One by One...

Two girls stayed in one abandoned house where they lived together.

Matsumoto Hikaru and Harugii Aika.

A group of crooks wanted to slay the Harugiis. Why? They were known for their astonishing intelligence, and they solve clues and put fragments together a detective have never done before. They thought they are possessed by spirits of wisdom. When they realized Ryuu and Aika know everything about their reputation, the chief of their organization made a harsh decision to terminate the two "brats". So his troops spread the entire village until they located the house where Aika and Hikaru slept.

"Target located. We've surrounded the target location."

"Aika," Hikaru woke up from the sound of them approaching. She knew they were coming. She slowly got up from her futon and tapped her hand on Aika's shoulder.

"Wake up... they're here," she said hesitantly.

"Hayaku!"

Aika opened her eyes. She saw Hikaru's eyes filled with fear and hesitation. She heard the troops' footsteps surrounding their house. With this, Aika got up and stepped on a stool, opening a secret trapdoor on the ceiling.

"Hayaku," she said to Hikaru, who climbed up and the first to get in.

"C'mon," she said, extending her hand towards Aika. "Hurry. They're out to get you." To her surprise, Aika declined her. She just shook her head and stood there.

"No, Hikaru..." she said in a calm manner, her eyes blank. "You stay there. It's for your own safety."

Hikaru stared at her in shock. "W-what do you mean? Aika, you have to get in here. Quickly! C'mon!" she urged, but once again Aika didn't move.

"They're after us..." the black-haired girl said softly. She meant onii (Ryuu) and herself. "I'll be fine, Hikaru. Don't show yourself when they get in."

"AIKA!" Hikaru protested, forcing her to hold on her hand. Aika looked down on her shoes while her friend hesitated. Then she lifted up her head and showed her her innocent smile.

"Don't worry, Hikaru-chi. I'll be fine."

Her friend skipped a heart beat. Aika closed the trapdoor, leaving her inside. The troops have barged inside while the pale girl just stood there. Hikaru trembled and started to cry, muttering Aika's name and trying her best not to be heard. She peeked from above and the troops wrapped Aika like a mummy as they sprinted off. They went into their van and proceeded to their secret garden, where they tore open the bag. They pulled out their sharp knives and their scalpels.

Hikaru slowly opened the trapdoor, looked outside to check for troops who stayed (and fortunately, she found no one) and followed them. She knows about the secret garden. She and Aika always visit that beautiful garden. She rarely spends time with Ryuu, who she thinks is very mysterious and cold unlike his sister who is innocent, warm and sweet.

When she saw the troops prepare their leave, Hikaru approached.

She then sees ravens scavenging on a dead animal. Getting annoyed from their caws, she grabbed a stone and threw it towards them, sending few away. Hikaru got furious as she grabbed a long wooden stick to shoo them away. But before she could swing the stick, she realized that the ravens' food was not a dead animal.

She saw strands of black hair scattered on the grass. Blue eyes losing their color. A pair of broken glasses and a pool of blood.

The ravens pecked the bloodied skin with their beaks.

Hikaru is standing in front of Aika's naked and bloodied corpse. There's a huge cut on her stomach, determining the troops pulled out her intestines and guts. And her corpse is scavenged by ravens.

She couldn't believe her eyes. Tears sprang down her eyes. And screamed.

The troops heard. They followed the noise. Hikaru's heart pounded wildly. She made her escape and left Aika's body behind. She hid behind a tree before the troops ran past it. Then they started to spread out.

She can't scream once more because she will attract their attention. She ran and found herself heading towards a hanging bridge. The troops followed her footsteps. She had no choice but to hide under the bridge. She scraped her leg and despite it bleeding, she slid her foot on one of the rocks. And she fell. She plunged on the lake.

Hikaru regained consciousness few hours later. She was sprawled on a lakeside. Her head had a graze. The troops were gone and nowhere in sight. She sighed in relief. But the pain in her heart didn't. The brutal death of her friend Aika... broke her heart. She cried again, grieving for her loss.

"I'm sorry..." she wept. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you..."

Then she heard footsteps. She gasped in horror, knowing it might be one of the troops. She looked up and saw emerald-green eyes looking down at her.

TBC