✔ from this unending abyss (The Assassin and the Trial)「 karmagisa 」

IV. When It Rains

F L A S H B A C K

"Come back here, you piece of sh•t!" I covered my ears tightly as I kept up my pace, never looking back even though I felt the fragments of that broken antique vase piercing my skin.

'It's okay. You'll be fine. Just run and you'll live to see another day. Papa's just in a bad mood. He loves you.'

Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

"I gave life to you, you ungrateful brat! But what did I get instead?! You b•tching off like your worthless of a mother! I was right after all, huh?! I shouldn't have agreed to adopt you! You filthy prick of a scum, don't you dare come running home to me once I'm gone, you hear me?!"

I never stopped running until I could only hear nothing but my heart breaking. He was right, I am a trash. I am not his son. Heck, I don't even know who I really am. They did not give me a proper name-probably because they didn't think of me as a family member.

Ha, I'm really lucky, aren't I? My biological family died, I forgot my identity, got adopted without a name, my foster mother died on me, and now I'm being chased out of the only home I knew. Just great. What am I supposed to do now?

Finally feeling exhausted, my body collapsed on a pavement of an empty alleyway, the rain poured harder on each second. Ha, maybe this was my fate. I should have died along with mama too, or better, my biological family. I'm just a burden. I don't deserve to live.

"Trash," I muttered under my breath, hugging my knees tighter. It's getting cold out here. What a perfect weather to die.

Just then, the pouring stopped, warmth enveloped my body as a black coat was draped around my shoulders. I looked up just to see two figures- a tall guy with crimson hair and a petite lady with azure locks- looking at me like a lost friend.

"Don't say that. You don't know how many unborn people there are who wanted to live," the bluenette said softly.

"What do you know? You don't know what I've been through! And would you please mind your own business?!" I exclaimed, looking away from her azure eyes that are full of emotion.

The redhead held my collar and gripped it tightly, looking at me with a dangerous expression. "If Nagisa hadn't taken an interest in you then I would have left you to die hours ago."

The lady whom he called 'Nagisa' tapped his shoulder lightly. To my surprise, his eyes softened but he made it not so obvious. "Karma."

"But, it's you who did not know what she'd been through. So, let her help you. Let us help you erase all the traces of your past."

I looked up to him as he loosened his hold on my shirt. "You really would go that far for a burden like me?"

"You are not a burden," the guy stated. "Let's start with your name. You seemed to have forgotten yours. Any temporary suggestions, Nagi?"

The latter grinned and arranged the oversized coat around me which seemed a bit awkward since I was inches taller than her. "You have unique electric blue eyes, Minh Mikhail."

END OF FLASHBACK

-•-

MIKHAIL

Drip. Drip. Drop.

The sound of the trickling rain becomes more deafening, its echoes seemingly a sorrowful tune as it reaches my ears.

"A penny for your thoughts?" I snapped out of my trance and saw him, the one who's been hurt the most.

"Karma-sama," I called out his name, to which he winced at the mention.

"It's been three years, and yet you still call me with an honorific. I don't know if I should be honored or insulted with your politeness, Mikhail."

I let out a light chuckle as I tapped the space beside me, gesturing him to take the place with me at the veranda. "What can I say? It's the least I could do to show my gratitude to the both of you, Nagisa-sama and Karma-sama, for bringing my life back intact."

Turned out, I had retrograde amnesia, and still can't remember anything that happened before the death of my biological family. However, I can perfectly memorize every detail that happened after-what happened as I awoke at a hospital, what I wore during my trip to Miyamizu Orphanage, the people I left when papa adopted me, how he convinced the Head Sister to put the spot before my name empty-all of it.

Meeting Karma-sama and Nagisa-sama was one of the few things that made my life worth living. But since the death of this Korosensei, their classmates' betrayal, and Karma-sama's supposed disappearance, it seemed that both of them lost their will to live. I know because I saw how they lived their lives through the screen-the cameras I've implanted since long ago.

"Mikhail, do you think none of this would have happened if we hadn't just meddled?" Karma-sama asked, his stern facade now faltering as he gripped on the smaller ring attached on his golden chain necklace tightly behind his shirt. He's always like this, a weaker persona whenever the past became a topic. "I mean, things were better before, when we didn't give a single damn. We knew, we noticed, but we did not care. And it was alright.

Why didn't we just stayed as clueless as we were before? Then Nagisa wouldn't have felt such hurt. Then I wouldn't have to leave her for three long years. Why did it come to this?"

"Don't blame yourself for a fault you didn't do, Karma." said Livius Ifrikia, or code:Sun. One of the hidden aces of Japan's Ministry of Defense and our squad's team member. He is a natural leader-we all are-but he is usually busy with the Sun Kingdom's affairs. "As they say, knowledge is power, but wisdom is absolute. The more you know, the less you understand. Once you understand, the easier it is to let go."

"Stop talking riddlish, Livi. You're starting to sound like Neil," the newcomer kidded. Nike Lemerciere-Ifrikia, Livius' wife, the Principality of Rain's heiress, and the Sun Kingdom's Queen. "But he is right. You should not blame yourself, nor Nagisa. After all, envy is a deadly thing. The Meijin were all devoured by their own envy."

"Plus, it isn't like you to mope around, even on a nostalgic rainy day, Bakabane."

It was as if Nakamura Rio's words brought him back to reality. Karma-sama averted his attention from the scenery and looked at us with his signature grin- a mischievous smile which held so many intentions.

"Gee, thanks for reminding me, Ri-aho. Now, let's focused at the matter at hand: Assisting Nagisa Shiota; code:Azure in the upcoming batch reunion, Stopping Ameno Ichigo once and for all, and Arresting the Meijin Family for treason." He pressed his earpiece, his eyes softening as he questioned. "Are you really alright with this, Ryuunosuke, Rinka?"

[ It's time for them to snap out of their trance, Karma. ]

[ Yeah, I think so too. ]

A short trail of silence followed after that, but we all understood what it meant. Karma-sama met my eyes, mischief and melancholy evident on his mercury colored orbs.

"Heard that, Mikhail? It's time to get my fiancè back."

【 edited. 】