seungyoon
THE NIGHT air is a little chillier than it usually is.
I'm on top of a building, looking down at the city beneath me, watching the life move through it.
It's only eight, but the sun has set already, turning the little light of day into night.
The video went out tonight. I saw it on a TV in a hotel. It looked good. I hope it'll make people start questioning things. I hope Nocturas and humans will both want to join.
If they do want to join, they won't exactly know how, but those who already know about the Alliance will get word out to those they know want to join. Our connections are great enough that we will be able to get recruits.
I know it was risky putting my face on camera. They won't be able to tell exactly who I am because of the mask, but how many people around here have white hair?
Now, I have to be more hidden than I was before. If anyone from the AAN sees me, or someone sees me and reports me to the AAN, they'll definitely take me in. Possibly even kill me.
I know the risks. But the risks are worth being able to help the innocent Nocturas who don't deserve to be put to death.
After surveying the area for a couple minutes more, I head over to the ladder that leads down to the street. I quickly start descending, reaching the ground pretty quickly.
Once I'm on the ground, I flip my sweatshirt hood over my head and shove my hands in my pockets. I move through the streets, moving past people who don't even bother looking at me.
People keep to themselves around here. I shouldn't have to worry too much.
But I can't get cocky. I have to know the danger I'm in. If I ever forget, the universe will definitely remind me.
The AAN will remind me.
I move through the streets at a normal pace, feeling the fresh air against the upper half of my face, since the lower half is covered by a black mask.
It feels nice out here tonight. Maybe it's because I'm happy about the video being released tonight. Maybe I've got a good feeling about the Alliance and I'm hopeful about what it will become in the near future.
Once I reach a large park, I sit down on a bench and pull my backpack around. After pulling my mask down, I open the backpack up and start eating the bag of chips in there. I look around at the park around me.
The trees are large, but they don't have very many leaves. The grass isn't a dark green, but a yellow and brown color. I wonder what the place would look like if we actually got sun. Since it's always cloudy, we never really even see the sun. The plants don't grow as well.
I should be heading back to the Alliance building down in the sixth sector. I need to check on Nephi again and see if he's been able to eat. I hope he has. He shouldn't have to wait longer than necessary.
I finish the chips and then pull out a protein bar, quickly eating that too.
A couple walks past, holding hands and speaking softly with each other.
Suddenly, I hear a shriek.
I quickly turn to my right and see a little girl running up to a man and a woman. The man picks her up happily and she shrieks again with pure joy. The woman holds the man's arm as both parents play with the little girl.
I smile to myself and then turn forward again, looking down at my shoes on the pavement.
A while ago, I used to know a little girl kind of like that. She was happy and joyous and had a beautiful laugh.
"It's you."
My eyes widen as I'm still looking down. I grip my backpack tightly, ready to take off if necessary.
I turn my head toward the left and there he is.
The guy with the pink hair, styled back.
I stand up and throw my backpack over my shoulders.
He steps toward me. "Wait, I don't want any trouble. I need your help."
I give him a curious look but I don't say anything.
The guy glances around and then looks back at me. "Can we go somewhere? And talk? Please?"
I look him up and down. He's wearing a long-sleeved shirt and regular jeans. He's got an earring in each ear. His face is full of concern.
He doesn't look too harmful.
But I can never be too careful.
I tilt my head, gesturing for him to follow me.
I start walking through the park and he quickly catches up with me, staying only a step behind as I lead him out of the park and into an alleyway.
After quickly checking to see if anyone is around, I turn back to the guy.
"I need your help," he says quietly. "My name is Song Minho. I saw your video. And I was the one who—"
"I know." I look directly into his eyes. "I remember who you are. What do you need?"
"My friend..." He trails off, trying to find the right words. "I rescued this guy from the fights, the Noctura fights in that old warehouse. He's at my house. But they're doing a house search tomorrow, and I have nowhere to hide him. They can't find him because... he doesn't remember anything. He has amnesia. And there's no one living with me, according to records. If they found him, they'd count it as something suspicious and take him away. And if they somehow figure out he's a Noctura..."
The guy, Minho, stops talking, looking at me desperately.
He rescued someone with amnesia? A Noctura with amnesia?
"Please," he begs. "I don't know what else to do. You said you help Nocturas. So, please. Can you help us?"
"Take me to him," I say. "Let me speak with both of you, in private."
Minho nods. "Yeah, of course. Just follow me."
We move through the streets at a pace a little quicker than normal. We move out of the main city and out toward a neighborhood area. Once we start walking up a driveway toward the front door of a house, I check my watch and see that it's already almost ten.
Minho opens the door and I step inside the small house.
There's a kitchen on the right, a small table on the left, and a living room in front of me. Beyond that, there's a hallway that I'm guessing leads to rooms.
"Jinwoo!" Minho calls. "I found him! I found him, Jinwoo."
Another guy moves out of the hallway and steps into the living room.
He's got dark brown hair, parted more on his left side, and dark brown eyes. I notice the white bandages on his left arm. He looks innocent and a bit afraid.
Not like most Nocturas I've seen.
"Y-you're human?" He asks.
I nod and take off my face mask. "Jinwoo?"
"Yeah," he answers. "I'm Kim Jinwoo."
Minho steps toward me. "Jinwoo was in that warehouse when it was set on fire. He escaped and I took him here because I didn't know what else to do. But he doesn't remember anything about his past."
I step forward, moving toward Jinwoo. "My name is Yoon. I'm part of the Alliance. I do my best to help Nocturas."
"Do you have somewhere for him to hide?" Minho asks. "We've got searches tomorrow. And I'm sure screenings aren't far behind. I just need him somewhere else, somewhere safe, while my place is getting searched."
I nod, looking over at Minho. "Yes, I have somewhere I can take him. It's not here, though. The closest is in the sixth sector."
Minho nods. "I understand. Just as long as it's safe."
"It is." I look over at Jinwoo. "You don't remember anything about your past? Nothing at all?"
Jinwoo shakes his head. "I woke up on a train and the only thing I could remember was that my name is Kim Jinwoo. I was taken to a cell and then this woman took me to her house and put me in a cell. She took me to that arena and I was forced to fight this guy and... and... I killed him. Then the place started burning down and Minho found me... and he saved me."
"The Noctura fights," I say.
Minho speaks up. "Yes, but, the weird thing is... he didn't know about Nocturas. He thought he was human. He refused to eat until, finally, I... I brought someone here."
My eyes widen. "You brought someone here? In your house?"
"Don't worry, I cleaned everything up," Minho assures me. "I took care of everything. But Jinwoo was dying. I had to do something. And I couldn't take him out on the streets."
I think everything through and then look over at Jinwoo. "We should get you to the safe house as soon as we can. It shouldn't be that long of a walk from here. I think you'll be okay."
"Will he be able to come back?" Minho asks.
I take a deep breath. "If that's what you two want, then yes. But the safe houses are called just that for a reason. It's a place for Nocturas to go when they have nowhere else to go."
"He has somewhere to go," Minho says.
I nod. "Then yes."
I look over at Jinwoo. "You thought you were human?"
"I couldn't... I couldn't eat the life essence of someone," he tells me. "At least, I thought I couldn't. I don't know. When my instincts finally kicked in, I knew I could. I guess since I didn't know about Nocturas I just assumed I was human."
"Okay," I say. "We should get going."
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Minho asks Jinwoo.
Jinwoo glances at me and then nods. "Yeah. I'll be fine."
Minho gives Jinwoo a jacket as we head to the front door. I slip my mask back on and then look over at Minho.
"Give me your number really quick. I'll contact you once I know searches are over."
Minho puts his number into my phone and then hands it back to me.
As I'm slipping it back into my backpack, he speaks.
"Will you tell me if he's safe?" He asks. "And if anything happens, tell me. Call me or something and let me know. I'll go wherever you need me to right away."
I nod. "Everything will be fine. I promise."
Minho doesn't look too sure.
But he opens the front door for us and wishes us both luck.
I make sure Jinwoo is close by my side as we leave the fourth sector and begin to head for the sixth sector.
My priority is getting Jinwoo to that safe house.
And once we're there, I can ask more questions about his memory loss.