Chapter 14-Night and Day[Game of The Heart]

Chapter 14: Night and Day
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For a long while, I just sat there, shivering on the cold hardwood floor of the orchestra room. I was just too damn tired to move my ragged body away from the piano bench I collapsed against. I was still in the midst of recovering, and as I leaned my head against the cushion, I could see those drops of blood splattering on the ground beside me. Now the only question was: Whose blood was that? Just thinking about it began to revive the headache, but before it could get worse, I crawled my way out of the orchestra room. It was a slow process, but I eventually made my way out.

From there, I threw my hand up and latched onto the side of the door, gradually pulling my body up and following wherever the walls led me. I wandered for what was likely five minutes and finally found the familiar staircase. Then, I dragged my leaden body up the stairs, down the hallway, and towards my room. Just as I approached my door, two men emerged from the one across me.

"Damn, Vulpe. I know you can't sleep now, but why'd you have to wake me up?" Akin whined as he ruffled his bed hair.

"Because I was bored…" he reasoned weakly; he sounded almost like I did earlier. Plastering a forced smile on my face, I leaned back against my closed door and pressed my foot into the frame.

"Morning, Alice. You couldn't sleep either?" Akin asked, closing some of the gap between us.

"Of course not. She's the one who woke me!" Vulpe scratched at his mud brown bunny ear and sighed.

"Aw, come on. You're why I had to suffer this whole morning?" Akin teased with a small pout.

"Sorry…" I mumbled back, eyes lowered and glassy.

"I'm just kidding, Alice. The suffering is worth it if it's for you," he reassured me with his usual smile, reaching forward to tousle my golden locks, which dangled helplessly in front of my face before he brushed them back.

I blinked away the moisture in my eyes and brought them up to meet his, genuinely smiling this time around. "Thanks."

"So, since we're all up, why don't we grab some food?" Vulpe questioned, eyes sparkling. For once, he showed a huge smile—one that I didn't even know was possible—and threw his arms around us.

"You're always hungry, you damn rabbit. We just got up, so give us a break, would you?" Akin snidely retorted.

"Fine, suit yourselves. I'll be downstairs looking for breakfast."
Just as quickly as he told us that, he was off and away to scavenge. Akin rolled his violet eyes and smirked.

"He's an ."

"You're a bit mean when you're tired, aren't you?" I teased, curling a lock of blonde hair around my index finger.

"Not as mean as someone here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I cleared my throat expectantly and crossed my arms against my chest.

"You're really grouchy when you get up, you know that?"
I flushed pink. "N-No I'm not. I react how any person would if you woke them at four in the morning."

"No… You're just grumpy."

"You—"
I raised my hand to smack him, but he wrapped his fingers around my wrist.

"Tsk, tsk. Violent, too," he mocked playfully.

"You forget I have feet."
I kicked the back of his shin—of course, not too hard—and he immediately drew away, laughing.

"You're fun to play with."
I pursed my lips in the hopes that the blood rushing to my face would be diverted. Unfortunately, I realized the body doesn't work that way, and the heat grew on my cheeks anyway.

"Blushing, are we?"

"N-No!" I growled back, though it came out more like a pitiable squeak.
Beaming with success, Akin said, "Come on, let's go grab Leo and Cane for some breakfast."

"Oh, what about Eri?"

"Ah, jeez, don't even get me started on her. She sleeps like a—"

"Pig, yeah," I added with a nod.

"How did you know?" His eyes widened ever so slightly as he tilted his head curiously at me.

"O-Oh… Um…"

I didn't want to reveal that I'd showered in Cane's room this morning. It would easily give the wrong impression, and I couldn't have my partner getting suspicious of me.

"Lucky guess?" I asked, smiling hopefully.

"Hm…" He took a short pause and then grinned as happily as usual. "Good one. Yeah, she won't be getting up for at least another three hours. So we'll just grab Cane and Leo, and we'll be good to go."

"Wait, not Leo," I blurted out instinctively.

"Why not? I know he's quiet, but we can't exclude him like that… That's really mean, Alice…"

"That's not it!" I shouted at him. Hell, how could he think I would do that?

"Then why not?"

"Because…" I breathed out a heavy sigh; I couldn't really avoid this one. "I woke up in the middle of the night yesterday and decided to go outside for a bit to look at the stars. And Leo was just standing out there… He was probably up for a while, so I don't think we should wake him."


He looked at me like I'd struck him. "Oh, I see. Were you two talking?" His smile had ebbed away, and his eyes had narrowed with a bit of severity. Anxiously, I nodded my head at him.

"Is there something wrong with that?" I questioned in my own defense.

"No…" he mumbled, nibbling on his lower lip and averting my gaze.

"Akin? What's wrong?"

"Honestly?"

"Of course."

"Looking at your clothes…" He ran his eyes over my body, prompting me to glance down at my tank and shorts. "You must've been cold. If you ever go out in the morning like that again, you can wake me up and I'll find you something warmer."

His cheeky grin finally returned, and he gently brushed my cheek with his rough fingertips. "Okay?"

"Y-Yeah…" I whispered. "But Akin?"

"Hm?"

"Why aren't you being honest?"
His eyes broadened, and he drew his head back slightly. "W-What do you…"

"I asked you what's honestly wrong, but you're lying to me. Why are you lying?"
He stammered for a moment, trying to find a combination of words that might fit as an explanation, but he quickly found it futile and just smiled at me. "You're sharp, Alice."

"I know. Now, tell me."

"Do you really want to know?"

"Of course."

"Are you really sure?"

"Yes!" I answered without an ounce of hesitation. Had I known what was going to happen, I probably wouldn't have even answered.

Suddenly, Akin tucked his arm around my hip and tugged my body forward, pressing it hard and flush against his until a smoldering heat burned between our bodies. My eyes widened. For just a moment, I was captivated by the power and impulse he used to grab me… until I caught a glimpse of his smirk and remembered one very important detail.

This was Akin. If this didn't stop now, who knew how far it would get?

I immediately flew into a panic. I writhed against his grasp and tried to slither free, but with each struggle, he held me closer and tighter, almost like he was trying to pull me into his skin with him. And then, swiftly and skillfully, he slipped his hand under my tank and gently ghosted his fingertips across the bare, sensitive skin of my back. My mouth immediately ran dry; butterflies flew all across my torso as my heart thrashed about wildly in my chest and temporarily halted my struggles.

"W-What are you…" I managed to whisper as he cradled my head with his other hand and breathed his hot breath against the shell of my ear.

"Do you understand now?" he murmured alluringly.

Shivers resembling pleasure crawled almost incessantly up and down my spine as Akins’s fingers continued walking along the small of my back. He slowly trailed his lips along my tickled skin and began feathering sweet, tender kisses against my neck until I vigorously nodded in response to his question, hoping the attention would stop. It had to! All he wanted was for me to nod yes, right? I gulped when I felt his kiss become more forceful against my neck. He was too close to me! Too close! I managed to wriggle my arms between us and tried to push him away, but he held strong and firm like the fighter he was.

"S-Stop it. Stop it…" I finally whispered, "Please."

Then, as per my command, he simply released me and pulled away, providing the usual distance he did between us. That huge grin, cheekily as ever, plastered itself across his face. Did he just want me to beg him or something? I wanted to scream at him, but my voice just wouldn't come out right; it only spoke in stammers and broken phrases.

"W-Why would…" My cheeks were hot; burning like the sun had touched me.

"Why what?" He tilted his head innocently, and I could have smacked him if my limbs weren't so numb.

"W-Why would you even—"

"Remember what I told you before? I said you're cute, but I wouldn't attack you yet," he told me with a smirk carved into his lips. "Well, I decided now was the time."

"W-Why?"

"Because I got jealous," he stated, completely unabashed.

"J-Jealous? Of Leo?"

"I'm a guy. I can get jealous, you know? Especially since you guys were talking outside under the stars… It's more romantic that way, isn't it?" He smiled, and I couldn't help but feel he was just teasing me again. With that knowledge,

I felt a bit calmer, but unfortunately, I was one to voice my opinions. And quite clearly, too.

"But why would you be jealous? We're not… anything like that. Are you just screwing with me again?"
I backed away defensively, but he caught me by the wrists and pulled me back to where I was.

"Relax. You wanted to know what was wrong, and now you know why. It's all good, right?"

I studied the innocent expression he wore and shook my head violently, heart still racing. Here came the yelling I wanted to do earlier.

"No! You can't just do that to me! I'm not a toy, dammit! You can't just reach out and touch me whenever you want!"

I must've somehow struck a nerve there. Akins’s eyes immediately swirled with pain, his smile faded, and his chest heaved with deep breaths. I drew back, slightly frightened. What had I done?

"No, you aren't a toy! That's why I'm not treating you like one! I really…" His voice cracked sharply, and I found myself quickly withdrawing the accusations running through my mind. Was he serious?

"Akin? Do you really…"
He turned his head aside. Wait, but… Akin was never serious! Why was he acting like this all of a sudden?

"You don't really like me, do you? Not already?" I questioned in disbelief.

"You don't understand. Just forget about it."

He hurried down the hall to Cane's bedroom and knocked at his door before I could say anything more. Just because Cane was so damn prompt and stepped out about a second later, I couldn't bring up the subject with Akin again. I obediently trailed behind them, and as the three of us walked down the stairs, Akin chatted and smiled as easily as he usually did.

He seemed like such a bright and happy person, but that smile…

He was hiding so much underneath that smile.

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It was a quiet, quiet breakfast. Cane was rather mild-mannered; while that was a bit odd, he usually did not speak without being prompted to, so it wasn't that unusual. Vulpe was engrossed in the act of consuming a feast for breakfast, and he would've been silent were it not for his sloppy chewing sounds and the occasional period of choking. Akin was the only one truly out of sorts, just sulking and prodding at his food without really eating it. He even refused to sit next to me, so I was stuck alone on one side of the table, being forced to watch Vulpe's disgusting eating habits. He wasn't a bad person, but he possessed the table manners of a monkey with a fork. I wondered if I should confiscate his knife, just in case he got the bright idea to pick it up and fling it at me.

I wasted my time at the table, battering my eggs with the fork and mulling over what I'd done. Akin attacked me; if anything, I should have been the one to get upset! But in the end, it somehow turned out that I upset him. Was I not taking him seriously enough? He is human, after all.

And putting myself in his place, I suppose I would've been mad, too.

Damn, how do I keep messing up?

If I hadn't looked up, I wouldn't have even noticed. Almost as silently as a mouse, Akin rose from the table and strode out of the dining room. Was he really that mad? God, what the hell did I do? I tore at my hair in frustration.

Vulpe, who just finished his breakfast, finally sensed the tension in the air and followed readily after Akin. With nothing more than a whimper, I looked down at my plate and continued poking at my eggs.

"What did you do?" Cane questioned with his eyes directly on me.
Without lifting my head, I stopped playing with my food. "What do you mean?"

"What did you say to Akin to upset him like that?"

I brought my eyes up and glared coldly. Even if he could tell something was wrong with Akin, why did he automatically assume it was my fault? Just when I thought he was getting nicer, too! I must've suffered some brain damage. How else could I think that was even possible?

"I didn't do anything," I retorted quickly.

"I don't care how good a liar you think you are. I can tell."

I immediately slammed my fork into the plate and cringed at the decibel of the clang. Though it took a moment, I recovered myself and reinforced my defenses. "You think you know everything, don't you? But you don't. Get over yourself," I growled.

"Why don't you stop acting so high and mighty? This world doesn't revolve around you, no matter how much you might like it to. If you did something silly, then get up there and apologize. Your silly pride means nothing."

His words stabbed at me through the flesh, pricking my skin until I nearly jumped from my chair. "Y-You're…"

"Just suck it up and go talk to him." He averted my gaze, a faint blush powdering his cheeks, and muttered more softly,

"He's my best friend, so go fix him."

"Best… friend?"

Akin was best friends with this guy? Great, now he was confusing me, acting all nice when it came to Akin… Was he trying to confuse me? Or did this guy maybe have a split personality? That would explain how he and Akin got to be best friends. Those two were polar opposites, like day and night.

"Yes. So throw away your pride for a second, no matter what that did, and fix him."

"So, you agree that it was his fault?" I questioned, chin tilted up at him.

"I don't know what happened, but most likely."

"You're not blaming me for this? Why the sudden change in attitude?"

"Because if I piss you off any more, you won't go up there to fix him."

I rolled my eyes. "I see. Fine, I'll go up there and talk to him. But you know, if you were really his best friend, you wouldn't talk about him like he was a broken toy."

I rose from my chair, starting for the door until he sighed and spoke a few words that seemed to be directed at me.

"Sorry for snapping. I just… get nervous every time that goes off. He does silly things when he's upset. So…

T-Thanks. You know, for going up there."
I glanced over at his profile; blood was creeping up his ears and cheeks as I whispered gently, "O-Oh… Sure."

Still stunned and ducking my head into my chest, I darted out of the room before my reaction could fully show. I breathed in deeply and shuddered out an exhale, nervously shaking my head. He was thanking me? With him, it was like one step forward, one step back. For now, we were at one step forward, but I could guarantee that we would back up at our next encounter.

Well, he wasn't important right now. I had to go upstairs and recover that little to his former self.
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I swiftly dashed up the steps and barreled down the hallway, heartbeat thumping in my ears. After gliding across the carpet and landing in front of Akins’s room, I began my incessant knocking on his door. For a while, there was no answer, so I pounded more vigorously and began yelling at him through the door.

"Akin! Akin, say something!"
No answer.

"Get out here already!"

Suddenly, the door cracked open, and I heard another voice addressing Akin in a whisper.

"Hey, it's Rise. Should I go?" Vulpe asked carefully.

"Sure, sure. Let her in."

Vulpe threw the door open wide and brushed past me, mussing up my hair on his way.

"Cheer him up in there. He's really down."

Yeah, like I didn't already know that.

As Vulpe passed to his room, I slipped into Akins’s and slammed the door shut behind me. Compared to the realm of darkness and the land of sunshine and sprinkles, his room was quite refreshing. His walls were painted a cool lavender shade, and he had an air freshener in some corner that made it smell nearly as sweet. He was a bit messy with his clothes strewn about the floor and papers sprawled across his white desk, but he had overall an inviting bedroom. I looked down at Akin, who was seated on the corner of his teal comforter with the mattress sinking in a deep pit around him, and gestured for myself to sit as well.

"Go ahead," he whispered with a sigh. So, I slowly made my way beside him and rested my body on the plush bedding.

"Are you… okay?"

"Not really, but I'll get over it."

"Akin… Come on."

"Come on what?"

I paused a moment, stuttering out a few words to buy me time. "I-I was going to talk to the Queen when she woke up…

A-And of course, I need my partner to back me up! Come with me, please?"

"No," he stated, short and simple. He was really cold when he was angry.

"I… I'm sorry I didn't take you seriously…" I pleaded, fisting my fingers into his sleeve.

"No, you aren't. You're only doing this, because you feel like you have to. Well, it's fine, so forget about it."

"No, that's not it! Really!"

"Alice, don't lie like that. It makes me mad."

"Akin!" I whined, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I'm upset! Am I not allowed to be upset?" he snapped back quickly, effectively silencing my cries. I wanted to huddle in the sweet, lavender corner and hide myself in shame. Had I really upset him so badly? He was so welcoming to me, but I ended up stepping all over his feelings.

I was scum.

"Akin, I'm sorry…"

"No. Stop lying to me, Alice."

"I'm not lying!" I yelled, feeling dangerously emotional. "I'm not! Listen, I'll do whatever you want, dammit! Just stop being upset! You have to believe me already!"

Suddenly, his lips curled in a malicious smirk, and I could actually feel the regret coursing through my veins. I shouldn't have spoken so quickly. I really shouldn't have.

"Anything I want?" he clarified, grinning practically ear to ear.

"N-No, wait—"

"Ah, ah. You can't go back on your word now," he teased, playfully wagging his finger at me.

Dammit. Dammit.

How could I be so silly? Akin was never serious! He just knew I would say that, didn't he? Feelings, my Bottom! He was after this the whole time!

"Well, you were talking about going to see the Queen, right? She should be up by now, so let's go see her."
Akin smiled, beaming with glory, as he leaned over and pinched my cheek gently between his fingers.

"I win, Alice."

"You bastard," I hissed through my teeth, knowing now I couldn't go back on my word. I just had to pray he wouldn't take too much advantage of this.
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Chapter 13-Rediscovering Music (Game of the Heart)

Chapter 12: The Taste of Friendship
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There we were, standing out in the dead of night like two lost souls. After Leo signaled for me to sit with him, he readily peeled his green hoodie from his thin form and set it over the concrete, a small cloud of dust lifting around it.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, staring at the limp clothing spread out at my feet.

"Please sit on this."

"What? No, it's fine! Why did you do that? You're going to be cold now," I scolded as I ran my eyes over the narrow, frail frame that was loosely veiled by a baggy gray tee. Leo was all lean muscle and bone, appearing like he'd snap with the touch of my fingers against his skin, and yet here he was, putting down his jacket in the frigid cold just so I wouldn't hurt my Bottom sitting down. I insisted he take it back, but he was just too obdurate on the issue.

"Just relax. I'm fine," he whispered with a slight smile. "Please. I'd feel bad if you stayed out here with me and I didn't even do this for you."

"But Leo…"
I would've argued more, but the boy had powers I just couldn't beat. What did he do? He simply stared at me with those wide, pleading honey eyes that threatened to well up with tears if I didn't sit. Could he just do that on a whim, or was he seriously that sensitive? Either way, it broke down my determination and I took a seat on his jacket, which still felt warm from Leo's body heat.

"Thank you," he said while quietly seating himself beside me.

For a long while, there was utter silence between us, only the thick roars of the wind occasionally breaking in. I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them tight, shivering against the breezes as goose bumps pricked my skin like thorns. Leo looked on at me, worried but realizing he couldn't do anything more. He was down to a tee and sweat pants; he'd be silly to give me another article of clothing. Instead, I pulled his jacket out from under me and smoothly wrapped it around my bare legs.

"Better?" I asked as I flattened my hands against themselves and rubbed to create a bit of warmth from friction.

"Yes…" he whispered, smiling, while I dipped my head and locked our eyes.

"Why have you been smiling so much? You're usually so nervous all the time."

"Ah…" He lowered his head, smile retreating and face gradually turning pink.

"N-No, no! I didn't mean for you to stop smiling! I was just curious why!"
I whimpered. I felt like I broke him.

"It's… nothing. Don't worry about it," he assured me as he lifted his eyes longingly towards the stars, almost like he wanted to be up there rather than down here.

"Do you… like the stars?" I pried carefully.

"Hm? Ah… Yes. I do." He continued to stare up absently at the dimmed sky. I followed his gaze and ended up watching as well. The stars twinkled incessantly, burning their life source away to provide us with such unsurpassed beauty.

Suddenly, it hit me. I remembered an old story, though only vaguely. Someone—I don't know who—told me once that each star is a person who has passed on, and they are put up there to continue watching over us. I glanced down at Leo, who was still baring his soul to the stars through that intensity in his honey eyes. I had to ask.

"Is there… someone up there you know?"

"Someone up there?" He dipped his head at me and a look of melancholy swept his features. "Yes, there is."
My heart sank for him. "C-Can I ask… who?"

"It was… my mother." He lowered his gaze defensively.

"O-Oh… I'm sorry."

"It's okay. She must be happier up there."
He forced another smile, and my heart practically shattered. Did this boy think that little of himself? Did he really believe that his own mother would be happier up there alone than down here with him? Or was it simply a hopeful wish that she'd find happiness even after passing? I wanted to ask, but I couldn't find the courage to say the words. I didn't want to be the one to pour salt on the wound or tear open the scar after it was suppressed for so long.

"Are… you okay?" I asked instead.

"Yeah. She…" He gnawed at his lip, nearly slicing the flesh and drawing blood until I frantically spoke up.

"Stop that! You're going to get hurt!"

"H-Huh? Oh, right…" He lifted his sharp teeth from his lower lip and brushed the imprinted bite mark with his thumb.

"Do you want to talk about it, Leo?"

"No, no… I don't want to be a burden."

"You're not a burden. I'd actually like to hear about it, if you don't mind."
He fetched out a small pocket watch, flipped up the intricate cover, and peeked at the time.

"It's a bit late, though. Aren't you tired?"

"Oh? What time is it?"

"Nearing one," he said warily.

"Oh… Well, are you tired?"

"No… I stay out here much longer with her. I just want to know if you're okay." He blew a gentle sigh that took form as a cool, wispy white mist in the air.

"Of course. Tell me about her," I whispered with a small smile that urged him to speak.

"Well…" His eyes swirled with happiness as he watched the stars and began regaling to me a description of his mother.

"She was beautiful. She had the same gold eyes and long silver hair I do, and she had the white ears, but… She was just so much prettier. Her skin was softer than anything I'd ever felt and she just had that way of lighting up a room when she smiled… She was always happy. It was like she just couldn't frown, even when she…" Suddenly, his voice cracked sharply and he lowered his head and his honey eyes, brimmed with tears. I was dangerously close to tears myself, but I forced a smile, even though I felt myself choking up with pity for him.

"I would've loved to meet her," I whispered as gently as I could. And then, I saw two teardrops splatter onto the pavement like rain.

"Y-Yes…"
For a while, we just sat in silence, calming ourselves. His tears faded quickly, and mine dripped back behind my lids. The two of us simply waited in each other's company, and for a bit, I felt good. I felt like I'd finally connected with someone in this place—not just a little chit-chat here and there, but real, solid communication. And who would've thought that Leo, who was so shy and fragile, would open up to me?

Maybe… I was making more of a difference here than I thought.
"Leo?"
"Yes?"

"Thank you for talking to me like this," I told him, genuinely smiling. I also genuinely enjoyed how he squirmed and flushed red at the sight of me.

"W-Why would you thank me for something like this?"

"Because it was really nice."
He nervously tilted his chin to his chest and flit his eyes over the pocket watch still held firmly in his grasp. He seemed startled by the time.

"What? What time is it?"

"It's past one. We need to have enough rest for tomorrow."

"Oh… Okay then. Let's go."
I rose to my feet, and grasping his jacket tight in my fingers, draped it over his shoulders as he stood. I smoothed it out against his small chest and arms, and he shied away at the contact.

"T-Thank you," he mumbled, just as reticently as he did before.

"Of course." I began making my way towards the front door until Leo's soft voice called out to me again through the still night.

"Alice? I… I come out here every night to look at the stars… So if you ever want to talk to me again... we can…"
I grinned, watching him anxiously shuffle his feet against the cobblestones.

"Definitely."
And with that, I swiveled in position and marched back upstairs, feeling so giddy I didn't know if I could fall back asleep. It was amazing.

I was making friends.
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The next morning, I finally awoke in peace. No yelling, no shoving me off the bed, no creepy people watching over me… It was nice. I glanced over at the time, and it was just about four. It felt like I took a nap as opposed to really sleeping, but for some odd reason, I was really refreshed. I probably slept for a long time after I collapsed yesterday.

Oh… Right. I finally remembered the severity of that incident—the blood, the exposed flesh, the heart that was torn from its rightful spot… It horrified me to the point I fainted, and it still horrified me even now. I closed my eyes and sighed, shaking my head and suppressing the tears that nearly flooded my eyes again. I couldn't handle this. I had to tell the Queen I couldn't do it anymore. But…

I touched my hair, which was sticking to my face in ragged strands and clinging greasily to my back. Maybe I would shower first. And in the meantime, I would push the scene out of my mind. If I just set it aside and buried it, I would be okay. I wouldn't collapse again. My only goal right now was to shower.

So, for once, I bolted up from bed rather than dragging myself out of it and rushed out into the hall, searching for Eri's room. I didn't know where the bathroom was, so I figured I'd just use hers again.

"Which one… was it?"
My eyes flit over the three consecutive bedroom doors, and I whimpered. Each finished wooden door was exactly the same, without even a name carved into it, or a little flower in the corner to show me it was Eri's. I was too tired yesterday to pay attention to where I was going, and now, I had no idea which one was hers. I knew it was on this side, but that's all I had. Damn my short attention span! Should I just knock on each door?

Before I even weighed the consequences, my fist was pounding on the middle door. I held my breath and simply prayed it was the right one.

For a while, there was no answer. In fact, there was dead silence in the room, and I wondered if maybe Eri was in the shower already. She's such a bright bubble of energy that she was probably up and ready to go. Should I peek in? I could check to see if it was the right room, and if not, slide out before anyone noticed.
Okay… Let's do this.

I took a deep breath.

One… Two… Three!

My hand reached for the knob and just started to turn it, but I stopped myself from going any further. Jeez, what was I so nervous about? It's like I knew on the other side of the door was some awful, terrifying thing.

But that was ridiculous.

Okay, one more time.

One… Two… Three!

My hand finally spun the doorknob round, and the door clicked open. I cautiously pushed the frame open and peeked through to…

"grin-Dammit!" I screamed as I slammed the door behind me and leaned against it, cheeks heating pathetically. "Huge, huge, huge mistake!"

I stood corrected. There was an awful, terrifying thing behind that door. I inwardly continued cursing myself, mangling my hands through my hair and slapping myself across the face.

"Why the hell did I do that? Why would I—Ah!"
Suddenly, the door swung in from behind me, and I instantly fell flat onto my back, my head landing just between a pair of bare feet partly obscured by crisp, black fabric. I squeezed my eyes shut to avoid the sight from before that had scarred me, but then the voice echoed even louder through my ears.

"Oi, what the hell are you doing?"

"N-Nothing…" I mumbled as I slapped my hands over my eyes.

"Then is there some reason you needed to show up at my door this early in the morning?"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"You just had to peek at me?"

"N-No!" I screeched, whipping my hands down to my hips and glaring up at him.

Yes, him. The only person in this place who used the word "Oi"—Cane. And then, remembering why I had my hands over my eyes in the first place, I replaced them.

"Then why would you barge into my room when I'm changing?"

"grin-Don't say that! I-I didn't mean to!" I yelled with cheeks heated. "And I didn't barge! I knocked and I got no answer!"

"So that gives you the permission to come in?" he asked as he repeatedly tapped my cheek with the edge of his foot.

"Y-You… Get your silly foot off me!"

I smacked his foot away and quickly brought myself to a standing position, eyes still clenched to avoid his half-Unclad appearance and fingers nervously fisted into my shorts.

"Why are your eyes closed? It's rude to not look at someone while they're talking to you, you know."

"B-But you…"

"What? Just because I don't have a shirt? Grow up, would you?"

"A-Aren't you embarrassed?" I snapped as I shot my head away, hair flowing and whipping against my back.

"What do I have to be embarrassed about?"
I rolled my eyes behind their protective covers. "You're that conceited…"

"I'm not conceited."
I scoffed. Was he kidding? He's been condescending since day one!

"But you—"

"Grow. Up. It's not a big deal."

Sighing, I slowly lifted my left lid and took a peek at his chest. His muscles glistened with small droplets of water still resting on his skin—likely from a shower—as he curled his hands around his broad shoulders. After a moment, when my eyes accustomed to the sight, I lifted both lids and relaxed my hands against my hips.

I didn't like him.

I couldn't stand him.
But I had to admit, he had a beautiful body.

Gorgeous planes of defined muscles lined his chest and arms—not too large, not too small. His milky skin was tanned by the sun and made him the faintest shade of bronze. He had an entirely different body type compared to poor, pallor Leo.

He was wider, bigger, but while I despised myself for thinking this way, he was remarkable. If he had this body and a nicer personality, he'd be perfect.

But of course, what's underneath always outweighs the superficial, so he's still disgusting in my eyes.

"Hey, my eyes are up here," he said as he motioned my head upward.

"I-I wasn't staring," I argued, bringing my eyes up to meet his. "They were just there."

"Yeah, and when a guy says that to a girl, she smacks him."
I studied the seriousness in his eyes and burst out into a small fit of giggles. He was right, and he seemed so deadpan

when he said it. Even through my laughter, I saw a smile rise up out of him. After a few more moments, I slowed myself and looked up at him, both of us still smiling.

Realizing that, I defensively wiped my smile away and crossed my arms over my chest. "W-Why are you smiling so much?"

"Because no one ever laughs at my jokes," he stated plainly, his smile easing from his face.

"That's because you're such a—"

"'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.' Haven't you ever heard that phrase?"

I grumbled and sealed my lips. I wasn't going to say something nice, so…

"That's what I thought. So, what did you come here for?" he questioned calmly.
"I was actually looking for Eri's room… I needed her shower."

"Eri sleeps like a pig."

"Huh?" I asked, eyes widening in surprise. "Where'd that come from?"

"She sleeps so much it should be a sin. I guarantee she's still in bed."

"But she was just up at four in the morning yesterday, running around like a maniac..."

"Yeah, for that little bit because it was your first day. Once you left, I'm sure she fell dead asleep, and she probably won't want to get up like that again."

"Okay, but what does all this have to do with what I was asking?"

"She's still in bed. Did you not get that?" he explained somewhat tiredly.

"So..?"

"Eri's fast asleep, and she's too paranoid to leave her door unlocked for you to get in."

"Paranoid?"

"She thinks ghosts are going to come in and kidnap her or something, I don't know. Point is you won't get in there."

"So, what the hell should I do?" I sighed heavily, tousling my hair. "Is there like, a hallway bathroom or something?"

"No. None of us need that since we have our own bathrooms."

"So where do I go shower in the morning?" I shouted, listening to my voice reverberate back to me in the hallway walls.

"Would you shut up? You're so damn loud. You can use my shower if you need to."

"N-No!" I squealed, my heart racing at the thought.

"Fine, suit yourself. Go ahead and be dirty. It's…" He glanced back at a large, rustic wall clock and then back at me.

"Not even five yet. No one else gets up this early on their day off. Have fun sitting in your own filth for the next six hours."
I ran my hands through the sticky strands of hair on my face and groaned.

"Fine. I'll use your shower. But don't get anywhere near me, got it?"

"Why would I want to? Don't worry, I don't plan on it."
I quietly tiptoed into his bedroom, and the door clicked shut behind us.

Chapter 12-The Taste of Friendship (Game of The Heart)

Chapter 12: The Taste of Friendship
.
*****************************************

There we were, standing out in the dead of night like two lost souls. After Leo signaled for me to sit with him, he readily peeled his green hoodie from his thin form and set it over the concrete, a small cloud of dust lifting around it.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, staring at the limp clothing spread out at my feet.

"Please sit on this."

"What? No, it's fine! Why did you do that? You're going to be cold now," I scolded as I ran my eyes over the narrow, frail frame that was loosely veiled by a baggy gray tee. Leo was all lean muscle and bone, appearing like he'd snap with the touch of my fingers against his skin, and yet here he was, putting down his jacket in the frigid cold just so I wouldn't hurt my Bottom sitting down. I insisted he take it back, but he was just too obdurate on the issue.

"Just relax. I'm fine," he whispered with a slight smile. "Please. I'd feel bad if you stayed out here with me and I didn't even do this for you."

"But Leo…"
I would've argued more, but the boy had powers I just couldn't beat. What did he do? He simply stared at me with those wide, pleading honey eyes that threatened to well up with tears if I didn't sit. Could he just do that on a whim, or was he seriously that sensitive? Either way, it broke down my determination and I took a seat on his jacket, which still felt warm from Leo's body heat.

"Thank you," he said while quietly seating himself beside me.

For a long while, there was utter silence between us, only the thick roars of the wind occasionally breaking in. I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them tight, shivering against the breezes as goose bumps pricked my skin like thorns. Leo looked on at me, worried but realizing he couldn't do anything more. He was down to a tee and sweat pants; he'd be silly to give me another article of clothing. Instead, I pulled his jacket out from under me and smoothly wrapped it around my bare legs.

"Better?" I asked as I flattened my hands against themselves and rubbed to create a bit of warmth from friction.

"Yes…" he whispered, smiling, while I dipped my head and locked our eyes.

"Why have you been smiling so much? You're usually so nervous all the time."

"Ah…" He lowered his head, smile retreating and face gradually turning pink.

"N-No, no! I didn't mean for you to stop smiling! I was just curious why!"
I whimpered. I felt like I broke him.

"It's… nothing. Don't worry about it," he assured me as he lifted his eyes longingly towards the stars, almost like he wanted to be up there rather than down here.

"Do you… like the stars?" I pried carefully.

"Hm? Ah… Yes. I do." He continued to stare up absently at the dimmed sky. I followed his gaze and ended up watching as well. The stars twinkled incessantly, burning their life source away to provide us with such unsurpassed beauty.

Suddenly, it hit me. I remembered an old story, though only vaguely. Someone—I don't know who—told me once that each star is a person who has passed on, and they are put up there to continue watching over us. I glanced down at Leo, who was still baring his soul to the stars through that intensity in his honey eyes. I had to ask.

"Is there… someone up there you know?"

"Someone up there?" He dipped his head at me and a look of melancholy swept his features. "Yes, there is."
My heart sank for him. "C-Can I ask… who?"

"It was… my mother." He lowered his gaze defensively.

"O-Oh… I'm sorry."

"It's okay. She must be happier up there."
He forced another smile, and my heart practically shattered. Did this boy think that little of himself? Did he really believe that his own mother would be happier up there alone than down here with him? Or was it simply a hopeful wish that she'd find happiness even after passing? I wanted to ask, but I couldn't find the courage to say the words. I didn't want to be the one to pour salt on the wound or tear open the scar after it was suppressed for so long.

"Are… you okay?" I asked instead.

"Yeah. She…" He gnawed at his lip, nearly slicing the flesh and drawing blood until I frantically spoke up.

"Stop that! You're going to get hurt!"

"H-Huh? Oh, right…" He lifted his sharp teeth from his lower lip and brushed the imprinted bite mark with his thumb.

"Do you want to talk about it, Leo?"

"No, no… I don't want to be a burden."

"You're not a burden. I'd actually like to hear about it, if you don't mind."
He fetched out a small pocket watch, flipped up the intricate cover, and peeked at the time.

"It's a bit late, though. Aren't you tired?"

"Oh? What time is it?"

"Nearing one," he said warily.

"Oh… Well, are you tired?"

"No… I stay out here much longer with her. I just want to know if you're okay." He blew a gentle sigh that took form as a cool, wispy white mist in the air.

"Of course. Tell me about her," I whispered with a small smile that urged him to speak.

"Well…" His eyes swirled with happiness as he watched the stars and began regaling to me a description of his mother.

"She was beautiful. She had the same gold eyes and long silver hair I do, and she had the white ears, but… She was just so much prettier. Her skin was softer than anything I'd ever felt and she just had that way of lighting up a room when she smiled… She was always happy. It was like she just couldn't frown, even when she…" Suddenly, his voice cracked sharply and he lowered his head and his honey eyes, brimmed with tears. I was dangerously close to tears myself, but I forced a smile, even though I felt myself choking up with pity for him.

"I would've loved to meet her," I whispered as gently as I could. And then, I saw two teardrops splatter onto the pavement like rain.

"Y-Yes…"
For a while, we just sat in silence, calming ourselves. His tears faded quickly, and mine dripped back behind my lids. The two of us simply waited in each other's company, and for a bit, I felt good. I felt like I'd finally connected with someone in this place—not just a little chit-chat here and there, but real, solid communication. And who would've thought that Leo, who was so shy and fragile, would open up to me?

Maybe… I was making more of a difference here than I thought.
"Leo?"
"Yes?"

"Thank you for talking to me like this," I told him, genuinely smiling. I also genuinely enjoyed how he squirmed and flushed red at the sight of me.

"W-Why would you thank me for something like this?"

"Because it was really nice."
He nervously tilted his chin to his chest and flit his eyes over the pocket watch still held firmly in his grasp. He seemed startled by the time.

"What? What time is it?"

"It's past one. We need to have enough rest for tomorrow."

"Oh… Okay then. Let's go."
I rose to my feet, and grasping his jacket tight in my fingers, draped it over his shoulders as he stood. I smoothed it out against his small chest and arms, and he shied away at the contact.

"T-Thank you," he mumbled, just as reticently as he did before.

"Of course." I began making my way towards the front door until Leo's soft voice called out to me again through the still night.

"Alice? I… I come out here every night to look at the stars… So if you ever want to talk to me again... we can…"
I grinned, watching him anxiously shuffle his feet against the cobblestones.

"Definitely."
And with that, I swiveled in position and marched back upstairs, feeling so giddy I didn't know if I could fall back asleep. It was amazing.

I was making friends.
******************************************************************.
The next morning, I finally awoke in peace. No yelling, no shoving me off the bed, no creepy people watching over me… It was nice. I glanced over at the time, and it was just about four. It felt like I took a nap as opposed to really sleeping, but for some odd reason, I was really refreshed. I probably slept for a long time after I collapsed yesterday.

Oh… Right. I finally remembered the severity of that incident—the blood, the exposed flesh, the heart that was torn from its rightful spot… It horrified me to the point I fainted, and it still horrified me even now. I closed my eyes and sighed, shaking my head and suppressing the tears that nearly flooded my eyes again. I couldn't handle this. I had to tell the Queen I couldn't do it anymore. But…

I touched my hair, which was sticking to my face in ragged strands and clinging greasily to my back. Maybe I would shower first. And in the meantime, I would push the scene out of my mind. If I just set it aside and buried it, I would be okay. I wouldn't collapse again. My only goal right now was to shower.

So, for once, I bolted up from bed rather than dragging myself out of it and rushed out into the hall, searching for Eri's room. I didn't know where the bathroom was, so I figured I'd just use hers again.

"Which one… was it?"
My eyes flit over the three consecutive bedroom doors, and I whimpered. Each finished wooden door was exactly the same, without even a name carved into it, or a little flower in the corner to show me it was Eri's. I was too tired yesterday to pay attention to where I was going, and now, I had no idea which one was hers. I knew it was on this side, but that's all I had. Damn my short attention span! Should I just knock on each door?

Before I even weighed the consequences, my fist was pounding on the middle door. I held my breath and simply prayed it was the right one.

For a while, there was no answer. In fact, there was dead silence in the room, and I wondered if maybe Eri was in the shower already. She's such a bright bubble of energy that she was probably up and ready to go. Should I peek in? I could check to see if it was the right room, and if not, slide out before anyone noticed.
Okay… Let's do this.

I took a deep breath.

One… Two… Three!

My hand reached for the knob and just started to turn it, but I stopped myself from going any further. Jeez, what was I so nervous about? It's like I knew on the other side of the door was some awful, terrifying thing.

But that was ridiculous.

Okay, one more time.

One… Two… Three!

My hand finally spun the doorknob round, and the door clicked open. I cautiously pushed the frame open and peeked through to…

"grin-Dammit!" I screamed as I slammed the door behind me and leaned against it, cheeks heating pathetically. "Huge, huge, huge mistake!"

I stood corrected. There was an awful, terrifying thing behind that door. I inwardly continued cursing myself, mangling my hands through my hair and slapping myself across the face.

"Why the hell did I do that? Why would I—Ah!"
Suddenly, the door swung in from behind me, and I instantly fell flat onto my back, my head landing just between a pair of bare feet partly obscured by crisp, black fabric. I squeezed my eyes shut to avoid the sight from before that had scarred me, but then the voice echoed even louder through my ears.

"Oi, what the hell are you doing?"

"N-Nothing…" I mumbled as I slapped my hands over my eyes.

"Then is there some reason you needed to show up at my door this early in the morning?"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"You just had to peek at me?"

"N-No!" I screeched, whipping my hands down to my hips and glaring up at him.

Yes, him. The only person in this place who used the word "Oi"—Cane. And then, remembering why I had my hands over my eyes in the first place, I replaced them.

"Then why would you barge into my room when I'm changing?"

"grin-Don't say that! I-I didn't mean to!" I yelled with cheeks heated. "And I didn't barge! I knocked and I got no answer!"

"So that gives you the permission to come in?" he asked as he repeatedly tapped my cheek with the edge of his foot.

"Y-You… Get your silly foot off me!"

I smacked his foot away and quickly brought myself to a standing position, eyes still clenched to avoid his half-Unclad appearance and fingers nervously fisted into my shorts.

"Why are your eyes closed? It's rude to not look at someone while they're talking to you, you know."

"B-But you…"

"What? Just because I don't have a shirt? Grow up, would you?"

"A-Aren't you embarrassed?" I snapped as I shot my head away, hair flowing and whipping against my back.

"What do I have to be embarrassed about?"
I rolled my eyes behind their protective covers. "You're that conceited…"

"I'm not conceited."
I scoffed. Was he kidding? He's been condescending since day one!

"But you—"

"Grow. Up. It's not a big deal."

Sighing, I slowly lifted my left lid and took a peek at his chest. His muscles glistened with small droplets of water still resting on his skin—likely from a shower—as he curled his hands around his broad shoulders. After a moment, when my eyes accustomed to the sight, I lifted both lids and relaxed my hands against my hips.

I didn't like him.

I couldn't stand him.
But I had to admit, he had a beautiful body.

Gorgeous planes of defined muscles lined his chest and arms—not too large, not too small. His milky skin was tanned by the sun and made him the faintest shade of bronze. He had an entirely different body type compared to poor, pallor Leo.

He was wider, bigger, but while I despised myself for thinking this way, he was remarkable. If he had this body and a nicer personality, he'd be perfect.

But of course, what's underneath always outweighs the superficial, so he's still disgusting in my eyes.

"Hey, my eyes are up here," he said as he motioned my head upward.

"I-I wasn't staring," I argued, bringing my eyes up to meet his. "They were just there."

"Yeah, and when a guy says that to a girl, she smacks him."
I studied the seriousness in his eyes and burst out into a small fit of giggles. He was right, and he seemed so deadpan

when he said it. Even through my laughter, I saw a smile rise up out of him. After a few more moments, I slowed myself and looked up at him, both of us still smiling.

Realizing that, I defensively wiped my smile away and crossed my arms over my chest. "W-Why are you smiling so much?"

"Because no one ever laughs at my jokes," he stated plainly, his smile easing from his face.

"That's because you're such a—"

"'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.' Haven't you ever heard that phrase?"

I grumbled and sealed my lips. I wasn't going to say something nice, so…

"That's what I thought. So, what did you come here for?" he questioned calmly.
"I was actually looking for Eri's room… I needed her shower."

"Eri sleeps like a pig."

"Huh?" I asked, eyes widening in surprise. "Where'd that come from?"

"She sleeps so much it should be a sin. I guarantee she's still in bed."

"But she was just up at four in the morning yesterday, running around like a maniac..."

"Yeah, for that little bit because it was your first day. Once you left, I'm sure she fell dead asleep, and she probably won't want to get up like that again."

"Okay, but what does all this have to do with what I was asking?"

"She's still in bed. Did you not get that?" he explained somewhat tiredly.

"So..?"

"Eri's fast asleep, and she's too paranoid to leave her door unlocked for you to get in."

"Paranoid?"

"She thinks ghosts are going to come in and kidnap her or something, I don't know. Point is you won't get in there."

"So, what the hell should I do?" I sighed heavily, tousling my hair. "Is there like, a hallway bathroom or something?"

"No. None of us need that since we have our own bathrooms."

"So where do I go shower in the morning?" I shouted, listening to my voice reverberate back to me in the hallway walls.

"Would you shut up? You're so damn loud. You can use my shower if you need to."

"N-No!" I squealed, my heart racing at the thought.

"Fine, suit yourself. Go ahead and be dirty. It's…" He glanced back at a large, rustic wall clock and then back at me.

"Not even five yet. No one else gets up this early on their day off. Have fun sitting in your own filth for the next six hours."
I ran my hands through the sticky strands of hair on my face and groaned.

"Fine. I'll use your shower. But don't get anywhere near me, got it?"

"Why would I want to? Don't worry, I don't plan on it."
I quietly tiptoed into his bedroom, and the door clicked shut behind us.

Chapter11-The Sin of Blood(Game of The Heart)

Chapter 11: The Sin of Blood

************************************************
My heart stopped.
Men were shouting.
Bullets were fired.
And now, it was dead silent.
Hot tears burned a path down my cheeks like acid. Akin said he could handle it. He said we'd be okay! He promised he'd come back! But why is it so quiet now? Why hasn't he come for me?
I whimpered. That gun fired so many times, so consecutively I couldn't keep count. Akin… Akin must be plugged full of bullets, lying there on the ground and bleeding his life away as his murderer kicked his body around. I choked up. That couldn't be, right? Akin wasn't dead…
He promised he could do it. He promised.
I had to look. I just had to make sure.
My hands trembling, I latched onto the tree bark and pulled my body forward, just enough to peer my head around at the battlefield. I could only see one person, the build of a man lying limp on the forest ground. I drew a shaky breath. That wasn't Akin. That wasn't Akin. It wasn't him!
I just had to keep telling myself that.
I progressed cautiously and poked my head around the corner entirely, perplexed by the scene. There was… just that one body lying there. No attacker, no survivor.
I growled low and deep. Where the hell did that murderer go? I'd kill him if it's the last thing I did!

So, I mustered up the courage to stand, clinging to the tree bark on my way up. And then, I clandestinely set foot on the battleground, immediately cringing at the faint dust of gunpowder drifting to my nose. It was fresh, smoky and mixing with the odor of foul blood. Slowly, I approached the fallen corpse. It…

"He…"

My lips parted slightly with shock. Akin… survived. He lived! I wanted to scream for joy, to run off and find him and smother him with my happiness, but at the same time…
I was mortified.

There was a dead body at my feet. A real, dead body. Our assailant was stabbed in the forehead with a sharpened knife, his features rendered indistinguishable through the plethora of thick blood pouring out in thick streams and coating the violently ripped flesh across his mangled face. I nearly vomited on his corpse. The sight was just gruesome. There he was, bleeding the entirety of his life away at my feet. All because of me…

I cried. I just started to cry. I cried for this man I didn't know. I cried for the fear that nearly consumed me just a few moments ago. I cried for the fear that was overwhelming me even now. This was all too much… All of it was too much! I didn't even know where Akin had gone, and I was too scared to go out and find him.

I was a coward.

All I could do was stand there and cry, wail as hard as I could to drive the fear out of my body. But nothing helped. I just waited, taking shaky breaths through the breaks in my barrage of tears, and hoped. I prayed for Akin to come back and save me.

I was a coward.

I looked down at the attacker's corpse again and swallowed the clump of bile rapidly traveling up my throat. Akin had killed this man to protect us, but I was about to collapse just staring at that knife. I was despicable. I was weak. All I could do was turning my body away from his and hide—hide like the damn coward I was! And then, after fully turning back, I saw him. Akin had stumbled onto the scene from God knows where, grinning as cheekily as ever.

"Hey, I checked the rest of the place out and I didn't see anyone. We're safe now!"
I didn't care about what he was saying. I was already running up to him, throwing my arms around his neck and burying my face in his chest. Staggering slightly, Akin wrapped his arms around my waist and stared down at me in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" I screamed into his shirt, "What's wrong?" My eyes brimmed with hot tears.

"What…"

"You left me here alone, you bastard! Do you know how much you scared me? I thought you died!" My tears flooded his shirt while my fists pounded against his shoulders.

"But… I couldn't tell you to come out yet. What if that guy had more people in hiding? They could've surrounded us."

"I don't care! Do you even get what kind of hell you put me through back there? Do you understand at all?"

"Alice, calm down," he said gently, grabbing my wrists and pulling my arms down straight with his. "It's okay. I'm here now. Remember? I promised I'd come back for you. You had nothing to worry about."

"But…" My chest tightened. "I was still scared…"

"Come on, don't be a baby," he told me, smiling as he stroked my ragged gold tresses.

"You're teasing me now?" I asked through sniffles. My tears were beginning to subside.

"Yes, because you're so darn cute."
He reached up and pinched my cheeks, wiggling them around and around until I patted his cheeks back. Laughing, he lowered his hands.

"Stop your flirting," I demanded a bit more coherently.

"You're feeling better now?"
I blew out a soft sigh. "Not really…"

"Sorry, Alice, but prepare to feel worse. We've got to grab that heart."
I gulped. "W-What?"

"The heart. That's what we came for, isn't it?"

"But… He's dead! We have to still… r-remove it?"
Alice…" he began, sighing.”Yeah. That's what this whole job is."

"But it's wrong. You're murdering people. You're… taking away their only life. It's just wrong. Why hasn't anybody stopped the Queen from doing this?"
My eyes flared with anger; he was choking down a laugh. He was laughing at me, when I was being dead serious.

"What?" I hissed.

"Alice, this world's very different from yours."

"Like how?"
He threw his hand back and tousled his sullied locks. "Well, here, a heart and a life… They don't mean very much."
I was too exasperated to keep yelling, so I kept my voice low. "But… Why not?"

"That's just how it is. You'll see. By the end of today, you'll understand."
Akin advanced towards the victim and I had no choice but to follow. Even from the first step, my body felt weak. My arms were limp, my knees were buckling, and my feet were ready to crumble under the pressure of my own weight. It wasn't a good sign, but I pushed through anyway and stood at Akins’s side.

"Grab the sack Cane gave you this morning. We're going to put the heart in there."
I obediently produced the burlap bag from the waistband of my leggings and held it at arm's length in front of me.

"Relax, Alice. Just hold it naturally for now. This may take a bit anyway."
I nodded and pulled it close to my chest, prompting a chuckle from Akin.

"You're so funny."

"J-Just hurry."
Feeling the blood rush from my head, I swayed slightly from side to side and struggled to stay standing still. Akin, in the meantime, placed his boot over the bloodied face and gripped the handle of the knife. A horrible squishing sound floated to my ears as the knife emerged from his skull, coated in thick, sticky blood.


I wanted to vomit all over again.

However, Akin continued like nothing was wrong. He just plunged that knife right into his victim's chest cavity and carved. He gutted the man like a fish.
I felt sick.
He acted like he'd grown up doing this all his life. He shoved his hand into the slopping mess of pooled blood and organs and tore out a fresh heart that was still limply connected to the body by its slimy veins and arteries. And then, he deftly sliced them all off and presented me the bloody, stagnant heart.
It… It didn't beat. It was my fault that heart wasn't beating right now.

"Scan this with your necklace."

"S-Scan?"
I looked down at the gold chain I'd thrown on in the morning and inspected the locket for some kind of "scanner," but there was none.

"What're you talking about?"

"Just press the bottom to the heart," he instructed vaguely.
So, I lifted the pendant, touched the bottom to the slippery film over the heart, and looked back up at him a bit confused.

"What's supposed to happen?"

"Here, do you see some letters and numbers on there somewhere? In black?"

"Numbers and letters?" I asked again, head still reeling.

"Yeah."
After a few moments of searching, I spotted the black print in question—code R3ST1NP. I carefully pressed the bottom of the lock to the code in the corner and pulled back when I heard the small beep.

"W-What was that?"

"Look at the number now."

I bit my lip. It read one. I had… one heart. I still had to do this ninety-nine more times before I was free…
I deserved to die.

"Here, open up that sack," Akin said, clutching the heart in a single, bloodied hand.
I stared up at that heart. A person's life was literally in Akins’s hands right now. God, this couldn't possibly be real…
Shaking my head, I loosened the drawstrings for Akin to deposit the heart. I was about to split apart at the seams. My body was still feeble, trembling and ready to fall back at any second. My head ached and my chest hurt… I just wanted to leave.
He dropped the heart into the burlap sack, and just as it hit the bottom, my eyes rolled into the back of my head and the world came up to meet me. Faintly, I heard Akin shouting out my name.

"Alice? Alice!"
But it was too late. The world slipped into darkness.
****************************"Alice…"

Somewhere deep in the back of my mind, somewhere behind all the darkness, I could hear a rough voice calling out for me.

"Alice…" it whispered again. I didn't know who it belonged to or why it was speaking to me, but I simply listened in and waited.

"This is my fault…"

Suddenly, there was another deep voice—presumably male—thrown into the mix. "Just stop blaming yourself. She'll be fine. She's a tough girl."

"No, she's not! You should've seen the way she looked at me… The way she cried… You don't understand!"
I stirred slightly, but no one seemed to notice, because the conversation went on as normal.

"Just stop, okay? She'll wake up soon. She was probably just exhausted," the second voice said, likely to assure the owner of the first voice.

"But that girl sleeps almost nonstop. There's no way she was tired." Now, a new voice… A bit husky and powerful.

"Would you shut up and stop giving her a hard time? She's right there and unconscious!" a bright, bubbly voice squealed.
I squeezed my eyes a bit tighter, disturbed by the loud voices beginning to reverberate through my head.

"Please stop fighting and look at Alice…" a gentle, silky voice whispered timidly.

"A-Ah! Alice! Wake up!" the rough voice shouted.

"Now, why are you telling her to do that?" The husky voice spat out bitterly at the owner of the rough voice.

"What are you whining about?" the bubbly voice complained.

"She's not going to suddenly get up just because you're yelling at her to."

"Well, I have to try something!" the man with the rough voice screeched, seeming ready to fall apart.

"It's not going to work though."
I groaned. That husky voiced person was a jerk.

"Come on, please wake up…" the rough voice whispered desperately. And then, my eyelids fluttered open and through the watery image, I could make out five people huddled at my bedside. I lifted my fists to my eyes, rubbed them, and slowly sat up to see everyone with their unique smiles plastered on their faces.

"You're awake!" Eri squealed directly at my left.

"Hey…" I muttered weakly.

"You're… Are you okay?" From the right, Akin rested his hand on my forehead and brushed a few locks of hair aside. To answer his question, I nodded and smiled up at him reassuringly.

"I'm glad you're feeling alright, Alice…" Leo mumbled, his lips curled into a small smile—the first one I'd seen from him since I got here.

"You guys were all… waiting here for me to wake up?" I questioned incredulously.

"Yeah”. We were worried, kiddo." Vulpe reached across Akin to pat my head.

"Speak for yourself," Cane grumbled, provoking Eri's violent wrath. She slugged him over the back of the head and huffed into his face.

"We were all worried."

"Ah, do you need anything?" Leo offered generously, starting for the door in case I asked for something.

"No, no! You don't need to. I'm fine, really." I managed to smile through the headache knocking at the back of my head, but a small part of my face twitched for a split second.

"What's wrong?" Akin asked, stroking my hair and entangling his fingers through the fine streaks.

"Nothing”. Relax, you guys! I wasn't comatose or anything." Just as I was saying it, the thought occurred to me as an actual possibility. "Wait, how long was I out?"

"Forever," Akin whimpered softly. He was like a little baby, answering questions as he truly felt and bearing all his feelings for everyone to see. I smiled. Somehow, though we were only out there for a short while, I felt a lot closer to Akin. He saved my life; he saw me break down and fall apart in fear, but he didn't judge me. No, he sat there and blamed himself for everything. He really was a good partner—my partner. Though I was skeptical of him at first because of all the silly teasing, I guess he has become someone I could trust. I had to give him credit for what he did for me back there; it was impressive.


He whimpered again and stroked my hair, breaking into my thoughts.
Vulpe rolled his eyes at Akins’s immaturity and informed me rationally, "Just for a couple hours. Don't worry."

"Okay, good. You guys… haven't been waiting here the whole time, have you?"
Everyone turned away, twiddling their thumbs, tapping their feet on the carpet, whistling odd tunes… They've been here the whole time, watching me. I was so touched they cared that I didn't even bother worrying about how creepy that would be otherwise.
"Thanks. I'm really grateful you all stayed, but…" I felt my headache settling into my skull like a visitor who's overstayed his welcome. "I'm still tired. If you guys don't mind, I'd like to get some more sleep…"

"Y-Yeah, of course! Don't worry; we have a day off tomorrow, so sleep all you want!" Akin exclaimed, quickly rounding up everyone and ushering them out.

"But I want to talk more!" Eri wailed as Akin shoved her out the door. I giggled gently, shutting my eyes, and nuzzled my face deeper into my pillow.

"Um…"
Lifting my left eyelid, I stared up at the last person standing in the threshold and suppressed my gasp. Why was he still here? He wasn't worried at all about me like everyone else was. I scoffed softly. Maybe he was going to curse me for waking up, or scold me for collapsing in the first place.
That jerk.


He coughed into his hand almost nervously. "G-Glad to see you're up," Cane muttered, his cheeks red like roses.
My eyes widened. "W-Wait, what did you just say?" I started to sit up from my bed, but he waved me back down, exited the room, and shut the door behind him before I could say another word.
Did I… hear that right?
He was glad I was awake? Was he lying or screwing with me or something?
No… He wouldn't have said that to mess with me; he wasn't like Akin. And that flush on his face… That was real. You couldn't fake blushing. Had he finally started to acknowledge me? I caught myself smiling for a brief moment, but I quickly wiped it away and nestled back into the covers to forget about it.

"It's no big deal," I mumbled obstinately, and I was too tired to continue worrying about it. With very little protest from the rest of my body, my eyes fluttered shut and I drifted off to a deep, dreamless sleep.
*********************************************


Night came. The sun escaped from sight, hiding behind the horizon and darkening the world to nothing but an encroaching shadow, eagerly swallowing the light that had once emanated from the town. The glimmering stars that were wholly drowned out by the incessant sunlight of daytime finally shone through the night and peppered the sky with bursts of white light. The howl of the night's breezes swept across the land and disturbed the silence.
It was about midnight when I stirred from my slumber and climbed out of the bed to peek through those curtains at the beauty of the night.

I watched in awe at the crescent moon, arched and shining brilliantly like all the stars in the universe coated its exterior. And then, I looked out on the town below, enveloped with shrouds of heaping darkness, not even a flicker of a lamp light in sight. It looked so mysterious, as though it were hoarding the secrets of the world within itself. I wanted to go out there and see the night in its full glory. So, I wriggled into a gray hoodie, readjusted the waistband of my sky blue pajama shorts, and headed out my door. Luckily, the hallway lights were still active—they were probably crepuscular in case anyone needed to find their way across this maze of a house—and guided me down a familiar staircase. After a bit of scrambling, I made my way out the front doors.

There was a wide walkway ahead of me, lined with the same cobblestones I'd seen in the town earlier that day. To the sides were a row of towering pillars and a small field of bright green grass, freshly painted with cool morning dew. I stepped out onto the chilling pavement—barefoot, like an —and forged on towards the staircase a short ways ahead. It was there that I saw a boy, standing at the edge of the first step and staring out at the world beneath him. He looked like he had it all, just rising above the town and looking down on it like a little ruler. But there was something about him that I couldn't quite place—he wasn't just lonely. No, there was something almost… missing from him. I approached quietly, curiously.
It was then that a pair of floppy white bunny ears perked up and the boy swiveled back at me.
How did he hear me? I was tiptoeing barefoot across the cobblestone. I didn't even hear myself; how could he?

"A-Alice? What are you doing out here?" Leo stuttered nervously, pushing his thinly framed black glasses higher on the bridge of his nose.

"I was just going to look out at the stars…" I whispered and hoped I didn't frighten him.
He stared up at the blanket of stars for a brief moment, his sweet honey eyes glossed over with water. However, he quickly, almost instinctively, blinked it away and returned his stare to me before I could say anything.

"Well… Let's watch them together then," he said, smiling warmly as he invited me with a small hand gesture to sit beside him on the concrete stairs.
Even through that sweet smile, there was something about him that worried me.
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Chapter 10;fIrst Day of Work(Game of Heart)

Chapter 10: First Day of Work

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"I don't think so."
Glaring at the man standing in the threshold, I sat myself higher on the bed and straightened out my back to look more dominant. Why was he here? I was grumpy enough; I didn't need him to add to it.
"Good morning, Cane," Akin greeted politely.

"Morning!" Eri cheered in her delightful, bubbly tune. I guessed she was feeling better. He was useful for something at least—a distraction.

"Good morning… Cane," I grumbled, coming out more like a growl than I intended.
He wrinkled his brows somewhat defensively, evidently shocked by my usage of his name. Well, on the bright side, I didn't call him top hat jerk to his face, so this was more of a pleasant surprise, I suppose. He seemed to brush it off quite easily.

"Here," he said as he handed me a folded article of black clothing and a small burlap sack.

"What're these for?"

"Your first job today. You'll need to collect the hearts while remaining effectively hidden. I hope you aren't so silly that you can't figure out which is for what purpose."
I rolled my tired eyes at him. "No, I don't know," I retorted back sarcastically.


"The black cloth is to keep hidden, and the brown bag is to collect hearts," he lectured slowly and mockingly, like I was some kind of mental patient who needed extra special care and attention. God, I wanted to punch him.
"silly top hat jerk," I mumbled under my breath.
"Excuse me?" His sapphire eyes flared with anger.
"Nothing."
I puckered my lips and blew a slight whistling tune, just to irritate him. It worked. I saw his hand clench into a tight fist at his side. Ha!
"So, is that all, Cane? Or did you need something else?" Akin questioned while mussing up his cranberry tresses.
"I wanted to wish you luck."

Akin laughed lightly. "Why? I've been out there before."
"I'm not wishing you luck with the fighters. I'm wishing you luck in being stuck with her all day."
"You know what?" I yelled, cocking my fist until Akin came forward and restrained me against the bed.
"Thanks, I'll need some luck with this one!" he joked playfully as he pressed my wrists deeper into the mattress, all while keeping his head and eyes turned to top hat jerk.
"Akin, you traitor!"

I kicked my feet vigorously, thrashing them around like sharp flails, until I ended up jamming my foot into Akins’s ribcage. Groaning but laughing, he released me and helped me sit back up. I, in the meanwhile, hissed at him with the serious intent to kill.

Somewhat amused, Cane watched us and smirked. "Don't die out there, you two," he said coolly as he advanced towards the door and closed it behind him.

"Hmph. At least he left quickly."
"Hey, Alice! Don't be mean!" Eri chided.
"Whatever!"
She huffed gently and plopped beside me on the bed. Akin entwined his fingers behind his neck, grinning, while I was left perpetually sighing as usual.
"So… What do we do now?" I questioned, my eyes shifting back and forth between Akin and Eri.
He fluffed his hair up a little. "I don't know…"
There was just a brief moment of silence where we all pondered our thoughts. It was still early, and I had no idea what I was even supposed to be doing here. Why did they drag me in this room in the first place?
"Ah!" Eri exclaimed, "I finally remembered what I wanted you to do!"
Was she a mind reader or something? As though by instinct, she jumped up from the bed and raced across the room, opening another door in the corner I hadn't noticed and emerging a few seconds later with a fluffy green towel resting in her arms.
"Here, you haven't showered yet, right? Take one now!"
"A-Ah, but…"

I feared for the makeup. It was the only thing protecting me from seeing more of myself… I didn't want that to come off. I didn't want to see how truly mutilated I was. It terrified me. What if I washed away the makeup and there was nothing but raw flesh under it? No skin? Just dense, red blood and sinewy muscle fibers and damaged tissue… This makeup was my skin right now. If that came off…
Akin could see the desperation in my eyes and verbalized my words for me.
"Not now," he whispered.
"Why not? You haven't showered since you got here! That probably doesn't feel good, right, Alice?"
I nodded my head and grasped at my own fingertips, shaking slightly. Eri must've caught on.
"I-If you want… I have makeup you can borrow. You can reapply it after you get out of the shower."
I looked up at her, blissful hope in my strained eyes. It would feel so good to shower, so refreshing. Maybe if I just didn't look at myself… It'd be okay. Yeah. Everything would be fine.
"Okay," I said while snatching the towel from her hands, "I'll shower. I'll be right back."

I listened to the pitter patter of my own footsteps as I made my way into Eri's private bathroom. I was floored. The place was as big as my whole room! There were white counters and cherry wood cabinets and spotless mirrors that took up the entire expanse of the right wall. Then, there was a white toilet, standing shower that could accommodate

three people, and grand Jacuzzi bathtub to my left. Then, in the back… Another closet? How many clothes did this girl have?

Cautiously, I turned the handle in the shower to start heating the water. In the meantime, I peeled my shirt over my head, shimmied out of my twisted black leggings, and hesitantly stripped out of my undergarments, all while being sure to avoid my reflection. Then, I stepped beneath the spray and immersed my body in a state of warm, sweet bliss. Hot water cascaded over my Unclad body and I hummed deep in my throat, running my hands through my drenched locks and feeling the tension in my muscles loosen and fade. And then, after glancing down, I watched the makeup swirl down the drain. My eyes instinctively shut to avoid my reflection and I felt for some kind of soap to scrub my skin.
Not a smart idea.

"Ah…" I groaned after washing off. Several of my wounds split at the seams and bled fresh, transforming the water to a light shade of pink and again swirling down the drain. My body was still raw, fragile enough to fall apart under the heat of a little water. Blood… It just flowed from my body as though it were endless, like I had access to an unlimited supply, when in reality, I had none to spare. Whimpering, I shut off the spray to save myself the agony, stepped out onto the rug, and clutched onto the towel Eri gave me to my chest. It didn't matter how much it hurt, though; I had to make sure I didn't ruin Eri's bathroom. I quickly wiped away my blood before it reached and ruined her beautiful yellow rug and wrapped the towel around my chest.


"Eri?" I called through the door. "Can you help me out in here?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Hey, why can't I come in?" Akin whined in an offended tone.
"She's Unclad in there! It's not for you to see." Eri pulled open the door, gasped at the sight of my bloodied towel and wounds, and hurriedly rushed in to treat me. I heard a small whimper from Akin.
"I want to see…"

Flushing slightly, I slammed the door shut and moved carefully towards the edge of the bathtub for seating. Eri grabbed the first aid kid and finally put it to good use. After removing my towel, she wiped away the blood, put pressure on each of the deep wounds to stop the blood flow, disinfected them, and wrapped them up with clean, white bandages. I felt a bit self-conscious, considering she was looking at my bare body, but she was a girl and she was nursing me. I had nothing to complain about.
"T-Thanks," I moaned through the pain.
"Does it sting?"
"It's fine…"
"Alice, you make sure to tell me if anything happens, alright?"
"Okay…"
Even as we spoke, Eri applied a bit of tan cream around my bruises and effectively covered anything that wasn't bandaged.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"Oh, would you shut up about it already? It's no big deal."


Giggling, she passed me my clothes and ruffled my moist hair, detaching some of the strands that had decided to stick to my face. I smiled up at her, almost like she was my own mother, and mumbled another word of thanks.

"It's okay! Jeez, you're such a worrywart."
My face beamed with happiness.

"I know."
After being effectively cleaned off, I located back to Eri's bedroom to fetch the cloth and sack. It was probably about time to go out for my first day of work. I strode across the room, and Akins’s eyes lit up for a moment when he saw me, but they dimmed just as quickly.

"What?" I asked, reaching for the black cloth and unraveling it. I still didn't even know what it actually was, but I had to wear it to "stay hidden."

"I thought you'd still be Unclad," he teased with a cheeky grin.
Flushing with my head angled towards the ground, I played with the carpet between my toes and continued unfolding the cloth. How was I supposed to survive with him all day?

"Hey, knock it off, Akin! Quit flirting!" Eri yelled, gallantly hopping across to my rescue. I breathed a small sigh of relief and finally unveiled the garment to be… a cloak? It was just a huge black cloak with a hood. How was this supposed to keep me hidden? I'd stick out like a sore thumb!

"Do you wear this thing too, Akin?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, but not to stay hidden. It's more to keep the blood from staining your clothes."
I gulped. Right, this wasn't a day of normal people's work. This was… murder in its essence. I… needed to keep the blood off myself…

"Just put it on. It'll help, trust me."
Reluctantly, I followed his instructions and fastened the hook around my neck. The soft, threaded folds hung loosely off my shoulders and draped over my body like I was a statue or a vampire. For the finishing touch, Akin jumped up and curled the hood neatly over my head. I caught a glance of myself in the mirror.

"I look ridiculous. I'm not going out with this thing," I said obstinately.

"No, you look really cool, Alice!" Eri squealed. "Just like Akin or Vulpe or Cane!"

"So, I look like a guy?" I retorted quickly.

"Ah, come on! Don't think of it that way!" She reached over and smoothed out the fabric around my arms, causing me to wince slightly. "Oh, sorry," she mumbled as she hurriedly brought her hands back to her space.

"Well, we'd better get going, Alice. Since it's your first day, I want to finish up and get us home early." Akin, smiling, already started for the door.

"So… I guess… Goodbye, Eri. I'll see you later today."
She poked at my cheek and cheered, "Good luck! You can do it, Alice!"
I laughed—she was like my own personal cheerleader, pumping her fists in the air for me. "Thanks." Then, I trailed Akin out the door, waited for him to grab his cloak, and followed him out of the mansion.
We emerged through the grand double doors and stepped out into the blistering morning cold. The sky was still dark with wispy gray clouds hanging high in the sky. The sun was barely peeking through the horizon, and even then, it was almost entirely obscured in the darkness. A few twinkling stars were still sprinkled across the skyline like glitter. It was beautiful, this period between dawn and dusk. The frigid morning gust blew our cloaks above our hips and elicited two responses—Akin relaxed in the cold like he'd been living in it all his life, while I hurriedly brought it down around my shivering body and whined pathetically. He reached over and soothingly caressed my back.

"You ready?"

I clenched my teeth tightly to prevent them from chattering. "Yes."

"Come on, then."

We moved on towards the so-called "domain" where we'd be collecting the hearts. With the burlap sack in hand, I blindly shadowed Akins’s path through what he explained to be the poorer end of town. The heels of my mud brown boots crushed the cobblestones embedded in the ground below while my eyes surveyed the area. The houses carried almost no distinction from one
To the other, just the same chocolate, triangular rooftops and tan adobe walls. There was no space from one to the next and hardly any vegetation that could be considered a front or backyard. It looked so much more dilapidated and deserted compared to the villa-style mansion I was staying in. But just as I started to look more closely, we were off towards the forest.

"Be careful here, got it? You never know when someone's waiting to attack." Akin slipped his hand into his right pocket.

"Okay."

Dry leaves crunched under the weight of my boots and echoed between the towering trees. I craned my neck around to observe the area. There were hardly any deciduous trees, resulting in a dense mass of crisp, bright green leaves that concealed the path ahead. The rough, flaky bark of wide tree trunks made it nearly impossible to even see a few feet ahead of myself, so I had to stick close to Akin. Besides, in this vast amount of greenery, who knows what could be lurking in the shadows?
I was just about to find out.

"Are you okay, Alice? It's not too much further, but are you getting tired at all?"
I smiled without a care in the world. "No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Really sure?"

"Yes!" I shouted back in laughter. "I'm not that weak, you know!"

"Hey, don't yell at me! I was the one looking out for you, but I guess since you're so tough now, you don't need me to," he teased, stifling his own chuckles.

"Oh, shut up. I'll—"
I was just coming up to hit him—playfully, of course—until Akin felt a disturbance in the air. "Wait," he whispered seriously. I halted and listened closely. There was nothing, from what I could tell. The forest was still.

"What is it?"

"Get down!" he bellowed, pivoting on his feet and tackling me to the ground, my face practically buried in the dirt.

"Ow, what the hell was—?”
I was interrupted by my own scream. A snapping sound came in from the distance, and soon, there was the smoking shell of a discharged bullet a couple yards from the soles of my feet. If Akin hadn't acted so quickly… I would've…

"Come on, get up!"
He jumped up from the pile of leaves and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. And then, he ran. I didn't know which way he was going or where his destination was, but I just closed my eyes and trusted his judgment. I didn't care where I ended up, as long as I wouldn't get shot at again—anywhere I would be even remotely safe was fine with me.
Akins’s steps were quick and frantic, like he was going to stumble over himself running. He was scaring the living hell out of me. Please, please don't fall. No matter what happens, don't fall…
Luckily, Akin proved his skill to me by regaining his balance and continuing to sprint along through crags and ditches and clutter. The road was bumpy; my body was bouncing violently against his shoulder, but he seemed to feel no pain. He just ran on, assuring me everything would be okay, and for a bit, I felt it would be.

"Wait here a second, okay?"
He set me down in a small recess he discovered, carved out in one of the immense collection of trees. I looked up at him fearfully, eyes welling with hot, fresh tears.

"Where are you going?" I whimpered softly.

"I'll deal with him right now, so wait here. He's right in that tree behind us, so whatevewhatever happens, don't move."
"But…"

"Quiet, okay? We've lost him for a little bit, but he's looking out for us much more carefully now. I'll handle him, so you just stay here until I tell you its safe, okay? I promise I'll come back."

His powerful hands dug into my shoulders, shaking me slightly, as he buried his perfect, stable violet eyes into my panicked, ocean blue ones. He was telling me everything would be fine and we'd be safe, even without the words; he could show me just through that pure determination in his eyes. I knew he could handle it. He could do it. And so, through my welling tears, I nodded my head and crouched deeper in the spider-web, dirt infested hole as he stealthily snuck towards the assailant. For a while, I didn't hear anything. There was just the rustle of leaves tumbling across the ground from a gust of wind. But then, shouting shattered the silence while a spray of rapid bullets blanketed the dirt below, and the musk of smoky gunpowder filled the air.

"A-Akin…" I whispered, biting fiercely into my lip as a tear rolled down my dirt-stained cheek.

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Chapter 9-Behind closed Doors[Game of Thrones]

Chapter 9: Behind Closed Doors
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The meeting was over. It was finally over. And now, I felt I was in a much worse predicament than I was before the meeting. Maybe I shouldn't have wanted it to come so badly. It hardly cleared up my questions, and instead, it gave me some cruel and unusual work. The universe is really against me, isn't it?
"Well, come on, let's go inside," Akin called to me, already halfway to the door.
"Sure… Just a second…"
I stepped idly along the rose-lined path back into the mansion, glad to finally be able to see it from the outside. It was really... spectacular. The walls were flat and painted a simple, but perfect Chantilly cream white. Long, narrow glass windows clear as water were stacked row upon row with thick, purple drapes over each, smothering light from the outside world. The low, flat auburn rooftop carried some chipping bricks that were crumbling onto the grass below. I surveyed my eyes over the greenery and spotted small chips of brown. Was this place that old? But it still looked classic and beautiful, like an old, Italian villa—the kind the nobles would have. I caught my jaw at my chest and pushed it back up.
Then, from the corner of my vision, I spied an oddity—a window that seemed out of place from the elegant simplicity of the mansion. At the corner furthest from me, there was glass stained with all sorts of vibrant neon colors, bright and reflective and shimmery like a church window. The fact that it was separate from the rest and so dissimilar… It must've been the Queen's room.
"Alice!"
That whine swayed me from my thoughts and seized my attention.
"Yes, Akin?"
"Come on, let's go! Everyone's already inside!"
I nodded and followed after him, stepping through the door and standing back behind mansion walls. There was the dark, unwelcoming interior I remembered! Truly, from the outside, no one would know what kind of sick things and sick people there were in here. It was true. The world was always different behind closed doors.
I gasped sharply.
"N-No…"
"Huh?" Akin turned back at my grimacing face. A surge of sharp pain had rushed through my head and weakened my stance. I groaned, clutching at my temples, and practically tipped over until Akin took me in his protective arms.
"It…"
"What happened, Alice? Alice!" Akin pulled me to my feet and held my body close to his chest. I trembled, eyes shut tight and whimpering like a lost puppy. The pain wouldn't go away. It felt like a compactor was unrelentingly driving itself down onto my head. I was about to explode. I dug my fingers into his soft, cotton shirt and practically tore it to shreds trying to stop the pain, but nothing happened. It was just darkness and agony.
"Stop…" I whispered, feeling the strength of my convulsions cause Akin to stagger.
"Alice! Alice!"
My head crunched. As the pain escalated, I screamed into his chest and felt my tears suddenly pouring down my cheeks and soaking through his shirt. The sinewy threads of his shirt began unweaving under my fingers. It hurt so badly… I just wanted it to stop. Anything to make it stop… If it continued, my body would certainly split in two.
Then, suddenly, a flash of blinding white light came. There were voices… Loud, resonating voices. And a faint image in my tightened eyes. A girl with soft, blonde hair…
"Stop, stop!"
The voice… It didn't sound quite like mine, but…
"You stay away from her!"
It was soft. It was safe.
"Do whatever you want to me, but don't touch her!"
The pain was beginning to subside.
"You Naughty Lady! I told you to move already!"

I could feel Akins’s arms tighten around me.
"Stop! Don't! Don't!"
My tears slowed.
"Get away!"

There was suddenly a bright flash of red over my eyes and then, everything stopped. The pain had disappeared and my tears had dried, almost like… Like none of it even happened. Akin frantically pushed me back a little and stared into my bloodshot, sea blue eyes.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice not much above a soft whimper.
"I… I don't know…" I mumbled back.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-Yes…"
He quickly yanked me back into his arms and squeezed me like I was a stuffed animal. For a moment, I nuzzled my face against his damp chest and sighed. What the hell was that? It definitely wasn't normal… I wasn't one to suffer from migraines, but that thing was looking migraine in the rear view mirror. It was a sort of unimaginable pain… The kind that could be described to you, but that you'd never really understand until you felt it. It just shut down all my senses and overrode them with pure, writhing agony.
"Alice? Are you alright now?"
"Yes," I whispered, pulling out of his arms weakly. I glanced over his panicked visage and then down at his chest. "I'm sorry. I messed up your shirt."
"That's not important!"
I cracked a small smile and stumbled my way to the closest door. Seeing my struggle, Akin swiftly rushed to my side and seized my arms with his rough hands.
"Let me walk you up."
I nodded and whispered a small word of thanks as he led me back up the stairs and to my room. Standing at the threshold and leaning against the door frame, I looked up at Akin with my glassy, bloodstained eyes.
"You can go, okay?"
"But Alice…"
"Just relax. Let me rest a little."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! Just go take a nap or something, okay?"
He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, shutting his eyes and sticking his chin up at me indignantly. "No. If you want me to sleep, I'll have to sleep here with you!"
"What's your obsession with sleeping next to me?" I asked, rolling my eyes wearily.
"I never said sleeping next to you. I said sleeping with you," he clarified.
I gulped a flush of carnation pink rising to my cheekbones. "W-What… does that mean?"
A smirk danced on his smooth lips as he took my chin between his fingers and leaned in close—so close I could feel his breath tickling my delicate skin. "You'll see," he whispered softly.

"G-Get out of here. I sleep alone."
"You should break that habit." He grinned cheekily as I balled up my fist, dug it into his cheek, and shoved his face away from mine.
"It's not a habit. It's a code I live by." Grumbling, I unfurled my hand and rested it against my side. "Thanks for helping me back there. And I guess… Good night."
"You'll really be okay?"
"Yes!" I yelled, breaking into a small smile. "Don't worry about it, okay? I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Okay…" he muttered reluctantly, "Good night, Alice."

With a wave of his hand, he stepped sprightly to his bedroom a few feet down the hall. Sighing, I entered my bedroom and shut the door behind me. My eyes immediately locked onto the bed and decided it as my next destination. Crashing onto the mattress and hugging the pillow close to my body, I shuddered as I recalled what happened. That pain… It was like someone plugged a bullet into my head, and I lived through it just to

feel the torture.
It was unforgettable, frightening. But there was nothing I could do now. It was done and over with. I just prayed it wouldn't happen again.

I rolled over onto my back and glanced over at the large window to my left. Though the same purple curtain was draped over it, I could still see the slight rays of warm sunlight peeking through the sheer fabric. It was still bright out, much too early to be sleeping; it couldn't have been later than 5:00 p.m., but after that whole incident… I was exhausted and sore. I needed to regain energy with a good power nap.

So, I did. I gently lay my head on the cold pillow beside me and clutched onto the cotton, shutting my eyes and quickly drifting off to a deep, forgiving sleep.

**********************************************

Morning came quickly. Too quickly.
Even through my dense state of dreamless slumber, I sensed the oncoming invasion. There was a barrage of voices pounding at my ears and encroaching in my mind, subconsciously stirring my body into small, twitching movements. I gradually flit my eyes open and brought my hands up to break away the thin layer of crust that had formed during the night. My hazy vision produced two indistinct figures—one the silhouette of a man and the other a woman. Then, suddenly, the voices came again and struck me like a bat against a baseball.

"Alice, wake up!" the male voice whined. That was definitely Akin.
"Come on, I want to get you ready for your first day!" the girl shouted, giggling. That shrill, bubbly tone certainly belonged to Eri.

Moaning, I rolled over in my bed, spotted a small clock on the bedside table, and squinted to make out the time. I wanted to punch them. What the hell were they doing, waking me this early? It was barely 4:00 a.m. They were sweet, but if they touched me right now, I'd bite their hands off in a heartbeat.

"Alice!" Eri screeched, reaching down to touch my arm. I immediately shirked away to ensure she didn't lose her hand and glared up at them.

"Piss off. Both of you."

"But Alice…" Akin whimpered.
"I said piss off," I hissed more menacingly.
"She's grumpy when she wakes up, isn't she?" Eri giggled.
"Shut up. Don't talk about me like I'm not here. You want to do that? Go somewhere else!" I screamed at them, pulling the covers over my head and shutting my eyes again.
"Maybe we should leave…" Akin whispered softly, "And wake her up later. She doesn't need to come out yet."
"No, I want to do it now!"
"Listen to Akin and get the hell out of my room!" I shouted in a muffled voice under the pillow.
"You mean your storage closet?" Eri added teasingly.
"Yes! Get out of my damn storage closet and go back to bed!" The sun wasn't even up yet. Why did Eri need me now?
"Come on, come on!"
"Ah, wait—" Akin started, but it was too late. Eri seized my arm through the blanket and dragged me down to the floor.

Thump.
I crashed onto the carpet and, fed up with this, furiously kicked away my white comforter and slammed my heels into the ground.
Fine! Damn it, fine! I'll get up already!" I groaned, curling my body up and dragging myself away from the bed. Eri laughed again as though she were pleased with her success. Then, before Akin led us completely out of the room, I lifted the counter from its blood red box, threw it over my neck, and took a final peek at my bed. I whimpered. I would miss her. I already missed her. But then, the door shut behind us, and she was gone.

"Um… Good morning, Alice," Akin said cautiously.
"Good morning," I snapped back sarcastically.
"Come on, don't be so grouchy!" Eri shouted, hopping around the hallway like the little ball of sunshine she was.
"How can I not be grouchy? It's not even 4 a.m., dammit."
"Just stop complaining! We've had to wake up way earlier than this to go out! You're lucky," she argued stubbornly.

Practically growling through my teeth, I crossed my arms over my chest and followed them blindly to another room in the house. The door slowly creaked open, and I was… appalled. The walls were a soft, sunshine yellow with a grand queen sized bed situated horizontally across the center of the room. There were white curtains cascading over the maroon frame that rose high above the mattress, much like the bed of a princess. There was a creamy white desk adorned with nothing but a few picture frames and vases upon vases of blossoms and roses, all varying shades of pink. She had a grand sliding door at the back that led out to a small balcony. (Damn, I wanted a balcony!) And lastly, my eyes caught sight of the enormous self-portrait at the leftmost wall, indicating the room was Eri's—although I was sure I could've figured that out just with all the warm colors around. She really was a little ball of sunshine and happiness… It made me grateful to have my storage closet of a room. Simple and blue—nothing like this mush of blinding color. But, it suited her personality, so I guess I could tolerate it.

"Come on in!" she instructed excitedly.

We obeyed and made ourselves comfortable in her bedroom. Immediately, Eri slid aside a large mirror to reveal a massive walk-in closet and immediately shuffled through her unreasonably boundless selection of clothing. I propped myself up on the edge of her bed and sighed, prying my fingers into the cold metal railing beside me. Akin stood directly in front of me, standing and staring me down like I was his prey.

"What?" I asked wearily.
"Are you feeling better?"

I assumed he was referring to yesterday's incident and nodded. His shoulders loosened a bit and he smiled, relieved.

"I can't find it!" Eri cried from behind her closet doors.
"What?" I called out.

I had a super cute dress for you to wear, but it's gone!" she whimpered pathetically, stepping out from her personal shopping center and coming back to us. I rolled my eyes.
"What do I need a dress for?"
"Well, look at you. You're going out in… Well, that."
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

I looked down at the black leggings I'd retrieved from my dresser drawer and black jacket Akin had lent me. I was sleeping in that? I sighed. I must've forgotten to return his jacket, so in the spur of the moment, I tossed it over my head and handed it back to him. Now, I had the simple jade tee and could only hope she'd let it go. I didn't need to be dressed up like a doll.

"There, better?"
"Alice!" she exclaimed in a panic. "What happened to you?"
"What?"

I followed her gaze and in a flurry, slapped my hands to my arms and winced in pain. The silly bruises and lacerations were visible, clear as day on my skin and now, I'd inadvertently let Eri in on the "secret." God, I was such an ; that was the point of the jacket—to hide the injuries! I didn't even know where the hell these came from, but everyone was finding out about them!

"Great…" I grumbled, shifting my eyes to their corners to avert Akin and Eri's prying gazes.
"What happened?" she screeched unpleasantly.
"I don't know. They were here when I woke up a couple days ago."
"Well, we've got to treat you right now!" Eri pivoted her head around as she attempted to recall the location of her first aid kit. She then noticed Akins’s remarkably tranquil attitude. "Why aren't you doing anything? Help me look already!"
"It's fine. They're already healing. Nothing's going to happen if you try treating it now."
Eri bore her teeth at him. "Why are you just standing there though? Why aren't you more worried about her?"
"He already knew," I explained for his defense.
"Y-You… knew? Why didn't you do anything about it earlier?" she screamed.
"I just found out yesterday! There was nothing I could do!"
"You could've—"
"We had to go to the meeting, okay? And then I came up and went to sleep. It's not his fault," I whispered reassuringly. "I'm fine, so don't worry about it."
"But Alice…" she protested weakly.
"Come on, I'm fine. Besides, you guys just met me. What're you so worried about?"
"Didn't I already explain that to you?" Akin slipped in slyly, smirking down at me with his hands resting behind his neck.

I did my best to suppress the blood flow to my cheeks, if that was even possible. As an outsider, as a person, and as a girl, you interest me. I held my breath for a moment to slow my rapidly increasing heartbeat and brushed off the statement coolly. "Well, you guys have no need to worry. I can handle myself."

"I don't think so," a voice spoke from a short distance away, ringing even colder than the early morning chill.
I immediately shot my eyes towards the source of the voice, and standing in the threshold of Eri's bedroom door…
God, really?
What the hell?