• [suze=9]It's been three years since the incident with No. 6 had last been mentioned, but it was clear that any and all survivors were still on edge and in denial about their utopia having been destroyed.

    Many blamed the west district for such catastrophe, saying that if they'd never tried to interfere that things would have continued without a problem. This mindset still keeps the two districts broken and divided despite the wall that had once existed to separate them had been destroyed years earlier. This hostile situation eventually broke apart bonds that had once been strong, bonds that had once lasted through much turmoil and catastrophe.

    "Sion?" There was a gentle tapping upon the boy's door as the sound of a woman's voice penetrated his ears. That's right, Sion returned back to No. 6 even after everything he had said and done. He pledged his loyalty to his city after-all or so it seemed.

    "Mom?" The pale skinned, white haired male gently peeled away from the book he'd been reading at his desk to open the door for his mother.

    "Have you had anything to eat today, dear?" Not a day seemed to age the woman's face or even her body, for she was still as beautiful and thin as a ballerina. Her half-lidded gaze fell to her son, her dark hues meeting with his scarlet ones as she offered him a warm and inviting smile much as any mother would.

    "No, not yet. I'm not really hungry, thanks though...I appreciate your concern." He softly wrapped his arms around her form in a light embrace before padding back to his desk, retrieving the rustic book he'd been immersed in only moments before she had interrupted.

    "Why don't you go visit him, Sion?" She began to notice that every few weeks Sion would isolate himself in his room, away from everyone so that he could read a copy of "Macbeth" that he'd been given by a former friend. He read it cover to cover without little interruptions on most days and it became obvious to those around him that he missed Nezumi, though Sion himself was still in denial about it.

    "No, it's alright. I need to stay here to help you, I know things haven't been any better even though the wall is gone now." Sion had been specifically referring to an incident that had happened only months ago when a few groups from the west district had ravaged many of the homes in No. 6 and stole belongings as well as food. The wall between the neighboring districts have been destroyed, but the lingering hatred still permeated the atmosphere.
    Ever since the incident with his home being ransacked, Sion was intent on using it as an excuse, as a scapegoat, to not return to the west district, to not face the problems he'd run from and the bonds that he'd broken.

    "Sion, honestly...You can't ignore him forever. The two of you have been through and awful lot to be giving up that friendship." The white haired boy lifted his head at the mention of friendship, he had to ponder back for a moment, not quite sure if Nezumi had ever truly addressed him as a friend.

    His mother noted the dull glow of sorrow in those scarlet hues, the ones that normally radiated with curiosity and innocence and she immediately knew that her time had been over extended. It was clear from the anguished expression in Sion's countenance that he had a fair bit of thinking to do.

    "If you decide you want something to eat, just give me a shout.." She stepped back and out of the room, gently pulling the door closed upon exiting. The dark haired woman heaved a sigh and padded downstairs into the kitchen, her gaze darting to the ground as a small rodent sat with what seemed like a miniature capsule between its paws.

    "Oh, mister rat! What a pleasant surprise." The sound of slippers slapping along the wooden floorboards was the only noise to be heard before she knelt down, gingerly plucking the capsule from the rat. The small creature began to preen its dark fur while the woman popped open the capsule to find a note written on a short, vertical piece of paper. She fumbled to unfold it, reading silently the words written upon it: "Karan, how is he? -Rat"

    The words on the paper caused Karan to digress, a soft sigh preceding her lips as she scribbled lightly onto the back of the note a reply of her own: "The same as always. -Karan" She stuffed the note into the capsule and smiled to the small rat that had final finished preening, handing the capsule to the rodent. It took the item between its teeth and scampered off to return to its owner.

    Karan still knelt upon the floor even as the rat had disappeared from sight, a hand placed over her chest as she glanced despairingly to the ground, even years later she hadn't known exactly what happened between both her son and Nezumi, but she knew their current situation needed to change. Unfortunately, change is fleeting in current situations, no matter how determined one might be change was just not yet an option...