Another Timeline gone…
One thing she knew and was certain about was the fact that her life would never get easier. The deeper she went into the rabbit hole, the more horrors and hardships were thrown into her face and that's when it's all dark and she didn't have a single clue on what to do. Save for vague goals and herself, there's no one she could rely on. What allies she could make were never as strong as her, never as determined, and never as disciplined. One way or another they would all fall, one by one.
This was the reason she detached herself from her old friends. It hurt her seeing them as much as she wanted to deny it. She would cry every night, remembering old friendships that never lasted until she fell asleep. Even after experiencing sixty three loops, the nightmares continued. Witches of all shapes and sizes ranging from the weakest to the most dangerous haunted her every second she was awake. Coupled with the fact that the origin of Witches were Magical Girls, she long since realized that she simply had too much blood in her hands to bother.
No, she was desensitized to death, she merely looked the other way. No, she hadn't locked away her emotions, she still hurt when she knew that everything won't be the same anymore. No, she wasn't being clever and logical, as far as she was concerned she was still a naïve, hopeful, and stubborn fool for continuing to fight against the inevitable.
And that was to save Madoka Kaname.
She was practical person and she always had a knack for being observant. Spending years looking out of the window of that god awful sterilized room inside that equally boring hospital could do that to a person. Her eyes used to require her old red rimmed glasses yet these days she found no use for it anymore having temporarily healed her ailment with her magic. Still, she could read people better just by looking at them. It was a useful ability which didn't require her magic unlike some powers which, while were very accurate and detailed, used up large amounts of magic.
That way, she could gauge people's reactions and prompt herself to flee once she realized that she was at the epicenter of an incoming Witch Barrier from a resulting Witch Out. It saved her a number of times while getting her out four nasty situations which involved snow cones, swords, and a half-priced meat from the local supermarket.
As sigh escaped her lips as she turned her gaze at the gray skies above her. The weather had been dark, gray and gloomy for the past three days, making her first week in this Timeline cold, wet and frustrating. She didn't show it though, she knew better than to take off the stoic mask she had built up just to mutter angrily under her breath. Self-control was something she was still getting used to, especially after her blunders in multiple Timelines where she became a little bit too reckless for her own good.
She'll never live it down telling Kyouko Sakura that lie after she had enough of the red haired girl's presence, effectively sending said girl to her death.
She winced inwardly at that memory before shaking her head, her long flowing raven hair dancing behind her. It was Tuesday and she was on her way towards school after a busy night patrolling the streets. She managed to get a satisfying seven hour sleep and even work on her homework. The wind was quite cool thanks to the current weather, prompting her to shiver lightly underneath her uniform.
It wasn't even August yet or maybe September and it was already getting cold.
She was all alone in the path she was currently taking, the occasional vehicle at some far off street coming and going at the edge of her vision. She mostly kept her head low as she let her thoughts drift, planning, re-planning, considering ten different variables as well as objectives all while coming up a back-up plan for her back-up plan in case everything goes to hell and Walpurgisnacht arrives three weeks earlier than scheduled. She almost went insane when that happened, her Soul Gem almost turning pitch black hadn't Mami saved her then.
Now that the blonde Magical Girl had entered her thoughts, she briefly wondered what happened to her. Usually, the first contact Madoka Kaname would have with the world of Magical Girls would be through Mami Tomoe or once Sayaka Miki had contracted. With Sayaka Miki confirmed to be a human being with no signs of magic, she considered Mami's entrance to arrive soon enough yet she was proven wrong once again.
At worse, this could be an Anomaly.
And oh did she despise those things as much as she hated a certain wish granting mutant cat. But then again, the general rule for all timelines was for them to be consistent and inconsistent at the same time yet deep down she hoped that the changes would be subtle at best. She didn't have the time and energy to deal with large scale diversions from the preceding timelines. But then again, staying in one routine would definitely get her killed one day so she made sure to practice adapting whenever she could.
She made a mental checklist of her current inventory which consisted her weapons in one category, the two grief seeds from the fused Witch, her golf club and her mobile phone. Most of her living necessities and personal belongings which she always brought with her every time she looped were stored in her apartment. Nothing wrong on that end and after checking her Soul Gem, she found out that it was perfectly clean.
She should be ready for anything.
Well, almost anything.
"Maybe you shouldn't act so distant."
Coming to a halt, she whirled around to look behind her but was met with an empty space.
"She only has one life, maybe you should focus on making her happy?"
She cursed under her breath. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she let out a heavy sigh as she gathered her thoughts. No, she wasn't going to listen to the tiny voices in her head. No matter how much they sounded like her own voice or how rational their arguments sound, she won't listen.
"Priorities. Get them right, you twat."
Okay, now that was just rude—
"Hi there! Good morning, Homura-chan!"
The echoing sounds of someone running towards her came from the path to her left where a girl from off from her friends to come over. Instantly recognizing the pink twin-tails, short stature and red ribbons, Homura felt her heart skip a bit as she internally lost her composure. If it were an enemy then she'd be dead by then, at the very least it was a person she was willing and glad to see despite her circumstances.
Madoka Kaname ran towards her while waving a cheerful arm, clutching her bag on her other hand as she wore a bright smile on her face. Homura nodded once and contemplated leaving quickly and staying. After what happened last time, getting too attached may not seem feasible for the moment and yet…
She dismissed her thoughts and politely greeted back, "Good morning, Kaname-san."
Just as Madoka came to a halt right in front of her, the distinct figures of a blue haired girl and a green haired girl trailed behind Madoka. They seemed to have run as well seeing that they were out of breath. Shizuki Hitomi she could understand knowing that she was a girl of noble upbringing and had lived sheltered life but knowing Madoka outlasted Sayaka Miki of all people in just running was surprising. Homura hadn't gotten a closer look at these two due to the fiasco that was two days ago as well as setting up her new home in Mitakihara but if things went well then this would be a good time to observe them.
"Geez, Madoka…. Haah…" Sayaka Miki clutched her chest while bearing a strained look on her face as she addressed the shorter girl, "You gotta work on your self-restraint! We're sooner to drop dead on the ground than catch up to you… Jesus how far was that Hitomi? Hitomi? Hey you all right?"
"I'm okay! Fine… Perfectly fine, Sayaka-chan… Just… Just… whew…" shaking the fatigue from her head, Hitomi Shizuki seemed to have recovered a whole lot faster than her blue haired friend as she straightened her back, "I think… A mile and a half? That's not counting going through those alleys."
"And we're not even running late," grumbled Sayaka as she patted her uniform and sent a look at Homura once before turning her gaze at Madoka, "So when did you get all chummy with the transfer student? You're friendly with a lot of people, Madoka, but it's just been a week! Let her settle down some more."
She didn't really know how to take that but there didn't seem to be any problems with this Sayaka. Brash, quick to jump to conclusions and naïve. Probability of contracting: high. Of course, it all starts with this girl one way or another. If something happened to her, then Madoka contracts. If something happens to that violin boy of hers, then she contracts. If Mami Tomoe dies, then she contracts. Everything starts with her if Madoka hadn't already contracted or if she didn't know of the Magical Girl system yet.
"Madoka's just cheerful. I'm by no means a morning person but Madoka's energy is quite contagious. The downside of it is that it gets out of control at times, isn't that right, Madoka-chan?" giggled Hitomi as she hid her lips behind her palm, "Self-restraint, okay? Self-restraint!"
"Hitomi-chan!" Madoka seemed to be quite annoyed by this as she pouted her lips and crossed her arms, "You and Sayaka-chan should really take your morning jogs seriously during the weekends. It'll help with the excess fat both of you are getting. It's unhealthy you know!"
"H-Hey Madoka! Not in public!" stuttered Sayaka with a mortified look while Hitomi merely blushed. The blue haired girl then scratched the back of her head as she tried to finds a suitable distraction. Oh joy, her aqua blue eyes immediately zeroed in on the raven haired girl and diverted the conversation, "Anyway, you haven't answered me yet! Introduce us, it's only polite!"
Somehow, she noticed the shiver which ran down Sayaka's shoulders as she said that. Huh. Looks like the Blueberry disliked her still even in this timeline. That could be remedied given that she put enough effort on gaining Sayaka Miki's trust but she didn't really feel like it. Especially after what happened in the last timeline before the one she was in at the moment.
"R-Right!" putting up a straight face, the shorter girl went behind Homura and grabbed her by both arms from the back. Homura didn't resist yet she still buckled once she was forcefully brought right in front of the other girls like some sort of prisoner. After that, Madoka went to the raven haired girl's side and spoke, "Everyone, this is Homura Akemi. I'm sure the two of you know her already but she only transferred here a few days ago and I want us all," her eyes lingered for a moment on Sayaka's making the Blueberry wince, "To get along… Homura-chan, Sayaka and Hitomi. Sayaka and Hitomi, this is Homura-chan."
"It's a pleasure to be introduced formally, Akemi-san," greeted Hitomi with a polite bow, "I do hope you're adjusting well to the class as well as Madoka's behavior."
"Yeah, nice to meet you tooI guess, transfer student," said Sayaka with an uncertain look before offering her hand, a western styled greeting, "Just don't get too close to Madoka, she's going to be my wife after all. I got my eyes on you, bub."
Blinking twice, it was here did Homura reply, "Yes. It's nice to meet you two too. Though not to break the mood, however I think it's best if we moved. We don't want to be late."
"Right! Let's go Hitomi!" finally seeing an excuse ot go ahead, Sayaka urged her green haired girl forward as she ran forth, "Have a nice chat, Madoka!"
"Muu, Sayaka-chan!" Madoka yelled back as Hitomi passed her and Homura once more and waved goodbye.
The pink haired girl waved likewise while she and her quiet companion watched the two girls disappear at the distance. They still had an hour until class so they could walk at their own pace without worrying about the bell ringing just yet. The sky was still gray so it would be better to walk fast just in case the rain decided to fall.
"Shall we go?" prompted Madoka with a big smile on her face before leading the way.
She followed the pink haired girl with her eyes before moving her own feet forward and trailing behind.
"You've been avoiding me, haven't you, Homura-chan?" piped up Madoka as the silence began to creep in, her footsteps light and casual in contrast with Homura's straight and almost militaristic gait, "I've been trying to come in contact with you the past few days but you'd always avoid me in class."
"Have the nightmares stopped?" asked Homura, ignoring the pink haired girl's statement before she could dig further.
It was just a few days after the pink haired girl's impromptu excursion into a Witch Barrier and getting a firsthand lesson unto what the world of a Magical Girl looked like. Homura tried to point out and drive home that being a Puella Magi was stupid and dangerous yet she didn't seem to have convinced the Madoka despite everything. And that's after they were both killed by a time re-looping Witch, Madoka still seemed interested in Homura's world.
And just by coming in contact with Madoka once more and being introduced to Sayaka Miki and Hitomi Shizuki meant that Homura's plan of being distant failed. She hadn't expected it to succeed knowing Madoka could be as stubborn as she was but it seemed that there was no helping it.
The least she could do was damage control, just as always and make sure Madoka doesn't contract or dies.
Answering her previous question, the pink haired girls said, "No, they haven't. I've been losing sleep."
"I see," murmured Homura as she kept on walking staring at the shorter girl's back, "Perhaps you could seek help from a professional?"
"And what should I tell them? Girls need to have their secrets, Homura-chan," glancing back and giving the raven haired girl a wink, Madoka twirled once and continued strolling forward, "They won't understand."
"Broken. Just like you…"
Gritting her teeth, she tried to ignore the voice once again and reply, "Still, you should be more careful. After coming in contact with a Barrier, there's no telling when you'll run into another one."
"I'm careful, Homura-chan!" Madoka made a pout as she looked back once more.
Raising an eyebrow, the edge of Homura's lips twitched as she narrowed eyes at the girl before her, "Yes, and fighting a group of thugs with a brass knuckle is a sign of being careful."
"That was something else," Madoka averted her gaze and sighed, "Besides, you should be the one to be careful Homura-chan. Don't you get tired of it? Fighting?"
"Don't you?" murmured Homura as she redirected the question back.
"She has a point, you know?"
Letting out a shaky breath, she gathered a fraction of her magic and eased her frazzled nerves. It was early in the morning and she was already starting to feel horrible with her skin crawling and the voices in her head refusing to shut their mouths. It was just an aftereffect of entering Witch Barriers, a form of Barrier Sickness, it should fade in a few—
"Yeah, not happening, you ignorant twat."
She just wished it would shut up.
"Homura-chan..? Are you feeling all right? You don't look so good," Madoka's concerned voice fortunately managed to wrench her out of her thoughts and back into reality. She was grateful of course, Madoka had only been the only to do that regardless the timeline. Mami tried once and it worked to a degree yet once the blonde was done in by the Television Witch then that's when everything started cascading down some more.
She would've smiled to herself at that memory, she wondered just how far and how much more she could take before she collapsed. She was already broken and something inside of her was forever lost in the sands of time which she stubbornly turned over and over once a Timeline was on the verge of destruction.
She… She couldn't remember when she broke, actually…
"No," she admitted, "I feel unwell. Nothing you should be worrying about, just a mild headache. It'll pass."
Coming to a halt, the pink haired girl spun once with surprising speed and sent out an arm. Homura would've dodged had she not felt the warm touch of a finger on her lips making her entire body go stiff. Her muscles tensed and she could've sworn her heart rate went up.
Madoka's eyes had a strange light in them, her tone still maintained a casual and cheery tone as she smiled and chided, "That's no good, Homura-chan. If you don't rest properly, then who knows what'll happen to you? I know protecting the city and keeping other girls from sharing your fate is an important job but if you don't take care of your body properly then you'll end up being the one needing to be saved. It doesn't have to be all about you, you know? Besides, juggling being a Magical Girl and a mysterious transfer student's kind of hard, isn't it?"
So she's still doesn't know, hm? She thought as she studied the other girl's expression, Maybe explaining the System to her was a bad idea.
"Still… I was kind of hoping you'd let the storm pass before moving out but it looks like things have turned for the worse," sighed the pink haired girl while placing a palm on her cheek and shaking her head. A moment later she clenched her fists and spoke with vigor in her voice, "anyway, Homura-chan! Have you been keeping track of the news lately?"
Admittedly, she was still settling in and making last minute preparations to her new apartment before outlining the defenses the local Military Base had so that she could procure some more weaponry so she didn't really have time to take a glance at the news. That and her nightly Witch Hunts under extreme caution had been taking its toll on her as displayed earlier.
"No, I haven't. I've been busy," she replied as she and her companion began walking once more. They had forty five minutes left until the bell.
"I'm not going to lecture you, Homura-chan, but there's been rumors flying around and I think they might be connected to the Witches!" Madoka seemed to be really eager to discuss this. It felt quite odd seeing her like this but Madoka was Madoka in the end. Homura tilted her head indicating that she was listening to which the other girl continued, "Witches supposedly influence human beings into doing things they shouldn't, correct? Suicides, depression and other odd behaviors, yes? Would it be a stretched to say that a single Witch could be behind an event by having one person commit a crime?"
Frowning, Homura took a moment before giving out her answer, "No, as far as I could tell, those who bear the mark of a Witch's Kiss tend to involve certain people surrounding them. But for a Witch to use someone for a very specific crime is uncommon. Normally, a Familiar would handle that job by waltzing out of a Barrier and wreaking havoc. With the Witch Population in this city, a single Witch may not be the only one at work here. It may also be that the Witch's nature is the one causing said crime. Was it ever said what this crime was?"
"Well, recently, there had been an awful lot of disappearances in the area. Most of them students and staff members of school. So far, twelve have gone missing and the police couldn't make heads or tails of the case with limited information," a solemn look crept upon the pink haired girl's face as she continued to explain, "W-Well… Only bloodstains are left at the scene of the crimes. No traces of a body. It's scary and I don't even think I would stand up against whoever's behind this but there's a good chance that it's a Witch. Still, I heard that it's been getting worse and one student from our school has already been numbered as the thirteenth missing person this month."
The school was just up ahead, the chattering crowds of students filling their view as they walked side by side.
"What's the student's name?" Homura finally questioned as they passed the gates.
"A senior of ours," replied Madoka, her voice awfully small and vulnerable as she gulped, "She was an Honor Student too. Her name was Mami Tomoe."
Mami Tomoe was dead.
That was the official statement. Homura exited the faculty office with a piece of paper in her hand displaying her ex-upperclassman's apartment. She heard the story from Madoka that morning, sat through class in mild shock as the day wore on before finally making up her mind and visiting the faculty room for the full story. It was a sensitive story so it took a bit of her time to finally convince one of her teacher to spill the beans. The story pretty much went as Madoka described the other missing victims.
Bloodstains on the area where the girl was last seen and nothing more. In this case, the bloodstains were all over the interior of Mami's apartment. The full story was kept under wraps by the school's board members for the week but by the next weekly assembly, the chairman would be making an announcement regarding the recent disappearances as well as disclosing Mami Tomoe's fate. She didn't care about that or what the faculty thought, she was preoccupied with the thought of a veteran Puella Magi dying before the timeline had even begun.
This threw Homura in a loop as she tried to regain her bearings.
Certainly people died a few days after she looped in however it was a first for her to find out that one of her former comrades had already kicked it weeks before she arrived. The chain of events which have the possibility of occurring had all been butchered with a new set taking its place, one that Homura wasn't familiar with. If she hadn't come in contact with Madoka a few days ago, then the pink haired girl would still be blind about the existence of Magical Girls.
Homura was more than capable of dispatching those thugs from a distance and with precision yet she still revealed herself to Madoka back then. Yet she didn't and even went as far as explaining and warning Madoka about the System, about the Magical Girls and about the Witches in general.
The Witch could've been taken care of without Madoka being dragged in as collateral damage.
At the bottom line of this, Mami Tomoe never posed as a threat for disclosing the existence of Magical Girls to Madoka and Sayaka Miki seeing that she was already dead and may have not even contracted… Homura herself showed Madoka what it was like to be a Magical Girl.
And now the pink haired girl still hadn't expressed any intention of disinterest on being one.
"Do you feel like a hero yet?"
"Shut up," she growled as she leaned against a wall and rubbed her forehead.
She pretty much dug herself into her own grave now. But she still had a chance, Kyubey still hadn't shown his ugly face so that was a plus but provided little comfort. She would just need to stop Madoka from contracting and do her best to dissuade her.
"Easier said than done."
"I know," she snapped, venom laced in her words as she glared at the wall across her.
"Well what are you going to do now?"
"What do you think?" she hissed. Great, she was talking with the voices in her head. Just great.
"Don't ask us, we're just a figment of your imagination. But if we were you, keep close to her and you'll be fine."
She perked up at this and rubbed her head. She really needed to see a doctor about this. Nevertheless, she knew that to do now. Investigating these disappearances was on her mental checklist now and she should be able to learn more now that school was over.
Walking down the hall, she nearly bumped into a familiar pink haired girl as she turned around the corner.
"Homura-chan? Oh, so it is you! I was thinking you've gone home already," said Madoka as she smiled warmly. Sayaka Miki was present behind her, giving the raven haired girl a half-hearted wave before turning her gaze elsewhere.
She turned her purple eyes at the shorter girl before her and gave her a nod of acknowledgement as she replied, "I simply had some errands to complete with the faculty. I'm thinking of going home for some rest."
"A rest is good, health officer's orders after all," Madoka stepped back and scratched the back of her head with a nervous laugh, "By the way, Sayaka and I are going to the mall for some window shopping. We thought you'd still be adjusting to the school here so we wanted to invite you."
Raising an eyebrow, she glanced briefly at the blue haired girl behind Madoka and saw that she wasn't really comfortable with the thought of Homura joining in. Going with them would mean that they'll be protected and that she'll be able to keep close watch on them without Mami Tomoe saving them from a Witch Scheduled to appear wherever they go. But then again, she won't be able to investigate the disappearances.
She gave Madoka one last look and saw a strange glint inside the pink haired girl's warm carmine eyes.
Oh…
Ohhh…
So that's how it was going to be, was it?
Seeing as she didn't have any choice in the matter, she finally relented and replied, "I see. Maybe that's what I need, some time to relax. Sayaka Miki."
The girl in question tensed and gave Homura a wary look, "W-W-What do you want, transfer student?"
"Are you a batter or a pitcher?" she asked and Sayaka only raised her eyebrows in confusion.
"You're not making any sense," deadpanned the Blueberry, her lips set in a straight, unamused line.
Giggling, Madoka lent a helping hand by replying for Homura's sake, "She probably wants to play baseball with you. I hear that the pitching machines around the downtown arcade are relatively new and popular."
Tilting her head, the blue haired girl narrowed her eyes at Homura and spoke her words very carefully, "Are you… challenging me, transfer student?"
"Maybe I am..?" murmured Homura, raising her own eyebrow as the atmosphere between her and Sayaka dropped a couple degrees.
The edge of Sayaka's lips twitched as she stared intently at the girl right beside her best friend, "Ohohoho… I knew you got some beef with me so you're thinking of settling it now, huh? Well, I'll be more than happy to take that as a challenge, transfer student! Whoever loses gets to do what the winner asks!"
"Eh?" Madoka was surprised by this as she turned her gaze at Homura, "Um, Homura-cha—"
"I accept," she replied with no hint of hesitation. This caused Sayaka to grin with a predatory light in her eyes glinted dangerously.
Sayaka then walked ahead with a smug look on her face as she slung her bag over her shoulder, "Well what are you waiting for? Let's go! Maybe I'll have the chance to change my impression of you!"
The remaining girls watched Sayaka laugh by herself as she disappeared into a corner, probably to mentally prepare herself for her upcoming duel. Homura merely shook her head and sighed at this while Madoka stifled a giggle behind her hand. It was here the raven haired girl turned to her companion and ask, "Please don't do this…"
"You weren't planning on resting at all weren't you, Homura-chan?" guessed Madoka with a thoughtful hum, "That's no good at all, you know?"
"It doesn't concern you, please stay out of this," muttered Homura in a low tone.
The pink haired girl took a few steps forward to follow Sayaka but turned around with a playful look on her face, "But it does, Homura-chan. You're my friend and you're going to investigate, yes? It's only right that I help you or at least see to it that you don't overwork yourself. Like, right now."
"Is… that so..?" the raven haired girl, she didn't really like the sound of that.
"Cunning."
Nevertheless, she replied, "If that is the only thing keeping you from doing something reckless, then I'll accompany you."
Madoka beamed at this and grabbed the other girl's hand and pulled her along, "Then let's go! You'll be prettier if you smiled too, Homura-chan!"
She only let herself be dragged along, Madoka's words echoing within her mind. At the presence of the pink haired girl, it seemed that the damned voices were being kept silent by her just being there. Homura felt relieved at this fact and allowed herself a small smile.
However at the edge of her vision, she could've sworn she saw a blur of white dart towards a corner and disappeared.
Her blood instantly went cold at this.
She fell back first against the wall, a pool of warm red liquid gathering before her as her open wound continued to bleed out. She kept a hand on her stomach where the blood dribbled out, struggling force it back in with her depleting magic. She breathed in quick and shallow breaths, her lungs stinging in pain as she did with her consciousness slipping every two seconds. She cursed under her breath as she gritted her teeth, willing her magic to heal her wound.
She noted how dark her Soul Gem was becoming and it wouldn't do her any good losing her magic when she had her guts spilling in front of her. She wouldn't put stupid illusions that she made it safely. When a Magical Girl hunted, they hunted with unrelenting ferocity and predatory efficiency that would put the most seasoned hunter to shame. She would've laughed at the tiny shred of hope that she was going to walk away from this alive, not after she watched another Magical Girl got shredded to pieces.
She had never seen a human being she had been yelling at be reduced to hamburger in the matter of milliseconds.
"Fuck," she spat as she tried to move her body, only to notice a dark shadow loom over her.
Her ruby red eyes met with her hunter's weapon, her shocked expression giving into a defeated smile. She had done well surviving this long but even she cannot run forever. Her gaze travelled upwards and just before she could identify her would be killer's face…
BANG
The bullet went through her head, her limp body falling to the side with a pathetic thud as blood flowed from between her eyes. Her Soul Gem was still intact though if given time, she would eventually transform into a Witch. Her killer regarded her with solemn eyes and leveled a weapon at her darkening Soul Gem.
"No," the killer murmured and dismissed the weapon away. The killer already had her fill of victims for one night and she knew that Magical Girls gathered around Witches like flies dancing around a candle light. A cold creeping feeling ran under her skin, making her entire body shiver. She felt horrible, disgusted, and sick. She didn't want to kill anymore, all those girls, dead by her hand. She couldn't take it, not after she hurt so many people.
Gasping for breath, she summoned her own Soul Gem and found out that it was gathering a large amount of Grief too, corrupting her soul, giving her full view of her progress to Witchdom. Panicking, she reached inside her inventory and took out a Grief Seed, cleansing her Soul gem and restoring her magic as well as easing her frazzled nerves. Once she was calm, she looked down on the red Magical Girl bleeding before her and felt a twinge of guilt and regret.
"Sorry," murmured the killer before walking away and kicking off the ground.
A chorus of children's laughter echoed behind her as she left.
She was the Lady of Mercy and she hunted those she wished to grant eternal sleep.
Nicolas Notes: Welp, that happened. Homu's not out of the fishnet yet. Anyhow, rate, review, leave feedback and such. Thank you for your time.