[DISCONTINUED] Cannibal Society (Hermitcraft AU)

Chapter 1

"Hey, Kane. Did Tango ever clock in?"

He paused halfway through zipping up his backpack. "No...?" he looked at his colleague. "Speaking of Tango, it's really weird that he still hasn't showed up."

"He'd call if he's going to stay home, right?" Dana leaned back on her seat, taking the security guard cap off her head and letting her hair dangle freely behind her.

"He usually calls when he's missing work around 7." Kane checked his watch briefly before slinging his bag over his back. "I'll check up on him at his apartment on the way home. Bye."

"Bye."

Kane swiped his ID to end his night shift, stepping out to the street to find it bustling with heavy foot traffic. He let out a deep sigh as he stepped forward and blend with the crowd, heading towards Tango's apartment building.

"Good morning, Kyle." Kane greeted the landowner who was outside on the doorstep, looking up at a busted surveillance camera. He dialed Tango on his phone as well, wanting to alert him of his arrival beforehand.

"Morning." Kyle grumbled, looking down to find the shards of the glass from the destroyed 360°-view camera. "Damn kids throwing shit just for fun."

"I'm here to visit Tango." Kane immediately stated, not wanting to catch the landlord angry.

"Yeah-- hold on." Kyle reached over and unlocked the door for him.

Kane muttered a quiet thank you before heading to the elevator. Pressing the fifth floor, he stood back and watched the doors close as he paid attention to the vibrations in his hand from his phone when something shining at the lobby made him stick his hand out and stop the doors from closing.

He shot through the gap of the opening elevator doors and approached the blinking device underneath the chairs in the lobby. Bending down and grabbing the item, his eyes grew wide in recognition as his own contact was displayed on the screen, buzzing quietly.

"Hey, Kyle. Did you see Tango last night?" he stopped dialling Tango's phone as he stuck his head through the doorway.

Kyle paused. "No. I wasn't here last night. Why?"

"His phone was under the chairs."

"Now why would it get there?"

Kyle looked down at the ground, thinking of his options, before coming back to his senses. "I'll be right back."

He ran to the elevator, spamming Tango's floor and shifting on his feet. An uneasy feeling bubbled in his chest as he held both his and Tango's phone in his hands, not liking how the latter was cold in his hold.

The ding pulled him out of his thoughts, and he darted through the doors when it opened wide enough for him. Sprinting down the hall and skidding to a stop in front of Tango's door, he banged on it urgently, pressing his ear to the cold metal soon after.

Resonating silence.

Don't tell me he went missing, too...

~~~~×ק××~~~~

The bright waters above him parted to reveal them to be fluorescent bulbs shining down on his hazy vision. He winced at the sharp pain that assaulted his head before throwing an arm over his eyes only to have it frozen in place.

Alarm rushed through his system, waking him up fully as he looked at his arm. His wrist was strapped to the metal surface he found himself lying on, buckled tight. He tried to juggle his hand free only to hiss at the burning sensation on his skin. How long have I been in here?