[ａｓ] | 𝗕𝗡𝗛𝗔 𝗩𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗦

faith

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

the girl knocked on the door, the cracks in the wood and the echo of the sound bringing her a familiar, if twisted, comfort.

it took a few minutes of quiet shuffling on the other side before the door creaked open, revealing a face she hadn't seen in years.

immediately, a smile spread across beni's face, but before she could say anything, the door was slammed shut.

"go away, beni,"

her smile hung there, suspended in the air for a moment before falling.

she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out - the same voice sounded again from behind the door, louder this time.

"i said, go away!"

it was hard to ignore the grief that surged inside her chest, but beni forced herself to speak, her voice small and shaky.

"please?"

there was another long pause, followed by a heavy sigh, and the door creaked open again.

the chain latch clinked as it was undone, and the girl was once again met with the tired, weathered face of tsumugi.

"what do you want?"

the woman had aged since the last time beni had seen her - four years ago now - but the lines etched into her face seemed deeper, the voice raspier than she remembered.

still, it was her - the woman who had been more of a mother than her own.

"i need something," beni said quietly.

there was a flash of something in tsumugi's eyes - anger, maybe, or disappointment - before she sighed again, heavier this time, and stepped aside to let the girl in.

the apartment hadn't changed - the same creaky floorboards, the same warm smell of cinnamon and old wood, the only difference was the absence of her old floor mattress, which had once occupied the corner of the room.

beni walked in, her gaze sweeping over the familiar surroundings, and despite herself, she felt the hint of a smile tug at her lips.

behind her, the door slammed shut.

when she turned to face tsumugi, the woman was looking at her expectantly, arms crossed, her eyes sharp with something that wasn't quite malice but was close enough to sting, despite both knowing deep down that it wasn't directed at the girl.

"i'm taller than you now," beni said, attempting to break the tension with a grin.

tsumugi's expression didn't soften.

"what could you possibly need from me?"

the smirk fell from the girls face before she reached into her jacket and pulled out the worn, stained letter that had been given to her in this very room years ago.

tsumugi took the letter, her eyes scanning the words.

once she finished, she handed it back with a resounding, "no,"

beni's brows furrowed, "what do you mean 'no'?"

"i mean no - you two can continue this suicide mission, but i'm not helping either of you anymore," tsumugi turned, her back to the girl, walking toward the kitchen.

confusion swept through beni as she stood frozen in the middle of the living room that still smelled like home, "but...what do you mean? you and she had a deal-,"