Chapter Text
𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 [11:45𝙥𝙢]
𝘿𝙖𝙩𝙚: 𝙈𝙖𝙮 16𝙩𝙝 [2266]
𝙇𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: [𝙐𝙣𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙨, 𝙏𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙖 𝙊𝙧𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚]
✩░▒▓▆▅▃▂▁𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞▁▂▃▅▆▓▒░✩
I can barely just remember... my very first memory in this life.
"We'll take good care of her sir. We have plenty of room and the others will just love her so she shouldn't struggle much to make friends. I promise there won't be a thing you have to worry about."
I believe I was eight at the time, when that man had taken me to... that place.
In the dark of the night, the world only illuminated by the moon and stars in the heavens, a large imposing man stood with a little girl in the arch way of an older style building far off from the city in which he came from. The girl, who was holding onto the man's hand that grasped hers with a gentleness that one would not expect from someone such as he, could only look around in worry. Before the man and child were two people standing in front of an open doorway, a kindly looking elderly woman, hair as white as snow and eye's as pale as glass, and her adult son, hair as dark as the dirt in the ground and dark eye's that flittered to and fro in nervousness; who was sweating bullets when he saw who exactly had come to their home. Beyond the doorway, from what the girl could see, was a group of children all chattering while seated at a huge table with plates full of food.
I hadn't been sure what was going on, I didn't know why he had taken me there. I didn't understand what was going on nor why I felt afraid.
"...You will keep me updated." Her attention went back to the man, gently squeezing his abnormally large hand that easily dwarfed her own to her as anxiety filled her. His voice was rough and by the tone of it, it wasn't a question, but a command that held a hint of retribution should the command not be followed. The man she was with was rather frightening looking, the glare in his gaze caused many to look away or flinch on contact.
I felt safe with him despite how he appeared, I remember the feeling well. I felt that my life would go to hell as soon as he was gone. I could feel it slipping already through my finger's despite clinging on to him as desperation began to fill me. As confusion took hold.
"O-oh yes sir! Most definitely! We will call you every week with updates and should a suitable family wish to take her i-"The male stuttered, stumbling over his words only for the larger male to interrupt and growl out.
"You will keep her safe and keep her here. No one adopts her. She stays here. If I should find something were to happen, you Will. Regret. It." The final three words spoken got more and more intense before he finished with a dark expression and the man before could only squeak in terror.
He was terrifying to everyone around him. I know he was, I feel I might have been afraid of him a few times myself but at the same time...
"Dear, I've cared for you since you were her age." The kindly woman spoke with a solemn smile, the man not intimidating her in the least as if she was used to it. "She will be safe with us." The womans eyes turned down to the girl who clung to the man like a lifeline. "However, I do question your reasoning for thi-"
"It is none of your concern woman. What happened is a thing of the past and will not be brought up again. What I do is no business of yours." He snapped, making her quiet down. "You owe me, this is the payment. Nothing more, nothing less."
At the same time, he had to have cared about me at some point. I just knew it, somehow. But back then? I didn't know his name; I couldn't tell you what color his hair was or what color his eyes were. I couldn't describe his facial features, nor could I even recall what his voice sounded like. I could remember some words, just a few, and that he was scary looking. But other than that, it was all going away. Slipping from me and dispersing like smoke.
"I understand sir." Her voice was resigned and filled with disappointment. This wasn't the boy she used to care for anymore.
I could feel it all starting to fade, I was forgetting everything. People that had been in my life, names and places, relationships with people, who was important, who I cherished the most, where I lived. I'd started forgetting my mother's face, my siblings... It was all starting to blur.
"Very well. I must be going." The large man grunted, shifting as if he were about to leave without a single goodbye.
"Will you not at least say goodbye?" The discontented tone in the woman's voice made him stop dead in his tracks.
Pausing, the man grits his teeth, nostrils flaring in his huff before turning and glancing down at the child before him who had been staring up at him with watery eye's. "Yuka..."
The girl could only furrow her brows in confusion as her red/brown eyes that were once sparkling with life began to slowly fade of all signs of emotion. He felt himself stiffen for but a moment when her tiny hand clenched to his and his chest constricted painfully.
Despite everything, this was harder than he thought it would be.
"Yuka..." His gruff voice grew soft, filling with pain and regret yet steeled by resolve, and he took to his knee to her level. "I'm so sorry, but this is the only way, it's what will be best for you." The man shuffles about for a moment as he dug into his pockets to pull out a small stuffed lion with a wild mane.
With a frown, Yuka lets go of his hands and grasps at the stuffed lion for a moment and then hugs it close to her as if it was anchoring her to the world. Her heart that was racing was hurting for reasons she couldn't fathom and her eye's stung with unshed tears. She didn't know why she was so sad or why seeing this man's expression made her want to cry and yet her eyes were starting to water anyway. The man himself could only stare at her, using his large hand to tuck a strand of gleaming red hair behind her tiny ear. With the confusion on her face and the fading of the shine to her eye's he knew; he knew the quirk that had been used on her was starting to take effect and soon she would no longer remember him or anything else from before.
Its purpose would finish any minute now, and so he knew he had to be quick no matter how hard this was starting to become for him to do. But it was too late to change his mind for he had already made the decision and went through all the steps to keep it hidden. No one could know. Thus, He brought the girl in close and gave her the most affectionate hug he's ever given her. Regardless of his choices, he would miss her. When the man stands, letting go of her tiny form, he begins to turn while ignoring the elderly woman and younger man grasping onto the child's shoulder's as she tried to take a step forward. As she tried to fight the grip of stranger's upon her.
He tenses when a broken cry sounds from her.
"P-papa...?" The words were wet and choked out, laced in pain and confusion.
Why was he leaving her?
Where was he going?
Why couldn't she go with?
Why... Why was papa leaving?
He made the mistake of turning at her voice, heart shattering within him and he knew the image of her small body reaching out for him in desperation would haunt him for the rest of his life while tears started cascading down her pudgy freckled cheeks.
"It's better this way." He whispered with a cracking voice, forcing himself with all his might to turn away from her and continue walking. Steeling his resolve even more then before and shutting out his emotions.
It was better this way; he'd tell himself the rest of his days. He had too many eyes on him, to many enemies. She would never be strong enough to survive in his world, she'd die.
W-why... Who...
Her eyes grew dull and empty, face becoming blank of all emotions. This was the last and first thing she would remember in life.
P-papa?
The image of a man walking away and saying it was better this way.
...Who was that man?