After their brief encounter on the top floor of No Name Corporation's headquarters, the atmosphere felt incredibly awkward.
Tora stood still with his blindfold on, while Scyte continued holding his cracked, scythe-shaped piece of wood.
Scyte, with his innocent and curious nature, was the first to break the silence.
"Tora, why do you wear that blindfold?"
Tora paused for a moment. Instead of answering, he responded coldly,
"Do you want to see?"
Scyte nodded quickly. "Yeah."
As Tora slowly removed the cloth, Scyte flinched.
Horrifying claw marks were still clearly visible all around Tora's eyes.
"Ughh… how did that even happen!?" Scyte exclaimed in shock. He covered his eyes with his hands, yet his curiosity made his fingers part slightly so he could keep looking.
"Huft…"
Tora briefly told him about the hell inside the experimental facility that had taken his sight.
After Tora finished recounting his dark past and the reason behind his blindfold, the atmosphere grew heavy.
"Alright… that's enough introductions—hmm…?"
Before No Name could give any instructions, the man in the black suit received a call from another division.
"You two, stay here. Don't break anything," No Name said flatly before disappearing into the elevator behind an automatic door.
Leaving two deeply traumatized boys alone inside a massive corporate building was… probably not the best idea.
Scyte, filled with curiosity, quickly grew bored.
He looked at his worn-out wooden scythe, then at Tora.
"Tora, do you know how big this place is? Let's explore!" he said, his eyes sparkling.
Tora crossed his arms and scoffed, trying to act cool.
"We're pawns, not tourists."
But seeing Scyte already running toward the automatic glass doors, randomly pressing buttons with excitement, Tora's resistance eventually crumbled.
Besides… he was curious too.
And so, their little adventure began.
Their first stop was a high-speed glass elevator.
For Scyte, who had lived under a bridge, this transparent box that could shoot through dozens of floors was nothing short of a miracle.
He pressed random floor buttons repeatedly.
Tora, who initially tried to stay quiet and composed, eventually started laughing as their stomachs felt like they were left behind every time the elevator dropped at high speed.
"Woahhh! Tora, look! We're above the clouds!" Scyte shouted, pressing his face against the glass as they reached the 80th floor.
They then wandered into the Hologram Studio of the research division.
As soon as the door opened, sensors detected their presence and activated a simulation.
The empty white room instantly transformed into a vast virtual grassland, complete with digital butterflies.
Scyte ran around, trying to catch them, only for his hands to pass straight through.
Tora, despite his covered eyes, could "see" through his combat instincts, sensing the energy around him.
He joined in, jumping and striking at the small illusionary monsters that appeared, as if playing an arcade game.
For a moment, there was no anger on Tora's face.
Only the carefree laughter of a child.
After leaving the studio, Scyte's stomach growled loudly.
"Ugh… I'm hungry… I haven't eaten in a week, Tora."
"Hm… then let's go to the cafeteria."
They headed straight to the executive cafeteria.
For Tora, who was used to bland nutritional meals in a lab, and Scyte, who had often endured hunger at the orphanage, this place was heaven.
They found an automated food machine.
Scyte, once again, pressed random buttons, and the machine began producing all kinds of luxurious food, steaks, chocolate pudding, giant ice cream, and colorful sodas.
They ate greedily, their faces and clothes covered in sauce and melted ice cream.
Scyte held a pudding as if it were something sacred, while Tora chugged soda until he let out a loud burp, making both of them burst into laughter.
Amid the sweet chaos, they didn't realize that a small security camera was watching from the corner.
In a dark control room, No Name stared at the monitor, watching the two boys fight over chocolate ice cream.
There was no smile on his face.
But for some reason, the moment pierced something deep within him.
He let them be for a few hours.
He understood… moments like these would give them a reason to protect each other, and remain loyal in the future.
After they eventually grew exhausted and fell asleep on the soft cafeteria sofa, the company intercom finally echoed with No Name's cold voice.
"Tora. Scyte. Playtime is over. Report to the armory now."
The two boys immediately woke up, wiped the remaining food off their faces, and ran toward the armory, ready to begin their true destiny.