The change had been disorienting at the time, and with more likely to follow in kind, it will be only a matter of time before he can no longer hide. A reality he dreads.

As strong of a reaction as the question causes in his cousin, Benjiro wonders how long his appearance has been thinning. Not one to outright lie, he still tries to address it gently, “Only a little. It might be the lighting in here.” Honest worry comes out as he encourages his cousin to seek aid, “I’m glad you feel alright, but we can still get hurt and sick even with our Numbers. I can ask Dr. Tilly. She’s a neighbor that recently got her own Number, and she offered to look after Sadie to keep her eyes secret.”