The spring festival was a three-day, evening celebration held at the capital's massive square. It was a celebration celebrating new beginnings in life and death, and all was allowed to attend.
"Wow!" Shelly and I exclaimed as she, Winston, and I entered the square.
Hundreds of enclosed candles hung and lit the square from above, and flowers of all colors and arrangements bloomed everywhere.
Laughter and conversation buzzed in the air, and people of all ages walked and ran around with their companions as hundreds of traders and merchants advertised their goods.
Shelly, Winston, and I took our time appreciating the sights, munching on food as we strolled from vendor to vendor, chatting over whatever merchandise piqued our interests.
We did this for two hours before deciding to walk east towards the temple where they were currently offering blessings of the goddess Jaf.
Halfway through the walk, I tapped Winston on the shoulder and leaned in to speak over the noise, "Stay with Shelly. I'll return after buying something."
"We'll go together," Winston objected, but I raised a finger to my lips.
"It's a surprise for you and Shelly," I smiled. "I won't be long."
…
"…Alright. But hurry back."
I nodded before shuffling through the crowd, back towards where a vendor was selling their masks.
Contrary to the light and fluttery theme the festival portrayed, these masks were dark and grotesque—which was why I was excited to buy the four that caught my eye earlier.
Thanking the vendor, I fastened my purchases to my belt, smiling as I headed east.
How would Winston and Shelly react to the masks?
Would they be horrified? Or be as delighted as me?
And this fourth one that resembled a warped bunny, how would little Claire respond—
A muffled scream rang out, and I snapped out of my thoughts.
Looking over towards the unlit alley where I heard the scream, I stopped walking and listened.
…
Silence.
[…]
[Did I mishear…?]
…
[…Let's investigate, just in case.]
=====
Ten minutes ago, two little girls were rushing through the streets, the older dragging the younger by the hand.
"W-wait…!" the younger one hiccupped, her feet and wrist stinging with pain.
The older one remained silent, dragging the younger until—at last—the streets around them became pitch-black and quiet, the air untouched by the lights of the festivities behind them.
Immediately, the older one swiveled towards the younger one and released her roughly.
Holding her hands closely to her chest, the younger one pleaded, "I—I want to go back, Dana…! Let's—let's go back to Mama and Papa—"
"Don't call them that!" Dana snapped, shoving the other back. "They're not yours, they're mine!! I'm the one who calls them Mama and Papa!! Not you!!"
"S-Sister—" the younger girl sobbed, making Dana flush with anger.
"DON'T CALL ME SISTER!!" Dana shouted. "WE'RE NOT SISTERS, AND WE'LL NEVER BE!! JUST BECAUSE PAPA CAME HOME WITH YOU ONE DAY DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE FAMILY!!!"
The younger girl hiccupped with suppressed tears, and Dana turned away to avoid the guilt.
"I…I wish you were gone…!" Dana whispered harshly, her jealousy and rage uncontrollably spilling. "I wish Papa never found you! I wish…I WISH YOU'D LEAVE AND NEVER COME BACK!!!"
"Dana, p-please…!!" the younger girl cried as Dana suddenly sprinted away, leaving her alone on her own. "P-please, sister—!! W-wait!!"
The girl ran desperately after Dana but soon tripped over the hem of her dress, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Instantly, the chill of the stone streets seeped through her thin garments, and she shivered, sobbing even harder.
"D-DANA…!!" she shouted through tears as she struggled to her feet. "DANA!!"
"What's wrong, sweets?" a deep voice boomed behind her, shocking her.
She whirled around, hiccupping when she saw two grown men approaching her from the shadows.
"You lost?" the man with the deep voice crooned, his smile stretching his mouth. "You need our help, sweets?"
A strange sickness twisted the girl's stomach, and her heartbeat quickened with fright.
"Don't be afraid," the second man said, stepping to the right of the first man. His shadowed eyes met hers, and he grinned, his next words of comfort terrifying her even more. "We'll guide you home."
She opened her mouth to speak—to decline their offer—to say anything, anything at all—yet—her body refused to move as the first man reached for her.
[NO!]
Almost immediately, footsteps rang out, and something swooshed in front of her—a cloaked person?
"Leave the girl and go," the cloaked person ordered the men, their voice firm yet young.
"We're only helping the little girlie—"
"Leave!" the cloaked person demanded.
There was a second of silence where neither of the men answered, then they grunted and spat on the ground before withdrawing into the shadows.
"Are you alright…?" the cloaked person asked, turning to the girl.
The girl nodded, sniffling as the cloaked person—a boy who looked a few years older than she—pushed up their thick, tinted eyeglasses.
"Good," the boy smiled, warming her chest. "My companions…are nearby. Follow me, and we'll help you—"
Hands shot out from behind the boy, cutting his words off as they flew over his mouth. And when the boy tried twisting around to resist his attacker, the attacker punched him in the stomach, making him gasp and curl with pain.
The girl screamed with terror as she recognized who the attacker was—the first man from before!
"Grab her!" the first man snarled over his shoulder, and the second man appeared from the shadows, rushing towards her before smothering her screams with his hand.
"QUIET!" the second man hissed as he and the other began dragging her and the boy through an alley. "The quieter you are, the easier we'll—"
His words cut off, and the girl was surprised when his presence behind her disappeared altogether.
Twisting around, she froze as she glimpsed a pink-haired stranger smashing the second man's face several times against the wall.
Gurgling, the second man slid to the ground, and the stranger stepped back before rushing past the girl towards the first man.
"The fuck?!" the first man snarled in alarm as he released his hold on the boy to swing his fist at the stranger.
The stranger ducked and rose with an uppercut, and a dull, cracking sound echoed throughout the alley as the stranger's fist connected with the man's jaw.
The man stumbled back, and the stranger lunged forward with another punch before decisively kicking the other through the center of their legs.
A ragged whine burst from the man, and he crumpled to the ground while clutching the front of his trousers. He fell silent, however, as the stranger kicked him once more.
"Are you alright?" the stranger asked, turning towards the girl with blood splattered across their face.
The girl flinched as the stranger approached her, and the stranger paused in their step.
"Ah, sorry for scaring you!" the stranger quickly said, raising their hands harmlessly as they crouched to her eye level. "My name is Air, and I promise I'm here to help. May you trust me, little one?"
The scars and blood on Air's face made the girl hesitate.
However…
Unlike how the two men made her feel, Air's eyes twinkled curiously, and their smile encouraged warmth…
[…]
"Okay…" she finally accepted.
Just as she was taking Air's hand however, she suddenly remembered the boy.
"Uh—um—please help!!" she stammered, tugging Air towards the boy who was still hunched over on the ground beside the first man's body. "He—he was helping me but got hurt while protecting me!!"
Air turned their attention towards the boy and knelt before him.
"Excuse me? Are you alright?" they asked, reaching for the boy.
║║║║║║║║║║
"Are you alright?" I asked, tapping the curled person lightly on their shoulder.
The person on the ground flinched at my touch, and I leaned in when they muttered something inaudible.
"…Pl…ease...st…op...!" the person gasped, their breathing fast and great. "Ca…n't... Ca…n't...brea…the…!!"
I assured the person it was safe now, that the men from before were dealt with, but the person seemed to not have heard.
"…Do…n't...pl…ease...!!" the person continued to gasp.
"What's wrong with him?" the child I helped asked worriedly.
"I'm—I'm not sure," I said, quickly apologizing to the person before pulling their shoulders back so I could assess their state.
The person's face was pale, and they were sweating profusely. Their breaths were coming and going in quick gasps and exhales, and their eyes were squeezed shut as the thick eyeglasses they wore slipped down the bridge of their nose—
"Lily?" I breathed with recognition.
Lily's brows twitched, and though he seemed unaware of his surroundings, he must have registered his name being called.
"…I...I…ca…n't…brea…the...!" he repeated in gasps, tears slipping past his clenched eyes. "…Pl…ease...he…lp...!"
[…!]
"…It's alright now, Lily," I whispered, pulling him into my arms and tucking him tightly against me. "We're here now. You're safe now. You're alright."
Lily's hands clenched at the back of my shirt, and his face pressed against the crook of my shoulder as he continued gasping for air.
"You're alright, Lily," I repeated firmly, cradling the back of his head with one hand while patting his back with the other. "We're with you, now. Me and the child you saved. We're safe now, Lily. Just focus on breathing."
There was movement beside me, and I glanced over to see the child sitting down beside us, watching quietly.
"That's right, Lily, take a deep breath," I continued, acknowledging the child with a nod. "Now breathe out through your nose. Just like that. Take a breath again. And breathe out. And again. And again. Once more. That's right, Lily. Everything's alright now. We're alright. You're alright."
We stayed like that for a long time, me firmly encouraging and comforting Lily while the child observed as Lily's breathing slowly but surely stabilized.
"You're doing well, Lily," I said several times, patting his back as I thought about what to do next.
We couldn't stay in this alley long, and Lily needed help. And not just any help, either.
"Lily…?" I called softly, leaning away to look down at him. "I need to ask you—"
I paused, realizing his eyes were shut, his expression now peaceful as he breathed gently against me.
He was asleep.
[…]
"Little one," I quietly addressed the child beside us, "Was there anybody else with this boy when you encountered him?"
She shook her head before exclaiming softly, "Yes! I mean—no! I mean—I lost my sister, and he said his friends were nearby, and that they could help! But the two men attacked us before we could meet them…!"
[…Lily's friends?]
…
Perhaps Cou and the others?
[…]
I shifted Lily's eyeglasses up the bridge of his nose and tugged his hood over his head before hooking one hand around his waist and the other under his knees.
"Let's go," I told the child as I stood, carrying Lily in my arms. "We'll find Lily's friends, and then we'll find your sister, alright?"
The child nodded and gripped the hem of my shirt as we walked through the alley and out into the dark streets.
"Over here!" the child said, tugging me in the direction where Lily previously guided her.
I followed, occasionally glancing down at Lily to check his breathing.
Without drawing too much attention, we needed to find Cou. Fast.