005.

' "Help! Somebody? Anybody?"

Echo crawled back with her hands and feet as the huge fire burnt everything and blocked her path. Her back soon rested on the wall and she covered her face in fear.

"So this is it. Am I seriously going to burn to death?"

The heat closed in on her and she hugged her knees to her chest. Taking a deep breathe, she finally resided to fate and waited for her death but felt no pain in her body, instead, she opened her eyes and saw a figure hovering anxiously in front of her.

"Lilith.. "

When the strange lady spoke, her voice echoed as she spoke every word causing Echo cover her ears at the numerous voices.

"Who are you? And who's Lilith?"

"Lilith.. you caused me this suffering... for that you must perish!"

The lady lunged at her and instinctively, her hands covered her face as she let out a frightened scream.'

Echo sat up in bed panting heavily. She anxiously looked around her room and once she had gotten the bearings of her surrounding, she let out a low sigh of relief and lay back down head on the pillow staring at the ceiling.

"That lady.. who was she and why would she call me Lilith?"

A soft knock on her door startled her and she immediately reached for anything she could find which happened to be her emerald green plush bear. The door knob slowly turned and Echo braced herself using the plush as a shield.

"Hey Echo you..."

Before he could finish, Echo let out a shout and threw the pillows at the intruder.

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down Echo... it's me... Zero."

"Zero?"

Echo opened her eyes and nervously chuckled.

"Oh.. um... sorry about that. I thought you were a thief my bad."

"Thief? Echo do you think anyone would dare break into your place when Lilith's barrier surrounds the place?"

"Lilith?"

"Um.."

Zero rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before clearing his throat.

"You hungry? I made breakfast," he said and Echo's stomach grumbled loudly causing the tips of her ears to turn pink," there's my answer. Lets go eat."

Echo slowly nodded and followed Zero down to the dining room. Zero placed the plate in front of Echo and slowly poured some fresh juice in a glass for her.

"Thank you. Did you make this?"

"Of course, you had nothing else in the fridge apart from eggs and sausage. Had to improvise your meal my dear."

"Oh? Is that so.. why did you come here in the first place?"

Zero looked at her from the rim of his glass.

"Well, I came to..."

Echo looked at him encouraging him to go on and Zero took a long sip of juice from his glass before placing it on the table.

"Are you okay after what happened yesterday?"

"Yesterday? I remember working overtime and..."

"And?"

"Hmm.."

Numerous blurred images flashed across her mind and she shook her head.

"Nothing else am afraid," she said and and drank from her glass.

"You don't remember anything aside from that?"

"Am afraid not. I don't even know how I got home from work."

Zero rubbed his chin thoughtfully eyes never leaving Echo's eyes.

"Did something happen at work?"

"Nothing much," he said and leaned back on his chair tension leaving his shoulders," let's hang out."

"Hang out? What about work?"

"Oh? Uh.. today no work."

"No work? Are you pulling my leg?"

"Of course not. I don't dare to do so not even in my wildest dreams," he said hands raised in mock surrender.

Echo chuckled and rolled her eyes at him.

"Shall we?"

"Hold up I need to get changed first," she said and stood up," you do the dishes."

"Do what with the dishes?"

Echo looked at him and pinched the bridge of her nose eyes shut tightly.

"Never mind, I'll do it myself," she said and took the dirty dishes.

After a couple of minutes, the two were on the stony path leading to the city park. Echo looked up and let out an exhausted sigh.

"You okay?"

"What I'd give for some cold, sweet treat," she said," why is the weather so freaking hot?"

"Are you tired?"

"Me? Tired? Of course not, it's just that my limbs are aching as hell. Can we take a break?"

Before he could respond, she slumped down under the cool shade of a huge tree and rubbed her sore limbs.

"A minute my dear," he said and disappeared out of sight.

"What's with him? Isn't the sun doing any damage on him or something?"

Zero walked into sight and sat cross legged across from Echo and handed her a bottle of ice water. She took it and nodded appreciatively. She unsealed the cap and drank, the cold sensation cooling her off instantly. She let out a satisfied sigh and placed the now empty bottle beside her. She then crossed her hands behind her head and leaned on the tree bark watching the blue sky.

"I have to admit, this is the perfect distraction I needed. Thanks Zero," she said and turned to look at him flashing him a warm smile.

"Well then, what is my purpose, if I can't help you relax?"

Echo chuckled and playfully nudged his shoulder with her elbow.

"I have a feeling this wasn't everything you wanted to show me right?"

"Nothing passes by you huh?" he asked and booped her nose childishly and she slapped his hand.

"Do you think am your dog?"

Zero chuckled into the back of his hand and playfully pet her hair as she pout her lips.

"Be a good girl and I'll get you a present for behaving."

Echo shook her head, let out a sigh and grabbed his outstretched hand. Slowly, she rose to her feet and followed behind him as he walked into the town market.

"Everything looks good, what should we try?" Echo asked mouth watering from the delicious aroma filling the air.

"You choose, I've never tried any of these foods."

"Well then, shall we?" she asked slinging her arm into his," you'll love my favorite snack."

She pulled him down the path and onto an open air restaurant. Zero looked around and Echo placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Relax... I eat here all the time and believe me when I say, you'll never find any better restaurant than this place," she said.

"Aren't you being a little overconfident?" a voice asked and Echo turned and threw her arms around the middle aged woman.

"Aunt Ophelia!"

Ophelia pat her back before pulling away grabbing her hands in her own.

"How you've grown my dear."

"And you're still as good looking as ever."

"But you are quite a charming young lady yourself Echo. Don't you agree young man?"

"Huh? Me?"

Both Ophelia and Echo looked at him smiles spread across their lips.

"Aunt, meet Zero, my co worker and best friend."

"Hello aunt, nice to meet you," he said and gave a polite bow.

"No need for that child, you're a friend of Echo, no need for formalities," she said and Zero nodded slowly," now then, same as usual Echo dear?"

"Yes please," she said clapping her hands excitedly.

Ophelia chuckled and walked to the cart and began preparing the meal.

"Just you wait Zero, the food aunt makes is superb," she said and Zero nodded his head.

"Can't wait to taste her meal. You've been praising if for quite a while now," he said and Echo cleared her throat.

"Erm... forgive my over enthusiasm."

"I've never seen you this happy before, at work you barely smile."

"What's there to be happy about at work?" she asked fidgeting with her fingers," don't get me wrong I love my work and colleagues , I really do, but sometimes Dexter kills my moods when I do something wrong."

"Echo.. don't take everything he says to heart. He wasn't this rude before."

"What was he like?" she asked a pleading look in her eyes.

"Well, from what I can remember, he used to take care of everyone and everything. Once, he rescued a baby rabbit from a pack of Oni. I wish you could have seen him, he was so heroic."

"Rabbit? Wow, he doesn't seem like the type of person to worry about anything apart from himself."

"Well..." he took in a deep breathe and turned to face Echo his eyes boring pain," circumstances changed him Echo, they turned him into a cold hearted bastard."

Echo stretched her hands and grabbed his, gaze never lifting from his.

"Food's ready!"

Ophelia's shout caused the two to jerk apart and Echo quickly rushed to get the tray.

"Thanks aunt."

She carefully placed the steaming bowls on the table and passed Zero a spoon, fork and chopsticks. He took them and smiled at her.

"Go ahead and try it."

Zero slowly nodded and grabbed the bowl and slurped the contents from it in a few gulps. He placed the empty bowl on the table, licked his lips clean and pat his stomach.

"Mmh.. you were right. That was indeed the most delicious meal I've ever tasted."

Echo looked at him unblinkingly and Zero tilted his head at her confused.

"Is something on my face?"