This chapter will be added as an official chapter in the novel, once it's all edited.

Kira's cheeks flushed magnificently and her lips formed a "v" when she smiled. Her glistening blue eyes sparkled innocently under the afternoon sun.

"Do you know what today is?" Mylo asked his beaming younger sister.

She spun around and fell clumsily into a patch of especially soft green grass. "Valentine's, right?" She giggled, hopping back to her feet.

Mylo blushed. "Y-yeah. We've got to run to the town market and buy some chocolate." Rethinking his statement, he stuttered. "Y-you know, because mother said so."

Kira turned to look at him, a smile on her lips, growing wider in every passing second. "You like Merry, don't you Mylo?" Her voice was soft and giggly, causing Mylo's cheeks to grow warmer.

He turned away from her and smiled to himself. His sister was only learning the ways of life, and he didn't want to taint her mind with thoughts and worldly desires. She had enough time to learn them, anyhow. He didn't need to rush things.

Kneeling, he gathered an assortment of wild yellow and red flowers. He carefully grabbed only the flower on the top, leaving the ugly stem behind.

Kira skipped up behind him and peered over his shoulders.

Mylo turned and fell into the grass under his sister's light weight. He always played around like this, and he loved to see her surprised expression.

"Mylo!" She lost her balance and collapsed next to him, laughing.

"What? You always fall for it." He laughed, and his smile grew larger. "See what I did there?"

Kira shook her head. She understood most of what Mylo said, even though she was seven, but she didn't understand his lame pun.

Mylo sat up on his elbows and yawned.

"Well, we should go into town. I have to be at school in an hour or so." Mylo stood up and held out his hand for Kira, who took it and stood up.

The two skipped happily to the town market, which was only over the hillside of their backyard. The landscape was truly beautiful. Mylo had helped his father tend the meadow for as long as he could remember. His father was a truly sweet man; he would always pat Mylo on the back when they finished working and say "Son, I'm proud of you. You're getting stronger every day."

When Mylo and Kira reached the marketplace, they were immediately offered food from everywhere.

Mylo protected the few silver coins in his pocket with his hand. He did so until they reached the chocolatier.

"Mr. Mylo! It's been a while!" An old man called out at the sight of them. He rubbed a towel over his hands and ushered quickly to the counter, smiling at the children. "What is it today?"

Mylo, feeling heat rising back into his cheeks, pointed at a heart-shaped box of chocolates. The man chuckled as he retrieved it.

"I see you're interested in Valentine's this year." He wrote out a receipt in fine penmanship and had Mylo sign his consent.

"Yeah, well, she's the first girl that I have ever felt this way for... I don't know what to call it..." Mylo pulled two coins from his pocket and slid them onto the counter, retrieving the box of candy.

As they walked out, Mylo thanked the man and Kira waved goodbye.

On their way home, Kira begged him for a bite of chocolate. It was all she could talk about. Her little fingers intertwined with his larger ones as she attempted at retrieving the chocolates suspended in his other hand.

He refused to give her the chocolates. They were for Merry. The girl he had feelings for.

As soon as they arrived home, Mylo raced to his room to prepare himself for school. It was almost time, and he couldn't afford to be late.

But when he strode out, his bag strapped across his chest and the chocolates tucked in his elbow, he heard a painful shriek and then tears following.

It was his mother.

Throwing off his bag and tossing the chocolates to the ground, Mylo raced into the parlor.

His mother was crumpled on the ground, sobbing crazily. Her head rested on a bloodied corpse and Kira stood, wide-eyed, at the scene.

Mylo feel to his knees, as if he were paralyzed.

His father...

What had happened to him?

"Mother-" Mylo took a step with his knee and then froze.

Her hair flipped back as she turned to look at him. Tears streamed down her face and her brown bangs plastered to her forehead. Her hands clenched her heart, and they were covered in blood.

Tears fell down Mylo's cheeks as well. "He's... still alive, right?"

His mother stared at the ground for a moment, as if thinking about something, and then she looked back at Mylo.

"Honey, please take Kira away. We have to evacuate." Her voice was sincere, until she finished speaking. Tears feel uncontrollably after that and she stood up, nodding. When Mylo didn't move, his mother screamed. "Hurry and leave! Head to your school or some place safe! It's dangerous to stay here!"

Mylo, crying as his mother was, grabbed his sister in his arms and dashed out of the house. His mother followed shortly after.

They were far enough away when the house burst into flame. It was like a fountain of fire, and it was beautiful. Mylo didn't see this as a wondrous sight, however. His eyes glazed over with hate for his mother, who had left his father alone in the house.

The chocolates he had saved up for were crushed on the floor, probably thoroughly melted. His father was burnt to a crisp.

Realizing this unfortunate situation, Mylo continued to cry. His tears never dried up, as he kept running.

His mother gathered Kira into her arms and continued running, pressing on Mylo's back for encouragement.

Thoughts bounced around in her head as well. Her husband was killed. How could she explain this to her children? Maybe she could convince them he was trampled by a chariot in the village on his way home from work? Sure, that might work.

The next thought slid into her head, haunting her. She couldn't get rid of it. It distracted her from running.

The thought was reality, and she wouldn't accept it. Slowly, the image of her husband slid into her mind. On his lay a note, sloppily folded.

She remembers opening it, and then dropping it from shock.

It was immediately soaked with scarlet blood.

The words weren't blotted out, in fact, they were more pronounced.

"It's over for you."

Whatever happened, she'd protect her children, and the man who killed her husband would never find them again.

Unfortunately, they only lived peacefully for another year.

Kira died at 8.

Mylo's mother at 29.

And Mylo at 17.

Phantom took pride in their work.