Akio couldn't sleep.
But this time he had a good reason.
That's right.
*A reason*.
He finally got the permission to be sad. A reason to feel the way he does.
Although it doesn't explain why he felt that way long before things actually escalated.
*I can't even cry. I am sad, but... I am too exhausted to cry. This still feels more like a nightmare than reality. Even though I know it's true, my brain wouldn't let me process it. Or maybe it's actually my heart protecting itself?*
"Akio."
Akio jumped at the sudden voice.
"Have you not heard me knocking? I've waited at least a whole minute."
Akio sat up, but didn't look at Vyko's eyes - or rather, their blindfold.
"Right... Sorry, I was too busy thinking about recent stuff."
Vyko sat down on Akio's designated bed.
"Ah my dear, I understand. What you've been through must be absolutely terrible for you. Your best friend is dead. Your family now too..."
"... It's like you're attracting death itself."
Akio tensed up at that.
"Don't. Don't say that."
Vyko chuckled without a trace of empathy.
"It's true, is it not? You drag everyone over to the edge. Just waiting for them to stumble and fall."
Akio put his hands over his ears, not wanting to hear whatever Vyko was saying.
"Stop, that's not true!"
Vyko didn't stop though.
"There's no need to lie to yourself. You're practically a death magnet."
"Its not my fault Shibou decided to kill himself!"
Silence fell.
"There we go."
"Huh?"
Vyko tilted their head to feign innocence.
"You're a hypocrite, you know? First you say everything is your fault and then you blame your dead friend. Isn't that funny?"
Akio didn't know how to react. He knew they were right.
"It's almost like you just blame yourself for attention. And once you realize you don't get what you want, you put the blame on others."
"No, that's not-!", Akio stuttered.
Vyko put a hand on Akio's shoulder.
"Let me tell you something..."
"... It is your fault."
"Akio?"
Makoto and the rest of the Hollow Hand were searching everywhere in the base for Akio, but he was nowhere to be seen.
This was the first night Akio had been missing. Makoto feared something bad might have happened to his friend.
Katsuko wasn't there either. This was incredibly suspicious.
"Makoto, the boss gave us the order to search outside the base," Kaelis told him.
He was obviously not very happy about the current situation, and neither was Makoto.
"Alright," Makoto agreed begrudgingly.
Just as they walked towards the elevator, pressing a button and waiting for it to arrive on their current floor, the door of the elevator opened, revealing someone they did not expect, nor want to see in their headquarters.
Makoto groaned in agitation.
"Ugh not you. We desperately need a better security system."
"Now now, no need to be so hostile. I'm not here to fight. But that shouldn't be a surprise to you."
"Right. What are you here for then, Nebelwald?"
Wolfgang smiled politely, but it was unusually forced.
"It's about the ability thief."
"Akio? What do you know? Where is he?", Makoto questioned frantically.
Wolfgang sighed.
"Ah so I was right. You did lose him."
Makoto huffed in annoyance.
"He disappeared. Out of nowhere. One moment I went out of the room to check the situation and when I came back Akio was gone."
Wolfgang hummed in thought.
"If it helps, I am quite certain the cult leader has something to do with his disappearance."
"Great. So now we need to find them first in order to get to Akio. But what about Katsuko? Nobody has seen her since three days ago. Which isn't that unusual for her, but still," Makoto complained.
"Katsuko? I'm not sure I remember ever having heard of them...", Wolfgang admitted.
"Katsuko. The cigarette addict. The girl with the red scarf. Does that ring a bell?", Makoto commented.
"Ah, now I know. I believe I've seen her on the way here actually."
"You have!?", Makoto asked, surprised, while Kaelis stayed silent but perked up at what Wolfgang said.
"There was a woman with long, auburn hair with a piercing gaze. She immediately caught my eye. Especially since not many people walk around at night. The way she looked around herself was suspicious, but I didn't bother trying to talk to her. She seemed awfully on guard, though."
"That description fits her, alright. Do you know where she was headed to?", Makoto asked.
Wolfgang thought for a moment.
"I'm afraid I don't."
"Makoto, is what he says true?", Kaelis inquired warily.
"He's telling the truth. If he didn't, I would've told you by now," Makoto explained firmly.
Wolfgang smirked for a second, but it was soon wiped off his face.
"I have a proposition."
The two looked at Wolfgang, waiting for him to continue.
"I know we are rivals. But both sides need to look for the cult leader and stop them. That way we will know where Akio is. Since unfortunately - and I'd rather not admit it - I have lost control over Xelore. But in exchange for your help, I will search for the girl, since I know where she went."
Kaelis turned to Makoto.
"Can we trust him?"
Makoto stayed calm, expression almost apathetic.
"He's not lying. I suppose working together wouldn't be so bad."
Kaelis nodded in understanding.
"Alright. It's a deal then."
Akio didn't know how he ended up in this situation.
He finally managed to calm down after crying for what felt like hours.
Vyko was comforting him the whole time, hugging him, and reassuring him. It was quite the contrast to how they acted earlier.
Right now the two were lying on Akio's bed, practically cuddling with each other, blanket covering the two of them.
It was almost like he was a child sleeping in his parent's bed after a nightmare.
Akio could feel their soft breath fanning his face.
They smelled like vanilla scented candles. It was comforting in a confusing way.
He felt safe in the house of a monster.
In the embrace of a monster.
This didn't feel right at all. But Akio was too tired and comfortable to care at that moment.
He let out a soft, content sigh.
The argument from earlier forgotten.
The death of his family forgotten.
The exhaustion overpowered him completely, to the point of falling unconscious in the arms of this monster.