Chapter 6 - The Day Where it All Begins

Morning seeped through the cracks of the heavy curtains, casting muted rays upon the six slumbering bodies. The silence of the room was thick, almost suffocating, save for the rhythmic breaths of the sleeping figures.

Minoru was the first to wake.

His eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim glow of the LED lights that painted the room in a dusty rose hue. He turned his head slightly, taking in the sight of Averill curled beside him, their pup and kit nestled close, lost in their own dreams. Careful not to disturb them, Minoru slid out of bed, his movements silent, ghostlike. He padded across the floor, slipping into his own bedroom, shutting the door with a soft click.

The LED lights in his room hummed faintly, wrapping the walls, bedframe, and television in their eerie glow. Jungle vines twisted around the posts of his bed like skeletal fingers, reaching for him in the low light. His reflection loomed in the full-body mirror across from his bed, distorted by the flickering of the lights. The room was a museum of memories—pictures of his loved ones, drawings of faceless figures that seemed to stare through the frames, self-portraits that felt foreign now.

He inhaled deeply and entered the bathroom. The bulbs in the overhead fixture had long since vanished, replaced by the sickly pinkish-grey LED strips that clung to the corners like veins beneath pale skin. The air was damp, heavy with something beyond moisture.

Stripping off his clothes, he stepped into the shower. The water was initially warm and comforting—but it never lasted. He braced himself as he twisted the knob, sending a shock of icy coldness cascading over his skin. It was better this way. The cold kept him awake. Kept the memories from sinking their claws too deep.

He scrubbed his body with rose-scented soap, but the feeling of filth never quite left his skin.

By the time he finished, dried himself off, and dressed, the others were beginning to stir. Geneviève was already up when he returned, her sharp eyes meeting his as he opened the door wider for her to slip through. She followed him down to the kitchen, her steps light, calculated.

Izuku sat at the kitchen table, scribbling feverishly into his journal. The scratching of pen against paper was the only sound aside from the quiet hum of the refrigerator. Without looking up, he murmured,

"Katsuki is getting dressed. He'll be down in a minute."

Minoru simply nodded, moving to the cabinets. He began pulling out ingredients, the routine grounding him in the present.

"We have to go to Inko's at noon. She wants us to clean. Some man is coming to visit her."

Izuku stilled for just a moment, his hand tightening around the pen before he sighed.

"So no big breakfast?"

A soft laugh escaped Minoru before a voice interrupted them.

"No big breakfast, huh? Damn shame."

They turned to see Katsuki leaning against the doorway, smirking, but there was something in his eyes—something wary.

"No big breakfast, Suki. Just omelets. All special."

And with that, Minoru began to cook.

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Hours later, Inko's house loomed over them, a rotting shell of a place that had never truly been home. The air inside was thick with something unseen, something watching.

"Clean," was all she said when they stepped inside. Her voice was flat, emotionless, but the moment their feet crossed the threshold, something curdled in their stomachs.

Something was wrong.

The three of them could feel it.

Still they obeyed. They scrubbed, dusted, and wiped away stains that refused to vanish completely. And then, food.

But not for them.

Inko sat at the table, chewing, swallowing, and savoring every bite, while they sat there, their stomachs tight with hunger. She didn't even look at them as she spoke through a mouthful of food.

"Eat and sleep. You'll need it. Since you're leaving. I never want to see your ungrateful asses again."

She mumbled the last part, but they heard it.

They always heard it.

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Two hours later, Minoru stirred from restless sleep, the scent of stale alcohol thick in the air. He descended the stairs softly, barely breathing.

Inko sat there, surrounded by empty bottles, staring into the void.

Then her eyes met his.

Her expression twisted into something ugly, something monstrous. Before he could react, glass flew through the air, shattering against the wall just inches from his head.

"Clean this up, you mistake!"

Minoru's head hung low, his fingers curling into his palms, his nails biting into flesh. But he nodded. He always nodded.

He swept up the shards, collected the beer cans, and cleaned up the filth that had accumulated in the past few hours. How did she manage to destroy so much in such little time?

A knock at the door.

No—

A bang.

Heavy. Demanding.

His breath hitched.

He barely had time to process before Inko's voice shifted into something unsettlingly sweet.

"Minoru? Sweetie!"

A man stood beside her. Tall, broad, black hair slicked back, grey eyes filled with something unspeakable.

Inko's saccharine voice dripped with venom.

"This wonderful man is here to play with you."

Minoru's blood turned to ice.

The man licked his lips.

"Your money's in front of the door."

Minoru ran.

Up the stairs. Feet stumbling, lungs burning, the world spinning. His heart slammed against his ribs, erratic, desperate. He threw himself into his room, locking the door and shoving chairs, bookshelves, anything in his reach against it.

Footsteps. Fast. Heavy. Coming closer.

Minoru tripped, falling onto the makeshift bed, hands grasping, shaking Izuku and Katsuki.

"Izuku! Katsuki! Wake up!"

They didn't stir.

Minoru slapped them, the panic in his voice cracking as he screamed their names.

Then—

BANG.

The door buckled.

The second bang sent it crashing down.

A looming shadow. A slow smile.

"Oh?"

The man turned to Inko.

"Three? I'm going to have fun."

Inko smirked, raising a hand. Power flickered, twisting through the air, dragging Katsuki and Izuku to their knees.

Minoru screamed.

The man gripped his hair, his free hand moving to his belt.

Something inside them snapped.

A raw, searing force exploded outward.

Glass shattered. Walls cracked.

Inko and the man flew back, slammed against the walls, shrieking as unseen hands tore into them.

Minoru, Izuku, and Katsuki stood amidst the chaos, their breaths ragged, power thrumming in the air like a living, breathing entity.

Their lives changed that day.

And they didn't even know it.