Dust flared into the air. The ball made a deafening thud as it slammed against the wall and bounced across the yard.

  Children cheered, laughter echoing like summer bells.

  One of the boys made a wild clearance kick

  And silence followed.

  The ball soared... and landed just past the rusted fence line, deep into the shadows of the Forbidden City.

  "Now you've done it, Mike!" one of the boys shouted.

  "It was a mistake!" Mike snapped.

  Another boy whispered, eyes wide,

  "No one goes there. It's haunted."

  Mike grinned.

  "Don't worry. I'm the fastest one here. Plus monsters dont exist ".

  "Didn’t you hear the story of the ghost of the velvet rose?", his friend trembled as he said the name.

  "That just a fairytale ill be back by dinner time", Mike laughed it of and entered the rusted gate .

  "He'll get killed if he get caught ",one of the boys sighed .

  "His to cocky to die ",they laughed.

  Mike's feet crunched against dry gravel as he crept forward.

  Every creak. Every gust of wind.

  His spine twitched , as he saw skeletons, he shrugged them of"

  Then he saw it , through the shattered window of a crumbling, vine strangled huge building,

  the ball.

  "Found you," he muttered, stepping inside.

  The air was thick. Muffled.

  "Grrrrr..."

  Mike froze.

  "Dang... I'm starving," he whimpered, not realizing the growl wasn't from his own stomach.

  A drop ,moist and cold ,hit his cheek.

  He looked up.

  A creature crouched on the roof, limbs too long, eyes like shattered glass. His heart sank, and his body froze in fright.

  It leaped.

  He screamed.

  Mike felt air rushing past his ears.

  Then crack! the ground rose up to meet him.

  But he didn't die.

  A hand gripped his collar.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  He looked up into the eyes of a grinning man,

  smiling like the whole thing was a game.

  "Huh... so there is a monster.

  Alright... this'll be fun."

  I stepped into the room.

  There she sat , a small figure in white, barely moving. Like a ceramic doll forgotten by time.

  She didn't turn, but she spoke:

  "That necklace you wear... Was it a gift? From someone you loved?"

  I looked down at the small, heart-shaped pendant.

  "Yeah," I said quietly.

  "My mommy gave me this dress,"

  she whispered.

  "She said she'd come back for me."

  Then, slowly, unnaturally, she turned her head

  180 degrees.

  "Do you know where our parents are?"

  My breath caught.

  I clenched my necklace.

  "Mom," I thought. My thoughts trailed off to something else.

  Earlier that morning...

  The hallway lights buzzed overhead as I walked alone.

  Today was my first mission.

  But something about it felt... off.

  Like excitement drowned in dread.

  I passed two girls making out against the wall.

  Didn't blink. Didn't care. Everyone here had their way of surviving.

  Kaein met me by our squad door , and the same old smirk plastered on his face.

  "Being a loser's guild, we don't get many missions.

  Lucky day, kid.

  You won't be saving a falling cat today ,something juicier."

  I could still smell last night whiskey on him, I thought.

  "What's the mission?" I asked.

  "Recover a child," he muttered, handing me a folded note.

  "he's been missing three hours. Went looking for a ball."

  He leaned closer, grinning.

  "They say the area's haunted.

  But kids like you love ghost stories.

  Who knows... Maybe you'll even find a monster."

  I opened the file.

  Code: W-231

  Alias: Mike

  Location: Sector 7 - Off-grid. Forbidden zone.

  Why do I always go to forbidden places? I asked myself with a sigh.

  "Alone?" I asked.

  "Of course not."

  A voice cut in from behind , confident, gravelly.

  He grabbed my head like an older brother who'd seen too much.

  "The name's Blaze.Don't worry, kid. I'll protect you."

  He said the same words Lucen said before nearly getting killed. Why do people always think their some kind of heros to people weaker than them even if they're just as vurnable?

  Aren't we all ant?

  "Do I really need babysitting for this?"

  Bitterness crept into my tone.

  "Protocol," he smiled wider.

  Yeah... as if a guy like him followed protocol.

  "Hey, am I interrupting a Canon event?"

  Melissa chimed in, practically skipping toward us.

  She looked like a cosplay of Albert Einstein in goggles and a lab coat if Einstein drank three energy drinks and hadn't slept in days.

  "Had to steal some of your blood yesterday," she beamed.

  "It's... fascinating."

  She handed me my dagger. It was Mikel's dagger but a bit different more elegent and sharper.

  "I gave it a few twicks with your blood," her smile widened.

  I stared at it for a while .

  "You owe me a glass of beer ", I muttered.

  I gave it a few test swings.

  "I'll let the blood thing slide. Thanks."

  "Come back with a monster's head, okay?"

  She waved like we were off to a picnic.

  "Don't forget the rules I taught you."

  Kaein tapped my shoulder.

  "Of course not," I replied , voice firm, a little too firm.

  I clenched my fist.

  Melissa took us to the portal room and a gate was opened. It felt weired that there was no timer or I didn't need to jump in like a maniac.

  "Is this mission a little too much for the kid? Especially after his loss" Melissa asked after we left .

  "Maybe, but if he doesn't adapt while under pressure, he wont survive long. Plus, I got my best man with him, so no bigie," he grinned.

  Mike's mother looked older than she was . Her eyes looked like clouds ready to pour yet refused .

  "He was my only child a very ignorant boy", she managed a warry smile .

  "I'm sorry to call you here just to tell you about my miserable life . I'll hold a funeral for my son . Thank you in advance ".

  She accepted his death just like that . The timeline is different in that forbidden city so why can't she have hope ?

  Did my mom think the same thing of me?

  That would mean he would live a lonely life until death forgotten by the world.

  "I refuse..!", my voice sounded desperate as I clenched my fist .

  "What do you mea-"

  "How can you give up like that his your son for crying out loud ! I'll find him and I'll bring him back alive !", I stood slamming the table.

  Blaze laughed .

  "I like your spirit kid , don't live me out !", he grinned as he shuffled my hair .

  She finally let the clouds pour out their misery.

  "Thankyou", she managed to say under sobs .

  My words sounded heroic but they were quite childish. Reality isn't as Friendly .

  Life doesn't care , it never did , he could be dead right now for all it cared or he could be alive with permanent trauma .

  The city was filled with harlots , drunkers and people who lived in the streets. It puzzled me how they keep living despite the odds or had they blurred the line between fantasy and reality.

  "Please spare me ! I have a child !", a woman clothed in white cried out as she kneeled chained on a podium ready to he beheaded.

  Other people who were probably criminals some sobed while others didn't seem to care .

  The mob cheered as the swords were drawn.

  "Kill her she stole my apple !"

  "She stole my bread !"

  "I guess it isn't your lucky day young lady this world is cruel it plucks out roses for their own selfish desire, yes we are a selfish kind to hell with th-", his head disobeyed him before he could finish.

  It was her turn she collapsed in defeat her gaze turned towards me . She smiled a smile that touched something in me.

  I grabbed my katana as it hummed but Blaze grabbed my shoulder.

  "Do you want to fight the system ? THEY'LL kill you like a dog "

  I closed my eyes and with a loud cheer I knew she was gone .

  Mike's mother said a similar fate awaited if we were caught going by the forbidden city so we planned to move like a shadow.

  We stood before the old gate.

  Rust peeled off it like dried blood.

  No one was supposed to go in there.

  But the system had its ghosts ,

  And now I was being sent to Chase one.

  We stepped on ants.

  "This area was sealed away because it was cursed. It like a whole different timeline over here, anyway be careful you don't come back without your balls kid ",Blaze opened the gate.

  The scanners picked up three signals inside a tall, crumbling building.

  "You look down. I'll go up."

  I leaped before he could argue.

  "Don't go dying on me," he called after.

  "I could say the same for you"

  "So you can talk ", Blaze muttered.

  I landed on the rooftop , dagger in hand.

  The pale figure stood before me, still as death as i snapped back into reality.

  Snowflake-like particles floated through the air.

  I exhaled.

  "Let's look for your parents.", I extended my hand.

  "I promised Mommy I wouldn't let any mice enter our home."

  "Well... that's a shame."

  My smile faded