The service gap opens into a narrow maintenance hall, cooler and still. Faint vent fans drag the last of the haze away from the chamber behind them.
The Kid sinks to the floor beside the Mutated Creature, watching its breathing settle. When they shift a hand, the creature’s fingers twitch in the same rhythm.
The Kid
It copies me... like it knows me.
The Mutated Creature tilts its head toward The Kid, wary at first, then softer. Its shoulders ease when The Kid stays near.
The Mutated Creature
Home...?
Oni watches the exchange in the thin light, the shape of it landing hard. This is not a weapon meeting a target, it is one stolen life recognizing another.
The Kid
We were both made here, weren't we?
For a moment, nobody moves. The hallway hums softly, and the three of them have space to breathe.
✓ Quest Accepted
Help the Kid and the Mutated Creature decide their bond
“I sit down beside them and ask how they feel about being together.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +0)
Oni lowers herself to the floor beside them, close enough to share the light but not crowd it. The hallway’s hum and distant club bass slip into the background.
Oni Sakurai
She asks how it feels, the two of them together.
The Kid
It feels... less wrong than being alone.
The Mutated Creature
Together... warm.
The Kid glances at the creature’s mirrored movement, then back to Oni, breathing slower now. The creature’s hand finds the floor between them, open and waiting.
The Kid
I thought it was copying me because it was trapped in my head.
The Kid
But maybe it’s just... me, and it’s not.
The Mutated Creature
Not you. Not alone. Sibling.
The Kid goes still, then nods once, small and certain. The decision lands in the quiet, while the music from above keeps thudding through the walls.
Quest Complete
Help the Kid and the Mutated Creature decide their bond