ODE TO THE MURDERED, bonten

48.5

PART FOURTY-EIGHT POINT FIVE !
living on an empire in the sky.

— 16 YEARS AGO,
YEAR 2001.

          "IZANA IS FINALLY RELEASED FROM JUVIE." Kakucho says. you press the tip of your pencil against the white paper, smearing the charcoal tip all over the canvas.

"really?" you ask, trying to hide the bubbling enthusiasm bursting in your chest. it doesn't go unnoticed by the boy beside you, he tries to hide his smile at your excitement.

"yeah, really." Kakucho looks at his phone. "he just texted me a minute ago, told us to meet him on an abandoned railway track right now."

the paper and pencil before you was deserted moments after the message. your feet is light and feathery, making your way to unhook your jacket from your closet.

"let's go then Kaku. what are we waiting for?" you beckoned him at the door. with a soft chuckle leaving his lips, he follows you out your penthouse.

when you arrived the abandoned railway had an empty platform, its withered walls stained with old graffiti's and overgrown weeds. you and Kakucho waited patiently on the benches, counting the crows that flew past you and into the tree lines afar. then after awhile, your mind wanders in its own recluse. Kakucho's mellifluous voice rang through your ears, rewinding in your head like a mantra; Izana is released from juvie. Izana is released from juvie. he's out, you can see him again.

you inhaled a breath, crumpling the fabric of your cloth beneath your palm. when you finally caught sight of silver from the corner of your eye—you had immediately jumped from your seat, almost letting the enthusiasm consume you when your eyes landed on Izana.

he looked a little different from the last time you saw him, his long silver hair is shorter. trimmed till his ears and parted in the middle, and yet he still looked beautiful.

you swallowed the fond longing in your throat, the crave in your further actions to just hold him close to you finally after years—

you stiffen when five other boys appear in your view, trailing behind Izana. he's not alone.

your eyes pulled into a confused furrow, you turn your head to Kakucho who wore the same look of puzzlement as you, though his was more milder and held more of innocent curiosity, a contrast to your hostile stare.

who are they?

"you arrived." Izana says gently, lilac eyes crushed by a mortar and pestle, soft and wide as you'd remember when he glances at the two of you. he takes a few more steps closer, he sees you shift, he opens his arms wide, and you patter over to him, into his welcoming embrace.

"Izana, hey." you whispered into the fabric of his shirt, his arms engulfed you, nosing your hairline and muttering out his own greeting to you. you shift a little within his embrace, your own narrowed eyes landing on the strange boys behind him.

they merely watch you and Izana with a tinge of amusement and curiosity, a whole contrast to your look of suspicion and judgment. you examined each one of them one by one until you recognized one of them; Shion Madarame, with his blond locks and face tattoo, you knew him when Izana had left the ninth generation Black Dragons in his care.

Shion catches your stare and he nods at you in acknowledgment. you didn't return the gesture and instead tighten your hold on the silver.

"who're they?"