Spoiler! :
Plot: Caissa is an alternate dimension that is mysterious and full of things no human could ever dream of. Players are humans born with special powers to participate in the Caissa Games: a death game with Caissa itself being the prize. One day a mysterious boy shows up at Cronus, a secret organization for Players, and along with him he brings the oppurtunity to form a powerful team that may just win.
Spoiler! :
Crowned King
Plot: There is a world called Caïssa where a team of six: King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook, and Pawn, play fatal, death games. There are two sides, the White Players and Black Players, each consisting of many teams. The side to win takes over Caissa. Over the centuries, the Game has become more of a war, and thousands have died. A mysterious boy named Zero Thorne shows up at an organization of Black Players called Hades. Who is he and what does he want?
Chapter 1: Shattered
This cruel, fatal world...
Is what we all fight for...
It is what all this blood is shed for...
It is what all these lives are sacrificed for...
Is it worth it?
* * *
It was a bright and sunny day, and the lives that inhabited the world went on as normal. Women in flourishing dresses under light umbrellas walked in groups along with men in tight suits and canes.
They paid little mind to the small boy with shoulder-length white hair selling bouquets of lively roses on the side of the bustling streets. He wore a blue cloak over a brown vest and pants. The rough terrain didn't seem to bother his pale bare feet.
“Wow, how beautiful!”
A group of young woman in bright, ruffled dresses stopped by the cart and admired the different colors of roses.
“Aren’t they?” The young boy selling them beamed with icy blue eyes. “I grew them myself!”
“Is that so?” One lady bent down and sniffed the flowers.
“They smell so nice, too!”
“How much are they?”
“Two pounds.”
The women merrily paid the little boy and carried a bouquet of roses together.
“Thank you!” The boy smiled and waved as the women left. As they disappeared into the crowd of people, he faced the roses.
“Are they really that beautiful?” He mumbled to himself. The lightness that had sparkled in his eyes faded. He grabbed a flower and held it close to his face with the petals tickling his cheek.
“They have such prickly thorns.” He inspected the thorns digging into his flesh, as if he couldn’t feel the small trails of blood trickling down his hand.
He smiled with a sigh and placed the rose back on the cart.
“What fools.”
“Hissss~!”
“Oh!” The boy spotted a long, scaly tail flicking side to side behind his cart.
“Eclair!” The boy jumped behind the cart. A long blue snake with shimmering scales tinged with green hissed with its long tongue.
“You can’t be here! You’ll scare everyone away!” The boy scolded. He bent down.
“Shoo, shoo! I’ll play with you later, kay?”
“Hissssss!” The snake hissed and slithered away.
The boy sighed. “She always gets bored. It’s quite a problem.”
He had a strange fondness for snakes, though it didn't fit his childish image at all.
"Um, excuse me.”
"Hm?" The boy stood and walked around the cart to greet his new customer.
A young girl probably quite a few years older than the boy approached the cart hesitantly. She had long chocolate brown hair held in two long braids She wore a dress that obviously told him she lacked wealth from the quality of the fabric of her torn dress to her tattered shoes. Her eyes were glued to the ground, and she clutched her test tightly.
"H-How much is a million roses?" The girl demanded with her eyes squeezed shut.
"A million?" The boy stared at her incredulously. How could such a girl afford so many?
"G-Guess not, huh?" The girl sighed sadly.
"...why?" The boy cocked his head.
The girl grabbed the fabric of her poorly-made skirt in her balled fists. “I...made a promise. I promised someone that I would get her a million roses no matter what! So...”
Impossible.
“Sorry, miss, but I don’t really have that many.” He gave her a fake apologetic smile and gestured towards his small cart which was now pretty much empty.
The girl’s face fell.
??
“I-I see.” Her eyes began to water. “I’ve tried all the places in town but...” Her voice cracked.
“Do you really need that many roses?” The boy questioned her.
“H-Hai.” The girl nodded.
The boy sighed and scratched the back of his head.
“How much are you willing to pay me?”
“P-Pay?” The girl stammered as if suddenly realizing.
“I can’t just give you roses for free, ya know!” The boy smiled brightly. “I need to make a living too, ya know~~!”
Did this girl have any sense?
“I..” The girl’s eyes began to water again. She sniffed.
Oi, oi. Don’t tell me she’s been searching all this time without even thinking of the expenses.
“I...have no money!” The girl declared. “But I’ll pay you back with anything you want! Labor, housework, cooking, anything!”
“Um...”
Please!” The girl bowed her head low, her braids swinging around wildly.
“Hmmm...” The boy eyed her behind his long bangs.
I do like women who beg. She looks like she’ll bet her life on it.
His face broke out into a wide grin.
“Then...how about something sweet?”
“E-Excuse me?”
“I’m in the mood for cake right now~!” The boy moaned in a childish tone. He flapped his long sleeves up and down. “Or maybe cookies? Some tea would be nice, too!”
“C-Cake?” The girl blinked. “Um, I think I may have some at home, but...”
“Yoshu~!” The boy pumped a fist in the air, although it wasn’t visible. “I’ll close up, and we’ll head over to your place~!”
“Wh-What?” The girl seemed surprised.
“Be glad I’m not asking you for your body or something~!” The boy stuck out a tongue and rested his index finger on the side of his cheek playfully.
“B-Body?!”
Aren’t you just a child?!
The boy was bot implying anything indecent--right?
“If you bake me a totalllyyyy dellicccioousss caakkkeee~” The boy swung around the cart and ducked behind it. With a smile, he peeked out the side. “I’ll get you those roses.”
“R-Really?!” The girl gasped.
“Yessiree!” The boy winked and tipped his hat. “But if I don’t like the taste, I won’t give you a single rose!”
“Th-Thank you so much!” The girl bowed again. The boy waved his hand sheepishly. “No, no. No need for that. Seriously, it’s embarrassing.”
“G-Gomenasai.” The girl apologized.
It isn’t really worth it, but I reaalllyyy want something sweet right now!!!
Besides...
He smiled to himself.
There’s something interesting about her...
* * *
After closing up, they headed towards her house, which was in a smaller area on the outskirts of town. The inhabitants were dressed in rags and covered in filth. Many women were carrying around crying babies wrapped in dirty cloths, and men were hauling bags of flour or boxes full of fruits and vegetables.
“Ah, by the way, I am Melissa Hart. Y-Yoroshiku-onegaishimasu.” The girl stopped walking and introduced herself. “And you?”
“I couldn’t tell someone like you my name!” The white-haired boy wagged a finger at her. “Just call me &#$@^& or @&#* or &@(# or *#(@&$ or &*#*@#&$ or something like that!”
“N-No, that isn’t possible!” The girl cowered tearfully as the boy smiled innocently.
I don’t even know half of those words!
“Anyway, this place is pretty worn-down, huh?” The boy whirled around and inspected the small buildings stacked together. The walls were rotting and peeling, and most didn’t even have windows. There was little vegetation, and the air was stuffy and hard to breathe in.
The girl flinched, though the boy didn’t seem to notice.
“M-Many people living here are poor because of the effects of the Caissa Games.”
A spark of interest flared in the boy’s eyes.
“Caissa Games?”
“You have heard of it, have you not?” Melissa explained as she continued walking with her hands folded on the front of her skirt. “There is another world called Caissa. I’m not so sure of the details, but there are two sides fighting for rulership over that world. But, it doesn’t seem worth it...” She scanned the town sadly. “seeing how conditions here are.”
“Eh~~~” The boy spotted a group of children in rags playing around on the sidewalk. They were kicking around a ruined ball bare-footed, but they were still smiling.
“But, everyone here is close.” Melissa smiled nostalgically. “It’s like we are one big family.”
“Hm? What’s that supposed to mean?” The white-haired boy raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“Eh?” The girl stopped walking and glanced at the boy over her shoulder.
“Ah, what’s that?” The boy spotted something ahead and ran forward.
Does he...have no family?
The girl watched as the boy approached a group of kids around his age struggling to get a scruffy, shivering dog out of an alley.
Is he all alone?
The girl gripped her chest tightly. The boy smiled and held out a hand towards the small dog. Hesitantly, the dog took a small step out of the shadows.
“Come here, come here. It won’t hurt you!” The boy coaxed and held out a hand with a smile.
The dog took another step out of the alley, leaned forward, and sniffed the boy’s hand. Soon, he was jumping up and down, his small tongue flicking out to lick the boy’s face with his short tail wagging furiously. His frightened eyes now lid up with adoration.
Such loneliness...
An image of splattered blood and lifeless hands outstretched towards her flashed in her mind.
“There, there!” The boy giggled and embraced the puppy.
“Arf~!” THe dog yapped happily.
“Amazing!” The children surrounded him cheered in awe.
“We’ve been trying for weeks to get Coco out!”
“Thank you!”
“Here.” The boy handed the dog to a small boy. He laughed as the dog began licking his face like crazy.
Is so scary.
Melissa’s long brown braids were swept upwards by the wind. She smiled and walked towards the children.
“Take care now.” The boy bid farewell to the dog. He faced the children. “Don’t forget to feed him. And play with him a lot, or else he’ll get bored!”
“Thanks!” The children waved and left.
“Do you like dogs?” Melissa asked as she stood by him, waving at the children along with him.
“Not particularly.” The boy shrugged.
“I see...”
“Let’s go, Melissa-san.” The white-haired boy looked up at Melissa.
“Oh, yeah.” Melissa suddenly remembered they were heading towards her house. She lead the rest of the way.
Her house was on the end of town. It’s condition wasn’t as terrible as the others, but it was cramped and starting to wear down. The roof was covered in extra scraps of metal that she had hammered on top to patch up the holes constantly forming. The only thing that appeared to be bright and lively was the small patch of colorful little flowers in the front.
Roses? The white-haired boy recognized the flowers immediately.
The door barely hung onto their hinges, and she took care to gently swing it open. Dust clung to the air inside her house which consisted of one room. A small, cramped kitchen was pushed into the back left corner, with a small sofa and couch making up the living room. A bed full of bumps and loose springs stood under the one window she had on the right side of the room. If you didn’t know any better, the bed might have been her dining table.
The boy stepped inside. “Ojemashimasu~!”
He doesn’t seem to mind the poor conditions. Melissa thought.
“Please sit.” Melissa gestured to the sofa. “I’ll go fetch some cake along with the tea.” She headed for the kitchen.
The boy took a seat and looked around from the ceiling to the brownish walls to the floor which seemed to be inhabited by dust bunnies.
“Do you live here by yourself?” The boy asked Melissa who was busy heating a pot of tea above the stove.
“Huh? Hai.” Melissa waited patiently for the kettle to warm up above the small fire.
“Are they dead?” The boy asked bluntly.
Melissa tensed. Well, he was just a boy. A child his age probably wouldn’t be able to comprehend the situation and choose his words carefully.
“Yes. It was when I was very little, so I can’t remember them very well.”
“...what about that girl?” The white-haired boy pointed to the picture hanging on the wall. Melissa was smiling warmly with her arm linked with another girl who was slightly taller. She had long, wavy blonde hair and sunny blue eyes and wore a deep pink dress that seemed to outshine Melissa’s ragged outfit.
“Oh, that was my best friend.” Melissa smiled sadly at the picture. “She passed away a few years ago.”
“How?”
“How?” Melissa laughed slightly. The tea began to boil. A loud whirring sound filled the air. “Many people in this world die. She was simply ill and unlucky.”
“Liar.”
Melissa’s eyes widened. She had just finished filling up a single glass cup with steaming tea. The boy stared straight at her with such intensity that it couldn’t have possibly belonged to that of a child.
What...? Th-This boy..
Melissa bit her lip and poured the tea into the other cup. Shaking, she turned her back towards him and searched for the cake.
“Sh-She was...killed by Players.”
The boy said nothing.
“They are participants in the Caissa games.” Melissa bit her lip. She a plate wrapped loosely yet securely in paper. She grabbed it and began unwrapping the paper. “There are two sides, the White Players and Black Players. During their battles, innocent citizens often get caught up in their fights and are killed.”
“...Are they strong?” The white-haired boy cocked his head.
“Yes.” Melissa nodded. She could barely keep the cake from falling to the ground. “So strong...it is truly frightening.” She placed the cake on a tray along with the tea and set it down on the table before the boy.
“Here.” She managed to put on a smile. “I made this cake a while ago, but since I rarely get decent ingredients, this is all I have for now. And the tea may be quite dull, I do apologize.”
“Ohhh~” The boy inspected the slice of cake. It wasn’t fancy, but the cream on top was pure white and topped with colorful little candies including a large pink candy flower. The bread was soft and fluffy and layered with pink cream.
If he doesn’t like it, he won’t give me any roses! Melissa stood to the side, hugging the tray tightly in front of her. Please, please, please.
The boy grabbed a fork and dug into the cake. He produced a chunk and stuffed it in his mouth. For a while, he was silent.
“This cake...” He said with his fork still in his mouth.
Melissa’s face tensed.
“...is so GOOOD~!” The boy finished beaming. He began shoving the cake in his mouth with a blissful look on his face.
“This is good, Melissa-san!” The boy grinned at the girl.
“Eh...?” Melissa blinked. “Um, thank you. But is it really that good? The ingredients aren’t really that high-quality, and it was made in a place like this by a girl like me...”
“All that fancy-schmancy stuff doesn’t matter.” The boy leaned back in his seat. “The social status of the maker does not matter, either. What makes a cake delicious is the feelings put into it!”
“I-Is that so...?”
How wise, coming from a child.
“I’m guessing you made it with her?” The boy gestures to the girl in the photograph.
Melissa nodded. "She loved baking cakes and gardening and all the sort. That cake is of her recipe."
"But she doesn't seem like someone who would reside in such a place." The boy pointed out while taking a sip of tea.
"No, her family was quite wealthy." Melissa shook her head. "She happened to stumble upon our little home, and we became quite close."
Melissa remembered the first time they had met. She had been cleaning the laundry outside in a basin when all of a sudden a tall girl with the most beautiful dress she had ever seen appeared out of nowhere.
"Excuse me."
Melissa ceased her scrubbing and looked up. From her polished shoes to her wavy, shampooed golden hair, Melissa could immediately tell that she wasn't from here.
"H-Hai?"
"Where am I?" The girl demanded with her hands on her hips.
"Um...?"
"I lost papa on the way here." The girl crossed her thin arms across her chest with a sigh. "This always happens..."
"Um...are you okay?" Melissa asked in a soft voice.
"Hm? Ah.....” The girl bent down to observe the scratch on her knee. Fresh blood trickled down her leg, visible since part of her dress had been torn.
“I tripped.” The girl shrugged.
“Would you like me to clean that for you?” Melissa offered.
“It’s fine!”
“No! You will get disinfected!” Melissa grabbed the girl’s hand. “Come in please!”
“Ah, wait, I said it’s fine-”
But Melissa refused to listen. She dragged the girl into her little house despite all the protests. She sat the girl down and hurried to grab a wet dishcloth.
“Does it sting?” Melissa asked as she wrung out the dripping towel over a basin.
“Um, yeah, I guess-”
Melissa bent down in front of the girl and observed the wound. It was pretty deep and beginning to turn slightly brown on her long, porcelain leg. Melissa gently began to dap at the dried blood around the scraped skin. The girl stared questioningly at Melissa as she worked but said nothing.
Melissa took out some disinfectant from a cabinet and poured a small bit on the cloth.
“This may sting.” Melissa warned. As soon as the soaked cloth reached the girl’s wound, she flinched but remained silent.
Melissa cleaned away at the wound until she was satisfied before wrapping a clean piece of fabric around the girl’s leg.
“There. All done.”
“U-Um...” The girl outstretched her long leg and examined the now-bandaged wound. “Th-Thanks, but you really didn’t need to-”
“N-No, it’s fine.” Melissa said quietly.
“...treating random strangers at your doorstep is dangerous, ya know.” The girl bent down to inspect Melissa who leaned back shyly.
“Ne, what’s your name?”
“M-Melissa. Melissa Hart.”
“Melissa...? Nice name!” The girl smiled warmly and began swinging her legs back and forth. “I’m Nana. Nice to meet you!”
Somehow, her smile made me realize something that had been in plain sight all my life.
“I like you! Let’s be friends?” Nana held out a hand.
Her warm, friendly hand reaching out to me made me realize how lonely I was. My parents were dead, I had no relatives, no friends.
“I will become your beeesstt friend!” Nana grinned. “Kay?”
Her hand shone upon the truth that the world around me was empty. But her hand pulled me out of that world.
“F-Friend...?”
“W-Woah, wait!” Nana jumped back. Tears piled up in Melissa’s eyes and rolled down her rosy cheeks. “What’s wrong?”
Melissa sniffed and rubbed her nose with her sleeve. “N-Nothing.” Melissa put on a wavering smile along with her tears of joy and took Nana’s hand graciously.
“Ok.” She nodded. Nana smiled.
“We were like sisters.” Melissa sipped her tea back in her house along with the white-haired boy. “Although her father disapproved of it, she visited as often as possible. We baked together, cooked, gardened, and...”
She trailed off uncomfortably.
“Those roses...they are for her?” The white-haired boy asked.
Melissa nodded, her gaze lingering on the surface of her tea where her sad reflection rippled across the liquid. “She loved flowers, especially roses. We planted that little garden outside together.”
One day while they were tending to the garden, Nana sighed and slammed her shovel in the dirt in frustration.
“Argh! I want more roses!” Nana groaned and leaned backwards. Her long blonde hair glistened under the sun.
“S-Sorry I don’t have much space.” Melissa apologized solemnly. “I don’t really have much fertile soil...”
“Ah, no, it’s not that!” Nana waved her hands. She smiled down at the little bed of roses they were tending to with fresh water and soil.
“Father isn’t too fond of flowers.” Melissa began messing with the excess dirt around the flowers. “But my mother loved them. Roses were her favorite. I remember the red roses that were placed all around her inside her casket.”
“Eh?” Melissa gasped.
Casket? Her mother...?
“Y-You’re mother...?”
“She was the nicest person in the world!” Nana grabbed the can of water and began sprinkling the plants. “She was kind and gentle and polite. Everyone loved her, and she was really smart. She would always read me the most wonderful stories before bed and always smelled of roses since she gardened so much. She always said she loved the color of red roses and how beautiful they were. She even enjoyed the thorns along the stems.”
Her golden bangs fell over her face as she hugged her knees tightly to her chest.
“I felt really sad at her funeral, thinking “I won’t see mama again?” but...the roses were still beautiful, even as they surrounded death."
"My mama once had a garden FULL of roses!" Nana waved her arms exaggeratedly in the air. "It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen!"
"It must've been." Melissa nodded.
“But after she died, papa destroyed the entire garden.” Nana smiled sadly. “Probably because they reminded him too much of mama. Still, I wanna see them again.”
“Nana...” Melissa’s head drooped low.
“Ah, it’s okay, I-” Nana quickly perked up.
“I-!” Melissa exclaimed, cutting Nana off. She backed away, slightly startled.
“I will...” Melissa took Nana’s hands in hers.
“M-Melissa?” Nana stammered.
“I will...” Melissa looked up at Nana with large shining eyes. “Get you those roses!”
“Huh?”
“A million roses! I will get you a million roses!” Melissa leaned in awfully close. “I may be poor, but...It doesn’t matter how long it takes!”
“M-Melissa, stop, you don’t have to do that.” Nana finally spoke up. “My mother spent her entire life in that garden, and...”
“I promise!” Melissa said firmly. “If I do...” Her big brown eyes began to water. “You won’t miss your mother as much, right?”
Nana’s eyes widened. She was rendered speechless by Melissa’s dramatic declaration.
“Melissa...”
Nana. You once had a mother. I can barely remember mine,so I don’t miss her. I don’t know...
Melissa tightened her grip.
What losing someone important to you feels like. But it must be painful. It must hurt. So...
Nana’s strawberry pink lips wavered and lit up with a tiny smile.
I will make that sad pain go away!!!
“Ok.” Nana held out a long pinky. Her voice crack, and her eyes became wet. “Promise?”
“Yes!” Smiling through their tears, they intertwined their pinky fingers and embraced each other.
Nana...you are not the type of person to deserve such a cruel fate, unlike a worthless person like me, so...
“Oi! Look, a girl!”
“She’s covered in blood!”
“Is she even breathing?”
“Somebody help!”
Melissa was on her way back from the market with a basket full of fruit in her arms. She spotted a large crowd gathered around an alley, murmurs of fear and panic spreading around.
“Hm? What’s going on?”
“Does anyone know here?”
“She isn’t from here.”
“That’s true. Look at that fancy dress.”
Melissa’s heart stopped. Time slowed down tremendously. She felt as if the weight of the world had just been placed on her shoulders.
No...
The basket slipped out of her grasp. It crashed onto the ground and sent the fruit tumbling. She ran as quickly as she could, but it was like the crowd of people were miles away.
No...No...No...
She shoved through the thick wall of people as hard as she could, her breathing hard and goosebumps growing on her skin.
It can’t be...
“She’s dead!”
Gasps of horror burst throughout the crowd.
“How awful.” A woman sobbed and turned away, her face pale.
“Who could’ve done such a thing?!”
It can’t be...It can’t...
Melissa finally reached the front, stumbling out between the tall adults around her. She felt sick to her stomach.
...be...
The coldness that had wrapped around her froze what little warmth she had left in her body. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t see anything but the still figure sprawled across the ground in an odd angle surrounded by red.
“Na..na...?”
Her golden blonde hair was now red. Her dress was drenched in so much blood that the original color could not be seen. She was covered in wounds, and her eyes were empty and wide open in fear.
“N-Nana...Nana...”
Nana...you are not the type of person to deserve such a cruel fate, unlike a worthless person like me, so...
“NANA!!!!”
Why?
The world was spinning. She fell to her knees, the red and gory scene before her becoming blurred with tears. Her mouth was wide open in a silent scream.
Why?
With shaking hands, she reached out towards her dead friend, as if simply grabbing her would bring her back.
WHY?!
She finally stood and dashed forward, her beating heart loud in her ears. She bent down besides her friend, her tears dripping to the floor.
“Nana...Nana...NANA!!!”
Why did such a horrible thing happen to you?!
“No...She’s...Nana...” Melissa sobbed. She buried her head in her hands and cried out as loud as she could, her screams scratching the inside of her throat.
“NOOOOOOOO!”
The tingle that always aroused in her left hand whenever Nana grabbed it spark up. She balled her fists tightly on her face. People came to comfort her and lead her away, but she ignored them all.
I...didn’t even get you your roses...why did you have to leave before I got you your roses?!
Melissa noticed something out of the corner of her eye and gasped, though it came out as more of a hiccup.
Next to Nana’s head was a single red flower amidst a pool of blood.
The rose blended in well with Nana’s blood...probably because they were the same color.
“A rose...”
Nana’s blood was the same beautiful color as the roses she oh so adored.
The same deep, vivid red.
* * *
The white-haired boy remained silent throughout the story. Their tea sat untouched on the table, having lost its steam.
“Nana was fated to have a rose by her deathbed.” Nana’s grabbed the fabrics of her skirt in her curled fingers. “But..I wish she was surrounded by a million of them.”
“Nana...what was her father like?”
“Her father?” Melissa looked up and tried to recall. “Hm...I met him a few times. He strongly disapproved of Nana playing with me. He was a well-known man, after all. But...you could tell he missed Nana’s mother. He always had that small bit of sadness in his eyes.”
“Hm...” The white-haired boy licked his fork. “How do you know that she was killed by Players?”
“They found a Queen’s piece near her corpse.” Melissa replied. “I...sometimes suspected it was her father...”
“Her father??”
“Ah, no-!” Melissa tensed “Um...he just gave off a strange aura..it always gave me a bad feeling...”
“Ehhhh...” The boy rested his chin on his arm. His hat slipped slightly. “But why roses out of all flowers?”
“Well, she loved the color. And the smell. Don’t you like roses as well?” Melissa questioned.
“Like roses?” The boy scoffed as if it were funny. “In what way are roses so attractive?”
His tone has changed. Melissa noted. “Um, so do you hate them? Then why do you sell them?”
“I never said that.” The white-haired boy closed his eyes. “...Don’t you hate the thorns on the stem?”
“The thorns?” Melissa considered the thought. Then she smiled and tilted her head. “Roses are enough to admire. Pulling them out of the soil would be a waste, no?”
He said nothing. Melissa wondered who this boy was exactly.
He’s no ordinary child...
“...You think its unfair that she died?”
“Huh?”
The boy stood, his long coat swishing around him. His hat and long bangs concealed his eyes.
“Ah, wait-!”
“You thought she was so pure that something so tragic couldn’t have possibly happened to her?” The boy stopped in front of the door, his back facing Melissa.
The girl stopped short a if she couldn’t breathe.
How...? It’s like he read my mind...
“That girl...” Melissa still couldn’t see his face, but she spotted a creepy smile peeking from the side of his mouth.
“May not have been so “pure.”
“What...?” Melissa’s eyes widened and shook.
“Did you really know her?” The boy faced her with such a grin that chilled her to the bones. “Did you know the real Nana?”
“Wh-What are you saying...?”
I’ve heard rumors about that girl.
Yeah. Her late mother was cursed.
Dead people showed up all around her.
She probably passed it on to her daughter!
Really?! How scary!
I bet she killed her own mother!
“Don’t listen to them, Nana!”
Melissa remembered constantly assuring Nana, who stood with shaking shoulders amid the rumors surrounding her.
“They don’t know what they’re saying!”
Nana would always remain silent. She would simply glance at Melissa and smile as brightly as she could.
Melissa stood up abruptly, her tea cup falling to the ground and shattering to pieces. A desperate look spread across her face.
“H-How would you know?!”
Nana was...
“You don’t know her!” Her voice shook tremendously. “How-?!”
Nana was...
Her beautiful smile, her flowing hair, her warm and gentle soul that flickered like a candle flame...
Nana was...!
“Nana was-!!!” Melissa said with such a loud and controlling voice unlike the softness from before. Tears began pouring out of her eyes.
She pulled me out of that dark loneliness! She reached her hand out to me out of all people! She...She...!
“Don’t be fooled.” The boy spat. Melissa faltered. His expression was cold and expressionless, nothing like before. His eyes were wide with a glint that couldn’t have possibly belonged to a child.
“People aren’t always what they seem.” The boy strided forward.
“W-Wait-!” Melissa backed away as she noticed that the boy had no intention of stopping. He kept walking until Melissa bumped into the wall.
Thud!
The boy leaned his arm on the wall beside her. She was flat against the cold bricks, the boy’s face so close she could feel his breath which smelled both sweet and poisoning.
“Ya know, Melissa-san?” The boy smiled loosely with his eyes hidden. “I hate people like yoouu~!”
Melissa tried to speak, but no words would come out. She realized she was shaking, and she could feel the pressure rising. She shivered violently in fear.
“People like you alwayyys ignore what’s right in front of them!” The boy reached out and stroked Melissa’s chin, but she was too frightened to protest. “They always live on as if nothing they can’t accept happened.”
Stop...
“They always...”
Stop...!
Blood was everywhere. It dripped down the walls, drenched the floor...
“...keep their eyes closed shut in order to hide. They never...”
STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP!
“...open their eyes.”
“STOP!!!”
It stained her hands with red.
Melissa slapped the white-haired boys hand away. He staggered back, allowing Melissa to gain more room to breathe. She grabbed the wall behind her in order to gain balance. She panted hard as if all the air in her chest had been sucked out.
Th-That dream...that dream again...?!
Melissa outstretched the palm of her shaking white hand and stared.
“Melissa-san...” The boy finally spoke. “Have you been...having any strange dreams lately...?”
Melissa gasped.
“You seemed verrryyy pale earlier!” The white-haired boy’s innocent smile returned, but Melissa could see the glint in his eyes. “I spotted some medicine in the cabinets-”
“Wh-Who are you?!” Melissa demanded. “How do you know-?! What do you want with me?!”
“I can’t really tell you.” The boy shrugged. “But, let’s just say that I’m...”
The boy held up a finger to his grinning mouth.
“An angel fallen from heaveeen!”
“???”
“I’ll be taking my leave now!” The white-haired boy turned abruptly and reached out for the door. “Oh, and...” He looked over his shoulder once more and winked. “You’ll get those roses soon.”
He shut the door behind him, leaving Melissa shaking against the wall. She gawked at the door, speechless.
What...just happened?
The white-haired boy stopped outside the door and produced a red rose from his sleeve.
"I'll bring you more later." He tossed the rose into the air. It settled on the dusty ground as the boy left.
* * *
Once she had gotten ahold of herself, Melissa went out to buy some groceries. She absentmindedly paid for her things and headed home with her hands full.
That boy...
She flashed back to the white-haired boy’s sinister smile.
Who is he...? How did he know about the dream...?
The thought of all the blood surrounding her sent violent chills down her spine.
No, no, no. She shook her head, her long braids swinging side to side. I shouldn’t think about it. It’s just a dream.
Is it really just a dream?
Melissa gasped. A small voice crept into her head and froze her insides.
Or is it...
She suddenly realized where she was. She slowly glanced to the side to find a long, dark alley stretched out before her.
This is...!
...reality?
“NO!!!”
Her shaking hands could no longer support the groceries. With all her things forgotten on the ground, she began to run.
No! I-I didn’t-!
She could her her heart beating rapidly in her ears.
Thump. Th-Thump.
She could barely breathe. She ran faster and faster and...
I didn’t-!
The roaring sound of her blood and the beating of her heart ceased to a halt.
“Ah!”
She cried out and tumbled to the ground.
“Oof!”
Small clouds of dust formed around where she had fallen. Wincing, she pushed herself onto her elbows.
You did.
The pressure hanging in the air around her collapsed. She looked up with wide, horrified eyes to find not a single person around. The scene had turned red, and the walls of the buildings to the trees to the ground were dripping with blood.
Nana and I had been together, when...
“Halt!”
They had been cornered by a group of men from Nana’s family in the alley. They grabbed Nana forcefully.
“Come with us quietly, you monster!”
“No! Let go of Nana!”
“Move aside!”
The men had swiped away the struggling Melissa. She was thrown into the wall with a cry.
“Melissa!” Nana cried fearfully. She faced the men. “Don’t hurt her! She has nothing to do with this!”
“Quiet!’ The man holding her snapped.
“Nana!” Melissa cried.
“Melissa, run!” Nana yelled at her friend. “They’ll kill you!”
Don’t you mean...they’ll kill you?
“Quiet or we’ll silence you ourselves!” One of the men roared and produced something from his jacket.
Melissa gasped in horror.
He has a knife!!!
“No, Melissa!” Nana cried and thrashed wildly until she finally broke free. Melissa shrieked and shielded her face with eyes shut, waiting for the impact.
Slash!
Melissa waited for a moment, but she felt perfectly fine. She slowly opened her eyes and lowered her arms.
Nana stood in front of her, arms spread wide. A trail of blood spurted out of her chest as she fell to the ground.
Melissa could only watch. The whole world felt as if it had been put on slow motion as Melissa watched her friend collapse. Right before she hit the ground, Nana turned towards Melissa. With tearful eyes, she gave Melissa one final smile. She mouthed a few words, but Melissa couldn’t hear. She couldn’t hear anything. All sound had been drowned out by her beating heart.
Thud!
“Na...na?”
Melissa’s began to shake. Tears began pouring out of her eyes like crazy.
“NANA!!!”
Someone who could even think of harming such a person...
Melissa glared at the men surrounding her and Nana’s lifeless body.
IS JUST TOO CRUEL!!!
“How...How could you...?” Shakily, Melissa slowly stood. Her knees wavered and she could feel as if she were about to collapse, but she held her ground. She managed to pick up the blood-stained knife that the man who slayed Nana had dropped.
“What?!”
“How could you...” Her voice trembled. She leapt forward with a crazed look in her eyes and raised the knife.
“HOW COULD YOU KILL NANA?!”
She brought the knife downwards.
At the time...I couldn’t really remember what had happened...I just killed...and killed...
Fresh wounds sprouted with blood on each man’s chest, and they collapsed just as Nana had.
...and killed...!
Melissa had dragged the bodies towards the woods in a daze, making sure to leave behind not a single bit of evidence. She buried the dead bodies deep in the ground so as to not be discovered. She washed her hands, skin, and clothes, but even after she had scrubbed herself as hard as she could, she still couldn’t get rid of that stench...
“Ah...” Melissa stammered as the memories began flowing through her at once.
That’s right...
“A-Ahhh...” Melissa’s hands crept up towards her face.
I...
“AHHHHH!”
I...couldn’t protect Nana...! I killed them! I-!
Screaming, she rested her head on the ground with her hands on her face.
How could I have forgotten...something like that??!!
The throbbing pain inside her wouldn’t stop. She felt like she was going to be sick. The world around her began to spin in dizzying angles.
“She wanted you to forget.”
Melissa stopped screaming. Still shivering, she slowly lifted her head to find a pair of boots right in front of her. She followed the boots upward to find the white-haired boy smiling down at her.
“You-?!”
“Nana-san wanted you to forget her.”
“What?”
“Remember?” The boy grinned. “You told me a Queen’s piece had been found besides her, right?”
“Eh? Y-Yeah...” Melissa calmed down slightly while staring up at the boy on her knees.
“And that wasn’t there when you saw her getting killed, right?”
Melissa gasped. He was right. The Queen’s piece hadn’t been there.
“That can only mean one thing.” The white-haired boy held up a finger.
“Huh?”
“You friend...” The white haired boy paused before winking a single eye at Melissa. “was a Player!”
“...eh?”
“Since it was a Queen’s piece, then she must’ve been a Queen!” The white-haired boy mused.
“Wait, what are you saying?!” Melissa cut him off and grabbed his shirt. “Those men weren’t Players?!”
“Hmmm, they might’ve been.” The boy tapped his chin. “But they were after Nana-san because she was a Queen, no doubt about it. And her mother was probably a Queen as well.”
“EH?!”
“Most likely, her mother was killed by the same people.” THe boy deducted. He knelt down so that he was face-to-face with Melissa. “They must’ve been pretty dangerous, huh.”
Nana...was a Player?! But, how...?
“Caissa is an unfair world.” The white-haired boy grabbed a stick lying on the ground and began sketching in the dirt. “But the world we live in is just as unfair.”
“Excuse me?” Melissa blinked.
“Players never chose to be Players.” The boy made a set of round lines over and over until they overlapped. “They are simply cursed by fate. Caissa decides who to place such a person on. Some people are worthy of being Player, and others aren’t. But that doesn’t automatically mean they are bad people. Humans are what make them bad people.”
Melissa could only sit and listen as the white-haired boy continued. He finished his drawing. It was a rose with a long, thorny stem.
“Humans immediately treat Players as outcasts, not knowing that that is what actually causes a Player to harbor such dark feelings. It isn’t entirely their fault.” The white-haired boy examined his drawing. “But how are they different? They simply have powers that others don’t. It’s foolish.”
“Is that how...Nana felt?” Melissa asked hesitantly.
“Who knows?” The boy shrugged. “Those are just my thoughts. And aren’t you the same?”
Melissa tensed, started.
“Hai?”
“Hating abnormal people is a part of human nature.” The boy sighed. “It is an ugly trait, yet it is humane. Didn’t you also...hate Nana?”
Don~!
“H-Hate...Nana...?” Melissa thought she had heard his words wrong, but that was definitely what he had said.
“I...I loved Nana!” Melissa cried, but she could feel something wavering inside her. “I...?”
“See? You’re just shielding your eyes from the truth.” The boy smirked.
Melissa froze again.
He...He’s right.
To be honest, I envied Nana. She was always surrounded by light, but I was always in the dark.
I feared that one day...
I may be left behind in the dark.
When I promised her to get her those roses, I actually pitied her. But I also felt relieved. She was not so perfect. I felt that we had suddenly become on closer levels. But then...
Melissa remembered watching Nana die. She remembered Nana’s empty eyes and colorless face.
I had actually been slightly relieved. I no longer had to fear.
“I...I...!”
I no longer had to fear being left in the dark.
“I was such a coward...I...!”
As I murdered, I simply covered my eyes, the only thing visible being the blood spurting beyond the cracks between my fingers.
“Nana tried to make you forget her.”
The white-haired boy’s voice pulled her back to reality. He was still crouching, simply staring at her as she broke down.
“She wanted you to forget her so that such things never happened to you.” The boy rested his head on his knees. “But she only managed to make you forget when she had died.”
“Nana did...?” Melissa mumbled.
“Yup.” The boy glanced to the side. “What a kind person. She wanted to erase her existence from your life to save you, though she was probably well aware that you hated her."
Nana...did that for me...?
I envied her...I pitied her...I harbored hatred towards her deep down in a place locked up in my heart, yet she...
“Nana...!” Melissa placed her hands flat on the ground. Her tears plopped down onto the path and left wet stains on the concrete. Despair overtook her and shook her to the very core. “Nana...!”
Nana, you saved me! You jumped in front of me to save me! Yet, I...! Even now I still hated you! So, why?!
“She loved you.”
Melissa jumped. She whirled around. A tall man dressed in a fancy black suit with his arms folded behind his back watched her from a distance. His eyes were cold and harsh, yet they glittered with something much softer and smaller.
“Wh-Who...?”
“I am Luke D. Martin.” The man bowed stiffly. “Nana’s father.”
“?!”
“Nana’s father?!” Melissa was shocked.
“I brought him here.” The white-haired boy piped up. “Man, you don’t know how much trouble I went into finding him!”
“Um, sir...?” Melissa squeaked.
“Miss Hart...” Luke strided forward. With a small squeal, Melissa backed away. But unexpectedly, Luke bowed again right in front of her.
“Arigato gozaimasu!”
“Eh?”
“Nana could never smile properly after her mother passed away.” Luke’s eyes hardened. “But after meeting you, her face would light up merely at the mention of your name. Even at her last moments, you tried protecting her, and she tried protecting you. I was afraid that you two being together would harm her, and I have always thought that way up until now, but...I was wrong!”
Luke knelt down besides Melissa. “Thank you for saving my daughter!”
“I...saved Nana?”
I always thought that she had saved me.
“No...I didn’t...” Melissa shook her head, but she spotted the white-haired boy smiling warmly out of the corner of her eye.
But I had also saved Nana...? She had been immersed in a darkness...
“Nana...” Melissa’s voice shook once again. The tears streaming down her cheeks were now warm.
That I did not know of.
“NANA!!!” Melissa sobbed. Without thinking, she raced forward and wrapped her arms around Nana’s father. He was startled, but then smiled and embraced Melissa as she cried with her head buried in the front of his coat.
Nana...I may have hated you...but I also loved you!!! Because...you were so nice to me!
She remembered the warmth of Nana’s hand when they first met.
“She wanted you to forget her so that you wouldn't suffer because of her.” Luke said as he comforted Melissa who grabbed the front of his clothes tightly. “That is the fate of Players. But still, thank you for being her friend.”
Melissa continued to cry. She cried and cried and cried out her heart’s content.
You too, Nana...Arigato...Honto ni arigato!!!
The white-haired boy smiled and stood. He glanced down at the rose he had drawn on the ground.
That’s right...That is the fate of Players...
He raised his right foot.
It would be better if...
In one swipe, he erased the drawing completely off the dirt. A trail of white frost was left in its wake.
they did not even exist in the first place.
* * *
“Melissa!”
“Hai?” Melissa perked up. She was dressed neatly from head to toe. She wore a purple and blue dress made of fine material that made her skirt fold and billow around her waist. Her brown hair fell down her sides in soft curls. She looked over the railing from the second floor.
“Are you hungry?” Luke looked up from the bottom floor near the bottom of the stairwell.
“Mm!” Melissa smiled and nodded.
“Good! Dinner is almost ready!” Luke called up.
“Hai! I’ll be right down!” Melissa merrily replied. She dashed towards her room.
“Ah, I’m starving!” Melissa sighed heavily. “I hope we’re eating something good!”
Tap! Tap!
“Huh?”
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Melissa paused. She heard a small tapping sound coming from her bedroom window. Cautiously, she approached her window. In one quick move, she threw the curtains aside.
“Koniichiiwaaa~!”
Melissa gasped. “You’re?!”
She recognized the young pale face, white hair, black hat, and smile.
“How’re you doing, Melissa-san?” The white-haired boy asked in a cheerful tone.
“B-But how?!” Melissa stammered.
For starters, this is the second floor!
“Looks like you’ve settled in quite well.” The white-haired boy observed.
Melissa glanced at the boy and smiled. “Yes. After that time, Mr. martin decided to adopt me. He may be strict, but he is actually very kind and gentle. It’s like he’s my real father!”
“Is that so?” The boy draped his arms over her windowsill with his chin resting on them.
“Well, anyway, I didn’t get a chance to thank you.” Melissa continued. “Without you, I-”
“Wait right there.” The white-haired boy held out a hand only inches away from Melissa’s face.
“Excuse me?”
He really is such a mysterious boy...
“It’s a little early to thank me.” The white-haired boy said with a secretive smile. He waved his long sleeve behind him.
“What do you mean-?”
Melissa gasped. The scenery below her took her breath away.
“R-Roses?!”
The garden below her room had once belonged to Nana’s mother. Melissa had planted on growing new roses there, but now the once barren soil was no longer visible. Bunches of bright red roses covered the ground completely, the sunlight reflecting off their scarlet petals.
“H-How...?’ Melissa’s eyes shimmered. She was at a loss of words.
“Hey, a deal’s a deal.” The white-haired boy shrugged. “Besides, I took some cake, so this is an extra thanks.” The boy produced a slice of cake from behind his back.
“Th-Thank you...” Melissa said in a soft whisper. With teary eyes, she hugged the boy tightly. “Arigato gozaimasu!”
The boy smiled softly. “Take good care of them.”
“I will!” Melissa smiled as she let the boy go.
“Your cake is delicious!” The boy swung a chunk of cake around in the air on a fork. “It was great! I’m glad I met you, Melissa-san!”
“I am glad I met you as well.”
Yes, Melissa-san...
“Bye bye, Melissa-san!” The boy grinned. With one last smile, he let go of the windowsill.
But, what you say is wrong.
“Eh?!”
Melissa leaned out the window and looked down frantically.
You shouldn’t...
The wind blew her curls to the side. She scanned the garden below but couldn’t find a single trace of the boy.
be glad that you met me.
All that was left was a cloud of rose petals.
Smiling to herself, Melissa closed the window shut. If only she had stayed a little longer, she would have noticed the vivid flowers being swallowed by pure white frost.
Plot: There is a world called Caïssa where a team of six: King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook, and Pawn, play fatal, death games. There are two sides, the White Players and Black Players, each consisting of many teams. The side to win takes over Caissa. Over the centuries, the Game has become more of a war, and thousands have died. A mysterious boy named Zero Thorne shows up at an organization of Black Players called Hades. Who is he and what does he want?
Chapter 1: Shattered
This cruel, fatal world...
Is what we all fight for...
It is what all this blood is shed for...
It is what all these lives are sacrificed for...
Is it worth it?
* * *
It was a bright and sunny day, and the lives that inhabited the world went on as normal. Women in flourishing dresses under light umbrellas walked in groups along with men in tight suits and canes.
They paid little mind to the small boy with shoulder-length white hair selling bouquets of lively roses on the side of the bustling streets. He wore a blue cloak over a brown vest and pants. The rough terrain didn't seem to bother his pale bare feet.
“Wow, how beautiful!”
A group of young woman in bright, ruffled dresses stopped by the cart and admired the different colors of roses.
“Aren’t they?” The young boy selling them beamed with icy blue eyes. “I grew them myself!”
“Is that so?” One lady bent down and sniffed the flowers.
“They smell so nice, too!”
“How much are they?”
“Two pounds.”
The women merrily paid the little boy and carried a bouquet of roses together.
“Thank you!” The boy smiled and waved as the women left. As they disappeared into the crowd of people, he faced the roses.
“Are they really that beautiful?” He mumbled to himself. The lightness that had sparkled in his eyes faded. He grabbed a flower and held it close to his face with the petals tickling his cheek.
“They have such prickly thorns.” He inspected the thorns digging into his flesh, as if he couldn’t feel the small trails of blood trickling down his hand.
He smiled with a sigh and placed the rose back on the cart.
“What fools.”
“Hissss~!”
“Oh!” The boy spotted a long, scaly tail flicking side to side behind his cart.
“Eclair!” The boy jumped behind the cart. A long blue snake with shimmering scales tinged with green hissed with its long tongue.
“You can’t be here! You’ll scare everyone away!” The boy scolded. He bent down.
“Shoo, shoo! I’ll play with you later, kay?”
“Hissssss!” The snake hissed and slithered away.
The boy sighed. “She always gets bored. It’s quite a problem.”
He had a strange fondness for snakes, though it didn't fit his childish image at all.
"Um, excuse me.”
"Hm?" The boy stood and walked around the cart to greet his new customer.
A young girl probably quite a few years older than the boy approached the cart hesitantly. She had long chocolate brown hair held in two long braids She wore a dress that obviously told him she lacked wealth from the quality of the fabric of her torn dress to her tattered shoes. Her eyes were glued to the ground, and she clutched her test tightly.
"H-How much is a million roses?" The girl demanded with her eyes squeezed shut.
"A million?" The boy stared at her incredulously. How could such a girl afford so many?
"G-Guess not, huh?" The girl sighed sadly.
"...why?" The boy cocked his head.
The girl grabbed the fabric of her poorly-made skirt in her balled fists. “I...made a promise. I promised someone that I would get her a million roses no matter what! So...”
Impossible.
“Sorry, miss, but I don’t really have that many.” He gave her a fake apologetic smile and gestured towards his small cart which was now pretty much empty.
The girl’s face fell.
??
“I-I see.” Her eyes began to water. “I’ve tried all the places in town but...” Her voice cracked.
“Do you really need that many roses?” The boy questioned her.
“H-Hai.” The girl nodded.
The boy sighed and scratched the back of his head.
“How much are you willing to pay me?”
“P-Pay?” The girl stammered as if suddenly realizing.
“I can’t just give you roses for free, ya know!” The boy smiled brightly. “I need to make a living too, ya know~~!”
Did this girl have any sense?
“I..” The girl’s eyes began to water again. She sniffed.
Oi, oi. Don’t tell me she’s been searching all this time without even thinking of the expenses.
“I...have no money!” The girl declared. “But I’ll pay you back with anything you want! Labor, housework, cooking, anything!”
“Um...”
Please!” The girl bowed her head low, her braids swinging around wildly.
“Hmmm...” The boy eyed her behind his long bangs.
I do like women who beg. She looks like she’ll bet her life on it.
His face broke out into a wide grin.
“Then...how about something sweet?”
“E-Excuse me?”
“I’m in the mood for cake right now~!” The boy moaned in a childish tone. He flapped his long sleeves up and down. “Or maybe cookies? Some tea would be nice, too!”
“C-Cake?” The girl blinked. “Um, I think I may have some at home, but...”
“Yoshu~!” The boy pumped a fist in the air, although it wasn’t visible. “I’ll close up, and we’ll head over to your place~!”
“Wh-What?” The girl seemed surprised.
“Be glad I’m not asking you for your body or something~!” The boy stuck out a tongue and rested his index finger on the side of his cheek playfully.
“B-Body?!”
Aren’t you just a child?!
The boy was bot implying anything indecent--right?
“If you bake me a totalllyyyy dellicccioousss caakkkeee~” The boy swung around the cart and ducked behind it. With a smile, he peeked out the side. “I’ll get you those roses.”
“R-Really?!” The girl gasped.
“Yessiree!” The boy winked and tipped his hat. “But if I don’t like the taste, I won’t give you a single rose!”
“Th-Thank you so much!” The girl bowed again. The boy waved his hand sheepishly. “No, no. No need for that. Seriously, it’s embarrassing.”
“G-Gomenasai.” The girl apologized.
It isn’t really worth it, but I reaalllyyy want something sweet right now!!!
Besides...
He smiled to himself.
There’s something interesting about her...
* * *
After closing up, they headed towards her house, which was in a smaller area on the outskirts of town. The inhabitants were dressed in rags and covered in filth. Many women were carrying around crying babies wrapped in dirty cloths, and men were hauling bags of flour or boxes full of fruits and vegetables.
“Ah, by the way, I am Melissa Hart. Y-Yoroshiku-onegaishimasu.” The girl stopped walking and introduced herself. “And you?”
“I couldn’t tell someone like you my name!” The white-haired boy wagged a finger at her. “Just call me &#$@^& or @&#* or &@(# or *#(@&$ or &*#*@#&$ or something like that!”
“N-No, that isn’t possible!” The girl cowered tearfully as the boy smiled innocently.
I don’t even know half of those words!
“Anyway, this place is pretty worn-down, huh?” The boy whirled around and inspected the small buildings stacked together. The walls were rotting and peeling, and most didn’t even have windows. There was little vegetation, and the air was stuffy and hard to breathe in.
The girl flinched, though the boy didn’t seem to notice.
“M-Many people living here are poor because of the effects of the Caissa Games.”
A spark of interest flared in the boy’s eyes.
“Caissa Games?”
“You have heard of it, have you not?” Melissa explained as she continued walking with her hands folded on the front of her skirt. “There is another world called Caissa. I’m not so sure of the details, but there are two sides fighting for rulership over that world. But, it doesn’t seem worth it...” She scanned the town sadly. “seeing how conditions here are.”
“Eh~~~” The boy spotted a group of children in rags playing around on the sidewalk. They were kicking around a ruined ball bare-footed, but they were still smiling.
“But, everyone here is close.” Melissa smiled nostalgically. “It’s like we are one big family.”
“Hm? What’s that supposed to mean?” The white-haired boy raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“Eh?” The girl stopped walking and glanced at the boy over her shoulder.
“Ah, what’s that?” The boy spotted something ahead and ran forward.
Does he...have no family?
The girl watched as the boy approached a group of kids around his age struggling to get a scruffy, shivering dog out of an alley.
Is he all alone?
The girl gripped her chest tightly. The boy smiled and held out a hand towards the small dog. Hesitantly, the dog took a small step out of the shadows.
“Come here, come here. It won’t hurt you!” The boy coaxed and held out a hand with a smile.
The dog took another step out of the alley, leaned forward, and sniffed the boy’s hand. Soon, he was jumping up and down, his small tongue flicking out to lick the boy’s face with his short tail wagging furiously. His frightened eyes now lid up with adoration.
Such loneliness...
An image of splattered blood and lifeless hands outstretched towards her flashed in her mind.
“There, there!” The boy giggled and embraced the puppy.
“Arf~!” THe dog yapped happily.
“Amazing!” The children surrounded him cheered in awe.
“We’ve been trying for weeks to get Coco out!”
“Thank you!”
“Here.” The boy handed the dog to a small boy. He laughed as the dog began licking his face like crazy.
Is so scary.
Melissa’s long brown braids were swept upwards by the wind. She smiled and walked towards the children.
“Take care now.” The boy bid farewell to the dog. He faced the children. “Don’t forget to feed him. And play with him a lot, or else he’ll get bored!”
“Thanks!” The children waved and left.
“Do you like dogs?” Melissa asked as she stood by him, waving at the children along with him.
“Not particularly.” The boy shrugged.
“I see...”
“Let’s go, Melissa-san.” The white-haired boy looked up at Melissa.
“Oh, yeah.” Melissa suddenly remembered they were heading towards her house. She lead the rest of the way.
Her house was on the end of town. It’s condition wasn’t as terrible as the others, but it was cramped and starting to wear down. The roof was covered in extra scraps of metal that she had hammered on top to patch up the holes constantly forming. The only thing that appeared to be bright and lively was the small patch of colorful little flowers in the front.
Roses? The white-haired boy recognized the flowers immediately.
The door barely hung onto their hinges, and she took care to gently swing it open. Dust clung to the air inside her house which consisted of one room. A small, cramped kitchen was pushed into the back left corner, with a small sofa and couch making up the living room. A bed full of bumps and loose springs stood under the one window she had on the right side of the room. If you didn’t know any better, the bed might have been her dining table.
The boy stepped inside. “Ojemashimasu~!”
He doesn’t seem to mind the poor conditions. Melissa thought.
“Please sit.” Melissa gestured to the sofa. “I’ll go fetch some cake along with the tea.” She headed for the kitchen.
The boy took a seat and looked around from the ceiling to the brownish walls to the floor which seemed to be inhabited by dust bunnies.
“Do you live here by yourself?” The boy asked Melissa who was busy heating a pot of tea above the stove.
“Huh? Hai.” Melissa waited patiently for the kettle to warm up above the small fire.
“Are they dead?” The boy asked bluntly.
Melissa tensed. Well, he was just a boy. A child his age probably wouldn’t be able to comprehend the situation and choose his words carefully.
“Yes. It was when I was very little, so I can’t remember them very well.”
“...what about that girl?” The white-haired boy pointed to the picture hanging on the wall. Melissa was smiling warmly with her arm linked with another girl who was slightly taller. She had long, wavy blonde hair and sunny blue eyes and wore a deep pink dress that seemed to outshine Melissa’s ragged outfit.
“Oh, that was my best friend.” Melissa smiled sadly at the picture. “She passed away a few years ago.”
“How?”
“How?” Melissa laughed slightly. The tea began to boil. A loud whirring sound filled the air. “Many people in this world die. She was simply ill and unlucky.”
“Liar.”
Melissa’s eyes widened. She had just finished filling up a single glass cup with steaming tea. The boy stared straight at her with such intensity that it couldn’t have possibly belonged to that of a child.
What...? Th-This boy..
Melissa bit her lip and poured the tea into the other cup. Shaking, she turned her back towards him and searched for the cake.
“Sh-She was...killed by Players.”
The boy said nothing.
“They are participants in the Caissa games.” Melissa bit her lip. She a plate wrapped loosely yet securely in paper. She grabbed it and began unwrapping the paper. “There are two sides, the White Players and Black Players. During their battles, innocent citizens often get caught up in their fights and are killed.”
“...Are they strong?” The white-haired boy cocked his head.
“Yes.” Melissa nodded. She could barely keep the cake from falling to the ground. “So strong...it is truly frightening.” She placed the cake on a tray along with the tea and set it down on the table before the boy.
“Here.” She managed to put on a smile. “I made this cake a while ago, but since I rarely get decent ingredients, this is all I have for now. And the tea may be quite dull, I do apologize.”
“Ohhh~” The boy inspected the slice of cake. It wasn’t fancy, but the cream on top was pure white and topped with colorful little candies including a large pink candy flower. The bread was soft and fluffy and layered with pink cream.
If he doesn’t like it, he won’t give me any roses! Melissa stood to the side, hugging the tray tightly in front of her. Please, please, please.
The boy grabbed a fork and dug into the cake. He produced a chunk and stuffed it in his mouth. For a while, he was silent.
“This cake...” He said with his fork still in his mouth.
Melissa’s face tensed.
“...is so GOOOD~!” The boy finished beaming. He began shoving the cake in his mouth with a blissful look on his face.
“This is good, Melissa-san!” The boy grinned at the girl.
“Eh...?” Melissa blinked. “Um, thank you. But is it really that good? The ingredients aren’t really that high-quality, and it was made in a place like this by a girl like me...”
“All that fancy-schmancy stuff doesn’t matter.” The boy leaned back in his seat. “The social status of the maker does not matter, either. What makes a cake delicious is the feelings put into it!”
“I-Is that so...?”
How wise, coming from a child.
“I’m guessing you made it with her?” The boy gestures to the girl in the photograph.
Melissa nodded. "She loved baking cakes and gardening and all the sort. That cake is of her recipe."
"But she doesn't seem like someone who would reside in such a place." The boy pointed out while taking a sip of tea.
"No, her family was quite wealthy." Melissa shook her head. "She happened to stumble upon our little home, and we became quite close."
Melissa remembered the first time they had met. She had been cleaning the laundry outside in a basin when all of a sudden a tall girl with the most beautiful dress she had ever seen appeared out of nowhere.
"Excuse me."
Melissa ceased her scrubbing and looked up. From her polished shoes to her wavy, shampooed golden hair, Melissa could immediately tell that she wasn't from here.
"H-Hai?"
"Where am I?" The girl demanded with her hands on her hips.
"Um...?"
"I lost papa on the way here." The girl crossed her thin arms across her chest with a sigh. "This always happens..."
"Um...are you okay?" Melissa asked in a soft voice.
"Hm? Ah.....” The girl bent down to observe the scratch on her knee. Fresh blood trickled down her leg, visible since part of her dress had been torn.
“I tripped.” The girl shrugged.
“Would you like me to clean that for you?” Melissa offered.
“It’s fine!”
“No! You will get disinfected!” Melissa grabbed the girl’s hand. “Come in please!”
“Ah, wait, I said it’s fine-”
But Melissa refused to listen. She dragged the girl into her little house despite all the protests. She sat the girl down and hurried to grab a wet dishcloth.
“Does it sting?” Melissa asked as she wrung out the dripping towel over a basin.
“Um, yeah, I guess-”
Melissa bent down in front of the girl and observed the wound. It was pretty deep and beginning to turn slightly brown on her long, porcelain leg. Melissa gently began to dap at the dried blood around the scraped skin. The girl stared questioningly at Melissa as she worked but said nothing.
Melissa took out some disinfectant from a cabinet and poured a small bit on the cloth.
“This may sting.” Melissa warned. As soon as the soaked cloth reached the girl’s wound, she flinched but remained silent.
Melissa cleaned away at the wound until she was satisfied before wrapping a clean piece of fabric around the girl’s leg.
“There. All done.”
“U-Um...” The girl outstretched her long leg and examined the now-bandaged wound. “Th-Thanks, but you really didn’t need to-”
“N-No, it’s fine.” Melissa said quietly.
“...treating random strangers at your doorstep is dangerous, ya know.” The girl bent down to inspect Melissa who leaned back shyly.
“Ne, what’s your name?”
“M-Melissa. Melissa Hart.”
“Melissa...? Nice name!” The girl smiled warmly and began swinging her legs back and forth. “I’m Nana. Nice to meet you!”
Somehow, her smile made me realize something that had been in plain sight all my life.
“I like you! Let’s be friends?” Nana held out a hand.
Her warm, friendly hand reaching out to me made me realize how lonely I was. My parents were dead, I had no relatives, no friends.
“I will become your beeesstt friend!” Nana grinned. “Kay?”
Her hand shone upon the truth that the world around me was empty. But her hand pulled me out of that world.
“F-Friend...?”
“W-Woah, wait!” Nana jumped back. Tears piled up in Melissa’s eyes and rolled down her rosy cheeks. “What’s wrong?”
Melissa sniffed and rubbed her nose with her sleeve. “N-Nothing.” Melissa put on a wavering smile along with her tears of joy and took Nana’s hand graciously.
“Ok.” She nodded. Nana smiled.
“We were like sisters.” Melissa sipped her tea back in her house along with the white-haired boy. “Although her father disapproved of it, she visited as often as possible. We baked together, cooked, gardened, and...”
She trailed off uncomfortably.
“Those roses...they are for her?” The white-haired boy asked.
Melissa nodded, her gaze lingering on the surface of her tea where her sad reflection rippled across the liquid. “She loved flowers, especially roses. We planted that little garden outside together.”
One day while they were tending to the garden, Nana sighed and slammed her shovel in the dirt in frustration.
“Argh! I want more roses!” Nana groaned and leaned backwards. Her long blonde hair glistened under the sun.
“S-Sorry I don’t have much space.” Melissa apologized solemnly. “I don’t really have much fertile soil...”
“Ah, no, it’s not that!” Nana waved her hands. She smiled down at the little bed of roses they were tending to with fresh water and soil.
“Father isn’t too fond of flowers.” Melissa began messing with the excess dirt around the flowers. “But my mother loved them. Roses were her favorite. I remember the red roses that were placed all around her inside her casket.”
“Eh?” Melissa gasped.
Casket? Her mother...?
“Y-You’re mother...?”
“She was the nicest person in the world!” Nana grabbed the can of water and began sprinkling the plants. “She was kind and gentle and polite. Everyone loved her, and she was really smart. She would always read me the most wonderful stories before bed and always smelled of roses since she gardened so much. She always said she loved the color of red roses and how beautiful they were. She even enjoyed the thorns along the stems.”
Her golden bangs fell over her face as she hugged her knees tightly to her chest.
“I felt really sad at her funeral, thinking “I won’t see mama again?” but...the roses were still beautiful, even as they surrounded death."
"My mama once had a garden FULL of roses!" Nana waved her arms exaggeratedly in the air. "It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen!"
"It must've been." Melissa nodded.
“But after she died, papa destroyed the entire garden.” Nana smiled sadly. “Probably because they reminded him too much of mama. Still, I wanna see them again.”
“Nana...” Melissa’s head drooped low.
“Ah, it’s okay, I-” Nana quickly perked up.
“I-!” Melissa exclaimed, cutting Nana off. She backed away, slightly startled.
“I will...” Melissa took Nana’s hands in hers.
“M-Melissa?” Nana stammered.
“I will...” Melissa looked up at Nana with large shining eyes. “Get you those roses!”
“Huh?”
“A million roses! I will get you a million roses!” Melissa leaned in awfully close. “I may be poor, but...It doesn’t matter how long it takes!”
“M-Melissa, stop, you don’t have to do that.” Nana finally spoke up. “My mother spent her entire life in that garden, and...”
“I promise!” Melissa said firmly. “If I do...” Her big brown eyes began to water. “You won’t miss your mother as much, right?”
Nana’s eyes widened. She was rendered speechless by Melissa’s dramatic declaration.
“Melissa...”
Nana. You once had a mother. I can barely remember mine,so I don’t miss her. I don’t know...
Melissa tightened her grip.
What losing someone important to you feels like. But it must be painful. It must hurt. So...
Nana’s strawberry pink lips wavered and lit up with a tiny smile.
I will make that sad pain go away!!!
“Ok.” Nana held out a long pinky. Her voice crack, and her eyes became wet. “Promise?”
“Yes!” Smiling through their tears, they intertwined their pinky fingers and embraced each other.
Nana...you are not the type of person to deserve such a cruel fate, unlike a worthless person like me, so...
“Oi! Look, a girl!”
“She’s covered in blood!”
“Is she even breathing?”
“Somebody help!”
Melissa was on her way back from the market with a basket full of fruit in her arms. She spotted a large crowd gathered around an alley, murmurs of fear and panic spreading around.
“Hm? What’s going on?”
“Does anyone know here?”
“She isn’t from here.”
“That’s true. Look at that fancy dress.”
Melissa’s heart stopped. Time slowed down tremendously. She felt as if the weight of the world had just been placed on her shoulders.
No...
The basket slipped out of her grasp. It crashed onto the ground and sent the fruit tumbling. She ran as quickly as she could, but it was like the crowd of people were miles away.
No...No...No...
She shoved through the thick wall of people as hard as she could, her breathing hard and goosebumps growing on her skin.
It can’t be...
“She’s dead!”
Gasps of horror burst throughout the crowd.
“How awful.” A woman sobbed and turned away, her face pale.
“Who could’ve done such a thing?!”
It can’t be...It can’t...
Melissa finally reached the front, stumbling out between the tall adults around her. She felt sick to her stomach.
...be...
The coldness that had wrapped around her froze what little warmth she had left in her body. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t see anything but the still figure sprawled across the ground in an odd angle surrounded by red.
“Na..na...?”
Her golden blonde hair was now red. Her dress was drenched in so much blood that the original color could not be seen. She was covered in wounds, and her eyes were empty and wide open in fear.
“N-Nana...Nana...”
Nana...you are not the type of person to deserve such a cruel fate, unlike a worthless person like me, so...
“NANA!!!!”
Why?
The world was spinning. She fell to her knees, the red and gory scene before her becoming blurred with tears. Her mouth was wide open in a silent scream.
Why?
With shaking hands, she reached out towards her dead friend, as if simply grabbing her would bring her back.
WHY?!
She finally stood and dashed forward, her beating heart loud in her ears. She bent down besides her friend, her tears dripping to the floor.
“Nana...Nana...NANA!!!”
Why did such a horrible thing happen to you?!
“No...She’s...Nana...” Melissa sobbed. She buried her head in her hands and cried out as loud as she could, her screams scratching the inside of her throat.
“NOOOOOOOO!”
The tingle that always aroused in her left hand whenever Nana grabbed it spark up. She balled her fists tightly on her face. People came to comfort her and lead her away, but she ignored them all.
I...didn’t even get you your roses...why did you have to leave before I got you your roses?!
Melissa noticed something out of the corner of her eye and gasped, though it came out as more of a hiccup.
Next to Nana’s head was a single red flower amidst a pool of blood.
The rose blended in well with Nana’s blood...probably because they were the same color.
“A rose...”
Nana’s blood was the same beautiful color as the roses she oh so adored.
The same deep, vivid red.
* * *
The white-haired boy remained silent throughout the story. Their tea sat untouched on the table, having lost its steam.
“Nana was fated to have a rose by her deathbed.” Nana’s grabbed the fabrics of her skirt in her curled fingers. “But..I wish she was surrounded by a million of them.”
“Nana...what was her father like?”
“Her father?” Melissa looked up and tried to recall. “Hm...I met him a few times. He strongly disapproved of Nana playing with me. He was a well-known man, after all. But...you could tell he missed Nana’s mother. He always had that small bit of sadness in his eyes.”
“Hm...” The white-haired boy licked his fork. “How do you know that she was killed by Players?”
“They found a Queen’s piece near her corpse.” Melissa replied. “I...sometimes suspected it was her father...”
“Her father??”
“Ah, no-!” Melissa tensed “Um...he just gave off a strange aura..it always gave me a bad feeling...”
“Ehhhh...” The boy rested his chin on his arm. His hat slipped slightly. “But why roses out of all flowers?”
“Well, she loved the color. And the smell. Don’t you like roses as well?” Melissa questioned.
“Like roses?” The boy scoffed as if it were funny. “In what way are roses so attractive?”
His tone has changed. Melissa noted. “Um, so do you hate them? Then why do you sell them?”
“I never said that.” The white-haired boy closed his eyes. “...Don’t you hate the thorns on the stem?”
“The thorns?” Melissa considered the thought. Then she smiled and tilted her head. “Roses are enough to admire. Pulling them out of the soil would be a waste, no?”
He said nothing. Melissa wondered who this boy was exactly.
He’s no ordinary child...
“...You think its unfair that she died?”
“Huh?”
The boy stood, his long coat swishing around him. His hat and long bangs concealed his eyes.
“Ah, wait-!”
“You thought she was so pure that something so tragic couldn’t have possibly happened to her?” The boy stopped in front of the door, his back facing Melissa.
The girl stopped short a if she couldn’t breathe.
How...? It’s like he read my mind...
“That girl...” Melissa still couldn’t see his face, but she spotted a creepy smile peeking from the side of his mouth.
“May not have been so “pure.”
“What...?” Melissa’s eyes widened and shook.
“Did you really know her?” The boy faced her with such a grin that chilled her to the bones. “Did you know the real Nana?”
“Wh-What are you saying...?”
I’ve heard rumors about that girl.
Yeah. Her late mother was cursed.
Dead people showed up all around her.
She probably passed it on to her daughter!
Really?! How scary!
I bet she killed her own mother!
“Don’t listen to them, Nana!”
Melissa remembered constantly assuring Nana, who stood with shaking shoulders amid the rumors surrounding her.
“They don’t know what they’re saying!”
Nana would always remain silent. She would simply glance at Melissa and smile as brightly as she could.
Melissa stood up abruptly, her tea cup falling to the ground and shattering to pieces. A desperate look spread across her face.
“H-How would you know?!”
Nana was...
“You don’t know her!” Her voice shook tremendously. “How-?!”
Nana was...
Her beautiful smile, her flowing hair, her warm and gentle soul that flickered like a candle flame...
Nana was...!
“Nana was-!!!” Melissa said with such a loud and controlling voice unlike the softness from before. Tears began pouring out of her eyes.
She pulled me out of that dark loneliness! She reached her hand out to me out of all people! She...She...!
“Don’t be fooled.” The boy spat. Melissa faltered. His expression was cold and expressionless, nothing like before. His eyes were wide with a glint that couldn’t have possibly belonged to a child.
“People aren’t always what they seem.” The boy strided forward.
“W-Wait-!” Melissa backed away as she noticed that the boy had no intention of stopping. He kept walking until Melissa bumped into the wall.
Thud!
The boy leaned his arm on the wall beside her. She was flat against the cold bricks, the boy’s face so close she could feel his breath which smelled both sweet and poisoning.
“Ya know, Melissa-san?” The boy smiled loosely with his eyes hidden. “I hate people like yoouu~!”
Melissa tried to speak, but no words would come out. She realized she was shaking, and she could feel the pressure rising. She shivered violently in fear.
“People like you alwayyys ignore what’s right in front of them!” The boy reached out and stroked Melissa’s chin, but she was too frightened to protest. “They always live on as if nothing they can’t accept happened.”
Stop...
“They always...”
Stop...!
Blood was everywhere. It dripped down the walls, drenched the floor...
“...keep their eyes closed shut in order to hide. They never...”
STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP!
“...open their eyes.”
“STOP!!!”
It stained her hands with red.
Melissa slapped the white-haired boys hand away. He staggered back, allowing Melissa to gain more room to breathe. She grabbed the wall behind her in order to gain balance. She panted hard as if all the air in her chest had been sucked out.
Th-That dream...that dream again...?!
Melissa outstretched the palm of her shaking white hand and stared.
“Melissa-san...” The boy finally spoke. “Have you been...having any strange dreams lately...?”
Melissa gasped.
“You seemed verrryyy pale earlier!” The white-haired boy’s innocent smile returned, but Melissa could see the glint in his eyes. “I spotted some medicine in the cabinets-”
“Wh-Who are you?!” Melissa demanded. “How do you know-?! What do you want with me?!”
“I can’t really tell you.” The boy shrugged. “But, let’s just say that I’m...”
The boy held up a finger to his grinning mouth.
“An angel fallen from heaveeen!”
“???”
“I’ll be taking my leave now!” The white-haired boy turned abruptly and reached out for the door. “Oh, and...” He looked over his shoulder once more and winked. “You’ll get those roses soon.”
He shut the door behind him, leaving Melissa shaking against the wall. She gawked at the door, speechless.
What...just happened?
The white-haired boy stopped outside the door and produced a red rose from his sleeve.
"I'll bring you more later." He tossed the rose into the air. It settled on the dusty ground as the boy left.
* * *
Once she had gotten ahold of herself, Melissa went out to buy some groceries. She absentmindedly paid for her things and headed home with her hands full.
That boy...
She flashed back to the white-haired boy’s sinister smile.
Who is he...? How did he know about the dream...?
The thought of all the blood surrounding her sent violent chills down her spine.
No, no, no. She shook her head, her long braids swinging side to side. I shouldn’t think about it. It’s just a dream.
Is it really just a dream?
Melissa gasped. A small voice crept into her head and froze her insides.
Or is it...
She suddenly realized where she was. She slowly glanced to the side to find a long, dark alley stretched out before her.
This is...!
...reality?
“NO!!!”
Her shaking hands could no longer support the groceries. With all her things forgotten on the ground, she began to run.
No! I-I didn’t-!
She could her her heart beating rapidly in her ears.
Thump. Th-Thump.
She could barely breathe. She ran faster and faster and...
I didn’t-!
The roaring sound of her blood and the beating of her heart ceased to a halt.
“Ah!”
She cried out and tumbled to the ground.
“Oof!”
Small clouds of dust formed around where she had fallen. Wincing, she pushed herself onto her elbows.
You did.
The pressure hanging in the air around her collapsed. She looked up with wide, horrified eyes to find not a single person around. The scene had turned red, and the walls of the buildings to the trees to the ground were dripping with blood.
Nana and I had been together, when...
“Halt!”
They had been cornered by a group of men from Nana’s family in the alley. They grabbed Nana forcefully.
“Come with us quietly, you monster!”
“No! Let go of Nana!”
“Move aside!”
The men had swiped away the struggling Melissa. She was thrown into the wall with a cry.
“Melissa!” Nana cried fearfully. She faced the men. “Don’t hurt her! She has nothing to do with this!”
“Quiet!’ The man holding her snapped.
“Nana!” Melissa cried.
“Melissa, run!” Nana yelled at her friend. “They’ll kill you!”
Don’t you mean...they’ll kill you?
“Quiet or we’ll silence you ourselves!” One of the men roared and produced something from his jacket.
Melissa gasped in horror.
He has a knife!!!
“No, Melissa!” Nana cried and thrashed wildly until she finally broke free. Melissa shrieked and shielded her face with eyes shut, waiting for the impact.
Slash!
Melissa waited for a moment, but she felt perfectly fine. She slowly opened her eyes and lowered her arms.
Nana stood in front of her, arms spread wide. A trail of blood spurted out of her chest as she fell to the ground.
Melissa could only watch. The whole world felt as if it had been put on slow motion as Melissa watched her friend collapse. Right before she hit the ground, Nana turned towards Melissa. With tearful eyes, she gave Melissa one final smile. She mouthed a few words, but Melissa couldn’t hear. She couldn’t hear anything. All sound had been drowned out by her beating heart.
Thud!
“Na...na?”
Melissa’s began to shake. Tears began pouring out of her eyes like crazy.
“NANA!!!”
Someone who could even think of harming such a person...
Melissa glared at the men surrounding her and Nana’s lifeless body.
IS JUST TOO CRUEL!!!
“How...How could you...?” Shakily, Melissa slowly stood. Her knees wavered and she could feel as if she were about to collapse, but she held her ground. She managed to pick up the blood-stained knife that the man who slayed Nana had dropped.
“What?!”
“How could you...” Her voice trembled. She leapt forward with a crazed look in her eyes and raised the knife.
“HOW COULD YOU KILL NANA?!”
She brought the knife downwards.
At the time...I couldn’t really remember what had happened...I just killed...and killed...
Fresh wounds sprouted with blood on each man’s chest, and they collapsed just as Nana had.
...and killed...!
Melissa had dragged the bodies towards the woods in a daze, making sure to leave behind not a single bit of evidence. She buried the dead bodies deep in the ground so as to not be discovered. She washed her hands, skin, and clothes, but even after she had scrubbed herself as hard as she could, she still couldn’t get rid of that stench...
“Ah...” Melissa stammered as the memories began flowing through her at once.
That’s right...
“A-Ahhh...” Melissa’s hands crept up towards her face.
I...
“AHHHHH!”
I...couldn’t protect Nana...! I killed them! I-!
Screaming, she rested her head on the ground with her hands on her face.
How could I have forgotten...something like that??!!
The throbbing pain inside her wouldn’t stop. She felt like she was going to be sick. The world around her began to spin in dizzying angles.
“She wanted you to forget.”
Melissa stopped screaming. Still shivering, she slowly lifted her head to find a pair of boots right in front of her. She followed the boots upward to find the white-haired boy smiling down at her.
“You-?!”
“Nana-san wanted you to forget her.”
“What?”
“Remember?” The boy grinned. “You told me a Queen’s piece had been found besides her, right?”
“Eh? Y-Yeah...” Melissa calmed down slightly while staring up at the boy on her knees.
“And that wasn’t there when you saw her getting killed, right?”
Melissa gasped. He was right. The Queen’s piece hadn’t been there.
“That can only mean one thing.” The white-haired boy held up a finger.
“Huh?”
“You friend...” The white haired boy paused before winking a single eye at Melissa. “was a Player!”
“...eh?”
“Since it was a Queen’s piece, then she must’ve been a Queen!” The white-haired boy mused.
“Wait, what are you saying?!” Melissa cut him off and grabbed his shirt. “Those men weren’t Players?!”
“Hmmm, they might’ve been.” The boy tapped his chin. “But they were after Nana-san because she was a Queen, no doubt about it. And her mother was probably a Queen as well.”
“EH?!”
“Most likely, her mother was killed by the same people.” THe boy deducted. He knelt down so that he was face-to-face with Melissa. “They must’ve been pretty dangerous, huh.”
Nana...was a Player?! But, how...?
“Caissa is an unfair world.” The white-haired boy grabbed a stick lying on the ground and began sketching in the dirt. “But the world we live in is just as unfair.”
“Excuse me?” Melissa blinked.
“Players never chose to be Players.” The boy made a set of round lines over and over until they overlapped. “They are simply cursed by fate. Caissa decides who to place such a person on. Some people are worthy of being Player, and others aren’t. But that doesn’t automatically mean they are bad people. Humans are what make them bad people.”
Melissa could only sit and listen as the white-haired boy continued. He finished his drawing. It was a rose with a long, thorny stem.
“Humans immediately treat Players as outcasts, not knowing that that is what actually causes a Player to harbor such dark feelings. It isn’t entirely their fault.” The white-haired boy examined his drawing. “But how are they different? They simply have powers that others don’t. It’s foolish.”
“Is that how...Nana felt?” Melissa asked hesitantly.
“Who knows?” The boy shrugged. “Those are just my thoughts. And aren’t you the same?”
Melissa tensed, started.
“Hai?”
“Hating abnormal people is a part of human nature.” The boy sighed. “It is an ugly trait, yet it is humane. Didn’t you also...hate Nana?”
Don~!
“H-Hate...Nana...?” Melissa thought she had heard his words wrong, but that was definitely what he had said.
“I...I loved Nana!” Melissa cried, but she could feel something wavering inside her. “I...?”
“See? You’re just shielding your eyes from the truth.” The boy smirked.
Melissa froze again.
He...He’s right.
To be honest, I envied Nana. She was always surrounded by light, but I was always in the dark.
I feared that one day...
I may be left behind in the dark.
When I promised her to get her those roses, I actually pitied her. But I also felt relieved. She was not so perfect. I felt that we had suddenly become on closer levels. But then...
Melissa remembered watching Nana die. She remembered Nana’s empty eyes and colorless face.
I had actually been slightly relieved. I no longer had to fear.
“I...I...!”
I no longer had to fear being left in the dark.
“I was such a coward...I...!”
As I murdered, I simply covered my eyes, the only thing visible being the blood spurting beyond the cracks between my fingers.
“Nana tried to make you forget her.”
The white-haired boy’s voice pulled her back to reality. He was still crouching, simply staring at her as she broke down.
“She wanted you to forget her so that such things never happened to you.” The boy rested his head on his knees. “But she only managed to make you forget when she had died.”
“Nana did...?” Melissa mumbled.
“Yup.” The boy glanced to the side. “What a kind person. She wanted to erase her existence from your life to save you, though she was probably well aware that you hated her."
Nana...did that for me...?
I envied her...I pitied her...I harbored hatred towards her deep down in a place locked up in my heart, yet she...
“Nana...!” Melissa placed her hands flat on the ground. Her tears plopped down onto the path and left wet stains on the concrete. Despair overtook her and shook her to the very core. “Nana...!”
Nana, you saved me! You jumped in front of me to save me! Yet, I...! Even now I still hated you! So, why?!
“She loved you.”
Melissa jumped. She whirled around. A tall man dressed in a fancy black suit with his arms folded behind his back watched her from a distance. His eyes were cold and harsh, yet they glittered with something much softer and smaller.
“Wh-Who...?”
“I am Luke D. Martin.” The man bowed stiffly. “Nana’s father.”
“?!”
“Nana’s father?!” Melissa was shocked.
“I brought him here.” The white-haired boy piped up. “Man, you don’t know how much trouble I went into finding him!”
“Um, sir...?” Melissa squeaked.
“Miss Hart...” Luke strided forward. With a small squeal, Melissa backed away. But unexpectedly, Luke bowed again right in front of her.
“Arigato gozaimasu!”
“Eh?”
“Nana could never smile properly after her mother passed away.” Luke’s eyes hardened. “But after meeting you, her face would light up merely at the mention of your name. Even at her last moments, you tried protecting her, and she tried protecting you. I was afraid that you two being together would harm her, and I have always thought that way up until now, but...I was wrong!”
Luke knelt down besides Melissa. “Thank you for saving my daughter!”
“I...saved Nana?”
I always thought that she had saved me.
“No...I didn’t...” Melissa shook her head, but she spotted the white-haired boy smiling warmly out of the corner of her eye.
But I had also saved Nana...? She had been immersed in a darkness...
“Nana...” Melissa’s voice shook once again. The tears streaming down her cheeks were now warm.
That I did not know of.
“NANA!!!” Melissa sobbed. Without thinking, she raced forward and wrapped her arms around Nana’s father. He was startled, but then smiled and embraced Melissa as she cried with her head buried in the front of his coat.
Nana...I may have hated you...but I also loved you!!! Because...you were so nice to me!
She remembered the warmth of Nana’s hand when they first met.
“She wanted you to forget her so that you wouldn't suffer because of her.” Luke said as he comforted Melissa who grabbed the front of his clothes tightly. “That is the fate of Players. But still, thank you for being her friend.”
Melissa continued to cry. She cried and cried and cried out her heart’s content.
You too, Nana...Arigato...Honto ni arigato!!!
The white-haired boy smiled and stood. He glanced down at the rose he had drawn on the ground.
That’s right...That is the fate of Players...
He raised his right foot.
It would be better if...
In one swipe, he erased the drawing completely off the dirt. A trail of white frost was left in its wake.
they did not even exist in the first place.
* * *
“Melissa!”
“Hai?” Melissa perked up. She was dressed neatly from head to toe. She wore a purple and blue dress made of fine material that made her skirt fold and billow around her waist. Her brown hair fell down her sides in soft curls. She looked over the railing from the second floor.
“Are you hungry?” Luke looked up from the bottom floor near the bottom of the stairwell.
“Mm!” Melissa smiled and nodded.
“Good! Dinner is almost ready!” Luke called up.
“Hai! I’ll be right down!” Melissa merrily replied. She dashed towards her room.
“Ah, I’m starving!” Melissa sighed heavily. “I hope we’re eating something good!”
Tap! Tap!
“Huh?”
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Melissa paused. She heard a small tapping sound coming from her bedroom window. Cautiously, she approached her window. In one quick move, she threw the curtains aside.
“Koniichiiwaaa~!”
Melissa gasped. “You’re?!”
She recognized the young pale face, white hair, black hat, and smile.
“How’re you doing, Melissa-san?” The white-haired boy asked in a cheerful tone.
“B-But how?!” Melissa stammered.
For starters, this is the second floor!
“Looks like you’ve settled in quite well.” The white-haired boy observed.
Melissa glanced at the boy and smiled. “Yes. After that time, Mr. martin decided to adopt me. He may be strict, but he is actually very kind and gentle. It’s like he’s my real father!”
“Is that so?” The boy draped his arms over her windowsill with his chin resting on them.
“Well, anyway, I didn’t get a chance to thank you.” Melissa continued. “Without you, I-”
“Wait right there.” The white-haired boy held out a hand only inches away from Melissa’s face.
“Excuse me?”
He really is such a mysterious boy...
“It’s a little early to thank me.” The white-haired boy said with a secretive smile. He waved his long sleeve behind him.
“What do you mean-?”
Melissa gasped. The scenery below her took her breath away.
“R-Roses?!”
The garden below her room had once belonged to Nana’s mother. Melissa had planted on growing new roses there, but now the once barren soil was no longer visible. Bunches of bright red roses covered the ground completely, the sunlight reflecting off their scarlet petals.
“H-How...?’ Melissa’s eyes shimmered. She was at a loss of words.
“Hey, a deal’s a deal.” The white-haired boy shrugged. “Besides, I took some cake, so this is an extra thanks.” The boy produced a slice of cake from behind his back.
“Th-Thank you...” Melissa said in a soft whisper. With teary eyes, she hugged the boy tightly. “Arigato gozaimasu!”
The boy smiled softly. “Take good care of them.”
“I will!” Melissa smiled as she let the boy go.
“Your cake is delicious!” The boy swung a chunk of cake around in the air on a fork. “It was great! I’m glad I met you, Melissa-san!”
“I am glad I met you as well.”
Yes, Melissa-san...
“Bye bye, Melissa-san!” The boy grinned. With one last smile, he let go of the windowsill.
But, what you say is wrong.
“Eh?!”
Melissa leaned out the window and looked down frantically.
You shouldn’t...
The wind blew her curls to the side. She scanned the garden below but couldn’t find a single trace of the boy.
be glad that you met me.
All that was left was a cloud of rose petals.
Smiling to herself, Melissa closed the window shut. If only she had stayed a little longer, she would have noticed the vivid flowers being swallowed by pure white frost.