Do not look back.

Akemi only followed that singular rule.

He chose life over knowing what in the world was chasing him. He needed to run — to focus on escaping. As unattainable as he guessed it would be, he had to find help. From the quick glance prior to the monster chasing him, he recalled it being a hundred-times his size.

It crushed the ground by only stepping on it. That very ground shook, causing mini earthquakes in the surrounding area. He could feel his balance faltering and his foot's sole vibrating as they touched the concrete. Sinister shrieks reached his ears, which sent shivers down his spine.

Akemi couldn't breathe fire like his father and fight along spirits like his mother. All he could do was defend himself against people, not beasts. And he certainly wasn't bold enough, or stupid enough, to fight that white-masked monster head on in this narrow alleyway. At least, if he ran, he would reach the wide-open streets filled with houses and humans.

To Akemi's surprise and relief, he managed to barely outrun this supernatural being. He was thankful for his preternatural speed, along with Kazui and his father's. Competing with them had played a significant role in his survival thus far.

However, he wondered how long he would be able to last.

Is there any way to escape?

"Don't run away like that, Akemi. Don't you want to know what you are?" It tried to persuade him in an unfamiliar, deep, and menacing voice. Layering under his voice was a grating shriek as he shouted, giving Akemi shivers all over again.

No, I want to know what you are or better yet, get out of here!

He released short breathes — refusing to pant and show signs of exhaustion.

He purposely lured me in the night and led me away from my parents.

He leaped sideways to dodge the monster's claws. He barely escaped its hold, one sharp claw tearing a piece of his clothing fabric. His back felt colder than it had already been.

"No, thank you!" Akemi shouted through gritted teeth.

It laughed.

"I was going to be nice and tell you before I kill you. But, I've changed my mind." The monster ducked its head down, leaving little to any distance between them. "I'll eat you right now! And make a quick escape!"

It used an abrupt and ungraceful jerk of speed he had never used before and opened his mouth wide, merely an inch away from Akemi's upper body.

Before he could sink his teeth into his flesh, Akemi dropped to the floor and rolled away. He quickly lifted himself up with his right hand and left foot.

Just a little more.

The warm-orange lights emitting from the streetlamps and bright house windows looked nothing less than a haven to Akemi. It drove him to keep pushing himself and reach that street. His extended-out hand touched light.

He screamed.

An immense pain overtook him, tearing into his skin and digging under. His throat burned and droplets of tears threatened to run down his cheeks. It hurt — an excruciatingly painful feeling he'd never experienced before. Akemi barely got himself to move forward and attempted to push away.

Calm down, calm down, calm down--

To no avail, another scream echoed through the empty street. The pain shot up again when it sunk its teeth deeper into his shoulder. His breathes were as shaky as his trembling body and his heart pounded. He caught glimpses of his own blood dripping onto the road and tried to ignore the warmth of the splattered bits on his face, sliding down to his neck.

Mom. Dad. Akemi whimpered; he shut his eyes. Help!

In his moment of desperation, before his mind went blank, he thought he heard his father's voice calling out to him. In the distance, he heard their footsteps rushing to save him.

➵

Natsu held his head high and moved around without a single hesitance or pause. Akemi's scent grew stronger by the second. They rushed out of an alleyway, but their prayers were not answered by the sight before them.

"What in the world is that?" Lucy gasped.

"Akemi!" Natsu shouted.

Natsu let go of her wheelchair and jumped into action — ready to light up his fire. But, his senses caught onto something else approaching. He heard faint fluttering; he swore a black butterfly passed him in front of his very eyes.

He stopped in his tracks, moving his gaze to his side and followed the black butterfly's agile movements. Moments before the monster had disappeared into black specs of dust, Natsu realized that that was a person who resembled a dark knight.

His clothes were old-fashioned and black with hints of white. He held a sword, which had sliced through that creature. "What are you?"

➵

"Horrible! Just horrible!"

"Stop being dramatic, Yuzu," she monotonously said. Her onyx eyes that had been glued to her phone, moved up to meet her sister's.

She had her hair put up in a ponytail, the same as Yuzu's hairstyle. Despite being twins, however, their fashion styles were on the complete opposite sides of the spectrum — so we're their looks. Yuzu preferred dresses, because she felt pretty and comfortable in them. On the other hand, she spotted pants and baggy shirts. Outings and work were the times she wore a skirt with tights under if not jeans.

'It's comfortable and easy to move in. Easier to change for matches too,' she'd always said.

"I am not! Ichi-nii left the stove on, Karin," Yuzu exclaimed with a huff.

Karin rolled her eyes. "He went off to see what that spiritual pressure was outside. He said it might be a hallow but said something about another weirdly strong spiritual pressure. You know," Karin turned off her phone and lifted herself up, "Soul Reaper stuff."

"I know that. Still, he could've turned it off. There's a child in the house!" Yuzu pouted.

Karin smiled and shook her head. Her siblings were hopeless in some regards and their older brother, Ichigo, was the most hopeless out of the two. Both of them never changed a bit.

She left the kitchen — stepping into the living room. The room had always been empty, with the exception of their father, but Karin's nephew occupied the living room. Naturally, Ichigo's wife, Orihime, followed after him as a toddler and everyone gathered one way or another.

When Karin entered the said living room, she wasn't surprised to see Ichigo's wife helping their child with homework. The house became lively — more than usual — the day she moved in. Their relationship with each other grew to be close as if they were blood-related sisters. Yuzu had been especially excited to have another girl in the house and when their nephew was born, she spoiled him rotten.

Who would've thought I'd be an aunt. Karin had thought the day Orihime showed them the pregnancy test. Prior to her brother dating his wife, she had no hope for him. An 'oblivious idiot' was what she thought he'd stay.

"Hey, Kazui. Still busy with homework?" She asked.

He nodded enthusiastically. "Mom's helping me! We get to draw my family and answer questions about me — like what I want to be!"

Karin patted his head and sat on the couch adjacent to the one they occupied.

"Really? That's nice." She took a peek at the book, "What do you want to be?"

"A cyborg that shoots lasers out of my eyes!" Kazui exclaimed as Orihime lifted the book up for all to display.

Karin saw a picture of a young boy — limbs not accurately sized but neatly drawn — with poorly colored-in orange hair and a silver box replacing most of his lower body. Red lines — assumed to be lasers — shot out of the boy's eyes.

"Cool, right!?" Both Orihime and Kazui asked.

"Yeah," Karin stared at the drawing blankly, "cool."

Yup, definitely mother and son.

"So how was school today?" Karin asked. Part of her wanted to change the subject and another genuinely wanted to know.

"It was great! Akemi and I got to play soccer," he exclaimed. "Playing soccer is aunt's job, right?"

Karin nodded with a smile. "Yup. I'm on break now though."

"Then, can Akemi come over one day and Aunt can play with us?" He fidgeted with his hands.

Karin chuckled and leaned her head onto her hand. "Sure, kid!"

"Really!? Yay! I can't wait for Akemi to visit and meet everyone!" He celebrated. Kazui grinned as his cheeks turned red in excitement. "I think Akemi will really like aunt! He likes soccer a lot too."

Karin opened her mouth to speak, but a loud slam from the door interrupted her. Two men, each carrying someone and out of breath, walked into the living room. In their brother's arms was a bleeding child and the other man held an unconscious woman.