1 Chapter 1

Salem felt cold air swirling around him. Everything was dark. "Salem!" a man called, "Salem, calm down! Everything will be okay!" He turned around and saw a man with red hair and green eyes. "Keith?" Salem asked.

"That's right. Please calm down. Nothing's going to hurt you."

"What?" he asked. Salem's vision came back and he was in a hospital room covered in ice and snow. "H-how did this?" Salem looked at his reflection in the window. Same black hair, same pale skin. But his eyes. They weren't green like his brother's. They were blood red.

Salem woke in a cold sweat. He ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. His eyes were still green. He sighed. "Stupid vivid dream!" He remembers, Keith wouldn't have told him that. He's still dead. Salem walked to Hikaru's apartment and knocked on the door. There was no reply. He tried again with the same result. He sighs and turns the knob. "Of course. He left it unlocked." He walked in and knocked on Iki's door.

"Who's there?" a girl asked.

"It's Salem. Have you seen your brother?"

"He went to the store. I'm guessing he left the door unlocked?"

"Yeah. I'll lock it on my way out."

"Thanks for the new game, by the way," Iki replied. Salem smiled.

"Your welcome. I hope you enjoy it!" he answered. Salem turned and walked out. He locked the front door before closing it. As he was walking back to his apartment, he heard someone running up to him. He turned around to see a boy with long green hair running with a girl with grayish black hair and nine tails, a boy with short dark brown hair and stitches, and an unconscious girl with blue skin and white hair. The girl with nine tails was carrying something small in her arms.

"Hikaru? Who are these people?" Salem asked.

"No time to explain!" Hikaru exclaimed. He unlocked his door and ran into his apartment with the cryptics behind him. "Okay? That was weird," Salem replied. "Hikaru housing three cryptics. I can see him doing that, but why was he reacting that way? Did some scientists show up and ambush them?" he thought. Salem walked back into his apartment and grabbed his journal. He started writing the descriptions of the cryptics he saw. When he finished, he heard someone walking outside.

He opened his door and saw a girl with long red hair looking at him. She was covered in bandages. Salem smiled and said, "Hello!" The girl jumped a little and waved. "I'm Salem! Are you new here?"

"N-no. I don't live here," she replied, "I'm Nana."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Nana! I hope to see you more in the future!"

"Really? You do?" Nana asked.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed. Suddenly, a grumbling could be heard. "Was that your stomach?" Nana's face turned red. "Sorry. I'll go get something to eat," she whispered.

"I can make you something, if you want," Salem offered. Nana's eyes lit up.

"Do you have Ramen?" she asked. Salem smiled and nodded. He moved so Nana could come inside. He closed the door and started making Ramen. "Wow! It looks cozy in here!" Nana exclaimed.

"Isn't your place cozy?" Salem asked.

"Not at all! I have to sleep in trees or on the street!" she replied with a smile. "What the hell? What's she been through?" Salem thought.

"Oh, I should probably explain. I'm not human!" she beamed. Salem looked at her, curiously.

"You're a cryptic?" he asked. Nana nodded happily. She already feels she can trust Salem. Salem finished making Ramen and put a bowl down for him and Nana. He dished it up and started eating. Nana had slurpped hers down the minute she got it. "You must be really hungry," Salem said. Nana nodded.

"I don't get to eat good food often. Your cooking is delicious!" she smiled. Salem chuckled a little.

"If you ever need anything, come to me. This is a safe place for cryptics," he explained. Nana smiled and put her bowl in the sink. "Okay! I need to get going for now. Who knows when a scientist is about to pounce on you. Thanks for the meal, Salem!" she exclaimed. She left the apartment and started wandering to find a place to sleep. Salem also left with his wallet to buy a newspaper. He checked for the most recent and the headline caught his attention. It read "Cryptic Spotted in Grocery Store!"

He picked it up and noticed it was talking about the group Hikaru was with.