Belladonna | Sano Manjiro

02 "From now on, you're my bitch, okay?"

Alessia could always remember the recollection of her childhood vividly. Like a movie, the memories of her childhood days always played smoothly every time she tries to reminisce about it.

The sun during summer is always hot and it tickles her skin ever so slightly. She could remember the cold water that seeped between her toes that one time she and her friends decided to go on an adventure in the river. How grandpa, with his calloused but soft hands, guide her through every martial art move slowly. Making sure that she understands perfectly every explanation that leave his mouth.

Of Her, with wide sunhat that helplessly trying to cover the scorching heat of summer, Emma, with her everlasting big eyes and bright hair, Banji, with the dark mischief that seems to ever present behind his eyes, and Mikey with his own loud laughs and face splitting grin. The four of them, united under Mikey's and Emma's grandpa dojo, seems to have always new adventure every day.

From scouring the neighborhood in search of a stray cat that Emma fallen in love with to sneakily following Shinichiro and Matteo to their gang meetings (Shinichiro always caught them and hauled their ass back home). It was the time that made her forget about Italy and revel in her new life in Japan. The time where she lives inside a blissful bubble. Forgetting that Mother is gone and Father left the two of them in Japan while he off prancing with new woman every week in Europe.

The blonde haired girl could care less. After all, Father had never been in her mind every time she thinks about family. Its Mother, her, and Brother. Then it become only her and brother.

"Its us against the world" said Matteo once, under the dark sky with no stars in sight.

At that time, she believed him. Because Matteo never lied and never made empty promises before. He is the only thing that's constant in her life. The only person that never leave and always be there for her.

She remembers the first time her brother brought her to the heart of Tokyo. With high skyscrapers reaching to the sky and colorful billboards decorating the city like its own star. Maybe its a mere childish awe, her past self that easily impressed by everything everywhere, but that night for some reason had always leave a strong impression in her.

Maybe, its too because that night Matteo had taken her on a ride with his bicycle ("Shinichiro recommended this model") and he laughs so freely. Freer that anything he had ever since before. Freer since Father decided to put more pressure on him ever since he was claimed as the heir of father criminal empire.

It was exhilarating, to see her brother act like there's no weights between his shoulder. Matteo had lived his life as if there's a blade in every corner he take. That he has to thread carefully, less he will lay there broken without anyone helping him. Seeing him now, laughing freely with the winds caressing his face, Alessia can't ask for anything more.

Childishly, she hoped that this never change. Her with her friends, adventuring and venturing around town without care, and her brother with his free laugh and twinkling eyes under the stars.

As the years passed, she too grows up. The world around her continue to grow. New schools, new friends, new experience. Her childish marvel slowly dissipate and when she was eleven, the bubble she had been living in burst as she watched with a loud bang! of a gunshot reverberated across the room and her father body who now lay lifeless on the floor.

.

"You've drawn quite the crowd"

Alessia stared at the familiar form of Draken and Mikey that was bounding closer towards the commotion at the park, or where she's standing. The body under her shoes twitched. A sign that he tried to get up. She merely stomped harder, as if trying to melt the body to the ground.