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metalfairygirl · 6 months

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Family is not where you suffer (HEARTSTEEL Members & Female!Suffering!Teenager!Reader). Part 1.

Summary: You're a sixteen-year-old teenager who doesn't have a great life. Once your family was happy, but until the moment when your father was in a terrible accident and died, burned alive in the car. At that time you were only six years old, and that's when your mother became obsessed with alcohol. From that moment on, your life became a living hell. Ten years later, you got tired of suffering and decided to take a desperate step. But is it destined to happen?

Warnings: Mention of death, difficult childhood, alcoholic parents, domestic violence, rape, mention of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, long post.

A/N: Hello everyone! I've already seen that a lot of users have already become obsessed with the new virtual group, as well as me. And it was at two o'clock in the morning that I had the idea to write this nonsense. I will say right away that your meeting with the band members will be different, but then everything will go according to one storyline (but this will be in the second part). There may be inaccuracies in the work, since English is not my native language. There are many violent topics here, so I ask the faint-hearted not to read. I warned you! I also want to express my gratitude to those who inspired me to write this fan fiction. You guys are great! I adore you!: @ioniansunsets; @heartsteel-heartbeats; @timetoeatthebread-blog; @duckchu; @saey707. Have fun reading!

Background.

In a small apartment, music was playing at full volume, accompanied by the drunken singing of two voices. One is female, the other is male. All this was happening in a small kitchen that now looked like some kind of pigsty. Cigarette butts and empty alcohol bottles were scattered everywhere, and from this there was a rather nasty smell in the air, from which anyone would vomit. The table itself was stained with vomit mixed with tobacco ash. Ugh, it's disgusting. Yes, the couple had a great day.

At that moment, the front door of the apartment creaked open, letting in a third inhabitant. As soon as you entered, the sharp smell of alcohol, tobacco and vomit hit you in the nose, but you did not react to it. You've been used to it for a long time. So this is far from new to you. After examining the corridor, you found only clothes and shoes scattered on the floor. You growled softly but viciously. You were cleaning up all night last night, and they messed it up again. Fucking drunks... There was no other way you could have named your parents.

More precisely, you had one parent, it was your mother. And her new husband was your stepfather. You didn't have a father, because he died in a terrible accident when you were little, and your mother was normal and happy. Your dad was coming home from work then. You planned to have a real celebration in honor of his promotion. Your mom cooked a wonderful dinner, and you helped her. Everything is like in happy families. But the holiday was not destined to happen. At one point, the news began to be broadcast on TV. It said about a terrible accident where a man was burned alive. And that man turned out to be your father. When your mom listened to this, she froze in place with a plate and a cloth in her hands. Her eyes were dilated and her heart was pounding wildly. And you yourself have fallen into a strong state of shock. Everything around you seems to have disappeared. It's like an abyss surrounded you, filled with misunderstanding and fear. From this semblance of a trance, you were pulled out by the sound of a breaking plate that fell to the floor. Looking first at the already broken plate, and then at your mom, you noticed how she was shaking. It's like she was launched naked into Antarctica. And then loud sobs followed. She covered her face with the rag she was holding in her hand and began to sob loudly, not restraining her emotions. It turns out that the culprit of the whole celebration was a drunk driver who drove into the oncoming lane and collided with your father's car. That bastard only got off with a severed arm, and your dad died. He died because of some fucking drunk pig. You still wish this bitch was burning in hell right now, or that your father would come to them in a dream and strangle this bitch. And that's when your life changed forever.

At first, your mother grieved very much and shed tears. It is understandable that the loss of her husband greatly harmed her soul. You also cried with her, not believing that you would never see your dad again. After that, she started drinking to numb her pain. Many will think that yes, at first it is difficult to come to terms with the loss of a loved one, and therefore many drink alcohol to forget about the soul-devouring grief for a while, but somehow not so. Yes, your mother soon forgot about your father and let him go. But her grief turned into something terrible. She grabbed one bottle, then another, absorbing their contents. With each bottle of alcohol, her kindness and love for everything in the world faded away. You tried to somehow encourage her and support her, so that these qualities would not disappear in her. She said that everything would be fine and it was temporary. You were a little girl then and believed her, but you didn't understand the seriousness of the situation. And then your sweet and loving mom left. In her place came another. Angry, cruel and always drunk. Alcohol became her main obsession.

And then your life turned into a nightmare. Every day there are screams, scandals, late-night drinking and even beatings. Your mother has completely new methods of your upbringing. Every day she left more and more bruises and scratches on your body, which you had to hide so that the school would not find out what was happening at your house. During elementary school, you couldn't work, so you went to the neighbors to feed you, because of alcoholism, your mother stopped going to work, which is why she was fired. But she did not seek it either. You may ask, why didn't the neighbors call the guardianship authorities and report on the situation in your family? And everything is very simple. In your city, the guardianship system worked terribly. And the main thing is that the representatives of the authorities only ruffled the nerves of well-off families, and they just put a huge bolt on families like yours. And your neighbors knew about it perfectly well. Yes, they came to you, but they just looked at your apartment and left. And at that moment, your mother was sober and played a caring and responsible woman. The house was clean, because your mother didn't arrange the mess. And they didn't even find a bottle! In general, after watching the whole circus, they left and never came back. So you continued to live with your crazy mother.

One day you realized that you would have to rely only on yourself. You were completely alone in this gray and cruel world. There was almost no one to help you, but to some extent you were afraid to call for help. Your mother won't help you anymore. Even when you somehow managed to go to school, then after that your mother gave up on it. She completely gave up on your development and education. Her main goal was to pour as much alcohol into herself as possible and fall into unconsciousness. But you still loved her with your boundless childish love. You didn't care then whether she drank or not, you continued to love her and take care of her. But she didn't even respond to your care. And it was at that moment that you realized that you had no one else to expect help from. Your main support was yourself. You began to live for yourself and your future. It doesn't matter what obstacles stand in your way, but you had to be strong and confident to overcome them. And you should always be determined. So you had to grow up early...

At first everything was more or less normal. In elementary school, you had excellent grades, teachers did not scold you for mistakes and helped you in every way. It seemed to you that this would continue, that everything would be great for you at school, and that you would not be offended. Naive girl... That was until the moment when you went to high school and you reached adolescence. That's when you fully felt what it was like to be an outcast. They started laughing at you and scheming in every possible way. Who will trip you up, who will spill water on you, and who will even start watering you with obscene language. You were constantly bullied and mocked at you. They were constantly pointing fingers at you and saying how poor and miserable you were, and also that you were the daughter of an alcoholic. At first, of course, you were offended, but then you started ignoring them, considering them complete idiots who were spoiled by their richer parents. They continued to mock you in every possible way, but you just didn't hear them. As if they didn't exist. But soon they got tired of their "toy", so to speak, no longer reacting to them. And they came to more terrible methods. Your own classmates started beating you regularly. They locked you in the toilet, and then they would crowd on you with their fists, hitting you wherever they wanted and could. And others stood aside and filmed everything that was happening on the camera of their phones, smiling and laughing, satisfying their sadistic inclinations. And you were lying on the cold floor and screaming in pain, covering yourself with your hands so that they could not hit you in the most vulnerable places. You didn't understand why they hated you so much. You were just like them. The same age, and received the same knowledge as they did. But still, you were far from like them. Unlike them, you were chasing knowledge in order to get the desired profession in the future. You were interested in everything that could somehow attract you. You tried to help everyone, no matter what kind of person it is. You weren't rich, but your wealth was kindness and love. You were different. And they hated you for it. People can't stand those who don't look like them. And for this they should be humiliated. That's what your classmates thought. You went to school every day, like to hard labor, knowing how your peers treat you there. But you endured it all. And saved up in your soul.

Soon your mother brought to your house a man who was her old drinking companion. He was tall, several times taller than you. His hands were like two huge logs that could crush anyone to smithereens. He was dressed very untidily. Everywhere you looked, you could see greasy stains on almost every part of his clothes. And apparently he didn't wash it, because the smell was very unpleasant, so much so that you wanted to vomit. But his face was not so good either. Your mother told you that he was thirty-six years old, but he looked like he was fifty-five. There were very noticeable wrinkles on the forehead, and there were a lot of swelling on the rest of the face. His hair was disheveled and greasy, like the homeless people you sometimes met on the streets of the city. And this man is thirty-six years old? You didn't even think that alcohol changes people so much. But that wasn't the most important thing. The most terrible thing was that your mother said that he would be your stepfather. That's when you got really angry. You already have enough of your mom's drunkenness, and then she dragged some dirty lout home?! Is this drunken pig going to be your stepfather?! Without saying a word then, you went to your room, where you took out of the closet a leather jacket that your father always wore. You immediately felt such a native smell of his favorite cologne, which was soaked in his jacket. Sitting on the bed, you put it on yourself and... cried. Tears rolled down your cheeks, falling to the floor with a characteristic quiet thud.

"Dad... Daddy, I feel so bad... I don't want this guy to be my new dad... I want you to come back, Dad... I'm lonely without you... Daddy..." You whispered, wrapping your arms around yourself and tucking your legs under you.

This jacket is the only thing you have left from your father. You always kept it in your closet and wore it in cold weather. So you felt safe, and also felt calm. Every night, instead of a blanket, you put on this leather jacket and fell asleep, imagining that it was your father hugging you. This jacket always brought you back to the days when your dad was alive and you were all happy. His image is forever imprinted in your memory. His wide smile, kind eyes and loving gaze. It's a pity that it can't be returned. And so you would like to...

After that, things got even worse. Your stepfather started beating you along with your mom for any mistake you made, even the smallest one. Every time you returned home, you were met with another slap in the face and interrogation. The man himself was even more violent and cruel than your mother. He could just come up to you and hit you with such force that the bruised place would hurt for a very long time. Several times he dragged you by the hair and beat you against the wall. It hurt like hell. You hated him more than anything in the world.

Every day has been a real torture for you. You've suffered and suffered and suffered. You wanted to disappear from this world, into which you came for no clear reason. Very often, when you saw some drunk on the street, your hands automatically clenched into fists, and one desire flared up in your soul. Torture and kill this miserable pig. But you understood that if you commit murder, you will go to jail for a very long time. And it's even worse in prison than at home and at school. Therefore, you took out all the desire to commit an inhumane act on yourself. You beat yourself, scratched your skin, sometimes you cut yourself, but not your veins. The desire to live was still there.

All that made you live was music. No, not the one that your drunk parents usually listen to, but your favorite one. For the most part, these were groups consisting of young guys. Their cheerful attitude always made you forget all the troubles and continue to live. Every time you listened to your favorite songs, a stone fell from your soul that hurt you. Music was your only salvation. It was your corner where you could calm down and find strength.

At the age of fourteen, you found a job where you were finally able to earn money, although not very big, but it's better than going hungry and in old torn clothes. You were happy with every bill you earned with your hard work, which you put aside for new clothes or a gadget. While your classmates were drinking with their parents' money, you were working to feed and clothe yourself. You've even started to forget that you have two alcoholics living at home who should raise you, but they don't do it. It would seem that what could be worse than them and their beatings? And then you experienced one of the worst humiliations in the world...

One day when you returned from work, you didn't find your mother at home. She probably went somewhere. Only your stepfather was at home. Ignoring this, you went to your room, but then you felt someone's strong hands pinning you to the wall. It was your stepfather, who looked at you with a predatory gaze. You tried to escape, but all attempts were in vain. And then something happened that finally destroyed your already damaged psyche. It was humiliating. The way his hands touched you in not the most decent places, the way he beat you and tore your clothes. The way he violated your personal space. You were screaming from the wild pain that was tearing you apart from the inside. Tears rolled down your cheeks in streams, and you didn't feel your legs and arms at all. And then you blacked out. You woke up on the hallway floor. All your clothes were torn, there were bruises and bruises on your body, and you were lying in a puddle of all this shame. Everything hurt incredibly badly, especially the lower abdomen. That day you locked yourself in a room and sobbed while your stepfather was sleeping in the hall. Fucking bastard. You hit yourself on the shoulder. You wanted to kill him. You scratched your forehead. You hated him. You hated your mother. You hated your classmates. You hated all the alcoholics in the world. Suffering. Your whole life is suffering.

Now you have entered your room and sat down at the table to do your homework, as well as prepare for exams a little. You didn't work much today because you were released early, so it was time to study. But the calm did not last long.

"Hey... bitch, where have... you... been?..." Your stepfather asked when he burst into your room.

Snorting, you slowly turned to him and stared at him with an irritated look. He was standing in the doorway, leaning against the jamb. He could barely stand on his feet. It seemed that a little more, and he would collapse on the floor and fall asleep on it. He was holding a half-empty vodka bottle in his hand. No wonder, he always drank it from the throat, without biting or drinking. His gaze was distracted, but angry. A stream of saliva ran down his chin. Ugh, it's a disgusting sight.

"Father, I just got home from work and I'm going to do my homework. Can you please leave me alone? Exams won't pass themselves."

You said, looking at him disdainfully with a contemptuous glance. Growling, the man slammed the door and went to his room. Exhaling, you turned to your desk and started studying. You had to put on headphones so as not to hear the drunken screams.

The very first thing you put on the audition is a new song by a completely new band "HEARTSTEEL." You stumbled upon them completely by accident. You were just flipping through a social media feed and at one point you came across a post that a new band would release their first song. That interested you. And then you got sucked into the whole topic. You started to constantly follow the updates and news. You found out about all the participants. And honestly, you admired them. Ezreal is a passionate lover of discovering something new, Sett is brave and courageous, ready to protect anyone, K'Sante is supportive and strong, Yone is calm and reasonable, Aphelios is quiet and very talented, and Kayn is a guy who will go against any rules in order to achieve his goal. Each of them gave you motivation to get up and go to your goal. They gave you hope that everything would be fine.

Right now, the main thing for you was to finish school, go to university and leave your parents. And it was these guys who gave you the motivation for this.

After completing your homework and exam preparation, you headed to the kitchen to cook dinner for yourself and your parents. They can't just eat alcohol. When you entered the kitchen, you again found them at the table, drinking another bottle. Rolling your eyes, you started cooking.

"Mom, Dad, will you eat?" You asked while slicing bread.

They didn't pay attention to you right away. They stared at one point with their mouths slightly open, hunched over the table. The first sign of movement was given by your mother. She slowly turned her head towards you and looked at you with her misty gaze. After which she muttered softly.

"Yes-s-s..."

Shrugging your shoulders, you continued cooking. While you were cutting up the groceries, it seemed strange to you that your mom and stepfather were sitting almost motionless and silent, staring at nothing. In this state, you almost never saw them, because they usually sat at the table and sang songs, drinking alcohol along the way. You were standing and looking at them, and something alarm suddenly appeared in you. It seemed to you that something bad would happen in a few moments, and that you urgently needed to get up. And they sat and hardly moved. It's like time has stopped, by God. But after inhaling and exhaling, you continued cooking, no longer paying attention to them. But the silence was still interrupted by your mother.

"Y-Y/N, my d-daughter... Dad and... I want t-to... talk to... you..." She barely stammered with her slurred tongue.

When you heard the word "Dad", you slightly squeezed the edge of the countertop with your hands. The muscles tensed at the same moment.

«He's not my father and he never will be...»

It was this thought that first visited your head for a short period of time. You still couldn't get it into your head that this drunk was playing the role of your father. And he does it the wrong way, from the word at all. From these thoughts, you involuntarily had a small shiver down your back, which made you wince. But with grief in half, you slowly turned to your parents and, with a convulsive sigh, folded your arms on your chest. Looking away, you answered.

"I'm listening to you..."

Your mother continued.

"Daught-ter, you are... already an a-adult... and... you understand... e-everythin-ng." She babbled, pouring vodka into a glass, and then drinking it in one gulp.

"Don't delay, I need to eat and go to bed. I have to go to work tomorrow." You snorted, already knowing that it would take a long time.

The woman continued.

"We've been... thin-nking a-and dec-cided... that... we want to h-have... a... s-second ch-child. You know, to... hav-ve a brother or sist-ter, ri-ight?" She said all this while looking at you with her glass eyes.

From what you heard, your eyes involuntarily widened and your eyebrows rose. It seemed to you that you were listening to the nonsense of some mentally ill person who did not understand what situation they was in. In principle, it was, but your mother was not a crazy psycho, but dependent on alcohol. And it still didn't bring you a sense of relief. It was much worse. If she carries a child, she will simply kill them at the stage of their development, given how much alcohol is contained in her body. This thought made the blood in your veins boil with increasing rage and indignation. Didn't she realize that she was a threat to the child? Apparently not.

Straightening up and staring straight at your mother, you blurted out with all your might, putting in all your anger.

"Mom, are you crazy at all?! What child?! You drink for days on end, and your blood is completely soaked with alcohol! Don't you understand that this will simply KILL the child?! It seems to me that you are no longer friends with brains at all!"

Your stepfather intervened in the conversation.

"What did you just say, you little thing?! Did you call her a stupid psycho?! Come here, you bastard!"

You already realized what he was going to do to you, and at the same moment you took off in order to get to your room as soon as possible and lock yourself in it, but you didn't have time. His strong hand grabbed your wrist and pulled you sharply towards him, causing severe pain, from which you screamed loudly. You had the feeling that he wanted to tear it off.

"You little shite, who are you to open your fucking mouth?! Now I'll teach you when to speak!!!"

"No, ple- Aaaahhh!!!"

The first blow landed right in your face, causing you to stagger and fall to the floor. From the collision with the floor, you groaned through your teeth. But they didn't even let you catch your breath, as you were kicked in the stomach, which caused you to fall to the floor again. The next blow you received in the side, then in the lower back. The pain was unbearable. You screamed and asked to stop all this, but your stepfather didn't care. Your torment brought him wild pleasure and satisfaction. You wriggled in every way and tried to avoid blows, but everything was useless. The man was too strong. Before that, his blows were strong, but not so much as to cause you such terrible torment. This time he was truly furious and beat you with all his might, trying not to leave a living place on you. You thought a couple more punches and he'd kill you. Each blow pulled out of you a loud cry filled with pain and anguish. Burning and salty rivulets were already flowing down your face. And the worst was yet to come.

"Dad, please... Ahh!!!"

"Shut up, bitch! You have no right to open your fucking mouth without my permission! You're nobody! You are a pitiful creature with no right to life! You shouldn't have been in this world at all!"

And your mother was still sitting at the table and watching everything that was happening. There was zero emotion on her face. Absolute indifference. She didn't care that her own child was being beaten like never before. She didn't care that her daughter was suffering at the hands of that bastard. She didn't care that she was screaming in pain and suffering. And you looked at her with tear-stained eyes and begged her with a look that she would at least do something, but she was relentless. She sat and watched it with a stony face, as if she was watching some movie, and there was a scene of violence in it, which was your beating now. Did she really want you to suffer like this? What have you done to her? After all, everything you said is true. They don't take offense at the truth, do they? Isn't that right?!

Meanwhile, your stepfather grabbed your hair and started pulling hard on it, making you scream even louder. Clutching your head, you tried to somehow drown out the pain and escape, but to no avail. The man's grip was just dead. It was as if his hands had turned to stone, attached to your strands. Pain shot through your entire head, reaching all the way to your neck. It seemed to you that a little more and he would pull out your hair along with the skin and meat.

Then he also pulled you to your feet by the hair, and then threw you into the wall with all his strength. So you hit your head hard, but you didn't pass out. And only then, when the man hit your head against that damn wall a few more times, you felt warm liquid trickling down your face. Running your fingertips over your temple and looking at them, you saw blood.

Distracted from the blood and turning to your stepfather, you saw him raise his fist over his head. And then it hit you like an electric shock. You took off like a bullet and rushed to your room. You heard menacing and heavy footsteps behind you, along with a voice shouting death threats at you. That brief moment of running seemed like an eternity to you. Finally, when you reached the cherished door, you grabbed the handle and turned it. A click, then a creak. You're already inside. At the last moment, you locked the door so that this asshole wouldn't get in. And he tried. He was banging on your door, screaming and puffing. And you, huddled in the corner of the room, did not take your eyes off the door, breathing heavily, chained by the chains of fear and horror of the experience. No, you couldn't do that anymore. You need to get out of here. Anywhere, as long as it's away from them!

To the sound of banging on the door, you grabbed your backpack and started packing quickly. Clothes, pen, sheets of paper, money, headphones, phone - all this turned out to be in your backpack. And then you quickly dressed in jeans and a hoodie, because it was November outside. You should have dressed warmer. And only then did you pull out your father's leather jacket from the closet, which you put on over a hoodie. As soon as you put it on, you instantly felt calm and determined. Putting a backpack on your back, you went to the window. The first floor is too low, you can't break.

You were pulled out of your thoughts by an incredibly loud bang on the door of your room. You saw that the wooden door had already given a small crack. Time is short, you need to jump out of the window and run. Standing on the windowsill and fully opening the window, you sighed and pulled yourself together and jumped out into the street. You landed on the asphalt safely, without breaking anything when landing. Without looking back at the window of your room, you got to your feet and ran wherever your eyes looked.

You ran without taking apart the road. Silhouettes of people and buildings flashed rapidly before your eyes. Andrenaline was raging in your body, which made you rush like lightning. You didn't feel your legs that were carrying you to some unknown place. All you were thinking about right now was WHERE to run to. You didn't have any friends or relatives. You had no one to go to. You knew there was no one to help you. You are completely alone in this world. You are a lone wolf that roams the world, surviving in it and relying only on yourself. All the moments of your life flashed before your eyes. You remembered all your torments and sufferings. All the pain that has been inflicted on you endlessly. From this, the hole in your soul became bigger and bigger, devouring all the beautiful particles, like a hungry pack of yard dogs. Tears rolled down your face in an instant. Your whole life is a continuous torment. The whole world hated you. No one wanted to help you, much less comfort and support you. Nobody cared. Your dad died a long time ago, and your kind and loving mom also left you, leaving behind only her vile and nasty shadow. And since everyone didn't care about you, why are you here? Why do you have to suffer and shed endless tears? Is it really impossible to disappear from this world? Who cares about you? That's right, no one. And probably the best option would be to disappear. No one will notice anything. Although not. No. Some should notice. They should know.

Running into the first park you came across, you sat down on a bench and, unbuttoning your backpack, took out a piece of paper and a pen, after which you began to write convulsively.

"Hi. If you found my body, you probably found this note. I'm tired of living in this rotten world and suffering every day. I was constantly experiencing fear and pain that gradually enveloped my body, mind and soul. But now I'm free. And now the only thing that can bring me peace forever is that those who hurt me will see my body. Police, search party, rescuers, or whatever they call you, please fulfill my posthumous request. Show my body to my classmates, teachers, and especially parents. Let them see what their actions have led to. I want to see the reaction and, hopefully, horror and regret for what I did. Let these creatures see the suffering frozen on my face, see the dead eyes soaked with tears. Then, perhaps, I will find peace, knowing that they have seen the fruits of their filthy labors. Goodbye and please don't hurt others."

Exhaling, you folded the sheet and put it in your backpack along with the pen. And it was at this moment that a heavy downpour poured down, as if the heavens themselves were mourning your imminent departure from this cursed world that people had spoiled, but you didn't care about it. You just kept sitting on the bench and getting wet, remembering your whole short life. A life that was filled only with torments and torments. But soon it will all be over, and you will find such a long-awaited freedom from cold shackles. Today you needed to rest, and tomorrow you will do what you were already ready and eager for.

Your meeting with the members.

Aphelios.

The next morning you headed out of city. To a place where no one lived. You spent the whole night in the park, lying on a bench. You have never rejected the idea of your own demise. You were already fully attuned to this. Therefore, it's time to put your plan into action.

All the way you were accompanied by a light cold breeze that played with your hair. Dry leaves of orange and yellow hues crunched underfoot. You passed by people who were going about their business and thinking about their own, not even suspecting that the girl who passed by them would soon leave this world forever.

And finally, the city was left behind. You were greeted by large and thin, bare trees. They towered over you, and the wind stirred from the branch, and it seemed as if they were inviting you to enter their abode. Without any emotion on your face, you entered this gloomy and cold forest. The atmosphere was suitable. Tension, melancholy and apathy. As if everyone had already found out what was going to happen soon. And you moved on. It was as if you were drawn somewhere. And that something brought you to the place that was perfect for your plan.

It was a large and abandoned concrete building. It was so cold and damp. Emptiness. Yes, the perfect place. With these thoughts, you went to it, looking at its empty windows. A gray and dreary building, in which there was not a soul. Already entering inside, this darkness caught your eye. Any normal person would immediately leave this place out of harm's way, but not you. The first step has already decided everything. And then the second, third, fourth and fifth. The darkness of this building gradually sucked you in, and soon you completely disappeared into it.

Aphelios wandered among the thin and bare trees, and the fallen leaves crunched under his feet. He admired all this beauty of autumn and was glad that he was finally able to get out of this city bustle. There's no traffic noise, no chatter. Silence, calmness, and the whisper of the wind that jumped on thin branches. Breathing in the cool air, the guy with ruby-red eyes was filled with inspiration to write a new composition. And it's good that he was in such a wilderness. Here he will not be annoyed by the eternal grumbling of Kayn, nor by the comic showdowns of Sett and K'Sante. And besides, his sister advised him to take a break from this routine fuss and get out of town somewhere. Alune will not advise anything bad. Aphelios has already been convinced of this many times.

After a long but not tedious walk, Aphelios finally came across a large and gray abandoned building. Chuckling, the guy already understood where he should write a composition. But he has to be careful. You never know what kind of psycho is hiding there. Fortunately, he took a stun gun with him. Aphelios read a lot of stories about abandonments and therefore he prepared for this campaign.

Determined, he moved forward, deciding to walk around the building. He also wanted to take some photos for the cover of the song. Passing near the building, Aphelios examined each brick. With his fingertips, he touched the rough surface of the walls, passing over them in order to absorb as much of this energy and atmosphere as possible. Silence. A blissful silence that nothing and no one can break. And then a distant shuffling and someone's whispering.

The red-eyed man stopped immediately. What, he's not alone here? No, no, he just imagined it. Trying not to move, he listened. At first there was nothing, but then there was shuffling again. This was followed by footsteps and... sobs. Didn't he hear it? Was someone really crying there? He listened again. No, well, in nature, someone was crying. After listening closely, Aphelios realized that this cry was made by a girl. He wonder what she was doing here at all? Out of curiosity, the guy went to this sound. As a result, he stopped at the turn to the other side of the building. But this time there was no crying. What? How? He just heard it. Nothing is clear. But then shuffling. Sticking his head around the corner, the red-eyed man was horrified. On the fifth floor of the building there was a teenager - a girl of about sixteen. She was standing right at the very edge, her fists clenched. Tears were streaming down her reddened face. She was looking ahead and shaking all over. Aphelios was seriously scared. Is she going to jump? He quickly started darting his eyes from the girl, then to the ground and back again. The fifth floor, and the ground is solid below. She's going to crash! But before he could return his gaze to the ground again, the girl had already gone out the window and flew down. Damn it! He had to catch her! Taking off and quickly covering the distance to the place of the fall, Aphelios stood up and put his hands forward, preparing to catch the suicide.

It seemed like an eternity had passed. You were flying down, closing your eyes, already resigned to the fact that now your head will turn into a bloody mess. But it wasn't meant to happen, because you felt like someone's hands caught you. And then you fell on a carpet of leaves with this someone. You understood absolutely nothing. Who wanted to save you from the fate you wanted? Who decided to leave you in a world full of torment? You turned your head and saw a guy with turquoise hair and blood-red eyes. He was sitting on the ground, holding you to him with one hand. You recognized him. It was Aphelios from the band HEARTSTEEL. What the fuck was he doing in the middle of nowhere? Wasn't he supposed to be with the other guys in the band right now? Your train of thought was interrupted by a whisper.

"Why?"

"I... I... I have the same question... Why did you do that? I wanted to die, and you... you!"

Tears involuntarily flowed from your eyes. Anger, despair, pain and resentment splashed out in the form of salty streams. This sight made Aphelios unbearable to watch the poor girl crying. Is it how bad everything is for you that you decided to do this? He didn't know that. He could only sigh and hug you to him.

"H-Huh?..."

You were in the deepest shock. It was the first time you've been hugged in such a long time. You... You felt this warmth again, which you haven't received for so long, and which you craved so much. The last time your late dad hugged you like that, and that's what made you burst into tears even more and cling to Aphelios' jacket with your hands.

"It's all good... Don't be afraid of me... I won't hurt you..."

His whispering had a sedative effect on you. You stopped shaking like a leaf in the wind and relaxed. Gradually, your loud crying subsided, taking with it all your negative feelings, leaving only emptiness.

Wrapping one arm around your shoulders, Aphelios whispered.

"Let's go. It's going to be dark soon."

Without answering in any way, you went together to the exit of this forest. When you finally reached the city, it was already evening, but the lights of the city illuminated the way. You stopped at a small cafe to catch your breath. And besides, the guy wanted you to warm up more or less, because when he walked with his arm around your shoulders, he felt that your clothes were wet. And last night there was a heavy downpour, so he guessed that you got under it. He ordered you a hot drink. All this time you've been sitting and staring at nothing. There was a void in your soul and head that you didn't know how to fill.

Meanwhile, Aphelios corresponded with his sister.

«Hello, Alune. Did I disturb you by any chance?»

«No, Phel. What happened? Are you going back already?»

«Yes, I'm on my way back. But I have some problem.»

«What happened? What's the problem???»

«I'll explain now. When I was walking through the woods, where you advised me to go, I came across a five-story abandoned building. I thought there was no one there, so I went there. Well, to record a composition there. When I got closer, I heard extraneous sounds. At first I thought I was imagining it, but it turned out that I wasn't. First there was shuffling, then footsteps, and then crying.»

«Crying???! 😨😨 And who cried?»

«It was a girl, as I realized then. Then out of curiosity I decided to take a look. And when I looked around the corner, I just fucked up. In general, there was a girl of about sixteen standing on the fifth floor. She cried and looked into the distance. Her hands and lips were shaking as if she had been launched naked into Antarctica. Do you know what the worst thing is?»

«What???😨»

«She was fucking standing on the edge, you know? ON THE VERY FUCKING EDGE!!!»

«Seriously??!! Did she really want to...???»

«Yes! It's a blessing that I managed to catch her before she crashed to her death...»

«What a horror... It's good that you were there in time. If it wasn't for you, then... Ehh, okay... Where is she now?»

«We're sitting in a cafe right now. We decided to take a break. Besides, she needs to be warmed up. She's all wet. She probably hasn't been home since last night.»

«What is she doing?»

«She just sits there and doesn't move much. Staring at nothing.»

«She's probably in a state of shock.»

«Alune, she's unlikely to tell me anything in the near future. I don't even know her name. Do you think it would be better if I brought her with me? And by the way, are the guys sleeping?»

«Yes, everyone is asleep, but Kayn has gone somewhere. He's probably being aired. And yes, you're right, bring her to us. She'll take a shower and sleep. Tomorrow we'll get together and find out everything.»

«Good. She will sleep in my room. See you later, sis.»

Putting the phone in his jacket pocket, Aphelios turned his attention back to you. Your posture and look haven't changed. Already when a hot drink was brought to you, you reluctantly took the mug in your hands and began to drink slowly. The musician immediately noticed that your hands were shaking a little. Alune was right, you're in shock.

After a while, when you finished your drink, you and the guy went out.

On the way, Aphelios thought about how everything would go tomorrow. He had a good day after all. He came to the forest to write a song, and he returns with a teenager who almost committed suicide. But he was still glad that he had saved a poor and so young soul from death. Nothing, tomorrow they will figure out what to do with you next.

Ezreal.

Sitting on a bench in the park, you looked up at the sky, from where heavy and cold raindrops fell that hit your skin on your face. The cold tried to get under your clothes, but you wrapped yourself even more in your father's leather jacket. Plan by plan, but you didn't want to freeze. You were thinking about where it would be best to spend the night, but you had no options. You had nowhere to go, and it was dangerous to go home, because you didn't know if your crazy stepfather had calmed down. Memories of the experience earlier made themselves felt. The temple began to throb painfully.

Wincing, you ran your finger over the place where a small river of red liquid had flowed out before. No, there was nothing. Thanks to the cap, the bleeding was stopped, but the pain did not go away. Reaching into your backpack again, you took out a pack of painkillers and a bottle of water. Fortunately, you always carried them with you just in case. Taking one tablet, throwing it into your mouth and drinking water, you exhaled, leaned back against the back of the bench, throwing your head back.

You thought about going to some small shop and asking the owner to warm up, but you realized that if you were accepted, then questions would begin. And then you will be invited to their home at all so that you can warm up and sleep. Okay, you'll sleep and rest, but in the morning you'll have to go to an empty and deserted place and execute your plan. And there may also be a chance that the owner of the shop may be a very kind person who wanted to help you, and you can get attached to them. It will be cruel to them if you leave without saying anything, and after a while they finds out that you committed suicide altogether. After all, they gave you warmth, comfort and care, and in this way you repaid them. No, no, you're not going anywhere. You can't get attached to people right now, you'll just be an extra burden on their shoulders. Who needs a pathetic and traumatized teenager?

Exhaling convulsively, you put your backpack on the edge of the bench, and then completely lay down on it, as on a bed, propping your knees to your chest. Your backpack has replaced your pillow, and your father's jacket is a blanket, as always. The rare people who passed by paid absolutely no attention to you. Of course, some tramp decided to rest. Let her lie and get wet, and this is no longer their concern, they have more important things to do. Soulless scums...

Gradually, your eyes began to slowly close. You didn't care about the rain that was inexorably pouring down on your exhausted body. Now you just wanted to fall into oblivion. You didn't even want to dream. Only a pitch-black void. And after a few moments, you fell where you wanted to.

Ezreal breathed in the morning and cool air that was soaked with moisture left over from last night's downpour. In his hand, hidden by a glove, he held a glass of coffee, which he periodically drank in order to protect himself from the cold of autumn. The morning was earlier, and there were almost no people on the street. And it was only to our early bird's advantage. He just wanted to be alone and enjoy the morning tranquility. And a cup of coffee only gave this atmosphere coziness and even some aesthetics.

And just by the way, the entrance to the park came into his field of vision. Great, he can sit on a bench there and fully immerse himself in this atmosphere. What can stop him?

Entering the park, Ezreal began to look around. There were trees everywhere, with leaves of all kinds of fiery shades falling from them every now and then. From bright yellow to burgundy, like royal velvet. The ground was littered with these very leaves, thereby decorating it. A kind of natural carpet on which anyone would want to lie down to feel part of all this beauty. The guy felt like he was in a fairy tale.

But then his gaze fell on one of the benches that stood in the park. He looked closer and saw that a person was lying on it. From afar, it was unclear to him who was lying there. At first he thought it was a homeless person or some kind of alcoholic. But as soon as he got a few steps closer, his guesses were instantly refuted. A sad sight opened before his eyes. On the bench, curled up like a little kitten, lay a sixteen-year-old girl, all soaked through. Her face was pale as a toadstool, her lips were blue from the cold. And the tips of her fingers were trembling slightly. Had she been lying here all night and getting wet in the rain? And no one bothered to help her? Ezreal stood and looked at her, thinking how selfish it would take to pass by a freezing and lonely girl. He also wondered why she was here all alone. Had she run away from home? No, it won't work that way. She needs help.

Approaching the bench, the guy put his hand on her shoulder and began to gently push her to wake her up.

"Hey, beauty, wake up. What are you doing here alone?"

You were brought out of the dream by someone's hand gently pushing you, as well as someone's voice.

"Mmh?..."

Somehow opening your eyes that were stuck together, you looked at the person who came up to you. At first everything was blurry, but the first thing that caught your eye was the hair the color of spring grass. Then everything became more or less clear, and soon you could see the owner of these very hair and voice. What was your surprise when you saw in front of you not some ordinary guy, but Ezreal himself - the vocalist of the band HEARTSTEEL.

"Hi. Oh my God, you're all wet! Have you been here all night?!"

And you were still lying on the bench and staring at him in a stupor. In his eyes, you saw the concern that was also imbued with his voice. Was he worried about you? No... No, no, no, not now. You can't betray your feelings, you can't cry, you can't cry...

"Hey, hey, why are you crying? Did I do something wrong?"

"N... n... N-No..."

Sitting next to you, he wrapped one arm around you, thereby forcing you to take a sitting position. You covered your face with your hands and still continued to shed tears, leaning forward. The green-haired guy just shook his head, and then, putting his hand on your back, began stroking, trying to comfort you. It was the first time anyone had been worried about you in such a long time. Many would have simply rejected it, believing that it was a trifle, but for you it was comparable to a real treasure. The most real and expensive.

But after a while you calmed down.

"Everything okay? Are you feeling better?"

You just nodded at that. Sighing, Ezreal got up from the bench, and then stretched out his hand to help you get up. Without forgetting your backpack, you went together to the exit of the park. You were silent for several minutes, but Ezreal decided to break this silence.

"So tell me, what were you doing here all night, huh?"

"... I was sleeping."

"Logically. But still... why? What were you doing here all alone, and even at night?"

"I don't know..."

"Friend, there's a reason for everything. I can see that you've been preparing for this."

The guy said, pointing to your backpack. Damn, what were you supposed to say now?

"Did you run away from home?"

"What?! No, no, I am... actually... yes..."

"Hmmm..."

Ezreal stopped and looked away, putting his hand on his chin, rubbing it with his thumb and forefinger. You were standing next to him and looked at him with an emotionless look. You didn't really care what he decided. If only not...

"Good. I'll take you back to your house. Your parents are probably worried about you..."

Parents... That word made your pupils narrow and your eyes widen to the size of saucers. A shiver ran through your whole body, causing a herd of goosebumps. Your arms and legs began to shake involuntarily, your palms clung to the straps of the backpack like a lifeline. Your heart was pounding like crazy, as if it wanted to break out like a bird in a cage.

"No... No... No... Don't..."

"Hey, friend, what's wrong with you? You're kind of pale and... Oh, my God..."

The impact on the ground echoed in his ears. He watched you sitting on the ground, clutching your head and repeating the same words.

"No... No... Don't want... Don't want... I'm not coming back... Hate... Hate..."

"This is bad... I have to do something..."

Picking up the phone, Ezreal instantly logged into Discord and started a group call. He didn't have to wait long.

"Ez?"

"Hi guys. Am I distracting you?"

"No, not really. What happened? You're in some kind of mess, aren't you?"

"I guess he's calling us again about some bullshit."

"Guys, don't interrupt me! Let me speak!"

"Pfft, go ahead..."

"Guys, we have an emergency. Emergency of universal scale."

"What is it this time?"

"And you listen to it yourself."

After falling silent, he came up to you a little so that the other members of the group could hear you. After a few seconds, walking back, Ezreal said.

"Well, have you heard, hm?"

"Are you serious right now?"

"Come on. Surely he decided to prank us, haha!"

"Joking is in the spirit of Aphelios, Kayn!"

"In general, guys, I found a teenage girl in the park. She was sleeping on a bench, and it looks like she spent the whole night there because she was wet. And I also found out that she ran away from home. And why, she doesn't say, and now I'm unlikely to be able to find out anything, because she's hysterical. You're already hearing it now."

"And who of us didn't run away from home as a child? Nothing, she'll get sick, calm down, and then take her home."

"I told her about it, but it all led to panic. It looks like everything is bad at home, since she reacted like that. Therefore, K'Sante, come. I'll send you the coordinates. Because I do not know how to calm her down in such a situation."

"All right, Ez. I'm getting ready."

"Yone, you cook something for now, because she's pale as a toadstool, and she probably hasn't eaten since yesterday."

"Don't worry, it will be done."

"Thank you. See you later!"

After completing the call, the guy turned to you. You were still hunched over on the ground, holding your head and muttering to yourself. A nightmarish and heartbreaking sight. It was unbearable for Ez to watch a very young and not yet strong soul suffer and suffer. A small, weak, defenseless, but beautiful girl completely alone in this cruel world that was ready to tear her to pieces. Someone had to protect her. Who will do it, if not him?

He squatted down next to you again and, wrapping his arms around you, pressed you to him, stroking your hair. It remains only to wait for K'Sante, but he will not move a millimeter before his arrival. You needed protection and warmth.

Kayn.

The downpour gradually began to stop, but soon completely subsided, leaving behind only huge puddles of moist coolness. By the time the downpour ended, the sky had turned dark blue, almost black. There was no moon in the sky, not even a star. One black canvas.

Just like the stars in the sky, there were almost no people on the streets. The power in this area has passed into the hands of silence, which has already sat down in its place and began to observe everything that is happening.

A mischievous and cool autumn breeze was still running through the streets. Like a child who was interested in everything, it touched every object that came in its way and whistled softly, as if giggling. It jumped on the branches of trees, like a fluffy red squirrel, stirring those few leaves that still somehow held on to the thin and crooked limbs of their carriers.

Jumping down from one of the fallen asleep trees, it flew up to the girl sitting on the bench and touched her, making her shiver from its cold and invisible body.

Wrapping yourself even more tightly in your father's leather jacket, you gasped, shaking like a little girl who was afraid of an imaginary monster under her bed. Your clothes were soaked through with rainwater, which was even worse. It stuck unpleasantly to your skin like a leech, and it made you look like a doormat. Take and squeeze out, a whole bucket of water will be poured. Although in your case, not only water, but also blood.

All this time you've been sitting on this bench and never got up from your seat. You sat and did not move, like a statue, and stared at one point, immersed in your thoughts. Thoughts that all this would end as soon as possible, and you would fully feel the embrace of that peace that you craved like water. The temple still hurt, but not much. The painkillers that you drank were slowly working. But it didn't help to get rid of the memories of the horror that happened at your house a few hours ago. Just the thought of a drunken mother and a cruel stepfather made a whole herd of goosebumps run through your skin, accompanied by shivering, but not from the cold, but from wild fear.

You didn't know what was going on at your house right now, but you didn't even want to know, because you guessed. Surely they were still sitting at the kitchen table, which was covered with a tablecloth stained with alcohol, vomit and tobacco ash, and continued to drink alcohol and sing songs from thirty or even forty years ago, not even noticing that their "beloved" daughter had long escaped from this pigsty. And, most likely, during this period of time they never bothered to check on you. This thought made you sick, disgusting and very insulting. It looks like they really had a bottle of alcohol more expensive than you, and they didn't need you. However, you realized this a long time ago.

"Heh... Still, I should disappear... Nobody needs me here..."

Mechanically, you raised your head to the night sky and looked at it as if you saw someone close and dear there.

"But you need me, don't you, Dad? Isn't that right? I want to go to heaven with you so much... Don't worry, we'll be together soon. It won't be long now..."

A slight smile appeared on your blue lips only for a moment.

As a result, you sat on this bench for an hour. Then you took your phone out of your backpack and looked at the time. It's already midnight.

"It's time..." You whispered, getting up from the bench.

The stiff joints immediately made themselves felt. After warming up a little, you went to the exit of the empty park, holding the straps of your backpack.

There was not a soul in the streets. The dark night has taken over everything, which will be the last for you today. You were scared. You were afraid of the unknown. Who knows what's there after death? Maybe there really is something there, or maybe there's nothing there at all? Just solid darkness. And it was the second option that scared you the most. You didn't want to be in the void, like a file deleted from the system. All resolve immediately came to naught.

"Maybe I should go home?..."

Why? You know what will happen if you come back. Everything will go in a circle again. Beatings, screams, scandals, eternal drunken parents, sleepless nights, bullying at school and tears pouring from your eyes. Why do you need all this? Is it not enough for you that you suffer day after day? Wouldn't it be easier to send it all to hell and finally get out of this fucking world? Since you conceived this idea, then you have to make it a reality. So what's the matter? Fear? Yes, everyone is afraid of the unknown, but at least then you won't suffer like a bird in a tight and small cage.

Clenching your hands into fists to such an extent that your knuckles turned white, you squeezed your eyes shut and bit your lower lip. There was a struggle going on in you. One side was crowding out the other. At first, the fight was on an equal footing, but then the dark side began to gain the upper hand. The bright side was weakening with each blow. The first blow, the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth and... Knockout.

Opening your eyes abruptly, you took off and ran with the speed of a bullet along the avenue illuminated by street lamps. The sound of your shoes on the asphalt echoed down the avenue. You ran without knowing exactly where you were going. It was as if your feet themselves were leading you to the place of realization of your terrible plan. Because of the adrenaline that was raging in you, you did not feel tired and pain in your legs at all. Now you could be compared to a champion in athletics, you were also rushing through the streets at high speed.

You accelerated only when you ran past the building of your school. The moment you ran past it, everything slowed down for a brief moment. A flash followed by memories of what happens to you there when you get there. Giggles, finger pointing, taunts and beatings in the toilet. Your dark side was whispering to you to run again.

You didn't know how long you were running like that, but you stopped only when you reached the embankment. Just as empty and lit by lanterns. Sitting on a nearby bench, you took a deep breath. It was like running a marathon.

Walking with your eyes along the entire embankment, you noticed the bridge. A very long and large bridge. And again, your feet seemed to lead you there by themselves.

Once there, you looked into the distance. The river that flowed calmly and slowly made you fall into some kind of trance state. It drew you, called you to it, and you obeyed this quiet call. Resting against the railings of the bridge, you looked down. The height was huge, and the water was definitely cold. If you jump off, then due to a collision with the surface of the water, you can break all the bones. But it's going to be fast, isn't it? You won't even feel it.

You've already started climbing over the railings, still looking at the river. Already being completely on the opposite side, you, holding hands and feet for the metal and cold fence, sighed. That's all. Your torment is over.

The quiet atmosphere of the embankment made Kayn calm down and think that no one could stop him now. A difficult day affected his emotional state. Before that, he was irritated and hot-tempered as never before, which almost led to a major quarrel between his colleagues. But fortunately he managed to go out tonight and clear his head so that tomorrow he could work with a fresh head.

At some point, his gaze caught someone climbing over the railings of a stone, but a huge bridge.

"What the fuck? What did they forget there?..."

Coming closer, he squinted and began to observe what was happening. Although it was impossible to really see who it was from this distance, something told Kayn that it was a teenager - a girl of sixteen. She had already completely climbed over the railings and, holding on to it, was looking down. Kayn also looked at the water. Then back. Then back to the water, and so in a circle several times. And then it hit him like an electric shock.

"Is she going to jump?! Holy shit, not that."

Taking off, the guy rushed to the bridge. He had catastrophically little time, and every second was important. Kayn has already guessed what is about to happen, but no, he must not allow it.

Breath. Exhale. Turning your gaze to the moon, you whispered softly, and a single tear ran down your cheek.

"Dad, I'm coming to you..."

You let go of the railings and...

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!"

The feeling of being grabbed by the collar and pulled on yourself finally brought you out of the trance. Someone's hands pulled you out of the clutches of death, bringing you back to the asphalt. You stood motionless, eyes wide open and looking at nothing. You didn't understand what was going on. And only then did those same hands clench tightly on your shoulders and start shaking you, and someone you knew looked right into your eyes. Kayn from HEARTSTEEL.

"What the fuck were you thinking?! Are you tired of living?!"

"... Yes."

A short, but clear and understandable answer.

"Is it how bad everything is for you that you decided to commit suicide?!"

Silence. Sighing, Kayn put his hand on his face and shook his head. He felt some kind of relief that you were alive and not in the arms of icy water right now.

"Where is your home?"

"NO! I'M NOT GOING BACK THERE!"

From your sharp and loud voice, the guy already shuddered. He immediately drew attention to your shaking body and eyes that were panicking from side to side. Panic. He knew it right away.

"Hey, calm down!"

Again you felt yourself being shaken by the shoulders. You've come to your senses.

"Damn, you're all wet. You were walking in the rain, right?"

"..."

"Okay, let's go. God forbid you get sick."

"Just please don't bring me home..."

"Pfft, I can already guess the reason for your decision. Don't worry, kiddo, you'll spend the night with the guys, and tomorrow you'll tell us what's going on at your home. Believe me, when I was your age, I also ran away from home."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. Only then I was stupid. I wanted to show that I am an adult. But I see that your case is special."

His presence had a calming effect on you. You have already stopped shaking, and the feeling of anxiety has left you.

"Come on, suicidal girl." Grinning, he muttered.

Putting his arm around your shoulders, Kayn pulled you a little closer to him. You felt a kind of brotherly aura emanating from him. You felt safe with him. Now you no longer felt useless to anyone, otherwise he would have passed by and would not have tried to help you. Not everything is lost, right?

K'Sante.

The night has already fully taken possession of this city. The black sky covered everything around like a huge blanket. But it did not retain heat. Quite the opposite. It was very cold.

You were still sitting on a bench with your knees pressed to your chest and shaking. The cold bit you relentlessly in all the places available to it, especially where your clothes were soaked with rainwater. From this, the feeling of despair and loneliness only intensified. You wanted someone, at least someone, to hug you and warm you up. You wanted to feel the affection and warmth that you haven't received for so long. But there was no one. You're all alone. No friends, no relatives... You didn't count on your mother and stepfather. They didn't give a shit about you. They're not your support.

Deciding not to sit in one place, you got up and walked away from this quiet place.

There was almost no one on the street, but still rarely anyone passed. No one even thought about why a teenager walks all alone at this time of day. You saw only complete indifference in their faces. Well, that's for the best...

Approaching a long pedestrian crossing, you looked around. There was no one and nothing. No people, no cars. Only buildings and street lamps, the golden and warm light of which dispersed the night darkness. You stopped, then looked at the zebra. Smooth white stripes led to the other side, which was pretty far away.

"I wish the car would drive by now..." You whispered.

But the sound of music and the high beam of headlights caught your attention. But still wishes come true...

K'Sante drove along a completely empty road and shook his head to the beat of the music that was playing at full volume in the car. It's true that a night trip by car around the city helps to relax very well and get all the bad things out of your head. That's exactly what K'Sante was doing now - rushing along an empty road and not thinking about anything, only the music guided him.

With every turn, he recalled how, as a teenager, he once stole someone's cheap car with his old classmates in order to just have fun at the most beautiful time of the day - at night. He recalled how the police caught them, after all, and they went to the police station. And he remembered how he got a lot from his parents. Then he was too young and stupid to realize his mistake, but now he remembered it all with a laugh.

"God, how stupid I was then."

Turning the next corner, the vocalist drove out onto a long and wide road. It was empty here, too. Without slowing down, K'Sante continued, like a racer, to rush along the track. It's so good when there are no cars and people. Complete freedom. And there is no chance that someone will cross the road. After all, everyone has been asleep for a long time. What could possibly go wrong?

And then, abruptly and unexpectedly, like a wild forest animal, a person jumped out onto the roadway. The headlights illuminated their figure, but because of such a surprise, K'Sante could not figure out who it was. Shouting out in fright, the guy abruptly pressed the brakes in order to slow down and stop, but it was too late. Although the speed was reduced, but the collision could not be avoided. The person hit their head on the hood of the car and fell to the ground.

"No, not that!"

Opening the door and exiting the car, K'Sante ran up to the fallen person and squatted down in front of them. It was a teenage girl of sixteen. She was lying on the ground completely motionless, which made the guy panic. He began to frantically feel the fragile body in search of injuries. He didn't find any blood or anything else. He put his fingers to her neck and checked her pulse and breathing. Everything is fine. Panic instantly receded.

"Oh, my God... What are you doing here, little one, all alone and without parents?"

Asked K'Sante, but she didn't answer him because she was still unconscious.

The guy was confused. He didn't know what to do. Should he call an ambulance? So no, he didn't find any injuries, and her breathing was normal. Should he call the police? No, he'd be in trouble if they saw that he was the one who hit her. But that wasn't what was bothering him right now. He wondered what she was doing here at all. It's almost half past midnight, and she's walking the streets when everyone has been lying in their beds for a long time and dreaming the seventh dream. This is strange. Very, very strange...

Shaking his head, K'Sante gently picked up the girl in his arms and carried her to the car. Opening the back door, he put the poor girl on the seat, then went back to the driver's seat, not forgetting to close the door. Starting the engine, he drove off and drove back to the shared temporary apartment.

Throughout the journey, he periodically looked in the mirror to make sure that you didn't wake up. There were a lot of questions, but no answers. But nevertheless, he had to help you. And plus, when he examined you, he noticed that you were soaked from head to toe.

Arriving at the building, K'Sante parked and, getting out of the car and taking you out, went inside with you in his arms.

He opened the apartment door with some difficulty, because his hands were busy with you, but he succeeded. Without taking off his shoes, the guy immediately took you to his room, where he laid you on a warm bed. After taking off your jacket, hat and shoes, the vocalist found dried blood on your temple, which scared him seriously. Where did you get such a wound? He had even more questions. After covering you with a blanket, K'Sante looked at you with pity.

"Poor girl... Did you really run away from home? Okay, go to sleep. We'll find out tomorrow..."

After taking one last look at you, the man slowly left the room, leaving you alone. Tomorrow, he and the other guys, along with Alune, should find out what happened to you and how you ended up on the street.

Sett.

The next morning you woke up with aching pain in your back and joints. Sleeping on a bench all night was not a good idea, but how else? You had nowhere to go, it was very dangerous to be at home, so you had no options except to spend the night outside in the cold and alone. With grief in half, you barely got up from the wooden surface and began to stretch your cramped muscles. The crunching of joints seemed to be heard all over the neighborhood. Squinting your eyes and making soft groans, you continued to stretch your limbs. A sense of relief has finally come to you.

After blinking your eyes several times and shaking your head, you headed away from the park. It was early in the morning, but nevertheless, there were people on the street who were going to work or study. But you went neither there nor there. Your goal was completely different.

The morning cold, which now filled the whole air, continued to torment you nonstop. Its prehensile claws ran over your skin through your clothes, making you shiver. Clenching your teeth, you wrapped yourself even more tightly in your father's leather jacket in order to somehow avoid these touches. To some extent it helped, but not very much. In addition to this, people were talking everywhere, which annoyed you a little. You didn't want to be seen like this, much less approached and helped. No, you know what's best for you, and no one will be able to offer you a helping hand. You're on your own.

Deciding to hide from this noise, you headed to the nearest corner, where you could rest and reflect a little. Soon your ears were visited by silence. Exhaling, you leaned back against the wall, looking at the gray sky towering over the houses. That's what you wanted right now. To be completely alone in silence. Last night you couldn't get enough of it to the full, and now such an opportunity has turned up. Loneliness, silence, tranquility. That's what you've wanted for so long.

"Oh, look who we have here!"

That voice... Damn, not that. You knew it too well. Turning your head sharply in the direction of the source of this voice, you mentally groaned. Not those damn bastards. There was a girl standing a few meters away from you, along with several other people. Oh, you'll recognize them anywhere. Your damn classmates.

"Yes, this is our Y/N!" One of the guys who was standing next to your classmate, holding a cigarette between his teeth, said with an insidious grin.

They began to approach you slowly.

"What, you're a bum now, aren't you?"

You ignored them, averting your gaze from their filthy muzzles, which you wanted to turn into a bloody mess. And they continued to be sarcastic.

"Aren't you going to say hello to your friends, Y/N? How rude of you. And in general, what else can you expect from the daughter of drunks?"

And then followed their loud and mocking laughter. It, like worms, penetrated into your ears, causing your whole interior to boil and heat up, like metal that was processed in factories. You wanted to restrain yourself, take control of your words, but your body just wouldn't listen to you. It's as if some force has taken possession of you, forcing you to obey it.

Clenching your teeth and letting out a guttural low growl, you strained.

"Shut up..."

They were taken aback by this. Their eyes widened with incredible shock. It's the first time in a long time that you've responded to their taunts.

"What did you say there?! Say it again!"

"Do you have a hearing problem or did I not make myself clear? I said fuck off, you pathetic bitch..."

"You scum! Guys, teach her a lesson!"

One of them grabbed you by the neck and banged your head against the wall. You cried out loudly in pain. But then you were hit in the side, then in the stomach, where you have bruises from last night. The bruises that hadn't healed still hurt, which made the situation even worse, because it made the pain even more hellish. Another guy grabbed your leg and pulled you towards him, thereby knocking you to the asphalt. A sharp pain in the back of the head immediately made itself felt. Another scream escaped from your throat. Tears were already flowing down your cold skin, mixing with the dirt. They didn't stop beating you up. Each blow tore screams of pain and fear from your lungs that echoed in this place.

"Please don't- AAAAAAH!!!" You desperately begged them, trying to somehow avoid new blows, but they surrounded you, giving no way to retreat.

You screamed, called for help, but no one came. No, that's not how you wanted to end your life, you had other plans!

"Hey, let's have some real fun?"

"Wh... What...?"

One of them leaned towards you, looking straight into your eyes with his crazy gaze. There was a manic smile on his lips that indicated nothing good. The fear turned into a real panic, from which your whole weak body began to shake.

"Don't worry, baby, you'll love it!"

But before you could assimilate his words, you felt him begin to take off your jeans. And only now did you realize what he was going to do to you. You wanted to push him away from you, but two other guys held you by the legs, and two more by the hands, not letting you escape. No, no, you didn't want to experience it for yourself a second time. You've had enough of what happened back at your house, but it was even worse here. There was a whole fucking group of them! You tried to somehow escape, but what could you, a weak girl, do against four guys clearly superior to you in strength? Right, nothing...

"Come on, boys, fuck her properly." Said your classmate, who was standing next to you and smoking a cigarette, sadistically looking down at you. It was as if she was getting wild pleasure from the sight in front of her. However, it was.

Your gaze went back to the guy in front of you. Your jeans have been removed to the level of your ankles, and the fabric of your underwear has been pushed aside, revealing a view of your most intimate place. The guy himself had already pulled down his pants, and when he was ready to torture you in a new way, something happened. Like a bolt from the blue, a familiar voice rang out to you, which attracted the attention of the whole group, including your classmate.

"Hey, punks, come on, quickly leave her alone, otherwise I'll have to teach you a lesson in good manners."

There was a distinct note of menace in the voice. At that moment, all your tormentors took off and, like dogs, scurried away. You were left lying on the asphalt covered in mud. You quickly pulled your jeans back on, ignoring the pain in your hands. Only after that, none other than Sett - rapper of the band HEARTSTEEL ran up to you. He squatted down next to you, looking at you with a worried look.

"Hey, kid, how are you? Didn't they have time to... ehh... touch you?"

"No... But they beat me very badly..." You answered in a hoarse voice, holding your side, where you were hit the hardest.

"What scum they are... Okay, get up."

Getting to his feet, the guy held out his hand to you, and you took it. After that, he helped you up. The pain in your legs made you stagger a little, but fortunately you didn't fall.

"Do you need to call an ambulance?" Sett asked, still looking at you with concern dancing in his eyes.

"No... Not worth it... It's all good..."

"Definitely not worth it?"

You shook your head negatively, putting your hand on the strap of your backpack.

"Why don't I walk you home? It's not safe for you to go alone after that."

"H-Home?... No, I don't want to go back there..."

"Is something wrong? You look worried. No... you... Are you scared?"

Yes, the fear was on your face, and Sett saw it. Something clicked in his head. It looks like things were bad for you at home, since you didn't want to come back.

Sighing and shaking his head, Sett put his arm around your shoulders and led you away from this cursed alley.

"Don't worry, kid, I won't hurt you. Now you're going to go with me to the guys, and then tell me what's going on at your house. We won't hurt you, honestly."

He smiled broadly, then patted you on the head, making you let out a laugh. It was the first time you've laughed in such a long time.

Yone.

A whole hour has passed since the downpour began, and it did not even think to stop. It was getting stronger and stronger by the second, forming huge puddles on the ground. But this did not prevent Yone from enjoying this atmosphere. He walked through the park with an umbrella in his hand and inhaled fresh and moist, cool air into his lungs. Because of his work, he could hardly go out for a walk, and now he had such an opportunity, which he immediately took advantage of. He's wanted this for so long. Take a walk somewhere completely alone and take a break from all this routine fuss. Right now he was doing it. He let his ears take a break from electronic music and immerse themselves in the soothing sound of rain and rustling leaves.

And then something came into his field of vision. More precisely, not something, but someone. In the distance he saw a bench that was different from the others in that it was not empty. Someone was sitting there. It's strange, it's raining very hard outside, and in the park someone is sitting on a bench completely without an umbrella. He decided to take a closer look. After taking a few steps, he stopped. And after that, he was a little stunned.

A young girl of about sixteen was sitting on a wet bench, pressing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She laid her head on them. She wasn't dressed for the weather at all. He kept seeing her shaking all over. There was a backpack next to her. Anyone in Yone's place would have just walked past this poor girl, but he wasn't like that. He couldn't watch this girl getting wet and freezing. He wanted to help her.

He sauntered over to this bench and stood next to the girl.

"It's not good to sit here and get wet. So you can catch a cold."

He said in a calm tone, looking at her. She didn't react in any way, still hiding her face in her knees. This made the producer even more worried.

"You don't have to be afraid of me. I just want to help you."

And only after these words, the teenager raised her head. The condition of her face just horrified the man. It was tired, her lips were shaking, and there were dark circles under her eyes. There was pain, despair, hopelessness, helplessness in her eyes... unwillingness to live. It seemed that he saw before him not a young girl, but a martyr who had gone through hell.

"What's wrong with your face?"

You didn't answer.

After examining you again, Yone noticed a small red spot on your temple. Bad thoughts slowly began to creep into his head. Where did you get the dried blood on your temple? Then he looked at the backpack. Okay, it's not funny anymore. The situation is serious. Yone has already begun to guess how you got here. Backpack, your condition, dried blood on your temple and... bruises on your wrists? Yes, he noticed that too.

"Look, I don't know what happened to you or how you got here, but I really want to help you. I can see how bad you feel. Let's do this. You're coming with me. When we get there, you'll wash up, change your clothes, and I'll feed you. Then you will go to bed, and tomorrow you will tell everything that happened to you. Really, I don't want to hurt you. You're young, and you don't have to suffer."

He tried to persuade you several times, and in the end you trusted him. Getting up from the bench and taking the backpack, you went to him. He covered you both with an umbrella and, putting his hand on your shoulder, walked with you to the exit of the park.

"It's all right, child, you can trust me. I won't hurt you."

Continued in the next part...

A/N: I finished it! Thank you for reading it. I really tried...