Chapter 39 - Pinky Promise

Ayami told Yanna to explain everything without missing a single detail. Yanna did what she was told to do.

Apparently, a secret organization suddenly emerged out of nowhere. They still don't know what the name of the organization was but they have something in common and that is, they all have a tattoo. The tattoo had a design of a big red star with a circle surrounding the star, and outside the circle was five stars surrounding it with a silver line connecting each other. 

But when it comes to the executives of the organization, their tattoos were different. It was a big skull with rose and thorny vines surrounding it.

Their target was supposedly Cole Filburn, but seeing that he was tightly guarded, they decided to target Yanna, who was not yet under protection.

But soon after, Yanna was also tightly guarded so they decided to 'help' the former fiance, which was Ayami. She was the only one able to damage Cole, although it wasn't that lethal.

So, while they were distracted by dealing with Ayami, they proceeded with their plans slowly. When their guards were down, that was the moment they struck.

They only knew when they were at death's door. The enemy was stupid enough to tell their whole plan.

Ayami calmly listened to her, taking the information dump in and analyzing it. 

That secret organization, good job! Ayami merrily thought to herself. Even though she was not happy with her being used, Ayami still wanted to applaud them for being able to destroy Yanna and Cole.

Putting that aside, there was one thing she wanted to know.

"Why do you even need my help? Couldn't you just ask 'him' for help?"

"I don't think he would believe me right now." Ayami snorted at her response. She responded to the naive fool in annoyance. "Oh please, he'll believe you even if you lie."

"So, will you help me?" Yanna waited for her response.

"You never told me what you need help with." Even though she said that, Ayami knew what Yanna was going to ask her for help. It's probably something like helping destroy that organization.

"Help me destroy the organization." And her guess was right.

"I'll think about it." After their conversation, Yanna took her leave while Ayami stayed in the garden.

Ayami sneered at the leaving back of the sly fox. 

Yanna didn't answer why she needed my help. There must be something she was hiding. Ayami thought, watching the koi fishes. When Yanna grew up and matured, of course that naivety of hers disappeared. She became more smart and sly.

Now that Ayami knew that Yanna also knew the future, she had to be more careful. There was an unspoken agreement between them as they conversed with each other. They were on a temporary truce.

There's a high chance that she's using me to destroy that obstacle-like organization and discard me later on.

Ayami knew of her true nature. As Yanna grew, Ayami witnessed the growth of the fox, becoming more sly. Although innocent at first, Yanna grew corrupted, hiding under an innocent mask. They were the same and Ayami hated that.

Ayami looked up. Her vision was filled with green leaves of the tree and the sun shining faintly above.

It was high noon. The sun was high up in the sky, thankfully, there were trees that hid her from the blazing heat of the sun. It was cool under the shade of the tree, making her feel sleepy and relaxed.

The sound of the warm breeze felt like a lullaby.

Unknowingly, she relaxed and slowly closed her heavy eyes. 

***

"Hm~ Hm~ Hm~"

A woman's soft humming resounded throughout the room, while gently tapping the child beside her on the bed.

"Go to sleep, my child~" The woman continued to hum, but the child was still wide awake with its big round eyes staring at the woman.

"But I don't want to, mommy." The child spoke in a high pitched voice, and raised her arms like she still had more energy.

"Hm… Why doesn't my baby want to sleep?" The woman asked her child softly with a warm smile on her face, but she didn't stop patting the child.

"Because… because, if I close my eyes then mommy will disappear." The child innocently blinked her eyes, while speaking in a cute voice.

The woman chuckled, but the words the child said made her heart warm. "Don't worry, my baby I won't disappear."

"Liar, you already disappeared once." The child grumbled but her eyes contained sadness and grief, unfit for a child her age. The woman didn't understand what her child's words meant.

"Mommy is not lying. Look, I'll tell you a secret. Mommy is a leader of a big organization. Hehe, so if mommy disappears, then that organization will help my baby find mommy. It's name is 'Rose Garden'. If you need help, then you just have to show the necklace I gave you. But you have to keep shush about this. You cannot tell anyone, not even daddy or else they would eat you up. Rawr!" The woman acted like a wolf gobbling down its food, while the child giggled. They played around on the bed until they both got exhausted.

They soon settled down. The child, tired from playing with her mother, was laying on the bed with droopy eyes.

"Sleepy?" The child shook her head. The woman patted her child in a constant manner. She even sang a lullaby, but the child was stubborn. Even though she was sleepy, she was still fighting her drowsiness.

"I won't sleep!"

"You have to sleep, my baby or else you won't grow up."

"But, but, if I sleep, you'll disappear." The child was still stubborn even though the woman tried various things to coax her to sleep.

"How about a pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise?"

"Yes, pinky promise. If one of us broke their promise then they would swallow a thousand needles, do you want that?" The child shook her head rapidly.

"Then let's do a pinky promise." The woman intertwined her pinky finger to the child's pinky finger. "Mommy promises that she won't disappear and will be there once my baby wakes up. My baby must also promise that she won't tell about 'Rose Garden' to anyone."

"I promise!" The child excitedly spoke. After doing a pinky promise, the child tiredly lay down on the bed. 

There was no need for the woman to do anything to coax the child to sleep, as the child slowly closed her droopy eyes.

The woman smiled at her child, who was sleeping soundly. She quietly tucked her child and kissed her on the forehead. The woman softly whispered to her child.

"Sweet dreams, Ayami."