Yano...loved him? Dowda had never been more confused. Had no hypothesis, no theories, no answers for this. Why would she love him? It made no sense. Their marriage was nothing more than a contract. They appeared together in public events but they were only there for pictures. They lived in the same house but slept in different beds. They were married but they were never in love. Until now.

That day she stormed off and didn't return, despite Dowda waiting and waiting. She'd left for good. But she loved him, she said so herself. And only then did he realize, he'd accused her of cheating on him, he'd told her to leave. Dowda stopped thinking, stopped trying to analyze her, he ran as fast as he could on one good foot into their bedroom. Set on their night stand was their wedding portrait. The only picture he had of her.

Dowda stumbled down the apartment stairs and out into crowded streets of the Underbelly. He asked anyone he could, "have you seen my wife?" They'd shake their heads and leave. He grabbed anyone who even remotely resembled her, earning him a few screams and frightened looks. Even if his ankle began to pulse and he could barely stand on two feet, he begged anyone who'd listen.

But even if he stood around all night, the Underbelly was too large, there were too many people. He eventually found himself seated beside a man missing both eyes and three fingers, a dirty beggar.

"It seems I have company," The beggar said, his breath smelling of everything foul and rotten. He stretched out a hand to Dowda, which Dowda shook. "From upstairs aye?"

Dowda nodded. He figured he'd humor the man. "How'd you know?"

"You still got all fingers on you."

Dowda's face twisted at the thought of the Underbelly's rampant organ trafficking. "I plan to keep all my fingers thank you."

"That's what they all say." The beggar chuckled to himself. "What do you do to claim you will never slice?"

"I'm a scientist. Was a scientist."

"Ah, a man of science aye?" The man displayed half a set of teeth. "What do you study?"

"The human body. The brain specifically."

"Mighty my, a doctor!" The beggar slapped Dowda's back. "We sure are lucky to have more doctors."

"More?" Dowda slipped out his wedding portrait then remembered the beggar had no eyes. "Have you met any other doctors besides me? A woman? Her name is Yano."

"Calm down will you, I only got one working ear drum."

Dowda winced. "Please, I've been looking for her everywhere. I have to apologize, if you know anything at all."

"This lady doctor," the man mused, "you love her?"

Dowda hesitated. "She's my wife."

"Ah a lovers quarrel!"

"No, uh, we aren't—she's just my wife."

"But you love her, no?"

Dowda pondered the question. But he had no answers. "I don't know."

"Then why did you marry her?"

Dowda didn't have to think too hard. "Because, among all other marriage candidates she stood out the most. She had the highest level of education, she's a medical doctor as I've just told you. She came from a stable family, her medical records were spotless and, and she was the most appealing in looks as well."

"Oh and what made you stay married to her?"

Dowda didn't have to think through his answers. "She's an amazing cook, she'd prepare all my meals even if we had a chef, even if she were busy. She always wished me a good day, everyday. She always listened to all my theories, to all my complaints. She treats me when I'm sick. She makes me laugh, which isn't something anyone can do. She's always there when I need her...She loves me."

"My oh my!" The beaggar's face lit up. "I may be two eyeballs short but I can see as clear as day that you love your wife."

"I do?"

The beggar shrugged. "If you don't then I'm mad and so are you. You're a smart guy you shouldn't be asking me. And if she's a doctor, shouldn't she be in a hospital?"

Dowda felt his world tilt sideways, all he needed was for a blind man to state the obvious that he'd so easily overlooked. He thanked the beggar and went off in search of the hospital.

~~~

Dowda had been to a dozen hospitals and clinics, anywhere where there were sick and there was an abundance of those. So many it seemed almost odd, but Baido chalked it up to be nothing but the result of the increased population.

He'd all but given up hope when he stumbled into a hospital, collapsed the very instance he did. When he woke, he was lying on a hospital bed surrounded by a sea of the sick. On the bed beside him was a man with patches of deep blue forming along the skin of his arms. Dowda had never seen the human body so strangely discolored. When he stood to further investigate he found that his whole neck had been discolored as well. The man was no longer breathing.

Dowda made for the hallway, shouting, screaming for a doctor, for help. A team rushed in, performed cpr, but he was already gone. Dowda turned away, roamimg the hospital halls, searching the rooms, speaking to anyone who would listen. Then he saw her, standing among the sick, tucking a little girl in bed.

He couldn't force himself to move, didn't know what to say. He simply stared. The little girl noticed him and pointed. She looked his way, her gaze communicating a question, "why are you here?" She kissed the girl goodbye and finally met him.

Dowda stumbled over his words, just as he stumbled over his own feet. "Yano, I, uh, I came to, well, first off please accept my apology. And um, I'm sorry."

Her eyes were filled with agony. But a small smile graced her face. "Ok." Then she walked away.

"Wait." Dowda caught her arm. "Uh and I also wanted to tell you that, well I didn't realize this till I met a blind beggar who helped me realize it but that's not the point, the point is I—"

"You love me?"

"I do."

Dark circles rimmed her eyes and the corner of her lips dipped. "Are you sure?"

He hesitated. "I am sure. If I didn't then, I do now. Those things I said, I only said them because I didn't know better. It was wrong of me to accuse you of such a thing. You were the only one who ever tried to make something of our marriage and I was just glad you were there. But now I want to change that, I don't just want to be your husband. I want to be your friend, your helper, your doctor when you're sick, your therapist, your lover. So you shouldn't be afraid to tell me the truth." Dowda looked at all the sick children, children she'd given all her time to.

But she pulled herself further back."I didn't tell you because I didn't want to make you feel worse. You had already lost everything, I didn't want you to feel like you were worthless. I was going to tell you, when you got better. But now you know. There's an outbreak, the locals call it the blue lynx. Once you get it you never get better. There's still so much we don't understand about this disease. But what we do know is that more people than ever need help right now, that's why I was away."

Dowda thought back to the man beside him. And the unnatural blue hue of his skin. Then it hit him over the head. "Have you forgotten who your husband is? I'm the head of Dhulka's Research and Development Institute, if anyone's going to find a cure for this disease it's gonna be me. I will find a cure, if not for them then for you. To prove to you that I love you."

~~~

When Onwa returned that day, Baido told him where they had been the night before. Onwa exploded of course, but Mahina stayed quiet, kept her head low. And maybe just maybe, if she'd defended herself Baido wouldn't have felt as guilty.

Baido left that night with what little Onwa and Mahina could give. There were no goodbyes.

As soon as he left he trekked back to the Dhulkanian soldier in the cave. By then only traces of tissue lined his bones, leaving him barely recognizable. He moved the body out of its tomb, and dragged the remains to the edge of the forest, leaving him beside a stream to be found by the cadits.

Then for the next days Baido roamed the forest at night, catching game and collecting fruits. And by the dawn he'd retreat into a cave where he rested till night came again. Until one night when he decided to stay in and a visitor came storming in.

He kicked Baido when he was down. Kneeled on his chest and threatened to slit his throat open.

"Where is my daughter?!" Onwa growled.

"I don..." Baido felt the air squeeze through his bronchial tubes, straining against the massive weight pressing down on him. Onwa lifted his knee only slightly and air flooded Baido's lungs.

"Tell me where my daughter is!"

"I don't know," Baido managed to let out. "I swear."

Onwa sighed. Stood. Paced the tiny cave. "If she isn't with you then where could she have gone?"

Baido sat up, everything falling into place in his mind. "Drait, she must've gone back to Drait."

"Drait?" Onwa halted, his eyes blazing. "Why would she go back to Drait!?"

"She knows."

Onwa stilled. "How?"

"A group came into the forest, hunting a mother and a son from Drait. We watched it happened. Mahina insisted we help, but I didn't let her. Then I told her about Drait."

Recognition lit up Onwa's eyes. "And now she'll do everything in her power to help them." Onwa stormed off just as suddenly as he had come in.

Baido ran off after him, blocked his path. "I'll bring her back sir, I promise It's the least I could do after all you've done for me."

Onwa hesitated but Baido knew he trusted him. "My Mahina is strong, but she still has alot to learn. She will need your help."

~~~

Baido wove through the abandoned buildings in the dark, tracing his way to the shack where the children were kept. He waited a moment then watched from afar as Mahina left the building and moved silently through the streets, keeping her eyes over her shoulder more than the road in front of her. But even then she failed to see two men tailing her from the shadows. One of which had a rifle.

Baido climbed the roof of a house. He steeled himself from the cold wind that whipped around him and prepared for a fight. "Hey!"

The man's head snapped to Baido's direction. He aimed. Fired. Baido dropped. Slid down the roof and into the house. The man came around the corner, halted. Baido pressed himself into the wall and waited.

The door burst open. Baido closed his hands around the rifle's muzzle and moved it out of range. The man realized a second too late, Baido kicked his knee in, headbutted him in the jaw and yanked the weapon from his grasps. Baido aimed the stock of rifle at the man's temple and with one swift blow knocked the lights out of him.

Baido disposed of the gun in a cart along the road when he froze dead in his tracks.

"Baido?"

She had a hundred questions swirling behind her eyes. But she smiled. Her joy was shortlived however, her smile fell the very next second. A clatter. A grunt.

Baido turned to see a man who seemed to be struggling against his very will. Baido knew that feeling all too well. His wrist flicked outwards and his hands stretched open, while his feet stayed glued in place, beside a knife.

Baido's gaze swung back to Mahina who seemed to mimic his stance, no, she controlled him. The blood flowing through the man's veins went where she wanted it to and if she so much as wished it she could stop the blood from pouring into his heart. He dropped.

A million questions filled Baido's mind, stealing all sense of urgency from his body. A hand grabbed his.

"Baido, we have to go," Mahina said.

Baido shook himself back to everything that made sense. Mahina was Mahina, kind and sweet, who'd do anything for anyone in need. And nothing would change the way he saw her.

A/n: uh😅 yeah so that's that. On a random note, have y'all heard of Kowloon Walled City? coz I just did and it had a very dystopian vibe to it and while I wasn't inspired by the city it's interesting to see such a structure having existed in real life. Also another thing I learned, cats eyes glow coz they have a tissue that well basically gives them night vision so yeah the people from Dhulka have night vision and maybe their eyes glow, I'll mention that later. But yes anyways,
Ta.