Jia saw Neko in the back of the small group of random people and ran towards him. She looked so contented. He lifted her up and performed the fast-travelling skill to get back home.

Kanae was waiting in the yard, holding a little box wrapped in paper foil. When Jia passed right next to her, she handed the box to the little girl. Jia looked a bit confused and she was still gazing at Kanae with her eyes narrowed.

“It’s an apology gift. Open it…” mumbled Kanae.

Jia hesitated. She walked inside, all the way to her room and closed the door. She just didn’t want to be in Kanae’s presence. She sat on the edge of the bed. She unwrapped the box and opened it slowly. Inside, there was a very fancy phone. Jia wanted to turn it on, but Neko walked in her room and she shuddered, almost dropping her gift. He sat on the bed next to her and pet her head.

“I asked her to be nicer to you and looks like it worked. So. How was your day at school?”

“Awesome! I awakened two powers! I have blue flames and Neon explosion! And our trainer is the best of them all! I have some troublesome classmates, but they are not disturbing me.” she responded. She then remembered about Zack and Ayato’s argument. She considered asking Neko…

She looked at him with the most innocent possible face and inhaled. “Hey, by the way. What is a pornographic book?”

Neko shuddered. He looked at her with his eyes wide opened. “A what now?! Where in the seven Heavens did you hear that?”

“My 10 years old classmate, Zack said something about it. He annoyed Ayato with the word ‘sex’…” she muttered.

Neko could not resist that face, but there was no way he would ever answer that silly question. He was absolutely shocked to hear Jia saying that and wondered why the heck she struggled to remember that. She didn’t know anything about it yet and this was absolutely NOT the time she should learn about it…

“Jia, honey, do not waste your time with this silly thing. It is not for your age. It’s adult business…” he babbled. Neko had his breath held for a few seconds, trying not to say anything he was not supposed to say. Jia was very curious though. She just didn’t know how to make him tell her.

But after all, if he would, she would get to regret that choice.

She sighed, seeing he was just not going to say anything. But suddenly, she decided to ask him something that he would certainly be able to explain to her. That thing about Neo Vantablack. It was because she wanted to figure out why would he pretend to be the old Devil Killer, what was so special. And most importantly, what was the connection between them.

“Hey… At least can you tell me why did you ask me to call you Neo instead of Neko? Who exactly is the real Neo Vantablack? What is the deal with him? And is he connected to you in any way?”

This time, Neko became serious. He knew he was able to answer this question without hiding anything from Jia. He knew the whole truth after all, there was no doubt. But it made him feel rather awful.

“Actually, Neo Vantablack was my father.” he began. He looked down, somehow feeling very uncomfortable. The whole story was darker than Jia thought. It was also very complicated. She was firstly shocked by the fact that Neko pretended to be his father. She was wondering if he did that just to inflict fear into others’ souls. After all, Kakashi said that Neo was the strongest Devil Killer, so he had to be very fearsome. And then again… If he was the son of a terrorist, wouldn’t that mean he was the same…? It rose her suspicions. Kakashi said that no one could possibly control the creature that caused the destructions, whatever it was, so there was no point for her to think that Neko had anything to do with that.

Neko looked at Jia and continued his story.

“Well… It’s a very interesting question, you know… He was a very cruel person. He treated me like I was a demon… He would attempt to kill me, torture me… He sold me to a psychopath woman so she could find a use for me… I was not even allowed to see my mother ever again… Just that one time she came by… and left without even saying goodbye… For the next time I ever saw her was after I escaped… And she was dead… lying in a pool of blood in the ruins of what I used to call home… With my little sister in her arms… I never knew I had a little sister, but…” At this point, his whole face was covered in tears and he could not say another word anymore because he was continuously sobbing. He covered his face with his palms and fell onto his knees. He yelled in despair. He didn’t feel like adding anything more… also because he didn’t want to spoil the truth… Well, about his sister, that was not when she died; he took responsibility and chose to raise her himself after moving in a different Section… What happened further… Well…

Little Jia was sad too. She was struggling not to cry. She once said she didn’t want to witness his suffering, but she felt so sorry for him after everything she heard. She hugged him tight and rubbed her face on his. Neko wrapped his arms around her and sunk his face in her soft, white hair.

Jia pet his head. “I’m so sorry…! I did say I did not want to be there when you suffer, but… I just can’t stand to see you like this…!” she whispered.

Neko was literally crying on the shoulder of seven-year-old Jia. He was so confused yet so touched by the fact that the little girl was by his side, trying to comfort him. He realized how precious she was. He found his new comfort zone: around little Jia. She was much more than he asked for. He felt so calm now, knowing he didn’t have to carry all those burdens alone anymore… She was still petting him on the back slowly. She knew how much everything hurt. All he had been through. She realized he was so hurt inside, so broken that he couldn’t bare it all on his own. She knew that all he ever needed was a shoulder to lean on; a person to be there and listen, someone he could share his pain with. Someone that wanted to bare it and help him get over it. Now, she understood the reason behind his actions. All that time they spent in Skynet was just a moment to catch his breath; an opportunity to forget the past. A way to escape that pain without sharing it with anyone. Kanae was not someone he could rely on in these situations. She was a cold-hearted, selfish woman that only cared about herself and her own satisfactions. As for Jia, she was just the right person; someone that wanted to help, that cared. Someone who was always there with a free hug.

Now, the little girl felt sorry for asking. She went from a silly and weird question to a very deep and painful one; to a long and tragic answer, a whole story about pain and misery… She felt sorry for making him feel this way. She just couldn’t think of anything that could fix that; anything that would cheer him up. She just wiped his tears with her small hands and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

“I am so sorry… I shouldn’t have asked. It hurts, I know… But I will try not to bring it up anymore…” she whispered.

Neko put a hand behind her neck and pulled her closer. She sat on his lap.

“No… I am glad I told you and… I just didn’t expect you to… respond like this… Jia, I am so grateful that you are here and I promise that I will never ever let anyone or anything hurt you! Now I can answer that question of yours. This is why I adopted you. I didn’t want you to suffer the same. I wanted you to learn to move on and… And do everything in your power to destroy the ones who ruined your life…!”

He stopped all of a sudden, unable to continue his phrase. His eyes opened wide and that bit of a smile he had on his face was replaced by a scared expression. No, pure horror… His head started to hurt.

He let go of Jia so suddenly and rushed out of her room, back to his. He locked himself there and collapsed, yelling in despair and scratching the floor…

The girl was suddenly confused by his quick change of behavior. She didn’t understand what exactly happened in his mind that made him run away like that. But that last phrase he spoke… She found it quite suspicious. She didn’t understand it clearly, but something was telling her that he referred to himself when he added that part… But why would he? she asked herself. Indeed, why would he…? She began to be suspicious of him again…

Later, when the sky darkened, Jia decided to visit Neko in his room. She sneaked all the way to the first floor and knocked on his door. He opened it slowly and little Jia walked inside. She hugged him without hesitation. He looked confused at first, but he embraced her too, sobbing a bit. He had been crying all that time and she even heard thudding and screaming...

“Are you okay, Neko?” she asked.

“Yes, I am. What are you doing here?” he replied.

Jia giggled. “I came to check on you. I knew you wouldn’t be coming to my room, so I came to yours. It’s so dark in here…”

Neko’s room was all painted in black. It only had a few neon green stripes on the walls and some colorful cushions on his bed and the green blanket. The black curtains were covering the window and the light from outside couldn’t reach in.

He lied down on his bed and Jia jumped next to him. She put her small hand on his chest and closed her eyes. It was so comfortable that she felt she would never leave. And she was softly purring like a cat too, which made her look even more adorable. She snuggled into him.

“I feel like sleeping with you tonight…” she mumbled. Neko smiled and petted her head. He gave her a forehead kiss and closed his eyes. They fell asleep together and slept very well…

The atmosphere was so calm as night cast its shadow over all the Ethereal Forest and plunged everything into a deep silence…

Well, not the dreams in Jia’s mind… Not her thoughts that were driving her crazy… She was deeply asleep, yet awake in her mind… Lucid dreaming of the same horrors… of the same things that had been tormenting her since she met Neko…