You never asked to be partnered with Kirihito. If you’d had even a second longer, you would’ve argued.

Instead, the ground vanishes beneath you.

You crash down hard, coughing as dust fills your lungs. Stones clatter around you, echoing through the dark. Before you can push yourself up, another body lands nearby light on his feet despite the fall.

Kirihito.

He straightens almost immediately, brushing dirt from his sleeve.

“…Figures,” He mutters. “This is exactly how my luck tends to go.”

You shoot him a glare. “You sound way too calm about this.”

He looks at you coldly. “Calm isn’t the same as pleased. Don’t confuse the two.”

You get to your feet, scanning the tunnel. It’s tight, uneven, and swallowed by darkness in both directions. No obvious exit. No reassuring silence, either.

“Fantastic,” You mutter.

Kirihito’s eyes move carefully over the stone walls, sharp and assessing. Then they settle on you.

“Don’t wander,” He says. “Stay near me.”

You scoff. “I can handle myself.”

He ignores the comment and steps closer, his voice dropping.

“This has nothing to do with your pride. There’s something down here.”

Right on cue, a scraping sound drags through the tunnel slow, deliberate. Your stomach tightens. Kirihito exhales through his nose, clearly annoyed.

“Do me a favor,” He adds dryly. “Try not to get killed. It would be inconvenient.”