...

...

...

"Aza, wanna go climb that tree?"

"W-Wait Ren! That's dangerous!"

"Wooo! Check it out! It's so breezy up here!"

"Ren! Be careful... kay?"

"Aza! c'mere! It's pretty fun!"

"No! You know I'm afraid of-"

"W-Wait... w-woah, oh- ooohhh!"

"Ren!"

"!!!"

A gasp leaves Ren's mouth as his eyes shoot open. To a bright light, he jolts his body upwards, yet straps of bandages stop him in his track, "gah!"

"Ren!" A pale hand quickly holds his shoulder. Ren looks to it's owner, seeing Charlie's unscathed face eyeing him with worry.

"Charlie..? Where are we? Where's Niz?" Ren asks with a croaky voice as he lays down.

As the ceiling fan swipes its board, Charlie twirl her fingers together, "we're in the hospital now. And Niz... he's getting his wounds checked, but I'm sure he's okay..." She says the last line with a tone of worry.

"And what about you? Are you hurt?" Ren responds.

"Oh, I'm fine... Don't worry about me," She says nonchalantly.

Ren's ears relaxes down, "Well, that's a relief..."

"So, about Niz... Is he in a bad shape?" Ren's lips quivers.

"No!" Charlie slams the bed, "he's... He's fine..." She lowers her head, squinting her eyes as she clenches her fists, "he has to be..."

At her shaky voice, Ren clenches his fists and closes his eyes as he hugs his knees, "Goddamn it..." His thoughts travels to moments before, when he got all that chance to subdue the wasp, but didn't, "If only I was strong enough-"

"!!!" The door barges open.

"Fucking... let me see him!" Niz's growls enters the room, together with other distressed voices.

"Sir! Please! You're not in the condition to do this!"

"Sir, please calm down and get back to your room!"

The nurses groans as they hinders Niz's steps, pulling him away from the doorframe as he tries to pull himself in.

"I don't give a fucking... Damn!" With his strength, he manages to fend off the hands and tentacles holding him back. As the nurses recuperate, he quickly steps in and locks the door.

"Niz!? What are you-" Charlie stops herself when Niz drops to his bum, weeping for air. She then goes to him, helping him stand.

"Damn... Those nurses really took a toll on me..." Niz releases himself from Charlie's hold to stretch his arms, "well I guess if you work as a nurse in this kind of city that kind of strength is mandatory..."

"Niz! You're okay!" Ren gasps in joy.

"Could've said the same to you," Niz smiles.

While the two boys smiles, Charlie stares at Niz with glassy eyes and pouty lips before she hugs him tight.

"Whoa! Now where is this coming from?" Niz playfully says.

"Idiot! I thought you were dying!" She burry her face into his chest.

"Well, you're the idiot if you thought that weak ass venom was going to wreck me good," Niz giggles as he embraces her back, "don't worry old hag, I won't die."

As the two release their holds, they glances at Ren, only to see his smug stare.

"What?" Both murmur their lips.

"Nothing~"

"..." Both stare with half lidded eyes.

After a steep silence, Ren put his fingers on his chin, "Anyways, guys, come here for a sec," Looking at each other, the couple comply, sitting on the chairs beside his bed.

Ren mumbles his lips and rubs his thumbs onto each other before he asks, "so, do you guys know what the hell actually happened?"

Niz and Charlie furrow their brows and tighten their lips.

"I have no idea..." Niz murmurs.

"Yea, me too," Charlie adds.

Ren bites his nail as he clutches his bedsheet. From what he could remember, a stray car suddenly rushed towards them before a giant wasp- the same wasp he saw from Sion's memory attacked them. In conclusion to that, he discovers... Nothing. Except more and more unanswered questions.

"Has the Chief been informed of this attack?" Ren raises his ears.

Niz crosses his arms as he hunches, "I mean, you're the one working in the intelligence agency, so..."

"Actually, whoever you're talking about might already know about this, cuz someone called the Knights, thought they arrived late," Charlie mentions.

Ren closes his eyes and sigh, "well, I guess if the Chief already knows then she could do whatever..." Though Ren hates to admit it, the Chief is indeed a genius at linking the seemingly out of topic into relevance. So, maybe he can hang his hopes onto her for this one. Maybe what she has said is true; the branch she leads is only muscles and no brain.

And when he glances to Niz, he could feel that he's thinking the exact same thing.

As Ren deepen himself in his thoughts, he hunches forward, only to snap back, leaning against the headboard, "s-shit..."

"Careful! Your wounds isn't fully healed yet!" Charlie warns.

"I know... I know... Guess I'll just lie down for a bit," Stinging pinches still roams across the back of his neck, though they dampen as he lay on the pillow.

"Haaah... I'm kinda sleepy now..." Ren yawns, "do you guys mind if I..." His eyelids begin to jolt up and down, "if I..." Then finally, they close shut, followed by some light snoring and murmurs from his lips.

"Ren? Hey, are you awake?" Niz moves his hands towards Ren's face, though Charlie is quick to swat it away, "Hey, let him rest. It's been a long day for him..."

Niz sighs before he yawns, "I guess... I should take some rest as well-"

"For your information, visitor hour is over approximately thirty minutes ago. So you both need to go home now."

"Gah!"

"Ah!"

To a chilling voice, both turn around to see the same, tall, ragged lady that took care of Ren on his last hospital visit.

"O-Oh... It's just you doc... Wait, how did you get here?" Charlie raises an eyebrow.

"The how doesn't matter, all you need to do is leave, unless you're planning to watch over him like yesterday."

At that, Niz looks at Charlie, "Well, do you want to, Charls?"

"What about you?" Charlie grabs her wrist.

"I'm planning to go home and make the scale remedy myself. Is it okay for me to go now, doc?"

"Well, If you're not feeling ill anymore, sure. The venom you're injected with, direwasp venom I believe? Is not that potent. Though I believe it's due to the innate resistance you possesses as a Draconic. Fascinating if I may add. It would be a different story if this Kitsune here was the one stung."

"Eheh... I suppose we're quite lucky..." Niz scratches the back of his neck.

"Anyways, are you willing to stay or should I kick you both out myself?" The doctor leans her head forward, emitting her dreadful aura.

Charlie glances behind, seeing Ren sleeping soundly and peacefully before she turns back with a sigh, "I suppose I should go home. Otherwise my parents would be quite... Frantic."

At that, Niz raises an eyebrow, "I thought you said to not worry about your parents?"

"Well that depends. Can I stay at your place for tonight? I don't trust you making the remedy yourself anyways."

"Y-You don't have to worry about that you know..."

"..." Charlie keeps her stoned stare.

"Don't stare at me like that! Haah... But well, if you insist, then let's go, we can visit Ren first thing in the morning," Niz takes the lead in walking towards the door, while Charlie takes one last glance behind.

"What are you waiting for..? Go. I need to check on the other rooms as well," The doctor silently steps back and phases through the wall, leaving the trio alone.

"C'mon Charls! He'll be fine!"

"I know... I know..." Shaking off the worry from her head, she goes to follow Niz out of the door, though she closes it with a slow slide as she makes sure that he is indeed soundly asleep.

"Clack."

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...

The ticking clock chases its opposing needle, letting out its rhythmic tocks.

...

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...

...

...

Whooshing ceiling fans initiate the room's breeze, bringing with its winds some silent creaks.

...

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...

...

...

"You have such wonderful friends... don't you?" Emotionless and cold, a soft female voice whispers as a delicate finger brushes a strand of his hair away from his closed eyes.

After a silent thud lands, a shadow casts itself over the sleeping fox, while another cold breeze enters through the window. As a pair of purple eyes stare coldly at the sleeping beauty, the moonlight shines its way to casts a thin, feminine silhouette standing beside his bed.

The figure narrows her eyes, scanning him head to toe, before stopping to stare at his peaceful face. Sighing, she turns to the moon, letting its light reflect on her eyes.

"Ren, get well soon okay..?"

"Hmm, don't worry Aza..."

Those past voices flashes so suddenly, it leaves her lips slightly parted, yet she grits her teeth as she clenches her fists.

Her half lidded eyes turn to Ren. With silent steps she approaches him while the swishing ceiling fan foils the silence. Slowly, she reaches her hand towards his face, fingers arched and stiff. With each second her eyes start to open, deathly staring as her hand moves closer and closer.

Yet at the last second, her other hand grabs her wrist. Her eyes stay agape as she pulls her curled palms to her huffing chest.

"Hah... Hah..."

"Hah..."

"Hah..."

...

...

Aza! Wanna play Mario-cart tomorrow?

Aza~ Yaka~ happy birthday!

Aza... This movie's scary...

Aza...

Aza!

Aza~

...

...

...

Aza... You'll stay here with me forever... Right?

...

...

...

"Tch..." Her shaking lips contrast her glare. With a swift slide, she releases her blade from its hilt, pointing it downward right above his heart.

"Ggh..." Yet, even her tight grip couldn't stop her shaking hand as her huffs turn to quivers. Slowly, she takes the blade back, away from him.

Before she immediately thrust it back towards him.

"..."

Only for it to stop inches away from his skin, staying idle as the blade and its owner tremble.

With eyes wide awake, she backs away with flimsy steps before her legs give out at the third one. Her hand, still trembling and still clenching the blade tight, rises to her front. She stares at it for a second before her fingers go limp, dropping the blade with a faint clank. With her other hand, she grabs her twitching wrist, clenching onto it, trying to hold it still.

Her eyes are now glassy with a bud of tears ready to fall out of each corner. A soft sob comes out of her, before a sniffle follows, "Why... Why..?" She whispers to herself as she wipes her tears, "why can't I do it?"

"Isn't he a stranger now?"

Flashes of his warm smiles follow each teardrop. She closes her eyes, keeping them tightly shut as she pins her hands onto the sides of her head, but no matter how much she tries to dampen those memories, they always come back.

"Aza, look! A pretty little bunny!"

Stop.

"Hey, Aza, here's a little something for you!"

Stop.

"Aza... Are you okay..?"

Stop!

"You'll always be my bestfriend, Aza!"

I said stop!

She wanders into one memory into another, all equipped with the same smile she thought was forgotten, all comes to an end, only blackness is left within her headspace.

"Clack."

Yet out of it.

"Clack."

Echoes those familiar footsteps. Their owner greeting her with his wicked smirk.

"Heh..."

"Daughter..."

...

No...

"Did you miss me?"

He approaches her with his arms outstretched.

S-Stop!

"Let me show you..."

No... Stop!

"How hard life could get."

No!

"All you need to do is..."

Please... I don't want to-

"Trust me."

Her rain of tears comes to an end as her eyes turns blank. Her limbs dropping limp, she stares into the emptiness in front of her, before her lips slightly parts.

...

"Yes. Father."

Eyes locked towards the sleeping fox, she approaches as she unsheates another blade. Thus a shadow looms over him, and that shadow has two dots of vivid purples glowing emotionless while a shimmer of moonlight reflects from the blade in the shadow's hand.

"For your mother's sake..."

For mom's sake.

"Kill Ren Kitsuko."

She flips the blade around, aiming it at his neck.

I will, daddy.

"Swoosh."

...

...

...

Yet, no sound follows, other than a shocked gasp from the awakened fox.

"A-Aza!?" His eyes fixate to the blade inches away from his adam's apple, before they turn to its holder's cold gaze.

Without changing her expression, she lifts up the blade, thrusting it down again.

"Whoa!" He rolls out of the bed in time for her to stab the mattress instead.

Now sitting on the floor, he pushes himself to the bedside counter, "ukh-" he groans as he pulls himself up, yet as he turns around, he sees Azayaka charging towards him with her blade behind her back.

He throws himself to his bed, dodging a swift swing that cuts the heart monitor behind him clean. Without any pause, Azayaka spins the blade and jams it towards him, but again, he rolls to his right, avoiding the strike.

"W-Wait! Aza! C-Calm down- shit!" He stands up only to dodge another stab, this time by stumbling back, the blade cutting a small strand of his hair as he falls.

"Akh!" He lands on his back, but the impact is enough to cause shiver to all his healing wounds.

Not giving him any chance to recuperate, she dives towards him, blade ready to strike. Though Ren manages to grab her wrist with his right arm, stopping her blade inches away from his eyes as she pins him lying on the ground.

"Ggh! A-Aza! Please, stop!" He begs as he struggles to keep her blade away, grunting as he endures the pain of his flexing muscle.

When he looks into her eyes, all he can see is the blank stare of beautiful and glowing purples, yet they're cold, emotionless, like that of a porcelain doll. Even without his aura sight, he could feel that she is surrounded with only the darkest and deadliest of auras. Though his focus breaks apart as she dives her other hand to his neck, clenching it tight.

"G-Gah... Please- Ukh... Aza..." He could feel his throat starting to give out, but he musters all of his remaining energy to clench his free left arm, channeling his electricity to his fist, "please... wake... up!" With a thundering slam to her ribs, she blows away to her right, sliding across the floor to hit the wall.

Grasping his neck as he gasps for air, he stumbles up to limply approach her, "s-shit, Aza!" He grabs her limp body to his embrace, furrowing his brow when he looks at the regenerating burn mark where he just punched her, "shit... shit..." Hidden behind her back, she prepares another blade, "shit!" A sudden thrust causes him to jump back, avoiding it while releasing her in the process.

Unflinching, she rises up and opens her eyes, though they stay half lidded. Ren tries to stand up, but his previous antics have cost him his energy, he could only limp backwards as she approaches while staring coldly at him.

"Wait, Aza- akh!" She kicks his right shoulder, pushing him to the floor before she sits on top of his chest, both of her hands moving towards his neck. She then begins choking him while he could only gasp and feebly hold her wrists, though the panic in his eyes soften, turning into bitter regret.

"Aza... yaka..." Weak and raspy, as his vision begins to blur, his hand trails her arm, "i'm..."

"Sorry."

With a touch of his fingers onto her cheek, her eyes widen.

"Gah!" Ren gasps as she releases her grasp. He immediately touches his throat while clenching his eyes, but he widens them when he sees her staring at her palms, eyes agape before alluding onto him with quivering lips.

"R-Ren... I-I..." In fear, she moves herself away, but Ren grabs her wrist, stopping her before he lifts himself to pull her back into a tight hug.

"It's okay... It's okay... calm down... calm down..." He gently rubs her back, while she begins to sob into the crook of his neck as her arms stays pinned in between their chest.

"Ren... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

"Ssh... It's okay..." He whispers gently, his voice still raspy and weak, "Just... Look at me..." He presses onto the sides of her head to bring her face in front of his. Both look at each other with furrowed brow, one looking with glassy eyes while the other has already begin to spill. His blues meet with her purples, both filled with worry and distress, yet somehow they appear warm to each other; his comforting, while hers fragile.

To him, her cold and deadly aura has diminished completely, replaced with a wave of shy, gentle one that coated her in a tint of warm fuchsia. The one that had always been with her since she's little, the one that he had always remembered.

To her, his warmth outweighs the cold of her mind. So much so that those memories she hated so much comes back to life, only this time they come to remind her of him. The actual him. The one that she had always remembered.

It's as if they've been trapped within a time bubble, captivating this moment in an endless cycle of nostalgia. From their stares alone, both knows that they want this to goes on forever, just them remembering their sweet little bygone past in each other's embrace. Yet they both know that this wouldn't last forever.

So to remember this forever... Her soft, tearful yet nostalgic stare, his warm, firm yet gentle embrace and the unexpected situation they've fallen out of, they've decided. Slowly, melting onto each other, they both starts to lean in into one another, both closes their eyes as their forehead touches. The tip of their noses poke each other as Ren's palm cups her cheek. Then he opens his eyes to meet hers softly. He stares at her features, carefully examining them, the beauty of hers. Her glassy purples, her sharp elegant nose, and then her pair of thin, frail lips.

Is this real? Is what keeps on ringing in his head. Yet that question doesn't pull him out of the dream-like stance engulfing him. It only makes him grow more impatient, as slowly, with his eyes locked onto hers, he moves in towards her, readying himself for his first kiss.

"!!!"

The door slams open before the room's light flickers on.

"Masha'Allah..."

To a raspy voice, both glances in panic.

"I told you... Visitor hours... Ended... Hours... AGO!" Ren's doctor, the tall long haired woman yelled, sending out shivers of dreadful wind alongside her voice.

Immediately Azayaka runs towards the window, before jumping out into the night.

"Wait! Aza!" Ren follows towards the window, though he's not as brave as her.

He feels a sudden shiver from a gaze emitted onto his back.

"Mister Kitsuko... Would you mind explaining... What the hell happened?"

To that, he shakily turns around while he taps his fingers.

"Oh... Um... Heheh..."

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