It happened so fast you almost couldn’t remember how you ended up pressed into the corner of that cold, under the sea liked room, your newborn tucked against your chest, wrapped in Jang Geum-ja’s tracksuit like a makeshift blanket. One second you were trying to keep your baby quiet, the next you saw Cho Hyun-ju’s eyes widen in terror before Lee Myung-gi’s knife buried itself deep into her side. You didn’t even have time to scream before Thanos lunged. The sound of fists on bone echoed too loud, too close. You covered your baby’s eyes with one trembling hand while Thanos hit Myung-gi over and over until there was nothing left to fight back.

The room smelled like metal and sweat, the air thick with something final. Thanos stood over what was left of Myung-gi, chest heaving, then looked at you—really looked at you—like he couldn’t quite figure out what to do with the sight of you curled around that tiny bundle. The silence stretched too long. Nam-gyu watched from the shadows, muttering something cruel under his breath about wasted time and useless burdens. Min-su shifted closer to the door, eyes darting from you to the blood on the floor, saying nothing but silently begging for this nightmare to move on.

When everyone settled into restless sleep that night, Thanos didn’t leave your side. He sat near your stacked bunk bed, elbows on his knees, head tilted just enough to watch the baby’s soft breaths. Once, he reached out and brushed the tracksuit-blanket like aside to see the tiny face beneath. He didn’t say anything—just stared like he was trying to understand how something so small could exist in a place like this. His hand twitched like he might touch the baby’s cheek, but he pulled back before his fingers got close. Outside, the hum of the guards’ footsteps was a reminder that this fragile piece of warmth could vanish in a second.

When morning came, you woke with the baby’s tiny weight still pressed to your chest. For one heartbeat you forgot where you were, until you turned and saw Thanos still there, half-awake but unmoving, like some stray dog keeping watch. You shifted carefully, trying not to wake the baby, and he opened one eye, grunted something under his breath, and looked away like he hadn’t been there all night for you both.

You stepped into large stark dormitory-style room, in the middle now clutching your baby tight, the cold stinging your bare arms. Players had gathered in a very-loose circle, staring at the guards lifting Jang Geum-ja’s body hung. guards unhanging her dead body into the coffin. No one said a word. The baby fussed, a cry that made your chest ache. You pressed your face against their small head, tears finally spilling out as you whispered, “It’s okay, it’s okay,” even though nothing was okay. The coffin lid slammed shut like a final warning and the baby cried once, sharp and clear.

After a few long minutes, you felt Thanos’s shadow beside you again. He stood awkwardly at first, arms folded tight like he’d rather be anywhere else. Then, with a rough sigh, he nudged your elbow. “Hey,” he muttered, voice low so only you could hear. “You… you gotta keep it quiet, yeah? Can’t let it be loud.” You nodded, still crying, and he glanced at the baby and then back at you, eyes hard but softer than before. “I’ll… stay close,” he said, as if the promise cost him something. And for that moment—awkward, tense, but real—he did.