After I'd finished collecting bits of scrap and waste metal, I followed the corridor to its end.

A pair of double doors, taller and wider than the ones the Orc had smashed, lay wide open. Pulling my focus from my collection, I extended my [Sensory Zone] into the corridor- no, the room in front of me. My steady forward motion ground to a stop as shock and hope rippled across my skin. I realised where I was.

The room was dome shaped, with several rings of steel jutting up from the ground, separating the room into sections. The rings each had a hollow interior, creating troughs. Unlike before, none of the glass panels above me were on. The room was dark without the florescent lights that had flooded it, giving it a far different atmosphere to the version of the room within my memories. My sight didn't even reach far enough to see the dark ceiling overhead. If not for the [Darkvision] my [Sensory Zone] made use of, it could have been far more eerie. It made me think of a horror scene, one where the protagonist was in a cave filled with snarling horrors just outside of their vision.

The cafeteria was as loud as I remembered it, but I had never felt less safe or more unwelcome here, not since the first day.

In place of the Humanoids and Beastfolk that had previously occupied the space were horrors and monstrosities that defied the logic of a sane mind. I didn't have the same luxury as a horror story protagonist of being unable to see what was making the sounds around me. I was surrounded by amalgamations of flesh, bone and arcane mistakes that went against the natural order.

As uncharitable as these thoughts were, I had to stop and remind myself that I was one of them now. For better or worse, we'd gone through the terror of death together and came out as something entirely different. Forever changed, for better or worse. I had to give them the benefit of the doubt, and hope that their reason and logic wasn't as compromised as my own.

My metallic legs tapped against the tiled floor as I stepped inside, creating a tapping sound far different than that of claw and scale. It felt both hauntingly familiar and startlingly alien. I'd thought the cafeteria was as full as it had ever been, but that was a trick of the imagination. The numbers of Chimeras around me paled in comparison to that of the unaltered test subjects. I had to assume many of them hadn't made it, wandered the halls, or were still trapped in their cells.

Was Sigura one of the lost? Yrlack? Dairen? If they were all alive and trapped, would I have the heart to go look for them? I wanted freedom more than anything in the world, but would it be worth it if I had to return to the outside alone? The thought terrified me far more than I thought it would. I couldn't bear it.

Instead, I turned my focus inward.

I'd have to save my worry, even if bottling it up was proving to be detrimental to my well being. I had to make a list and focus. Without following an objective, I ran the risk of crumbling. I couldn't afford to lose myself at such a critical juncture. I was in a familiar place, even if it seemed as warped and changed as I was. I was being given a second chance.

The monstrosities around me wandered aimlessly, although some seemed to converse with one another in babbling tongues. I wasn't the only one that had retained the ability to think, it seemed. That, or they were only mimicking speech without actually communicating, a hollow echo of their past lives. I decided to be charitable, and hope that they were coherent. They weren't killing one another, so they had more of a mind than the average Animal or Monster, at least. If I was right, it was another small mercy, but I was learning to appreciate everything I could get.

On that note...

I made my way to the wall out of habit, sitting myself down with my legs spreadeagled, as if waiting for the fish to emerge from the chamber below. There didn't seem to be any conflict here. Perhaps the Chimeras remembered that this was a safe space. That this was a place they could rest and find like minded people.

Whatever the case may be, I could use it.

[Telekinetic] hands reached for the panel, gently prying it off my platform. I reached inside, feeling around for the contents. Shards of glass, bits of metal that had been ripped, squeezed and twisted, broken plastic panels, a few bottles of assorted liquids and a pair of magic crystals. I had no tools to work with, but I'd have to make do.

Leaving the glass and bottles within me, I pulled out the metal pieces, one by one, laying them on the ground around my body. I was reminded of the testing center, where I'd crafted a crossbow of sorts, only to have it stripped from me. Would it be worth it to make a ranged weapon? Could I?

First, I needed tools. Unlike before, I didn't have the convenience of requesting whatever I needed, or raiding the forge of my parents' home for parts. This was something I had to work out for myself, as awkward as the prospect was. I made one of the thinner, jagged pieces levitate. It had been torn off of the door in a strip, leaving a serrated edge on the side. A wobbled, uneven edge, but it was the closest thing I had to a saw.

I could use that.

Bringing other pieces to me, I began to work. A flame appeared next to me, born from my use of [Ignite]. I heated the metal strips, running them along the tip of the fire until they turned red. With methodical motions, I sawed the metal apart as it softened, trimming the most unruly edges and sections from the steel. I needed logic and order, and if I wanted to work, I would need the right tools for the job.

Using the metal and my telekinetic hands, I began the laborious process of crafting my makeshift tools. Squeezing a line of steel into a flat-headed screwdriver. Twisting smaller strips into nails. Molding a chunkier piece into the head of a hammer. Some tools weren't needed anymore, now that I put my mind to it. My 'hands' could press metal together like a vice, while my mind was capable of perfectly measuring each strip as it came to my attention.

It allowed me to conserve some materials for tools that I would truly need to work on myself. While the prospect of working on the platform captivated me, I wasn't sure how willing I was to experiment on my only lifeline and method of motion just yet. Maybe later, when I was free of this place.

Wishful thinking, but I had to believe it. It was all I had.

I wanted to fix my leg. The damage to it was starting to bother me. The gaping wound stood as a constant reminder of my inattentiveness. It hadn't posed any issues, thankfully, but it wouldn't be long before it could create an inconvenience at the worst possible time. Using my new tools, I hammered a panel into shape, cutting around the edges to fit into the broken segment. Some inert mucus hung around the wound, but a few scrapes with another panel cleaned it away. It had hardened, losing its ability to stick and burn.

It was when I was using [Ignite] to weld the panel to my leg that I noticed a Chimera wander over and into my vision, their body changing from a small, blurry silhouette of heat to a definitive shape form. Using my hands, I picked up several pieces of sharper metal, including the nails. If I had to defend myself, I would do so without hesitation.

They were only a child.

One with dark grey skin and a straight horn jutting out of their forehead. It was a stark white colour, the same as the long, billowing hair that framed it and the long standard issue shirt that covered them. It wasn't curved, like the horn of a Satyr or Oni. It had spiral indents swirling up from the bottom, uniting at the tip of the horn. It looked surreal, like a piece of art carved from marble.

Their eyes were what truly caught my attention. They were jet black, with no clear divide between the pupil and sclera from what I could see. In place of an iris, there were a cluster of pointed white 'stars' in their eyes. The cluster moved in unison wherever the child looked. Right now, they were focused on the metal hovering in the air. They were strangely beautiful, if not so foreign and bizarre.

"[Can you understand me?]" I asked, my voice resonating outwards through [Telepathy]. I waited with baited thought, praying to the Gods he knew what I was saying. If he was capable of communication, then I wouldn't be so alone here, in the midst of a den of monsters.

The boy nodded, speaking something I couldn't understand. The stars in his eyes dropped back to earth, looking down at the floor. The stars lingered on a long strip of dark steel. A piece of scrap I'd twisted as a way to test what I could do. It was far too large to be a nail, but it was a tool in its own right, serving as a method to practice precise movements with my [Telekinesis].

I could feel sweat drip down my sides. It didn't matter how disarming or hapless the child looked as he stepped forward, hands outstretched. He was still a Chimera. This could be an act, one designed to get me to lower my guard until he had a weapon in hand he could use to attack me.

I didn't attack, even if defending myself from a potential threat was the smart thing to do. I couldn't bring myself to.

I held the hovering metal close to my body, but didn't launch it. The child got down on their knees, shivering from the contact with the cold floor before grasping the rough end of the nail with both hands. The metal was sharp and twisted, jagged enough to draw blood from his black palms. The child visibly winced, but held tightly onto the metal.

I... didn't know what to make of it. I didn't know what to make of myself. The emotions within me were tumbling together in that obnoxious, confusing way of theirs.

"[Let it go.]" I told the boy.

He looked up at me with those starry eyes, his expression filling with worry.

"B... but..."

His voice wasn't any louder than a whisper. That was what sealed the deal. I had a new objective to add to my list. It wasn't one that would derail me from my path for long. I ran through my mental checklists, making sure everything was in order.

"[Let it go. You're hurting yourself.]" I told him.

His face was clouded with hesitation. His hands shook, but he did as I instructed, letting go of the nail. He gingerly placed it back on the floor, his expression heartbroken. It reminded me of a kicked dog, or one that had recently lost its owner. I wasn't sure what brought the comparison to mind, but it didn't matter.

My 'hands' reached out, gripping the blood stained nail. It was as long as a shortsword, but it didn't have the makings of one. It was rough, jagged and hard to use. Even the metal itself was worn, devoid of much practical use. Useless. I wouldn't have wanted to fit metal like that into any of my projects anyway. Besides, if he injured himself, he could get upset or angry. A display like that was practically an invitation for any Chimera that approached us looking for a fight. While he was here, that would have put me in danger, too.

My [Ignite] flared to life, and I heated the top of the nail, softening the metal. Calling forward my hammer, I worked the steel, flattening the top. Simultaneously, I began to heat and smooth out a smaller rod of metal, rounding it out until it took the form I desired. I heated the top of the rod, bringing it to the flat end of the nail.

With a few more adjustments, the pair were welded together, secured in place by a small ring of heated steel. I held it in the air for several minutes, allowing the metal to cool while I worked on adjusting my objectives and priorities.

Even though my focus was divided, I could still feel the boy's eyes on me. He was looking up at the nail, with its long, jagged blade, smooth cylindrical handle and rounded end. It wasn't a weapon that would be earning any awards from a Blacksmith's Guild, but it would serve my purposes. Barely enough to even be called a 'project'. If anything, I was just cleaning up waste.

Once it was finished, I brought it back down to the ground, planting it in front of the boy. He looked up at me, the me that I'd become, and then back down to the weapon.

"Can... can I have it?" he asked.

The handle didn't make it a weapon worth keeping. Even in a fight, I had much better options than the metal I was giving him. It had only been a few minutes. He couldn't cut himself on it anymore, for what that was worth.

"[Yeah. You can take it. I have plenty of metal.]"

Tears welled up in his eyes, partially obscuring the stars, which wasn't a reaction I'd been expecting. My legs wobbled as my platform hastily clambered to its feet. I put the rest of the metal back into my compartment as I watched him sob into the steel.

"[H-hey! What's wrong? Isn't this what you wanted?]"

The boy didn't respond. He gripped the metal tighter than ever before getting to his feet. It was an irrational thought, but I cast my bubble around to see if any of the Chimeras were watching, but none were. I looked down at the boy as he walked towards me, blade in hand as I absentmindedly closed the compartment, sealing the metal panel back over it.

"T... thank y-yuh-you," he managed to push out through the sobs and sniffling.

I felt my heart soar with relief. I'd been worried for nothing. He was grateful, not upset. I sat back down, spreading my legs out to the sides again.

"[D-don't worry about it. It only took a few minutes, it wasn't a big deal.]"

He stopped walking, standing right next to my body. He turned away from me, sitting cross-legged on the cold floor with his back against the side of my platform. Compared to the steel behemoth next to him, he was small. Tiny. He kept both hands on the grip of the blade, so tightly that I saw his hands redden. Not with blood, but with effort and strain. The tip was pointed away from me and towards the rest of the room. I couldn't read that expression of his anymore, clouded as it was by tears.

"[Do you have a name?]"

The question seemed to shock him. He stopped looking around the hall at the creatures beyond my limited vision. He stared down into the steel of the warped, mangled blade. I didn't know what he expected to see in the reflection.

"I don't..." he started, hesitating as he trailed off. He squinted, staring off into the distance. "I... Streiphen."

I wanted to get moving again, now that I'd tallied up my materials and created tools to work, should I find the inspiration. But... the child was still leaning against my platform. I couldn't just... get up, could I?

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"[I'm Yuri. Yuri Scalesmith.]"

Adventuring [Tinkerer] of Addersbrook, I thought. The time when I would have made an introduction like that seemed as though it had happened lifetimes ago. How many times have I had thoughts like this? Harkening back to a time that didn't even feel real to me anymore? This place made me want to do nothing but think of the past. I needed to be free of this prison.

"Thank you for the gift... miss Yuri," Streiphen said, louder this time. More confident. "I needed this very very much."

A warm feeling came hand in hand with the gratitude. I was glad to be of help. To be useful. The last time I'd felt like this was back in Addersbrook, when I'd helped beat the Dullahan. The feeling I'd had back-

"[You're welcome.]" I said, tearing myself from the endless ring of thoughts. "[But I have to go.]"

Streiphen looked up at me in confusion as I tugged lightly on the sword in his hands. I'd meant it as a signal that he should rise, but I found it harder to grip the blade than before. It seemed heavier now than it had been before. Was it because of the Chimera's grip? The boy rose to his feet, understanding the signal.

"Out of this place?" Streiphen asked, hope in his voice.

"[... Yes]" I responded, after a moment of hesitation.

While I was in this place, my mind was stifled, trapped in an echo chamber of memories. Every trip to the past made it harder to refocus on the present. It was so easy to lose myself when the present was so draining. The more time I wasted resting here, the harder it would be to finally stand up and get moving.

Making sure not to strike or crush Streiphen with my movements, I began to walk away. I had to focus on the plan. I'd decided to make a weapon, which I had done, in a way, and then search for the exit. Instead, I'd been given a new nugget of information.

I wasn't the only Chimera with a mind.

If there were others blessed with intelligence, others willing to communicate like Streiphen, I might be able to get them on my side. The more people we had, the greater chance we had of performing a mass escape.

Perhaps I was being optimistic. Unrealistic, even. It was better than wallowing in memories, so I clung to that hope.

I wandered through the chamber, extending my senses outwards, scanning through everything that passed within my bubble of awareness. I needed to find a group. If the Chimeras were all acting on their own, it would be harder to rally them together. I didn't have the qualities of being a leader, and I knew what this place could do to people.

If they didn't trust each other and started fighting amongst themselves, there would be chaos. With our magic returned to us in these new forms, these fights could be fatal. There was always the possibility that we might end up killing each other before even coming close to escaping. The idea horrified me. In the worst case scenario, we could all end up dead by our own hands without having even got a chance at freedom. We needed to work together. If I could find a group, preferably with a leader willing to-

"SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LET ME THINK!"

The shout sent chills through me. Sweat poured out of my body as I picked up the pace, leaving my thoughts behind.

I found a group, a collection of about six or seven Chimeras. Those closest turned to face me, recoiling at the sight of my body. Those present were more Humanoid than others. Their eyes weren't that of monsters, either. I could see the sparks of intelligence and emotion within them. I felt hope blossom within me.

In the center, I saw their leader.

The leader stood tall and proud, with a height greater than most of the Humanoids in the circle, easily surpassing seven feet. In the middle of their chest was a glowing metal orb with a golden center surrounded by orange edges, barely visible behind the neck area of a torn hospital gown around her breasts, the stomach region of which had been torn to wrap around her waist, like a loincloth. From the orb, orange veins spread outwards like roots, pulsing and throbbing along their body, all glowing with the soft influence of magic.

Their hands and feet were heavily furred, tipped with long, dangerous claws. Her hair was a golden blond, long, puffy and wild. The tip of two cat-like ears perked up, barely visible from within the mane. Two sets of three dark brown claw-like marks adorned her cheeks, trailing off along her neck. Her eyes were much the same as the orb in her chest, a deep gold with a sunset tinged rim. The sweat began to pour out of my body in thick streams, now. Tears.

"We have more than enough now, alright? I don't give a damn if you think we can't do it. We don't have time to waste lounging in this place. We have to get the fuck out while we can if we want to escape. Remember, if you see a Varani, a brainy tumor monster, or a guy with pink eyes and a creepy smile, you-"

I stepped forward into the clearing, the other Chimeras parting as I shoved them aside, my metal legs doing the work. The woman in the center snarled as I approached, water splashing off the side of the platform, spilling out against the tiled floor.

"The fuck do you want? If you can hear me, and understand me-" she said, tapping the side of her head with a claw, an action that made her wince, "-and want out, then don't fuck with us."

"[Sigura...]"

My voice echoed to all present, resonating with [Telepathy].

Her face cleared. The Chimera's posture slackened, all energy and aggression seeping out of her limp shoulders. Shock and realisation dawned on her expression, culminating in her eyes growing wide.

"Gods... what...? Yuri...?"

The words stumbled out in a murmur, a far cry from her usual confident tone. She was shaking from head to toe, reeling from the sight of me. I watched that shock change before me, her hands curling into fists, the claws on her toes gouging thin lines in the tiles, and her mouth contorting into a vicious, murderous snarl.

"By the Six, Yuri... What the FUCK DID THEY DO TO YOU?!?"

She was roaring now. The Chimeras around us stepped back. A group of magically enhanced Monsters, all afraid of Sigura. I felt a strange sense of pride at the thought.

"[I... I'm okay,]" I lied. "[We have to focus... We...]" I was speaking through my mind. I didn't have a throat to get choked up, but I couldn't find the words. The list within me crumbled to dust. My body quivered.

"[I... I'm so happy you're alive, Sig...]" the words fell out, unbidden. The rivers flowing from my body became waterfalls.

Sigura's eyes began to well up with tears, too. She smiled, but it was a shaky, broken, unsure shadow of the smile in my memories.

"I... I alwa- Fuck, I... always said you were the brains of the group, but...? Fuck..."

The joke felt surreal. This whole situation did. If this was a dream designed to torture me, this would be the perfect spot for them to tear me away from it, to drag me back to reality. I thought I'd feel a sense of dread to accompany the thought, but there was no room in my heart for it, not with every other feeling dominating my mind. I waited, and waited.

The pull never came.

I laughed, my body convulsing with shivers as even the platform began to quiver.

"[Y... yeah...]"

It was all I could manage to say without choking up again.

"Thank fuck you're alive, Yur..." Sigura said, blood dripping from the cuts her nails had left in her hands. "I... I thought..."

"[It's okay...]" I responded, feeling just as unsteady as she looked. "[We... we have to get out of here. We're both alive, and together, and I want... I want to keep it that way. We... We're going to do it right this time...]"

Sigura rose a furred hand to her face, wiping the tears away. The arm came away damp, and she took a deep breath. A breath she could take that I found myself jealous of. Her [Mantle] flared to life, brighter than ever, burning with determination, a beacon to illuminate the darkness. Unlike before, I could feel heat coming from the light, a burning manifestation of courage. I saw the tears around her eyes turn to steam, twin trails of grey soaring upwards from her face.

"Damn fucking right," she agreed with a nod. She turned to the group, shouting to be heard over the murmurs and uneasy shuffling. Not that she needed to. "WE'RE ALL GOING TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF THIS SHITHOLE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER! GOT IT? I'M NOT TAKING NO FOR AN ANSWER!"

The people around us couldn't help but nod. If I had a mouth, I'd be smiling. This was what I needed. We could do this.

Sigura glanced down at my leg, raising an eyebrow as she collected herself. Had she noticed the damage? I almost wanted her to say she'd beat up whatever did it to me. It would have been refreshing. Familiar.

"Who's the brat?" she asked instead.

I cast my awareness down, and found that Streiphen had followed me. He was cowering behind my leg, shivering much like I was.

"[Streiphen,]" I answered simply. I didn't know much about him beyond that. "[I'm going to take him with us,]" I heard myself add.

Sigura shrugged in response, having seemingly collected herself.

"Sure, we can take another straggler or two. The more people we have, the better chance we have of getting out. Lot of these freaks just want to do their own thing. These-" she said, waving an arm in the direction of the small crowd. "-are the smart ones I could find, the ones that wanted to band together and leave instead of sit around and wait for the Dolls to come back and round everyone up."

The ones with a mind to think and a will to cooperate, I supposed. I would have been happy enough just having Sigura with me, but the more people we had, the more potential abilities we had to work with. Sigura jerked a thumb to her left, towards one of the Chimeras. They were a short, bright blue Fishfolk with a fin along his back, long curling whiskers framing a thick-lipped mouth, bloodshot orange eyes and a faraway gaze.

"He's looking for the exit right now. His magic is disgusting, but it works."

Did he use Sensory Magic? If his real sight was elsewhere, it would explain the faraway gaze. His scaly skin was slick with sweat and a thin, translucent mucus. I wanted to ask what all of these people could do. If I knew their abilities, I'd be able to put a plan together that was more effective than rushing down an exit. I might be able to make guesses, but when it came to Chimeras, their magic tended to be volatile and potent. I couldn't imagine what-

"Y'know, Yur," Sigura interjected, breaking my train of thought. "Now that you're a hunk of brain, nobody'll be able to realise you're just staring off into space thinking about something random. You've got the ultimate poker face."

I quivered a little. It was a reflex, even if I couldn't actually smile. The fact that she could tell was amazing enough. It brought a warmth to my chest, and-

The Fishfolk man to my left gurgled something incomprehensible in a reedy, muttered tone.

"Six..." Sigura muttered, grimacing as she came closer towards me. "Stand back, everyone!" Sigura said, holding a hand out towards another of the Chimeras as everyone stepped away from the diminutive Fishfolk.

His chest expanded, like a balloon being filled with air. His arms fell slack by his side, and the 'lump' in his chest traveled upwards, through his throat and into his mouth. I felt my skin roll as he leaned forward, puking out a smattering of transparent eggs. Twelve of them, in total.

Within seconds, they hatched from within the thin shells, small insects with the same fin and eyes as the Fishfolk. Each had eight needle-thin legs and a pair of pincers at the front. It reminded me of a lobster, or some bizarre insect. I took an instinctive step backwards as they scuttled away with surprising speed, rushing out of my sight within seconds.

"[Eww...]"

Sigura nodded.

"Yeah. Eww. But it works."

The Fishfolk winked. At first, I thought he was trying to be funny, or silently communicate something. Then, the other eye winked. I realised he was trying to blink, yet both of his eyes were out of sync. Unnerving.

"He can see through those bug Familiars he makes. I don't know what the range limit is, but apparently it's huge. He's been scouting out the facility for the past forty minutes."

"[Like Ragi's bird?]"

Sigura's shoulders slumped. I'd said something I shouldn't have.

"Yeah, like that. Just longer lasting and faster. Better."

An unsteady silence hung over us like a cloud. I'd thought the other Chimeras around us had been listening intently to our exchange, but most seemed to just be sitting around, waiting for news or direction. Listless.

"Have you seen Dairen or Yrlack?" Sigura asked, turning towards me. "Nobody I've talked to has."

The front of my platform dipped.

"[No... I haven't.]"

Sigura sighed.

"Figured as much. We can't afford to wait around either, can we? If we make it out of this shithole, maybe we can come back later with help and bust them out."

I didn't need to respond. Sigura should know how unlikely that is. It would only be a vain hope to-

"[Yes. We can try,]" I heard myself say. "[Maybe they'll escape on their own, and we'll meet up with them later.]"

Sigura turned her head in my direction, giving me a weird look. One of concern.

"You seem different, Yur. It almost feels like I'm talking to someone else."

My skin rolled at the thought. So... I wasn't crazy for thinking I seemed different? The dream I could barely remember after waking up at this thing had planted doubts in my head, doubts the strange dreams that followed only seemed to reinforce. I was capable of things I wasn't before. I had thoughts that felt off, or out of the ordinary. Something within me was different. Wrong. Foreign.

Sigura groaned, planting a hand on the side of her head.

"[Are you alright?]"

She nodded, giving me a shaky smile.

"Yeah. Just some Chimera fuckery. I'm good."

A few moments came and went in awkward silence.

"I didn't... I didn't mean a bad sort of different, Yur. When I talked to you before, you were all business. That was good, because you were part of my team. You listened to everything I said, followed the letter of the law and helped me out. This person I'm talking to? This seems like you, but... more. The 'real' you, I guess. More... open? Maybe that's not the right word. The old you wouldn't have humored me like you did. It's a weird change, but I don't hate it."

The 'real' me? I didn't know what that meant, or how to take it. How was I supposed to even respond to something like that? She made it sound as though the 'old' me was fake.

"Miss Yuri is a good person..." Streiphen muttered from behind my formerly damaged leg.

Sigura turned her gaze down towards the boy, crossing her arms. He avoided looking back up at her.

"Yeah? Why's that?" Sigura asked, crossing her arms.

His hands gripped the handle of the sword, bringing it out from behind my leg. He held it aloft, holding it tightly, as though his life depended on it. He seemed proud to have it, even if the fear in his eyes was clear for all to see.

"She... made this for me. I needed it, and she helped me."

Sigura waited. An uncomfortable few seconds passed as she stared down at the boy. He shook like a leaf beneath her golden gaze. She turned away, looking up towards me again.

"You made this kid a weapon? When you could have used it yourself?"

"[Yeah... I guess so,]" I responded, feeling silly for doing the action at all.

Sigura suddenly laughed, walking up close to the two of us. She rapped on one of my legs with a curled fist, causing a droning 'bong' to ring out, one that sent the boy scurrying away.

"You're definitely different, Yur. When we get out of this place, you'll have to tell me how you made this thing, too. It's practically a fucking mech suit!"

I was suddenly glad for my 'ultimate poker face'. Brains couldn't blush.

"[It isn't that impressive. I didn't enchant it.]"

Sigura's eyes widened as she looked over the platform again.

"How is it moving then? Was it enchanted before you got it? No fucking way those stingy Chimera bastards gave you something like this."

"[I'm controlling it myself, with [Telekinesis],]"

The Half-Nekari... Nekari Chimera's eyes widened.

"No fucking way," Sigura repeated. "This whole thing? How much does this shit weigh?"

I felt pride blossom within me.

"[I don't know, but moving metal around is easy. I fought off a Chimera earlier, too.]"

Maybe an exaggeration. It wasn't like I'd killed it or anything. But the pride was making me irrational. I wanted to gloat a little. I was proud.

"Wow. Far cry from a little grappling hook and a hand warmer, huh? This is so fucking cool, Yur."

"[T-thanks...]"

With every word, doubts began to shrivel up and die, burning up in the warmth I was feeling. My legs shifted, and I stood up a little straighter.

As good as the compliments made me feel, I still felt nervous. Was it really alright to be sitting here doing nothing but talk? Should I be working on making weapons to escape with? Was it alright to just be sitting here conserving energy? What if I needed a weapon or tool I could have made at a critical juncture, and the worst case scenario happened because I was unprepared?

Sitting with Sigura, I felt the absence of my [Silent Heart] more strongly than ever. Even she'd noticed I was 'different'. Getting rid of the lingering doubts was harder. I felt better with her standing beside me, unbound and unrestricted, than I had felt in a long time. But the doubts still loomed in the back of my mind, ready to leap at me the moment I showed weakness. I needed to remain vigilant and prepared, ready to fight them off the moment they appeared.

That moment wasn't now. Now, I was feeling good. Better.

The Fishfolk next to Chimera leapt into the air. His eyes bulged outwards, and I saw his whiskers turn orange, as though they were tubes filling with the colour of his eyes. He hopped up and down excitedly, while Sigura cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Alright freaks, get your shit together! Fareel's got a lead! We're going to get the fuck out of here!"

The Chimeras rose to their feet, looks of shock and disbelief on their faces. They glanced at one another, as if to check with one another that they'd heard her correctly. I felt like smiling, despite myself. I wasn't the only one who had thought we'd never get out of here. But we could. With Sigura here, I felt confident of that.

"Are you sure...?" came a voice to our right. They looked Humanoid, yet their skin was blue, bubbling and shimmering slightly. Wobbly, as though made of gelatin.

"Yes," Sigura hissed. "We don't have time to doubt this shit, do we? Unless you have a better idea and want to take the lead? Do you?"

The blue Chimera's shoulder hunched up. His eyes dropped to the floor as he rubbed the elbow of one exposed arm with the other. I was glad he didn't push the issue. I knew what Sigura could be like.

"Everyone up! We're going!"

I shuddered in place, reaching my [Telekinesis] deep into the metal of my platform for a grip. My awareness flooded into the 'mech suit', bringing it all into my awareness as I readied myself to leave. Sigura had found someone capable of finding an exit, and now we were here. We could escape. We-

My thoughts of hope and survival were torn to shreds by the blaring sound of an alarm. The inert glass lights of the cafeteria above us suddenly activated, turning a deep, foreboding red. I couldn't see the source of the light, but its glow covered each and every one of us. My heart sank as I heard metal shifting and parting high above. Something 'whooshed' above me out of sight, and one of the Chimeras howled.

"What the FUCK?!?" Sigura shouted, eyes wide and on the ceiling. The Fishfolk was already running on all fours towards one of the open doorways. Sigura and I prepared ourselves to follow without a second of hesitation. "GET YOUR ASSES IN GEAR, WE'RE LEAVING!"

In that moment, nobody questioned the order.