POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING
"Do I know you?"
Keeping an eyebrow arched, (Y/n) narrowed her eyes at the red head, not intense enough to show menace but enough to show wariness. There was this feeling she got from the smirking girl that didn't sit well with her; something was off about her but she couldn't put a finger on it.
It was eerie.
She was eerie.
"You don't. I'm Hwaryun and I'll be your Guide."
Shifting her weight onto one foot, (Y/n) interlocked her arms with a skewed frown, confused by what the other girl said. Hwaryun watched, taking note of the girl's guarded body language and the tension she emanated.
She's uptight.
"My Guide?"
"I can lead you to your destiny; that is, if you're capable of walking it."
Unsure of what Hwaryun meant by that cryptic message, the confusion on (Y/n)'s face deepened as she searched her mind for an inkling of what Guides were and what they did because so far she felt creeped out.
"I'm sorry but I don't think I understand you."
"Would you invite me in? I'll explain further."
(Y/n) hesitated for a bit; she didn't feel inclined to welcome a stranger into her private quarters but if it was part of the job, she'll just have to bear it. Unfolding her arms, she turned the knob open and stood to the side to allow Hwaryun to enter first. Luckily, (Y/n) wouldn't have to suffer any embarrassment as she tidied her room earlier. Usually, it wasn't messy since she was never in a rush to do anything but her room wasn't ever in peak cleanliness. Motioning for Hwaryun to sit on the bed as she closed the door behind her, (Y/n) reiterated her words.
"You'll be my Guide?"
"Yes, since you're Viole's partner, I'll be in charge of leading you down your path as well."
Walking over to her, (Y/n) created some distance between her and Hwaryun as she sat on the bed, sinking a bit into the mattress as she tried to make herself comfortable. Everything Hwaryun said bogged in (Y/n)'s mind and she was partially concerned if her intelligence was lacking at the moment.
"Forgive me for asking so many questions, but what do you mean by a path?"
"Don't you have any goals? Aspirations?", Hwaryun replied.
The (h/c)-haired girl didn't say anything and so Hwaryun continued. "Simply, I'll help you fulfill your ambitions.
"Why?" (Y/n) wanted to know what the red-head would gain from helping her. She had nothing to offer and wasn't keen on being in debt to someone she had just met.
"The God of the New Age is right before us and you're an essential key so don't think I'm doing this for free. We all want something, don't we? You'll find her, that girl and your innermost desires as well."
"But I don't want anythi---"
"Yes, yes you do. We all want something, (Y/n)."
Only catching onto what Hwaryun said before, (Y/n) spoke, "W-wait, you know her?"
Standing up, Hwaryun pushed back her hair with a hand before walking to the exit, only turning around to direct her words at (Y/n).
"No, but I know you."
Opening the door, the red head left with a mischievous chuckle while the (h/c)-nette grew pensive, feeling pinpricks of goosebumps rise from her skin from the words the red-head uttered. Sitting cross-legged, (Y/n) watched the door close before flopping back on the bed, folding her arms behind her head as only one thought ran through her mind.
That girl's weird, man. She's creepy-weird.
Her innermost desires?
Nope. She had none.
The simplest of things were the most difficult to attain in the Tower, forcing (Y/n) to give up on what people would call lofty dreams. She wasn't overly-satisfied with her current lifestyle but she felt no need to change it. (Y/n) was a dustball in the wind, only moving when the tides of life changed; she never took control. It was okay; she was content with her mundane life because it meant being safe and never sorry.
Playing with a lock of her hair, (Y/n) could almost laugh from the contrast in attitude from when she was young. Everything had changed for her then and there was a small piece of her that wished she could go back, back to being blissfully unaware.
●○●
There was always some difficulty being an abandoned rugrat living on the streets with a weak body and a hollow stomach. Of course, there would be occasional stares and looks of distaste but they didn't matter at all, food was more important. Licking her lips, a small girl ran the cobbled steps to the back of a small restaurant with a bag tied to her wrist, waving lazily in the air before dying down as she stopped in front of a metal basin.
Stealing food wasn't much of an option because as much as the food was made fresh, (Y/n) rather not get killed for it so dumpsters were her favorite go-to. Climbing onto the side, her legs clanged against the metal as she managed to stand up, throwing a fisted hand in the air and pretending it was a hook. Imagining herself to be an adventurous pirate seeking out valuable treasure, she dove in with an "Arghh!" and foraged the basin for edible food as bags of trash and other junk squelched beneath her feet. Clawing through each bag, she tore them open and spilled out their contents, burying herself deep in spoiled food and other muck without a care in the world.
Ending up putrid-smelling was the least of her problems, anyway.
With high hopes, she scoured the bags, although most food she found in her dumpster dives were rotten and indigestible, it didn't stop her from breaking out a wide, toothy grin when she found some goodies.
'Argh, ye maties. Lookie at what me have here: an unopened candy bar!', she thought in wonder, marveling at the sight of it within her small palms.
Today's my lucky day!~
Shoving it into the plastic bag, (Y/n) scavenged for any more edible food before she jumped out, tripping on the metal bar, face pale with fear and surprise as she outstretched her hands to keep from collision.
It didn't help much, by the way.
Falling face flat onto the concrete, she lay there for a few seconds then sprung up unfazed, brushing off the sudden mishap and continued with that funny grin of hers as she skipped along a path to the other children. Passerbyers quickly made way for her, pinching their noses closed as they sought to avoid her like the plague. She was bleeding at the nose and was quick to clean it up with a cloth when she realized what was happening. Finishing up, she tossed the bloodied cloth inside a trash bin when she passed by and upon seeing a familiar alleyway, (Y/n) ran inside, shouting, "Guys, look what I found!"
A handful of children grouped together in a circle spaced out to make some room for her to sit down. Smoothing out her soiled rags, she sat down criss-cross applesauce, giddy with excitement to show her friends what she had brought. Dipping her hand into her bag, (Y/n) whipped out the sacred candy bar, revealing what she had found to everyone with a bubbly smile.
"We're so lucky tod---"
Before she could finish her sentence, the boy next to her who had stared at the bar with a gape mouth and hungry eyes snatched it from her hands and hastily ripped off the wrapper before scarfing it down. Her smile was wiped clean off her face as she threw her hands in the air in anger, gritting her teeth before shouting, "Hey! We were all supposed to share that! You can't just take it all for yourself!"
The brunette who sat beside her trembled, his dry lips quivering in fear; he didn't mean for her to get mad at him. "S-sorry, I was just hungry and I couldn't find anything to eat." Looking at him, (Y/n)'s expression softened and she embraced him, patting him on the back and apologizing. "It's okay and I'm sorry for getting so angry. I can share what I have with you as long as you don't eat everything, okay?" It wasn't his fault he was hungry.
The boy gave her a shy nod as she brought out blemished apples and a half-eaten dish in a take-out plate. He looked at the food in surprise and then at her until his gaze flickered between the two. Shrugging, the girl gestured for him to take some. "I was lucky enough to find some rare gems."
If not for us, good food like this would go to waste.
"Where's everybody else?" For weeks now, she had noticed that their numbers were slowly dwindling. Twenty became fifteen, fifteen became ten, and ten became five.
"It was the Boogeyman!", a boy answered.
"It wasn't the Boogeyman, stupid!", a girl retorted.
"You don't know that it wasn't the Boogeyman! Charles told me!", the boy replied, pointing at the brunette next to (Y/n).
"Well, he's dumb! Charles doesn't know anything anyway!", the girl huffed, shaking her head.
Interjecting, the (h/c)-haired spoke, "Gaile, stop! Don't say such mean things to Charles. Look, you're making him sad!" Turning her head towards the crying boy, (Y/n) rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Try to be nice."
Gaile crossed her arms with a "hmph!" and stuck out her tongue, causing (Y/n) to pout. She wasn't sure if the Boogeyman was real or not but what mattered to her most was the fact that her acquaintances were slowly disappearing.
Darn you, Boogeyman.
Finishing up, (Y/n) said her goodbyes as it was getting late and the sky was darkening into hues of black so she hurried over to her sleeping spot in a separate, secluded alleyway. Adjusting the leaves on her makeshift cardboard bed, she laid on it and pulled up a raggedy blanket to cover herself as she stared up at the stars.
Touching the necklace that adorned her neck, (Y/n) held the silver locket engraved with the mark of a sea serpent within her grasp and opened it with a click. Taking out a small paper, she fumbled with it as she unfolded it, resting her (e/c) eyes on a woman with a subtle smile and hair that transitioned from (h/c) to yellow, carrying an infant in her arms. She traced the woman's figure, outlining the features of her face along with the small child's.
"Mom...where are you?", (Y/n) whispered, closing her eyes as she clutched the paper to her chest as if in silent prayer. Time had failed her as the years passed and the memories of her mother had faded into grey and eventually disappeared. This was the only thing that stopped her from forgetting her entirely. Bringing the photo back to face view, (Y/n) looked at the torn corner where the face of the man who wrapped arms around her mother was supposed to be.
Folding the paper back into its original form, she tucked it back into the locket and closed the clasp. Shifting, the leaves crunched under her body as she found a comfortable position to stargaze. Times like these she didn't feel so alone; the twinkling dots that brightened up the night sky watched over her, wishing her sweet dreams and a restful sleep as they danced in a beautiful lullaby.
It was all the small child could ever ask for.
●○●
That night was the end.
Rubbing her temples, (Y/n) scooted back on the bed, her back leaned against the headboard.
Kidnapped and forced into a tube, strange people watched and stared at her floating figure. Everyday was the same with pricking needles, corrosive chemicals that burned frenzies through her veins, and her ignored, shrill screams for help. Forced to fight in death matches under the pretense of freedom with the promise of her friends to survive no matter what, (Y/n) had realized there was no escape.
●○●
"Let me go! Let me go!", screamed the small child as she tried to pry the calloused fingers off her wrist, struggling to get away from the dark-haired man in the laboratory coat.
"You little...!", said the man, trying to get a hold on the wriggling (h/c)-haired girl.
"Y-you said you would let me go if I...!", shouted the girl, staring at the bodies of her friends scattered across the white room. Sniffles started to emit from the small child, before erupting into sobs as the frustration, anger, and regret within her intensified. She couldn't go back to the damned capsule to be experimented on, not after all she's done to attain the freedom she was promised.
"Get up.", commanded the man, having enough of her trouble. The small girl kept still, ignoring his words. The researcher grabbed the girl's arm and yanked her up, anger flaring in his nostrils and patience running thin. The girl screamed, unkempt hair waving around as she writhed in his grasp. The man raised his hand, ready to strike the poor girl as he could no longer suppress his annoyance. The child shut her eyes closed in fear, her tears creating clear paths down her dirtied face as she prepared to receive the blow.
●○●
(Y/n) couldn't think any further, wincing and rubbing her cheek as she could still feel the smack now. It was part of her memory that she left untouched; a time where all her hopes to escape died along with her sense of self. It was a part of her that she tried to keep buried under its grave in her heart; a part of her that was silent, emotionally vacant, desperate to treasure her last breath and die.
Everyday she had the same thought:
What grave sin did I commit in my past life? I want to know! I want to know so I...so I can repent for my sins.
Please.
Time passed and the world only became darker. The stars stopped dancing; they stopped twinkling and altogether they vanished, leaving her alone. There was no point in struggling to survive anymore.
(Y/n) used to think of herself as a lucky person. Even though there's not much around, some days she managed to find something to eat and a place to sleep. Not every kid she knew had that. But now, sitting in the midst of her misery, she reasoned that she was unlucky. Unlucky to be weak, unlucky to have no family, unlucky to have no one who cares.
But then as if answering her prayers, there was a bright light in the distance at the end of the dark passage she walked. An angel descended from heaven with hair as bright as the sun, outstretching a hand towards her with a graceful smile she never thought possible.
He blinded her.
●○●
"Come."
Blinking, she sat there returning the look in his dandelion-colored irises with a vacant gaze. Shaking her head, she told herself: It's not real. It isn't real.
But she heard his voice again.
"Let's go."
I'm leaving?
She stared up at him, scared that this angel of death might lead her to eternal rest. But that was what she wanted, right? As long as she could leave this place---this place that reeks of skull and bone---, she'd take anything.
Reluctantly standing up on her feet, (Y/n) walked towards the man. Upon reaching him, she latched onto him and buried her face into his garments, surprising the blonde. He let out a small chuckle as he gently smoothed out the girl's messy hair.
"Come on, let's go now.", the blonde whispered and the little one nodded in reply.
●○●
Lifting up the covers of her bed, (Y/n) slipped inside, gripping a pillow to her chest as she reminded herself it was time to go to sleep but soon there was a soft ping from her Pocket.
From: Coffee Addict
Meet me in my office tomorrow morning.
Snuggling her face further into the pillow, (Y/n) closed her eyes and smiled to herself.
That's my angel.
Her persona had changed from happy-go-lucky to somber to something she wasn't even sure of at the moment but she wondered where this journey would take her and who she would be at the end of it.
Just lead me home.
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Bear with me guys, there are only a few chapters left until canon Season 2 and there will still be things happening until then. I just really want to let y'all know y'all.
- Lil Tato ❧
ツ