Crow lay across his bed, face aimed towards the ceiling and body relaxed in a way it had never quite managed before. He held his gaze upwards, carefully keeping it from sweeping around the room for fear of finding himself overwhelmed once more.

His room. Pit.

Despite himself, Crow’s eyes flicked outward. Drank in the expansive walls and ceiling, thick carpet, masterfully carved furniture and horse-weight of decorations that seemed to adorn every foot of it.

He turned back away, a disquieting sensation wriggling deep in his gut.

I’m fighting people who are used to this.

The thought made him sick, and the sickness filled him with the defiant urge to turn over and bring his face to meet the Sieve’s quarters once more. Crow found himself thinking back to the previous stage, if only in search of a distraction.

He’d expected no comfort from the memory, surprising himself with the elation of recalling Gemini Menza.

Crow allowed himself a smile, recalling the tales he’d read of her talents. Felt it widen at the still-fresh image of her fighting like a butcher. Knowing she was a teammate.

Suddenly his room seemed smaller, his enemies’ pedestal closer to the ground.

A knock at his door brought him back to the present, then dragged him from his bed as it rang out a second time. The impatient noise came once more by the time he reached his door to answer it.

The sight of Unity leaning on the frame, smile as wide and twitchy as ever, was perhaps half as surprising as it ought to have been.

“Hello Crow,” the artificial chirped. His relaxed, quietly amused posture couldn’t have been more at odds with the frantic knocking he’d announced himself with.

“Good afternoon.” Crow found himself answering, thoughts drowned by a sea of questions. After a moment to compile them, he added. “How did you find my quarters?”

Unity started forwards, moving into the room as Crow reflexively sidestepped to make way for him.

“Oh I can track people with my mind, it’s an artificial thing. I also know all of your biggest secrets. What are you doing today anyway?”

Crow could only stare. The boy grinned as he met his eye.

“I’m fucking with you.” Unity chuckled. “I just asked a few people in the Sieve and found out they were organising room placement based on teams, yours was one of the three closest to mine.”

Crow said nothing, and Unity shrugged.

“Regardless, I got bored so I decided to visit you and see whether your guts had fallen out again.”

The joke brought a needed smile to his face.

“I’m fine.” Crow answered. “Though I haven’t been examined by a medic.”

“We’re in the third stage now, Crow.” Unity sighed, throwing himself down into a sofa. “That means we need to pay for our medical treatment with points, like adults. At least if previous Sieves are anything to go by.”

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He’d known as much, yet somehow it was reassuring to hear his teammate repeat the fact. Realising he’d grown less certain of it and more irrationally fearful of missing something vital. A stab of pain at his still-tender shoulder made him wish he was.

“How are you doing, then?” Crow asked. “I remember you took a few lumps in the last stage, too.”

“I did.” Unity answered, face souring as a hand moved absently to his side. “Nothing was broken, but I don’t think the bruising will clear up for a decade.”

There seemed a degree of fury behind his words that Crow hadn’t expected, hot like fire. As if the thought of being hurt offended him more than the wounds themselves.

“Any idea when we’ll be able to use points to do something about that?”

Unity shrugged, suddenly distracted.

“A few days, most likely. The orientation is the day after tomorrow. I imagine the reliquary will be opened up then.”

It seemed a long time to Crow, and he must have worn his unease like a mask.

“Something bother you about that?” The artificial asked.

“No.” Crow answered quickly. “I’m just… well, I want to take part in the next stage as soon as possible. Barely got any sleep last night, after fighting that undead, and I’d rather fight again before the battle rush can leave me.”

Unity nodded.

“I see. Well personally I’m happy for the time. Means I can get drunk.”

Crow found himself entirely unsure whether the boy was joking or not. That Unity’s smile remained no smaller or larger than it always was didn’t help.

“Tell me, do you have any plans this evening?” The artificial asked.

“Yes.” Crow answered, remembering his meeting with Astra.

Unity shrugged as though it were inconsequential, leaning back in his seat.

“I might come along with you, then.”

“Might you?”

Whatever emotion had showed in Crow’s voice, Unity seemed to find it hilarious.

“Oh relax, I’m not going to insist if you don’t want me to. Is it a private affair?”

Crow thought for a second, unsure. Astra had been eager to meet up and discuss their placement in the Sieve, yet she’d given no indication for any preference of it being just between the two of them.

She probably didn’t think it was necessary. How often do I make plans with others on the assumption they’ll bring a complete stranger to join in?

On the verge of refusing, Crow staggered. Unity was a stranger, yet so too was he a teammate. Surely he’d be welcome in a conversation about the two of them moving into the later stages, if he was to accompany them through them anyway.

“No.” He said, finally. Voice leaving him slow, like a rabbit beneath the shadow of a hawk. Unity eyed him sceptically.

“No, it’s not private. You should be fine to come along.” Crow said, injecting more confidence into his tone. “In fact it’s probably better if you do. I’m going to be discussing the Sieve with my sister, anyway.”

Unity’s face crinkled, nose turning up as if at an unpleasant odor.

“Oh. Your sister.”

“Do you have a problem with Astra?” Crow asked, unsurprised.

“Well she certainly has an issue with me,” Unity muttered. “And for no reason, I’d like to add. Or at least no reason I care about. Seemed to take exception to my suggestion that her main source of exercise was riding cocks.”

Crow buried his face in a hand to stifle the snort of laughter escaping it, staring at his teammate.

“You spoke to her like that?”

Unity seemed proud as he nodded.

Well no wonder they didn’t get along.

He suddenly found himself unsure.

“Do you still want to come?” Crow asked, hopeful. Unity thought for a moment, face falling still with consideration before he answered with a nod.

“Definitely.” The boy said. “It’ll be far more irritating for her than it is for me, and at the end of the day isn’t that what really matters?”

Crow felt as though his stomach might drop out.