A young girl scratches two pieces of wood together with a frustrated mutter. She tries her best but to no avail. The cave around them was far too damp. Droplets of water from above drip around her. Her rags were covered in a deep red. She heard groans coming from Hiro in the corner. She crawls over to him as he shifts around in his sleep.

  she watches him for a few moments before his eyes slowly open revealing his swirling black iris’ with speckles of white.

  “Are you ok…?” The young girls’ voice is still raspy from the day before. But she was alive. Unlike any of the others…

  ”Where… Where am I?” Hiro slowly lifts himself off of the cold hard floor with a wince.

  The young girl stands, her legs still shaking. She tries clearing her raspy throat.

  “I dragged you here after you saved me. That was your gift wasn’t it? I’ve never seen a colour like that before…” her eyes were sparkling at him as if she was in awe.

  Hiro stared back at her unsure of what she was talking about “my… gift? What do you mean? Colour? I-“

  His hand slams against his head as a piercing pain strikes true. The young girl raises her hands to help unsure of what to actually do.

  “I’m ok… I think…” he shakes off the pain as he tries standing. His leg gives way and he falls back to the ground.

  the young girl grumbles “You shouldn’t move. You just slept from darkness all the way to darkness again.”

  Hiro finally got a good look at his rescuer… this girl couldn’t be any older than 8 years old. Her short black hair meant that her scar across her neck was entirely visible and it looked fresh. Her beaming eyes stared at him. He looked around at his surroundings, a dark cave with a pathetic attempt at a campfire sitting beside him.

  “How did I get here?”

  ”I pulled you.” She smiled as if she didn’t understand why it was impressive.

  ”how?”

  she raised her 4 arms… 4?!? 5! 6! Who the hell is this girl?

  she smiled, “It’s my gift. You have one too right? My mummy and daddy always told me to hide it but since you have one we can both show it right?”

  ”Gift? Oh you mean like Asahi and Zero…” he put his hand to his chest trying to hold back some emotion flaring within.

  “Are they your family?” She tilted her head innocently.

  ”No. My family are…” he raised his head slightly to see her staring back at him awaiting his answer.

  ”My family are elsewhere… they were just people I was around that had those same ‘gifts’ that you talked about”

  “What colour were their eyes?” She pointed at her glowing red eyes, her precious brown eyes seemed to be overtaken by a red glow.

  “I guess I never realised they meant something…”

  She giggled as she tapped just below her eye “Of course… Mummy said it tells you who’s dangerous and who’s not!”

  “What colours are- AAAGHH” An intense pain flares in his head once more causing him to put his head to the wet floor below.

  “A-Are you ok?!?” She panics once more as she tightly grabs the back of his shirt and shakes him.

  The pain subsides, his breathing steadies as he lifts his head. “Sorry… I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

  The young girl looks terrified…

  ”What's your name?” He talked through calming breaths

  ”Alice… What’s your name?”

  “Hiro. Where are your parents Alice?” He finally lets go of his head as the pain completely leaves him.

  “They are dead”

  Hiro was taken aback by the bluntness. His thoughts are filled with his mother… even his father… she’s so young and yet she’s been through the same as him.

  “You’re just like me then Alice.” He tried smiling and placing his hand on her little shoulder. Her body jolted as tears rushed to her eyes. Those once piercing red eyes had softened into a deep brown.

  Alice practically threw herself into his chest and cried. Hiro wasn’t ready for it. She was so weak. So fragile. He remembered his mother’s words… keep smiling… she used to tell him that his smile would help ease pain. Alice needed that now.

  Hiro patted her back as her cries grew louder. She had clearly been holding it back. Just like he was now.

  ”is this storm ever gonna pass?” Isamu stomps through the snow in the general direction that the footsteps were going until the snow hid them from them.

  Rose chuckled as the snow barrelled down. “No idea but we should probably find some cover this is really bad!”

  they pick up their pace to a jog as they spit a small cave off to the side. It looks pretty hidden away and could be of good use to wait until the storm passes.

  they both sigh as they step into the cave. They pull their hoods down and shake the snow off their jackets. Isamu lifts her goggles onto her forehead as she pauses.

  ”do you… do you hear a fire?” She puts her hand on Rose’s shoulder

  “now that you mention it… you think we should leave?”

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  ”nah. I’m sure it’s fine.” Didn’t sound convincing.

  their footsteps echoed deeper into the cave as they cautiously crept towards the light.

  as they stepped closer both of them were nervous…

  but no one was there. There had definitely been someone here recently but what was left was some rags that could have been used as blankets and a fire that was still going.

  ”must have left recently…” Rose investigates closely looking for any sign to point to how many people it was.

  ”looks like it was just two?” She lifted up a bloody shirt “one of them might be injured…”

  Rose raises her hand asking for the rag. Isamu throws it over and the wind sweeps it into the fire.

  ”dumbass.”

  “You asked me to throw it don’t call me a dumbass!” Isamu’s stomping and shouting makes Rose giggle as she wipes a tear from her eye.

  Rose sighs before looking towards the exit “Where the hell could they have gone?”

  Isamu gives a frustrated groan but answers anyway “I’m not sure but should we even be searching for them? You saw what the church looked like… they could probably kill us in a split second”

  Rose runs her fingers through her Snow White hair, “yeah but… what if it’s just a scared kid…?”

  Isamu rolls her eyes and shakes her head “Do you even listen to daddy? These people are screwed up! Take it from me I was with Hiro for a short while and those people are freaks.”

  Rose looks to the ground “I know… but they can’t all be in the same category surely?”

  Isamu places her hand on Rose’s shoulder “Rose… Stop being sentimental with these assholes.”

  Rose averts her eyes from her sister and walks towards the exit “Let’s go. We can keep going the way they were”

  Isamu sighed and shook her head “Rose… how in the hell are we supposed to know where they were going?”

  she brought her hand to her chin to think. “There’s a small village nearby… I assume they had no idea where they were so most likely they would’ve just went the opposite way they came in… the village is that way… long shot sure but…”

  “you’re serious?”

  “Yeah… you can always go back to the camp Isamu.” She had a twinge of disappointment.

  Isamu sighed and pulled down her goggles “don’t be a moron. I’m coming”

  Rose smiled as she brought up her hood. “Let’s go then.”

  They both stepped out into the swirling snow as Rose held her sister’s hand and pulled her towards the village.

  Zero sat alone at the entrance of the capital. Her eyes scanned the road awaiting any sign of Hiro. None came. This was her third day straight just sitting here.

  Hiro… where are you?

  ”Zero.” Asahi’s voice knocked her out of the trance but she didn’t look up. She didn’t say anything.

  Asahi leaned against the wall. “How long do you plan on waiting? We have to go to the rebel camp shortly.”

  “it can wait. Now leave me be” her voice was cold and she never turned to look at him.

  “oh come on Zero… he probably just… urgh” He couldn’t really play the cold Yoshida family member. He was worried about Hiro. But the Yoshida family came first.

  “look… I hope he’s fine and I’m sure he is… he probably just needs time right?” His emerald eyes moved around her armour waiting for any sign of a reaction. But she just sat there unmoving staring outwards.

  he sighed and wiped the snow off her shoulders. “We’ve got two days before we really have to head towards the rebel camp. That’s all I can give you…”

  he glanced back at her as he walked away… Why the hell does she care so much… why do I care so much?

  Zero looked down at her gauntlets. She slowly pulled them off a finger at a time. Her hands were oddly fragile looking for the warrior she was. She had cuts and bumps where she had been holding her self made weapons but her small hands reminded her of the woman she once was. She felt the cold snow against her palms as her breathing slowed.

  Hiro… Where are you?

  “Yeah I’ll have some more once this winter finally passes… feels like it’s been here for ages.” A tall older man lifts a box of breads onto the counter. A woman then lifts them away into the back of the store. She hands him a small cake.

  ”on the house” she smiles.

  he nods and takes it. As he steps out into the harsh cold he notices a young girl in rags walking into a small clothes store. He followed her in and watched as a man looked around with her for some more suitable clothes.

  He had to say something. This felt too strange.

  ”hey uh… is this your sister?” He tapped the man on the shoulder

  “huh…? Oh uh”

  “Yes! He’s my big bro!” Alice grabs hold of Hiro’s arm as she smiles wide.

  “oh really?” He looks at Hiro as he awkwardly smiles back

  ”you don’t look much alike…” he raised his eyebrow suspiciously before giving in with a sigh

  ”just make sure you take care of her ok? She shouldn’t be walking around in this weather like that” He looked around and found a small coat. He dropped some silver on the counter and wrapped it around her.

  “there you go little lady…” he rustled her hair. “You don’t look too different from my daughter when she was younger… man do I miss those days…”

  ”you have a daughter?”

  “yeah I do. Back home… she wants to go out and see the world but I keep trying to tell her the world isn’t as nice as she thinks it is…” he rubs his nose bridge as he shakes off the thoughts.

  “Anyway… Sara is one thing but are you really capable of looking after…” “Alice. Her name is Alice”

  The man reaches out and shakes Hiro’s hand “The name is Allan. I’m a baker from quite far… I go to small villages like this who don’t have the usual trade roads in… help them out a little you know.”

  Hiro smiles “well nice to meet you…”

  “you good kid?” He can tell that Hiro is putting on his smile but can’t place why.

  ”of course. Anyway I should go.” He looked back and waved at Allan who was watching him and Alice go. Alice bumped him and showed off her cute jacket. She swirled in the snow shouting for her “big bro” to look at her.

  Alice begged him for a piggy back and he obliged. He carried her to a small inn right next to the entrance to the village. The short stone wall surrounding the village stopped at the wall of the inn. Hiro asked for a room. He didn’t have any coins.

  the receptionist was hesitant but after seeing Alice she allowed them a room so long as no one else tried to buy it for the night.

  Alice snuggled into the raggedy bed… it was pretty clear she hadn’t even seen a bed in a long time. She was out like a light. Hiro leaned against the wall as silence lay. He buried his head into his hands and ran his fingers through his hair.

  Mother… How am I supposed to keep smiling knowing I’ll never see you again.

  he slid down the wall and brought his knees to his chest. He thought about Kyoko… she was the only one left.

  ”it’s dark Isamu c’mon let’s just grab a bite to eat and take a room.” Rose was practically dragging a moaning Isamu towards the small inn.

  isamu groaned as she dragged her feet “I just want to go home.”

  “Oh really? I hadn’t noticed.” Her sarcasm was well and truly picked up by Isamu as she huffed and puffed.

  Rose placed a few coins down “Could we get a room please?”

  the woman sighed “Oh… ok yeah just wait a second”

  “what’s wrong?” Rose tilted her head confused

  ”oh I have a room up for free but since you two want it I’ll get them out” she lifted herself off the chair and headed up the creaking stairs.

  Rose and Isamu followed. “Who was it? Did they look beat up?”

  ”huh? I mean the guy did a little… had weird eyes… the girl looked happy though… alright she had a bad scar on her neck” she stood outside the door preparing to ruin Hiro and Alice’s night.

  just before she knocked the door swung open. Hiro stood there confused

  “Oh? What’s wrong-“ his eyes widened as he locked gazes with a woman he hadn’t seen in a little while. He’d recognise that dark red hair anywhere, not to mention the goggles he gave her.

  “Isamu…?”

  her eyes widened, they were practically sparkling as she smiled “Hiro?!?”

  Rose smiled “oh? Hiro?”

  “Rose too?”

  she hid her blushes “You remembered me?”

  ”of course! Your book helped me a lot…” he swallowed as if the breif moment of happiness was ripped away by the memory of everything that had happened…

  his eyes met Isamu’s again and he pulled her in for a hug. He reached out and pulled Rose in too.

  He hid his face in between their shoulders.

  “What’s wrong Hiro?”

  His only response was to flash that smile that hid darkness behind it.

  Isamu gasped “Hiro! Your eyes! What in the hell happened!”

  “huh? What do you mean?”

  Isamu and Rose lent in and looked closely… his iris’ were black, swirling around as if holding another night sky within, slight sparkles or white dotted around…

  ”What happened to you?”

  Hiro smiled. “Nothing.”