The echo of my steps resonate through the hallways.

The pattering of ran on the roof rather soothing.

I increase my steps starting to get frustrated that Tay as not yet reached. We had promised to meet an hour ago. Had anything happened? I hoped not. I'm not particular about art, and so I simply roam about.

The gallery is gloomy due to the heavy storm outside. The sound of the rain droplets is the only thing preventing an eerie silence. People walk around in solemnity, admiring the art and talking in limited syllables. They are formally dressed making me feel misplaced in long-sleeved black denim jumpsuit that gave a sneak peek to the upside down v of my cleavage and that is written MC at the back by some who clearly had murderous intent.

The buzzing of my phone drags me back to reality. I whisk it out of my pocket and sigh with relief when I see it's a text from Tay. I rush, in a hurry to meet her ,and that's when it happens.

With my eyes still glued to the phone, our paths violently crush. I look up, and an intimidating sight hurts my eyes. He's tall, I'm relatively tall for girls, but his tall like in those crappy romance novels. He has a toned build that looms over me.

The thunder and lightning didn't help much.

A sharp pain cuts across my brain, temporarily paralyzing me. Of all times! I clutch at my head in pain. I border reality and my nightmares. One moment I'm in the gallery the next in the closet.

The closet...

Mother...MOTHER!

I'm fighting the tears, I can feel them. I can feel it all. The sharp pain in my head, the claws of loss strangling my heart. The one day I couldn't forget. It was through the gap in the closet. That was how I saw it all.

~▪︎~

It is a dark night. Father wasn't home and mother is reading me a bedtime story. I'm worried about her, she's due next month with baby brother.

" I want to name him, " I tell mother in pleading voice.

A gentle smile breaks across her face. She's very beautiful with long wavy raven black hair with blue eyes like the deepest part of the ocean known to man. She caresses her bump in so much motherly love that I'm almost jealous of my unborn brother.

" What would you name him sweetheart? "She asks as she gives me a peck on my forehead in a voice that could rival that of the mythical nightingale.

" Ty! Since it's the closest name to Tay. "My excitement rings out into the night.

My mother is amidst embracing me when the abrupt knock on the door tears us apart. I can feel, sense her tense.

It reminded me of my promise to father.

" Mummy has many mean chasers, will my Myla protect her when daddy isn't there to? "He questioned me as he swung me around in his arms.

I had joyfully replied yes.

He shouldn't have arrived yet! I hear mother mumble to her self. She hurriedly pulls me out of bed, and stuffed me into the closet. The angry voices are shouting outside, but I can't hear them. I'm scared for mother, father and ... brother. There's so much I wanted to tell him, show him. The mud castles that I heard learnt to built, the forest berries that I had discovered the other week. She glides out of the room, disappearing. I hold my breath, praying to whoever will hear me.

It all started with the chocking smell that caused me to gag then the bright light of the monstrous flames only made duller by the smoke that stung my eyes. How I wish the smoke would have prevented me from seeing completely at that moment. It gets stuffy in the closet, forcing me to remove my head. Directly in my line of sight and through the open door is when I see with my ever blinking and teary eyes. She's down on her knees and tears are endlessly streaming down her face. She slowly turns her head and smiles a smile that tore, ripped me apart my very existence. A smile of acceptance. She accepted what I never could. As she closes her eyes a last time I find myself screaming in silence. I clenched my chest but no sound. She barely mouthed the word, hide ,as she lay on the ground.

Anger, pain, rage, confusion, loss, helplessness, hopelessness, the desire to kill... I felt it all and more. Things I didn't even know I could ever feel.

~▪︎~

I'm back in the gallery. My phone that had dropped to the ground, is ringing. It's Tay. I need to pick up is all I can think but the pain prevents me. I look up, and he's there, standing with an emotionless glare. His curly hair is tied up in a messy burn. It's rather short with two strands free at the front. His other features are blurred by the poor lightning. He pockets and walks off.

Bastard!

The debate on whether to help her is real, but I can't risk being discovered, it's not an option. I pocket and walk off.

My heart, however, isn't at peace, and so I whisper to the guy at the front desk. He seems to be confused, taking forever to load before he finally calls for help and runs in panic to be off extra hands.

" In our kind of world, man ain't surviving long with those reflexes. "the voice I didn't know I wanted to hear so badly at that moment, says from behind me.

I turn around and pull him into a rough embrace. He pats me violently on the back.

" Nah man! We don't throw surprises like that. Might make me like you. "He's roaring in bellyful laughter earning him disapproving looks from those around him. He doesn't even flinch, plus that's who he is. He doesn't let anyone influence what he is doing, all except for one.

I follow Ry in silence, and it's while I'm looking for him that I realize it. The girl, she kinda looks like him. It's there if you look close enough. Difficult to see but definitely there.

" Hey, I met a girl earlier, real weird. "

He doesn't reply.

" She bumps into me with quite a lot of force. She then proceeds to collapse in pain. Looked real so pretence is cancelled out. "I'm keeping an eye on him, but he gives nothing.

" Your beating around a burning bush, aren't you? "Was the emotionless reply I received.

" She kinda looks like you. "I spit out the words as I grab him by the shoulders.

" Anything I don't know about. "

He smirks," We're here and don't worry your little self too much with such. "

I give a nod. If there's one thing about Ry, it's that he can't lie to me. From he's response I can tell there is something, although he doesn't want to have a chit-chat about it.

He treads up to a painting of a gunman on a horse from olden times. He raises his arm, elegant yet powerful in movement, and does the action of pulling a trigger. I raise an eyebrow.

" Sensor. It will scan my fingerprint, confirm and do its thing. "

The abrupt movement of the largest picture n the room punctuates his words. A dark underground tunnel is exposed though thankfully there were fire torches further ahead.

We come up to a matte black door. Past that is a room I can't quite describe. It's a kid room, that can be told from the size of everything. Frighteningly though, everything in the room is black or grey or any shade between those two colours. It is also mature for kid. There are no toys in sight, unless you want to call the car he seems to be building that appears to be the solution to flying cars, a toy, with the amount of technology in that thing. The walls surrounding the room are like those in a musical studio which matches the violins, viola, cellos, guitars and piano in the room. All colour themed. What struck me as weirdest though, is the seven matte black doors. His room is octagon shaped, each wall with a door except that with his bed.

There he was on the ground. He is small, tiny even, his clothes and masquerade mask, that looked like a cat from the legends, matching the theme. His eyes, however, glare at me with no emotion. They entrap me. They are blue but dark like that of the depths of oceans that are yet to be discovered by humanity. Furthermore, they held secrets and mysteries, some that I had deep, unsettling feelings that they would never be discovered.

" Meet Rome Amunet Santiago. Code name - Art. Six years and when I mentioned to you that I would only die for two people ... he's one of them. "He sweeps him from the ground and lifts him into the air with unimaginable ease.

" Love born from pure hatred. Was ready to kill him, but now I'm ready to kill for him. " He smiles at me, a fiery glint visible in the distance of the world told in his eyes. His hair is braided into two lines. Moreover, the tattoos are evident on his milky chocolate arms, simply disguises for the scars. He's ripped but holds Art as though he was more fragile than a snowflake.

" Drug? " He utters as he places Art carefully back onto the ground.

Art removes a small cushioned box. You got it. It was black as well. But inside is a colourless liquid in a small bottle with a dark green string bow.

" Osiris, ancient Egyptian god of life and death. " I hear my voice say without thinking.

Art curtly nods as he points at the bottle. " Can do both. "

As we leave, I can't help but look back. He's back on the ground, and he's intensely looking at me as though he wants to say something but can't. He signs the words to me. Home ... go home quickly!

I feel every muscle in me tighten. My breaths become rapid and short.

" Hey Ry, have you ever told Art about me running away from home? " I shout after him as I scamper to reach him.

" Nah man, boy wouldn't even care. " I freeze.

I can tell he isn't lying. So how did Art know? Something really bad, horrible, terrible was impending. My gut told me so.