Kieran's reaction was immediate. He shot into action, grabbing a small pistol from his belt before sprinting towards the restroom. What the hell happened? Was Kairo okay? What was that sound? He couldn't help the thread of questions filling his mind, until a firm hand gripped the back of his collar, pulling him back roughly. It was Boss. Kieran, on instinct, began to scold him before he could process who had grabbed him. He only stopped when he noticed the expression on Boss' face— was that.. concern? Fear? Whatever it was, it wasn't the usual cold, stoic frown he usually had, and it made Kieran gulp slightly.
"Uh, Boss? What's—?"
He wasn't able to finish his sentence before he was interrupted by a low growl that certainly didn't come from Boss, and he shut up immediately. Oh fuck.
***
The last thing Kieran remembered was a hand gripping his wrist, dragging him out of the library. After that, it was just his heart beating rapidly and his legs burning with pain. He was out of breath. He was tired. And, God he was scared. Scared for himself. For the library. For Zendaya. But mostly, he was scared for Kairo, despite him.. most likely being dead. Or at least fatally injured.
When he finally came to, he realized he was in an alleyway, and Boss was standing in front of him, looking fairly worried. He was pacing, and had a cigarette in his mouth. Boss threw the cigarette away as he noticed Kieran.
He grabbed Kieran's jacket, and yanked him to his feet. "Check your gun," Boss ordered as his eyes scanned the dark street. "I—I think it's full," Kieran stammered. "But Zendaya is still—" "Zendaya knows the protocol," Boss interrupted, his voice clipped. He pushed Kieran toward the alley exit as he spoke, "The library is gone. Whatever caught Kairo's scent is probably coming after us next. Get yourself steady and hurry up. I'll be waiting over there." He let go of Kieran, and gestured to the alley exit, before walking away.
Kieran, paused, baffled. "What do you mean protocol? What was that- that creature? I need answers! So much has happened within the last 5 minutes and now you're just.. leaving me! Talk to me, Boss!" Boss stopped in his tracks, and let out a sigh. "I'm not leaving you. And you have every right to be upset. But you need to be calm right now. It can sense fear. Please, trust me. Okay?"
Kieran wasn't taking that as an answer. He needed his questions to he sated. "Boss—" "Call me Kael. I'm sick of being addressed so formally." "Uh.. then Kael? Just answer my questions. What was that creature? And what do you mean by protocol? I've worked at that library for 2 decades, and I've never heard of any protocol!"
Kael just sighed, and turned around to face Kieran once more. His expression was stone hard, but his eyes betrayed his fear. "Just trust me. We will go to the safe house. You will not complain. I will explain everything there. Now come on. We can take a cab, I have some money on me."
Kael didn't wait for Kieran to answer. He turned on his heel and walked toward the edge of the brick alleyway, his hands buried deep into the pockets of his coat.
Kieran stood frozen for a split second, his mind spinning. Two decades. Twenty years of organizing shelves, handling documents, and locking up at night. He thought he knew every corner of that building. He thought he knew the history. But protocol? A safe house? It felt like the ground beneath his feet had dissolved, leaving him falling into a completely different world. His eyes drifted down to the small pistol still clutched in his right hand. His fingers were trembling so violently that the gun was making a loud rattling sound. He tucked the weapon away, and took a shaky breath before hurrying after his boss.
The rain from earlier had left the asphalt slick and reflective, mirroring the hazy amber glow of the city's street lamps. As Kieran reached the edge of the alley, the cold city air hit him, cooling the sweat on his face. Kael was already standing on the curb, his eyes cutting through the fog left over, watching both ends of the empty street. He looked less like a fearful man and more like a soldier waiting for an ambush. "Keep your head down," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the distant hum of city traffic. "And try to stop shaking. If a cab pulls up, look natural. We don't need a driver panicking and calling the cops."
"Look natural?" Kieran hissed, stepping up beside him. "Kael, my son is bleeding out in a bathroom, or worse, and you want me to look natural? How the hell am I supposed to just pretend nothing happened!?"
"Because if you don't, the same creature that killed Kairo will track the scent of your terror right to this curb," Kael said, his tone dropping into a cold whisper that sent chills down Kieran's spine. He didn't look at Kieran, but his jaw was clenched tight. "It feeds on panic, Kieran. It hunts by it. If you want to grieve over Kairo, you need to survive. That is the only rule right now."
The weight of Kael's words silenced Kieran completely. The reality of the situation settled into his chest like a block of ice. They were being hunted. Hunted by a monster that Kieran never believed in.
A pair of bright headlights rounded the far corner, cutting through the misty night air. A yellow taxi came into view, its roof light glowing. Kael immediately stepped into the street, raising a steady hand to flag it down. The tires screeched slightly against the wet pavement as the car pulled up to the curb.
Before the driver could even fully stop, Kael grabbed the handle, pulled the back door open, and practically shoved Kieran inside. Kieran slid across the vinyl seat, staring blankly ahead, still shaking. Kael climbed in right behind him, shutting the door with a heavy thud that felt entirely too final.
The driver, an older man with a tired expression, glanced back through the rearview mirror. "Where to..?" The driver's voice faltered as he caught sight of Kael, and he straightened up almost immediately. It made sense, though, since Boss— Kael— was quite infamous. Most people froze up when they saw him.
Kael didn't hesitate. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the back of the front seat, and rattled off an address to a district Kieran had never visited—an old industrial sector on the edge of the city limits.
As the taxi pulled away from the curb, Kieran risked a glance out the rear window. The mouth of the dark alleyway receded into the distance, swallowing the secrets of the library whole. He leaned back against the headrest, closing his eyes as his heart continued its erratic rhythm. The silence inside the car was suffocating, broken only by the rhythmic clicking of the taxi's turn signal. Kieran looked over at Kael, whose eyes were fixed on the window, watching the shadows of the city pass by. The true answers were waiting at the safe house, and Kieran knew that once they arrived, his life would never be the same again.