s it seeped steadily from her nose and ears, falling in slow, rhythm

the so

ed deep inside her mind, lingering

eir silhouettes framed by the dim light behind them. Tsukia was slumped against th

side and cupped her face gently,

hile, Jasmia knelt beside the shattered remains of the flowerpot, staring at the shriveled, ashen petals befo

Tsukia-to see people genuinel

pered at last, her voice fragil

t then the weight changed. I didn't understand how to

and gently began wiping the blood from her face with

id softly. "You're

r her breath, leaning slightly into his touch despite the vo

orced a lighter energy into the moment, cutting through the h

then handed her a tissue be

er in the day. Yet even as the water ran through her hair and the cold spray touched her skin, her thoughts remained fixed

etly resolved to understand herself m

htly, his energy sharply contrasting the h

ightening them carefully over her knuckles. She hoped the physical barrier might help conta

her face, she finally followed them down the dusty path leading towa

g jagged against the hor

ed her "home," or at least what she had been told to call home. Years of isolation made it feel less like a p

ough Lori's, pausing in the middle of the path as if to pull

finally brok

ds with potential," she said lightly, her tone delibera

er the Tasukai

d. His expression changed-not just a smile, but something closer to convic

ore the world beyond these borders

though speaking the dream alou

ve way to noise, movement, and life as they approached the market. The smell of w

er store, the heat of the sun had

air thick with stale tobacco and the sharp, chemical scent of floor wax. The coo

meat wrapped in wax paper, bundles of slight

cks of cream-filled cookies from a shelf, holding them like treasure. It was a shared comfo

chirped suddenly, pulling a black over-the-knee dres

dy enough. After a moment, she added it to their growing pile, along with a few more practical pieces,

dity. After a short wait at the checkout, they finally left

own at the long receipt i

nsive," she muttered, flicki

eps down the sidewalk when the

lence. From a nearby alleyway, five men stepped forward. Their he

he weak without hesitation. The leader, a man with a jagged scar

ries, kids,

allets, and maybe we won'

diately, sparks flickering faintly in her h

irl," the leader

rd. His expression hardened completely

, he condensed the surrounding humidity i

t water, boy," he

ut the man shifted fluidly, his body turning into a liquid b

t was clear Lori was losing ground. His attentio

Get back- I'll

uck him square in the chest. The impact sent him flying ba

g blood, his head ble

r with fire," the man sne

" Jasmia

ked-not just anger, but something deeper. The Disaster inside

d didn't feel

shi

been pushed underwater. The air no longer felt like air, but somethin

blurred a

dark

tor

s being seen thro

because they disappeared, but because they no lo

ay, muffled, distorted, as though he

a wasn't

s stil

chi

thought faintly, expe

never

d, stepping back with a p

t is that?"

d his eyes

e saw

r the girl he had s

g patterns that looked less like corruption and more like a structured seal breaking open

vani

she was ten

was standing

with one hand as easily as

hoked, as his gang

agged obsidian claws. For a brief moment, her gaze shift

ached out and t

ch was

her voice hollow, like wind e

e into his phone, his v

act the Government!

nged instantly. The black energy around h

tegrated before

f dark energy fo

wed was no

s to

r moved until there was n

t, but Tsukia did not bli

he murmured, her voice vi

TO

ly broke through the

ody did n

ching from somewhere distant as her

e her was no lo

s roa

UKI

nally pierced t

ke a falling tide. The sp

g at her blood-stained hands as

cried, pale

to wail in

injuries. Jasmia's hands glowed a

et's go!"

er up instead and ran with him. Just a