Kiseki continued his aimless wandering through the village streets, his eyes darting in multiple directions as if searching for something - or someone. His expression was a mix of curiosity and unease, as if he was being watched by unseen eyes.
Suddenly, Kiseki halted in his tracks, his face scrunched up in annoyance. "Can you stop following me already?" he exclaimed, his voice loud enough to draw the attention of nearby villagers.
However, there was no response. No one emerged from the shadows, no voice whispered a reply. The silence only seemed to irritate Kiseki further, his eyes scanning the surrounding area with growing frustration.
To the villagers who had overheard his outburst, Kiseki appeared to be a child indulging in a game of make-believe, chasing after imaginary friends or foes. They exchanged amused glances, their faces creasing into warm smiles.
But Kiseki knew what he felt - an unshakeable sense of being watched, of being followed by an unseen presence. His eyes narrowed, his senses on high alert, as he waited for... something. Anything.
Kiseki turned to scrutinize the area behind him, his eyes scanning the corners with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. He let out a deep sigh, attributing his paranoia to the lingering effects of the Kushino fight. "Maybe it's just my head playing tricks on me. Probably the Kushino fight," he muttered to himself.
As he turned to continue his stroll, he nearly collided with the girl who had intervened in the incident between Eric and Mrs. Miller's husband. Her eyes sparkled with skepticism as she asked, "Kushino fight?"
Kiseki jumped back just in time, his eyes widening in surprise. "Whoa, watch where you're going!" he exclaimed.
The girl's expression remained innocent, but her tone was laced with a hint of teasing. "But you're the one who almost bumped into me. Shouldn't you be the one watching where you're going?"
Kiseki's annoyance was palpable, his forced grin a testament to his growing frustration. "Oh, you're a smart one, aren't you?" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
The girl's face lit up with a bright smile. "You think I'm smart?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Kiseki's expression turned neutral, his tone flat. "That was sarcasm. I mean, you're not."
The girl's smile faltered, her face scrunching up in a frown. "Aww, that's mean," she pouted.
Kiseki's annoyance boiled over. "Well, why were you following me in the first place?" he demanded.
The girl's expression transformed from a frown to one of surprise. "You knew I was following you?" she asked, her eyes wide with wonder.
Kiseki's teeth gritted in frustration. "Aha! It was you," he accused.
The girl's smile returned, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "Wow, how'd you know I was following you?" she asked, her tone playful.
Kiseki's face twisted in exasperation. "That's not the point," he growled.
Their exchange was interrupted by a young female voice calling out, "Clara!"
Kiseki and Clara both turned to face the girl who was running towards them, waving enthusiastically. Clara's face lit up with a bright smile. "Neko!" she exclaimed, rushing to hug her friend.
As the two girls reunited, Kiseki stood awkwardly to the side, unsure of what to do. "Uh..." he muttered, feeling like an outsider.
As Clara and Neko parted, Neko's eyes scanned Clara's new hairstyle. "Is that a new hairstyle?" she asked, her eyes widening with interest.
Clara proudly pointed to her pigtails. "Oh, Daddy made these for me!" Neko's eyes sparkled with envy. "Whoa! Can your Daddy make my hair look like that?" Clara giggled. "Maybe!"
Kiseki tried to interject, "Sooo..." but was cut off by Neko's serious expression. She pointed at Kiseki, her eyes narrowing. "Who's that?"
Clara beamed with a smile. "Oh, he's my new friend!" Kiseki's face contorted in annoyance. "Am not!"
Neko's expression turned skeptical. "Hmm..." The three stood in awkward silence for a moment, until Neko broke the silence. "I don't like you for some reason."
Kiseki's eyes widened in protest. "But I didn't even do anything!" Clara tried to stifle a giggle, but it was too late. She burst into laughter, her eyes shining with mirth.
Kiseki's annoyance grew. "Hey, stop that!" he exclaimed, but Clara's laughter only intensified. Neko folded her arms, a disapproving look on her face. "See, that's what I'm talking about."
Kiseki's frustration boiled over. "But...", he started to protest, but Neko averted her eyes, clearly uninterested in his defense. Clara's laughter continued to ring out, and Kiseki's face twisted in annoyance.
Kiseki threw up his hands in exasperation. "Whatever. Just don't follow me around. It's creepy," he muttered, turning to walk away.
Neko's voice dripped with sarcasm as she called out, "Follow you?" Her tone implied that the very idea was absurd.
Clara's eyes widened in surprise as she realized Kiseki was making a hasty retreat. She turned to Neko, her voice tinged with genuine curiosity. "Where's he going?"
Neko's expression turned serious, her arms folding across her chest. "Probably off to go scream at kittens. Weirdo," she deadpanned, her voice dripping with mock seriousness.
Clara's giggles burst forth, her eyes sparkling with mirth.
Amazon City
Ashley stood in her kitchen, the sizzle of frying eggs filling the air as her mind drifted back to the fateful day that had changed everything. Her gaze wandered to the family portrait on the wall outside the kitchen, a bittersweet reminder of happier times.
As she reminisced, Ashley's expression transformed into a mask of emotionlessness, just as it had when she answered the door to find the officers standing on her porch. "Can I help you, officers?" she asked, her voice devoid of warmth.
The soldier's words cut through the air like a knife, leaving an indelible mark on her soul. "Your husband, Eric Cope, has been found guilty of murdering your children. He is to be exiled to the Battlegrounds Territory."
Ashley's eyes locked onto Eric's, but before he could speak, she froze him out with a venomous tone. "I don't want to hear it." Her piercing gaze seemed to bore into his very being. "If you had something to say, you should have said it before you killed our children."
The air was heavy with tension as a vase crashed to the floor behind her. Eric's eyes snapped towards the sound, but Ashley's voice cut through the silence once more. "You can take him away."
The soldiers closed in, their hands grasping for Eric's arms. He didn't resist, his eyes fixed on Ashley with a deep sadness. As they dragged him away, Ashley's mask began to slip, and for a moment, her true emotions threatened to surface.
But it was too late. Eric was gone, leaving Ashley alone with her thoughts. She stood in her kitchen, the eggs burning on the stove, as she stretched out a hand into the distance, as if reaching out to Eric, to the past, to the life they once shared. The silence was oppressive, a constant reminder of what she had lost.
As the smoke filled the air, Ashley hastily turned off the stove, her mind still reeling from the events of the morning. "I just can't seem to do anything right," she sighed, her thoughts drifting back to the confrontation with Matthew.
She had been pacing in her bedroom, trying to convince herself that nothing had happened between them while she was drunk. But Matthew's presence in her bed, his underwear a stark reminder of the truth, made her skin crawl.
"Not even a good morning?" Matthew's voice was laced with sarcasm as he got out of bed. Ashley averted her eyes, her face burning with shame.
"What's the matter? We already did it, you can't look at me now?" Matthew's smirk was like a knife twisting in her gut.
Ashley's anger boiled over, and she swung her palm at Matthew. But he was too quick, grabbing her wrist in a vice-like grip.
Ashley felt a surge of rage and embarrassment. "We didn't do anything! Shut up!" she yelled, trying to wrestle her hand free.
Matthew's grip only tightened. "Oh we did," he smirked, "You should have seen how you were all over me. You just couldn't let me go home."
Ashley's face contorted in rage. "I said shut up!" she spat, struggling to release her hand from his grip. "No one'll ever believe in your perverted fantasies! Just... leave my house and go away! I don't want to work with you anymore!"
But Matthew's expression turned cold, his voice dripping with menace. "Oh, you will," he said, releasing her wrist. "I had your children kidnapped and two phony corpses planted somewhere in here. File a murder charge against your husband or report me to the officials... and lose your children."
Ashley's world came crashing down around her. She couldn't speak, her voice frozen in her throat.
In the next chapter