𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗢 ✧ y! leonardo hamato

𝟎𝟎𝟗 . 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

Under the catastrophic navy sky, the city painted the same royal hues. The night has its sources to be alive, from the vehicle rush through the streets to the luminous light in every window. Besides, the city has corners of disguise and unknowns to seek an answer for.

Whereas above the infrastructure, the orb of the night cast a shadow on the figure and the way his mask's tails danced in the air. It was the same blank-eyed figure with an intimidating gaze lingered below, tracking every motion you step on.

The coat was clinging to your figure to keep your warmth in the breeze as you made your way to the pizza restaurant that hadn't delivered your order yet at your doorstep.

"Why order online if I'll just go out instead?" you mumbled to yourself with a scoff, seemingly losing your patient in the growl of your stomach. You have been craving something to eat tonight, as the current food you ate was still not enough.

You'd finished taking private classes earlier in the afternoon, and you slept the whole hour after going back to your apartment. It was exhausting that you forgot to fill up your stomach with food.

A bell above you rang as you pushed the glass door open, and the place was filled with chatter and the aroma of pizza lingering around in the restaurant. You made your way to the counter as the customers parted from your path to make a space for you. You cleared your throat before you spoke, which made the cashier turn her attention to you.

"Good evening. I have a pizza order that is under the name of (Y/N). And I haven't gotten the order yet," you initiated, and the cashier perked her head up. "Oh, yes. We're sorry! We have a little inconvenience, but it'll be given to you sooner. You may wait for a while here, miss," the cashier assured you, and so there was a chair for you to rest on while waiting.

As the minutes passed by, the growl in your stomach only got worse, and you adjusted your seat in the hope it would cease and forget the uneasiness of your hunger until the staff finally approached you and handed you a pizza box.

You could already smell the newly cooked pizza inside the box that was radiating its heat into your palms, and it only made your hunger peak from the aroma of the pizza. You could already imagine the sight of toppings and sauce on the crust. "No, I kinda want to eat this at my apartment," you mumbled to yourself, swallowing a lump in your throat.

So, you made your way to the exit and pulled the door open, the breeze passing through your skin. In your peripheral vision, there was a strand of cloth that brushed off in the dark, as you thought. You weren't sure if it was only paper or whatever, a ripped piece of cloth flying in the air.

There were still people in the streets, so a little company would calm you for a while. Then, you continued to walk in a different direction with a pizza box in your hand. A few more blocks, and you would reach your apartment building. However, the longer the steps you took, the fewer people would be there. It was starting to give you chills down your spine, especially since you had encountered the same thing a few nights ago. You hated how you would still risk going out at night after those occurrences.

You took a deep breath, holding the pizza box firmly. Then, there was a faint splash of water in the empty street that made your head turn to see the source of the sound. "Oh, a rat," you muttered as you watched the rat shake its body, brushing away the water.

In your peripheral vision, there was a faint glow that appeared, and that also made your head turn, which was not the same glow you've seen. It was only the street light leading your path. "That's odd." You were starting to become paranoid again, and as you wanted to cease these aching thoughts, your adrenaline rushed as you started to run.

Your breathing hitching and your heart beating out of your chest was the only thing you were hearing now to yourself as you tried to make a way out of this dim street. While you ran, there were faint metallic sighs and a glow appearing from behind you. You knew it, even if you couldn't see what exactly it was. It wasn't something that made your mind rip with overflowing thoughts.

The farther you ran, these faint metallic sighs and glows were getting clearer in your senses. You ran faster, and these things got faster, too. "For the sake of it, I'm close to my apartment!" you whispered to yourself. Before you could take another step, a luminous blue portal appeared in front of you. "Oh, shit. Wrong," the red-eared slider cursed under his breath as he popped out of the portal, and that stopped in your momentum as both of you collided and crushed on the ground, making the pizza box fly in the air.

You two groaned in pain as you two rose from the ground. "Ugh, what the heck?" you mumbled, your eyes narrowing as you massaged your head from that hit. From those faint glows and metallic sounds, a portal appeared, and one thing came to mind. The puzzles that were in your head snapped into complete pieces. "You've been following me all along!?" you exclaimed, facing the turtle, and he looked at you with a wide-eyed gaze, seemingly startled by your accusation.

"No, I wasn't following you!" Leo blurted out, waving his hands off. "I teleported by mistake!" he added as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"How? I could sense someone was behind me," you replied, tilting your head in confusion.

"Ah, so that's why my portal came here?" Leo snickered, brushing his sweat off. "Querida, it must've been a coincidence that I'm here," he continued, and his gaze shifted to the pizza box on the ground, then he picked it up. "And I'll help you with that someone, hm?" he handed you the pizza box, and you were gathering your thoughts that perhaps he might have a point. Whatever he was saying, as you were still lacking knowledge about these abilities, it must only be the logic of it. You would still try to study about these anyway.

"Alright," you mumbled, taking the pizza box from his hand. "Thanks," you added, and Leo grinned with a nod.

"Mind if I walk with you again?" he asked, shifting beside you. "I mean, someone in the shadows is after you," he mumbled as his arm wrapped around your back in a protective manner.

"I- I won't mind," you stuttered a bit. The blood rushed into your cheeks in the odd sensation that he put his arm on you, thinking as if it were your only security and making you feel valuable.

A grin only widened on his face. "Good. I only care for your safety."