To Sacrifice Yourself For Another

Amora exited the shower, got dressed, and spent some time on her phone. She was just checking her social media as she waited for Aya to get back from wherever she had gone to, so they could begin the search for Tasaku once again.

Something slithered through the crack in the door holding a sheet of paper, it was glowing red and was seemingly a snake. Amora walked over to it and it dropped the paper. She picked it up and turned it around to see a name scribbled on it in a quick pen movement. She saw the snake return to the hallway through the door, and she followed it.

Opening the door... she was met with a tragic sight.

***

[About half an hour before]

Aya decided she had no time to wait for Amora, who had been in the shower for a bit now. She wanted to search the buildings herself, prove herself to be stronger than she was, and stay undetected from Tasaku. She believed in her abilities.

She had searched one of the other locations stealthily, not seeing a single person or creature inside. She continued to an abandoned-looking house or small apartment, to which Aya couldn't tell what it had been since it had seemingly fallen into disarray and decomposition through the years.

A calm wind took Aya by surprise, and she let herself inside, looking around the first floor quietly, she found many signs of someone living inside, including an empty cup of ramen, some silverware, a table that looked to be in such good condition despite the place it was in.

Aya rubbed her hand along the edge of the table, and to her surprise, there was no dust at all. She concluded that it meant it must have been new or taken from somewhere else. Tasaku was here and she knew it. Aya felt a bit scared, as she didn't know what to do if she were spotted... but she knew if she didn't do anything, Amora might get hurt instead of her.

She was surprisingly reminded of Jackson when she reached for the railing of the staircase. She felt remorse for not being able to help him, she continued thinking about Andrew and Shirley and how they died, along with Cody. If only she had been stronger.

She dare not cry in front of Amora, no matter how many times it hurt her to not cry, she needed Amora to stay positive and be happy, even if Aya had to sacrifice her own happiness.

Aya didn't know why she felt so compelled to protect Amora, but it felt as if they were actual sisters, related and connected by a tight bond that would never be cut away.

It was like she finally had a family again.

***

Aya continued up the staircase slowly and looked in the nearby rooms, trying to picture what they would have been like before the place had turned into what it was now.

She peeked into one room and could see a dimly lit screen. Someone was in a chair in front of it, staring at the computer. She could see a profile page on some kind of school website. She could see the back of the person's head only but knew it was Tasaku. She wrote down his real name and was ready to leave when she dropped her pen with a clicking sound.

She quickly reached and grabbed it, but when she looked up Tasaku was facing her, his purple eyes illuminating the dark. She gasped quietly and began to run, she could hear his footsteps behind her. As she ran to the front door, she pulled on the door, but it would open only a crack. Tasaku bounded down the stairs and began slicing her with his blade.

She screamed in pain as her blood was dripping from her arms and chest. She turned her hand into a spiritual claw and slashed Tasaku's eye. She began to run out of the house as he recoiled in pain, grabbing a white cloth and wrapping it around his head and eye.

***

Aya had temporarily escaped, but she could see Tasaku running toward the hotel downtown. He was going for Amora and Aya knew it... had he mistaken her for Amora and thought that Amora attacked him? Aya didn't know, but the pain from her injuries was too much for her to bear.

She decided to follow Tasaku, even if she ended up dead, she knew she couldn't let Tasaku reach her... Amora was her only family left, after all, she was always there.

Aya began tearing up as she took a shortcut to get to Amora, she thought that maybe she could either cut off Tasaku and get Amora's attention or make it to Amora.

She rounded a corner and was jumped by Tasaku. She turned her arm into a claw once again and countered his blade, pushing him back and continuing to run. She was suddenly hit by something, and she could feel blood dripping from her back, but she had no time to check what it was.

"There... is no time!" Aya screamed in her thoughts, thinking of everyone, she made it into the hotel and was in the hallway to their room. She was so close to the door that she could just barely reach it, but she collapsed.

She reached for her back and could feel Tasaku's blade was in her back. He had thrown it into her a while back. The adrenaline in her body kept her going, but it was out now, there was no more for her to continue onward, and so she began to desperately crawl to the door.

"That wouldn't be necessary Aya," Tasaku said from behind her, smiling wickedly. Aya was now fully crying, hoping to somehow make it to Amora.

In reality, she knew she had made a big mistake by going, but she was glad it wasn't Amora. She sent out a small animal, hoping for it to make it to Amora with the paper undetected. Tasaku put his foot on her back and removed the blade. Aya spoke what she believed would be her last words...

"You don't win by killing me... Amora will... come back from this... and will... defeat you... she will kill you and avenge me." Aya said, tears flowing from her eyes, she didn't want to die but had to be brave, to show Tasaku that she wasn't scared of him no matter what.

With one last breath, she began to crawl for the door, only to feel something cold and sharp, pierce her back once again, stabbing her heart. Aya's movements ceased and her eyes became dull, with her last amount of strength, she smiled for Amora.

***

Amora fell to her knees and screamed, crawling toward Aya's dead body. She began to cry as she held onto Aya's hand, she was very warm.

Amora put her head to the ground and couldn't stop screaming, even when people came out of their rooms and began to scream as well. The cops were being called by many people at once and Leon and Reyon exited the room after hearing Amora screaming.

"No... dear god... not again..." Reyon said, falling to her knees and holding her mouth, tears streamed down her face as well, and she pounded her hand against the ground cursing.

Aya was dead... and her killer was long gone.

Amora felt nothing but guilt as the police talked to Leon and Reyon about what to do with her body, to which Leon had them deliver it to their house.

Leon and Reyon were too disturbed and were crying from the loss as well, Amora couldn't stop crying as she remembered all of the things her and Aya had done together.

Amora felt blank, broken into small pieces.

Cole had been sitting next to her, looking at her and slightly seeming sad, he had barely known her after all.

"Aya was the only thing keeping Amora sane and normal... without her..." Cole stopped himself from thinking about such things at the moment, he knew Amora needed his help more than ever, and he would need to be the one to keep Amora sane and happy now.

***

For the first couple of months, this task had proved to be impossible. Amora would rarely talk to anyone and would talk to herself often, even having full conversations with Aya, who wasn't there.

Amora had lost it, and Cole didn't know what to do but hold onto her. He held her close in a hug, and she broke out into tears, holding him tightly and crying hard. He held onto her for a long time, telling her that he promises that they would hunt down Tasaku. Amora stepped back and sat down, still crying.

"Not Tasaku... that bastard's real name is Shogeki Kokai, and Aya found that out and was killed... it's all my fault... I shouldn't have showered and I should have just gone with her." Amora remorsefully said, finally revealing what the slip of paper had said, as she wouldn't show them over the months. It had been almost three months since Aya's death and Amora was still finding ways to cope and deal with her mental issues and feelings.

Aya always knew what to do for her...