He raised his angry look, as a a line of warm red liquid stained his neck and hand.

Damn, I got hit in my bad side.

His eyes where tightened, balancing between clear vision and blurs as they tried to locate the figure that was moving at the room.

"W-Who are you?" Katsuo mumbled.

On the other side of the room, a girly hand took a match from a small paper box and lit it. She slowly approached the flame to a large thin candle, that stood up with the help of a simple dusty metallic base. The girl, had her back turned to Katsuo as she took the candlestick from the table and came towards Katsuo. The smooth shadows that danced around, gave the room a suffocating tone. When she was close enough, she let the candle down and looked at him.

Her green eyes observed his fallen body and his hands, holding his side, in a futile attempt to ease the pain.

She was about 16 years old, probably older than Katsuo, with a beautiful face. Someone could notice few freckles on it, at the spots that weren't hidden by her long orange hair. She was wearing a white lacy blouse and a matching skirt. Her top allowed her belly button to appear. She was slightly smiling, even though she seemed to be on alert.

"You won't be able to stand up for a while, that's for sure..." she said with her cute voice. "Why are you here?"

"Ι asked you something first." Katsuo replied as he tried to regain control of his aching body. Even though he was hit only once, it was enough to tear his wound open and overwhelm his with pain.

The girl got serious. Without saying a word she walked to the back of the room and returned having an old knife on her hand. Her eyes, that were hidden behind the candle's shadows, until then, emitted an unusual certainty.

"I think you realize, that in your condition you can't put up much of a fight. It'll be one blow and then it's over. So, I ask again: Why are you here?"

Katsuo understood his situation. The beautiful face in front of him, seemed completely ready to fulfill what she said just before. The young man looked frowned at the girl:

"I'm here to meet someone."

The eyes of the girl twitched lightly, making it obvious she was surprised.

"Who is that someone?"

Katsuo grabbed on the wall behind him and smiled with a playful expression.

"Like I would tell you. For all I know, you 've already killed him."

The girl neared him, more serious than ever, with threatening shadows below her eyes.

"What's his name?" she asked again, with the glowing knife on her hand, a few inches above her chin. Katsuo gulped and took a grim expression. She advanced one more step.

Shit.

The young man charged at her, with the course of his tightened fist ending at the girls face. She stood still for a few moments and then, at a speed much greater than Katsuo's, she slapped him in the face. He fell down and due to the impact, the amulet appeared from its hiding spot, behind Katsuo's scarf.

The girl was standing with her mouth slightly open.

"Shit... I ain't gonna tell you, so you can just kill me." he said as he exhaled forcefully from the pain on his side.

She didn't reply, just looked on the young man, motionless. Her eyes seemed to fill with small tears.

"Eugene-san..." she muttered. The white scarf was lying down, wrinkled up. "Unbelievable...Is that amulet yours?"

"It was given to me." Katsuo responded slowly. She stayed watching him, letting the knife fall from her hand. Then she fell on Katsuo and hugged him. Katsuo for a moment thought he saw a tear leaving her eyes and sparkling at the candle's light, as it traveled to the floor.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." she said silently.

Katsuo goggled his eyes from the surprise, as the girl put her hand around his shoulders, to help him get up. Then, she led him to a side of the thin wall, which she grabbed with her other hand, opening the sliding door and revealing a sunny opening. As soon as Katsuo's eyes got used to the bright light, a small gorgeous spread around him, a complete contrast with house's interior.

"So are we like friends now?" the young baffled man asked.