Kaen slowly opened his eyes, the cold air of the cell immediately sending shivers down his spine. He couldn’t tell what time it was but, he thought he could hear birds faintly chirping outside. However, that was probably just his imagination. As he sat up, his body felt stiff and sore from sleeping on the hard floor. The cell was devoid of any windows and the walls, lined with gray stones, seemed to close in on him. At the far end, a solid wood-plank door boasted a heavy iron lock. Thin blankets and bits of debris lay scattered about, things from the previous occupants. Kaen had known that prison would be difficult for demons like him, but he never imagined it would be this bleak. He had hoped for a cellmate to at least have some company, but apparently, even that wasn’t allowed for creatures like him. As he leaned back against the rough, rocky wall, it finally sunk in that this was his new reality. There was no way out, no turning back. He didn’t even have a widow, to at least see what time of day it was. The tears came then, silently rolling down his cheeks as he realized the gravity of his situation. Kaen rarely cried but he thought that he should allow himself to do it, just this time. A faint rustling caught Kaen’s attention, slowly growing louder as the source approached. Soon, he could hear someone shouting but the words were muffled and unclear. As the voices neared his cell, Kaen unconsciously perked his ears, straining to listen even though he knew it was probably nothing of interest. Yet, a deep authoritative voice cut through the air, demanding to be let in. Kaen’s curiosity was piqued - what did they mean by opening the cell? He scooted closer to the door, trying to catch every word.
“What are you doing here?” an angry and rasping voice challenged.
“I’m MA agent Kenshin Kurokawa, I need you to open this cell for me,” the authoritative voice replied without hesitation. Now fully alert and intrigued, Kaen listened intently as a heated discussion ensued between the two voices. A faint shuffling noise could be heard, almost like rustling papers, followed by a long silence. Kaen’s heart pounded with anticipation as he waited for something to happen. Suddenly, the sound of keys jingling and the lock on his cell door clicked open. The sudden burst of light made Kaen instinctively back away from the doorway.
“Greetings, Kaen Takao,” said a tall man dressed in a suit as he entered the small cell. He seemed almost too large to fit inside.
“How do you know my name?” Kaen asked in a hoarse voice from lack of use.
“I am not at liberty to explain that currently. However, you will understand soon enough.” Kaen carefully observed the man, it was too dark to see his face but something about him was familiar. Like he had seen him before, or at least heard his voice.
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“Now would you come with me?” It wasn’t a question, despite the wording. Kaen had already made up his mind, sitting in a cell rotting for eternity or follow a very suspicious man? Kaen knew that this was probably something that he shouldn’t have too high of hope for, but what was the risk in it really? Be made into some sick experiment? Kaen shook his head, no he had already made up his mind. Best not to think of bad outcomes.
“Okay, I’ll come with you… Fancy pants,” he added as an afterthought, causing the man’s expression to briefly falter before returning to its sternness.
“Good. Follow me,” the man said briskly, striding out of the cell. Kaen quickly followed. He noticed for the first time that his cell was located at the end of a long corridor filled with a bunch of other cells, probably filled with a bunch of other demons like him. They had likely been brought here for various reasons - searching for lost loved ones, pursuing dreams, or seeking a better life above ground. However, any demon who stepped foot on the surface faced harsh punishments such as life imprisonment or even being put on death row.
It was nothing short of a miracle that Kaen had managed to escape in the first place. In the underground, there was often an exchange between demon and human gangs, which usually went unnoticed by the human government who preferred to distance themselves from anything remotely related to demons. Both sides benefited - humans received illegal goods from the underground, and demons obtained things such as food and other life necessities, that there was a shortage of. Kaen had successfully snuck into a storage cart loaded with Ukloroite, a highly coveted ore found only deep underground. It was perfect for crafting durable and deadly weapons. He lay hidden inside the cart for what felt like days as people chattered outside. But somehow, they never seemed to open the lid and discover him. Perhaps they didn’t bother checking until the goods were in the hands of their buyers. Finally, the cart came to a stop and Kaen managed to unscrew the lid from the inside of the cart and make his escape.
From there, he played a game of hide-and-seek, using vents to sneak his way outside. Since then, he had been living on the streets. The only lead he had on his brother’s whereabouts was a letter Kaen received from Asahi several months after his disappearance. It simply read, “Live a good life, from your big brother, Asahi Takao.” However, what caught Kaen’s attention was the postage stamp attached to the letter; it looked like nothing from the underground. After inquiring at a mailing store, he found out that it was a rare stamp from Kenbiro, the city directly above them. He had always been impulsive, so deciding to go to the surface wasn’t a difficult decision. However, lying in the cramped cart on his way there, he started second-guessing all of his life choices. Then again, he had regretted everything while locked up in the prison cell, so this seemed like a usual occurrence for him now. Now, as Kaen followed the man, he again felt that strange feeling. He didn’t know if it was good or bad, yet deep down he felt that something significant was happening. Something almost life-changing, but then again if he was being turned into an experiment that wouldn’t be such a strange feeling to have would it?