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The interviewer sits down in a chair across from Ishika's lab table and beakers. He opens a notepad up and takes out his pen. "State your name and occupation."

"Dr. Ishika Kuriame, vice president of Noire Corp."

"I take it you didn't earn your doctorate?"

Ishika shakes his head. "No college would consider putting a convicted felon on their campus, even with a few credits short of graduating. So, the doctor part is just in spirit."

The interviewer jots down the notes, making quotation marks around doctor. "When did you meet Noire?"

"Um, I guess during our first semester during freshman year. We were the only ones not paired up with anyone, but I think Noire wanted to be paired with me."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I'm not sure. I remember this starry-eyed girl just in awe with me. I thought she was in love, but, no. She never gave me a real explanation and tells me I was seeing things, but I know passion."

The interviewer writes down more notes. "For a guy out of jail, you don't seem like a murderer."

Ishika scratches the back of his head. "It was an accident."

"Why take the fall for a girl you've only known, at that point, for four years?"

"Because while I was and am smart, I didn't have the passion for science that Noire has. Her mind didn't deserve to be locked up in a hellish place like that. Some may say that it twisted my mind, being locked up. Others say that I'm more withdrawn than I ever was." Ishika plays with his beakers full of liquid. He dips his finger in one and licks the contents. "I think it made me passionate about things that cause pain and how I can minimize it because no one should go through what I went through."

The interviewer stops taking notes and examines the tile in front of him. He takes notice of Ishika's multiple scars. "And those?"

Ishika glances over all his scars. They range from his snake hood down to the tip of his tail. "Some are stab wounds, some are slashes. The guards didn't care, some even took part." Ishika traces over the scar on his left hand. It's a cut straight across. "This was my first one. It scared me. The guy just stabbed right through. I think it was after twenty that I just snapped and whenever it happened again I blacked out."

"What brought you back?"

"Noire." Ishika lies back in his chair and looks up at the ceiling. "After a few months in prison, she came back for me and bailed me out. It took a while to focus and get back where I am and I still have trouble with knives, but she's a good person."

The interviewer turns to a new page. "I have to ask and it's something completely unrelated-"

"No no! Go ahead. What's it about?"

"It's about Nera. How and why would you bring a Fury demon to the In-Between? We weren't even sure Fury and Hume existed."

Ishika chuckles a bit. "We weren't sure either, but we found this rock and decided to use it. It gave off energy unlike anything we saw, but it brought out some of our scientists' animal instincts."

"Like the supposed demons in Fury."

"Exactly. We dubbed the rock Fury Essence. We tried on other subjects before Aren came to our lab, but they all failed."

"Why did Aren succeed?" The interviewer asks while writing down Ishika's comments.

"Noire suspects because the species test worked on him that this would work as well. We assume it was a hunch and it paid off."

"But why?"

Ishika scratches his chin. "We don't know why she wanted this. Noire is a private person; no one seems to know her true intentions."

"You're her second in command and you don't even know?"

"I respect her wishes to not dive into her past. You don't want to see her angry."

"But I did earlier today."

Ishika smirks and shakes his head. "That's not angry. That's her being polite."

"Well, thank you for your time, Ishika. I think it's time I head out." The interviewer reaches forward with his hand and Ishika shakes it.

"My pleasure. Maybe I'll see you around."

"If I get my story, you will." The interviewer exits Ishika's lab and makes his way to the entrance after turning down a few halls. He waves goodbye to Alaski who had returned to her desk by the entrance. The interviewer looks over his notes as he exits the building. "With all this, maybe I can shed some light on this place and they'll have to open-" Before he could finish his sentence, the fox canid is hit by two white lasers. His notes disintegrate and the light that hits him bounces off as a circle and encircles the neighborhood. The canid falls to the ground, but gets up and dusts himself off. He looks up at the building and scratches his chin. "Noire Corp, huh? Now there's a story!"

---

In Ishika's lab, the tile is drinking what's left in his beaker. The door to his lab opens up and Noire struts in. "Is he gone?"

Ishika sets the beaker on his desk and turns his attention to Noire. "Yes, and his memory should be erased. Again." Noire sits down in the chair opposite him and crosses her legs. "I don't understand the point of doing this if he keeps on coming back."

"You told me your laser has a short-range, so it's not like we can hit him with it at his home and we need to be precise with who we hit. It erases specific parts of his memory and bounces off to everyone he ever talked to about that subject. Besides, with all the secrets we tell him and who knows what the others said to him who knows what would get out. You and I can control what we say, but we can't control what the others say. Their stories seem to change and have different details. We can't be too sure. We'll tell our story when it's ready."

Ishika leans forward in his chair and places his hands on his desk. "Does this mean you found him?"

"Close. I have a lead on where Aaron Goldie is." Ishika reaches for his phone and scrolls through his contacts to Aren. "Don't call Aren yet."

"Why not?"

"While Aren is employed with us, I can tell he doesn't trust us. We did put Nera in him; who knows what that demon is saying to him." Noire stands up and walks to the entrance. "I've seen monsters around lately. Call Wulf and have him escort Aren to the lab."

"Wulf won't be enough if there are monsters around."

"Don't worry. I have a feeling that they'll get back up. How's Alaski's training?"

"She's not ready."

Noire sighs. "Well, she'll have to learn on the go. Call Wulf, we need to be prepared." Noire leaves Ishika's lab.

Ishika scrolls through his contacts again and dials Wulf. "Wulf? It's Ishika. I need you to get Aren and bring him to the lab. He's in danger."