The quiet rustle of gift wrap. The faint blue glow of the holographic decorations. The smooth texture of plastic. Dante gazed down at his hands and the toy he held in them. The moment was one he remembered well. One could say it was engraved in his memory. Every last detail of it. He also remembered that it brought him great joy once, yet now, only a mild annoyance found him.
"..."
Once he took notice of the discomfort he felt, Dante raised his gaze and turned to the right. A white-haired girl met his gaze. She should have been seven at this point, yet her small stature and twig-like arms matched that of a malnourished child from the Sahira region. Her skin was so pale one could see the veins underneath. Calling her sickly would be an understatement.
Dante raised the corners of his mouth in a faint smile.
"Hey." He said.
"Hey." The girl replied.
"You… are late…"
"I know." She let her gaze fall, her smile turning a bit wistful. "I… couldn't make it last time."
