Chapter 1: Altogether
3rd is guiding the children to the police station while 2nd and 4th are both supporting 1st so that he can run properly but his face and body are still bleeding because of severe beatings.
"I want to see 13th!" 8th cried. She's six years old and also closest to 13th because of her jolly and lively personality.
Also, their name numbers are neither based on age nor strength but based on who joined their group last.
"Don't worry, 8th. Nothing will happen to 13th. She didn't lie ever since to us, right?" 3rd comforted 8th. She doesn't know if she's really comforting 8th or herself.
8th's puffy rosy cheeks are so cute that always made 3rd and 13th pamper her.
"Okay. I'll wait obediently to 13th's return" 8th sniffed as she tried holding back her tears.
"Let me carry you, 8th" 7th said as he bend his knees while his back facing 8th and 3rd.
8th pouted, "Brother 7th, I want to save my first piggy back ride for my first love. It's the most romantic scenes for me!" as she huffed and puffed her cheeks that almost looks like a bun.
7th scratches his neck as he doesn't know how to react on 8th. 7th is already ten years old. He's an introverted little boy but still paying attention to his friends when problem arises.
They all have a tacit understanding why they are walking slowly on the roadside street. They are waiting for 13th to catch up to them.
5th looked back on the road behind them while his eyes are anticipating to see someone's silhouette but they still haven't seen her shadow.
"H-How about we go there... immediately? 13th never failed us, right?" 6th stuttered as her hoarsed voice tried to cheer up the sadness on their eyes.
"Sister/Brother! Hug!" 9th and 10th both stretched out their arms towards 11th and 12th to carry them. They are the abandoned twins when 2nd saw them inside the trash bin; crying out because of hunger. Because they all felt similar situation to the abandoned twins, they raised the twins on their own despite the difficulty.
"Hurry! We are almost there!" 7th urged them to hurry up. 7th runs faster towards the alleyway nearby the police station.
"Wait! Just wait for us!" 5th called out 7th who runs fast than him.
7th doesn't know why but he felt something inside him; telling him to hurry up, otherwise, the one who is waiting there will be mad at them.
7th's gaze swept around the places near the police station but he still doesn't find the person they anticipated for.
"7th! Please don't leave me behind, okay?" 5th panted heavily as he also looked around. He felt disappointed because she's not here with them.
"5th, 7th, what's wrong?" a young woman's voice called out their names. Their eyes widened and their body shook with excitement.
"13th!!" as they both cried out to their hearts content. 13th was speechless.
'I didn't steal their ice cream yesterday, right? Why are they crying like a wronged puppy?' she thought while trying to recall if she really stole their ice cream yesterday but she couldn't recall at all. For them, it was yesterday but for her, it's been twelve years since the day she left them behind.
When the others heard the cries of 5th and 7th, they run faster than before and immediately exclaimed 13th's name as they cheer excitedly.
"It's good that you're back" 1st said as he regained his consciousness. He smiled brightly. 13th was stunned because it is the first time that he saw 1st smiled since then.
'Ah! No, he used to smile brightly in front of me but when we meet again, he becomes a frost man like someone owe him a huge debt' she thought while recalling 1st's face before she died. Although 1st killed her in her previous lifetime, she still cherishes 1st because she lives differently in this lifetime.
'I swear to never walk on that path ever again!' she declared to herself.
"13th!" 8th eagerly hugged 13th's thigh like she's afraid of losing 13th again.
13th kneeled down in front of 8th and caressed her fluffy hair.
"8th is now getting big" she praised while measuring 8th's height with her eyes.
8th's eyes lit up, "Really?!" she cheered when she saw 13th nodded.
"13th, we need to go to hospital for 1st's treatment" 3rd's worries for 1st came out naturally. 13th looked up at 3rd with amusement and smirked. She nodded at 3rd.
"No need. We don't have money for the hospital bills" 1st waved his arms to them as she winced because of the pain brought to him.
"Hey!, Don't move too much!" 3rd reprimanded 1st and supported him by wrapping her right arms on 1st's shoulders.
13th just smiled and said, "No need to mind the money. When I was deceiving them earlier, I steal the doctor's ATM card. We can buy anything we want until we squeezed him dry, as his punishment for going against us" as she showed to them the blue card.
They looked at each other and laughed loudly.
"2nd, 3rd, 4th, take care of 1st for me. I need to go to the bank to withdraw money" she instructed to them. Anyway, they all subconsciously followed 13th before the incident and was used to it.
That's why in 13th's previous lifetime, they were very disappointed and sad when 13th left them behind and their world began to crumble to pieces. 1st was helpless because 13th was their pillar and light in their life. That's also the reason why he blamed everything to 13th of what happened to them.
For him, the other children only need to see their pillar and light just to continue fight against those hooligans. 1st was crazily mad at 13th and killed her without a doubt.
Going back to reality...
"5th, 6th, 7th, looked around to find out a cheap house for us to buy. A possible limit is 10 million" 13th declared as she doesn't want to save money for the doctor. As what she implied earlier, she wanted to squeeze him dry of his money.
The three children were stunned of her declaration of limits and smirked.
"Okay!" they altogether said and left.
Before she goes to the bank, she turned around and looked at the three youngest children in front of her.
Her heart ached as she recalled what 1st said before she died.
'Then, does it mean that these three children also died?' she choke up as she tried holding back her tears.
Again, she kneeled down in front of them and hugged them tightly.
"8th,9th, 10th, I'm sorry. I'm very sorry" she couldn't hold back anymore and silently cried as she hugged them tightly but gently.
11th and 12th who are still watching them; couldn't hold back themselves and hugged 13th from behind. Although they didn't know why 13th cried, 13th's burst is enough for them to feel her heartache for them.
"Sister 13th, you need to go the bank!" 9th happily said as she hugged on to 13th's arms while 10th doesn't want to be left behind so he also hugged on the other arm.
13th laughed on their childishness and smiled. Anyway, they are really a child so she just let them be.