EllaWaterfall2: Marinette is still only a child. The kind of things that she'll see is bound to alter something. Thanks for the kind words though! LOVE YOU TOO! Xoxo

Boi: "I am your creator Sabrina!" That was the only version of that joke I could tell without spoiling anything.

Jy24: ;)

TrimusicalDrag00n90: I don't plan on Dr. Léon getting Innocence, but the idea is cool.

alexc1209: Obvious, huh?

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Chapter 19: Witnesses

There were perks to working in a big hospital, Nurse June realized. Have a disagreement with a colleague? Just go to the other side of the hospital. It was always lively (sometimes in a good sense) and on her breaks, she could enjoy a peaceful walk around. The cons of working in a large hospital, however, was the easy way people could get lost. She giggled to herself as she fondly remembered her first days working there.

But…She looked out a window at the sunny sky. June lamented quietly at the sudden change to her workplace. She was no stranger to the stress this environment created, but this felt different. She kept having this itchy feeling that something bad would happen. Partnered with this new feeling that someone had their eyes on her, she felt creeped out. It sucked that she was going to work nightshift today. June sighed as she looked at the clouds. There was a lot more of them today. She wondered if it was going to rain later.

Suddenly, Jun felt her whole body grow stiff. She felt the color drain from her face and her body grow cold. There was a prickling sensation in the back of her head and ran down her spine. She heard slow clicks behind her and her shoulders tensed. The Nurse felt her heart speed up as she whipped herself around to look.

She saw the smiling face of her fellow co-worker, Lucia. June placed a hand over her beating heart. "Oh! Lucia!"

The other nurse laughed quietly, "Did I scare you, June?"

June nodded with an embarrassed blush. Lucia placed a fist over her mouth and giggled. June laughed along as her eyes looked down at the spider charm around her neck. How…tacky. "Well, what can I do for you, Lucia?"

The woman blushed and placed a hand on her cheek. "I heard you were friends with Dr. Léon?" The way she looked away shyly made June smile with glee.

"We went to school together, yeah."

The woman fiddled with her fingers and looked down. "Do you know if he's…um."

June giggled and skipped over to Lucia. She hooked her arm around her neck and smiled. "Yes, he's still single. But be warned, he loves his job and his son more than anything in the world."

Lucia gave her a smile. Her blush faded and she looked at her with an unknown expression, "Well, we have some things in common then."

The nurse laughed and shook her head fondly. "Two workaholics? Sounds like a match made in heaven."

Lucia turned and grabbed her free hand. She held it tight as she looked at her with desperate eyes. "Then you'll help me?" June hesitated before shrugging her shoulders and nodding her head. Maybe a little work romance for her friend will lighten the hospital's dark atmosphere. Lucia's smile turned wide and she suddenly hugged her. "Oh! Thank you so much!"

"It's no problem!" she hugged her back before they separated. June took note of how Lucia grasped her wrist tightly. There was that bad feeling again.

"Where do we start?"

June hummed and placed her open hand over her chin. "Well, you know about the secret Santa exchange every year in the hospital?" She nodded her head and her eyes brightened. "Well, It's his first year doing this, so why don't you be his Secret Santa?"

Her smile made her uneasy, "Yes! I already have the perfect gift!"

She rose an eyebrow at that. It seemed the little nurse had already planned to give the doctor a present this year. Aww, she's like a little school girl. How cute. She fondly remembered how she had done that in her school days. "Will you show me?"

Lucia hesitated, "You won't tell him?"

"Of course not! I'm not like Jeffrey. That man can't keep a secret if his life depended on it!" She laughed and Lucia escorted her away to show her the present. Along the way, the girls continued to gossip with good-natured teasing sprinkled in.

June couldn't help this dark stirring in her stomach. It was that gut instinct feeling that something was going to happen. She kept looking over her shoulder and eyeing the people they passed by. Unknown to her that the source of her discomfort walked beside her. There was a lingering putrid smell in the air that seemed to grow stronger with each step she took. She waved her hand in the air before pitching her nose. She looked at Lucia.

"What is that smell?"

The nurse tilted her head. "What smell?"

You can't be serious. "How can you not smell that?"

The woman looked ahead and hummed, "What does it smell like?" she asked innocently. They reached a gray door. The smell was stronger and seemed to be coming from behind it. Lucia pulled out a key and unlocked it before opening it. June felt a wave of nausea wash over her as she stared in the darkness.

"Like something rotten!" Lucia giggled and gestured for her to go in. If this is where she was keeping her present, then she had the best hiding spot. No one would dare walk in here.

"Rotten you say?" June hesitated before walking into the dark space. Now inside the room, she started to reevaluate her recent statement. It wasn't like something was rotten. No, it was way worse. Her heels clicked along until she heard a loud mush. When going to lift her foot, she felt like something had stuck to it.

She nearly hurled in disgust at the sound it made, "No, I take it back. It's like something…" she trailed off as she heard the door close behind her with a click. She heard Lucia giggle before the lights turned on. The first thing she saw was white and red. Everywhere. There were webs all over the walls. Then she saw five life-size cocoons stained with blood. The victims' heads were popped out and hanging from the tops. Their skins were dyed grey. The smell plus the sight made her lunch rush up. She did not hold it back as she leaned forward and vomited.

However, when she noticed what she puked on, she shrieked and scurried back. It was a pile of partially decomposed mush. The whole floor, in fact, was covered in bones and spots of these mushes. She stepped back and accidentally stepped on a femur. The nurse lost her balance and fell on her rear. Her whole body was trembling in disgust and fear.

"Like something died right?" she looked up and notice Lucia smiling innocently.

"Wh-wha.." the girl blubbered out as Lucia giggled.

"Wonderful sight, no? Though, it's a shame you ruined Jeffrey there." she gestured to the pile. "He's was my lunch you know?"

June released a cry of horror and slapped her hands over her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes at the sight. One of the heads shifted and let out a groan. Lucia clicked her tongue a few times before expertly maneuvering the sea of corpses to reach the cocoon. She stood next to a small cocoon with the head of a young girl. The girl was bald and her eyes were open yet she stared at nothing. Lucia shushed her and gently stroked her head. The nurse—no, monster glared back at her.

"Keep your voice down, June."

No! This has to be a dream! The woman scurried up and ran to the door. She slammed into it before grabbing at the knob. Her shaky hands tried to turn it but it refused to. She quit her attempt on the knob and banged the door. "Help me! Someone help me!" she screamed out desperately as she banged the door.

Lucia huffed and glided over to her. June looked back and noticed her approach and screamed louder. Yet, the monster grabbed her by her head and forced it the side. She felt something wrap around her form tightly before a piercing pain was felt in her neck. Her body started to feel cold and her screaming ceased. She was released and her body crumpled to the floor. She could feel something running from her neck as she felt stiff. June tried to move her arm, but couldn't even lift her finger. Her eyes remained moveable as she looked towards the one who did this to her.

Lucia was smirking down at her with blood—my blood—running from her chin. Behind her were eight noticeable arms hanging out her back. They looked exactly like that of a spider. Her eyes turned a shiny black and she had a star on her forehead. Her skin was a dark metallic grey. "Well, my break is almost over and I still haven't had lunch yet." she hummed and tapped her chin. "Whatever shall I do?" her smile stretched sinisterly, "Oh! I know, I'll have you~!"

The last thing June saw was Lucia's face morph before her world went black.

After putting the phone back where it was found and Lavi got rid of his gloves (it was so odd to see him handle them as if they were hazardous), they exited the alley and checked out the unaffected side of the building. The whole building was an apartment complex, so if they wanted to be efficient, they needed to question all of the residents. She already felt exhausted.

They entered the building's main door. They exchanged words on what they would ask the residents. Bouncing ideas off each other as they climbed up the stairs to find the witness. They successfully got the right floor, but there were far more rooms than she expected. They went down the line. A few were not home in that moment, but some gladly opened their doors. An elderly couple said they were not at home that night. A single man claimed he heard the noise but didn't see any of it since his window doesn't face the alley. Another (with a window facing the scene) said they didn't hear a thing that night. With the headphones that were hanging around their neck, Ladybug had a good reason as to why.

Then, they reached the last door. This had to be the one from their witness. Lavi swiftly knocked on the final door. A voice answered from inside. A woman from the sound of it. There were footsteps before the door opened halfway to reveal the woman. She was tall and had raven hair. Her eyes―a cloudy gray that looked at them with suspicion―were peeking at them from around the corner.

"How may I help you?" Ladybug flashed a smile before answering.

"We're investigating the scene outside. We've come to inquire about what happened here, Mlle…" she purposefully trailed off.

"Angelica Brillon." the woman filled in.

"Mlle. Brillon, We saw the wreckage that happened in the alley." The woman looked around almost anxiously before opening the door completely. A mutter under her breath escaped her before she sighed.

"I just got home from work, when I saw the mess. I didn't hear or see anything." Ladybug narrowed her eyes in suspicion. The woman seemed to be on edge. She constantly glanced around. As if expecting to be jumped. Her hand stayed on the door as if she was prepared to slam it shut. Her shoulders were stiff and tense. She was alerted and ready.

Marinette's eyes wandered to the interior. The apartment's hall cut right through the center and down to the end. She could see the edge of a counter. Close to the edge was a metal pot. It looked like it was going to―CRASH―fall any minute. The pot clattered to the ground. The hero didn't forget the way the woman jumped. Her mouth opened wide and let out a little shriek that startled Lavi. The woman turned around so quick, she sounded like she was about to hyperventilate. Her hand flew to her chest as if to calm herself down.

She looked over her shoulder at them, "Sorry, I was preparing dinner. I didn't expect…" she trailed off.

The heroes shared a knowing glance. With her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, Ladybug glared the woman. The lady noticed her stare and flinched. "Just as I thought," Ladybug mumbled, "You did see something, didn't you?"

Panicked, the lady hastily denied her. "No! I was coming home when I saw the mess and wreckage. I didn't even hear the kid―" she gasped and slammed her hands over her mouth. Ladybug smirked in triumph before returning her expression back to something akin to neutral.

"Mlle Brillon, Please, you need to tell us what happened." The woman shook her head and clung to the door. Marinette took a step forward in alarm. "Mademoiselle! Please!"

"No!" she slammed the door. But, before it could close, Lavi jumped in and held the door open.

"It's okay, Madame. Just tell us what happened," he spoke politely.

She pushed on the door. A futile attempt to close it. "No!" she shook her head, "You won't believe me." The heroine pushed past Lavi. The woman let go of the door and backed up. Seeing how fearful she was, Ladybug put on a gentle smile.

"Try me." The woman was still hesitant, "I fight the unbelievable every day. So you can tell us."

The woman's eyes flicked back and forth before she gasped out a sob, "It was a monster!" Ladybug and Lavi's eyes widened. They looked at each other before turning back to the witness. "I was in my kitchen when it happened," she confessed while pointing towards her kitchen.

"May we…" She gestured towards the kitchen. The woman nodded and lead them down the hall. The kitchen was plain white with smooth wooden cabinets. The oven was situated close to a single window. The only thing that separated it was a tiny countertop. The windowsill had various potted plants lining it. Next to it was a silver fridge and across the fridge was a small table. The table was a plain oak with three matching chairs. It was a small, homey kitchen. The woman stood by the edge of the counter and pointed to the window.

"I looked out that window when I saw that boy and it," she confessed. The duo walked over to the window and looked out. They were found to be looking down at the scene of the crime. The heroine noticed a dark look in Lavi's eye. He frowned as he kept his sight on the scene. With a curious hum, Ladybug turned back to the woman.

"Can you describe the monster?"

"It was huge!" she waved her hands around to emphasize the size. "It was like a balloon! With these strange...what do you call them? Cannons?" she nodded her head and repeated the word "Cannons sticking out of it." Cannons? "I heard about a thousand rounds before I saw that boy run into the alley." she looked down as tears welled up in her eyes. Seeing how upset she was, Ladybug gestured to the table.

"Maybe you should sit down and explain the story to us," she suggested. The woman nodded her head and walked over. They all sat down. The heroes sat across from the distressed woman. Both waited patiently for her to spill her story.

"I was watching TV when it happened..."

"Vengeance!"

A shout echoed through the air followed by the sounds of gunfire. Partnered with the bloody melody was a crunching sound. Angelica sat on her comfy couch. In her lap was a decent bowl of popcorn. She was watching the TV with interest. Her hand dipped in her bowl various times throughout the movie. Her eyes momentarily left the screen when she noticed how her paintings were swaying. She hummed in slight annoyance before snatching up her remote and turning down the volume. At the time, she concluded that her surround sound was the issue. She continued watching the movie. The scene had just changed. The noise dimmed down. There was no sign of violence. It was peaceful. The scene featured two characters staring longingly at each other.

"Alice, I...I Lo―" before the character could confess, there were loud sounds of various explosions that ripped through the air. It was like someone had set off a dozen bombs. Angelica's paintings and pictures swaying violently. She quickly sprung from her couch and stumbled to the kitchen window. Her bowl of popcorn spilled on the floor, forgotten.

"What in god's name!?" She grabbed her windowsill and gazed up. There were no falling projectiles nor planes. Just the glittering moon.

She looked down and found a boy, student, running into the alleyway. He constantly looked over his shoulder. An action that made him collide into the alley's brick wall. She watched as he slapped his hands on the wall and frantically look around. She turned her attention back to the entrance. What walked in was not what she expected. She expected some kind of Jack the Ripper or maybe a killer in a ski mask. Something horrifying. Not a tiny girl with short ginger girl. The girl walked almost like a soldier. Stiff and straight. She stopped a few distances away from the boy. What happened next shattered her understanding of the world.

The girl's body expanded to 10x her size. Her skin was replaced with metal and cylinders started to protrude from her body. She blew up like a balloon. On her was a mask with its face stretched in agony. It was like something out of a nightmare. Two cylinders―cannons―turned with a loud click towards the boy. The boy looked over at her and shook his head.

"Please man, d-don't do this. Not to me. D-Don't do this to me!"

Another click was heard as more of the cannons turned on him. He started to sound hysterical. Shouting and pleading with the monster. he backed himself into the wall and cried out. A light seemed to collect at the ends of the cannons. When they fired, screams tore from the victim and witness. The poor boy's scream died along with him when he was drowned by the beast's shells. The only thing left of him was a large patch of blood at the scene. Angelica slapped her hand over her mouth to try and hold her own screams back. Her mind bounced in horror. Ideas and fears collided. In her panic, she bumped one of her planets. She watched mournfully as it soared to the ground and shattered. Alerted by the sound, the monster shifted and turned towards her window. She had half a mind to duck under the window before it could see her.

Her back stayed flush against the wall as she kept her hands over her mouth. Her breathing was loud and making her more panicked with each breath. Her heartbeat was out of this world. She swore it would jump out of her. Angelica waited there until a shadow loomed over her. Spreading on her kitchen floor was the outline of that creature. She kept still and silently prayed

If I live, I swear to go to church every Sunday.

The woman waited and waited until the shadow moved away. Sounds of metal scraping each other were left to fade away. She waited until it was all gone before collapsing on the ground. Sobs rang from her as fear poured out of her.

"After that, I hid in my room for the remainder of the night." she finished her tale.

"Why didn't you alert the authorities?" Lavi inquired.

"Why!? Because It sounds crazy. And it is crazy." she declared and looked at him as if he grew two heads. "No one would believe me if I told them the truth!" Angelica looked down and wrung her hand together. Ladybug reached forward and placed her hands over hers. She noticed how Lavi flinched and stared with a wide eye. Huh? He looked to be expecting something but was confused when nothing came.

She ignored him and focused on the witness. "We believe you." What she said sounded like an Akuma at work for sure. Though, she wondered about this strange approach it was taking. A quiet enemy was far more dangerous than she had expected. If all the villains turn out like this from now on, she was starting to be grateful for the loud disruptive Akumas.

Angelica turned her head slightly, doubt was written on her face. "You do?" LB nodded her head with a small smile.

"This has Hawkmoth written all over it." She was unsure about that, but what other explanation was there? "Just know that we'll get to the bottom of this. We won't rest until justice is served." She could feel the warm fire of vengeance run through her veins.

Angelica said nothing and instead nodded in understanding. "I hope you give them hell." Lavi laughed and nodded.

"That's a 100% guarantee, Mademoiselle!" The three let out a chorus of laughter. The air felt lighter as the tension began to evaporate.

Léon, Lambert, and Pierre used every shred of free time to comb through each of the files. They analyzed each of the patient's symptoms and compared them. He found that there was a spike in deaths when Nurse Lucia-Oliva was hired. Incidentally, she was placed on only a month after Dr. Lucia's death. What bothered him the most was that all the patients passed. The selection of these patients was also almost ingenious. In the beginning, the ones that died off the most were the ones that were already hanging close to death. So sadly no one made any note of it. People died every day. It was a fact that each health professional had to live with.

Gradually, it shifted to healthier patients. Those who had a greater chance of survival were suddenly vanishing under Olivia's watch. He guessed suspicion grew because after a very healthy patient suddenly died, there was a two-month long gap between the similar cases. If I remember correctly, those two months…they're the same ones when the missing rate increased dramatically. Then, almost like clockwork, patients started dying again.

Thump

Thump

Suddenly, he heard a rush of footsteps go by. The trio glanced out the room and saw the staff of interns and nurses rushing. One of them looked in their direction and stopped. Lambert was the first to speak to them.

"What's going on?"

"Some patients have gone missing!"

Pierre and Léon immediately pipped up, "Which ones!?" they synced.

The poor intern panted out, "uhm…patients from room 1427, 4402, 3062, and 4242!" Upon hearing the numbers, the doctors rushed out of the office and followed after the crowd. Léon had a patient in room 3062 and he knew that Pierre had a patient in both rooms 1427 and 4402. The trio officially joined in on a search.

Everyone was on the lookout, yet they were trying to make sure that this wouldn't cause panic in the patients and guests around. So some people had to painfully walk in certain areas. The panic within the staff only increased when it was discovered that a few staff members were gone as well. The name that flew from the majority of people's mouth was the well-loved Nurse June. When he learned of her vanishing, Léon felt a creeping fear rise within him. June was a friend from College along with Pierre. The three of them were nearly inseparable and now June had gone without a word.

Minutes turned into hours as the search dragged on. Frustrated, Léon hunted down Lambert and another intern to go to the surveillance room to check the tapes. That dread was getting worst and he found himself going to Esther's room. With the recent discoveries, he found himself fearful that something may have occurred when he allowed Lu-Olivia to watch over her.

The worried doctor turned the corner and bumped into a smaller body. Instantly, he rushed out an apology. When he looked at who he ran into, he found a small ginger girl. She stood as if she wasn't fazed by the moment while he felt like he ran into a metal wall. The girl had no emotion on her face as she listened to his apologies. Her void stare gave him chills. Creepy child.

"A-Are you here to visit someone?" he inquired.

"Yes. A fellow classmate." was all she said.

"I see, well I'll get out of your way then. Again, I apologize for running into you." She said nothing and walked right past him. He watched her go. He felt a deep sense of dread as the child turned the corner. Léon sighed deeply and turned his focus onto his current task. He had no time to worry about creepy children when June was gone. With this in mind, he allowed himself to brush off the encounter. After all, he had other things to worry about.

In the brightly lit halls of the hospital, the shell of Sabrina glided down to a gray metal door. A putrid smell waved in the air yet she found it enjoyable. Hearing and seeing the buzzing humans was making a familiar dark desire rise within her. It would be so easy. Just one run through this hospital and she would be further up on the evolution chain than any akuma she's met. She allowed her shell to smile for a second.

The desire grew when she ran into that doctor. The human was just standing there and babbling off. The temptation was so strong and she would've acted upon it if her precious Earl hadn't directed her away. She had to cause destruction somewhere else. Her eyes focused back on her surroundings as she stood in front of a den of a fellow Akuma.

The human ears she wore picked up on the crunching and squishing behind the door. She reached up and knocked on the door. The sounds immediately died down before a huff was heard. There were various cracking sounds before the door cracked open. A slimmer of darkness was shown through the crack. A wide blue eye glared down at her. It contemplated her for a moment before widening the door. The monster walked in as the door snapped closed behind her and the light flickered on.

In front of her was the one who she was meant to meet. A fellow monster in a shell of a human woman. The shell was fairly tall with blonde hair that was let loose in waves over her shoulders. The eyes were a glazed blue that reminded her of the toys a certain Mistress used. The shell had fair skin that was tarnished by blood all over her front. The higher level licked her lips before sighing. Sabrina looked towards the floor to see the carnage that they were standing in.

It was a sea of bones. All licked clean. They were secured together with various thin webs. Spiders crawled around free. Some fought for dominance over each other. Behind her superior was a body with the abdomen severed clean open. It was caked in blood but she could still tell what this human had once looked like. It was a young woman with sickly gray skin. Her hair was a pitch black that looked unnatural on her. The corpse's haunted eyes gazed out at her.

Sabrina's eyes moved up-unmoved by the horror in front of her-and spotted cocoons of other meals. She found it odd that this higher level would save humans for later. She found it far more gratifying to eliminate them instantly. A familiar dark whisper told her when she upgraded then she would understand the sadistic joy the other participated in. Sabrina gazed back at the level two. She was obviously displeased.

The level two huffed, "You're lucky that Master Noah told me to allow you in my territory. I'm only allowing you one treat so don't get any ideas. Not that you levels ever do." it insulted her, but she brushed it off. Her only thought may have been to eat and eat, but she knew when to kneel before those higher than her. The other turned away and snatched up a faded white cloth from a metal shelf. She moved next to it and stood in front of a metal sink.

Sabrina stayed silent as the other cleaned the blood from her disguise. "I did you a favor of debilitating your snack." she huffed before muttering. "I still don't understand what Master Noah wants to do with you. I'm more than capable." The level two growled before slapping the cloth down on the rim of the sink before turning to her. "Honestly! I'm so close to the next form. Another month in this place and I'll be a level three. Why not me? Why you, a little fledgling?"—she glared at her—"Well! Have anything intelligent to say, level one!?"

Seeing this as a notion to speak, she opened her mouth, "I'm hungry."

The woman scoffed and rolled her eyes. "We all are." It turned away and continued to clean herself before wringing out the bloody rag. Quickly, it snapped her way and threw it at her. The damp rag slapped onto her face before sliding down on the bone floor. Sabrina stood unfazed. "Maybe…" the woman trailed off as her face morphed to show a peek at her true form, "…if I eat you, he'll rethink it."

Know your place. A voice rang in both of their heads. The level two's face turned back and she pouted before sighing again. She walked forward toward the door and grumbled out, "Let's go. The humans are in a panic so now's the perfect time." just as she claimed that the little device on her hip started beeping. "This damned thing has been going off ever since. It seems they noticed my stealing of the weak humans."

The higher level walked out of the room and Sabrina followed behind her. They traveled down the white halls calmly while the staff around them gave off an air of panic. No one took any note of them. The only eyes on them were the omnipresent security cameras.

Esther's body felt weighed down to her hospital bed ever since the monster nurse poisoned her. It took a ridiculous amount of effort to move. It made her frustrated that she was slower because of it. And vulnerable. She laid in her room staring at the provided TV. The news was playing much to her disdain.

When she awoke that morning, she felt a sense of finalization in the day. She could feel it in her soul. Something about this day was going to be different than the last few. This strange, ominous feeling had her thinking a lot. She thought about her school, her friends, the things she did, the regrets she had, and how she had lived. However, the people that were on her mind the most were her parents. She felt a strong regret for acting the way she had towards her father. Did she really have to act like that at that moment?

The girl gazed out at the sky with a frown. It was a sunny and bright day, yet the air was tense. She could almost hear it. A clock ticking down the minutes. It dawned on her what it represented. Time was running out. It was closing in on her, whatever it was. Esther turned towards the door and felt that sense of dread rise in her. There was an eerie silence. The sounds from the TV were tuned out as she focused on the door to her future. The metal knob started to shake and her heart started to pound. It twisted and turned before it was clicked open. It swung open slowly enough to cause her the right amount of panic. A small figure stepped inside. It was another ginger girl. Seeing this unfamiliar face made her confused and a tad unnerved. The next figure, however, made her fearful.

That dreadful nurse stepped in, heel first. A sick smile was on her face as she stood behind the younger girl. The nurse placed her hands over the ginger's shoulders and giggled as if she was normal. "Good Morning, Esther. How are we today?"

Esther frowned and tried to sink into the mattress. Her last attempt to get away. She eyed them both with a learned wariness. She didn't answer the she-beast, which made it frown a bit before it bounced back another smile. "I brought you a special guest today! The three of us are going to have a great time! But be wary, I hear our new friend has a big appetite. Is that right, dear?"

The younger girl nodded her head. Esther looked at her eyes and knew. They were the same monsters. That void gaze ran deep. Too deep to be human. Her heart echoed between her ears as her mind finally realized the meaning behind the feeling. This is where it was all going to end. There were no heroes to save her. Were they the last faces she was ever going to see? My time's up. Her eyes turned up and saw a generic clock over the door. Its hands were frozen in place while hers were trembling.

The other child stepped forward towards the end of her bed and stared her down. Esther gulped and fear ran down her spine. Her amber eyes glazed over and tears started to release uncontrollably. The girl shook as she let out a string of sobs. The monsters just glared at her, unfeeling. It made her cry even harder. That feeling of finalization was at the forefront of her mind. And she finally knew what it meant, Death.

With her face scrunched up in what she knew was an ugly expression, she sobbed out one last plea. "I don't want to die! Please don't do this!"

The nurse smiled sadistically but the child next to her was unmoved. As her vision blurred with tears, she watched the child's skin turn a metal gray and her eyes were completely white with that familiar star on her forehead. The ginger extended her hand out towards her and it twisted and turned into a monstrous limb with a barrel at the end. In the darkness of that barrel, Esther could see a glimpse of something white. She smelled something sweet wave by her nose. Instantly, she recognized it.

BANG

There was a searing pain in her chest. Her numb body became alive with fire as she fell back. Her limbs started to freeze up around her and her chest tightened. The last thing on her mind was the identification of the smell.

Grandma's cookies….

Léon's feet carried him all the way to the door of Esther's room. There was a certain stillness in the air that made him nervous. It was too quiet in this area of the hospital. Where was the beeping of machines? The buzzing of people walking and talking. The tension was so thick that it felt suffocating. He reached out to grab the door handle.

"Léon?" like a cat being startled, he jumped and turned swiftly around. His coat fluttered behind him as he looked at the person who scared him. Pierre was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "What are you doing here? The intern, Lambert, has been panicking and said he was paging you non-stop."

"Ah..sorry. I was…" he glanced at the door before stepping away. He glanced down at the pager at his side. He clipped it off and looked at it. After pressing a few buttons, he saw a line run across the small screen. Nurse Lucia is a Code Black. His eyes widened and whipped around to the door.

"The police are also here for some reason. I was looking for you in place of Lambert. He called them. Said he found something. The boy sounded absolutely terrified and-"

BANG

The two doctors jumped up and on instinct, they busted in the room. The saw an impossible sight upon entry. Olivia and that girl from before were standing at the end of Esther's bed. Esther was lying down; her eyes were wide and staring at the ceiling. She laid there unmoving. Léon could see the fresh blood-red blooming behind her on the white sheets. No.

The two living girls saw them and rushed towards the window. Pierre ran the short distance after them. But they crashed through the glass and let themselves fall all the way down. The other doctor leaned out and watched them go. Léon kept his focus on Esther. His feet finally reacted and he rushed to his patient's side. His eyes scanned the patient and saw black stars crawling all over her skin. Her sickly skin was turned nearly pitch black. Her body was trembling and he saw one last tear slip from her eyes before she halted all movements. She froze like a statue. In a daze, he reached out to her. The girl's body crumbled into sand before he could get close enough. The whole room turned silent at the sight. Léon rapidly shook his head and cried out.

"No, no, no!" he stuck his gloved hands in the pile and moved it around as if to find her underneath it all. "This can't be! I promised that you wouldn't die!"

"Léon!" Pierre cried out and ran over to him. The older man pulled him away from the table as more people rushed in behind him. He could see the color of their uniforms and know who they were. Out of all, the patients he lost, he never got this emotional about it. It came with the territory. Getting too attached to them would be a mistake. But none of them had ever crumbled into dust right before his eyes. Not a single one. The doctor yelled out in anger at himself for not being able to save her.

Time of Death: 14:35

Cause: Undetermined

#ripEsther

Ciao-su~!