We forge our futures out of our expectations of what it should be, but the unfortunate ones might end up in exactly what they thought they couldn't be, and what's the price they have to pay for such hurtful unfulfilled expectations?

Hearts are a currency in this world. You tear it down to small bits, giving each a failure, each heartbreak, each loss and each pain a bit till you run out of it, you're broke, you're striped out of your feelings just like losing that small heart of yours.

It's a matter of time.

Merit was a subject of time's deceit, scattering her heart away as quick as a sword cutting through time's neck mercilessly, her loss was yet unrecognized by her mind, she was running out of time before she'd realize she has lost man's most valuable treasure. And her time was ticking.

George had shown her the good face once Ross was out. He begun drowning her with his honey-coated illusive tongue, but, she could hardly let go of the humiliation she has experienced, she can't run away from the children's mocking faces once she was back again into the dorm.

She curled herself up into her bed after she had put a battery into Mechi who lied silently beside her observing the sad mess she had become, beside her was the diary closed just like her well to read it.

"I'm so confused. I don't know what to do anymore.." She let down a tear.

"I hurt Ross..But I was afraid of George..I'm a coward." She continued.

She sobbed with her face buried in her arms, she tied every laugh around her, every word and every move to herself as if everyone's eyes were all on her, she felt torn down, her body all bruised and stomach empty, George has given her two days off til she recovers.

"Maybe, you need to talk to someone." Mechi said.

"I don't have anyone..Everyone here is delighted to see me like that"

"Why do you think everyone is your enemy?"

Silence went on as Merit failed to answer that question, she felt attacked by just thinking of that, but deep inside her, she knew Mechi was right.

But she had to be like that. Living on the streets of the merciless industrial city, she fought to breathe, fought to survive a day and was getting devoured by every eye marching on the endless streets. She was threatened by every look, despised by every worker bee that felt she stained the golden ground they've walked upon, and it was a life of a war between a child and a city striving for the goodness of a machine rather than the life of a child.

She was exhausted and frustrated but forced to think of what she did. The consequences of refusing Ross's help was approaching her, she thought of how long she'd have to be a slave for George who wouldn't have a second thought before throwing her into the solitary cell again.

"I think that someone out there would be happy to know your burdens, Merit, and she's probably waiting." Mechi said, but before he could continue, she was already moving out of the dorm room with Mechi stuck deep into her pocket.

She joined the crowds, melting in them. She put on her hoodie and hid away her eyes in shame. As deeper as she went in, she didn't realize where she was going. Her empty stomach was hurting her and her eyes were swollen with tears.

Her legs knew more than her.

After she had escaped from the walking dead, she found herself standing in front of a familiar door, a door in the middle of the suburbs, she hesitated to knock but before she even did, the door was opened and she found herself facing old Menda who had a very heart warming smile that made Merit feel the strangest feeling she didn't have in ages.

It was the feeling of home.

"Hello, little Merit, come in! I've made a special orange pie for you."

Merit got in feeling confused, Did Menda know she's coming?

She sat on the chair beside the fireplace where Menda told her to wait a minute.

"It's delicious! You're gonna love it, dear." Menda said from the kitchen as Merit inhaled the smell that quickly numbed the feeling of sadness she had.

And as Menda came out with the pie, Merit felt overwhelmed by her kindness to the point she found her tears streaming down her cheeks and a bit of tangled words poured down through her bruised lips.

"What's it, Merit? What happened to you?" Menda said as she sat down beside her concerned of what those tears were for.

"I'm so confused and powerless.." Merit sobbed.

"It's okay, it's a part of our nature, but I'm sure I can help"

"No one can help, I've ruined everything myself" She continued sobbing as Menda kept calming her and once she listened to her rumbling stomach, she didn't hesitate to lighten the mood and offer it to her.

"What's confusing you, if I may ask?"

Merit started eating the pie with her tears dried, but this time, Menda noticed how her appetite was diminished and almost non-existent, in time, she realized that Merit wasn't in good shape and the thick coat she wore might be covering something.

"All I can say is that I've been given an offer to go back to Ilusia but I was threatened not to accept it..and I didn't.."

"Threatened? Who's this asshole who dares to threaten a child? Ugh, go on, dear, do you wish to go back?"

"I..I think it's better to go back..Nobody likes me here.."

"But you have people there?"

"Yes, quite a few..A friend and an old man, they were really nice to me."

"Then, that threat shouldn't have scared you."

"Why..?"

"You've people that are ready to protect you, and your choice is clear, you want to go back, then you go back"

"What about the threat? This man can hurt me!!"

"No one can if you're so far away in your beloved ones' protection, being lonely in a land of viciousness is the greatest threat you'll ever face, Merit."

Merit took those words as a motive. She calmed down and finished the pie, then slowly that broken smile and fixed slightly a little bit, accompanied by a warm hug Merit gave to old Menda warming each others hearts and forming a bond that promises nothing but happiness and kindness, those two were meant to help each other, and Merit promised to return the favor.

The black thickened clouds were relevant to the observer. When one's heart is lightened by slight joy, the blackness of the world fades away bit by bit, drawing another version of the world only your eyes can see, the beauty of a hidden world only existing in the mind of the happy is unimaginable, yet, hurtfully temporary.

Once again, Merit's leg leaded her to a destination without any thought, it was Ross' whereabouts.

Breathless, Merit climbed the stairs ignoring the crowded elevator and went ahead to the room number Ross gave her, as excited as she can be, she didn't pay attention to taking time off to think again about that decision. She knew once she was in that room, she would be taking back her life, she'd return back to Ilusia and once more be bounded by its misery, it's sweet misery.

She knocked only to find the door slightly opened, she got in and took a moment to breathe, but what she found made her breathless, her eyes grew wide opened and her voice was lost somewhere her head, her insides were boiling with fear and anger, it was what she feared the most.

"Filthy rat thinks she can escape us..Look at you, grew even stinkier." laughed the black hats agent with a dirty smirk on his pale face, Merit was trapped.