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Chapter 4: Chi's story

By blindangel10

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Aki's POV:

Everything was fucking bright. I would have thought that it was the sun that's blinding me. It is unusually vivid today…Just then, I saw a lady waving at me in the distance. Her angelic face caught my attention, even through the distance, her golden hair curled at its ends reflected the sun's rays, it was Summer. I saw her grinning at me, as she always did. 'Good! We wouldn't have the trouble looking for you', I thought.

"Onechan…" she called.

"Summer?"

"Onechan…hel……………"

"Summer? Is that really you? Where are you?" I groped my hand to reach for you, but I couldn't reach…Summer was beginning to fade with the brightness of the surroundings, the light seems to drown her, and I can only hear her. Why is it this bright anyway? This is getting a little irritating…

"I can hear you, Summer…I can hear you whispering so loudly in my ears..."

"Aki…Aki…"

This time it wasn't Summer anymore. A rather familiar voice, soft, distinct…I recognized it belonged to Chi. But I couldn't see her either. What's wrong with my eyes? "Where are you,guys? If I found out you're making another blastin' prank on me, I'll kill you all."

"Aki!!!"

"What the hell?!

"Whew!! I thought you were dead already!" Chi said as she wiped the sweat trickling on her forehead.

"Chi!!!!!" I jumped and gave her a big embrace.

"What's your prob? You were asleep…dreaming, maybe, and you were making stupid sounds, I thought you were having a nightmare."

"dreaming?"

Chi nodded a yes and stretched out on the grass. I looked up and the pinkish-violet sky met my eyes. It was almost sunset when Chi woke me up. It was all a dream. But…I never had any dream like that. Yeah, I remembered going in – er – entering – uhmm…how should I put it? Whatever…you know what I'm talking about, right? I think…So, it was really a dream. I hope Summer and Rhye are fine. I wonder where they are right now. I wish I could find them as soon as possible.

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Chi's POV:

"Ne, Aki? Do you know where we are?" I asked her as she laid down the grass.

She stood up and examined the area, the crystal-clear river, a small tree just beside it, and the woods beyond it. Everything looks familiar except for the season; it was spring when we left the Manor. It was autumn now. The small tree barely had any leaves hanging on its branches now. Everything was so calm…peaceful…lonely, just like those days...

"Ne, ne, Nuz, may I speak with father for a moment?" the little girl asked an old man, maybe in his 60's, wearing a tuxedo that's supposed to be uniforms for servants. Nuz, however, was a personal servant of one of the richest people in Vyerd, a larger city, beside Ryda.

"I'm sorry, m'lady, but your father had instructed strictly that no one should be admitted in his office unless it's a very important matter." Nuz replied to the little girl.

"But, it's my birthday today...isn't that important enough?"

"Ah…well, in that case, I guess, I have no choice do I?" he smiled to the little girl as he opened the door for her.

"Thank you, sir." She gave him a charming smile and marched in the big room.

"Daddy!!!" she ran to him with her hands open to embrace him.

"What do you want?" he replied coldly, without even returning the warm embrace her daughter longed to give him.

"What? Daddy, have you forgotten? It's my 16th birthday today! You promised you'd spend the whole day with me."

"Oh, I completely forgot about it!! I've arranged to meet the governor of Ryda today. And it's crucial that we talk about something." He walked to his desk and read and signed the papers as he talked.

"But, daddy…you promised me first!" the girl insisted, following him to his table.

"I'm sorry, dear. But I can't spend the day with you, maybe next time." He replied almost impatiently.

"but daddy!!"

"I said I can't, Chi!! Isn't that hard to understand? I told you maybe another time. You're not even supposed to be here!!! I've provided you with everything you need, everything you want, right? Is it too hard to understand that my work won't wait for me, if I don't do it right, I might end up being one of the largest losers in town! I've got to keep my name clear, I can't be irresponsible now. Understand?! Now, here's a credit card, buy everything that suites you. Just leave my alone in my work. You can leave now."

Without saying a word, Chi ran outside holding the credit card her father forced her to hold. Her face wet with tears. As she ran outside the door, Nuz called her.

"M'lady, happy birthda—"

He wasn't able to finish the sentence because Chi ran off and cried even harder. She locked herself in her room and didn't come out until the next day, when Nuz, having the key to every room of the Genjo's mansion, opened her room and found her crying in the corner.

"M'lady…I've brought you your breakfast, your favorite I might say." He said to her, placing the tray on to the glass coffee table in the center of the room.

"Throw it away. I don't want to eat anything, or do anything."

"You mustn't do that, m'lady. You'll get sick if you try to."

"Well, that's more I like it!!! Now, please get out and take this stupid credit card back to my so-called father!" she threw the credit card and hit Nuz in his chest, yet he made no movement.

"M'lady. Your mother wouldn't not be very happy to see you like this." He said with his eyes to the floor.

"Don't you dare speak of my mother! She's now dead, she's not here, and she never will be!" She shouted back, choking with sobs.

"It's your 16th birthday yesterday, right?"

"Who cares about it anyway? Damn it!"

"Your mother…she told me to give this to you when you reached your 13th year, m'lady."

Her sobs suddenly stopped and looked up to Nuz. She saw a silver chain, hanging on to Nuz's right palm. At one end of it, was a pendant, a round silver pendant, although it looked more like a locket. When she opened it, a picture of her parents and her were sticking to the left side, while a watch was on the right side.

When she felt the locket on her own hands, she began to break down again, "I wish mom was here! Why did she have to leave me?"

The crying and sobbings of Chi lasted for quarter of an hour. Then, she stood up and thanked Nuz for giving her the necklace. After reassuring Nuz that she would take good care of the necklace, he took leave of her, and she decided to move out of their mansion and go to the town of Ryda, next to their city, where her cousins, Aki and Summer were living with their dad, and her father's brother.

"Those were the days…" I let out a sigh as I uttered those involuntary words.

"What?" Aki asked me, I think she heard what I said.

"Nothing…Just reminiscing memories." I replied to her, as simple as possible to get her out of the topic.

"Well…Chi, we are in the world of memories right now."