"Okaa-san! Otou-san!"

"Where are you?"

My voice echoed down the hallway and I could hear the sound of my footsteps as I walked. Where was everyone?

I clutched tighter around my bunny toy, a birthday present that Okaa-san got for me. The air around me was filled with the smell of blood, making me feel scared. I followed the scent to a closed door on the left side. I reached up for the door handle, but I was too short. But, as I tried to reach for the handle, the door opened.

"Aiko-chan, Okaa-san is here."

I felt her warm arms wrap around my small body, but as she does that, I feel moisture from her face onto the back of my hand. It was tears, mixed with Otou-san's blood. Her long wavy hair hid my right side from the rest of the room. I then felt a small explosion on the right side and the sound of dust falling on the ground.

"Aiko-chan, you really a child full of love, and for the 3 years that you were with Okaa-san and Otou-san, you brought love into our lives and we really loved you as well. But we are tired of life. We are old, too old to enjoy the glories of life."

I felt her embrace tighten around me, her blood-mixed tears soaking the shoulder of my shirt. I felt confused. What was going on?

"Otou-san didn't know how to tell you this and decided to leave first, leaving Okaa-san to explain this to you. He loved you with all his heart but he couldn't muster the courage to tell you that. Just like he couldn't when with me."

I could hear her choking on her words.

"But Okaa-san and Otou-san can't be with you anymore and we're sorry that we can't. Your uncle, will be here to pick you up in an hour, so sit in your bedroom for a while, okay?"

"Yes, Okaa-san"

She gave me one more squeeze and led me to the door. After a few steps, I heard metal meet flesh and the sudden explosion of the smell of blood.

I dropped the bunny toy on the floor and ran back. When the light from the hallway shone on Okaa-san, her eyes closed, tears trailing down her face as blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. Her hands held tightly around the hilt of a sword, blood splashed over her dying body.

Her eyes opened slightly and I heard her cough. My legs no longer able to take my weight collapsed as I sat paralyzed in the doorway. My eyes couldn't blink, wouldn't blink.

"G-gomenesai, Aiko-chan"

Nothing was missed, nothing, by these eyes of a 3-year old child.

Pant.
Pant.
Pant.

I could hear my breathing echo around in the room. What was that? My head began to hurt and no matter what I did, the pain wouldn't go away. I felt myself tearing up at the mental pain and I covered my ears with my hands to try to dim the buzzing sound in my ears.

"Tsuki-chan!"

I felt a hand rest on my shoulder and everything stopped, the pain and the buzzing. I slowly lowered my hands and opened my eyes.

I just realised that I was no longer in the hall listening to what Shizuka was trying to say. I was sitting up on a bed with clean clothes on. There was only a shimmer of light from the window as the moonlight tried to reach in through the curtains. It was night.

"Tsuki-chan, are you alright?"

I didn't know what happened. I couldn't move. I heard the voice and wanted to see and meet the one who was staying by my side but another thing clouded my vision and made me paralyzed with fear.

From the edge of the moonlight from the curtains, I could see blood flowing from the edge of the curtain and spreading along the cloth, inch by inch, taking over more of the its fresh whiteness. At the bottom of the ray of moonlight, a puddle of blood had developed and began to flow through the cracks of the wooden floor, moving, creeping, like a large hand, closer towards my bed. A gust of wind pushed the bloody curtains out, making the spray of moonshine greater, showing me how far the bloody mass had spread. My hands clutched at the sheets as I tried with all my might to turn, to shut my eyes and hope it would disappear. But it wouldn't let me.

"Tsuki!"

A mass of brown hair broke my view with the moonlight as I felt the warmth of someone surrounding me. A hand caressed my head, murmuring gentle words in my ear. Like a spell, I felt my muscles relax. The figure pulled away and placed their hands around my face and wiped the stray tears from my face. I could only focus on the concerned, brown eyes. Then I heard something, though it was barely a whisper, but I knew I heard someone say:

"Aiko."

The bonds that were on me had been released and I saw Takashi sitting on the side of the bed in front of me.

"T-takashi?" My voice was hoarse and I had trouble with the syllables. I heard him let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness you're alright. You had us all worried, especially Yuki. It's been 5 days." He used one of his hands to move a stray piece of hair from my face. He released me and stood up to leave.

"You look tired, you should rest." He turned around and reached for the doorknob. I looked anxiously at the window before reaching out and catching Takashi's hand as he was leaving. When he turned to look at me with his confused eyes, I felt slightly embarrassed but I was scared.

"Please stay with me. At least until I fall asleep."

He smiled and nodded, helping to wrap the sheets around me. My eyelids yearned for me to go to sleep and I felt safe, knowing he was going to stay.

And his warm hand holding onto mine.