lovely // a vocaloid fanfiction

chapter 15 // memory

One day earlier...

—

The sky was pitch black and arctic cold temperatures laced the air all around. Almost none of the dust and dirt that made up the ground lay undisturbed; the howling wind tossed them up, forming wide storm clouds of the night. The moonlight was the only guidance for any souls lost in this hopeless, cold and deserted place.

Suddenly, with incredible speed, a figure sped through the dust clouds. Their boots slammed against the ground, propelling them forward with extraordinary strength. The figure's breath appeared in rapid, small clouds as they ran, their chest heaving greatly.

They continued running for several minutes— minutes which seemed like hours in navigating through the tough wasteland. Eventually, the figure slowed down to a halt. They looked around. All around them were structures just familiar enough that they could recognize where they were. The figure smiled.

Perfect.

Daina took a moment to allow a deep sigh of relief break free. It had required a lot of sprinting, but she was at long last on the edge of The Sanctuary's territory. Her lungs burned from the dust in the air and the freezing temperatures, but she figured she could manage. Identifying a tall, stable pillar, Daina staggered over to it, leaning against the towering structure.

Presently leaning against the pillar, the ginger patted herself down a few times before her hand ultimately landed on a container in her back pocket. Plucking it out, she stared at a small canteen. She had brought enough water for her and Hio to make it through the night; that was, if she found him.

Daina's blue eyes looked up and gazed out into the chilling openness of the night blankly. She was completely stunned from the cold as well as the shock from being able to escape The Sanctuary. In fact, she had just about convinced herself that she was being followed by a High Rank, and that she'd be detained any second now. However, as she pointlessly surveyed the night, she debunked herself as silly.

Shaking her head, she tried thinking of what she'd do now. Well, I need to find Hio, don't I? I have to talk to him. That is, if he hasn't already died of hypothermia in this ice box. She shuddered at that terribly realistic possibility. What would she even do then?

So, then, I should go sooner rather than later. Maybe then I can at least keep him alive for an hour or two before we're both gone.

Trying to force away her negative thoughts, Daina focused on the task at hand. She needed to find Hio. The most logical place to look first would be Quadrant 4. After all, that's where I sent him, right?

Daina nodded. Yep. He's probably just sitting somewhere in Quadrant 4. Easy enough.

However, as the ginger-haired girl glanced around, surveying her surroundings, she instantly realized she was on the edge of Quadrant 3; she'd have to traverse yet even more distance to reach her destination. Daina let out an audible groan. God damnit, Hio! You're going to be the end of me...

Suddenly, Daina heard a resounding crash somewhere from behind her. Whipping around, her eyes wide open, she looked around in fear. However, as she searched, the blue-eyed girl discovered nothing that particularly caught her eye.

"H-hello...?" she called out nervously.

Almost as soon as she began speaking, Daina spotted movement from where she had heard the crash. A humanoid figure had emerged from what appeared to be a pile of rubble.

It was then that the fox girl noticed she was shaking. Her jet-black ears were pointed up, directed in the direction of the figure. Her tail was frozen, standing high as she tried staying calm. Daina narrowed her eyes. The figure seemed to stay still, as though they were trying to study her as well. Suddenly, she heard a low, yet familiar voice resound from the mysterious person.