I sat criss-crossed on the floor, heartrate slightly racing as the red-winged eyeball, Ai, spent the next few minutes observing me; that meant circling around me and getting close every now and then as if I were a valuable specimen worth dissecting.

They said that we would talk, but the only noises that were heard were from the running dirty water in the wide hole. My back stood straight, afraid that one single move could get me killed. Even Be seemed to be sweating bullets as they glanced at me from time to time to make sure I was actually okay.

I was definitely not okay, but I didn’t dare comment. It would do me well to hold back my tongue in this situation…

“Did you know that we were sent to eliminate you?” they started. I groaned, already predicting the rest of the conversation.

“Yes, I know, you’re late to the party. It’s because I’m an abnormality in your system and I would only mess it up, right?” In fact, I did not hold back my tongue. “I get it, somebody already beat you guys to my assassination.”

I could almost see Be gape at me for my impulsive response.  

‘Well, what’s one more to piss off?’ I consoled myself with that thought as I waited for my judgement. Ai’s wings froze midair, slowly turning to face the yellow-winged eyeball.

“… Assassination?” Ai muttered. I also turned to look at Be, only then realizing that they seemed to have omitted that information from their… boss, was it? Oh, that couldn’t be good.

“I came to you in the morning but they said you weren’t in your office!” they tried explaining themselves. “S-So I thought I’d wait for you to show up instead…”

Ai looked like they were seething behind a very thin mask. “So not only did you have the audacity to disobey orders from the higher ups and have, me, clean up the mess,” they drew closer to the other, “but instead of taking responsibility and protecting the pathetic thing after an assassination attempt, you left them and went looking for me… have you forgotten what the communication panel is for?” The red veins were threatening to pop out of their eye any minute now. “What are we, humans? Be, I swear…”

I could tell that Ai’s cool tone was merely an act; they were mad mad.

Scratching my shoulders uncomfortably, I sent an apologetic look at Be. I probably shouldn’t have mentioned the assassination attempt on my part.

The two looked like they were having a staring contest. I frowned, wondering if maybe they were exchanging messages mentally; it wouldn’t be a surprise to me if that were the case. Ai did mention something about a panel which I assumed was an easier way of talking far distance…

Not even a minute later and I watched in pure shock as Ai summoned a bright orb, blasting the wall behind Be. The dungeon shook with me in it, and without blinking twice, I curled my body and held my arms over my head in case something fell down due to the commotion.

I peeked one eye open, relieved to see that Be was still alive after that attack. Still shaking slightly, I couldn’t help but shiver upon seeing the crater that was only mere millimetres away from missing the flying eyeball.

What followed after was pure silence. I couldn’t help but worry; silent anger was never a good sign. Before any one of us could speak up, however, the sounds of rushing footsteps were heard across the hallway.

Panic flashed my face as I turned to the eyeballs responsible for the commotion. They really were going to get me killed!

“Ai!” Be hissed at them. “Fix the hole!”

As if breaking out of their trance, Ai blinked for a second before turning to me and then back to the wall. I didn’t know what happened next, only that a bright light enveloped me and the entire cell. I felt too scared to breathe, wondering what would happen next, if I would die again, if maybe the eyeballs had enough and were ready to dispose of me.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself leaning against the wall in a corner with Ai hovering in front of me, their red wings facing me as if they were protecting me from danger.

“… What happened?” I was glad that my throat no longer felt scratchy like it usually did when I fell unconscious. Startled, both eyeballs turned to look at me again.

“Ah, you’re awake!” Unlike the scary one, Be seemed giddy to see me wake up. “To avoid you getting in trouble with the guards, we put both of them and you to sleep,” they flew over to the once damaged wall, “and this was easily fixed. No one will ask questions now.”

I nodded in understanding, although I wasn’t really focusing because the red eyeball wouldn’t stop staring at me with an indescribable look. I coughed. “I see… I assume you guys reached an understanding while I was asleep?” They certainly seemed to be ‘getting along’ better.

“Correct, human. There will be no more destruction of property.”

‘Well, aren’t I glad?’ I sarcastically thought. This was worse than when my sister and I used to fight.

As if my mood wasn’t already ruined from earlier, I became upset when I thought of my family. It’s only been a few days and I missed them so much… just what am I supposed to do?

Ai had kept their gaze on me the entire time while I tried to avoid them entirely. I didn’t like how they almost seemed to know what I was thinking.

“Little thing,” they finally spoke, and I raised an eyebrow at the way they addressed me. Little thing? “You will have many people after you now that you decided to live.”

I didn’t say a word and let them continue. “Your existence here is a nuisance to us, and it will continue to cause many problems for the higher ups and my group,” I flinched at the harsh tone, “which is why I will do everything in my power to make sure you return home.”

There must’ve been something in the way that Ai said the last phrase that made my eyes water in an instant. I avoided their gaze in shame. Home. Those words were all that I wanted to hear ever since I came to this hell of a place. But I didn’t quite know if I believed them.

“But you must be willing to work hard and show progress in the things we will teach you so that you survive. I will not waste my time on someone who lacks the determination to continue on the path that they choose by free will.”

I pulled myself up from my feet, now directly facing the flying eyeball. My eyes were slightly puffy but I didn’t care how I looked or seemed to them right now, because it was just revealed that there was a possibility of returning to my world.

“I will return home,” I spoke with confidence. “So please help me.”

I knew that resolute will only get me so far in a world like this, I needed powerful entities on my side in case something bad happened in the meantime. And until I was strong enough to walk on my own.

Because despite what Ai said, I did not trust them.

The eyeball didn’t look completely satisfied with my response, but it was all I could muster up for now. I would find some way for them to aid me in the future.

“The human should rest for now, don’t you think? We’ll discuss our plans tomorrow,” Be interrupted the awkward silence. I let out a relieved sigh that didn’t last for long.

“Tch, don’t talk like you know humans,” the other snarkly responded. They glanced at me for a second before storming off all of a sudden.

“I take it that you guys still haven’t patched things up yet,” I commented after the other eyeball was out of earshot.

“They’re our supervisor so it’s reasonably that they would be difficult to please,” Be offhandedly responded and I sent an alarmed look at them.

“Aren’t you worried that they’ll report you and your other friend?” I wasn’t necessarily worried about the eyeballs, but certainly any bad report to the higher ups would not end well for me. If that wasn’t Ai’s full potential, then imagining someone with more power…

“Don’t worry,” I saw a small smile emerge on Be’s lower eyelid. “Despite their first impression, Ai isn’t really a bad person… they’re really strong and they’ve always protected us. In fact, I couldn’t have wished for a better supervisor…” the eyeball coughed having spoken too much and looked away. “And I think they like you.”

‘Like me?’ I resisted the urge to snort at the obviously false declaration. I would be the luckiest person in this dungeon if they didn’t want to obliterate me.  

“Ha… yeah.” God why was I surrounded by insane eyeballs.

“Now!” Be fluttered their wings in excitement. “Let’s talk some more alchemy. I’ll teach you a bit more on the history…”

I cringed as the history lesson began. I never thought that one day I would be referring to school as prison in a literal sense.

***

3^rd POV – During Raphael’s Blackout  

The two eyeballs watched as the young man slept soundlessly like he hadn’t slept in years. They assumed he was having good rest, not paying close attention to how he gripped the collar of his sleeve while still completely unconscious; almost as if he were afraid of letting go.

Be turned to their superior, intent on continuing the conversation from before. “I told you, I didn’t leave them alone for long. Once I found out you were absent I—“

“—told the others to relay me a message. I got it.” Ai finished, letting out a sigh. They lifted their wing to cover their upper eyelid. “My, you two sure love giving me a headache.”

Ai didn’t know what was funny with what they said as the other eyeball giggled. “What?”

“Ah, nothing! You just reminded me of someone,” they turned to look back at the asleep human. The other cringed.

“You dare compare me to that thing--!”

“Shhh, they’re asleep!”

“As if that spell wouldn’t put them to sleep for the next few hours, don’t pretend to be so caring,” Ai snarled, fed up with the behaviour of their coworker. “If it were anyone else, I would’ve had your head by now for getting us all in trouble.”

“Mhm. And yet, you haven’t reported the irregular human to the higher ups.”

Ai angrily flapped their bat wings. “What makes you think I wouldn’t report the abnormal thing right now?”

“You wouldn’t,” it almost looked like the yellow-winged eyeball was grinning, “because you seem to pity the human for some reason.”

“I don’t pity them.” The red-winged eyeball abruptly declared without hesitation.

“Oh?” Be wondered if they would add anything else.

Ai turned around, slowly drawing closer to the sleeping young man that they claimed was a fault. At that moment, Be couldn’t tell what their supervisor was thinking; this happened a lot than they realized, never truly expressing how they felt. They sure were a mystery…

“I could tell.” The red-winged eyeball remained with their back turned to the other. Be waited for them to continue. “They have a noble status, wealth, a good appearance and had a good reputation before the start of this. Now, if you take them away from the dungeon, and place them back in their fortunate environment…”

Ai turned around to look back to their employee. “Would they really want to leave?”

Be paused. “I think you should ask the human that when they wake up.”

The two eyeballs stared at each other for a little while before Be spoke up again, no longer interested in the conversation. “If that’s all, can I meet up with Ce? They mentioned something about having a meeting with someone…”

Ai was glad that their comment had seemed to do the trick. “You’re dismissed.” The yellow-winged eyeball disappeared, leaving Ai alone with the human. With no eyes watching them, the superior eyeball came close to Raphael, wondering if Be would get mad at them if they got rid of the human this instant.

Unconsciously, they manifested a mana-filled orb that would be enough to destroy a living being with one shot and leave no evidence behind. They stared down at him with uncertainty, their resolve faltering the more they bore their lone eye at him.

“You’re trouble,” they mumbled. Realizing that their focus was wavering, they tried to cool themselves down by observing how the human gripped their sleeves in uneasiness, even though their calm facial expression depicted a contradictory restful state.

It was intriguing how the young man clutched to the last remains of his sanity even while in the worst case scenario. Ai wondered how they would react if they told him that they were destined to an execution on their upcoming court session.

‘Just what is he thinking?’ Although he had looked nervous while they perceived him by their first interaction, the man did not let out anything on his face. In fact, his true feelings were masked by those emotions of fear and anxiety. Ai couldn’t even get through the barrier that prevented them from reading his mind.

He was dangerous. Ai concluded that from the very beginning, ever since they got the got the report to eliminate him. But for some reason, they found themselves hesitating to make a decision.

It was a sixth sense that told them to wait. And indeed they would wait to see what comes next.

Despite what they had told Be earlier, Ai was certain that the current Raphael was nothing like the original one. The one currently occupying the body of a fallen villain had far different views than they did, and seemed intent on preserving those views while learning of their world.

All of that was merely speculation, however, as Ai believed that only time would tell in the end. The human’s hands were perfect in every way, clearly having been tended to with absolute care ever since birth. Yet, its wielder was one who would experience a lot of hardship in the present and future henceforth.  

“Now let’s see if you’re up to the part, little thing.” Ai was amused by the turn of events that would overtake in the next few days. They haven’t had fun in a while.

***

A/N: I thought it would be nice to add a little snippet of the eyeballs talking. We don’t always get to see the whole picture from poor Raphael’s POV.