Solflare: The Painter's Secret

Yellow leaves danced through the wailing wind. They landed softly on the asphalt roads like souls that had found their warmth.

Sharp tire rumbles erupted. Countless vehicles drove past the front of the Bastion hospital. They left behind dark prints on the road.

Laughter rose from the pedestrian path opposite the hospital. Two ladies in green outfits veered toward each other.

Palms smacked together. They collided their hands and jumped with joy. Cloth and leather billowed loudly. Their boots resonated back on the brick-paved walkway.

"Did you see the news?" The lady with the big eyes and huge hips tapped on the skinny one's shoulder.

The warmth in the skinny lady's face faltered. She veered her gaze to her sister and saw her holding her phone up. "The Qing?"

Strands of her white hair sliced through the air. She hissed and snapped her head slightly to the left. "I don't know, but…"

Her chest heaved. She glared at the hospital's entrance and saw Zoe Qing entering. "…I think they deserved what happened to them."

A grim grin tore across her face for a second. She redirected her gaze back to her sister.

"Why would you say that, Eve?" The lady with the elevated hips' face saddened. "This is not you."

She doubled her steps and began shaking her head. Eve stood there for a minute. She glanced back at the hospital entrance before veering her gaze back to her fleeing sister. "Has Ella forgotten what that family did to our grandpa?"

Her shoulders heightened. She stamped the heels of her boots on the ground and pursued after her older sister. "Wait for me, Ella."

The scent of cold copper coins and rotten iron surged into Eve's lungs. She strode past a pale guy with jet-black hair wearing a golden war suit.

'What is that?' Her eyebrows furrowed. She turned with the mind of questioning the guy. The moment her eyes locked with the black cloth flapping around the guy's neck, she gulped and froze.

Chills ran down her spine. Memories of the Destroyer's black cloth she saw years back flickered behind her eyes.

She stumbled two steps back and gulped. Leon leveled a slight, silent look to her, then blinked.

A haze of green, fallen leaves billowed upward. It drifted between Leon and the green-clothed lady. He inhaled once.

A black glow seeped out of his dull brown eyes. He leveled eyes with the lady. He shook his head and clutched his eyes hard shut.

'No, not her!' He slapped his scalp twice, then turned his full attention toward the busy road. Pain rattled through his head. He felt the black glow's heat intensifying in his eyes.

Inside Leon's head, roaring sounds resonated. The black-robed version of himself screamed, "She is mocking you in her head!"

Chains rattled. The Destroyer version of Leon, the black-robed one, hauled his hand back. He shattered the bones and liberated himself for a second.

Spiderwebs of cracks tore through the pillars keeping him hostage. He slammed his fists against them.

Black glows seeped out of his eyes and body. He leaped upward and aimed to occupy Leon's body.

The moment it reeled past the Creator version, the white-robed one who was hovering in the air in a lotus posture, another set of chains snagged him.

Dust spiraled around the Destroyer. It billowed the white strands of the Creator's hair upward when the dust drifted toward his direction.

The shattered pillars all rose back. The Creator leveled his gaze toward them and smiled. "You should know when to take charge and when to allow him to decide."

Sharp air gushed out of the nose and mouth of the black-robed one. He veered his gaze toward the hovering white-robed one and hissed, "He's weak!"

"That's what you think." A faint smile tore across the white-robed one's lips. He cracked his eyes open and saw the black-robed one sitting on the floor with a frown.

…

Chills ran down Leon's spine. The black glows, together with the sudden head pain, dissipated.

He took a deep breath, then blinked at the moving vehicles before crossing the road. The moment he stopped at the front of the hospital's entrance, countless nurses walking toward the iron gates pivoted their course.

Bones crackled loudly. They gripped their hands and marched toward the parking lot instead.

Sparkling rays tore out from the Hi-no-Kami's blade. Leon strode to the center of the hospital's courtyard, where the rays of the mid-afternoon's sun shone heavily.

His chest heaved. He inhaled the sweet floral scent drifting through the hospital's courtyard before moving toward the main entrance of the hospital building.

Children standing by the walkway stepped aside. They saw Leon Storm swing the door open and enter.

Air filled with antiseptic billowed through the VIP hallway. Leon climbed the stairs and stopped at the front of Room 514.

He placed his palms on the glass sill and sighed heavily. The door groaned on its hinges. Leon gripped the handle and pushed it open.

A wave of distilled air flashed on his face. It billowed the strands of his jet-black hair to flap against his forehead when he moved a step forward.

Soft, rhythmic beeps of the heart monitor seeped into his ears. He closed in toward the bed and crouched down toward it.

Chilled air bit into him. The curtains covering the windows frayed upward.

The metal frame rattled. Leon removed the Hi-no-Kami and the war disc from his back and placed them at the side of the bed.

He yawned heavily and relaxed his shoulders with a wide smile on his face. "Hey, Little Athena."

He tapped on the pale Lily's wrist and smiled. "Why are you sleeping while I'm standing?"

He sat at the side of the bed and placed Lily's palm on his chest. "I'm here now…"

Two warm trails of liquid tracked down his eyes as he brushed Lily's palm against his cheeks, while keeping his gaze locked on the ceiling. 'When will you wake up, Lily?'

He gulped and glanced at her pale face, then inhaled deeply.