(A/N) RAWR. Sup :D I apologize for the chapter coming a little later, schoolwork took over D: But I really enjoyed this chapter, focused solely on the twins and their story. Please, enjoy~!

Len ran.

Len ran faster than he ever thought his legs could handle. He ran, as though the faster he dashed through the corridors of the school, the more reckless he was at veering around corners, the nearer he was to whatever destination his legs were taking him, the farther away that pain he felt in the club room would be from him. He thought, if just perhaps, he sprinted fast enough, he could escape that anguish that consumed him and imprisoned him in that room. He could tear through its barrier, shattering it, like breaking through burdening chains.

Yet that pain followed him, lingering in his shadow as his feet hit the tiled floors. It loomed deep in his innermost core, hiding beneath the piles of data collections and memories that masked his true feelings, true memories. It was those visions he pressed down and interred in his mind for so long. It was the footsteps he heard—he felt—behind him when he abruptly stopped walking. It was the single voice behind him crying his name as he halted and caught his breath. That single voice…

"Len!"

Len could recognize that voice immediately. It was a girl's voice, a voice that was usually so cheerful and charming, laced with a tomboy tenor. Yet why, now, was it engulfed in such desperation and distress, tinted with exhausted breaths?

"Len, please, stop!"

Why was this voice now, as it howled helplessly, nothing more than the utter embodiment of agony itself?

Len could feel himself caving into the sorrow. But, no—he couldn't. He couldn't allow that. Len ran farther.

He dashed, choking down an uninvited sob. He sprinted, sprinting farther from the voice, farther from the footsteps behind him, farther from the pain—and that knowledge that it would eventually envelope him in its torment regardless.

Len ran.

It seemed the end of infinity when Len's legs at last collapsed under him, and he crumbled to the awaiting grass beneath him. He wheezed for air, his entire body trembling. When his blurred vision began clearing, he could at last see his unsteady hands planted in the glistening grass rustling in the winter breeze, and the scattered white pixie flowers dancing among the blades of grass. And when he was able to recognize the mint-blue shade of grass, he cursed at himself through his panting breaths. He continued spitting swears at himself, clenching his fists and striking the dirt with fury. Why oh why, he asked himself, did he have to stop here…

When he lifted his head, he found himself gazing upon a gorgeous lake in front of him, shimmering in the pale sun peeking through the silver clouds above. Its water stirred gracefully, colored in shades of azures and sea greens, surrounded by a beautiful ocean of blue-green grass around the lake. Why, he wondered, did he turn that corner to that stone trail that lead to this place, enclosed deep in the woods? Why could he have not kept straight at that main street? Why?

"Dammit all…"

He shut his eyes and hugged his knees to his chest, absorbing the essence of nature around him. The name of this secret world concealed among the towering trees of these woods echoed through his mind as he closed his eyes—Whisper Lake.

Along with this name, even now, he still remembered that day at that very lake, so long ago…

Childish laughter rang throughout the enchanted forest merrily, as the two golden-haired siblings raced through that narrow stone trail. The brother of the pair chased after his sister as she beckoned him further into the woods.

At last, with the young girl halted, and with gasping breaths the boy exclaimed, "Jeez, sis! What is it?"

"Here!" the girl sang as she gestured her hand to the scenery in front of her.

That brilliant lake, Whisper Lake, calmly stirred ahead of them.

The golden-haired boy was awe-struck as his sister proceeded, her eyes closed wistfully. "They say if you close your eyes, you can hear the fairies of the lake whisper the confessions of all the couples that ever entered here in your ear…"

Reluctantly, her brother shut his eyes, hands in pockets. After a brief moment, he grumbled.

"Sis, I can't hear anything, I think you're just crazy—"

His griping was cut off when he opened his eyes and saw the young girl staring straight at him, as if in a daze. They stood like that for a long moment, until he at last stammered, "Wh-What?"

As if this awakened her, the girl blinked before giving off a nervous laugh. She twirled away from the boy and skipped towards the lake.

"They also say if you throw a pebble into the lake, the number of times it skips is the number of years before you fall in love! I wanna try, lemme see~!"

She found herself a smooth grey stone and tossed it into the lake, before whining and stomping her foot on the grass.

"No~! Five years? That's too long~!"

Pestered enough, her brother yanked at her arm and dragged her away from the lake, muttering, "Yeah yeah, I'm hungry, let's go."

Yet, before the girl could protest, he added quietly,

"Though, it is a pretty lake…maybe we could visit again some time."

Len opened his eyes once more, and sighed, noticing the sky darkening. He stood up at last, ambling towards the lake. That was only the beginning…

He collected a smooth pebble and examined it for a moment. Finally, he clasped the stone in his palm and hurled it towards the lake.

The pebble crashed into the lake and sank the second it touched the surface of the water.

Len chuckled to himself at the sight of this. He never was the best at skipping rocks…

After a long moment of merely gazing upon the lake, his hands tucked in his pants pockets, he contemplated returning to his school, or perhaps home. No one would find him here, not even Rin; after the "incident", she no longer had those precious memories that her brother held to his heart like a safety blanket. She forgot it all.

This silent conclusion he made in his head is why he was so absolutely staggered when he heard that tomboyish voice calling—or rather, crying—his name behind him.

"LEN!"

Wide-eyed, the boy spun around and froze in shock when he felt arms fling themselves around his neck, and a head bury itself into his shoulder, sobbing miserably.

"Rin…" he murmured, still unmoving, yet a tinge of pain ever so slightly tainting the expression on his face.

"Oh, Len, I'm so, so sorry!" the girl collapsed against him continued to wail, "I never forgot your promise. I'm so sorry…I just thought that maybe we could meet our creator and beat him up for his cruelty, or something… I never forgot, Len, I never did…I'm sorry…"

Len began to notice the girl's knees caving in, and crumpled to the ground with her, steadying her trembling shoulders with his arms. How she had discovered his hiding place, he did not know. But no matter what, he could not bear to see her cry so helplessly.

Gazing at her with sorrowful eyes, he sighed a puff of air and reached for her hand. She hiccupped and quieted her weeping when she felt his pinkie intertwine with hers.

"Eh…?"

She looked up, and her tear-stained face met the boy's somber one. He smiled at her woefully.

"It's okay," he whispered, "Our promise was never broken."

Neither of them were…

The golden-haired girl stared for a moment more before blubbering again, tears welling in her wide eyes. As she pawed her hand to try wiping those overflowing tears away, Len let out another puff of air through his forgiving smile, and gathered the girl in a hug.

The sudden embrace ceased the girl's breath, along with her tears.

"Please," with closed eyes, Len murmured in her ear, "Don't cry anymore."

His wish was granted, and she silenced her sobs. The boy helped her stand, and together, they both gazed at the enchanting lake in front of them.

"They say that if you close your eyes, you can hear the fairies of the lake whisper the confessions of all the couples that ever entered here in your ear," Len at last announced.

He shot a stunned glance at the girl beside him when she replied with a shy smile, "I know."

What? But she never remembered Whisper Lake…

She tilted her head towards the boy, and grinned. "I hear them," she added, as she began skipping away from him, from the lake.

Len merely stared her on, until he sighed to himself once again, almost in an amused manner, and trailed along behind his sister, teasing, "Nah, sis, I think you're just crazy."

(A/N) OwO Kaaaaaawaiiiiiiiiiiii =w= Kk, gtg to bed now. I apologize if I'm late sometimes nowadays, school is hell =A= Thx for reading!