iNsAnItY

ＣＨＡＰＴＥＲ ＮＩＮＥ

Silence. Darkness.

Where was he?

A laugh.

Who was that?

"Come and play...~"

But he didn't want to. He was enjoying the weightless sensation he was experiencing.

"Don't be like that!"

He wasn't sorry. Something about the voice felt...wrong. Were they to be trusted?

"I'm not making a request, here!"

This voice wasn't Neah's... Too harsh; demanding. It wasn't gentle and encouraging as his uncle's.

"Allen..."

The voice took on a warning tone but said boy couldn't find the energy to care. He was too relaxed to do so.

But that suddenly changed. Intense pain erupted throughout his entire body; its focus points where Innocence was heavily influenced. A scream ripped from his throat-he couldn't stop it.

"I warned you...~"

Where was that warning?! Did he miss it?

Another laugh.

After what seemed like forever, the pain resided as did his thought awareness.

Someone else came out to play.

--x--

Laughter bubbled out of the youth as he sat on his bed, his own blood in his hands. He had coughed it up once he woke up. The dream he had was odd; though much of it wasn't remembered. His vision was a bit fuzzy, but he didn't mind.

The need to 'play' was practically consuming him as the albino got out of bed and stumbled over to the door; the blood on his fingers dripping off in a red trail as he walked down the corridor. Any Akuma that walked by him were destroyed, yet he had no recollection of ever activating Crown Clown.

It wasn't long before a couple Noah stood in his way with worried expressions. Their mouths moved to protest something but their voices were lost to him.

Did they want to play?

".........it!"

Another fit of laughter escaped the youth.

"......of it!"

Grey hues narrowed as their owner tried to understand those voices. He never knew there were more!

"...-en!"

Were they calling a name now? Where were they all coming from? He just wanted to play!

"...-len, please!"

Hands gripped the side of his head as the boy stumbled backwards.

"Allen, snap out of it!"

Silence. Allen froze in horror as his mind went blank. His hands fell to his sides as he looked around him; seemingly lost. There was blood...

Did he...Did he hurt someone?

"No one's hurt. The blood came from you." A low voice had answered his question and his head snapped in its direction. "How are you feeling?"

"They're gone."

"Who's gone? Allen?" A softer voice asked him this time but he couldn't put faces to them.

"The voices." A look of complete and absolute relief painted his features. "They're gone!"

The former exorcist failed to hear the tiny whisper.

"...For now."