Fang and Ying don't exactly expect heaven to be a rancid-smelling, cold and tight place in the middle of nowhere.

None of them are dead, and Fang's the first to wake up to the sad-looking place. He doesn't recall any hall like this from the Ruins. Or, should he rather say, he's never been in a prison like this. The ceiling only shines under the bright winter sun, though it isn't as white as it was the last time he had taken note of the climate.

Unlike the natural misty woods, the place is fully closed-up in bluish stone, with the barred ceiling overlooking them like a giant eye, and with a long, dim hallway stretching as far as a football field. It's a tall tower, with the shape of an ellipse from atop. And as Fang looks down, his waist is belted, and hung on the wall. His hands are chained like the rest.

Like a pinned insect on a frame.

There's no cold breath coming out as he whispers. "G-G-God, guys- or- gggirls, are you all okay?!"

To his luck, they are all alive. If they weren't, they would have already been left out there as lying corpses. Miles away.

Ying groans for a second before noticing they're being held captive. "Fang! I'm...I'm okay," she says. "Is- Is Yaya...?" She sees her, right by her side. "Yaya! Oh gosh, she okay?"

Gopal and Ying still flail in their spots. Fang shushes Ying from the other side.

"Sh!"

"Why, what's up?" Ying turns to Fang.

"Th-that's an inappropriate question. What is up is the s-s-sky. And most importantly," He raises his hands. "we're chained, we're ttttrapped, and we can't get out? Like, that's our main p-p-p-priority!"

"Oh, gosh," Ying looks up to the visible sky. "Where in the world even are we?"

"I'm smart, sure, but I d-d-don't know where we are, but I'm...pretty s-sure we're not in the Ruins."

Ying's never seen the Ruins personally. She'd either only hear it from her mother, who's been there multiple times, or from stories from her late grandmother. If they're any close to the Ruins, one wouldn't even have to try to run into danger.

The thought of her mom, helplessly waiting for her back in camp makes her sick. If only she hadn't argued with Yaya. Or if only she didn't run to look for her...

...she wouldn't do that. She'd never do that.

She stares at her friend, her sister, being the only concern she has left other than her getting out of there. Ying and Fang need all the help they can get, and they still have two comrades yet to awake.

At that stage, it was as if there's no other problem.

Ying can only try to whisper to Yaya to wake her up. No one knows if anyone is guarding their cell outside. There are so many questions, like how a mere panther got to carry four grown people, got to chain them up on a wall, and got to smack them unconscious. Her feet don't even touch the stone floor, and her chains attach her to that same ground.

"Yaya...? Yaya...! Get up, please...? We need to get out of here." She's calling with a flurry of thoughts in her head. She's also a tad bit sad. There are plentiful thoughts in her head, like how Yaya's last concern must be the torn-out page.

The torn-out page. Where...?

Yaya's eyes flicker awake. And at one blink, she's already wiggling around. "Wait, Ying?!" She looks around for the sight of her face. "Ying! Ying, oh goodness, where are we?"

A miracle, the page is not her prime concern. If she fell in a river instead, she would've saved the piece of paper first.

She's lucky Yaya isn't too stuck up on the matter, joining them as they try to wake Gopal. Their whispers fill the lonely cell. "Gopal...! Pst! Mister Gopal...? Go-"

They're cut off by a sound of steel hinges, and that familiar growling once more.

The panther slowly crawls from the large crevice at the corner, and it's doing all the intimidating and guard work. It watches them with ferocity. Now, Yaya can see it up close. She's drawn to call it a 'him', tensely glaring at its gleaming eyes, and its soft paws. She still couldn't believe the newly found myth in front of her. Fang watches it with both fascination and terror, while Ying's eyes remain fixated on its paw.

She doesn't care if it doesn't have that white scar. It has a missing toe. If it isn't entirely real, one or more details may be true. If the beast can turn into a man, that would be a nightmare.

But the morphing never happens in front of them. The panther doesn't bend or flex its skin into a man. It doesn't crumble into ashes and wind itself into one, either.

The three hang there, defenseless, their eyes begging for mercy while the panther denies them. It's quiet, none of them have the courage to speak. Not even Yaya. So when a silvery clicking sound erupts from the dark end of the exit hall of the cell, everyone stops, even the panther.

First, the ominous voice clicks his tongue. Then, it whistles.

The voice is hoarse, sending a chill up Fang's spine. "Here...buddy..."

The panther creeps itself down, lowering its chin to the ground. Footsteps echo from afar. They're building up, closer.

The panther is bowing.

"Good boy...Your efforts have been proven worthy of my rewards. And I am grateful," the voice utters, getting louder by the passing second.

The monotone voice pauses for one second before whispering again. To Yaya, it sounds so emotionless, so strong, so cold, so, so soothing. It's an awe to them all.

"Want a treat...?" the voice asks. Finally, something emerges from the shadows. They can only see enough from afar. Pale fingers, grasping on a solid horn.

The horn is still attached to its rightful body. A stout ram. Its head is dangling, it's twisted. The rest of the body is held out by the entity.

The white skin and fur drips blood in one single stream. The sour smell seeps through the cell. The red drops fall from the tip of its hoof.

"Feast..." the voice whispers with a raspy breath.

The figure raises the dead meat. Now, there's a slender arm. So slender, but the man throws the ram all the way to the other side of the wall.

The carcass slams into the stone wall, splashing a fountain of blood right by Fang's side.

The panther jumps to its food, landing its sharp jaws straight into the ram's stomach. No more brawling or hunting for the panther. It tears out its flesh and organs, bit by bit, sometimes with even pieces of fat tossing around.

Its teeth are tainted with red instantly.

The voice returns. And now, he comes into a full view. "The sight of a carcass being pulled apart by its natural predator...it heals my eyes."

It's a boy clad in white. He's a bright, calming sight in the presence of darkness. His set is clean, but with a strange asymmetric sense. One sleeve of his perfectly chalky jacket is sleeved, the other, however, exposes his slim arm. He has white shoes along with it, white pants, and a metal device strapped by his uncovered shoulder.

He's a walking image of snow, all with only brown eyes and bark-brown hair. A white streak serves as a contrast.

No one speaks.

Yaya stares at the bleached boy, probably no less than twenty-five years of age. He's here to welcome them. "An autonomous sensory response," he pauses, closing his eyes as he stands in the middle of the rocky floor.

The panther drools over its dinner, slimy guts sit mushy on the floor.

"It sounds nice," the boy says, looking to Fang, hands on his hips.

Fang can only stare at the boy's bone-white knuckles, suggesting like it would be enough to crack through his own skull.

He stares at his smile, calming down. "I don't think you people actually have much interest with rotten flesh, do you? Well then, my apologies."

No one is answering.

The boy is turning side to side to look at them all. Ying's eyes hover the same way, and he tries not to embrace the total stranger.

Gopal is still unconscious, though that's none of anybody's concern. The boy's eyes soften upon looking up to Yaya, and his tender lips crescent. It's an awe. He's come to save them, and it appeases the prisoners' pain.

Nobody asks his name. Nobody needs to ask his name.

"Getting comfortable, are we, friends?" he says, kneading his hands to his panther's silky coat.

Fang is first to snap out. He's done with the smell of the stinky ram corpse. "Excuse me, s-s-sir, but how must we thank you for c-coming here?"

"No need to thank me, child...No more of these rubbish acknowledgements...I did what I must..." He smiles to Fang.

"Then, you're hhhhhhere to kill us?"

"Kill you? Like...you think I could?" The boy's lustrous eyes flutter in confusion and amusement.

"Well, I-I-I mean, like, the chances of you killing us is a flat y-y-ye-yes."

The boy chuckles. His lips barely move. "Me? Kill you? Nonsense..." He grins, showing his teeth.

Fang calms down under his words. He speaks no more. He won't hurt me after all.

The boy's neck bends to the other side, taking a front to back turn.

He looks to Ying. "How about you? Do you think I am capable to kill you?" His hands dive into his pockets as he smirks.

"No, sir. I'm not worried at all, thank you." Ying face is calm, carefree of the young lad's presence. She doesn't blink. There is no reason to blink.

Laughter. A pleasing, comfortable, sweet laughter blows from the boy's baby-like cheeks.

"I am delighted to hear that, Ying..." he says.

He walks up to Yaya's part of the wall, staring into her deep, hazel eyes. "How about you, darling? Feeling fine today, are you?"

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you." It's a mutter of endearment. Her eyes gaze at his body, completely entranced.

Her pitch changes. "Though one question, can that panther really turn into a man?"

Ying and Fang look at her, astounded by the blunt firing of a question. No one is supposed to question him right now.

The pale boy brushes his hair, licking his lip while staring off to his panther. "Ah, no, Yaya...He is simply my comrade, my friend-"

"Yeah, but can he like, uh, do something nice? Or, awesome, even?"

Ying and Fang stare at the panther while Yaya has her lips perked up, boldly.

She's so cute, the boy keeps to himself. "He is a good boy for hunting...However, I like his meals better served with my own hands..." He looks to his nails.

His nails are long, clear, and sharp.

His expression doesn't change, kept in his default smile. Even when he looks at Gopal, then to his panther.

He clicks his nails. "Hey, buddy...Do give me a hand with our best man here, would you...?"

Accordingly, the panther bows.

The roar rips through everyone's ears, and the panther pounces on Gopal, scratching the wall with its screeching paws.

Gopal shrieks over the irritating sound, but Ying and Fang keep numb. Yaya looks to the poor Gopal. He's just woken up, he doesn't know anything yet. "HOLY BERRIES, WHAT THE ACTUAL-"

The panther is already growling before he could even cuss. It shuts him up.

"I'm sorry, Gopal...Little buddy here just wanted to give you a nice morning call," the boy tells him.

It's not even morning. The sun is setting and the orange beams of light pass through the ceiling.

The boy glares at Gopal's eyes.

Ying blinks fast, staring at the binding harness keeping her from escaping. "Wait, sir, I think you can get us out here, would you please?! It's very tight here-"

The boy has his eyes on the wall, emotionless. "Let me finish what I'm doing, Ying-"

"How do you know my name-?!"

There's a pulse. An invisible wave shocking their nerves.

The boy turns his head at Ying, a corner of his lips lifting.

His eyes are now suddenly huge. He puts a finger to his lips. "Sssssssssshhhhhhhh..."

Ying quiets at his command.

Now Yaya's disturbed. The boy looks at her, capturing her gaze and occupying all of her attention. She's hyperventilating, her breathing goes erratic, her lips tremble at the sight of him. It was all suddenly so terrifying. No one can see the creepiness of the whole situation, no one's suspecting everything. But one look at the boy's endless, beautiful eyes, all worries brush off.

He leans in to Yaya. Cheek touching cheek. His lips are at her ear. His fingers play with her brunette locks.

"You look really nice..."

Yaya doesn't budge. Neither does he.

"Want to come with me...? I won't hurt you..." he murmurs only for her to hear. He sets his chin on her shoulder. "I can answer your questions...Ever wondered who I am...? Or why I'm here...?"

Yaya doesn't move.

"Guess I will be taking that as a yes, baby."

The boy falls to the ground, landing perfectly on the floor. He stares at the waist harnesses, and nobody reacts. She falls from the wall, and her chains break apart, setting her free. Ying and Fang watch. Gopal is stunned.

Yaya doesn't think twice. The boy walks through the dark halls, followed by the panther.

Yaya walks behind him, wordlessly.

"DON'T WORRY, YAYA! WE'LL SAVE YOU!"

Gopal is the only sane one yelling. Everyone turns at the sound of him. They halt.

The panther takes one last hiss to keep him still.

Nobody complains. Nobody changes their mind.

The boy walks ahead, smiling secretly once more. This is the beginning of his rat trap.