After Lana left, the tall black-haired guard looked at me with confusion in his eyes and asked, "Why did you call for me and then close the curtains? Also, what did you mean when you told Lana not to allow anyone to go behind the curtains? What if other guards or nurses come here and see you talking to me? Won't that put both of us in danger?"

I met his gaze with a serious expression and whispered, "Are you friend or foe?"

Ryuji seemed to understand the gravity of my question and replied in a low voice, "A friend."

Relieved, I pointed to the pen and paper in my hand and began to write, despite the difficulty caused by my fractured dominant hand. I wrote, "I know this place is being monitored, which is why I chose to write on paper instead of speaking directly and why I asked Lana to close the curtains."

Continuing to write, I conveyed my plan, "I'm going to create a disturbance by arguing with you loudly about the food you brought to my cell. I want you to go along with it. Meanwhile, I will write down my questions and requests for you on the paper. Is that okay?"

I added, "Please answer my questions using head gestures or by writing on this paper, so neither of us will be in serious trouble. If anyone comes to check on us, I want you to hit me as hard as you can and act as if you're furious with me. This will deter the guards and other nosy people from suspecting us."

"Don't worry about the paper in my hand. When we're finished and you leave, I'll burn it so that no one will know what transpired between us."

The guard nodded in understanding as I spoke, signaling his comprehension.

I began writing on the paper, simultaneously initiating an argument with Ryuji about the food, just as I had planned.

The words I penned were as follows: "I had a feeling from the first day you brought me food that you're not a bad person. I also observed Lana's treatment of other patients and myself, and she seemed kind. Anyways, thank you so much."

Ryuji smiled and shook his head sideways, indicating it was no problem.

I continued writing while pretending to argue with Ryuji: "Right now, what I need most is information, lots of it. I want to know the number of guards in this facility, its size, and if possible, a blueprint. Also, if possible, I need books and lots of them. The more the merrier, and the more diverse they are the better. Can you help me with that?"

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Ryuji, cursing me loudly and pretending to argue, paused for a moment and then nodded in approval. He took the pen from me and wrote the following: "It will take time, but I'll try my best to gather that information for you. When I do, I'll slip it to you on a written paper under your plate. Make sure to burn it after reading to avoid any consequences. As for the books, I will make sure to give you my HT after adding as many books as possible to it. Also, when you need more or you need a specific topic, just say it in a low voice when I bring you the food. However, be sure to not allow anyone to see you while using it."

I took back the paper and pen, nodding while raising my voice to maintain the illusion of an argument. I continued writing: “Are there a lot of people like you and Lana? And if yes, why aren’t they banding together to try to stop this madness?”

Ryuji took the pen and paper, his expression filled with a mix of sadness and frustration. He wrote the following: "There are people like Lana and me, but they are not many. Compared to the twisted individuals who revel in the atrocities committed here, the number of those who oppose it is small. Moreover, they have extensive knowledge about us, and this organization is vast, with multiple facilities in this settlement and others. Unless someone takes control of this facility and prevents any information from leaking outside, our families will remain in grave danger."

I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation, and took back the paper and pen to continue writing: "What kind of hellhole is this? What's the purpose of this facility? How are these monsters allowed to do as they please? Why hasn't anyone stopped them and destroyed this place?"

The guard pondered for a moment, about to take the paper from me to answer when we heard a male voice from outside: "Is everything okay in there? Need any help?" It was Rick, approaching my bed.

Panicking, I hid the paper and pen under the pillow, looking at Ryuji in front of me. He nodded and raised his voice, saying: "I've had enough of you!"

He raised his hand and struck me as hard as he could, the sound echoing outside.

At that moment, Rick emerged from behind the curtain and witnessed me holding my face while Ryuji raised his hand.

Rick smiled gleefully and said: "Serves you right, you rat! I was about to take you back to your cell and have more fun with you in the torture room, but Lana stopped me. You should thank her."

Filled with anger, I refrained from responding, causing Rick to look at me with boredom.

He remarked, "You're a boring kid. I expected you to be feisty, but I guess you're still recovering from the smack. Hahahahahaha. Well, now that everything's settled, I'm leaving this gloomy place. I'll see you in a couple of days. Let's have fun then. Hahahahahaahha."

After finishing his statement, Rick left me with Ryuji, who was also preparing to depart. However, before leaving, he turned back, smiled, and said: "It was a pleasure meeting you. The name's Ryuji Nakamura."

I smiled back, despite the pain, and replied: "Nice to meet you. My name is Xeno, Xeno Leonhart."

The tension in the room was palpable as we exchanged these final words, both of us aware of the risks we were taking.

Little did we know at that time that our paths would intertwine further, leading us down a path of bloodshed and camaraderie.