---CHAPTER IV: Gunshots (Part 1)---

~Third person PoV~

"I can't help but have a very unpleasant feeling about this place..." France said. He then notices a certain British man being uncharacteristically silent, so he turns to him and spoke,

"You've been really quiet for a while now.What's wrong? Is there something strange here?"

".....No... There's nothing

... or no one at all." England replies.

"Russia and the others are on the first floor." China said.

"Yes, I know that.When I said there's no one here at all, I meant...How should I put it?

It feels... as though everything has been

...consumed..." England says slowly.

France then tilts his head. "You mean you can't see the usual illusions? If even illusions have been consumed, maybe we really should keep out."

"I agree. In that case, I'll go and take a look upstairs.What are you going to do, Opium?" China asks.

"I don't really want to stay on this floor. I'll go upstairs, too." England replies.

France pouts. "You're both leaving me here all alone? Well, then, when you're done checking out upstairs, we'll meet again here."

China nods. " All right, then we'll leave the second floor to you."

"30 minutes should be enough. Don't fall asleep on us, France." England says skeptically.

"You can trust me~ Well, see you later." France says as he walks over to a room by the far end of the hall.

-----

~England's PoV~

"Are you going to start from that room over there?" China asks France.

"Oui~ That room is bad news, isn't it? I'll leave it for later!" France replies. He then enters the room and closes the door behind him.

"Let's go upstairs, then, aru." China says as he turned to me.

I nodded. "Right, let's---"

Suddenly, the door behind China bursts open and we hear someone shout.

"Prussia?! Are you oka--...."

It was a young girl with (h/c) hair and (e/c) eyes. She was wearing a bag over her left shoulder and looked really frantic. She suddenly turned to us and her face grew pale.

"Wh-What are you doing here, miss..? Are you okay?" China asks the young lady.

She suddenly went back into the room and called for someone.

Vaguely, I heard her say Japan's name. But then, she became silent.

China then spoke up. "Is someone there with you, aru?" He then walks into the room. I followed. What surprised me was that, the room was empty.

"They're...gone." The girl said.

"...Who..?" I asked.

Before she could reply, she suddenly collapsed on the floor.

"Aiyah! Wh-What happened to her? She suddenly fainted!" China exclaims.

"Good god. Hurry, let's transfer her to the bed here." I instructed China.

This is getting weirder and weirder. I took her wrist and felt her pulse. It wasn't weak so I breathed in deeply in relief. China, on the other hand, fans the girl like a tornado. He seems very worried. I tell him to calm down which he eventually does. ...He still fanned like crazy, though.

Minutes later, the girl was slowly regaining consciousness. Eventually, she fluttered her eyes open.

"Wh...What happened..?" She asked weakly as she sat up.

"Well, love... You somehow burst through that door, looked at us, and then fainted." I told her with a confused expression.

She just stared at me for a while and murmured something.

"No way...You're..."

"Hmm?" I moved closer to hear her better.

She shook her head. "N-Nevermind.. What I meant to say was... I was looking for a man named Prussia...Have you guys...seen him?"

"I'm sorry..but we haven't seen him. We just got here." China replied.

She then gave a surprised expression. "Really? You just...got here..."

The girl fell silent for a few moments.

"Then...that leaves me all alone." She stated.

I tilted my head. "Alone?"

China's eyes widened. "Wait...Why are you even he-"

"Listen, if it's not much of a bother.. can I join you guys?" The girls adds quickly.

"Well... Sure.. It's not like we can just leave you here all alone, aru. You agree, right, Opium?" China asks.

"Of course. It is a gentleman's duty to make sure of a young lady's safety, you know." I said nonchalantly.

The girls face suddenly brightened up with a smile. "Thanks, E-...Er.."

"Let me introduce myself, I am The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But please, just call me England." I told her.

"My name is ______ ______. You can call me (first name). It's a pleasure to meet you, England." She said as she extended her hand towards me.

Being the gentleman I was, I took her hand and kissed it. "The pleasure is all mine, miss _____." I said.

After that, she turned a few shades of red. Oh dear. Did I do something wrong?

"Uh. Ni hao! I'm China, by the way." China cuts in.

The girl seemingly regains composure and smiles at China. "Hello. I'm _____." She said and once more extended her hand. This time to China.

China takes her hand and shakes it.

Oh.

A hand shake.

...

My way was waaay better

The girl then clears her throat. "Ahem. Thanks for helping me. Anyways...uhm, so were are you guys to?" She asks.

"Well, we were going to check the third and fourth floors." China replies.

"Hold on, are you alright now?" I ask her.

She smiled at me once more. "Yes. Thank you for asking. I am very much okay now so uhm, let's go take a look upstairs together...I might find Prussia there."

China and I nodded and we all went outside the room.

Again, I felt...the cold.

"Let's go, quickly. If we make America wait, he won't shut up about it." I told China.

China takes a closer look and me. "You look pale. You really hate it here, don't you?" He asked. He didn't wait for me to answer though. He walked a few paces towards the stairs.

"..... I never thought I would envy peoplewho can't 'see' so much." I said in a low voice.

China must've heard me. "What was that? I didn't hear you."

I shook my head. "Nothing."

I turned to _____ and saw that she had a sullen look on her face.

"You sure you're okay now, love?" I ask her.

She seems to have snapped out of a daze and turned to face me. She gave a weak smile and shook her head. She then started walking in front of me and up to the stairs. But ever so faintly... I heard her mutter something under her breath.

" .....I, on the other hand, just never thought I would envy people who don't 'know' as much."