Keagan woke up to the sweet smell of coffee. He opened his eyes and found that he was alone in Catalina’s bed, but the bedroom door was open, this allowed the magical coffee fumes to enter the room.

He checked his phone and saw that the time was six thirty. He’d need to move pretty quickly if he wanted to make it to work, since he was in Cynosure and it was several kilometers away from Ix Chel. He crawled out of the bed and exited the room to find a fully dressed Catalina. She wore an exquisite blue skirt and a pure white top, but Keagan didn't really care.

He did, however, spot a coffee mug on the kitchen counter and it looked like it wasn’t hers. Keagan ignored it and went into the shower. That’s when the reality of what he had done sunk in. He caved in and let his primal urges usurp his reasoning. The water ran and he thought about how to rectify his shortcoming. His failure control himself would soon lead to another batch of stress and Keagan wasn’t looking forward to it. He left the shower and saw that Catalina had prepared a new set of clothing for him.

“Mmm? Let me guess, you got my measurements from that time at the mall.” Keagan said as he took the clothing. He returned to Catalina’s bedroom and got changed. He used Catalina’s mirror to look for anything odd in his appearance. Satisfied with his look, he left the room and drank the coffee from earlier.

“Oh- isn’t it cold?” Catalina asked. Keagan took a big sip of coffee before answering.

“Yes. You should’ve left it in the kettle and then served it once I arrived. Anyway, let’s go. We’ll be late.” Keagan said and they departed from Catalina’s house shortly after. During the trip, Keagan got a phone call from Roy.

“What’s up?”

[Yo Guess what?]

“What?”

[My big brother’s got released yesterday. His passing by my place today. You should come over.]

Shit. Keagan thought.

“Er… ok. But- you know what, never mind. I’ll be there.” Keagan said reluctantly before ending the call.

The journey to Ix Chel from that point on was uneventful and they arrived at work on time. Keagan saw Dan and Mercy discussing something and so, he approached them.

“Keagan!” Dan greeted excessively loudly.

“Hey Dan.” Keagan greeted back.

“So? Excited, aren’t you? Your debut on television.” Dan said.

“About that… will the interview have anything to do with the CryoPod, cause I thought it was classified?” Keagan asked.

“Nope. Just cryogenics.”

“Ok. Oh, good morning Mercy.” Keagan greeted the almost invisible Mercy.

“Good morning. Don’t humiliate the company on international television please.” She asked in her usual nervous manner.

“I won’t.” Keagan said with an awkward smile.

“Ok, gotta head back to Cynosure. So get to work, check your data and I’ll see you tomorrow in the morning.” Dan said before leaving.

“Why was he here though?” Keagan asked Mercy before she entered her office.

“Mmm? Oh, I’m sure he just wanted to speak to you in person.” Mercy said. Keagan brushed aside any suspicions he had as he went to his desk and began working on the days task.

The day came to its end and Keagan psyched himself up for his meeting with Roy’s brother. He tidied up his desk and descended to the first floor. There he met a rather excited Roy and they made their way to Acan.

“Man, its been so long since I’ve seen Cory’s ugly ass.” Roy said as he and Keagan patiently sat on the speeding train headed for Acan.

“Yeah.” Keagan said with a sigh.

“What? You think he’ll be up to no good?” Roy asked.

“N- it’s not that.”

“I understand. But he'll behave. I hope.” Roy said as they arrived at their station which was station B01. The B stood for blue which meant that the train was an inter district one. Red was used for trains that only traveled in Cynosure and green was for local trains that only traveled within their districts.

Keagan and Roy made their way towards the apartment complex where Roy stayed. It was a short walk from where Keagan stayed, but unfortunately it was also further towards the unregulated side of Acan. Keagan had heard about the rise in crimes in Unity as a general and Acan wasn’t spared.

They arrived at Roy’s apartment and waited for his brother's arrival. Keagan patiently waited as Roy prepared some food.

“So, when was the last time you went grocery shopping?” Roy asked.

“Umm… when was the last time you cooked for me?”

“A month ago?”

“A month ago then.”

“What?” Roy exclaimed.

“I’m telling you, one day you’re gonna kick the bucket just cause you’re too lazy to cook.” Roy said as he stirred the delicious smelling contents of his pot.

“Who’s fault do you think that will be? It’s your food that tastes so damn amazing!” Keagan said while puffing his cheeks.

They both then heard a rather loud knock on the door.

“I’m cooking. Check if its Cory.” Roy said and Keagan jumped out of the couch.

“Who is it?” Keagan asked.

“Its Cory.” A rather smooth deep voice replied. Keagan opened the door and saw a gigantic man with a buzz cut and numerous tattoos. His almost black brown eyes had a coldness to them that made the air sink.

“You must be Keagan.” The man said.

“Bro!” Roy called out while running towards the door.

Suddenly, all of the intensity from before washed away as the large man smiled, revealing a few silver teeth.

“Bro! You have no idea how happy I was when you told me you got a job.” The large man said as he entered the apartment.

“Well, that was all thanks to Keagan and guess what Corey?” Roy asked.

“What?”

“I get paid quite a lot.” Roy said while puffing his chest. Roy’s brother, or Corey, sat down on the couch. One could almost hear the couches cries as it supported Corey’s weight.

“I’m so damn proud of you. Kinda makes me wanna get a job too. How about it Keagan? Think you can get me a job at your big wig company?” Corey asked. Keagan’s heart shook at the sound of Corey’s voice.

“Umm… I’m not sure they’d accept you, since… you know.” Keagan said while his voice box struggled vocalizing his thoughts.

“I see. Well, that’s a shame.” Corey said as Roy served everyone their meals. Keagan watched as Corey ate large spoonful’s of Roy’s rice and pork hunger killer combo.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Mmm! Delicious! I’m telling you. You should be a chef or something.” Corey said as his eyes rolled back comically.

Roy looked overjoyed while Keagan on the other hand couldn’t help but feel like he was interrupting their brotherly bonding, so he pretended to check the time.

“Ugh, dammit. I gotta prepare for work tomorrow. I guess I’ll be seeing you guys sometime soon.” Keagan said as he placed his empty plate in the sink.

“What? So soon? Ok.” Roy said as he tidied up the kitchen. Keagan walked towards the door, then suddenly he felt a large hand place itself on his shoulder.

“Hey, why don’t we have a chat outside. I’ll accompany you out.” Corey said, which resulted in Keagan's heart metaphorically shit itself out of his body.

“Ok.” keagan whimpered. The duo made it out of the apartment complex and stood next to each other on the sidewalk, which emphasized Corey’s height. His old leather jacket didn’t help either, it only added to the intense vibe that surrounded him.

“Listen, I wanna thank you for taking care of my brother.” Corey said rather softly.

“Huh? If anything, he’s the one who took care if me, hehe.” Keagan said awkwardly, but stopped once he saw the seriousness in Corey’s eyes.

“I mean it. Thank you.” Corey said as he stared into Keagan’s eyes.

Keagan sighed before relaxing his shoulders and shedding any preconceptions he had of Corey.

“No worries.” Keagan said with an equal amount of seriousness.

Pleased with Keagan’s answer, Corey turned around and returned to the apartment. Keagan walked home as his thoughts returned to a cold but familiar place. He returned home to find Karisa sitting patiently on the couch. He could smell something had been cooked but Roy’s food had filled him to the brim.

“Did you cook?” He asked as he got undressed.

“Yes.” Karisa answered.

“Put it in the fridge or something, I’m full.” Keagan said as he plopped onto his bed. He felt so calm when he was at home.

Karisa packed away whatever she had cooked and stood next to the bed.

“Get on.” Keagan instructed. He needed to remove any lingering anxiety from his mind, so Karisa turned off the lights and got into bed with Keagan. She removed her pyjamas and laid next to him. Keagan let out a loud sigh.

“Was it work?” Karisa asked.

“No.” Keagan said. Karisa hadn’t met Roy yet so he didn’t expect her to comment.

“It’s Roy's brother. I'm worried... and kinda scared.” Keagan said. Mostly to himself than to Karisa.

“But I guess everything will be fine.” Keagan said. It was more a plead to whatever omniscient force was listening.

Karisa ran her fingers through Keagan’s curly hair as the night wore on. Some time passed and Keagan eventually found sleep.

.

..

The morning alarm shocked Keagan awake and he snuck out of bed and away from Karisa. He completed his morning ritual and headed for work, but upon arrival at the train station, he saw an anomaly.

“Hey, Keagan!” Roy called out.

Keagan saw Roy standing next to his freakishly tall brother.

“Hey.” Keagan greeted with a weak wave.

“Hey.” Corey greeted back.

“Not to be rude but what’s Corey doing here?” Keagan asked while avoiding eye contact with Corey.

“Oh? He wanted to see where I work. That and he has something he wants to do in Ix Chel, so yeah.” Roy said as they boarded the train. Keagan couldn’t help but feel knots forming in his stomach.

The train eventually arrived in Ix Chel and they made their way to the Lezzaro building.

“Ta-da!” Roy said excitedly.

Corey eyed the large building intently before turning his attention to Keagan.

“Just what do you guys make up there? Medicine? Chemical’s?” He asked, but Keagan shook his head slightly.

“Nah, we make storage. Really cold storage.”

Corey let out a sigh.

“Ah well, I’ll see you guys later. Don’t forget to keep an eye on my little rascal of a brother, ok?" He said as he walked away. His large frame caught the attention of many suit and tie pedestrians.

“Who does he think he is? Calling me rascal, tsk!” Roy scoffed playfully as he and Keagan entered the building. Keagan went up to the R and D floor and there he found Dan and Mercy once again discussing something outside her office.

Keagan approached the pair.

“Ahem.”

“Oh, Keagan. I was wondering when you were going to show up. You ready?” Dan asked.

“Yeah, but are we going to do the interview now? It’s like seven in the morning.” Keagan asked.

“Sounds to me like you’re nervous.”

“I’m not nervous. I’m just wondering who watched TV this early in the day.” Keagan said.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff and besides, by the time we get there and the interview starts, it’ll be already noon or something. So don’t worry about it.” Dan said in an attempt to comfort the slightly nervous Keagan. Dan and Keagan bid their farewells and began their journey to Cynosure.

They eventually arrived at Biznet studios and Dan was right. After everything was prepared and they finally sat down for the interview, the time was already two o’clock.

Something else that surprised Keagan was the fact that the person interviewing them was none other than Dan’s wife. She was actually quite popular and Keagan had seen her several times on TV.

After some time, Keagan and Dan sat opposite Dan’s wife and the interview began.

“Good afternoon, my name is Amanda Palmer and joining me today is Daniel Eagleton and Keagan Keita, who have seemingly found a way to stop the ever turning cogs of decay. Welcome to the show.” Amanda said. Her voice, although feminine, had this smooth deepness that felt rather nice to listen to. She wore a very modest dress and a pair of thin glasses.

"Thank you so much for having us.” Dan said using his business voice. Keagan was surprised by how cold Dan and Amanda were talking to each other, because if Dan hadn’t told him, he’d have thought they were complete strangers.

“Yes, now moving on to the question of the day. How? How did you do it? Lezzaro scientists have allegedly found a way to completely stop a complete human body from decaying. I’d like to know how.” Amanda asked.

“Well, I’ll have to admit that I’m the business half of the answer, so I’ll hand that over to Lezzaro’s resident scientist and new spokesman.” Dan said while slighty grinning at Keagan.

Keagan let out a nervous smile then went on to speak about the details of Lezzaro’s methods of cryopreservation and how beneficial it would be to the world.

“Wow. Such an interesting concept.” Amanda said. Keagan could see that Dan wanted to blurt out the truth about the CryoPod, but he stopped himself every time the urge surfaced.

“Next question I’d like to ask is what advice can you give the rest of the scientific community on cryogenics- genics- g- g- g- genics.”

Keagan wasn’t sure, but it sounded like Amanda had glitched or something.

“Ahem! Well, it’s pretty straightforward. Push the cell to its limits without killing it. Doesn’t matter how long it takes or how cold it gets, just ensure that you keep the cell alive. Once you figure out how to safely freeze the cell, you’ll have to figure out how to safely thaw the cell.” Keagan explained. He couldn’t help but feel like all of the studios crew members were looking at him, but he brushed that thought aside.

The interview eventually came to an end. Keagan and Dan were escorted backstage and Keagan patiently waited for Dan to bid his wife farewell. It was then, that Keagan was struck by a sudden surge of anxiety and fear. He felt it crawling around him. The eye’s of the people around him seemingly glared into his soul. Keagan’s breathing hastened and his thoughts went into a frenzy. He did his best to conceal the fact that he was experiencing extreme discomfort.

Eventually, Dan concluded his meeting with his wife and approached the barely standing Keagan.

“You ok there?” Dan asked with a look of concern.

“I’m good. I think I just need to take a nap.” Keagan said as he stumbled out of the studio with Dan. They got into a taxi and made their way to the nearest vectrain station as Keagan trembled.

“Dammit boy, what’s wrong with you. You look like you’ve got a cold and are having seizures at the same time.” Dan said as he held Keagan straight so that he could sit up. Keagan's eyes had nearly rolled backwards completely and his mouth was frothing.

“Nope, we’re going to the hospital. Eh, sir. Could you take us to Cynosure medical centre?” Dan asked and the taxi driver changed course, but by this time, Keagan had lost feeling in all of his body and his mind felt numbed by the coldness he felt.

The moments crawled by as Dan took Keagan to the hospital where he was taken to an emergency.

Keagan would’ve have trembled at the sight of all of the medical staff and their soul burning eyes, if his body hadn’t become so numb.

Keagan’s vision eventually faded and he passed out.

.

..

Keagan’s body felt like it was being crushed by a hundred hydraulic presses. His head ached severely and his thoughts were distorted. He opened his eyes and was met with the glare of bright white hospital lights. He blinked the pain away and saw the face of a man he assumed was a doctor.

“Hello Mr. Keita and good morning.” The doctor said with a rather weak smile. Keagan tried to greet him in return but found himself unable to speak.

“Please don’t force yourself, your body is still recovering. It’s ok, just lay still. You should be fine within a few hours.” The doctor said.

Keagan winced at the doctor as he didn’t even know why he was in the hospital to begin with. The door to the private hospital room opened, revealing a concerned Dan, who walked straight towards the hospital bed where Keagan rested.

“Keagan, are you ok?” He asked.

Keagan shook his head slightly indicating that he wasn’t ok. The doctor took out a tablet from one of his oversized pockets.

“Ok, Mr. Keita I’m going to ask you a few questions. Nod or shake your head in response ok?” The doctor asked and Keagan nodded his head.

“Ok. First question: Have you had any visions or hallucinations recently?” The doctor asked, but Keagan looked at Dan in confusion. Dan shrugged his shoulders indicating he didn’t know where this was going either.

Keagan shook his head and the doctor noted his answer.

“Second question: Have you had any strange dreams recently. Ones that may have caused you extreme stress and or joy?” The doctor asked and Keagan’s eyes shot open, as he remembered a certain dream. Keagan nodded his head and the doctor took his notes.

“Do you know what rapture is?” The doctor asked, this time his tone was more serious. Keagan shook his head.

“Well Mr. Keita, Rapture is an extremely addictive hallucinogenic drug and I’m afraid to say that someone has been giving you large doses of it. We found extremely high levels of the drug in your bloodstream. Yesterday, you experienced withdrawal symptoms, which reinforces that you’ve been on it for some time." The doctor said.

"You may want to visit a rehabilitation centre, but I’ll give you what you need to suppress some of the withdrawal symptoms.” The doctor said before the room. Leaving Dan and Keagan to digest the information they’d just received.

“What the hell, kid. You really had me worried there..” Dan said.

"Who could have done this to you?" Dan asked rhetorically.

Keagan knew the answer. He felt it. His brows sunk and his eyes flared in anger as rage consumed his mostly immobile body.