Quiet

Sage and Cove stood side by side, examining their reflections in the bathroom mirrors. The recent events had left their mark on their faces, etching a sense of weariness and resilience.

Cove couldn't help but voice his curiosity, breaking the momentary silence.

"What's a bathroom doing attached to the kitchen?" he queried, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Sage chuckled softly, finding comfort in his lightheartedness. "Well, this place wasn't exactly designed with five-star luxury in mind", he quipped.

When they stepped through the door near the counters, they found themselves in a surprisingly spacious bathroom hall, equipped with multiple sinks and mirrors. Stacks of toiletries were neatly arranged, remnants of an earlier organization. A large cabinet housed all the essentials for their involuntary stay, though a few items had shifted during the heartquake. One of the magnetic doors stood slightly ajar, revealing glimpses of its contents.

Beyond the sinks and mirrors, three individual grey doors beckoned them into separate bathrooms.

"We don't have to share bathrooms, right?" asked Cove, with a touch of privileged snobbery.

Sage regarded him with a courteous smile, though inwardly amused by his friend's ingrained habits. "Cove, remember, we just enjoyed canned dumplings for dinner", he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

Cove blushed slightly, realizing the extravagance of his initial question. "Oh, right", he conceded sheepishly. "I suppose I got a bit distracted during dinner."

Sage raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "How come?" he prodded.

"Just some random stuff", Cove muttered, not ready to divulge his thoughts.

After washing their faces under the feeble stream of water from the tap, the duo exchanged a knowing glance and exited through the same door they had entered. Their curiosity propelled them forward, embarking on their exploration of the next room. Along the way, they crossed paths with Raven and Nima, who were still stationed in the main room, attending to the cleanup.

Nima was still sitting on the couch, a visible pout marked his face. "Are you seriously going to handle everything?" he grumbled, his impatience seeping through.

Raven, absorbed in the task of rearranging the fallen books into the bookshelf, chose to ignore Nima's comment, not bothering to offer a response. Growing increasingly irritated, Nima raised his voice. "You know, it wouldn't hurt to be polite and answer", he snapped, his frustration evident.

Raven let out a sigh, his lips curling into a half-hearted smile accompanied by a stern tone. "Oh, yes, I'm renowned for my impeccable manners", he retorted sarcastically, refusing to divert his attention from the books.

Nima's frustration intensified, his words laced with urgency. "Seriously, Raven! Give me a chance to contribute. I'm disabled, not stupid", he pleaded.

Raven sighed again, realizing the genuine frustration behind Nima's words. "What do you want to do, then?" he finally asked, while throwing a sarcastic glance in Nima's direction.

"I don't know", Nima admitted, his tone tinged with a touch of defeat. "But at least help me get to the chair next to you. I can organize the books while you handle something else", he suggested, hopeful for an opportunity to be involved.

Raven let out an exaggerated eye roll in response to Nima's request. "Fine", he grumbled, fetching a chair from the chess table, positioning it next to the bookshelf, and then getting closer to the couch.

Standing before Nima, his tall figure loomed over the smaller boy, creating an intimidating presence. Nima felt a flicker of fear, vulnerable in the face of Raven's imposing stature. But to his surprise, Raven extended his arms in a gentle gesture, lifting Nima with unexpected tenderness. The boy was overwhelmed by a mix of embarrassment and awe, unable to tear his gaze away from Raven's piercing eyes that still carried an air of sternness. Raven carefully placed Nima on the chair before releasing his grip.

The smaller boy mustered up the courage to speak, his voice still trembling. "You know, I could have used my crutches", he giggled, trying to diffuse the tension.

Raven glanced at the small boy, his expression still firm. "I don't want you to get hurt, twig", he replied.

Nima's face flushed a deep shade of red. "W-What?" he stammered, caught off guard by Raven's unusual concern.

"Because then they'd blame me", Raven stated coldly, turning his shoulders away from Nima as he moved to rearrange the nearby chessboard.

The disappointment and annoyance quickly replaced Nima's previous excited expression, resembling that of a child denied an ice cream. He redirected his attention to organizing the weathered books on the shelves, his enthusiasm dead.

As Cove and Sage ventured into the bedroom behind the other door, they were greeted by a spartan environment. The room housed several single beds, covered with light green blankets, scattered in a somewhat haphazard manner. Two big closets stood facing each other on opposite walls, while a large, weathered dresser occupied a corner. The presence of larger air vents on the ceiling made it the coldest space they had encountered thus far.

Cove glanced at Sage, concern etched on his face. "You should rest, you look exhausted and you're injuried", he suggested, his worry evident in his voice.

True to form, Sage responded with a warm smile. "Perhaps we both should rest. You look like you've seen a ghost", he remarked, their shared amusement drawing out gentle laughter.

Their gazes lingered on each other for a moment longer than usual, a spark of connection flickering between them. Cove, aware of the intensity in his own glance, averted his eyes and moved toward the nearest bed.

"These sheets feel like sandpaper, but I couldn't be happier to lie down", he quipped, attempting to lighten the atmosphere.

Sage joined in the banter, sitting on the bed adjacent to Cove's. With care, he removed his Dr. Martens before settling onto the covers, closing his eyes. "I might drift off to sleep at any moment", he mused softly, his voice a gentle melody.

Cove, despite being equally fatigued, couldn't tear his eyes away from Sage. The proximity and the serenity of the resting boy enthralled him, melting his heart. Finally, Cove had the chance to admire Sage without the fear of being discovered. It was a crush like no other he had experienced before, and in that moment, he was happy to be vulnerable, as he allowed himself to be captivated by Sage's angelic presence.

Finn and River found themselves into the familiar territory of the dark and chilly corridor, enveloped in an eerie silence broken only by the faint echoes of their footsteps. Shadows danced along the walls, cast by the dim light buzzing above them. The air held a tangible sense of anticipation, as if it were brimming with secrets waiting to be unraveled.

"So... are you gay?" River's question caught Finn off guard, causing him to choke in surprise.

"What? Is this really the right time to ask that?" Finn responded, his exasperation evident as he stopped in his tracks, widening his eyes.

"I don't know, earlier it just seemed like you had a crush on me or something--"

Finn's face flushed crimson, his confusion palpable. His eyes seemed to shimmer with unshed embarassment tears. "Even if that was true, I can't fathom how you can be so carefree about everything all the time--"

"So, it is true?" River interrupted, his gaze conveying a mix of complicity and mischievousness.

Finn stood there, speechless, unable to emit a single sound. Eventually, he resumed walking, his pace quickening as he headed toward the door on the left at the end of the corridor. His mouth remained agape, still in disbelief. He had never encountered someone so audacious.

River simply followed behind, his heart light and a sense of amusement dancing in his eyes.

Finn pushed open the door, revealing a cold and sterile locker room that greeted him with its stark ambiance. The sight of fallen towels, and the faint scent of the lemon shampoo that had spilled on the floor due to the heartquake, hinted at a space that had seen little activity recently. At the far end, a series of wide communal showers beckoned, their solitude casting an eerie atmosphere.

River prepared to cross the threshold when his ears caught a peculiar metallic noise emanating from the fireplace. Intrigued yet cautious, he paused and strained his senses, trying to discern the origin of the mysterious sound. It grew louder, reverberating through the corridor with an unsettling quality.

River approached the fireplace with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. Leaning closer, he peered into the dark recesses above.

The sight paralyzed him, his breath catching in his throat. For there, suspended in the dark, was a haunting black gas mask, its expressionless features fixed upon him. Murmurs escaped from the mask, garbled and incomprehensible, filling the room with an otherworldly presence.

A guttural scream erupted from River's lips, reverberating through the corridors like a piercing cry of anguish that echoed into the depths of darkness.