(ch42) the beautiful man

Rin felt a gentle breeze brush against her cheeks, followed by a stirring in the darkness below the well. Clutching the hilt of her trusted weapon, the Widow's Bane, she braced herself for whatever lurked ahead. On the opposite side, Shadow Saint raised her shield, while Sunny stood ready with his own blade.

Yet, their apprehension quickly dissipated.

In a matter of moments, a graceful figure emerged, soaring above the well before gracefully landing before them. The source of the captivating voice was revealed to be a young man, clad in light lamellar armor. His dark auburn locks framed a face of striking beauty, complemented by mesmerizing green eyes. His attire, a blend of burnished brown leather and rich blue fabrics, exuded elegance.

The guy not only possessed a captivating voice but also possessed a striking appearance, leaving Rin feeling somewhat envious.

Kai stood tall and lean, radiating an undeniable charm. His finely chiselled features, from his small, symmetrical face to his flawless ivory complexion, left Rin in awe. His piercing green eyes seemed to crackle with energy, while his lips appeared invitingly soft.

After enduring a fortnight in the profound abyss, his allure remained undiminished.

In essence, Kai captivated Rin like no other, surpassing even fellow Awakened individuals in beauty. His appearance resembled that of a beloved screen idol, yet somehow, in person, he exuded an even greater level of attractiveness that left Rin utterly captivated.

Rin glanced over at Sunny, noticing that she was staring at Kai with the same wide-eyed, open-mouthed astonishment that she herself felt. Both of their cheeks were tinged with a deep pink blush, mirroring each other's reactions perfectly.

*You're blushing*

*So are you*

*Fair*

As Kai gazed into the piercing, fiery gaze of the Shadow Saint, whose ruby eyes glowed like beacons in the enveloping darkness of the night, a shiver ran down his spine, and he instinctively recoiled, his face drained of color in fear.

"Oh no! It's a demon after all!"

Both got distracted from their self-pity and blinked. Both feeling somewhat spiteful, they spoke at the same time :

"We're behind you, idiot."

Kai's body tensed, his movements halting as he pivoted to confront them. Rin couldn't help but observe the way his hand hovered, poised to unleash the power of his Memory, a weapon concealed within him. But in the encompassing darkness, Kai remained oblivious to their presence, his sight robbed by the shadows.

'Wait i just noticed the mask is giving me near perfect vision in the dark'

Sunny asked in a calm voice:

"Haven't I told you that I had an Echo? It's her over there. Well, sort of. That is to say, those aren't my eyes."

Rin spoke to

"Yeah those eyes aren't mine either, mine only turn red when people annoy me"

Kai stopped moving the handsome Sleeper hesitated for a few seconds, then said:

"Sunless, Rin? Are you two really human?"

Until that moment, Kai had only known Rin and Sunny as disembodied voices. However, as the duo assured Kai that he wasn't some ancient horror, or at least didn't appear to be one, the person who had been trapped in the well remained in the dark, both literally and metaphorically.

Rin spoke first followed by Sunny

"yes Kai, I'm human as well. Want me to take a Turing test to prove it? "

"Last time I checked, I was still human, yes. If you have a Memory to produce light, you can summon it and see for yourself."

Kai lingered.

"Won't the Nightmare Creatures be attracted by the light?"

*Smart and cautious. I like him.*

Rin smirked in Sunnys direction making sure he saw her

*Do you sunny?*

Sunny shook his head at her and spoke

"Usually, they would, by this courtyard is really secluded. Plus, there are not a lot of monsters in this area. I guess that's why those thugs chose this particular place to keep you imprisoned."

With a sigh of relief, Kai summoned a paper lantern that glowed with soft yellow light. Sunny hissed

.

"Argh! Damn!"

Rin spoke in a humorous tone

*Thrives in a city overrun by monsters and responds to light like this.*

*Rin go away, dammit that was bright*

"Oh! Sorry."

The beautiful young man lowered the lantern a little and looked up, trying to finally lay eyes on his mysterious liberators.

'i didn't really help, i was here as emotional support i guess, and security'

Kai with a hint of surprise, he tilted his head slightly downward and met Sunny's gaze, Rin noticed the evident anger in His expression.

*Rin…not..a..word*

Kai's gaze lingered on Sunny for a brief moment before shifting to Rin. Starting from her feet and slowly moving upward with his eyes, he eventually reached her face, concealed by a mask. As the realisation dawned that they were, in fact, human, he greeted both of them with a radiant smile.

"Well... what a surprise! I was almost certain that you two would turn out to be terrible monsters. But you aren't."

He looked to sunny:

"You're a cutie"

He glanced back at Rin, his eyes tracing over her form from head to toe again:

"And…you're.. really good looking"

'wow Sunny gets cutie status and i only get good looking'

*Lucky bastard*

He sounded confused

*Rin what do you even mean?*

Meanwhile, Kai frowned.

"But, Sunless…"

"What?!"

The beautiful Sleeper blinked a couple of times.

"Can I ask something? If you really don't live in the castle or in the outer settlement, then where do you live?"

Sunny shrugged.

"I mean, are there many options left? I live in the city."

Kai hesitated for a bit, but then, suddenly, a light of realization ignited in his mesmerizing green eyes.

"Oh! I think I've heard of you! Aren't you that crazy kid that lives alone in the ruins?"

Sunny stared at him with murder in his eyes.

With a deep sigh, he answered:

"Indeed, that's me. You can call me Sunny, by the way. Once you get to know me better, you'll realize that I am not, in fact, that crazy."

Kai looked at him with doubt. He looked back at Rin

"That mask blocking your face is making it hard to recognise you but i think i know"

Rin smiled and spoke her tone being light hearted

"Go on"

He smiled with an annoyingly innocent expression, his eyes sparkling with pureness as he spoke.

"You are lady Nephis's attack dog"

.

.

.

*Pfffhahahahaaa*

A pronounced vein creased her forehead as her cheerful expression twisted into a fierce scowl.

The joyous laughter of her annoying friend only served to intensify her anger