The Burning Rose

Chapter 17: Heartfelt pledge

Time seemed to stop for Cinder as she watched the masked man run Mr. Beige through. She felt helpless as she saw him tear his blade out sending blood splattering onto the lawn. As Mr. Beige's body fell to the ground with a thud, the masked man wiped the blood onto his arm. In front of him, Yang was staring blankly up at the spot the old man had been, blood splatter on her face.

"Aaaahhhh!" Cinder screamed in fury as she reached her opponent. She swung her blade clumsily at him. And while he dodged without much effort, she had forced him away from her sister and the elderly man.

The masked man backed up as Cinder glared at him, still maintaining her stance. Once he reached the edge of the lawn, he turned and ran down the street before disappearing into an alley. His mission completed.

Immediately, Cinder turned around and ran to Yang, dropping her weapons to the ground. "Are you okay!?" She asked, grabbing Yang's shoulders and scanning her for any injuries. When she did see any, Cinder let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Yang was safe.

Then she turned to Mr. beige. Cinder felt her stomach turn as she looked at his lifeless body. A horrible tear from his heart out his chest was still leaking blood onto the ground. Through the wound, Cinder could see his heart had been cut in half. His final moments must have been horribly painful.

Her hands curled into fists and she started to shake. That old man had only been kind and understanding to her. Despite the short time she had known him, she had considered him her friend. The only real friend she had outside her family. And now he was gone.

Absolute rage filled the girl. How dare they do that to Mr. beige! Her fists started trembling and her breathing increased pace. As she got to her feet her vision was marred with a red tint. She glanced down the road where the masked man had disappeared, seething with rage and righteous fury. And that instead, she knew what she had to do

She was going to make him pay!

She grabbed her weapons off the ground and turned to the street. She made to sprint after the assailant, but was stopped when someone grabbed her arm.

Turning back, she saw Yang staring at her eyes wide and filling quickly with tears. "Where are you going!?" She demanded, terrified. "Please don't leave me!" She begged, clinging to her sister as the older girl struggled to free herself.

"Yang! Let me go! He's getting away!" Cinder screamed as she began to pry Yang off her. "Someone will have heard the fight and called the police! Just sit tight and wait while I go get that bastard!"

Despite her words, Yang continued to hold tightly to Cinder. Even activating her semblance to hold on tighter. "Are you crazy!?" Yang screamed. "He nearly killed you! And that was with a huntsman fighting with you! You can't win one-on-one!"

"I can't just let him go!" Cinder yelled back angrily. "He has to pay!" Cinder was getting closer to getting out of Yang's grip, the younger girl was terrified not just for herself, but also her sister. She had almost lost her once. She didn't want to come that close again.

"Please! Don't go! Please…don't leave me." Immediately, Cinder's gaze softened at Yang's plea. She stopped struggling and knelt down to the younger girl.

"Yang, you'll be fine." She said reassuringly, placing her hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "But if I let that murder go, I'll regret it for the rest of my life." She gently began pulling the girl's hand off her, even as Yang struggled to keep a hold on her. "Please understand, this is something I have to do."

With that, Cinder freed herself from Yang's grip and immediately tore off down the street after the masked man.

"No!" Yang screamed as she tried to give chase, but Cinder was just to fast, and Yang's legs were still shaking. She fell onto the sidewalk as Cinder rounded a corner disappearing from sight.