Chapter 14 Left Behind

Lucian's POV

It's not just one time.

It was a couple of times.

And everytime, I feel I'm gonna lost her any seconds.

I never tried to get to know Yuu.

She's just there, painting, dancing, singing and making me not to feel lonely in the tree house.

But sometimes, it gets to me.

I wonder why her arms is covered in bandages.

Sometimes, when Yuu is about to get home, I tried to follow her.

But I lost her everytime.

I never knew that she was the Warden's daughter.

I hate that man, because of him, the Barrel Zone is hell.

The people here are too blind to see.

He's just one of the Noble's lap dog, and nothing else.

I know he is, the moment I saw him, I know there's something going on.

Yuu came back in my tree house again.

This time, she had a band aid in her head.

Did she always hurt herself?

Or just like other kids outside, she was abused.

I tried to talk to her about this.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Why?" She replied while she starts painting on my walls again.

"I was wondering about uh..." I was hesitant to ask, maybe this is a bad idea. Is my question is over sensitive? Maybe she doesn't want to talk about it.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" She stop her painting as she face me.

"No, nothing..." I just pet her head and she immediately goes back in what she's doing.

My eyes soften when I'm observing her bandages and some bruises visible in her legs.

...

I followed her again.

This time I make sure that I won't lose her.

I see, she was living at the other side of the Barrel Zone.

In a beer house.

She's too young to be in the beer house but the bouncers are letting her in.

Maybe she knew the owner.

"Stop right there!" One of the bouncers stop me as I tried to goes in.

I only chuckles nervously.

"Sorry, mister...but my father called me here..." I lied.

"Father? What kind of father calling their child here?" He asked suspiciously of me.

"U-uh...well, my father is drunk so I need to take him home...." I continue to lied about it.

"Not a chance, kid" the other bouncer finally intervene.

I was about to reach for my pockets when a random guy tap my shoulder.

"He's with me..." He said as he face the bouncers head on.

The random guy have white hair and hazel eyes, as if I knew him before but...

They immediately step aside as I walk behind him.

"T-thanks..." I mumbles against my breath.

"Find your father quickly, kid" he said while patting my head.

It kinda annoys me but I'm glad some kind adult still exists.

I flinch as we arrived in the main area.

Music banging on my ears. Lights flashing on my eyes.

Yes, it was chaotic outside but it's more chaotic here!

A room full of adults, drinking, dancing and doing some other stuff.

Why would Yuu go here?

I dive into the pile of people dancing.

I'm going light headed every beat of the music.

The smell of alcohol easily intoxicated me.

I need to find Yuu fast.

"Ugh.." someone bump into me making me stumble around.

I was about to passed out when someone catch me.

It was the random guy again.

He lift me up and carry me like a sack.

Still feeling light headed, I can't fight against this guy.

Finally, he put me down in a chair, and the bartender give me something.

"You okay, kid?" He said as he put his hand on my head.

I only groan.

"Tsk...tsk..tsk..." The bartender shook his head.

"You shouldn't help the kid getting in here..." He said while wiping the counter.

"Well, he said he was looking for his father..." The random guy answered back.

Before he can touch my head again, I slap it away.

It's getting annoying now.

"Well..." He scoffs.

"What are you doing here, kid?" Both of the random guy and the bartender are now focused on me.

"U-uh...m-my..." Before I can answer, I saw a glimpse of pink hair.

It's Yuu.

I immediately hop off the chair, and I chase over her.

"Hey wait!" The annoying random guy grab me.

"What!?" I said angrily, I look at Yuu's way, she's gone.

"Jeez, this kid have some serious issues..." The bartender raised his eyebrows and laughs at the scene.

...

I can hear her again.

She's back in my tree house.

Humming her mother's favorite melody while painting.

I can't just bring what happened that night up to her, maybe she had a reason why she's there.

"H-hey..." I nervously called out for her, she immediately turn to face me.

She's cover in bruises again.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

I didn't realize that I was staring at her for too long.

"Nothing...just..uhmm..." I look away trying to stop myself from asking her about it.

If I ask her about it, it'll look that I'm insensitive, maybe she'll never come back here anymore.

No...

I can't stay silent anymore. I want to ask her, and this is the best time for it.

Before she can turn her back on me, I stop her by grabbing her shoulder.

"Yuu, we need to talk..." I firmly said.

"Kay... what's up?" She asked nonchalantly.

"What's up is... these!" I grabbed one of her wrist and show her bandages.

She only laughs at it.

What the hell?

"That? It's just, you know... I'm clumsy" she replied and continue to giggles.

"You worried too much, Lucian" she smiles at me as she gently take her wrist away from my grasp.

"Too much? You literally covered in bruises..." I snarled, how can she laugh in this situation.

"It's just—" before she can finish her sentence, I cut her off.

"Look...If you're not happy back at home, I can take you..." I take her small hands.

It was rough, skinny... she's too skinny.

"You can live here, with me..." I gave her a reassuring smile.

She stares at me for a minute, I wonder what's going on her mind.

She take her hands away.

"I'm fine, Lucian" she said, and it's not in her usual tone.

I know there's something wrong.

She turn her back on me.

She was cleaning herself up. She's leaving again.

I was hesitant to stop her from leaving.

Maybe she hates me now, afterall I'm just a nobody to her.

I have no rights on deciding where she should be.

But, I take all my courage and grab her by her hand again before she can walk away.

"Please tell me, Yuu..." I plead at her.

Please tell what's wrong...

...

I need to get her Momo, or she'll hurt herself again.

I was stop on my track when I saw the Aetheral knights and the Warden talking in the gates.

I listen quietly as they talk about Yuu.

The Warden better be not selling out her to the knights.

After their little talk, I can tell the female commander is frustrated.

It doesn't matter anymore to me, I just need to find Yuu's doll.

I stole one of the knights uniform from the knight laying unconscious in the ground.

If I'm gonna go look for Yuu's doll, I should do it without them knowing.

I figure out that blending with the knights will make it easier to search.

As we, the knights starts searching the Warden's headquarters, I can feel his heavy gaze on us.

The other knights is complaining and getting scared.

Now, I'm wondering, why would the Warden's have a contract with the upper and they still don't want to give us fresh water.

No, that's not my priority right now.

I need to find Momo.

After a long search, I seem can't to find it outside.

The only room I didn't look is the Warden's office.

Before I can turn the door handle, the female commander stopped me.

I flinched, I thought it was the Warden.

"Hey...The Warden's office is off limits..." She whispered.

"Are you new or something?" She scoffs and walk away.

I pretend to continue the search elsewhere, trying to find the perfect opportunity to go inside the office without them noticing.

Finally, when everyone is not looking, I quickly tried to open the door but it was locked.

Luckily, I found a small wire on the ground.

I used it to try opening the lock of the door, and it works.

I look around one more time making sure nobody saw me and I quickly goes in and lock the door.

I look around, it looks chaotic as if someone already search here.

Papers on the floor, painting on the walls.

The table is flipped over and the chair is broken as if someone fought here.

I start to look for the bunny stuffed toy.

While I was looking, my heart drops when I heard someone trying to open the door.

I made sure to lock it, I was panicking.

Shit...shit..shit...

I don't have another choice but to hide behind the ridiculously big jukebox.

Suddenly, smoke invade my nose, I want to cough but I only cover my nose and mouth, doing my best not to make a sound.

I heard the Warden's voice.

He was talking to someone again.

I tried to peak to see what's going on.

It was a girl with a sniper hanging on her shoulder and him, the golden boy.

"What do you mean you can't find her?!" The Warden angrily said.

The girl with a sniper replied but I can't hear her response.

Melrick only roll his eyes in annoyances.

I knew what they're looking for, it was Yuu.

The Warden sighs in frustration and look around.

I immediately take cover hoping he didn't noticed me.

Then I hear footsteps again, it seems they left.

I was an idiot thinking they all left already.

The moment I look out again, I was greeted by the girl's face.

"Ah!" I flinched.

She raised her eyebrows.

Right she can't see my face since it was covered in Aetheral knight's mask.

I tried to play it cool.

"I-I'm sorry, I just told to search here..." I lied.

She step away looking uninterested in me.

How rude...

I immediately left the room, I didn't even get to find her bunny stuffed toy.

I tried to look to other places I already search but I just can't find it.

Maybe she dropped it somewhere when we're escaping.

"Hey! New boy, the commander is calling for everyone" one of the knights called out for me.

Bunch of the knights immediately stop their search and run towards outside where the Warden and the female commander is talking.

We lined up immediately.

I can't go back empty handed, Yuu will be devastated.

She needs Momo, and my job is to bring it back to her.

I was deep in thought on what should I do if I can't really find it.

Should I just look for another bunny stuffed toy looking similar to Momo?

Should I tell her that she was taken away by the knights?

No, if I did any of that, she'll go nuts.

My eyes widen when I saw her bunny stuffed toy.

I finally found it, but not on the ground or somewhere I can reach.

In the Warden's hand, there it was the bunny plushie she always had.

This is gonna be a big problem.