We walked along the man-made path....

Except for Jackal, who was leaping on the rows of placed stones along the path. His brown cloak would fly up whenever he took a jump, and his silver eyes glittered with amusement and whenever he landed successfully on a cobble stone, he would giggle softly to himself, silently cheering himself on.

Watching him from a glance, I felt an unfamiliar feeling beginning to stir in me. A bitter feeling that spiralled in my mind as my heart sank deep. I could sense a dark shadow beginning to weigh heavily on me.

'Was this envy?'

I glanced away from him quickly before something else begins to grow in me. 'I hate children'

No.

That's not right.

I don't hate children.

I hate that they are able to have something I had always wanted when I was forced to grow quickly and become a killing machine.

I had never thought of it many years ago, but I can't lie that there was a time when I wanted to be a child again in front of Daisuke's eyes.

I wanted him to believe I was still his little sister, I wanted to but I could never bring that back, I was lost in the darkness without any light to find my way out and I just let the darkness submerge me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'She's a monster'

'A demon in human skin'

'How could someone like her be in our ranks?'

'I don't want to train with her.'

'I heard she became master's favourite'

'Didn't she already kill a fully grown adult'

The whispers didn't faze the odd little girl who stood in the centre of her accomplishment, her red eyes stared emotionless at the grovelling kids, spiralled all over the floor. Each one had taken a hit from Artemis without the knowing what had hit them.

She felt no sympathy for sending them flying towards the ground, so harshly that may have landed a bruise or two.

Artemis sensed a cold piercing stare from affair. It was like a blizzard of ice shards that stabbed her back constantly, it had rose the hairs of her neck. The little girl already knew whose demonising stare would feel so cold and threatening.

Turning her head to the back, she watched as the flicker of black disappeared through the door.

The master was defiantly watching her training and since he already was entertained with what he saw, he had left.

Just like he always has.

"Was there any reason for you to be so harsh with training?" a venomous tone brought Artemis attention to a kid, a little older than her, mostly her big brothers age.

His dark black hair hanged down his dark eyes, but she could feel his deathly glare that gazed at her. Artemis looked down at him so half-heartedly, examining his pitiful state. The boy's cheek was a little red and swollen from the punch she had sent him earlier.

"Then it gives you more of a reason to keep training harder" Artemis answered coldly, her red eyes was seen to be even more cold than her icy statement.

The boy's expression scrunched, and he bared his teeth, feeling insulted by her words. How could someone small and younger than him be in this rank, telling him what to do. Was it because she was favoured by the master and sent to his rank?

So, what if she killed a full-grown man? It didn't give the reason to be in his training rank until they graduated.

The boy clicked his tongue in frustration, eyes blood shot glaring at the red eyed girl who was not fazed at all "No wonder you're a monster" He hissed. "Spawn of a demon witch".

Those last words had hit something inside of the little girl. Her eyes shot up, shaking in pit of anger, teeth clench so hard and veins could be seen popping out from neck and hands.

Artemis twirled a kunai knife around her fingers so swiftly, her feet kicking into a sudden run that looked like a speeding cheetah.

It was all of a sudden when she appeared in front the startled boy, kunai near his throat already threatening to slice his throat.

"You may insult me" Artemis hissed, her deathly red eyes locking with the shaken terrified dark eyes of the boy. "But do not insult my mother".

The boy squeaked in horror, pissing his pants so suddenly.

"Artemis!" a familiar shaken voice called Artemis and she cocked her head back to see Daisuke standing behind her with a trembling hand out.

She could see in Daisuke's face how hard he was hiding away his fear and worry but his shining brown eyes exposed his true feelings, completely.

"P-put the kunai away." Daisuke said, forcing a trembling smile on his face. "Training is over. Let's go get something to eat".

Artemis sensed his discontent in his tone and the fact he was preventing a bloody bath. She knew he was still uneasy and careful Daisuke had become ever since she had killed that man a few months back.

Daisuke had stayed with her from then on, never letting her out of his sight in fear she would be taken away by another man. He was making sure Artemis was safe, sometimes even sneaking into her room and sleeping on the chair beside her.

His chubby hand would gently hold hers wherever they went, and he refused to be any metre further away from her.

He seemed to be terrified that something like before would happen to her again and that the master finding out was only just luck like last time and it won't happen the second time.

However, the little girl knew that was not the reason to why Daisuke stayed so close to her, watching over her like a protective guardian.

No.

He was scared that if he was not around, she would become a monster that all had whispered through the small holes, and he was not around to prevent her from becoming a killing machine.

Daisuke had already lost his playful, sweet, and innocent little sister to a monster, he didn't want to lose the only humanity left inside of Artemis by a monster.

Artemis pulled her kunai knife down, placing it back in her hidden spot in her clothes. The boy fell to the ground in his own piss, body trembling uncontrollably as his breathing was loud and rugged.

Daisuke grasped a hold of his little sister's hand and pulled towards him, leading her away from the piles of groaning kids who were being helped up by the agents.

Artemis stared blankly down at her feet as she walked, holding her older brothers hand firmly while he lead them to the exit of the training room. Both disappeared through the door out of sight of everyone in the room and walked silently along the hallway of the headquarters.

Artemis eyes followed Daisuke's back, not glancing away from his back side. Brown hair swayed faintly as he walked quickly. It made her wonder why his hands was so sweaty and hot, his posture seeming uncomfortable.

She was feeling empty while a certain question wrapped around her mind. A question she had never dared to say to him as if the answer would kill her.

"Brother?" she suddenly spoke, her mouth was moving on it's own and she couldn't stop herself. The little red eyed girl wanted to know.

Wanted to know what her older brother whom she loved dearly thought of her now.

Daisuke didn't answer her with words except for a soft hum.

"It's ok" she said softly, her eyes glancing downwards to avoid him. Her expression dulled and she prevented herself from shedding a tear.

"What are you saying?" Said Daisuke in a questionable manner. There it was in his tone, the tone that Artemis sensed that Daisuke already knew what she was implying but pretended he hadn't.

"I know the other children believe I'm a monster. A demon" she said as if it didn't bother her.

Daisuke kept on walking, yet his pace was quickening "I-I told you not to listen to their foolish nonsense. They don't know what they are saying"

"Then why are you beginning to think the same thing?" she questioned. Artemis could feel the heavy heart beginning to lighten from saying what had been troubling her, but it became heavier again.

Daisuke stopped and Artemis followed his movement. He slowly turned his head and Artemis' eyes widened to see his expression.

Tears was trickling down his cheeks like fast waterfalls, glittering brown eyes filled with so much sorrow and sadness.

It was not fear.

It was not disgust or hate.

No neglection.

All she saw was the tears of an older brother who cried for the loss of his younger sister. Those tears that had sent her into a state of sadness she hadn't felt in so long.

Daisuke had immediately pulled her into a hug. Her head hidden away in his embrace as he cried on her shoulder, his trembling words echoing in her ears.

"Let them think that your monster"

"Let them think that you're a savage demon"

"Let the world go against you"

Artemis choked back a cry, listening to her brother with a beating heart.

"But please, please Artemis...." He hugged her tighter, his salty tears already soaking the clothing of her shoulder. "Don't look at me like I'm one of them."

"I'll become a monster to them if I have to. I will kill every single one in this world if I can make you look at me like your older brother again"