Akane groaned as she stood. Her body ached and she was alone. All around her were paintings and sculptures. None of them moved. Everything was inactive.
"Shizuo!" Akane didn't want to be alone, not here. "Shizuo!" Still calling the other's name, she ran. Akane ran through the maze of artwork, looking for the blond made.
"Akane!" Shizuo exclaimed when the child ran into him. "I was worried when you weren't here. Are you alright?"
Akane nodded. "Y-yeah. I think so."
"Good. What about your rose? Mine lost half its petals, in that fall."
"Really? I better check. Let's see, my rose has…" She trailed off. "I don't have it. My rose… It's gone!"
Shizuo was panicked. That much was obvious. So, Shizuo wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry. It's in this room. Let's just be careful and search, alright?"
Slowly, Akane nodded. Shizuo was right. They weren't in any danger yet. So, they just had to be careful and look.
Their search began. They looked on the floor and in the sculptures. Behind and around things. But they didn't find Akane's rose, which worried the child.
"Oh look. I found something so little and blue. Five petals left."
Shizuo and Akane froze, and from behind a sculpture, Izaya stepped out. Akane's blue rose was in his hand. "What would happen if I took this petal off?"
"Don't!" Shizuo reached forward, one hand before stopping. If he ripped the flower from Izaya's hand, then a petal would stay with the raven, harming Akane.
"Hm? Want this? Sorry~ I don't do giveaways. Ah, but I will trade it for something of equal or greater value."
Shizuo ground his teeth as he glared at the other. How he wished he could punch the smug smirk right off Izaya's face! Something of equal or greater value, huh?
"Shizuo don't! I'm okay! Really! We can get out of here without my rose!"
He didn't pay any attention to the child's pleas. Instead, he held up uis own, golden rose. "Will this work?"
"Twelve petals instead of five… I'll even throw in a bonus." Izaya snatched the golden flower from Shizuo before tossing Akane's blue one forward. "And your bonus." A pink key was tossed at them. Then, Izaya ran off, laughing as he did.
"Shizuo…"
"Let's keep going. We can escape before he does anything."
Akane frowned, but nodded and the two of them walked. Soon enough, the exit was in sight.
Then, the statues started to move.
They couldn't hesitate. Shizuo and Akane ran. Ran to the exit. Every time a statue would move to hit Akane, Shizuo would get in the way.
By the time they reached the next room, Shizuo was covered in bruises and cuts, and he was breathing deeply. Obviously, he was hurt.
"Let's keep going."
Akane frowned, but nodded. If they stopped, then it was all the more likely that he wouldn't last.
The only way out was through a hallway, so that was where they headed.
Shizuo's breath grew more ragid as they walked on. More cuts and bruises appeared, until he coughed up a bit of blood. Things weren't going well.
"Shizuo!" Now, Akane's eyes were wide, and she was clearly worried. Shizuo wasn't doing well. It had to be his rose. His rose that Izaya had.
"I'm fine." They both knew it was a lie. There was blood dribbling from the side of his mouth, and all over were cuts and scrapes and bruises. There were so many that it was affecting him, when usually, he wouldn't even notice the wounds.
"I just need a bit of rest."
As he spoke, Shizuo lowered himself, so that he was sitting, his back against a wall. He wasn't doing well at all.
"But Shizuo-" She didn't want to waste any time. They had to escape, or else get Shizuo's rose back.
"No. I'll rest. You can get my rose, right? Then, we can continue on. I trust you."
Akane swallowed before nodding. She was strong. She could do this. "I'll… I'll get it and be right back." She smiled so that she could reassure Shizuo before continuing down the hall. Eventually, the child came to some stairs that led upwards. Izaya's voice echoed from above.
"Yes! This is perfect. Perfect~ One will stay, stay, stay. And I can go. Go to the world of humans. The world of my father."
Izaya laughed and walked away. Akane knew he did because his voice faded, and then there was the sound of a door opening and closing.
Akane took this time to walk up the stairs before gasping.
A pile of eleven golden petals and one withered stem were piled in the middle of the room.
"Oh no… Shizuo…" His flower… It was gone. No… It was there. Just in parts. Quickly, she gathered everything and ran back down the stairs.
The child flew down the hall, until she came to Shizuo.
The blond man was slumped forward, his eyes closed. A peaceful look was on his bloodied face.
"Shizuo… Come on. I got your rose… We have the key. Let's get out of here."
There was no response. There wouldn't have been. But Akane didn't want to acknowledge why. She knew, but she couldn't bear the thought.
"Resting? I guess that's good for you. You're hurt, you can just catch up after the rest." She smiled, before placing the petals and stem next to Shizuo.
"I guess we should make sure Izaya doesn't stop you." After just a moment of hesitation, Akane grabbed the lighter from Shizuo's front pocket. Izaya was a painting, right? So he could be burned…
"Catch up soon, Shizuo."
Akane didn't wait for the answer that wasn't coming as she made her way back towards the stairs. The room held two doors. One was blocked by vines.
There was no hesitation as the child used the lighter to burn the vines away. A door was revealed. The room inside the door was barren, excepting a painting that was on the wall.
The painting wasn't a painting. Or rather, it looked like the person in the painting had walked out of it. Which he had.
Slowly, Akane walked towards the painting, the lighter in her hands. "This is you. So, let's get rid of you."
Right as she got to the painting, the door opened, and Izaya entered the room.
"You… You were supposed to just go on. Not stop here!" He had the knife in his hand, and Akane screamed. Quickly, she lit the lighter and held the flame to the painting.
It lit instantly, and so did Izaya. Akane didn't wait. She ran out of the room before exiting the house, which turned out to have been the one that was locked without a lock.
