Heavy footsteps, thumping fast on the ground, sounded through the household one early morning. Said noise reached one Allen Walker, who had yet woken up.
The boy stirred and groaned as he rolled to the other side of the bed and pulled the cover over his head. The noise he heard kept on and was getting louder and louder as time passed by and was getting closer and closer. Then, the door to Allen's room flung open, revealing a boy of thirteen years old with short untamed red hair dressed in white button shirt, which sleeves were folded up to elbows, khaki pants with suspenders clipped on, a pair of brown leather shoes, and a loose blue bow tie. This boy had his right leg kicked the door open with such force the knob almost got destroyed and had his face contorted in annoyance; his eyes were like fire.
"WAKE THE HELL UP WALKEEER!" yelled the boy, pulling the blanket off and tossed it away.
The brunette shot up groggily, glaring at the intruder who laughed suddenly.
"What's funny?" snarled Allen.
Giggling, the red headed boy said, "You have an incredible bed head!" pointing at Allen's hair that resembled a bird's nest.
"Well, at least it's tameable." he shot back as he rolled his eyes, earning a scowl and a huff from the other. "So?" crossing his arms, the silver-eyed boy started and asked, "What brings you here so early in the morning? Crashing in without notice and barging in my room to disturb my sleep? I hope this is something worth my time."
"Look who's talking." the red headed boy smirked and set his left foot on the bed.
Allen screamed, flailing his arms. "Get your filthy foot off my bed! God!" his hands then went to grab his hair. "The mud! The mud! You could've at least taken your shoes off before going in!"
"Shut up and listen here." chided the boy who had his expression changed into serious and leaned forward.
"Nooo!" yelled Allen, still gripping his hair. "What happened to the servants?! Why aren't they here yet to throw you off?!"
"Probably still asleep since it's only pass four in the morning."
"Whaaat?! Then how did you get in?"
"Magic. Now listen here 'cause this concerns you."
Allen was about to yell again, but he caught the tone of seriousness in the red headed's voice. Calming down, he complied though he was still pissed at the dirt that was on the bed courtesy of the intruder's shoes.
Said intruder noted the brunette's change of demeanour and said, "As I was saying this matter concerns you. But, before anything else, you need to fix yourself first and meet me down in five minutes." he then pulled back his foot from the bed and turned his back to leave.
"Wha-? What's the meaning of this?!" demanded Allen, slamming his hands on the bed; his face was troubled.
"No time to explain." the red headed boy waved his right hand in dismissal while the other hand was shoved in his side pocket and walked out casually. "Just hurry up and get ready. Those two idiots were already down there."
Allen could only stare at his unwanted visitor's retreating back with his mouth hanging open in both shock and surprise as the red headed boy disappeared before scrambling on his feet to the bathroom, and with haste pulled on his black sweat pants, olive green turtle neck shirt and navy blue V-neck sweater.
Outside the household, the red headed boy was waiting for Allen to come out. He was leaning on a black carriage with his arms folded.
Allen came, rushing out of the manor about a minute before the appointed time he was given. He stopped right in front of the red haired, panting lightly.
"Let's go." said the boy, pushing himself off the carriage. He then went inside the vehicle followed by Allen who sat beside him.
Someone yawned and the brunette looked up to see two boys still in their light blue pyjamas, sitting across from him.
"Oh." said Allen. "Hello Mana. Hello Neah. I'm not expecting you to be here. Thought we'll meet on Saturday."
The two in pyjamas however did not reply as they already fell back to sleep and Allen could only smile a lopsided smile; his lips twitching.
The red headed boy sat in silence, enjoying the ride. He prop his elbow on the window sill and rested his head on his palm, watching the scenery change from meadow to woods. He could feel Allen's half-hearted glare at him. With a light sigh he said, "I came to the Campbells around three in the morning and dragged these two, literally, out of their beds. They are no ignorant of what is happening in the shadows and you already introduced yourself as an accommodator though unknown to them. Furthermore..." he paused to look at Allen in the eyes. "About this uncle of theirs, Lord Cyrus Campbell."
Silence hung over them as Allen contemplated of the possible dangers he got himself into by showing Mana and Neah the innocence he had.
Allen looked down, clenching his fists. I'm doomed, aren't I? He thought.
"Anyway, we have to be careful from now on specially you and the twins." said the red headed boy. "You, because this man might have sense your stone since it is the most unique of its kind so far. It sends off a powerful aura to anyone with strong senses and the Noah will be alerted if they got near it and the twins because they were told of Noah clansmen and witnessed how the innocence was destroyed."
"...Cross..." Allen trailed off; his eyes still locked on his shoes.
Cross, the red headed boy, was surprised as Allen rarely called him by his first name. But, he expertly hid his emotions and hummed in response.
"Do you think...Mana and Neah are..."
"It's possible. They can feel if one of their family members will awaken. But..."
Looking back at Cross, who had his eyes glued on the roof, Allen asked, "What is it?"
"...Well, during my stay at the Order as an apprentice to a scientist, I spent my vacant time researching about the history of innocence and I happen to stumble upon this one information. But, I'll tell you once we get to my place."
Little did they know, the twins, Mana and Neah, were only feigning their sleep and silently were listening to the small discussion between Cross and Allen. They were now confused and curious. They decided not to demand questions yet and wait for them to tell what they knew about Noah, innocence, and Order.
Which they will soon know once they arrived at the place Cross mentioned.
It was quarter to five when the black carriage the four boys were in pulled to a stop. Cross was the first to get out followed by Allen who gaped at the, for the lack of a better word, marvellous mansion.
"What? You've been here many times before, so why gap now?" snapped Cross before he moved to kick the remaining two in the vehicle out.
Mana and Neah both groaned upon hitting the moist ground. They were just pretending to be asleep, but did not expect to fall back asleep, thus, they were roughly awoken when they hit the ground.
Allen spun around and helped two back to their feet as the carriage set off to its new destination, leaving the stoic Cross unlocking the massive gate of metal rods painted in white with carved roses on it. Turning around, he jerked his head to the direction of his house.
"That bastard..." muttered Neah, limping as he followed Cross in.
Mana on the other hand just sighed in exasperation; his shoulders were slumped.
Allen was the last who fell in line as the group of four walked in aisle passed the lines of red roses in full bloom. He looked around, mesmerized and captivated by the paradise-like place. At the far right corner he saw a gazebo surrounded by green vines and botanical garden near it. He felt strange as it was his first time in his friend's place yet it felt like not as he seemed to know the place personally. And, what worried him was what Cross had told him.
"What? You've been here many times before, so why gap now?"
Allen frowned. Am I forgetting something or have a memory lapse? He pondered.
Before the silver-eyed boy could muse more, he was greeted by a concrete wall as he literally smacked his face on it.
"You alright Allen?" asked Mana, poking his head out of the door.
"Y-yeah..." replied Allen, raising his left hand that said 'OK'. "I'm...fine. Re-really."
Mana doubted his words as it was obvious enough that Allen probably broke his nose, and so he peeled the brunette off the wall and dragged him inside, so Cross can fix the damage.
Meanwhile, the whole Walker manor was in a haywire of chaos as the servants went on frenzy, looking for their young master. It started around six in the morning when a maid went to wake her young master when she noticed the damage doorknob. She slammed the door open and found no Allen Walker. She started to panic upon noticing the blanket on the floor, and the dirt on the bed that traced back to another room where an open window was left open.
Belle in the other hand seemed to be unaffected by the riot and close to hysteric servants as she helped herself with a hot chocolate with three marshmallows in the kitchen. She giggled behind her hand before sipping her hot choco. She finally decided to end the joke and called everyone in the living room that their young master left a letter that said he was out early with Cross Marian and will be back before lunch.
To say the servants were annoyed would be the understatement.
On contrary to the Walker's, Cornelia sat on a chair in the kitchen, enjoying her green tea with her brother-in-law.
"This isn't either of their handwriting." said Cyrus, eyeing the paper in his hand.
Cornelia closed her eyes as she savoured her tea and placed it back down on the saucer before she spoke. "Of course not Cyrus. It's Cross."
"Oh?" the man looked at the fair lady incredulously. "Then, why it was signed by Mana and Neah? And look, there're two cute faces that look like them doodled on here."
Cornelia chuckled lightly and said, "It's just so like him, leaving letters like that. Though I wondered how he got in here."
"Me, too. That child is so talented. I like him!" Cyrus smiled, then read the letter again; his face serious and with a hint of suspicion.
Dear Mom,
We need to go on a walk and will be back before or by lunch.
-Mana & Neah C.
(insert doodle here)
The lady of the house was already used of Cross' antics, thus she found the sudden disappearance of her kids while the head of the Campbell thought differently.
'We need to go on a walk', huh. I wonder what it is. Thought Cyrus whilst sipping his tea.
Cross led Neah, Mana, and Allen to his father's study room.
There was a bookshelf full of books that occupied the whole wall to the right side of the room. In front of it was a wooden desk with some papers, a black book, and a can of pencils and pens arranged neatly on top, and a faux chair where a notebook covered in newspaper sat innocently.
Across from the desk were an olive green three person couch and an elongated glass coffee table.
The room was painted in dark beige and dark brown that framed the corners like pillars and lit by the six small lamps lined on the walls around and one on the desk.
"Take a sit." said the red headed boy as he went over the desk.
The three boys that were with him obeyed and sat silently, waiting for whatever Cross was about to tell them though Neah started to doze. Mana noticed it, and jabbed his younger twin on his side that winced and grimaced.
Cross walked up to them and tossed the notebook covered in newspaper to Allen's lap. "You forgot." he said.
"Uhm. Thanks." replied Allen, picking the note book.
Neah, who sat on the middle of the couch and to Allen's right, leaned closer to the silver-eyed boy and asked, "What's that?"
"My father's journal and..."
"And...?" the twins chorused.
Cross sat on the coffee table and replied for Allen. He said "And, it contains everything you wanted to know about exorcists and Noahs, but it's like a secret passage."
This is it. He's going to tell us! Neah and Mana thought as they looked at Cross with wide eyes.
"You already know a part of it, but I doubt you understand a single thing." said Cross.
Mana frowned a little. "What do you mean?"
The red headed boy eyed him and said, "Your uncle told you something about Noah clansmen and Walker showed you the stone; innocence. But what you knew was something that is not half or quarter the truth. We, Walker and I, suspected that one of you will become a Noah because your uncle whom we suspected as one of them showed you how he destroyed an innocence." the two were about to retort and depend their uncle, but Cross beat them to that. "Open your narrow minds! Before you say anything I suggest that you observe and read the journal. If you don't, you will never found the truth of white lies that were written on that journal."
The Campbells lowered their heads and thought about what Cross had said.
"You're right." said Neah.
Mana looked at Allen and said, "We want to know."
Allen smiled. It took him almost a year before he found out the truth with Cross' help. If his friends were sincere, eager, and had a heart that worth the trust of the journal they will definitely know what lies beneath each word in it.
"Here." said Allen, handing Neah the notebook. "If you need help just ask me or Marian."
"Okay!" replied the twins and opened the notebook when they heard a growl coming from their stomachs.
"What do you want for brealfast?" asked Cross as he stood.
"I want dangos!" exclaimed Allen followed by Neah who said, "I thought you like stew? Anyway, I want sandwich with blueberry jam"
"We don't have blueberry jam or something like that. So bear with sliced bread." informed Cross before turning to Mana. "How about you?"
"Uhm... I'm craving for rice porridge..." Mana replied only to recieve dumbfounded looks from his brother and two friends. "What? Is something wrong with that?"
Allen chuckled sheepishly. "You're not sick, are you?"
"No. I'm not."
Neah sighed. "He's weird, really..."