Aoiro's Lament: Shadows of the Past.

The night was dark and the city's neon lights created an otherworldly glow as Aoiro rode her motorcycle through the familiar streets. She hadn't been back here in a long time, deliberately distancing herself from her old life and the friends she used to run with.

As the engine roared beneath her, her phone rang loudly, the sudden sound shattering the silence. Aoiro glanced at the caller ID, recognizing the name of one of her ex-friends. She considered ignoring the call, her grip on the handlebars tightening. But something about the urgency in the text message caught her attention.

Message from Ex-Friend: Urgent. You have to come. It'll be a huge disappointment if you don't. Meet us at the spot.

Aoiro sighed, conflicted but ultimately deciding that she couldn't ignore this request. She pulled her motorcycle over to the side of the road and answered the call.

"Hello?" she said, her voice cautious.

On the other end, her ex-friend sounded relieved. "Aoiro, thank goodness you answered. We really need you to come here."

Aoiro's curiosity was piqued, and a sense of unease settled in her stomach. "Why? What's going on?"

Her ex-friend hesitated for a moment before replying, "We can't talk about it over the phone. Just meet us at the old spot, and we'll explain everything."

Aoiro reluctantly agreed, hanging up the call. She knew this could be a trap or a way for her old friends to pull her back into their world, but something told her that this was different. The urgency in their voices was real.

With a sigh, she revved her motorcycle's engine and continued on her way, heading toward the familiar location where her old gang used to gather

After a brisk thirty-minute ride, Aoiro arrived at their old hangout spot, a desolate urban alleyway with graffiti-covered walls and a sense of nostalgia. Her motorcycle rumbled to a stop, and she dismounted, looking around as her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit surroundings.

Her former gang members, with their colorful hair and tattoos, were gathered around. They'd taken the time to prepare a message for Aoiro. In bold, vibrant colors, they'd painted a mural on one of the alley walls. It depicted a phoenix rising from ashes, its wings spread wide.

As Aoiro stood face to face with Felicie and her gang, her expression remained defiant, her piercing blue eyes locking onto Felicie's gaze. Felicie couldn't help but smile, enjoying the sight of her old friend's unyielding spirit.

With a flick of her lighter, Felicie ignited a flame in front of Aoiro's face, the dancing fire casting eerie shadows on the surrounding walls. It was a gesture that brought back memories of their rebellious past.

"Do you want to smoke it off like back in the day?" Felicie taunted, her voice carrying that familiar edge of teenage rebellion.

Aoiro's response was measured and cool, "I don't smoke anymore."

Felicie's gang erupted in laughter, their taunts echoing through the dimly lit alley. "Oh, why you scared?" one of them jeered, trying to get a rise out of Aoiro.

With a simmering anger behind her piercing blue eyes, Aoiro finally spoke, her voice laced with irritation. "What do you want?"

Felicie, unflinching, pulled out a cigarette and lit it, the ember glowing brightly in the night. She took a long drag and exhaled a plume of smoke, her demeanor oozing a rebellious teenage confidence.

"There's someone looking for you, Aoiro," Felicie said, her words laced with a knowing tone. "Someone... mysterious. You might want to think about it."

Aoiro's anger flared at Felicie's cryptic response, but she also sensed that her old friends weren't entirely in control of the situation. The mention of someone looking for her had piqued her curiosity once again.

"What do you mean, someone's looking for me?" Aoiro pressed, her anger momentarily overshadowed by a growing sense of unease.

Felicie's lips curled into a smirk as she took another drag of her cigarette, the ember glowing brightly before fading into the night. "You'll find out soon enough, Aoiro. For now, just know that your past is catching up with you."

Aoiro's initial anger began to give way to a growing sense of fear and frustration. The mysteries surrounding this encounter gnawed at her like an itch she couldn't scratch. Her voice, once filled with irritation, became slightly higher-pitched, revealing her unease.

"What do you mean by all of this after all these years?" Aoiro asked, her words carrying a hint of desperation.

Felicie's response was unexpected. She met Aoiro's fear-laden gaze with a smirk and a laugh that echoed with a hint of sadistic amusement. "I asked if you wanted to smoke it off, but you ignored me. Now you're scared, huh, doggy?"

Aoiro's eyes widened as Felicie's words hit home. The realization that she was being manipulated, teased, and goaded by her old gang leader stung. She felt like a outsider. once again, caught in the tangled web of her past.

Before Aoiro could protest, Felicie retrieved a cigarette and placed it between Aoiro's lips. With a swift motion, she lit the end of the cigarette, forcing Aoiro to inhale. Aoiro coughed and spluttered, the taste unfamiliar and unpleasant.

Felicie and the gang erupted into laughter at Aoiro's expense, reveling in the situation. "It's so bad, isn't it?" Felicie taunted, her words dripping with mockery. "But you used to love it."

Aoiro's frustration reached its peak as she realized that she had walked right into a trap, one that had rekindled memories of her rebellious youth. She felt a mix of anger, humiliation, and fear, unsure of what this encounter meant for her future.

As she reluctantly smoked the cigarette, Aoiro couldn't help but wonder how this strange turn of events was connected to the mysterious girl who had been asking about her. Her past had resurfaced, and she was now entangled in a dangerous game with uncertain consequences.

Felicie smiled as the gang continued to smoke, reveling in the familiar atmosphere. She leaned in closer to Aoiro and said, "Hey, doggy, it's good to see you again. I mean, a stray dog like you can't survive in this world without being ruthless sometimes." Her words held a distinct rebel edge.

Aoiro's eyes locked onto Felicie's, her expression a mixture of anger and something deeper. "You know that I've always thought a bitch like you would never be this lucky," she replied, her voice carrying a touch of mockery.

Felicie, however, wasn't one to back down. Her gaze turned fierce, and she challenged Aoiro, "What do you mean, lucky?" She stared back at Aoiro, unyielding and determined.

Aoiro took one last drag of the cigarette before flicking it away, her piercing blue eyes narrowing. "Who is this person you're talking about?" Aoiro's anger was palpable, and her voice had an elegant but unmistakably angry tone

Felicie hesitated for a moment, her smile fading into a poker face. "This person... was the one who first introduced you to us," she finally admitted, her words carrying a weight of significance.

Aoiro's expression shifted from anger to shock. Her eyes trembled with fear as she looked deeply into Felicie's gaze. "It can't be... it's just impossible!" Her voice grew louder, and her hands tightened their grip on Felicie's shoulders.

Felicie's demeanor took a sinister turn as she looked back at Aoiro, her expression bordering on madness. "Be careful, doggy," she warned in a tone that combined the defiance of a teenager with the ruthlessness of a gangster.

The revelation hung heavily in the air, leaving Aoiro shaken and bewildered by the unexpected turn of events. Her past had come back to haunt her in ways she could never have imagined, and the mysteries surrounding the person who had introduced her to her old gang remained shrouded in darkness.