cup near the sink.

Hopping on one-leg to slip a pair of boxers to pick up the phone, “Mr. Jung” was calling. I spat out the mix of saliva and toothpaste foam into a cup of water sitting by the bedside before answering.

Ting.

“Noah, you’re up!? Does that mean—” His voice nearly peaked, sounding like a scream of half-shock and relief.

“Yeah, coming back to work today. I think I beat this cold.”

“In all my years… Noah, sick?! The world must be falling apart.”

“Pfft,” I nearly spat out. “Never found a cold that could hold me down. This one must’ve been a real doozy.”

“Ugh, I hope you’re not dragging in anything contagious now. Out for a week. If it held you down, my customers couldn’t stomach it. Maybe you should stay—” I cut him off.

“Wait! Wait! Wait, don’t go trying to pressure me to stay home when I’m feeling fine and not getting pay. I’ll grab one of those sick tests from the pharmacy if you’re worried. Be an hour or so late, but better than me staying here again.” I rushed the words out my mouth, moving over to a three-foot dresser to pull together my clothes with my phone pressed between my ear and shoulder.

“Hm, fine. I expect to see you soon then. Don’t pressure yourself.”

“Yeaaah… I won’t.” I nodded to the mirror. “I’ll be clocking in soon.”

The phone call ended shortly after. Jung caught me up on much of the happenings going on within the café. Grenda had been more chipper than she had been before, Nathan had been picking up the slack that I left behind, and Sarah had come in quite often – looking for me. He said he didn’t want to rush me back to the café, saying the second that he informed me I would’ve been up and pressed to go back to work.

Well, he wasn’t wrong. Nodding my head as I put on the last bit of my clothes and left for the pharmacy.

∎∎∎

Walking out of the pharmacy, I held a few snacks and a thirty-minute testing kit, having already used the latter within the store to cut down on time. Jung, however, may have been on to something when he told me to stay home. Things still felt off, not with my body, but more the air.

It had taken me longer to gain the courage to leave my apartment, I nearly bumped into a woman head-on during the walk to the pharmacy, and the feeling of danger still lingered. It had been like this for days since the skirmish, as if the feeling of being near-death never left my body anytime I wasn’t sleeping. It didn’t feel like I was doped up on any adrenaline, but that could’ve been because I had nothing left to use. Instead, my body just seemed to find it fit to remain active.

Though, thinking it over, I didn’t have it in me either to just not come into work after both calling Jung and hearing that Sarah had seemingly been coming in day-by-day to check up to see me.

Has the feeling of near-death still not faded? It didn’t feel like that, my body wasn’t overdosing itself with any adrenaline. That could’ve also been because I didn’t have anymore adrenaline to reliably waste. Anyways, I had received negative results on the test–as expected–and was now on my way to the cafe to show them off to Mr. Jung. My phone wasn’t in the best condition anymore, especially after Max’s Key put it completely out of commission. All in person now.

Color me unsurprised to see Sarah, standing outside of the cafe with phone in hand, clearly waiting. We both waved to each other then closed the distance.

“Noah! You’re finally together, I almost came to visit you.” Her arms wrapped around me, giving me one of the tightest hugs that I ever received. Capable of splitting my back if she was anything like me. An astonishing amount of gratitude radiated from her, before she pulled away.

I accepted it, reciprocating the gesture with a–not as tight–hug of my own, before going back to playing clumsy. A raised brow and confused look manifesting on my face. “Wow, I didn’t know cleaning up an apartment room would get me paid in hugs—but thank you–”

“Noah, dear. I’m not dumb.” Sarah responded, the woman’s amber gaze raised themselves to address me properly.

“Huh, I never said you were? That’s all I really did.” I deflected, letting out another light chuckle. Well, there goes a secret identity. Even without her addressing it, I could tell she was clearly aware of well… that.

I watched as she scanned the crowd forming around us to enter the café, before she grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me out of the sidewalk and into the alley closest to where I worked. She took out her phone, scrolling on by and clicking a few keys. She waited patiently, before looking up at me.

“Your phone is broken, isn’t it?” She stated bluntly, nearly startling me with both the break in silence and abruptness.

“I left it–”

“Don’t lie to me, you ruin your face when you lie.” She cut me off immediately, as if she could feel the bullshit.

“Mother’s intuition…?” I responded, to which she nodded her head.

She turned a glance back to the crowd, just walking the streets without paying the two any mind. “Max broke mine when his Key came along.” She pocketed her phone, looking up at me before back down.

Stolen story; please report.

“Guess that’s fine. I'll buy you a phone. A present for saving my son.” She just blurted out without hesitation, looking back at me dead in the eyes.

“Wait, you don’t have to–”

“You will accept the phone.” She pressed, her brown skin darkened further with her scowl.

“I will ma’am.” I shut up. Sarah struck the fear of god into me with such pressure that she felt like a mother to me. Just shut up and accept the free gift.

“Of course you will. Now…” Sarah paused a fraction, leaving a gap in the conversation as she looked at me. Her eyes focused on the sleeves of my arms, her brows lowered with an ounce of visible concern.

“You’re not registered. You know what’ll happen if someone finds out? Especially if you continue doing things like that. Like you’ve been.”

Oh, yeah. That.

“Registered–but, why would I–... I can’t get registered…”

“Why can’t you? You’re the one that told me to do it for Max, and you were right.” She sighed.

“I saw it on the news… Max was always a tough boy, he was never that strong. When it manifested he violently shook and cracked nearly every glass in the room. Now I read the news and he ended up fracturing all the glass within half a mile.

If I didn’t get him registered. They weren’t going to just come after that man who tried to get him, but him too. They know what my son looks like now… he’s… he’s just a boy. I didn’t want them looking for him. They don’t play nice. Just like how they’ll be looking for you. If you don’t get yourself registered, they will come after you. Hun, it’s a policy.”

She looked up and down at me, scared to death. From how this conversation first started off, she radiated gratitude to me for saving her son, and now she was worrying over my safety. I wanted to understand where she was coming from, but registration? I couldn’t.

“When people look at Keys, they don’t see people, Sarah.” I groaned a bit, my body tensed a bit. It may have been in the heat of combat, but back at the docks I could see it too. Even if they were shooting at me, they were kidnappers and smugglers, but I was the monster; and I’m one of the lucky ones. “You say ‘Key’ and everyone in the room doesn’t feel right anymore. It’s like looking at a gun.”

“So, my Max–”

“Wait! Wait! What I mean to say is… you know it’s true.” I gave up, there wasn’t any proper way to explain it further.

“Max couldn’t hide it. His skin shatters when he gets hurt, when he touches something like glass it’ll shake, the shards of glass in your apartment. He probably did all of that by accident. He’s not the kind of kid to break things. After the city block, he needed to get registered. He… he couldn’t hide it anymore. He could even get help in controlling them through the programs.” I tried appealing, Max needed to be registered; it was the best thing for both him and his mother. It couldn’t have been avoided.

Sarah didn’t respond, nor look at me. Instead, there was just a long gap of silence. I could tell by the expression on her face that she understood.

“How is Max?” I asked, trying to interrupt the awkward tension from slipping in.

“He’s okay.” She said, “He does want to see you. Well, “mom’s friend” who saved him. If he didn’t know, I didn’t tell him. He wants to say thank you, keeps asking. He’ll be starting a K.Y.E. program next week. I couldn’t keep him in his other school anymore. At least I won’t be paying for it, I guess.” She huffed, it was much more of a negative than both of us were willing to admit.

Key Youth Education, I hadn’t heard of it often (I also didn’t pursue my education past middle school), but it was a separate school for those possessing Keys. Where they’re educated by members of the Black Ring. Many of them later became a part of the Black Ring Organization.

“Noah, before you get into something again. You need to register yourself. I won’t force you, I would if I could, but I’m not your mother.” She walked up to me, placing a tender hand onto my shoulder. “Before you get hurt. Max is home still, but my mother has been missing you too. I didn’t tell her, but she thinks of you like some good luck charm.” She huffed, the hand resting on my shoulder raised itself to pat me lightly.

“You’re a good kid, I don’t want you being hurt more. I can’t have you snatching away more first-aid kits.” She patted me a bit harder for that one. Though, at least between us I could tell that things were still fine between us. A relief, but those good moments were small moments.

The feeling of danger spiked once more, my gaze snapped in the direction leading outside the alley; emanating from two women dressed in black, a bold-brick lettered logo with the words “BLACK” at the top and “RING” at the bottom, warped into a circle.

A shorter woman that stood at maybe above five feet, with fair white skin and curly brown hair that fell to her shoulders, wearing a collared sweater and long skirt that hid her face from the mouth and below. Even without seeing it, I could tell she was smiling.

The other caused the hairs on my skin to stand. A taller woman with a sharper expression, her apparel was that of a suit with hair wrapped into a ponytail. She exuded a potent feeling of intimidation, the moment she turned in my direction I felt stabbed; as if her eyes were daggers. They moved past us, and from what I could hear, they had just entered the café.

Sweat came down my face, a new sense of urgency. “The Black Ring Organization…?” The words impulsively left my lips, turning all my attention away from Sarah.

“Noah?” She had been speaking, but it was only the sound of name that caught my attention. I turned to her in a panic.

“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll get myself registered. Don’t need to worry!” I spoke out, running off to follow behind the women.

◉◉◉

I watched as Noah bolted off, leaving me playing catch-up with such an anxious yet confident boy, and repeating the words.

"The Black Ring Organization." I couldn't help but hum, a hand over my chin, and masking that dread to no one but myself. The immediate idea scared him, and forced him into pulling away to approach the café. The boy who saved my own had run off into another dangerous scene. I couldn't move like him, not into there with those people, a pair of people which weren't the same as Noah. Not as well-mannered nor trustworthy with the accursed gifts.

Yet, even as Noah had been careful when he spoke, even when that boy put every ounce of care into his person to make sure he was sometimes saying the right things. There were always tells that never left my eye, a mother's eye, as she looked over her children.

"Your freckles are always so dark when you lie like that."

◉◉◉

I burst into the café shortly after the women, the sound of the entrance bells chimed routinely to my ears. Everyone there was stunned, not by my appearance, but the women of the organization. There was a look of displeasure as their eyes focused on the women of the Black Ring.

“The Black Ring? Why’re they here?”

“Those devils.”

“They can’t just come barging in here.”

“Mom, I want another pastry.” – “Honey, hush, please.”

“What do these people think they’re doing…?!”

“Just leave already, please…”

From every corner, they either directed their focus away or onto them as they walked right up to the corner. Almost all of them spoke in disdain, confusion, or fear.

The employees didn’t even seem to see me walk in, instead many of them were frozen not knowing where to proceed from here.

“Where is Mr. Joshua Jung?” The sharp woman asked, placing a hand to the waist of her suit. Shifting a glance to the door at the sound of the chimes, at the appearance of me. Her glare was nearly enough to quell the atmosphere of the café, shutting up everyone in my general direction before turning her gaze back to the counter, letting everyone face the back of her head–which just meant staring at a ponytail.

Mr. Jung had appeared shortly after he was informed of their appearance, a glare meeting both the women. However, Mr. Jung was never much of a fighter. I couldn’t see it, but I could tell she shot another glare at him as I watched him nearly crumble in his spot.

“Wha–What.” He tried picking his confidence back up, swallowing that momentary lapse of fear. “What do you two want?”

“We’re here to arrest you on the grounds of harboring an unregistered Key. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you.” The sharp woman responded, placing a hand to the table.

If the café hadn’t already gone silent, it was silent now. Everyone was looking at Jung. I couldn’t move, everything about this situation had frozen me and my breathing in place. Did they know?

Sweat built up on Jung’s face as it contorted into a canvas of fear of worry. Horror plastered on it for everyone to see. I watched as my boss looked around the café to see all the faces looking at him, judging him as they waited for the man’s pleas.

“What…? No! I’d never harbor a Key! Especially not unregistered! I promise! I know the risks! I’d never do something as reckless as that!” He pleaded, but those pleas sounded more like begging in the eyes of the patrons. I watched as people we have built close relationships with over the two years had turned their heads away, trying to focus their eyes away from him.

The woman hummed, lowering a glance to the ground. “I didn’t make myself clear. I expected you to just come out with it to make this much simpler.” She groaned, turning her head to the shorter woman beside her to receive a nod. Verification? Well, it didn’t matter much. We all watched as she reached a hand out, forcefully tearing the collar of Jung’s shirt away. To the horror of everyone in the café, there was a Key on his chest.

“You’re under arrest for your possession and non-registration of your Key.”