Chapter 4

"Hey!" Ciroz heard a familiar voice called. 

He turned around in an instant and found himself faced with the sight of Milla. She was holding her bag close to herself as she took big steps through the rubble and towards him. Her white blouse was covered in dirt and grime and the black leggings she was wearing were ripped and ripped again.

She had changed so little during the past year; she was still the same person who had always supported him and cared about his wellbeing, despite his lack of control. Even if he sometimes acted like a stubborn idiot (which wasn't surprising) she never treated him differently. 

As Ciroz watched her approach, his heart clenched. He was happy to see that she was alright, but he also wished that the girl had stayed back at the castle with the children. If there were more people left, then maybe Ciroz would've been able to hide better and escape before those creatures arrived. But of course, the kingdom had fallen, so no one else would have been willing to go back to the place that ruined their lives, so Ciroz was trapped in this stupid town, hiding in a corner of the ruins. Maybe he would have been able to fight off the other skeletons if he was strong enough, but he was only weak. So, it was all over now. And so was he, unless...

Ciroz's eyes widened and he stared intently at Milla, hoping against hope that she might have managed to bring him some kind of help before they were attacked again. She had to have survived. He had seen the other skeletons chasing after the others and had even been able to get away from them, so she had to have. Right?

Milla reached him and stopped a few paces away, looking uncertainly at Ciroz. She seemed slightly nervous and Ciroz knew that he would have been scared too if he had found himself in her position. She bit her lip and shook her head.

"There is no one else here," she said softly. "You're the only one."

The crow on Ciroz's shoulder nodded.

"But there has to be…" Ciroz protested.

Milla shrugged.

"Sorry," she answered gently. "There isn't."

After letting out a frustrated groan, Ciroz ran a hand over his head and lowered his gaze to the street. He should have known. There was no reason for her to tell him otherwise. He had made a mess of things and now they were stuck here until their turn came again and they were able to change back into humans.

"Well..." Ciroz started. "...what now?"

The answer came immediately.

"Come with us."

Hearing her speak, Ciroz's head shot up, surprised by the sudden decision.

"Us?" he echoed. "Why us?"

Milla smiled softly and her eyes twinkled brightly. The crow on Ciroz's shoulder cawed lightly and he realised that the bird agreed.

"You saved our brothers, we don't forget that," Milla said softly. "Besides, it would be nice to meet someone from the outside world after all these years."

Ciroz blinked several times, trying to understand the meaning behind her words.

'Wait, wait, wait,' he thought and tried to keep up with what Milla was saying. 'They rescued our brothers?'

"We want to protect the children of this world. They deserve that." She gave him a warm smile.

Ciroz stared at Milla for a moment. Was she serious? Could it really be possible? Could it really be that simple? Did she actually mean what she said? Was she telling the truth? He felt like he needed some sort of proof to make it real, but he knew that she was not lying, she had to be.

Suddenly, a loud crash made both of the siblings flinch