"Kindness is a gift, pass it on"

---

Life is a one long calamity. It throws rocks and stones at us to check our limits and we are compelled to leave our comfort zones to win over them and that's when we should trust ourselves to advance and stick to our path because to make some good in the society, we have to sacrifice something and for Shu, it was his past life.

He walked outside. The harsh sunlight of Mexico was slightly confided by the trees surrounding him. He climbed the staircase from the back and reached the top of the ancient temple to have a better view of his arriving friends and waited. Waited to meet one of the hardest challenges he had ever yet to face.

                                                                                               ---

Wakiya groaned, burying his head on Honcho's shoulder. "We had been walking for an eternity"

Honcho rolled his eyes at the blonde's statement, "Mind you Goldilocks, I'm the one who's walking here. You're just complaining"

Amidst all the chaotic fights, Valt was surprisingly silent. The truth was he was worried about Shu. They had been best friends since they were in kindergarten. There was something he always knew about Shu. Despite the walls he built when he was with others, for Valt, Shu was like an open book. He was different when they were together. For others, Shu was the same stoic, cool, genius blader who was a favourite from his hometown but for Valt, Shu is a different person. He had seen Shu waking up in the morning with his ridiculous bed head. He had seen Shu cry over losing his favourite Marvel figurine. He had seen Shu through his silliest days. He even witnessed Shu smashing his birthday cake over Xander's head.

Shu and Valt never hide anything from each other, and even if they did, it didn't take much time for the other to figure out something's wrong. And that's how he exactly felt when they met a few weeks ago in the opening ceremony. Something was obviously wrong. Shu never disappeared into thin air without telling him. If something is wrong, Valt knows he's the first person Shu would call. He may not be able to give him any solutions but he listened and he knew that's exactly what Shu wanted, someone to listen. "Valt?" Daigo talked, fastening his pace to walk beside him.

Valt snapped out of his trance, "Yeah?"

"You good?"

Valt just nodded, looking down at his feet, "Yeah...I guess"

"Don't worry," Daigo assured, patting his back. "Shu is a smart guy. I'm sure he's okay"

Cuza was the one who replied, "Yes buddy! From what you've told me, he's a pretty cool guy. He'll be fine"

Valt smiled, feeling the spark of hope from his friends. "YEAH!" He exclaimed loudly reassuring himself. "We're coming Shu!" He yelled at the top of his lungs charging to the thick of the forest.

Daigo and Cuza shared a look while Honcho talked, "Is that even the right way?"

Turns out it was the right way. Even though they struggled with the road and got lost several times Carl finally spotted the ruins of the temple in the middle of the forest. They all walked towards the clearing amidst the woods with the overwhelming hope of finding their friend.

"This place is spooky" Honcho muttered to Wakiya who clicked his tongue.

"This is not some haunted temple. Don't expect ghosts to run towards us screaming bloody murder"

Honcho shuddered, "Shut up! You're making it worse"

Valt looked around, "Hello? Anyone here?" His voice echoed through the clearing and Honcho almost jumped out of his skin.

There was an eerie silence sinking to their skins for another minute before finally a deep voice spoke. "Get out of here"

Everyone snapped their heads upwards to see a guy standing on the top of the temple. Their eyes never left him as he walked down the structure and stood in front of them. They took in his appearance and the mask. "Uhh" Valt said, looking at the weird person standing in front of him. "Who are you?"

In the midst of the forest that was strangely quiet, in front of that ancient temple, Valt stared out at the person standing in front of him not knowing the pain hiding behind those eyes shaded by the mask. Not knowing that his best friend was trying to reach out to him. "I'm Red Eye" The guy answered. Everyone stared at him, dumbfounded.

"What kind of a name is that?" Valt questioned right off the bat, certainly confused by the weird name and the weird attire and most of all, the weird place. Red Eye didn't see anything, he just watched his friends sharing looks between them. Valt shook his head, "Do you know someone called Shu?"

Shu flinched. If they were vigilant enough, Shu knew they would've easily caught up on his change of behaviour. He willed himself to be composed. If he messed this up, it would not only be the end of him but also the end of Beyblade as well. The fun of it as a sport everyone enjoys would just disappear into thin air. It was something he did not want to risk. He closed his eyes for a second before opening them again to see his friends. Shaded in a deep red. "Kurenai Shu, as you know him is gone" Dread settled inside his stomach. He would've done anything to take those words back. To erase the horror settling on his friends' faces.

"W-what?" Wakiya stuttered, his blue eyes widened in horror and confusion. Shu forced himself to look at them right in the eye. After coming this far, he could not risk it. He shouldn't arouse any suspicion among them.

"You're lying" Valt yelled, his voice cracking at the end. Shu had known Valt since he was a kid and he knew Valt had so many mood swings in a span of an hour but this voice, this agony, this broken voice was something entirely different. "Where is he?" He whispered, much more to himself.

"Let's battle" It came out naturally, Shu knew. It was something he was used to. Even back in Beigoma when Naoki and Valt tried to go against each other, he was the one who suggested they settled the dispute with a battle. They were bladers, he always told, they settle things with battles. Thankfully for Shu, he knew that it was the way the Snakepit handled its own business. Before everything comes battling. That was the rule.

Valt looked confused at first. The bey club gave his suspicious glances at him but there was one truth among them. They never said no to a battle. Before Valt could utter any response, Shu took out Legend Spryzen, "This is my bey, Legend Spryzen"

He didn't miss the sharp glare or the gasps. "That's Shu's!" Honcho cried out from the back, marching to stand beside Valt. Beside him, Valt was furious.

"How did you get it!?"

Shu didn't answer their question. He was more focused on the battle. He had to get them out of here, as soon as he could. "Okay" Valt finally said, after he made up his mind. Shu instinctively stepped back as the stadium appeared in between them. He was still getting used to the advanced technology of the Snake Pit.

"That's a beystadium, '' Daigo said, surprised. His eyes scanned through the arena as he observed the old buildings and the contrasting technology they had. This place had something big going on and the new information that they just received about Shu doesn't seem to be the truth at all. Daigo wonders whether it's how it seems and they are just scared to accept the truth. His mind was drawn back into Valt and Red Eye who were in their launching stances. Legend Spryzen loaded the launcher, the bey of their friend and teammate back in Beigoma. Something didn't sit right as Daigo observed the figure and his clear resemblance to Shu. Daigo shook his head, there's no way it's Shu. If it was, Daigo knew that he would never talk like that to Valt, his best friend. Out of everyone Daigo knew the connection two shared. There was no possible way Shu would abandon Valt like that.

Just as the battle started, it was clear for everyone who the winner was. The new owner of Spryzen, namely Red Eye, had overwhelming power at his hands. The crimson bey attacked Valtryek mercilessly without giving it a chance to prepare for a counterattack. The second battle bore the same results, Valt just couldn't find an opening and most of all the counterclockwise spin of Legend Spryzen surprised him that when he was thinking of a counterattack it was too late. Valt raised his hazel eyes to meet up with the masked ones. Just who is he, he wondered. Only Shu could handle Spryzen skillfully, but the blader standing right in front of him now had derived insane power out of the bey that it was almost unbelievable.

Shu hated to admit it, but the truth was that he had improved dramatically through the prolonged training sessions and his stamina had improved vastly. Through the training of his Norman he had been able to improve his strength and instinctive reactions. Even though it was mainly in normal fighting later Shu realized he could use these improved senses to battle too. He looked at Valt in front of him with that hopeless, destroyed look. Shu had to force himself to turn back to the Snakepit. Shu and Valt had fought in the past, but they made up just as quickly. That's the type of friendship those two shared and with a grimace Shu realized how much he was hurting his own friend. "Wait" Valt yelled, chasing him as the doors opened with a hiss. "Where is he?" His tone was desperate, Shu noticed. "Where is he? Where is Shu?"

Shu would've done anything to take off that mask covering his face and tell his friend that he's fine, he's just trying to save all of them, no big deal but he hardened himself. If he needs to get through this, there's no chance for him except for acting like he's tough when his insides are tearing off. Shu wordlessly pushed him away, walking to the entrance. If he talked, he wouldn't be able to control himself, Shu knew. Stop, Valt please He thought helplessly as the Valtryek blader came after him constantly repeating his question. Even after the two massive doors shut behind him he could hear it echoing inside his head.

In the control room of the Snake Pit, Asthem stood, staring at the massive screens in front of him displaying the incident happening in front of them. He was worried about the Red Eyed blader, and of course about his friends. He was quite relieved when he saw Shu winning the battle effortlessly which meant they have no chance for entering the Snake Pit now. Little did he know that they were up for a one massive challenge the whole day. Everyone was quiet as they stared at the youngest blader among them, showcasing that overwhelming power. "Wow" Leo breathed, giving Ethan a sideway glance. "Your training is crazy man"

Ethan just glared at him in response as he turned back to the screen. There was no sense of admiration in his eyes or in his face because Ethan knew he could do better. He had not pushed Shu until he broke. When the double doors behind them hissed open, half of them turned expecting to see Shu standing there but instead they were met with the sight of a man, dressed up all in black. Everyone was instantly on their feet. Theodore himself stood up in mere seconds as he stared at the man. He had seen him before, once or twice. The mask was pure black with no hues of other colours. His jumpsuit and the coat was pure black. The man held the same smug smirk as he walked to them. He was the one. The one they were trying to catch for months. The mastermind behind the Snake pit. In other times, it was almost impossible to track the man down. He had the ability to disappear into thin air for months but there he was, standing in front of them leisurely. Theodore was the one to speak first, "Sir"

Boss grinned, "My my, what an exciting sight to see." He said, looking at the screens where Valt stood with the others, looking hopeless as Shu left them there. Right at the cue the doors hissed open and this time it was Red Eye who stepped in oblivious to the tension of the room. Boss spun on his heel to look at the younger in front of him. Half of his face was shaded by the mask. Theodore felt his heart racing, at this moment, anything could happen. Boss can just pull out a gun and shoot him in the head and no one will say a thing. "You must be Red Eye, the child prodigy in here"

Shu clasped his hands behind his back, finally realizing the tensed atmosphere. He didn't know the man, but he seemed to be an important figure to everyone. "Yes sir" Shu answered. He was surprised by the strength of his own voice.

The man gave him an eerie smile, kneeling in front of him as they were on eye level. It was only that when Shu realized how towering his figure felt in front of him. Up close, Shu noticed the veins showing under his paper white skin. He looked different, looked almost weird. The man ran a hand through his raven hair, peeking out from the ends of the mask, slicked neatly. The man didn't turn to Theodore when he addressed him, "Invite those Kids in Asthem. I want to see more"

A chill ran down Shu's spine. Why? He wanted to ask but he was frozen to the ground but Leo spoke for him, "Why? Aren't they already losers, Boss?"

The man grinned, licking his lips as he raised one of his pale arms and placed the palm on his cheeks. Shu stilled, feeling the skin on his own and the coldness of it. "They are, but they're our Red's friends, aren't they? Let's see what they can offer us."

She felt the dire need to draw away from the touch but he didn't. He just raised his eyes to look at Theodore who was staring at the man, cautious and alert. He was ready to attack despite their circumstances. Ethan sighed, pulling the switch to open the doors. Shu watched as his friends were invited into this shady place. The place where he was trying to protect them from. "Boss, you do need to give a break to your games" Ethan rolled his eyes. Unlike the others, he was casual with Boss, almost as if they were best buddies. He stood up and walked to Ethan who didn't even bother to wear his mask.

"Ethan, you don't change do you?"

Ethan raised a challenging brow at him, a playful smile on his lips. "Do you want me to?" That was the first time Shu had ever seen Ethan act so carefree and relaxed. Almost as if he's home. Just how sick this relationship of theirs is? Shu wondered.

"Of course not" The man spoke, "Just be the man you are, Ethan" With that he turned to Theodore who didn't have a very pleased attitude towards the sudden arrival of the man. "Asthem, why don't you go and welcome his friends in? They look surprised by the training facilities" The all turned back to the screens where Valt seemed to be struggling to help one of the fallen members and Silver was standing nearby with his usual stoic expression.

Theodore just bowed curtly and walked away giving a glance to Shu. Shu just nodded in affirmation watching him go, with Gold Eye and the rest of the crew leaving Ethan, Leo and Boss inside the room with him alone. "So, Ethan," Boss said, "What do you think about the kid?"

Shu tensed as Ethan spoke, "Pain" He grumbled, dropping his head into his open palms. "Stop bringing children to this facility Boss. They don't belong here"

The Boss looked over to him, "Why? Isn't he one of your best students at the moment?"

Ethan raised one of his brows, about to speak when Leo chimed in with his same cheerful note. "Oh, c'mon, Ethan loves him. He's just shy to speak out loud"

Boss laughed, "Is that so?"

Shu felt out of place. True, Leo was there and he could be trusted but he didn't feel like he should be there at the moment. Then again, was he ever supposed to be in this place? Shu focused his gaze back to the screen where Valt was yelling at Asthem praising his abilities and hard work. Shu betrayed no emotions while watching, not because he was lacking the feels but because he was not in the position to show emotions over this. He knew they were watching, calculating his each and every moment with hawk-like attention. "You all seem to be pretty close" Boss commented, staring at raging Valt.

"We were," Shu answered plainly.

He watched as Asthem gave them a chance to go through each of the shadow bladers who would be mirroring the abilities of their own beys. Shu knew his friends had the ability to go through all this, he did not doubt them but then again with the main boss standing right in front of him in the control room, he did not know what would happen. Asthem arrived at the room with the rest of the bladers on his toe. Boss gave him an appreciative look. "Good work there. I dropped in to check your capabilities but I didn't know this place was well managed."

Theodore smiled at him, "Of course. We are in charge of the Requiem Project and we know the weight this experiment carries"

The Boss sneered, "Exactly"

Shu had always known that he and Valt shared a strong bond. He had been an awkward child from the start. He still remembered the first day of kindergarten. He still remembers how the other kids just ignored him because he was not cheerful as they were. He never expected anyone to approach him either. He was a gloomy child. Valt simply didn't care or he didn't mind. He just approached Shu. First, it was complimenting his eyes, then it was sharing seats which eventually grew into a strong friendship. Xander and Valt had always been friends and after Shu tagged along with Valt, he instantly got used to Xander's loving nature. The trio were always together no matter the place or the time. Right now, seeing his friend's determined glance and the battles they were facing to find him. Because of him. Shu felt that he was important to someone. It was a good feeling, to be cared for. To realize that someone really values you despite your flaws and imperfections.

That's why he did what he did. That's why he thought this should be stopped when they started to play with their fears. Especially Wakiya's. The albino knew that Wakiya was terrified of heights and it was not simply fair to compete with someone when the other is at a certain disadvantage. Shu didn't think twice as he walked out of the door, ignoring all the other gazes upon him. His heart was beating loudly inside his chest. His head was spinning with thoughts and scenarios of all the things that could happen upon this misbehavior but when he stepped into the special room designed for Purple Eye and seeing their faces in front of him, harmless and safe, relief washed over his heart. "What are you doing here?" Purple eye mocked, glaring. "This is my battle Red Eye, stay out from it"

"This is not a fair battle. You're taking advantage of the other person." Shu narrowed his eyes, stepping closer to the bey stadium. "I'll take you both on"

Before Shu even knew what he was doing, they were launching their beys. It was not that Shu knew that he'd be able to win against both of them, it was the strong need to get them out of here that drove him to that position. He watched as the beys circled around the stadium and in mere seconds the battle was done. Shu watched gingerly as his friends fell into the darkness below. It was as simple as that. If he wanted them to get out of this place, all he had to do was defeat them. That's what he said to Valt. He will take the three who won against the shadow bladers and defeat them in this battle. That was the only way for them to be out of this place. Valt's determination didn't waver under his intimidating glance. "I'm going to take my friend's bey back" He challenged as they took their positions to launch.

The same countdown. The same old voices.

3

2

1

Let it rip!

The beys soared into the bey stadium as they started making their ways around the bey dish. Shu concentrated on attacking them with full power and momentum. If he wanted to win this, he had to go on full power. Spryzen, Shu called. He had faith in his bey and that's all he needed. Spryzen attacked just as he thought, mercilessly with the overwhelming power he had gathered the past few weeks through intense training sessions. The next moment, Valtryek, Deathcyzer and Cognite flew out the stadium and landed outside it, marking the win of the Red Eyed blader. Shu stared at their faces for a few long seconds because he had the feeling. He wouldn't be seeing his best friend for a few more long weeks.

Red Eye turned on his heel and walked out of the room and across the hallway when Silver Eye walked to him. His expression didn't betray any emotions as he stood in front of him. "Boss wants you"

Shu nodded as he followed the taller male out of the hallway into the control room. Sweat beads formed on his skin as they reached the automatic doors that responded to them in an instant. Shu felt his heart racing. He violated the rules and he didn't even know what would happen? But he realized that he doesn't regret a thing. He was glad he did what he did, or else his friends would've been the prey. He could take any punishment for them. The room was dead silent as they entered. Shu noticed the lack of bladers inside the room, specifically the masked bladers who lost the battles. Shu shivered, he did not want to imagine what would've happened to them. Boss turned on his heel, turning to look at him. "And Ethan, you said he's not your best piece of work"

Ethan crossed his arms. Anger was shadowing his face. Shu knew the expression too well. "He is not. I still haven't broken him, have I?"

Boss looked over his shoulder at Ethan as he took cool, smooth steps towards Shu. Shu looked around to see that Theodore and Norman were also missing. He probably would've told them to go back because he wanted a private chat with him. The only people inside the room were Ethan, Leo, Boss and him. Just like before and this didn't sit right in his mind. The man tipped off his mask from his face exposing his face to the cool tensed air in the room. Shu didn't betray any weakened emotions. He kept glaring at the man. The Boss licked his lips, "You look even better up close"

Shu frowned, "Huh?"

"There's a set of rules in here, in the Snakepit" He started, walking around him. Shu kept his gaze fixed to the screens in front of him. There was no sense of life which also meant that his friends had gone back. The slap against his cheek was a sudden that drew him out of his own world back to reality. Shu stumbled a step back out of the sheer force. A second passed before the pain finally settled on his jaw. "No one. Not a single person should space out when I speak" He threatened.

"Don't break anything. I need him whole to train," Ethan warned nonchalantly, looking at them.

Boss grinned, "I can manage that"

Shu felt pain erupting from his head as the male grabbed his hair smashing him against the wall. His back collided with the cold, rough surface of the wall. Shu winced, but refused to give in. Bear it, he thought grimly, looking up to see the sadistic grin of the man looming in front of him. "Do you regret it? Going against the orders."

Shu licked his lips which were dry. A metallic taste met his tongue as Shu realized his bottom lip was bleeding. He glared, "I don't"

The grip on his hair tightened, Shu yelped out of pain. "What did you say?"

"I don't" Shu repeated, louder this time. His eyes filled with fury and anger. It was as if a bubble that was filled with hot anger inside his body suddenly burst. Rage overwhelmed the pain he's feeling. "It's not fair. A bey battle is not something to be ridiculed about. Attacking the opponents and undermining them using those high quality custom made rooms? Really? I thought Snakepit was about the survival of the fittest. If they are stronger than all the others why would they need help? A certain surrounding that would be their advantage? That's just bullshit" He didn't know how the words were flowing so easily out from his mouth but he didn't regret what he said. That was the truth.

The grip on his hair loosened as the boss looked at him. "Well, you do have a point. What do you think a real battle would be?"

"A real battle is when both the opponents are at their best. Ethan told me we don't cheat on Snakepit. We adapt to anything and don't give excuses. When other's cheat he said, we adapt to those methods and win over their low ways. Isn't that what Snakepit does?"

Boss looked over his shoulder, "Well, Ethan, what do you think?"

Ethan rolled his eyes, "He got a point. We don't invest to thrive weak bladers here. You need to be strong to survive"

The Boss shook his head, "Still, discipline is something we maintain well here." He pulled out a gun from his coat and ran a hand through the smooth material. "No excuses will be good enough if you break rules, Red" He got a hold of his face and shoved the gun into his mouth. Shu gagged around the hard, cold material. "I can just pull the trigger," He warned. His eyes weren't visible behind the dark shades of his mask but Shu was sure they were gleaming with rage and bloodlust. "Know your place, kid" He said, pulling it out. Shu doubled over, falling to a fit of cough and started hacking trying to breath. Tears sprang up inside his eyes but Shu refused to let them flow down his cheeks. He was stronger than that. The boss placed a hand on his cheek, "All that aside, I've started to take a liking for this one, Ethan."

Ethan snorted, "Good luck with that"

He took Shu's hand and kissed the back of it with a grin plastered across his face. Shu just watched him carefully as the man stood, "Next time, Red"

He walked out of the room with Ethan following close behind him. Shu rested his back against the wall, breathing hard. He knew Leo was still in the room but he didn't have the energy to check on anyone. The truth was, he was terrified. He could feel his hands and legs trembling. He put on a strong demeanor but it crumbled like dust as soon as the two men left the room. Memories flooded inside his mind. He could still feel the taste of metal inside his mouth. Shu knew he tried to put on that brave mask in order to help Theodore and besides out of spite he yelled out those words to him and Shu wondered whether anger could draw that much strength into one's mind. Maybe, it could. He felt the footsteps closing in, and within seconds Leo was in front of him. His face twisted into a rare, angry expression. "Shu, you alright?"

Shu hummed numbly, "Yeah"

Leo touched his swollen cheek. "You're not" He spat out, "Dang it, those bastards-"

Shu gave him a small smile, "Language, Leo"

The blonde male shook his head with a sigh, helping Shu to stand up. He picked up Shu's mask and handed it to the albino. "Let's get you to your room."

Shu nodded. Leo and Shu walked out of the room and across the hallway. No one was around. Surely, after the surprise visit from the boss everyone had started pushing themselves even harder. Shu put on his mask as they passed the training rooms of the common trainees. His eyes darted through the boys who were around his age working out. Sweat beads formed over their foreheads as they struggled to keep on working. This was the nature of the Snakepit. Only the fittest survived. "That's sad" Shu talked, looking through them as they passed their rooms.

"It is'' Leo echoed. It was when they reached the corridor for the dormitories they met up with the first person. Thankfully, it was Lavender. He stopped as he watched them walk into the dimly lit corridor.

"Red?" He asked, blinking. "Is everything alright?"

Leo looked at Shu. Underneath his mask, Shu could notice the troubled expression of the blonde. "You can go" Shu said, "Lav is here, I'll be fine" Shu knew that the boss probably wanted Leo with him when he was checking about the facilities of the Snake pit and the last thing he wanted was someone else to be punished while he was protecting him. Leo hesitated but eventually agreed. He was about to walk away from them when a voice talked behind them.

"What's going on here?"

Ethan, Shu instantly thought of turning on his feet. Behind him Lav stiffened. "Nothing" Leo answered. The usual playful demeanor vanished. A serious expression took its place.

"Lavender" Ethan called, "Why are you here?"

"I called him," Leo said, before anyone else could answer his question. "You both can leave now" He demanded, not moving his eyes away from Ethan. Shu could feel the tension building up between the two males. Lavender tugged his arm and gestured towards the rooms. Shu reluctantly followed him, throwing occasional glances over his shoulder to see the two males talking with each other and from their expression, Shu knew they were talking about something serious. He only hoped that Leo wouldn't get in trouble because of him.

Lavender opened the door to his own room and invited Shu in. There was nothing different inside. It was a carbon copy of his own room but a bit messier. He watched Lavender take off his mask and place it on his nightstand looking over to the younger who was frozen to the ground beside the door. "Red?"

Shu blinked, taking off his own mask. He didn't miss the surprised look off Lav as he eyed Shu's face. "What in the world-" He stopped himself, "Sit here" He gestured at the bed. "I'll be back"

"Wait, Lav-" Shu started watching the other pick up his mask and leave the room. Shu made his way towards the bed and sat down looking around. He noticed the subtle changes between their rooms. Unlike his, Lav had given his room a touch of himself. There was a poster of a Beyblade star from back in the days. A photograph of him and another kid was standing on the nightstand. Shu leaned down to stare at the framed picture. The other boy looked a bit younger than Lavender and Shu could clearly point out the strong resemblance of the two of them. His eyes wandered back into the door as the lock clicked open, Lav entering with a small bag of ice on his hand. "From where did you even get that?" Shu winced, it hurt to talk.

He sat down beside Shu, "Come here"

Shu inched closer to him, turning his swollen cheek to Lav. He hissed in pain as the cold ice pack touched his skin, "That stings"

Lav just hummed. Shu realized he had been awfully quiet for the past few minutes and it was not like him at all. It was almost as if he's mad with him, or with someone else. "Hold this against your cheek for a few minutes" He said, walking off to a cabinet. He pulled out a box of meds and took out a tube of medicine.

"You have all that with you too?" Shu blinked, lowering the ice pack to his lap.

Lav nodded, "For emergencies"

He walked over to Shu and carefully applied the paste on the corner of his lip. "There"

Shu nodded, "Thanks"

Another silence flooded into the room in mere minutes. Shu tilted his head trying to feel the vague comfort of the ice against his swollen, reddish skin. His mind wandered into different places. The moments he spent with the beyclub and the moments he was truly happy. Arriving at the Snakepit was his own decision. He didn't regret it in the least. If only he could get stronger and become someone who can really protect others, maybe he would be able to step out from the shadows of his past, circling around him. Lavender settled beside him. The two of them spent a few minutes staring at the space, unsure whether to break the comfortable silence or embrace it as it is. When Lavender finally talked, Shu felt almost glad he did. The voices which had been long gone were arriving back from the corners of his minds, bearing the regrets of the past. "What happened?"

So, Shu spoke. He talked about his friends in Beigoma, the times they spent and how kind they have been to him. He talked about the battles and how he talked against Boss just because he was unable to control his anger. When the words were flooding out his mouth, Shu finally realized the need to talk, to empty his mind to someone who's there to listen. Life was never beautiful all the time, but when there's someone willing to give an ear to your soul, the thoughts inside your head, it felt better and relieving. He talked until he realized there was nothing else to talk about. When he finally closed his mouth, blinking back the tears Shu wondered what the hell has he been doing? He was only eleven. He had always been mature for his age. An adult among the group of children. He has taken care of himself since he was young, he learned to cook, clean the house, and take care of himself after another cold nightmare. His parents weren't home, he was alone and he was used to it. But should he be used to all these things? He wanted to feel like a child for once. Maybe, allow someone to take care of him. After those years of loneliness he had accepted life as it is. Some had parents who were always there for them while some kids bore it alone, and that's the type of kid Shu was. He stared at his lap and didn't even bother to stop himself as a thought popped up inside his mind, "Lav, can I get a hug?" His voice was small. He felt small. He finally felt like he's just a child.

Lav looked surprised from the request at first but his eyes suddenly filled with what it looked like empathy and maybe sadness. The male effortlessly opened his arms as Shu slipped into them embracing the older tightly, afraid of letting go. He felt Lav's hands on his head, fingers running through his snowy white locks. Shu relaxed, feeling secure. The initial fears inside his mind settled a bit. "You good?" He asked, not mocking, not condescending, just caring.

Shu hummed into his uniforms grabbing onto him tightly. Shu had always been one of the people who held onto the theory of personal space but in truth it was an illusion he built up for himself knowing he will never be loved and cared like any other child. He was sometimes ashamed of himself when he realized how much he envied his own best friend. Personal space is the battlefront he built up around him when ironically, all he craved was for some attention, and maybe even an occasional hug. "I had a brother," Lav said, still holding onto the albino. Shu's thoughts instantly reached the framed picture on the nightstand. "I loved him so much. Our parents were always fighting. They weren't quite the match"

Shu didn't push away, he just listened. Sometimes what people needed is an ear to listen to the burdens they carried alone and Shu knew this too well. "I lived for him, you know" Lav sighed. Both of them pulled away from the hug. Shu sat back on the bed, his legs tucked underneath himself. "I started blading together with Melon when I was seven. First, it was an escape. My little brother would always tag along with me and we practiced till sunset." Lav opened his palm and stared at it for a long second. "It was amazing. No one ever came to watch our matches but my little bro was always there, cheering from the sidelines." He sighed. "I went along with my parents because of him, I didn't want him to lose a family. Few years ago, my mom got a call that he had just collapsed in class and later we found out he was diagnosed with lung cancer." Lav was not there, Shu realized. His eyes looked distant caught up in the memories of the past. Shu looked over his shoulder at the framed picture. Two boys smiling to the camera without a care in the world. They looked happy, frozen in time inside those very moments forever.

Photographs capture the moment. It's frozen, still. If you're smiling inside that, you are forever smiling. You see a photograph, you appreciate it, and you move on. Only a few wonders how many tears might've stolen the smiles from those faces. The ones that are frozen in time. Shu turned back to Lavender. He never had siblings. It wouldn't be a lie if he told him he understood because actually he did. Shu pressed his lips together searching through his brain to come up with something when the other spoke again. "My dad smoked a lot, he didn't stop even after my brother got cancer. He just left this world few months ago and I guess I finally thought it's time to leave my wretched hometown"

"I'm sorry" Shu finally said, staring at his feet. Everyone has a breaking point and Lav's was the loss of his brother. It was natural. You go on and on to protect the people you love until they're gone and you snap in half trying to find a reason to go on.

"If he was alive, he'd be twelve this year"

Shu blinked, the same age as him. Before Shu could even utter a word Lav nodded, "Yeah, the same age as you. You remind me of him, you know."

Shu just stared at him for a long moment. "You came to the Snakepit to?"

"Find a purpose," Lav said, rubbing his arm. "Didn't know this place was so messed up but I guess pushing myself hard made me forget about everything. In the end, I'm just trying to escape. I'm running away, Red"

"Shu" Shu instantly answered. "My name is Shu Kurenai" He didn't know what the drive was but there he was breaking the rules for a stranger he found amidst a foreign place. A stranger who understood him and treated him like he's a child, not an adult.

"Liam Stevenson" He said, "Nice to meet you, Shu Kurenai" He reached out and ruffled his hair.

Shu nodded, red eyes filled with hope staring into the lavender ones. "Yes! Nice to meet you, Liam"

He chuckled, "I don't know why I said all that to you. Sorry if I was being too sappy"

Shu shocked his head with a smile. He silently drew his knees to his chest resting his chin on them looking at the floor. "It gets lonely here, doesn't it?"

"It does," Liam agreed, "Awfully lonely. Even when you're surrounded by people, this world can get so lonely." Lav suddenly stood up and crouched in front of the bed, facing Shu. The normal cheery grin reaching his features. "But once in a while, someone ought to reach you and help you with that loneliness, little Red. Don't give up on the world just yet. There might be something waiting for you. Live up to see it"

Shu nodded. The smile that painted across his face was genuine. "Yeah. I'll keep that in mind."

It was true after all, Shu thought looking at Liam messing around to find something interesting to do. Once in a while, you stumble upon people who could change your life for the better.

Don't worry Valt, Shu thought, I got some good people in here with me, I'll be fine.