Chapter 13 - A Flower of Bone

A man in completely black clothing grabbed Miya by the hair and one arm, pushing her against the wall with overwhelming strength. As much as she struggled, she couldn't release herself from his grip until she landed a low blow amidst her struggle. It caused him to fall to the ground, but he hadn't released her and easily regained footing. He reached into his back pocket, revealing a 12-inch cleaver that shown in the night's lights.

He laughed at her attempt at escape, his voice echoing throughout the alleyway. Even so, nobody came to her rescue, completely ignoring the event as it transpired.

"Mind if I take a lock or two? Or maybe, a bit more..."

He began laughing hysterically, and Miya began to realize that she wasn't going to escape like that again, but one thing she'd regretted to utilize was the one key weapon only she possesses. She took the only arm she had free and imbued her hand with power until she couldn't use it anymore. Her hand made a smack onto his face, and his face snapped back violently as he stood there, motionless.

'Did I get him?'

Miya attempted to free herself but was, again, unsuccessful. He began laughing again in an ugly laugh that Miya thought could be heard for miles, but still, no one came to her rescue. He readjusted the hand that held the giant cleaver and held it above his head, a growl seeping through his voice as his anger swelled.

"You're gonna regret that... I'll make you my own personal plaything... AFTER I KILL YOU, YOU DIRTY BITCH!!!"

Time felt like it had slowed down after those words. Tears ran down her face as all of her muscles relaxed, resisting no more. Hopelessness consumed her, and her vision became hazy, fear causing her to lose consciousness.

'Why...WHY...WHY WON'T ANYONE SAVE ME?! They just walk like nothing is happening while I sit here, suffering....They don't even bat an eye!'

The man's eyes gleamed as he nearly choked on his own laughter, struggling to bring his cleaver down on Miya as she lie there, defenseless.

'Why...Why....Why...'

A deep voice rang through her ears, stopping the man's laughter in an instant.

"It's because they can't hear nor see you, Miya."

Bo stood at the entrance to the alleyway, assuming a bizarrely low stance as he came closer toward them, the glow of his red eyes trailing his movement like a ribbon. Dumbfounded, the man yelled toward Bo, his confidence lowering as Bo's keen eyes locked onto him,

"H--How can you see me?"

Bo didn't respond to him, and he began sprinting at speeds that Miya couldn't fathom before striking the man in the gut. He immediately fell to the ground, coughing up blood and vomiting. He sat there, struggling, for a while.

"W-WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME??? YOU... BASTARD!!!"

Bo grabbed Miya by the hand.

"We're leaving. I'm sorry for not being there for you..."

His top two arms grabbed her as he scaled the building, jumping across the rooftops. She couldn't put her thoughts together; much less make out words, but they eventually made it to her house, Bo dropping her off.

Unable to understand what was happening, Miya went in and out of conciousness, Miss Boudreaux carefully carrying her up to her room.

[Breaking News....]

The news played, but Miya couldn't make out what it said. Mrs. Boudreaux tried to speak to her, but she couldn't understand what she said, either. When she eventually arrived at her room, Miss Boudreaux tucked her into bed, speaking softly into her ear.

"Goodnight, child. You'll feel all better in the morning."

...

'Normal thugs wouldn't coordinate like that over just any girl which makes me believe that Miya was specifically targeted. That power he was using... It took away my senses of what was happening in that specific area. I couldn't see what was happening to Miya without using Beo's eyes, but it shouldn't be a problem for us anymore.'

Sirens rang as the man walked silently down the street, his hair being forced back by the speed of the cars passing him. He nearly blended into the darkness, his pale skin being the only proof of his existence on the empty sidewalk.

'Headmaster needs to know about how they targeted Miya, though. The only people that would go for such a risky move or even have a chance of pulling it off would be The Hole. Even sentinels don't go as far as to kill them.'

He wore next to nothing, his chest bare and his lower body only partially covered by shorts as he walked slowly up a inclined road, his destination unknown. After a while, he'd made it to the entrance of a modern mansion, and chatter could be heard inside as he opened the door. He was immediately met by a mechanical-sounding voice.

"How was your little walk?"

"What are you still doing in my house, Kem."

Kem sat on the couch, a small boy sitting beside him, blankets and sleepwear covering the majority of his body. The TV remained black, Kem seemingly struggling to make conversation with the boy beside him.

"Just hanging out with Owen here. Right, Owen?"

Owen didn't respond to Kem, and he zoomed around the room until finally deciding on using the TV remote. He changed the channel, and his attention was immediately caught.

[Breaking News: Man found in alleyway. Nicknamed the "Bone Flower"]

"You made quite a mess, huh?"

The man replied, his voice cold and lifeless.

"I had no other choice. I believe there's more to their attack as well."

"Their attack? What exactly happened."

Kem leaned over the end of the couch, listening to him.

"They went after Miya."

"Hmmm... Good job, then. Better for criminals like that to be in the grave then on the street."

The man began walking away but continued to speak.

"That's not a very good slogan."

Kem appeared at his side, lightly tapping the man on the shoulder and laughing as he spoke.

"Come oooonnn. Take a joke, Icarus."

Kem focused on his pale-white body, his eyes red and bloodshot. His hair was a light brown, looking as if bleached rather than natural, but Kem looked at him kindly, visibly excited to see him.

"Your joke wasn't funny."

Kem stopped walking, pouting that Icarus didn't like his joke.

"You just have no sense of humor!"

Kem continued to pout in the living room as he walked throughout the large building and through a hallway with an assortment of rooms. As he walked, he opened a door, peering through without making a single sound. In the bed, lie Parisa and Nifla who were asleep. Softly, he closed the door, careful not to wake them. At the end of the hall was a door with a sign labeled, 'Keep Out', but he walked inside, the room a mess.

Still, he didn't think much after entering him room.

'Kem seems to have messed with my room'

He didn't care enough to clean it up. Everything besides a chest that lie at his bedside had been thrown all about the room as he laid in bed, looking silently at the roof for a while until finally falling asleep.