He did not recognize this place.

Yuki stood on a single seamless path. On both sides, he was surrounded by the odd combination of sakura trees in full bloom and snow. Tiny, almost invisible, ribbons of light entangled themselves in the branches and glittered like polished metal. Some had been mysteriously cut short and had lost their shine. Even then, it was beautiful.

A pale hand reached out to catch a single blossom. It drifted through his outstretched fingers and disintegrated once it touched the ground. He felt at peace in this strange world as if nothing could hurt him here. The word echoed in his head: Nothing. Nothing. Nothing...

"Wait." Why was he here? This wasn't home. Where was he exactly?

He desperately tried to conjure up any of his past memories. Fuzzily, he remembered that he had been on his way to the orphanage. Something had happened, but he was not sure what himself. He was sure about one thing though: pain. He had been in a lot of pain.

Idly brushing the snow off his hair and clothes, Yuki decided to investigate. Perhaps walking around would help, he thought to himself.

"Am I walking in circles?" He wondered moments later as he passed a tree that he swore he saw earlier. Sighing in frustration, he leaned against the trunk. It seemed sturdy enough.

"Maybe..." With newfound determination, Yuki grasped one of the branches of the tree and shakily began to haul himself up. The cherry blossoms shook wildly as he lost his balance once. His foot slipped a number of times and had nearly caused him to fall. Now, sitting in a cocoon of bright flowers, he rethought his actions.

"How would climbing a tree help me?" He thought miserably. The blonde sat against the trunk behind him and fought back tears. Only then did he notice a tiny black speck in a lump of snow next to him. Curiously, he dug through to find a black feather. It felt smooth and light. When he held it up to further scrutinize it, the world changed according to his peripheral. He finally looked up and dropped the feather in shock.

The cherry blossoms were no more - replaced by mere blackened skeletons. The snow had disappeared, leaving browning grass. It was no longer silent. He could clearly hear people talking, screaming, crying, and yelling. It was accompanied by the occasional snarl of a predator forming a haunting song of sorrow and misery.

He disliked this place instantly. Looking down, he locked eyes with a person for the first time in this dimension.

All of his memories came flooding back. The first day at school, the pain, the attack, and most importantly, the dark figure in black that was now standing before him. He reached out for his savior, falling out of the tree in the process. Before he could even reflect on his actions, strong arms encircled his waist.

"Yuki..." He looked up, hoping to finally see the alphas' face clearly. But, the world around him was already fading once again. The last thing he felt was the feeling of large gentle hands running through his hair.

The blonde's eyes shot open to stare at the ceiling of his bedroom. He then smiled and uttered a single word.

"Luka..."

Man, I had a severe case of writers' block with this chapter for some reason. *shrugs* It just happens, I guess.

Hopefully, you guys like it. Until next time.

-Alex