Deception: The World is Unfair

Looking for a missing child? Come to the Autumn's Children Park!

The war had left its mark on the park—rusted swings dangled from broken chains, and the slide was more of a jagged ramp than anything fun, you could slide a slab of cheese there and have it ready for pizza. Although it is bad, the local kids and adults did their best to rebuild what they could. A makeshift seesaw made from salvaged wood creaked under the weight of two laughing children, and a tire swing hung from a tree branch, swaying gently in the crisp autumn breeze. This is the beauty of the park, it is always Autumn. After the war, the seasons shifted, well more like the entire world flipped. Until now, the seasons are separate in different lands. Imagine living in the northlands, its cold everyday for the next god knows how many years.

I couldn't help but smile, the children playing carefree can soften anyone's heart, except Hiko's.

A group of kids gathered near what used to be a sandbox, now filled with gravel and broken bricks. They were building something like a fort, or a castle. I approached them, my hands inside the gloves of my white hoodie as I ruffled up my hair a bit.

"Hey, kids," I said, crouching down to their level. "Have you seen a little girl with red hair? About this tall?" I held a hand about just above my head.

The five, or rather six kids stopped what they were doing and turned to me, their eyes narrowing. They were basic everyday clothes, but dusty and patched with different wool patches, hand-done too. One of them, a chubby boy with a makeshift crown made of twigs, stepped forward. "transgresser! You're not allowed here!" he said, pointing his index at me.

I raised an eyebrow. "transgresser? Sorry your majesty but who are you again?"

"I am the lord of the playground, Farindor!" the boy said, his tone serious. "This ismyterritory. "

Way to come up with a cool name.

"I apologize your highness," I bow before him, my arms spread as I look at the small weed coming out from the dirt ground, "You may cut my head if thy wish! But may I ask of a favour beforehand"

The kids exchanged glances, then the boy nodded. "Then you must win against me, Farindor, the great, in a duel!"Where did that great title come from.

"A duel?" I repeated, grinning. "What kind of duel?"

The boy pointed to a nearby tree, where a little human with a dumb face and glasses had been drawn in chalk. "We throw rocks at that enemy. Whoever hits it in the head the most wins."

I glanced at the drawing, then back at the kids. "A fair chance your highness. Let the best man win!"

"However!" A girl who holds a stick three times her size shouts. Her dress flowing with her long brown hair to the side by the breeze of the wind, "you must do it blindfolded."

"deal!" I said chuckling, there is no fun in doing it the regular way. "I will even do it upside down."

The kids huddled together, whispering excitedly, then nodded. "Deal!" They yelled

Farindor, the great lined up in front of the target, while I hanged myself upside-down on a rusted monkey bar blindfolded and at least four times away from the target as Farindo. Well this should be easy. The kind of training Hiko used to come up with could not compare to this. Imagine having to do thousand blindfolded pull-ups with a knife in your mouth and having to keep your senses keen because your spotter is trying to kill you any chance he can.

I heard three hits, must've been Farindor, from the sound he must've hit the bullseye twice, but the third one went off a bit lower, since the sound was lower, hence closer to the root.

I took a deep breath and focused. My first throw hit the bullseye, my second throw hit the bullseye, the third throw hit a snake in the head, causing it to fall off the tree and away from the playground. I took off my blindfold, pretending I didn't know what I just did

The kids stared at the target, then at me, then at the snake and the bird nest, then at me again, they looked like they saw a super hero. Man do I love showing off sometimes.

"A great marksman you are, what is your name?" the boy said, crossing his arms again. "You win. What do you want to know?"

"Wolf, Kan Wolf." I said, flipping off the monkey bar onto the ground with my arms spread evenly to the side.

"As Farindor, the great and wise. I allow you in my court," Thanks but where did the wise come from

"I'm looking for a little girl with red hair," I said, holding up a hand to my waist. "About this tall. Have you seen her?"

The kids exchanged glances, then shook their heads. "Nope," Farindor said. "Haven't seen anyone like before Sir Wolf"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Alright, thank you anyways, Farindor the great and wise."

"It is Farindor the great and wise and charming to you, Sir Wolf, you are welcome to our lands anytime." I swear...

The glow of the sunset was beautiful. As if the lands were telling us to not worry about the missing red head. I greeted the neighbors and their cats as I was returning back from the park. The concrete was hard on my shoes, but something in me tells me the girl was fine. Call it a hunter's instinct.

"Anything?" Hiko asked, his voice tight as he came from the opposite direction, and we stop in front of the manor.

***

I shook my head, looking at the house we've rebuilt so far. It really needed a quick lawn mow, the dead grass was lemons to the eyes. "Nothing. The kids at the park hadn't seen her. They made me play a rock-throwing game just to talk to them, though. Little rascals."

Kimrol sighed as she came from behind me. "Sounds like someone had fun."

"Oh, yeah, a blast," I said, rolling my eyes. "What about you two? Any luck?"

Hiko crossed his arms, looking down at the concrete as he tapped his boots. "I checked around the house for details but I couldn't find a thing. And I"

"And I scoured the back alleys and hidden corners," Kimrol added, her brows tilted as she looks at the door of the house. "No sign of her. It's like she vanished."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Great. So where does that leave us?"

"Stranded," Hiko said, as he began going into the house and we followed.

But just as we opened the door, we heard it—a soft, rhythmic breathing coming from the living room.

We exchanged glances, then rushed in to find Nakumi curled up on the buched up sofa, fast asleep. Her crimson hair was splayed across the cushion, some on her face, some on dangling off the sofa. Her hands were tucked under her chin while another arm was hanging for dear life. On the table in front of her was a plate of... something.

"Cookies?" I whispered, crouching down to inspect them. They were misshapen and lumpy, with a texture that looked more like concrete than food. Am surprised she was able to add chocolate chips to it, maybe glued it in.

Hiko stepped closer, his expression unreadable. "She must've gone out to buy ingredients," he muttered, his voice low.

Kimrol picked up one of the cookies and tapped it against the table. It made a solidclunk. "These could double as weapons," she said, raising an eyebrow.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, I think my teeth just chipped looking at them."

Hiko didn't say anything. Instead, he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over Nakumi, tucking it around her like a blanket. His movements were careful, almost tender, which was... weird, coming from him. In a way he was oblivious, unlike how he usually is. His eyes felt distant, as if looking at something that required his attention

I glanced at Kimrol, who was watching Hiko with a curious expression. "What's with him?" I mouthed.

She shrugged, smirking. 'Yeah maybe he is just a softie on the inside' is what we both thought.

I picked up one of the cookies and took a cautious bite. Or at least, I tried to. The thing was like a rock. "Oh, come on," I muttered, holding the cookie up to the light. "What did she even put in these?"

Hiko finally spoke, his voice quiet. "She always misses something when she cooks. Even back then."

I froze, the cookie halfway to my mouth. "Back then?"

He didn't answer, his gaze fixed on Nakumi. For a moment, I thought I saw the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Wait, are you... smiling?" I asked, leaning closer.

Hiko's expression immediately hardened. "What kind of question is that?"

"No no, you are like, genuinely smiling, I thought you never feel happiness, damn, this is historical!" I said, grinning. "And I was there to see it, mr serious face"

\Kimrol laughed, picking up another cookie and inspecting it. "Well, at least she tried. That's more than I can say for some people."

I glanced at Hiko, who was now pretending to be very interested in the wall. "You know, for someone who wanted to kill her, you're awfully soft on her."

He shot me a glare, but he looked back at the wall, as if he didn't have time to think about any of this. This is Hiko for you, drops one an accidental point of his past, then refuses to elaborate. I was never able to get much from his personal life. I understand the massacre stuff but no details. Always hiding something.

Kimrol set the cookie back on the plate, shaking her head. "Well, I'm not eating that. My teeth are important."

Hiko sighed, and picked up the plate of almost 25 cookies, and flipped the plate into his mouth. The cookies, one by one began going through his mouth like dust through a vacuum cleaner. Then he placed the plate down at the coffee table. I almost wanted to salute the crumbs that survived the blackhole that was this man's mouth.

I leaned back, stretching my arms above my head. "Well then, try to not have any diarrhea."

"Don't worry, am not a human." He grinned, as if that was a great comeback.

For what its worth, he may not be a human. But he does have a heart of one. I guess the days in the bunker did change him.

Just how I always wanted