꧁꧂

I scream and giggle as I run through each room with papa hot on my tail. I continue to speed in and out of rooms and turning sharp corners. I jump down the spiral staircase only to crash into someone's leg.

"Ouchie!" I whine as I rub my forehead and pout.

"This is why you don't run around so fast baby." Mama crouches down and scoops me up with one arm while balancing me on her hip.

"Sorry mama." I say sheepishly as I kiss her cheek.

"Sorry mama." Papa repeats after me as he too gives her a cheek kiss.

Mama lets out a laugh before walking with me to the kitchen.

"What are we making?" I ask as she places me on the counter.

"Cha siu bao," Mama replies as she places the perfectly made buns into the steamer.

I squeal in excitement at the thought of eating a mouthful of these buns.

Papa gives me a cheek kiss before wrapping his arms around both Mama and I.

"My two baobeis." Papa says with admiration as he gives mama an eskimo kiss.

I let out a giggle as I continue to admire them. Mama smacks the back of papa's neck but he only throws his head back and laughs before kissing her neck. Mama smiles brightly at him even though she tries to suppress it.

I hope I find love like theirs.

Suddenly the doorbell rings breaking our little bubble. Papa tenses before telling us to stay here while he goes check.

Mama gives papa a worrying look before cleaning off her flour covered hands and picking me back up. We go to the back of the house towards one of the guest rooms.

"Mama, what's wrong?" I whisper anxiously as I stare up at the crease that was forming on her forehead.

She gives me a soft kiss on my forehead.

Before she can respond, a loud bang comes from the front of the house.

I let out a muffled scream before squeezing mama.

"Lila, I need you to do mama a favor okay?"

I nod while trying to keep my tears at bay.

"Run out the back door. Keep running. Don't ever look back. Run, okay?" She wipes away my streaming tears.

I hesitantly nod.

"Mama and Papa loves you so much. You will do great things. I'm so sorry baby." She whispers brokenly as she lays her forehead against mine.

She kisses me one last time before running towards the front and pushing me out the back door.

Another bang runs through the house and as I look through the glass door I see mama's body fall limp onto the floor. Blood seeps out of her as a bullet hole is located dead center of her chest.

A few more shots ring out as more bullets fly into Mama's body.

I scream.

My knees buckle out and I collapse onto the floor as I watch mama look back at me with one last pleading look before her eyelids fall close.

A man comes into view with guns by his waist. Three more other men come into view.

Run Lila. Run.

So I pick myself up and run.

'You have to keep running baby.'

Mama's voice keeps echoing through the walls of my head.

'You two are my baobeis.'

Papa's voice echos.

I keep running. The wind slaps me in the face as I try to breathe more and more air in. The streets were dimly lit by occasional street lamps. The dark sky seem to be wrapping me up.

I keep running as fast as my feet can take me.

"MAMA," I scream out, "PAPA!"

A sob breaks through my body.

It's all your fault Lila. You should've brought Mama along. You should've told papa to not open the door.

Papa and Mama's face start to form in the black sky. Their smiles morph downward as their eyes harden with anger...hatred.

"It's all your fault." They chant.

"It's all your fault."

"You killed us."

I scream out as I bolt out of bed. I jump to my feet as I claw at my neck trying to suck in as much air as possible. My chest aches intensely as if someone were clawing at my lungs.

Hot tears stream down my cheeks as I continue to let our screams.

A sheering bright light blurs my vision as I collapse onto my knees and curl into fetal position.

All your fault lila.

"LILA!"

My head snaps up to be met with Enzo's piercing gray eyes.

"Hey, hey." He breathes out as he cups my face.

"You're okay. You're okay." He whispers as he wipes away my tears.

"Mama, papa..." My voice cracks as I hold onto his shoulders.

He looks at me with worry etched onto every part of his face.

"Sweetheart..." His voice trails off as he pushes the few strands of hair that was sticking to my forehead.

"They killed them...no..no..I-I killed t-them Enzo. I-I'm a m-murderer." I stutter out.

"Hey, breathe with me. Focus on me. Breathe with me." He instructs me as he breathes in and out with me.

"There we go. That's it." He assures, "I'm right here. I won't go until you're ready."

I continue to catch my breath as Enzo and I breathe in and out together at the same pace. My muscles loosen and the tears stop streaming.

It was only then that I noticed everyone standing behind Enzo in the room. They all looked worried and unsure of what to do.

Enzo then picks me up and settles me into his lap on the bed.

"It was just a nightmare." Enzo says as he combs through my hair with his fingers.

I reach out with shaky hands towards the glass of water Zion had brought me.

I bring it to my lips as I gulp down the entire cup. The coolness of the water soothes my dry throat and relieves some of the chapness of my lips.

"W-what happened?" I croak out.

"You've been asleep for five days Lils" Damon says softly.

My eyes widen.

"W-what?" I splutter out.

"After Jaxon threw that impact on your head, your body completely knocked out for five days. It was worrying. We thought something major happened." Nathalia explains.

"Oh." I respond as I ponder over it.

"Could you tell us about your nightmare amore?" Enzo speaks as he hugs me tightly.

I tell them all about the nightmare with my parents. I watch as all their faces morph into different expressions at once.

Sadness, Empathy, Guilt, and Anger.

"And then I woke up." I finish as I play with the multiple rings on Enzo's fingers.

There was a moment of silence before Lance breaks it, "I don't mean to bring up unnecessary hope Lillies."

I look up at him to signal him to continue.

"Had you seen your dad get killed?" He asks hesitantly.

"No, I just heard a gunshot." I answer.

Enzo tightens his grip on my hips.

"I don't know but I think maybe there's a chance your dad might still be alive." Lance says.

I feel goosebumps spread throughout my entire body as I register this.

Could he be alive still?

"Do you remember your parents names?" Zion asks.

"Genji Yang was my mother and Zhi Xingyun was my father." I answer.

Upon hearing my fathers name everyone tenses.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow. Everyone out." Enzo states firmly.

Everyone gives me one last wave and walk out of the room.

I turn to face Enzo properly this time to see his scheming face. His lips were pressed into a thin line as he had a glare.

"Enzo." I whisper softly as I cup a side of his face.

He looks at me then and examines me. His head is tilted slightly to the side, eyes soft, his gray orbs were shining so brightly as the light from the night sky fell onto his perfectly sculpted face.

He's so pretty.

"Do you think my dad could be out there?" I trail my finger from his cheek to the base of his jaw then trace it along his sharp jawline.

"It's possible amore. I'll do everything I can to see if I can find him." He pauses then. "And I'll find whoever killed your mother. But I want you to do something for me."

I snap my eyes from his jaw to his eyes.

"It's not your fault. That night, everything that happened, is not on you. Do not carry this burden of fault on your shoulders. You can grieve amore but please," He grabs ahold of my hands and plaves two kisses on both.

""

I feel my eyes sting slightly at his words.

Don't you cry Lila.

"Okay." His shoulders immediately loosen and his once tense composure is slightly soften.

"Let's go to bed." He says as he tucks me beside him.

He wraps the blankets around me like a burrito.

"If you do find them," I whisper into the darkness, "The people who killed my parents."

"I want to be there."

꧁꧂