Kumo sealed off Suna's hourglass, holding it close as the sun set in front of him. He nuzzled its top slowly, careful not to break it. Then, after taking deep breaths, the baku rose with legs that felt like JELL-O. Instead of running off to his next meal, he tottered up the hill leading to the park where he spent most of his days.

The swingset, rumoured to be possessed, was abandoned. Parents and guardians warned their young ones not to go near it, so it was Kumo's for the taking. But that did little to ease his pain. Regret, grief and frustration sunk their darkness-soaked talons into the mythical creature's throat, halting any screams he wished to let escape him. His eyes, which had lost their shimmer the moment Suna's life slipped out his fingers, turned their gaze to the the rubber seat he frequented.

Children played on monkey bars, jungle gyms, slides and sandboxes as if Suna's passing was of less importance than a crushed ant. Kumo tightened his grip the hourglass, eyes narrowed at the humans. Damn them, he cursed, Can't they see what happened? They shouldn't be happy now! Because of me, Suna is...

He glared at her coffin, unable to register the truth. Then, a sweet scent penetrated his thoughts. It smelled of corn syrup and strawberries laced in chocolate. He faced the source only to find a piece of candy on his seat. "Huh," he mumbled, picking it up, "Where'd this come from?"

Seeing no one around to claim the treat, the baku shrugged his shoulders and popped it in his mouth. Finders keepers. The selfish phrase, along with the too-sugary flavours coating his mouth, caused him to smile despite his inner turmoil. He swirled it in his mouth until it melted before climbing on the seat.

Across from the swinging baku stood a girl whose hands were locked in her parents' clutches. They walked towards an icecream parlor, hand in hand. Yet even as her father tried conversing with her, she couldn't take her eyes off the swings. She watched as Kumo chewed on her gumball. When he smiled, the girl gasped before tugging on her father's hand.

She knew that her mother didn't like her talking about the tapir boy, so she looked up to him. "Look, Papa! Ta-pear likes it―he ate the candy!"

The man gave an endearing smile. "Did he? That's good."

"Koko, what did I tell you yesterday? There's no―"

Before she finished her scolding, Koko pulled them forward. She tightened her grip, huffing. "I'll show you. Ta-pear's a nice little elephant."

Her mother's brown eyes widened. She was about to chide Koko, but stopped once Kyounosuke shushed her.

Let her be a kid, he mouthed, much to the displeasure of his wife. Eventually, though, she gave in to the twinkle in Koko's eyes and Kyounosuke's teasing smile while she led them to the grieving baku.

The grimace and downcasted eyes possessing his features made Koko wonder if the candy was stale. She tilted her head, then wriggled from her parents to get closer. "Hey, Ta-pear?" she called in a low voice.

Kumo looked up, clinging to his hourglass. His golden eyes glistened, slightly puffy from being rubbed at. "Oh, it's you again. Sorry for leaving before; something... came up."

She giggled. "It's okay. Did you like the candy?"

It took him a second to connect the dots. After smiling, he ruffled her hair. Barely anyone gave him gifts―no one could see him, after all―making this a pleasant surprise. Red blotches tinted his porcelain cheeks pink. "Oh, Oh―yeah, it was good. A little too sweet, though. Th-Thanks."

"Feel better now?"

The baku sighed, somewhat envious of Koko's innocence. He wasn't happy, not one bit. However, moping wouldn't solve anything. It was getting late, and he was getting hungry. Kumo hopped off and held the hourglass up. Half of Suna had already fallen, and time refused to stop for him. He ruffled her silk-like hair again out of habit. "Not really... I'll manage, though. Anyways, I need to go. Thanks again for the candy!"

Kumo dashed off, but not before draping his arms over Koko's bewildered parents' shoulders. "Make sure you take care of the little one, all right? She has good eyes." Too good, in fact.

Kyounosuke paled sheet white, rubbing the back of his neck. "Th-That boy...! Where'd he come from?"

Koko seemed unnerved by Kumo's sudden appearance. "Bye, Ta-pear!"

Kumo raised an arm to wave, but dropped it after tripping. He regained his balance just in time to secure Suna's hourglass. A winded sigh left him. Carrying her isn't as easy as I thought it would be. I need to find a safe place, he concluded, looking around for an abandoned home. Alas, every house was filled to the brim with humans of all sizes.

While he wandered scarce streets littered with fallen leaves, the sky began to colour itself crimson. He readjusted his grip, sighing when his feet led him to the forest once more.

The baku glanced back and forth tentively, eyes darting everywhere before taking a step forward. "Yuu? I... I want to talk with you."

No response.

Kumo squeezed Suna's coffin and grimaced. "If you're worried Suna will interrupt us again, she's... gone now. Just like you wanted."

Nothing but the trees answered in hushed voices, so he opted to sit on the ground. He brought his bare knees to his chest, clutching the grass beneath him as a chuckle slipped past his lips. "I wasn't expecting to come back here, yet here I am."

"It's because we're connected," someone whispered in his ear. Voice soft and low, it tickled Kumo's skin enough to rise his neck hair. "You called me outside your dreams? How flattering."

Kumo flinched, then backed away to face him. The boy's coy gaze reminded him of a wolf in sheep's clothing. "Don't play games. Just tell me everything. Why we're practically twins, why you're in their dreams... and seeing you in the park―"

Yuu rose a brow, crossing his arms. "What? I never go there."

A shiver crawled down Kumo's back when he shook his head. This doesn't make any sense. "Then what I saw... you were with four other kids, getting stomped on. You're saying that didn't happen?"

Yuu, whose green undershirt camouflaged with the grass, squatted to Kumo's level with a grin spread across his face. "I told you; we're connected. Now then, baku," he started, all previous mischief replaced by a mask of seriousness, "Come with me."