Ruki's new name was naturally kept secret between him and Lanling.
And this secrecy only seemed to heighten Ruki's giddiness. He had never officially shared a secret with someone before. Though he continued to call Lanling by his usual name instead of No. 25 in private, it felt different now that Lanling was secretly calling him Ruki in return.
The days where he beamed cheerfully over his new name stretched into months. Even Brother V had begun shaking his head at the boy's baffling resilience.
Despite the severe torture they subjected him to, Ruki persisted in flashing them a bright smile. It was almost maddening. At times, they were tempted to unmute him during one of his sessions in the Forge, just to confirm if his tortured expressions were genuine or a ruse.
Before they could act on their curiosity, however, the darkness in the room thickened abruptly. In the span of an instant and without a sound, a man in a black ballroom tailcoat appeared directly above Ruki's head.
