It was the last week of March and yet the air was still thin and the sky was still without warmth, refusing to let spring take over.

A young teen was standing alone on the sidewalk, slightly resting on a rather large green traveling luggage bag next to him. Standing alone in an empty street as the coldness sipped into his skin. Icy wind blew from the road, making him shiver and snuggled deeper into his scarf for warmth and comfort, leaving only his eyes and short black hair visible from outside. He hated the cold and everything to do with it.

Quickly, to have the least amount of exposure to the coldness, he pulled out his thin black smartphone from his jean pocket and swiped it open. The screen only read 10:27 AM and nothing else. The ride was due at 11AM so he had at least 30 more minutes of waiting to do.

A wait that was to be blamed on his side. He had left the house in a hurry, at an hour much earlier than when the ride was suppose to arrive, and in clothes that were not meant to be worn under this weather.

But he did not mind, hell, he even preferred this over his house. Even with the horrible weather and clothes, he enjoyed this moment where he didn't need to do or think about anything. Just him and the empty road. It was rather liberating.

He was wondering how much longer he had when he heard the sound of engine from a far. In the distance, at the far end of the road, he saw a black car speeding towards him. It only took seconds for the car to skid to a stop in front of him and a male driver in suits to frantically jumped out of the car.

"I am so sorry for making you have wait, I should have came earlier but I had to drive Master Nakamine to Osaka for the festival in the morning and-"

The driver cut off by the teen as he headed towards the trunk of the car pulling the luggage with him.

"Don't bother about me, and look." He pulled out his phone and showed the time to the driver. "It's still 17 minutes before 11am. You weren't late I was early. Now let's put this away and leave." The teen tapped the trunk lightly with his spare hand.

"Of course! Right away." The driver nodded in agreement and dashed toward the teen to help load the luggage.

Once the luggage was placed in the trunk the teen opened the back seat of the car. Warm breeze escaped from the door of the car. He sided himself in and closed the door behind. The inside of the car felt completely different from the cold outside. The warmth of the seat was like a host welcoming him to make himself comfortable.

Shortly after, the driver joined in from the front seat of the car and started the engine. The car drove down the road.

The ride was quiet. The teen had a distinct feeling that the driver was currently uncomfortable around him but he did not bother to ease the mood. Silence was better than an awkward conversation in the teen's opinion.

So instead, he opted to looked out the window and view the city that he had lived for all his life for one last time before he left. It would be at least 2 years until he could return here. For a moment he pondered if he should be depressed or joyous for the departure but then decided that it didn't really matter what he thought.

A small irrigation began to prude his heart at the conclusion and he turned his eyes away from the window. He closed his eyes and listened to the engine of the car as he slowly drifted to sleep.

* * * * *

The first thing he heard was a almost silent sound of machine humming in the background. A sound that wasn't that of a vehicle. His mind slowly began to boot as he started to gain consciousness. He rummaged through his hair as he opened his eyes to see blue. Blue. Complete and utter blue room. For specifically a room decorated completely in blue. The couch he was sitting on was blue, the carpet was blue, the table he was facing was blue, the curtains at the far end of the room was blue. All in different shades but none the less blue. He remember that he had fallen asleep in the car but was not sure how he got here. He hazily looked around trying to look for some clues as to where he was to find nothing. Still slightly dazed, he groaned and rubbed his temples to focus. It was then when a voice, a cheery female voice, pierced through the room.

"Salutation! And welcome to the Velvet room. We didn't want to wake you up since you looked just so~ peaceful but now that you're up and ready to roll, would you like to take a seat near us?" The voice was loud and high, yet it was oddly smoothing.

He noticed that on the other side of the room there were two people taking a seat at the table. Both in such obtruding clothes that he could not understand how he missed them before. Because he had definitely seen the tables, which was also blue. One on the couple was a ghastly pale woman with short white hair, dressed in a blue elevator clothes that he had seen in old movies. What stood out more was her golden iris which seemed to practically shine in the dimly lit room.

Next to her sat a boy, probably few year younger than his own age from his looks, with blue hair that covered most of the right side of his face. The boy was leaning on the table with both his eyes closed and wore a blue blazer with a red armband. If the boy had been the one who designed the room, well the only thing he could say was that the boy must really like the color blue. Noticing that the two of them were quietly sitting near the table and waiting for him, he looked around the room one more time to check if there were any other surprises he missed.

It was then that he realized that there were no visible doors in the room. Room with no doors, last memory in a car leaving the city, and being alone with two strangers who did not seem to think this situation was particularly odd.

Sighing in exasperation he stood up from the couch and walked towards the table. He knew what had happened. He had been in a similar situation before and had even been told what to do. The instructions were, if he memorized them correctly, stay calm and do not resist the captures, try to become personally endearing to them by listening or agreeing to their demand. Well he was calm for one.

"Look, if you're trying to get some kind of ransom, I'm sorry but it's not gonna work." He spoke cautiously as he approached the table.

While the lady seemed excited at he's words for some reason, he hoped that it wasn't because she enjoyed things the 'hard' way, the boy simply shot opened his eyes to stare at him. When the teen saw the boy's eyes he froze on the spot. The boy's eyes, felt.... familiar. Like it was someone that he knew from long ago. But he couldn't recall anyone with the boy's feature. And he clearly would not have forgotten blue hair. There was also a deep tranquility that could never be produced by someone at his age. Maybe the boy was much older than he looked? It was once again the woman's voice that unfroze him.

"Ooh ransom? I heard that it's a form of ancient parley where one must pay in gold of their own body weight to gain freedom. Does that mean our current guest can produce gold of his own weight?" Her eyes were glittering, very effectively given its color, and excitement was oozing from her posture. The sheer absurdity of her words and excitement broke whatever tension and cautiousness that was left in the teen. Maybe this was some elaborate joke.

"Don't know where you got that idea and I definitely cannot pull out gold but as I said, can't help you get any ransom. My father couldn't give any less shit about me." He said as he pulled the empty chair. "Let alone gold in my body weight."

"Ah ha, I know this as well. This is called a negotiation bluff where-"

"Elizabeth..." She was cut off by boy, or man.

Again, in the boy's voice the teen felt something that he couldn't define.

"My apologies." The woman, Elizabeth, which he assumed to be her name is, said and bowed curtly. The cheeriness was gone a replaced instead with formality "It seemed that I was overly excited with a new guest and forget what was due first. Please, let us introduce ourselves first."

She placed her hand to her chest to introduce herself. "My name is Elizabeth, a resident of this Velvet room and this" She stretched her hand towards the boy. "Is my master Orpheus."

He felt dumb at her words. He briefly considered this was some kind of a joke. A blue room called Velvet room. Or maybe they were toying with him but then there were probably better ways they could have toyed with him. "Is Velvet room some kind of new criminal organization?" He asked instead.

Elizabeth seemed delighted at his words first, only to quickly regain her composure. The boy looked indifferent at his statement. "No, the Velvet room is a realm between dream and reality, between mind and matter. It is a room that provides for those bound by the contract in their journey forth." She explain with a straight face.

The lies were becoming more insane at this point. He even contemplated the idea due to its sheer absurdity.

"Then I'm in some sort of a unconscious state of mind and you are suppose to help me because I formed a contract?" He half joked.

"Partially." Orpheus suddenly spoke up, no longer leaning on the table. "Only, the contract has not been formed yet. Here" Orpheus pulled out a sheet of paper and pen from under the table and passed it to him. "Read and sign the contract if you wish."

The teen eyed Orpheus suspiciously before taking the paper. On it were written two simple sentences.

[I will take responsibility for all my future actions. All future consequence from my decisions are my own burden.]

Then two blank lines waiting to be signed. Perhaps this was a new form of scam he thought.

"What happens if I don't sign this." He questioned. "Based on what you said, if I refuse, wouldn't I have exit this Velvet room since it is only for the contracted?"

"Perhaps." Orpheus answered vaguely, his facial expression a blank. "Although I cannot say much. I've never met anyone who did not sign the contract after arriving here in the Velvet room."

The teen's body tensed. This was a threat. He was certain of it. Whatever their end goal was, they wanted him to sign this paper and was willing to keep him locked up here if he didn't. He considered the alternatives of refusing to sign or staying in the room indefinitely for a moment then shrugged, signing felt easier. He signed the paper and handed it back.

Orpheus read the paper before putting it back under the table. When Orpheus' hands returned from under the table, he was holding a deck of cards. The cards that were, again, blue. He felt he was developing a blue-phobia at this point.

"Can I leave now?" He asked to Orpheus.

Orpheus ignored him and began shuffling the deck. "Do you believe in taro card fortune telling 'Nakamine Yukinori'?" Orpheus asked instead.

"No, and I'm pretty sure that you guessing my name isn't any fortune telling." Nakamine retorted. This whole situation could not get any more weird.

Orpheus reminded blank at the statement and spread the cards on the table. From the spread, he pulled out seven cards in a row and place them on the table. Orpheus was about to turn the cards when he hesitated and turned towards Elizabeth. She smiled and nodded to him, reassuring whatever shenanigans he was cooking now.

Orpheus glided his hand over the cards and they turned, opening one by one. The first card to turn showed a black figure of man with a dog behind him and the number 0 on the bottom.

"Fool, in the upward position. A journey to begin." There was a hint of sadness in Orpheus' tone.

Nakamine sighed and decided he might as well listen. "That's not really fortune telling don't you think?"

"That would depend. Same cards could have different meaning. Although in this case, I have to agree. A guest could not enter the Velvet room without being placed under the fate of 'journey'"

Fate was too big of a word in Nakamine's opinion.

The second card revealed an upside down drawing of the sun. "Sun, in reverse. Commonly representing failure in past." Nakamine stared at the card then at Orpheus. He wasn't sure what he was trying to hint.

The third card turned to show some kind of bed post and a reversed 7. "Chariot in reversed position. Despair? Or a loss of passion?" Orpheus continued calmly. That did not sit well in him.

"Is this the type where you make me buy fake charms to fend away my 'bad luck'?" Nakamine asked scratching his jaw. "Because I am willing to buy them if we can end this now."

Orpheus took a glimpse at him before the fourth card opened, showing a moon and the number 18. "Upright moon." Orpheus paused after this, not saying anything for a moment. Nakamine wondered if this was supposed to be part of fortune telling to build suspense or if Orpheus finally couldn't think of anything on the spot anymore.

"Perhaps it is best if we continued later, we'll have more bundles of fun to enjoy in the future" Elizabeth's voice came from the side. Nakemine had almost forgotten she was there.

Orpheus simply nodded in agreement and suddenly the light in the room started to became dimmer.

"Wait hold on, what's happening?!" Nakamine shouted nervously. He wasn't expecting this turn of events. Why was the light turning off. Frantically he search the ceilings to see the lights.

There, on the ceiling, was a single large window at the top that showed a body of water and.. fish? They were underwater. The light was completely gone at that moment of realization and Nakamine's consciousness faded into darkness.

* * * * *

Nakamine woke abruptly to a shout calling his name.

"Thank god. I am sorry for waking you up but I was worried there Yukinori. You weren't responding at all." It was the driver.

Nakamine blinked couple of times and swirled his head around. He was back in the car. The same car he remembered getting on. He signed in relief. Of course it was a dream. Underwater kidnapping by a crazy elevator girl and a boy with blue hair who was into fortune telling.

The driver stared at him with worried expression which Nakamine decided to ignore.

"Is everything alright?" The driver asked in concern.

"Everything's fine" Nakamine replied dismissively as he opened the door to his left. The humid air of the outside made him feel more awake and the dream less real. It truly had all been a dream. When he close to door the driver was already next to him. The driver face showed that he did not completely believe Nakamine's assertions but did not want to argue.

The driver pulled out Nakamine's luggage from the trunk as Nakamine looked around where he was. The first thing he saw was a small apartment on the right. Only two floors in height and around 7 rooms per floor. His mother had told him that his aunt should be in room 101 of the apartment.

A small dry cough sound came from behind. Nakamine turned to find the driver holding the luggage. Ready to follow Nakamine.

Instead of heading to the apartment, Nakamine reached towards the luggage. "I got it from here, thanks for the ride."

He did not want to bother the driver any more. The driver mostly likely had a busy schedule. Given the time he would need to pick his father up back from Osaka.

"Are you sure?" The concern only deepened in the driver's face. He still held on to the luggage.

"Yes I am sure." NaKamine said and pulled away the luggage from the driver's hands.

The driver hesitated for a moment before nodding. He bowed one last time and got back on the car to leave.

Nakamine watch the car disappear into the horizon before dragging the luggage to the apartment.

Room 101 was fairly easy to find given that it was the first house of the apartment. He took in a deep breath before knocking thrice.

"Coming" A voice came from inside the house. Followed by what seemed like the sound of falling books. Then a yelp. Then clothes ripping? Finally the door opened revealing a rather tall female figure wearing a large lose t-shirt and rummaging through her messy brown hair. The glass she wore was half croocked threatening to fall down. She reminded Nakamine of his mother.

"Aunt Hikari?" He asked to confirm. He hadn't exactly seen her other than in a picture.

"Aunt?" She corrected her glasses and stared at him before clapping loudly. "Holy shit, your Yukinori! Look how you have grown, the last I remember seeing you was when you were a baby." She said and ruffled his hair. "Sis did say that you were gonna come today. It is so nice to see you."

Nakamine smiled awkwardly not knowing how to respond and rather not enjoying her touch. In his view, this was the first time he was ever seeing her. "Thank you, it's nice to see you too. And I heard that you had a room that I could use?"

She tilted her head left as if digging through her memories. Her eyes darted quickly between the luggage he was carrying and his face then her face light up. "Right, your mother also did mention that. Give me a moment." She clapped her hands once more and she retracted back into the house. After a few seconds she returned with a bundle of keys on her hand and flip-flops on her feet.

"Here follow me." She headed towards the stairs. Only to stop and turn back to face him. "Do you need a hand with those." She said pointing to his luggage.

"No, I can handle it." Nakamine politely refused. He even lifted the luggage up and down a few times to prove his point.

"Stronger than you look huh?" Aunt Hikari laughed and went up the stairs. Followed closely by Nakamine.

She passed a few rooms on the upper floor before stopping at room 204. She read through the keys in her hand before choosing one and fitting it inside the keyhole.

"The rooms been empty for bit more than a year, so you are gonna need some dusting to do. Sorry about that." She said as she turned the keys.

"For a free room, I could do with more than dusting. Thank you for the room by the way."

She made a short chuckle. "Good to know you see it that way. And no need to thank me. Your dad was the one who paid for it anyway."

Nakamine's face stiffened at her words but Aunt Hikari was too focused on the door to notice it.

"So here we are." She walked into the room to introduce it to Nakamine. "It's small honestly. One room and one washroom. The kitchen is over there." She pointed towards where the stoves where. "But you will need to buy a fridge since I never replaced it after the last one broke." She turned to Nakamine His face was already back to normal. "I could help you get it if you want. It's a short drive to the electronic store."

"Maybe some other time. I was thinking of doing some unpacking and cleaning for today." He said and pushed in the luggage bag into the room. "Rest of my stuffs are suppose to come by later today."

"Of course, no need to rush. just tell me whenever you are ready." She moved past him and towards the door. "Well enjoy your room, and come down if you need anything" She said before smiled and heading out.

He was, once again, alone in the room.

Nakamine meekly scanned the room that he would live in for the next two years or more and signed. He had to agree with Aunt Hikari. The room was pretty small. A single window was on the side giving a good view of the town, complimented by a small wardrobe next to it. He opened without much thought, and was greeted with a sizeable farm of fungi. Nakamine decided that he would need to clean it before using it.

The next he found was the crammed kitchen at the right side of the entrance. It contained a small stove sitting above the cupboard and identically small sink next to it. The state of the sink recommended he buy cleaning products for his own hygiene purposes. Lastly there was a door on the left side of the room. Nakamine opened it and was surprisingly presented with a washroom not as soiled. He only hoped once he turned on the heat, the room was not cold as it is now.

With nothing much more to do he began unpacking the luggage. There was not much in the luggage. Few clothes, basic toiletries, few jackets, couple of shoes. He was about to sort them into the wardrobe when he recalled his co-resident. So instead he took out a yellow patterned T-shirt he was certain he would not miss and ripped it into rags. He had a lot of cleaning to do.