Chapter 66 — The Other Side
The room had grown quieter, the suffocating stillness inside contrasting sharply with the relentless drumming beyond the walls.
Outside, the rain continued to fall in heavy, rhythmic sheets, echoing through the upper structure of the massive apartment complex. It rattled against concrete, glass, and steel somewhere high above them, a distant reminder of the world outside that they had barely survived.
Nezuko sat on the edge of one of the narrow, metallic frames that served as beds. Her fingers gripped the rough fabric of the thin mattress, her eyes fixed on the floor as she processed everything that had happened over the last few hours.
Across the room, Aoi remained near the heavy door's narrow barred window, her shadow stretched long across the dimly lit floor. She stared through the rusted iron grates, her eyes sweeping over the quiet corridor beyond, searching for any sign of movement, any indication of what was coming next.
Neither of them knew how long they had been sitting there in silence. Time had lost its meaning the moment the doors slammed shut behind them.
They knew only one thing: they had been systematically separated from the rest of their group.
Mira had been dragged away toward somewhere deeper and more isolated within the facility. Natsuki had been shot, his blood still fresh in Nezuko's memory as he was hauled off. Tokita and Kaito had been escorted under heavy guard toward a completely different wing of the massive complex.
And the two of them had been locked inside this upper-level holding room with no answers, no weapons, and no idea what would happen next.
Then—
Knock. Knock.
The sudden sound cracked through the silence of the room.
Both girls stiffened instantly. Aoi's posture snapped straight, her feet shifting into a subtle defensive stance as her arm naturally hovered near her waist—where her weapon used to be. Nezuko slowly rose from the bed, her breath catching in her throat as her body tensed for a fight.
Another knock came. Soft. Methodical. Almost polite.
Neither of them moved for a long, agonizing moment, letting the silence stretch between them.
Finally, Nezuko took a slow, quiet breath and cautiously approached the reinforced door. She placed her hand inches away from the lock mechanism, her muscles coiled, and shot a quick, silent glance back over her shoulder at Aoi.
Aoi gave her a barely perceptible nod, her sharp eyes fixed on the handle.
Nezuko turned the latch, unlocked the door, and pulled it open just enough to see outside.
A woman stood in the hallway.
She wore the same tactical uniform as the rest of the guards they had encountered throughout the upper sectors of the apartment complex. But unlike the ruthless, rifle-toting enforcers who had escorted them earlier, this woman wasn't holding a weapon. Her hands rested casually at her sides, completely empty.
More surprisingly, her expression lacked the hostile, cold arrogance typical of the Ring Leader's men. It was smooth, collected, and surprisingly calm.
"Would you two kindly follow me?" the woman asked, her voice light and unbothered.
Nezuko didn't loosen her grip on the door. She stared at the guard with deep suspicion. "Where?"
The woman offered a faint, polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Aren't you hungry?"
Nezuko blinked, caught off guard by the sheer normalcy of the question.
The woman gestured down the corridor with a slight nod of her head. "Come on. Let's get you something to eat. Besides, I need to show you around."
Aoi's eyes narrowed into sharp slits from the back of the room. Everything inside her screamed that this was a trap or a psychological tactic. She didn't trust the woman for a second.
However, being locked in a room blind to their surroundings was useless. Information was the only currency that mattered right now, and they desperately needed to understand how this place operated.
Nezuko looked back at Aoi again, silently asking for a decision.
Aoi gave a subtle, decisive nod.
Nezuko pulled the door fully open. They stepped out into the hallway and fell into step behind the unarmed guard.
The moment they crossed the threshold of their room and moved deeper into the main sector, Nezuko was struck by how drastically the environment shifted.
This wasn't a damp, underground cellar or a grim, subterranean dungeon like the lower levels where the men had been taken. They were high up in the elevated upper floors of the massive apartment complex, and the area functioned almost like a self-sustained, bustling town hidden behind fortified walls.
People were everywhere.
Groups of survivors moved back and forth along the wide, polished corridors. Some carried heavy plastic crates filled with canned goods, while others pushed metal utility carts stacked with folded linens, medical supplies, and purified water containers. Along the walls were neat, organized rows of metal shelving holding emergency rations, tools, and basic amenities.
It wasn't luxurious by any stretch of the imagination, but it was structured, clean, and impossibly well-supplied for a world that had fallen into absolute ruin.
Nezuko looked around in quiet astonishment. Children walked through the halls in small groups, playing quietly or carrying light supplies without being stopped or harassed by the personnel. Adults spoke in subdued tones as they prepared food at makeshift distribution tables or organized inventory.
Yet, despite the apparent safety and order, Nezuko could feel it.
Fear.
It wasn't openly screamed, nor was it written boldly across everyone's faces, but it suffused the very air of the upper floors like a suffocating fog.
A woman carrying a box of medical tape glanced nervously toward a pair of armed guards standing near a stairwell before quickening her pace. A middle-aged man abruptly lowered his voice to a faint whisper the moment an enforcer walked past his stall. Even the children seemed to possess an instinctive, haunting understanding of where they were allowed to go and which hallways were strictly forbidden.
Aoi picked up on every single subtle gesture. Her eyes darted from person to person, cataloging the guard patterns, the choke points, and the deep, underlying tension vibrating through the crowd.
So did Nezuko.
The woman leading them kept a steady, relaxed pace ahead of them. "Everyone is heading toward the cafeteria right now," she remarked casually over her shoulder.
Aoi looked ahead. Sure enough, the flow of the crowd was steadily funneling down a broad central corridor decorated with makeshift directional signs.
Nezuko glanced up at a wall clock mounted above a security checkpoint.
6:52 PM.
She remembered the strict set of rules that had been barked at them upon their capture. Eight o'clock. Curfew. Once the clock struck eight, nobody was allowed in the corridors without high-level clearance. They didn't have much time to gather their bearings.
As they moved deeper into the residential wing, another sensory wave hit Nezuko.
Food.
Not stale rations, not moldy bread, but real, freshly cooked food.
Nezuko's steps slowed slightly, her eyes widening in genuine shock. After nearly a month of scavenging through abandoned, ash-covered buildings and surviving on whatever meager, preserved scraps they could scrape together, the aroma wafting down the hallway was almost overwhelming.
It wasn't just cold canned meat. The rich, savory scent of hot stew, freshly steamed rice, cooked vegetables, and aromatic spices filled the entire corridor.
Gurgle~
Nezuko's stomach let out an ungodly, betraying growl that echoed loudly against the tile walls.
Her face flushed bright red, and she instantly slammed both hands over her stomach, looking down at the floor as if she could melt into it.
Aoi turned her head, a rare, genuine grin breaking through her hardened expression. "Wow."
Nezuko shot her a mortified look, her face burning. "Oh, God. Please don't start."
"I'm not saying anything," Aoi replied, her tone dripping with mock innocence.
"I'm not even that hungry!" Nezuko insisted immediately, her voice rising an octave in desperate self-defense.
"Yeah. Sure," Aoi snorted.
Nezuko glared at her, her eyes darting around to see if anyone else had heard, but the gentle amusement on Aoi's face only grew. Aoi let out a quiet, genuine laugh—a sound that had felt completely extinct since their journey began.
For the first time since they had been ambushed and captured, the crushing, paralyzing tension between the two girls loosened. The heavy weight of responsibility and guilt that had been suffocating Aoi seemed to ease, if only for a fleeting second.
Ahead of them, the female guard glanced back over her shoulder. She saw the shared moment between the two girls, her eyes lingering on them for a beat, but she said nothing and simply continued walking.
The communal cafeteria was vast, taking up what must have originally been a massive commercial center or high-end dining floor before the world fell apart.
Long, industrial-style tables stretched across the room, occupied by dozens upon dozens of survivors eating in organized shifts. The air was filled with the ambient hum of hushed conversations, the clinking of metal utensils against trays, and the continuous shuffle of footsteps.
There was food—plenty of it. It wasn't an extravagant banquet, but it was hot, clean, and nutritious. It was more than enough to make this hellish prison feel terrifyingly... normal.
Nezuko stood near the entrance for a moment, her eyes processing the sight. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen so many people gathered together eating a proper meal without fighting over scraps.
They stepped into the serving line, grabbing metal trays as kitchen workers dished out generous portions.
Steam rose off the mounds of fluffy white rice, warm vegetable stew, and thick cuts of seasoned meat. They were even handed small pieces of fresh fruit—a luxury that felt almost mythical in the post-apocalyptic waste.
Once their trays were filled, they scanned the crowded room and found an empty table off to the side, away from the main thoroughfare. They sat down across from each other.
To their surprise, the female guard didn't remain standing nearby to oversee them. Instead, she collected her own tray of food from the counter and casually slid into the seat right beside them.
Aoi immediately paused, her hand hovering over her tray. She raised an eyebrow, her gaze turning cold and analytical. "I get that you want to watch us and show us around the complex, but why are you eating beside us?"
The woman picked up her spoon, casually stirring her stew. "Is that really a question?"
Nezuko looked up, her expression equally guardedly. "Of course it is."
Aoi leaned back slightly in her chair, holding the guard's gaze. "You're here because—let me guess—they ordered you to watch us and make sure we don't try anything shady."
The woman's lips curled into a slow, amused smile. "Bingo." She raised her hand and pointed her spoon directly at Aoi. "I'm guessing you're the smart one among your group."
She took a calm bite of her food, chewing slowly before adding, "Looks like we have a winner here."
Nezuko stared at her, stunned by how nonchalantly the guard was treating the entire situation. The woman continued eating as though discussing her orders as a prison guard was nothing more than mindless small talk.
Aoi studied the guard's face carefully, watching for any twitch, any micro-expression that might betray her real motives. Then, she slowly picked up her own spoon, casually gesturing to the dining hall around them.
"So..." Aoi began, keeping her voice light. "This is the cafeteria."
The guard nodded without looking up. "Yep."
"It's nice."
"It is."
"And the food is actually pretty good."
The woman smiled faintly. "Of course it is."
Aoi glanced down at her untouched tray, then across at Nezuko's. Neither of them had taken a single bite yet.
The woman noticed the static silence. She lowered her spoon, looking back and forth between the two cautious girls. "Wait."
Aoi met her gaze. "Why aren't you eating?"
Nezuko looked down at her steaming plate, her distrust plain across her face.
The female guard let out a soft, genuine laugh. "Don't worry. It's not poisoned."
Aoi and Nezuko exchanged a quick, silent look. Aoi raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with skepticism. "How exactly do you expect us to trust that?"
The woman pointed down at her own plate with her fork. "Because I'm eating the exact same food."
She scooped up another bite of rice and meat, popping it into her mouth and swallowing deliberately. "Besides, you watched me serve mine. You watched me put everything on my tray, same as you two did."
She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "There wasn't exactly an opportunity for me to secretly poison yours."
Aoi stared at the woman for several long seconds, weighing the logic against her paranoid instincts. Finally, she picked up her spoon, scooped up a small portion of the stew, and ate it.
The food was warm, rich, and surprisingly seasoned. Simple, but undeniably good.
Aoi swallowed, processing the taste. Nezuko watched her intently, waiting for any sign of distress.
Aoi gave a subtle nod. "It's fine."
Relieved, Nezuko finally scooped up a large bite of rice and meat, her hunger taking over as she began to eat.
The female guard chuckled softly, watching them. "See?"
Nezuko swallowed her bite, shooting the woman a sharp look. "I never said I trusted you."
"I know," the woman replied smoothly, completely unfazed.
Aoi continued eating at a measured pace, her mind racing behind her calm exterior as she quietly studied the woman sitting next to them.
She had already gathered a critical piece of the puzzle. This woman wasn't acting like the rest of the Ring Leader's loyal guards. She wasn't aggressive, she didn't bark orders, and she wasn't making any attempt to physically intimidate them. She was almost... friendly.
In a place like this, an overly friendly guard was far more dangerous—and far more interesting—than a hostile one.
Aoi wiped her mouth with a napkin, looking around the bustling cafeteria before casually posing her next question.
"Earlier, your group took Mira somewhere else," Aoi said, keeping her tone conversational. "Where did you take her?"
"The emergency ward," the guard answered immediately.
Aoi paused, her eyes shifting back to the woman. "Emergency ward?"
"The emergency center," the guard clarified, gesturing vaguely with her eating utensil down one of the eastern corridors. "That's where they treat the sick and injured. It's on this side of the complex, not too far from here."
Aoi nodded slowly, storing the directional layout in her memory. "And how is this whole place structured?"
The guard's spoon stopped halfway to her mouth. She lowered it slowly, turning her head to lock eyes with Aoi. "Why are you asking?"
Aoi didn't flinch. She took another calm bite of food as if the question were entirely innocent. "We need to know our way around. Besides, you were the one who said you'd show us around the complex."
The guard raised a single eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "Really now?"
"Yes," Aoi said firmly. "Because both Nezuko and I don't want to depend on you."
She glanced around the vast room, her eyes analytical. "If something happens, I need to know where I'm going. I don't want to accidentally walk into a restricted area and cause trouble for us."
The guard stared at Aoi for several long, quiet seconds, the ambient noise of the cafeteria buzzing around them. Then, she let out a quiet chuckle, shaking her head.
"You think you're smart, huh?"
Aoi stopped eating, her spoon coming to a rest against the metal tray. "Care to elaborate?"
The guard leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're trying to get information out of me."
Aoi said nothing, her expression a blank mask.
"You're asking where the key facilities are," the guard pointed out, her tone dropping into a lower, sharper register. "You're asking where your friends were taken."
Aoi remained completely silent, refusing to confirm or deny.
"And you're trying to figure out how this entire place works," the guard concluded.
Beside them, Nezuko's posture shifted, her eyes darting between the two of them as the air at the table suddenly grew heavy.
The female guard leaned forward slightly, looking directly into Aoi's sharp eyes. "You're investigating."
Aoi didn't answer. She held the guard's gaze with unwavering intensity.
The woman stared at her for a moment longer, and then, slowly, her polite mask softened. A faint, genuine smile appeared on her lips.
"Don't worry," her voice softened, dropping down to a hushed tone that barely carried over the noise of the cafeteria. "Your friends are fine."
Nezuko immediately sat up straight, her eyes locking onto the guard. "Mira?"
"She's fine," the woman confirmed, picking her spoon back up and casually taking another bite. "Actually, she's doing more than fine."
Nezuko leaned forward across the table, her hands pressing against the edge. "What do you mean?"
The guard smiled warmly, a rare trace of genuine respect touching her eyes. "That woman saved a lot of people."
Aoi's hardened expression cracked with subtle shock. "What?"
"The emergency center was completely overwhelmed before she arrived," the guard explained, shaking her head in disbelief. "They were running out of supplies, people were dying, and the staff couldn't handle the influx of injured survivors. Then she used her gift."
The guard's eyes widened slightly as the memory flashed across her mind. "It was incredible. I've never seen anything like it."
Nezuko listened intently, her heart racing. "What are they saying about her?"
"They're calling her a savior," the guard said plainly.
Aoi stared at her. "A savior?"
"Most of the patients and staff in the emergency ward are calling her a goddess," the guard corrected softly.
Nezuko's eyes widened, a wave of immense relief washing over her. But her protective instincts immediately resurfaced. "How do you know she's okay? How do you know all this?"
The guard offered a subtle smile. "Because I came from there." She pointed a finger back toward the eastern wing corridor. "I saw what happened with my own eyes."
She leaned a little closer to the two girls. "She's alive. She's resting under watch, but the people there are practically worshipping her. She's safe."
Nezuko and Aoi finally let out a breath they didn't realize they had been holding, their shoulders dropping slightly.
Then, Nezuko's expression shifted, her eyes darkening with renewed anxiety. "What about Natsuki?"
The guard's eyebrows rose in realization. "Oh, you mean the blonde guy? Is he your brother?"
Nezuko nodded hastily. "The guy who was shot in the leg."
"Yes," the guard replied softly.
"What happened to him?" Nezuko demanded.
The guard paused, thinking for a moment as she recalled the transfer logs. "He's with the other two boys."
Aoi's eyes narrowed instantly. "Where?"
"The prison ward," the guard answered flatly.
Aoi immediately straightened up in her seat. "The prison ward?"
The guard nodded casually. "That's where they keep people who break the rules here."
Aoi's expression hardened into ice. "What rules?"
"The laws of the community," the guard said with a faint shrug. "Or... the laws of the Leader."
Nezuko frowned deeply, her stomach churning. "And what happens to people who break them?"
The guard lowered her eyes, looking down at the remaining food on her tray. The easygoing demeanor she had maintained since meeting them completely vanished.
"You're lucky your friends were sent to the prison ward," she murmured softly.
Nezuko stared at her, her voice trembling slightly. "Why?"
The guard hesitated, glancing discreetly around the surrounding tables to ensure no other guards or loyalists were within earshot.
"Usually..." she lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper, "...it's an execution."
Aoi's sharp gaze pinned the guard. "Usually?"
"Sometimes people just disappear," the woman whispered.
A heavy, suffocating silence settled over their table.
The ambient chatter of the cafeteria seemed to fade into the background. Nezuko's hand tightened around her spoon so hard her knuckles turned stark white.
"What do you mean, disappear?" Nezuko demanded in a hushed, intense voice.
The guard took a quick scan of the room before answering. "People who ask too many questions."
Aoi's cold expression didn't break. She absorbed the information instantly, her mind connecting the dots.
"People who become too curious about things they aren't supposed to know," the guard continued, her voice dropping lower still. "They go missing overnight."
Nezuko swallowed hard, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of her neck. "Nobody knows where they go?"
The guard shook her head slowly. "No."
Aoi studied the woman's face, searching for any sign of deceit. "So even you don't know what happens to them."
"No."
"Then the Leader doesn't trust his own people enough to tell them?" Aoi asked, her tone razor-sharp.
The guard gave a hollow, humorless smile. "Of course not. I'm not even part of his original group."
Aoi leaned back, her eyes calculating. "Original group? What does that mean? Wasn't he originally part of the apartment complex?"
The guard stopped completely. She turned her head and looked directly into Aoi's eyes, her expression deadpan and serious.
"You're asking too many questions."
Aoi remained completely silent, refusing to back down.
"You're very curious... and very interesting," the guard murmured, her eyes lingering on Aoi.
The guard paused, letting the silence stretch between them for three agonizing seconds.
"Do you know what happens to curious people here?" the guard asked quietly.
Aoi looked directly into her eyes, her voice smooth and devoid of fear. "What?"
The guard's voice was barely a breath. "They go missing."
Nezuko's chest tightened, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at the woman.
"Nobody finds them," the guard added, her eyes flicking between the two girls.
A heavy pause hung over the table.
"A warning," the guard stated softly. "You're not the first."
Another brief, chilling silence.
"And you won't be the last."
Aoi didn't move an inch. She didn't look away, she didn't flinch, and she didn't show even a fraction of a second of fear.
Instead, her dark eyes burned with an icy, calculating light.
The female guard watched Aoi intently, taking in her complete lack of intimidation.
Beside her, Nezuko looked at Aoi. And despite the horrifying reality of everything they had just heard, a small, quiet smile formed in the back of Nezuko's mind.
She's finally acting like herself again.
Aoi had spent the last several hours consumed by guilt—blaming herself for their capture, worrying frantically, breaking down in the dark, and wondering whether she had failed everyone as a leader.
But now—
That fragile, broken version of Aoi was gone.
Her face was completely calm. Her eyes were sharp and focused like a blade. Her expression was entirely, deadly serious. The guard's threat hadn't frightened her in the slightest.
If anything, it had snapped her right back into her element. It had made her alert, lethal, and ready to act.
The guard noticed the subtle shift in Aoi's aura. For the first time since they had sat down, her polite, relaxed smile completely vanished.
She realized something critical in that moment: Aoi wasn't going to stop asking questions. She was only just getting started.
Aoi leaned in slightly across the table, her voice dropping into a low, firm register. "What's your name?"
The guard stared at her for a beat before answering plainly. "Shiori Kazuma."
"Okay, listen, Miss Kazuma," Aoi muttered, her voice barely carrying past their tray boundaries while Nezuko listened intently to every word. "Let's both stop playing around the bush and get straight to the point. I've asked some very important questions about this apartment complex, and despite your warnings and avoidance, you've actually answered most of them."
Aoi's sharp gaze pierced right through Shiori. "That isn't something you should be doing with total strangers. So, I'm guessing you're not really on the Ring Leader's side. Am I correct?"
Shiori stared at Aoi in utter surprise. Then, slowly, a real, genuine smile broke across her face—not her guard mask, but an expression of profound relief and respect.
"You really are the brains of your group," Shiori murmured softly, shaking her head. "I can see that now."
Shiori smoothly picked up her empty tray and stood up from her seat, looking down at both Aoi and Nezuko with a completely altered demeanor.
"If you haven't noticed, you're both being watched by some of the loyalist guards near the pillars," Shiori said in a quiet, authoritative tone. "If you want answers about your friends and know the real truth about this place... then wait for me at your dorm room. I'll come pick you girls up around 9:30 PM this evening."
Nezuko immediately looked up, her brow furrowed in concern. "Wait, Miss Kazuma—what about curfew? Won't we be in massive trouble if we get caught out of our rooms after eight?"
Shiori chuckled slowly, a knowing look in her eyes. "Relax and wait for me to come get you, okay? Besides... we're all going to need each other's help for what's about to come."
She paused, looking at Aoi. "You guys do know the way back to your dorm room, right?"
Aoi looked at her suspiciously, taking a slow breath before letting out a quiet sigh. "Yes. I already mapped out the exact layout from our room to the cafeteria on the way here. We'll be fine heading back on our own."
Shiori's smile widened slightly. "Good to hear that you weren't just talk."
Without another word, Shiori turned around, blend seamlessly into the crowd of survivors, and walked away down the central corridor.
Aoi and Nezuko sat quietly at the table, staring at each other across their empty trays. Neither of them said a word, but the shared silence between them carried a heavy, unspoken truth.
Something massive was about to go down in this apartment complex—and they were right in the center of it.