They thought walking through a dark alleyway wouldn't lead to anything serious — but clearly, they were wrong. Getting kidnapped by a random gang hadn't been on the night's agenda. The gang hadn't even planned on it; they just seemed to find fun in holding someone hostage.

But it wasn't fun. Not with the way they talked — rude, mocking, throwing out weird and inappropriate jokes like it was some twisted game. Something terrible might've happened... if someone hadn't intervened.

They weren't sure what to call it. Saved? Maybe. The guy — whoever he was — had wiped out the entire gang in what felt like seconds. It was brutal. Terrifying. Kinda cool.

Apparently, his name — or nickname — was "The Black Kaiser." Weird title. Definitely not the kind of guy you meet twice.

They had watched the whole thing from where they were tied up, face scraped, a fresh bruise blooming on their cheek. They'd tried to fight back — didn't exactly succeed.

Now it was snowing outside. They sat curled up on a worn, plush couch under a warm blanket, the cabin's firelight flickering soft orange across the wood walls. The Black Kaiser had brought them here. Guess he wasn't leaving them behind after all.

In the bathroom, Duncan washed the blood from his hands. He didn't know what he was doing — he'd gone in to kill a gang, not walk out with some clingy, wide-eyed stray.

After a pause, he returned, carrying a steaming can of soup. His expression unreadable, voice low and gruff as he held the bowl out.

"Eat."

He still didn't know why he cared. Maybe it was the way they clung to him back there, arms tight around his neck until the adrenaline finally wore off and they passed out cold. He'd had to carry them the whole way back. Just his luck.