Into the night and along the following day, Dwayne is hard at work preparing the boy's stay when he hears a knock on his front door. He gets up from his home office and opens it, revealing a woman with long brown hair and rectangular glasses. She wears a fancy black shirt and pencil skirt, and in her arm is a sturdy folder containing some papers.

"Good afternoon, Dwayne," she greets.

"Good afternoon to you too, Medova. How is he?" Dwayne asks as he lets her in.

"Physically, he's doing well. Mentally, he's understandably nervous, and he still lacks trust in us, among other things," she reports as they make their way up to his office. She places the folder on the desk between them while they both take a seat.

"Once everyone and everything becomes familiar to him and he settles into a routine, I'm sure he'll come around," Dwayne says.

"Likely." Medova opens the folder, displaying pages of notes she's taken during her session with the boy. "There's a lot to cover here. He's been through a lot."

"I suspected as much. Let's see..."

>>>>>>

The next day shines on the children's home, along with the arrival of the boy to his new place of residence. As soon as he steps through the door, a small crowd of the kids and the home's staff are there to greet him.

"Welcome to your new home!" Reed exclaims, frightening the poor boy into a half-cocked battle stance. A black mist can be faintly seen around him, so Dwayne puts a hand on the boy's shoulder to calm him down. After he and Dwayne take their shoes off, everyone moves to the living room.

As they walk, Illia takes in the boy's new appearance: super short hair, a thick grey shirt, and black splash pants. The pendant is hidden behind his shirt. She's so lost in observation that she doesn't realize that formal introductions have begun, and when she is called upon, no one bats an eye at her delayed reaction.

"If you're having trouble with their names, just remember: Lydia likes water, Illia is quiet," Reed adds.

"And then we have our staff," Dwayne says as he motions to the five adults standing across from the kids.

The first to speak is a woman with long red hair tied in a braid. She wears casual loose clothes and an apron, and there's a bit of flour on her cheek. "My name is Poppy, and I'm the cook! I make delicious meals for everyone, though you're more than welcome to lend me a hand if you'd like! I'll teach you all I know about cooking in exchange!"

The next person is a woman with black shoulder-length hair and rectangular glasses not unlike the woman's whom he spoke with in the hospital. She gives a smile, but her expression contains a bit of stoicism as well. "My name is Ms. Louise, and I'll be your private teacher."

After that short and sweet introduction, a third woman takes the stage. She's much bubblier and energetic looking than even the outgoing Poppy, and she's much shorter than the other adults. Her clothes are tighter fitting as well, and her blonde hair falls just past her shoulders. "Hiya! My name is Clara, and I'm the one in charge of planning fun activities for everyone! I take us all out to cool places to have a blast and get our blood pumping!"

The fourth and final woman stands almost shoulder to shoulder with a man, and the boy notices the pair wearing matching rings. The woman wears very casual but well-fitting clothes much like the kids, and her brown hair is tied back in a messy bun. Her smile is soft and warm, something the boy isn't used to seeing directed toward him. "My name is Mabel, and along with my husband, we take care of everything else! Don't be afraid to come to us if something's bothering you!"

The husband of Mabel stands a full head above her, though he doesn't quite reach Dwayne. His clothing is casual and bright like his wife's, and a pair of glasses sit underneath a head of blonde hair. "My name is Gabriel, but you can call me Gabe if you'd like. Just as Mabel said, we take care of everything else, including anything that worries you, so please come talk to us if something's on your mind."

"Now, why don't you introduce yourself?" Dwayne suggests to the boy. The boy isn't quite sure what to say, though.

"What's your name?" Reed asks to get the ball rolling.

"Number 96," the boy responds. A brief silence ensues as confusion takes hold.

"I suppose this was quite unfair of me," Dwayne admits. "He doesn't have a proper name, nor does he know much about himself."

"Number 96 is what they called me, so Number 96 is my name," the boy says, not quite understanding the problem.

"Wait, what? I'm not following," Reed questions. "They? 96?"

"'They' are the people who... took me," the boy clarifies with sadness in his eyes. "They took me from my parents when I was young and experimented on me. They gave me a power I didn't ask for." 96 bends his left elbow and clenches his fist, causing a smoky black mist to run down his arm and envelop it.

"You were kidnapped and... experimented on?" Lydia questions with confusion and horror.

"That's what I said."

"But what about before, then? When you were living with your parents? What did they call you?" Reed asks.

"...I don't remember. It's been too long..."

"Do you know where they live? Any relatives?"

"I don't remember that either..." Everyone shares glances of horror and sadness.

"Perhaps we should change the topic?" Poppy suggests.

"Yes, let's," Dwayne agrees. "And I have just the topic. Instead of a subject number, why don't we all decide on a name for our new friend here?"

"That's not necessary," 96 says.

"Of course it is!" Clara interjects. "A number isn't a real name! You should have a name that suits you, not someone else!"

"I agree," Louise says with a one-handed adjustment of her glasses. "A proper name would humanize you, rather than objectify."

"Yeah! You're not some shitty person's science project anymore!" Reed exclaims. 96 tilts his head slightly in consideration, though he still feels it would be easier to be called 96.

"We'll say some names, and you can choose whichever one you like," Dwayne says to 96. The boy gives an apprehensive nod. "So, does anyone have a name?"

The room goes quiet for a moment as everyone thinks. Illia looks at Reed with a gaze of discontent, as if she's saying, "You better not choose something stupid!"

"How about Cayde?" Reed suggests.

96 makes no reaction whatsoever while Illia rapidly shakes her head.

"No? Uh... Ken?"

No reaction and a head shake again. Lydia narrows her eyes at Reed as she sees the forming pattern.

"Jax? Sol? Axel?"

Illia tugs on his ear—she knows he's just picking the names of fictional characters from the games he plays.

"Okay, I suck at naming, I get it!"

One after another, names like Graham, Sawyer, Rowan, Cooper, and Owen are thrown, but none stick. Lydia, who had been silent up until this point, decides to try her hand at naming the nameless.

"Niel," she suggests. "Both ninety and Niel start with a 'nigh' sound, so maybe you'll get used to it easier."

"I like it," Reed says. The others give nods and noise to match his sentiment.

"What do you think?" Dwayne asks 96.

As the boy thinks, his gaze drifts from person to person, until he matches Illia's eyes. She's a tad frightened by his emotionless stare, but she nods her head silently.

"Sure," the boy says.

"Then you'll be known as Niel," Dwayne says, causing a surge of tame celebration to fill the room. Illia has a question for the newly named Niel, so she motions to her chest as if she's wearing a tear-shaped pendant. He doesn't take notice of her, but Reed does.

"Hey, Niel?" Reed questions. The boy doesn't respond at first, but soon he realizes that he's being addressed. "That pendant is really important to you, isn't it? Where'd you get it? And why are you hiding it?"

He hesitates for a moment, but Niel removes the glass pendant from his neck and spins it around his hand so the top of the teardrop lays snugly between his index finger and his thumb. A small drop of viscous dark fluid has built up inside, emitting a faint black light not dissimilar to an old glow stick. "This is the Warden's Key. It's how I was able to escape that prison."

"Uhh, what?" Reed questions with confusion in his voice.

Niel hesitates again, unsure of if he should continue speaking or not. With so many eyes on him, however, he caves.

"My Mute is Dark Dust," Niel explains as he places the pendant back around his neck. "It's a chemical created by a machine attached to my heart. The chemical flows through my veins until it reaches my arms, then it diffuses through and hardens into dust-like particles. I can then control and condense these particles into a stone-like material."

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

Looking closer, the others notice that there are two large patches on the underside of his forearms almost identical in colour and texture to his skin, one patch per arm and each stretching from his wrist to his elbow.

"I... haven't heard of a Mute like that," Louise admits.

"That's because it was designed by someone."

"So then, where does the Warden's Key come into the picture?" Reed questions.

"I can only hold onto so much power before side effects kick in. Too much, I get bad headaches and fatigue. Too little, I get dizzy, nauseous, confused, and I pass out. The Warden's Key holds over three hundred times the amount that I can carry normally, allowing me to regulate how much power I hold more easily."

"So it's like a bank?" Gabriel questions.

"Yes. All of the power stored inside when it's full allowed me to break out of the lab I was held in."

There's... something about this Dark Dust Mute that frightens Illia, but she isn't sure as to why.

"Something isn't quite adding up," Lydia says. "Why did they give you this Dark Dust? What was the point? Did they do it just because they could?"

"Political assassination," Niel says bluntly to the shock of everyone. "They want power, so they made me into a weapon that can collapse governments. I can condense my Dust into a particle too small to see with the naked eye, inject it into a target, and then sever their brain from their body internally, all with no trace back to me."

"I don't think we needed the details on how..." Clara says with a grimace.

"This wasn't satisfying enough for them, though, so they made the Warden's Key so that I could have enough power to destroy cities if needed."

"C-can you?" Mabel questions.

"At a full charge, easily."

"I don't think you should do that..." Gabriel says.

"I won't. I have nothing to gain from mindless destruction, and it would only attract them to my location. I'd like to avoid that at all costs."

"Makes sense," Reed says.

"So... Now that we know you a little better now, why don't we show you around?" Dwayne suggests. "After, we'll tell you the rules of the house, and then you can spend the rest of the day doing whatever you'd like."

"Very well," Niel responds somewhat flatly.

When he's not angry, his voice is quite monotone and emotionless, Illia thinks.

Dwayne leads the way as Niel is shown around the large-yet-modest six-bedroom and four-bathroom house. On the first floor are the living room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and a private room should one of the kids need to talk with an adult. A soft blue is the featured colour painted on the walls, and it elicits a feeling unknown to Niel; Reed labels it as 'homely'. The smell of Poppy's cooking is impossible to not notice, and it's comfortably warm within the walls of the house compared to the slight chill of the outside spring air.

The second floor contains the master bedroom where Mabel and Gabriel sleep, the attached bathroom, Reed's room, Lydia's room, and a bathroom the two kids share. The hallway walls are a colourful yet non-intense yellow, while the master bedroom and Reed's room are a cool blue and bright orange, respectively. Lydia's bedroom door is sealed shut for her privacy. Niel is told by Reed this is because of 'teenage girl things', though he doesn't understand what this means. It earns Reed a negative reaction from Lydia, so perhaps it's a sensitive topic.

The third and top floor contains Illia's room, Niel's new room, an unused bedroom, and a bathroom. Beige is the colour used in the halls and the bathroom while Niel's room and the unused room are a simple unisex blue. The door to Illia's room isn't shut completely, leading Niel to notice a pink colouring inside. Perhaps these 'teenage girl things' don't apply to Illia as much?

As for Niel's room, all there is inside is a twin-sized bed (whatever that means), a simple dresser, a round clock on the wall, and a wooden desk with a laptop, though he's told he's allowed to decorate his room however he wishes. A window on the far side of the modestly sized room shows a view of the street below, a portion of the neighbourhood, and the skyscrapers of the city in the near distance. Thin white clouds are approaching from the skyline.

The rules of the house are explained next, and there aren't too many, nor are they very complicated. On weekdays, be back in the house by 10 pm and in bed by 11, with both times pushed ahead an hour on weekends. Breakfast is served at 8 am on weekdays and 10 am on the weekends, homework and studying are to be done after supper which happens at 5 pm, showers happen every other day, noise should be kept to a reasonable level, listen to the adults, and so on. Many of them boil down basic respect and common sense, as Dwayne explains. It'll come naturally over time.

With the introductions, tour, and explanations all taken care of, the adults return to their prior tasks, leaving the children in Niel's room.

"We went out yesterday and got you some clothes," Reed says to Niel. "You have one of the outfits on now, and there's another plus some pyjamas in your dresser."

Niel approaches the dresser and envelopes it in a thin cloud of Dark Dust. Through the feedback signature of the Dust, everything within the wooden container is made known to him, down to the smallest crack and chip in the wood, as if each grain of dark is an extra eye and hand. It informs him that the dresser is not trapped, so deeming it safe, he opens the top drawer with his own hands. Inside are several pairs of underwear and socks. In the drawer below he finds a single grey shirt, then a single pair of blue jeans in the drawer below that, and a black shirt and red and black plaid pyjama pants in the drawer below that. There's nothing in the fifth and bottom drawer.

"We'll be going clothes shopping with you tomorrow after school so you can pick out what you like, though I doubt you'll be very picky," Lydia explains as Niel observes the contents of each drawer.

"I have no preference," Niel states blandly as he closes the empty bottom drawer. Illia looks on in silence.

"Hey, so know that you're free to do whatever, why don't we all go somewhere?" Reed suggests.

"Like where?" Lydia questions. There's, like, an hour and a half before supper."

"We don't have to spend very long out," Reed says. "I wanna go to the range!"

"Reed."

"A gun range?" Niel questions.

"No! No, a Mute range!" Reed clarifies.

"You want to see his Mute in action," Lydia says.

"Well, yeah! It sounds really cool! I—"

"It's anything but cool," Niel states coldly. His glare is icy and piercing, and Reed finds looking into it feels like staring into the eyes of death itself. He won't be forgetting it or the feeling for a long time.

"Let's do something else," Lydia suggests, trying everything in her power not to blow up at Reed again.

"Okay..." Reed groans. Lydia is one-more-peep-from-Reed's-mouth away from losing it at him, and Niel sighs and closes his eyes as he tilts his head down.

"Fine, I'll humour you," Niel says as he looks back up. "But only if there's no one around to see me."

"I don't think people will report you to whoever took you, but sure."

"No, but they'll be talking about a weird black Mute that they've never seen before, and if they get even a single hint that I'm out here, you can kiss this house—and likely your lives as well—goodbye." Hearing this doesn't reaffirm Illia's nor Lydia's feelings of Niel being allowed to stay.

"Then we probably shouldn't go," Lydia suggests, now for a completely different reason than last time.

"The range doesn't always have people in it, so there might not be people there right now!" Reed says.

"You know as well as I do Reed that there's been more people there than ever now that things have gotten bad! Besides, how do you expect to get in without money? We had our allowances frozen after you chased after Niel!" Lydia is shouting now, and Reed's anger is quickly rising to match.

"And it would've turned out way better had you not tried to drown him!"

Niel has already had enough. He picks the three of them up with his Dark Dust and drops them all outside his room before slamming the door. At first there is silence, but when he hears Lydia and Reed's voices pick back up in another argument, he uses his Dust to create a loud snap in between them that causes both of them to recoil and cover their ears. He protects Illia's ears as she wasn't a part of it. The bang might've been too much, though, as several pairs of footsteps come rushing up the stairs, which he scans and identifies as Dwayne, Mabel, and Gabriel.

Dwayne orders the two combatants to leave while Gabriel ushers Illia to do the same. He sees Mabel's figure reach for the door, so he holds the doorknob still and walks towards the window. His blood is boiling and his arteries are seething with power. As Mabel knocks on the door, Niel wonders what he should do. Leaving is extremely tempting to him, though he knows that if he does, he won't be returning. He tucks the Warden's Key into his shirt and opens the window, and a spring breeze immediately washes over his face and body.

"Niel?"

Niel scans behind him and finds Mabel in his room. But how? The door never opened!

"Did their argument upset you?" Mabel questions. The window is open and his power is flaring, so she needs to pick her words carefully. Niel doesn't respond.

"Or, did you get angry from them being angry?" Again, Niel doesn't respond. "...That's something you picked up from your time in confinement, isn't it?"

"You don't know the half of it," Niel responds.

"I know at least that it was horrible for you."

"Dream up the worst shit you can, and it still won't be close to the hell they put me through."

"And it's all the more reason to keep you safe." Mabel slowly approaches Niel from behind. "You're safe here. I know things have gotten off to a rocky start, but please, have fai... Though, asking for you to have faith in us is asking a lot at this moment. So, instead, let us prove to you that we mean what we say, that this is a safe place for you."

Mabel reaches Niel all without him moving, and she places her hands on his shoulders. He still doesn't move, but Mabel notices that the lines under his skin are starting to lighten.

"How did you get in here? I never opened the door," Niel asks.

"Let's just say that my Mute is the spring breeze!"

Niel puts the clues together. "You slipped underneath the door." He can see through his Dust that she's wearing a big smile.

"We've got a great dinner planned, and something to celebrate your arrival here," Mabel says.

"A surprise," Niel says. "I hate surprises."

"That's understandable."

A quiet 90 minutes pass as Niel watches the television with Mabel and Gabriel. Illia, Louise, Clara, and Dwayne are all in the kitchen helping Poppy with supper, while Reed and Lydia are isolated in their rooms as punishment for earlier. Dinner is served soon enough—barbecue steaks with milky potatoes and a vegetable stir fry.

"So, uh, sorry about earlier," Reed apologizes to Niel as everyone sits down at the overcrowded kitchen table. "I didn't know us bickering would affect you as much as it did."

"I'm sorry too," Lydia echoes. Despite receiving the apologies, Niel doesn't respond.

"Niel?" Mabel says. "Do you accept their apologies?"

"Hm? Oh, uh, sure. Yeah," Niel says. "Sorry, I'm not used to receiving apologies, or hearing anyone say sorry, for that matter."

"It's okay."

"Niel? What do you think of the food? Do you like it?" Poppy questions. Niel cuts off a piece steak and uses the knife to skewer it and bring it to his mouth. It's unlike anything he's ever eaten before.

"It's good," Niel says as he chews away.

"You shouldn't talk with your mouth full," Gabriel says. "And instead of the knife, you should pick it up with the fork so you don't accidentally cut yourself."

"Okay."

Niel places the knife next to his plate and conjures up his own out of Dark Dust. He cuts more steak with it, but when it's time to bring a piece to his mouth, the blade morphs into the prongs of a fork, then back again. Everyone can't help but give an uneasy smile; the innocence is cute, but the reason for the lack of simple table manners is anything but. The rest of supper happens without a hitch.

"Niel? We've got a surprise for you! Are you ready?" Poppy questions. Hearing of a surprise makes Niel feel uneasy, but seeing Mabel give him a smile and a nod eases his fears a little bit.

"Yes."

Poppy opens up the kitchen refrigerator and pulls out a rectangular white and blue cake with sliced strawberry toppings. As soon as she closes the door and approaches the table with it, everyone erupts into song—something about a... happy birthday? Once the cake finds its place on the table, 16 candles are planted in a circle on top, and Reed ignites their wicks by touching them with his finger.

"Since you don't know your age or when you were born, we're gonna take a guess and say you're 16 and make today your birthday!" Clara explains.

"Based on your hospital records, 16 is our most educated guess," Dwayne adds. "Coincidentally, that lines up with both Reed and Illia."

"As for me, I'm a year older," Lydia states.

"Do you know what your birthday means?" Mabel asks Niel. He responds by shaking his head.

"While it's not a tradition everyone takes part in, many people in the world celebrate the anniversary of their birth. We call that our birthday," Louise explains.

"And now, April 7th shall be yours—the day you first came home," Dwayne says.

"At least until we learn what your real age and birthday are," Gabriel adds.

"And now do you know what you gotta do?" Reed questions. "You gotta make a wish and blow out all of the candles!"

"A wish?" Niel questions. He watches the 16 flames playfully dancing. A light aroma can be detected from the candles and the strawberry topping. "Then... I wish—"

"No! You can't say it out loud, otherwise it won't come true!"

"Okay then..." Niel contemplates his wish for a bit longer.

I wish this isn't too good to be true.

The cake turns out to be the sweetest thing he has ever eaten.