𝘼𝙠𝙪 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙪𝙠𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙪 𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖!
•┈┈┈••✦ ♡ ✦••┈┈┈•
"Hic... hic... Mama... where are you, Mama?"
The voice shattered through the thick of night. Via, a little girl in a dress now soiled with dust, huddled shivering by the side of an unfamiliar road.
All around her lay only the piercing symphony of crickets—their chirps seeming to mock her fear. The world that once bloomed with color as she played in her backyard had suddenly transformed into a black monster that devoured everything in its path.
Via squeezed her eyes shut tight. She was afraid of the swaying tree shadows, afraid of the suffocating silence, and terrified that "Sister Kun-Kun"—the figure her uncle always warned her about—might truly emerge from behind the bushes.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
Via's heart seemed to stop beating. The sound of footsteps drew near. Their rhythm was steady, but to Via, it was a sound of threat. She curled her body tighter, hugging her knees until her knuckles turned white. Don't look, don't open your eyes, she whispered in her frantic mind.
Tap. The footsteps stopped right in front of her.
Silence. No shrill laughter, no acrid stench. Only the faint scent of flowers carried on the night breeze. Curiosity overcoming her fear, Via dared to peek through the gap in her arms.
There, on the cold asphalt, lay a single red rose—so fresh it looked as though it had just been plucked from heaven itself.
"Hey, Sweetheart... don't be sad, or your sweetness will fade away."
The voice flowed soft and gentle, soothing Via like a calming melody. She looked up.
Standing before her was a woman who seemed to glow under the faint moonlight. Dressed in crisp white, she held a bouquet of roses in her arms. Her face was beautiful, with eyes so warm and serene they could chase away the darkness all around them.
"W-who are you, sister?" Via stammered, tears still clinging to her chubby cheeks.
The woman did not answer. Instead, she knelt down to match Via's height, breaking into a gentle, warm smile. "What are you doing out here, my dear?"
"I don't know... I was just playing, then suddenly I was here," Via sobbed, trying to explain the confusion of a child whose world had just been turned upside down.
"Playing? How did you wander so far? Aren't you scared being alone?" the woman asked again, her voice calm and without judgment.
Via stared, transfixed by the woman's beauty. Miraculously, her sobs began to subside. She felt as though she were looking at an angel who had come down to fetch her.
The woman let out a soft chuckle at the sight of Via's daydreaming face. She waved her hand gently in front of the little girl's eyes. "Hey... Sweetheart? Hello?"
Coming back to her senses, Via's defenses crumbled. The fear she had held back burst forth into a longing for protection. Without hesitation, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around the woman's neck.
"Waaaa! I'm scared! I want to go home!" she wailed, her tears flowing again—this time against a shoulder that felt so warm and real.
The woman returned the embrace, rubbing Via's back in slow, comforting circles. "It's alright, Sweetheart. Let me take you home, okay? Don't cry anymore—I'm right here..."
With gentle movements, the woman lifted Via into her arms. In that warm hold, Via clutched tightly to the rose the woman had given her.
Slowly, exhaustion washed over her. The fear melted away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of safety.
The world faded for Via, and before consciousness slipped away into sleep, she felt herself being carried away from the darkness toward a warm, glowing light.