Number 30 is dead.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1i2ih5BTqj
His lifeless cold body wrapped in white cloth, laid in display on a steel slab in a pitch black room with ten candles dotted around the corpse.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8FEHvbmn8
From the warm glow of the flames, the Ten stepped forward towards the body, dressed in their black robes and numbered white masks.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByiXKVQUJQ
This was the funeral for their former number, fallen but not forgotten.
Clutching a white mask in his bony fingers, Number One shambled towards the body.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzW79CU6EyW
Looming over the deceased, Number One placed with care the mask onto the former Number’s chest, perfectly over the man’s Core, despite not even looking at the body.
Number One had been staring with his emotionless visage at Number Six this whole time.
It was disturbing and very unnerving for her to have his unwanted gaze on her body, it felt like he was not looking at her, but through her, like she never existed.
Without breaking eye contact, Number One reached for the closest lit candle and held it close to his body.
Following his lead stepped forward the other Numbers in ascending order, as they each grasped a lit candle in their hands.
Carefully holding the waxed candle in her fingers, Number Six watched as the ceremony began to come to a close.
Taking the lead, Number One inched his light to a tail piece of the cloth. The tiny flame bit and gnawed at the end until the fabric began to burn.
Setting the candle back down and stepping back, Number One raised his arms in unison, spreading them like the wings of a bird.
The room grew brighter and brighter as each Number set a piece of cloth alight, illuminating the surrounding room as the body burned and cremated before them.
It was the first time Layla had ever seen a cremation. It was hauntingly beautiful in her eyes as the flames danced and the embers fizzled in quick sparks of orange light.
While in Number One’s eyes, only the warm glow of the fire glazed in his sight. His eyes were as empty and emotionless as he was.
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Morning had finally broken and Number Six was waiting for her mentor to arrive. Legs crossed in the centre of her room, her mind wondered over the last 24 hours.
It was time for Number Six to go on her second Hunt, but after the events of last night and the funeral shortly after, she could barely think straight as the reality of her new world had finally kicked in.
She wanted to take the day off to recuperate and collect her thoughts, but it was Number Five’s idea to carry on and take on her second Hunt as soon as possible. He wanted to impress the other Numbers with her tenacity, to show that his choice in choosing her as his pupil was not wrong.
Knocking rhythmically at the door, Number Five burst into the room with a spring in his step and a happy hum behind his mask.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVH8nhY5ekc
“What took you so long Seth?” Number Six asked trying to hide her tiredness. Her body was beginning to sway in place as the weight of her eye lids grew heavier and heavier. But with Seth’s loud and chirpy voice suddenly shifting, she was quickly startled awake.
“Ah, ah, ah” he replied with a sudden strictness, wagging his finger telling her off.
“Remember, I am Number Five now and you are Number Six. That is who we are, no names... only Numbers... well, unless we are in private then you can call me whatever you want” he said with a sly wink.
Number Six groaned a weak laugh over his poor excuse of a joke. They were in private, this is her room.
“Okay Number Five” she replied with a slight sarcasm as Number Five planted himself before her.
“My jokes usually get more of a response than that, what’s on your mind Jelly Bean” he asked trying to imitate her drowsy voice.
Jelly Bean! You little...
Number Six hated that nickname, Number Five kept using that name during her first two years because her puffy cheeks reminded him of a jelly bean. After that he would always use it if he needed to get a stronger response from her, because he knew he would get her attention better this way.
Wanting to quickly change the topic away from...Jelly Bean, ugh.
Number Six quickly asked about her Second Hunt, she was anxious to get started ever since before the funeral.
“What are we doing here? Shouldn’t we be getting a car and driving to Greendenn by now? It is a fair ways away”
Wagging his finger once more “Now, Now my girl, you don’t get to squirrel your Bean away that quickly”
You.....
“It was Number One, wasn’t it? He’s been on your mind ever since the funeral correct? Don’t worry, I noticed his fixated gaze on you... I think we all did”
Shuffling awkwardly in place as she didn’t know what to say, how could she, bad mouthing a Number was a serious taboo back when she was an initiate, but then again she is now a Number.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIy2d9u9GoI
“Yeah... does he always do that... I mean, stare at you?” she asked feeling like it was a strange question.
Crossing his arms and tilting his head, Number Five looked as though he had to think hard on the question.
“Hmm, not really... I mean, he does stare... a lot but he normally stares either through us... or at a wall. Either way, Number One had always acted odd, in the end I think we all got used to it”
That didn’t help she thought annoyed, hoping that his years of experience could prove very useful now.
“I wouldn’t let it get to your pretty head though, once we catch the Scorched Murderer, the other Numbers are going to stare at you anyway” he chuckled jokingly.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7bnXGrNDP
“Up yours” she said trying to top a smile forcing its way through.
Grinning behind his mask, knowing she was feeling slightly better, Number Five picked himself off the floor and headed to the wall next to her bed.
“What are you doing now?” she asked puzzled as Number Five pulled out his phone.
“You asked earlier if we are going by car” he began as Number Six struggled to get up, her left leg was falling asleep.
“Greendenn is very far place from here and it would take us at least two to three days to arrive. This is far too much time to lose as the energy signal left by the Portal will have dissipated by then. We also need the testimony of those involved and I don’t want those darlings skipping town before then”
Shinning his phone to the wall, Number Five quickly found what he was looking for as he pressed a button hidden in the wall.
“Which is why sweetie, we shall go by Rift Gate” Number Five flamboyantly posed as the wall shifted behind him, revealing a large selection of brass coloured rings with five tiny crystals embedded in them and two small belt bags hanging to the side.
Rift Gate!! She thought excitedly.
Number Six had always wanted to use a Rift Gate ever since she witnessed Number Five use one years ago.
“So does that mean I get access to Rift Rings?” Number Six asked trying to contain her excitement.
“Absolutely darling, being a Number now opens many walls for you like I promised it would. Having access to Rift Rings is just the tip of the iceberg you know”
As Number Six’s exhilaration grew, the feeling of tiredness that had been weighing her down like a ton of bricks, was now a mere feather.
“Alright then, what are we waiting for?” she said grabbing a Ring of the wall.
“Easy now” Number Five said as he quickly picked the ring from her.
“They are not toys, they are very dangerous if not used correctly”
If he could see through her mask, Number Five would have been amused of the pouty face Number Six was pulling.
“Alright my dear I shall tell you how to use it properly. Pick up that Ring Bag to your left, pass me one too... thank you. Now Number Six, this is a trick all Hunters use out on the field. Each Ring Bag has five slots, one for each Rift Ring, and even though we are only going to Greendenn and back for now, we are going to fill our bags with five Rings” he explained as clearly as he could.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhak60v9Dv
“In cases of emergency, like your life is in danger or the Hunters Society is compromised while you are out in the field. Additional Rings can transport you or your enemy to safe far off locations, away from you and the danger you are in. Although rare for that to occur, it is something all Hunters must be ready for”
Even though Number Five explained it calmly, it was clear to Number Six that Number Five had experienced this event before. There was a feeling of dread behind his words, like he did not want Layla to go through what he did once before.
“So with that scary stuff out of the way, I am going to grab Rings from Greendenn, Home Base and three random locations elsewhere... and the same for you” he said as he handed her five Rings.
After slotting each Ring in sequence in their bags and attaching them to their belts, Number Five led Number Six back to the centre of the room, feeling as though they needed the wider space it offered.
Opening up his bag and taking out a single Rift Ring, Number Five held it up in front of him so that Number Six could clearly see it in his fingers.
“Using a Rift Ring is very simple, take the one with the destination you desire and hold it in your fingers. Pour a small amount of Magic into it until the five crystal nodes light up. Once charged, you need to toss it in front of you, just simply throw it and it will do its thing” he said proudly like he was showing off his extensive knowledge.
“Now go on, you try”
Nodding confidently, Number Six took out her Rift Ring designated for Greendenn. Following her mentors instructions, she poured in her Magic until all five nodes glowed and then tossed the Ring in front of her.
As the metal ring left her finger tips, the ring began to expand in size as it broke into five segments. Each segment grew much larger than the original ring itself, as if matter was being created to facilitate its size.
Fully expanded, the Ring hovered like a portrait. Five nodes separated but ringed together by a Magic tether that crackled intensely.
Giggling at the thought she had just used a Rift Ring, Number Six inspected her newly formed Rift Gate.
The Rift Gate was like a door and on the other side of this door was a series of bare trees and tall dying grass, it was like peering into another world.
“That’s Greendenn? see why it gets its name” Number Six remarked mockingly as she edged closer to the Gate.
Greendenn looked a lot more dead than green, it certainly wasn’t what she had imagined.
Number Five joined her wagging his finger like a dog wagging its tail.
“That my dear is Greendenn, but to be more accurate, it’s their park, their trees seemed to have shed for the winter and the grass seems to be overgrown, that’s why it looks dead. The actual town is just on the other side, which should look... a little livelier” he explained showing off.
Looking carefully into the Gate before her, Number Six could see a few buildings nestled behind the trees, confirming what Number Five had just said.
“Okay, so shall we get going then?” she asked impatiently.
Without an answer, Number Five simply bowed and extended his arm to the Rift Gate, inviting her inside.
Typical, always making a show of things...
With a simple touch onto the surface of the Gate, Number Six was immediately summoned to the other side, greeted by a sudden gust of cold icy wind.
“Brrr, thank god for these thick robes” she remarked as Number Five joined her.
Turning around to face the Rift Gate, Number Five grabbed Number Six’s attention and pointed to the top node of the Rift Gate.
“To close a Gate, just simply shoot a basic Magic infused element at the top node” he explained as he fired a stream of water from the tip of his finger.
Splashing the node thoroughly with his Magic, the node vibrated causing the rest of the Gate to shake violently.
But suddenly the Gate vanished in size as a Rift Ring fell to the floor. It was so quick that Number Six barely noticed the sudden change.
“And there we go, ready to use again if needed” Number Five explained as he picked up the Rift Ring.
With the Ring securely in her bag, Number Six and Five made their way through the park. Wresting past the tall grass and kicking used and broken needles, she took her time embracing the view of her surroundings, the park was in such disarray it was heartbreaking.
It was clearly a beloved and cherished park long ago, with abandoned play areas, overgrown flower beds, weed infested walkways and what may have been an old Ice-Cream stand. Back in the day, this would have been a lovely park to walk in.
“What happened here to make this place feel...so unwelcoming” Number Six wondered out loud.
Casually looking to Number Five hoping for an answer, he merely shrugged as if he either didn’t know or didn’t seem to care.
“To be honest my dear, this place has been going downhill for some time now. Even before the former Pyroclast’s sudden disappearance, this place was seeing a decline in popularity. I mean, seriously, how far it is from the grandiose city that is Silver Cross. This place just couldn’t keep up with the trends sadly” He explained as his voice grew sombre.
As his words sank in, Number Six didn’t know what to say as they exited the park and the grey world that is Greendenn greeted her with streets as bare as her room back home.
Pyroclast once lived here... she thought amazed.
A living legend once lived here, the former S-Ranked Scorch user “Pyroclast”
If he once lived here, no wonder why people left after he disappeared...
Leading the way, Number Five led Six towards the Beryl Guild for information on last night’s Portal, and hopefully if his phone call to the receptionist was leaked as intended, the Miners should be at the guild ready to be questioned thoroughly.
Standing outside the guild, Number Five was about to make his first step onto the stone stairs. But suddenly he paused, glancing over his shoulder at the empty no parking space.
Feeling the cold air circle around him, he could sense traces of Scorch magic. Magic which was used only moments ago, perhaps just as they entered Greendenn.
Keeping a mental note on this detail, Number Five ascended the stairs with Number Six closely behind.
He was sure this couldn’t be the Scorch user he is after, since their current main suspect is already locked up for questioning at a Crimson Claw branch Guild in Sepia City.
As his hand pressed firmly against the wooden door, Number Five took one last glance at the empty no parking spot, wondering if he should pursue the Magic trail or not.
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Inside a guest room in the Beryl Guild sat Andy’s team, all around a creaky wooden table, waiting for the arrival of the investigating Hunter.
A feeling of dread hung over each of their heads as the time ticked on by, waiting patiently in silence.
They have all heard the stories, they have seen the news. Hunters are fierce, deadly and savage killers that Hunt their prey relentlessly like it was a sport. And the whispers of their interrogation techniques are the stuff of nightmares.
Not a single one of Andy’s team had ever seen a Hunter in real life before... and being truthful, they never want to see one ever again after today.
Shaking nervously in her seat, Carin struggled to control her breathing. She knew she is innocent of any crimes the Hunters may impose, but could she refute their claims if they accuse her of a crime she did not commit. She could barely think clearly now, let alone talk.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFPgrVmFoL
Her face was turning pale as sweat dripped from her brow, this was it, this was the most terrifying moment of her life.
Hands twitching and drenched in sweat, she suddenly grabbed Mandy’s hand as the guest room door swung open.
Stepping into the room filled with fear were two Hunters, dressed like reapers in their black robes and masks void of emotions.
Oh Fuck!! There are two of them!!
They had not said a word as they entered, but their presence felt like it sucked the life off everyone present as the room grew colder.
Every step closer they took towards the table was a heart beat that skipped.
Looking at them with their eyes that did not see, the taller figure of the two walked halfway around the table slowly, observing everyone present as he went.
Now looming behind Andy, Carin’s heart raced as her breathing grew heavier and heavier. Her body frozen to her chair as she watched helplessly as the dark figure reached into his robe.
Andy!! They’re going to kill him!!
Violently shaking as buckets of salty sweat drenched her white face, Carin let out a tiny squeal as the robed figure removed an item from his robe....
It was a notebook and pen.
A collective sigh of relief washed over the Miners as the figure began writing down in his book.
“Can I have the names of everyone present please? I already have your files and your names, I just need a verbal confirmation” he asked firmly.
One by one each member of Andy’s team gave out their name while the male figure wrote them down.
Barely looking away from his notes, the figure asked out a single name to be questioned first.
“Carin West”
Shivers crawled into her skin as her fellow Miners left the table hesitantly, they didn’t want to leave her alone in a room with two Hunters.
Andy and Mandy were the last two to leave the room, having to be escorted out by the female robed figure.
Locking the door behind her, the female figure nodded knowingly towards her partner before sitting across from Carin.
Carin’s stomach felt like it was twisting in knots as the woman across her simply stared without saying a word...
Suddenly moving, the woman reached for her mask, pointing towards the number displayed.
“Greetings Carin, I am Number Six” she warmly greeted.
What?
Somewhat in shock that the Hunter before her seemed kind or pleasant, Carin almost didn’t notice the odd name.
“Number...Six?” she asked puzzled.
A sudden chuckle erupted into laughter from the male figure as Carin reacted terrified.
“Sorry darling, you’re one of the few people to acknowledge or even notice our names. Most other are too terrified to even pay any attention” he said trying to hold back his laughter.
Darling?
“Please excuse me, I’m Number Five” he greeted while taking a bow.
These are the terrifying savage Hunters I’ve heard about?
Their demeanour and behaviour had taken Carin aback, she was not expecting this at all. It was actually comforting to see they were normal people behind their masks.
“Hello... I’m Carin...” she replied, waving with slight hesitation.
Happily smiling behind his mask, Number Five gestured to Carin and then Number Six.
“Look at that Number Six, she’s also a charmer”
Visibly groaning at Number Five, Number Six pulled out her phone and continued the investigation while her partner happily took a seat at the end of the table.
Scanning through the information already available on her phone, Number Six began by asking Carin a few basic questions about Andy and his team while Number Five jotted down her answers.
The questions weren’t hard to answer, some were a little strange like “what kind of music do you listen to?” or “what do you do in your spare time”.
Each question asked was met with simple answers as Carin began to feel more at ease and safer around the two Hunters.
Tightening her grip on her phone confidently, knowing Carin is now more relaxed Number Six suddenly shifted the questions towards last night’s Portal.
“Last night, your team worked on site with a Mr Bastion Arch and a Mr Daniel Waters. Can you tell me anything about them?”
Carin didn’t notice the shift in tone in Number Six’s voice as she sounded more serious and focused on the question.
Chuckling lightly as though she was unamused, Carin answered the question bluntly.
“They were the most homophobic, racist pricks I have ever met” she said with a straight face.
Amused by her answer, Number Five shook his head as his pen danced on the page, writing down her response.
“So... your team didn’t get along with them?” Number Six asked curiously.
Without thinking Carin blurted out “we all hated them, those fucking Crimson Claws are all scumbags. We just wanted a quick break after being forced to work in shitty conditions all day. But noooo, Mr Waters wanted us to work by his schedule” she said sarcastically.
“Then that asshole insulted Mandy right to our faces”
“Which, err, asshole are you referring to?” asked Number Five as he paused in his notes.
Batting an eyelid in disgust, Carin snarky replied “that bastard Bastion of course” her anger welled up just thinking of the man.
Seeing the frustration covering her face as she scowled, Number Five asked one last question to make sure he understood the animosity between the teams.
“And what did he call her?” he asked as ripped out a blank page, passing it and his pen to Carin.
Even though she was pissed off thinking about Bastion, seeing the Hunter understand the sensitivity of the question was very soothing.
The man before him seemed to know that asking her to repeat the insult was out of the question and it was charming to see that he respected her thoughts on the topic.
Quickly taking the paper and pen, Carin wrote the harsh word that Bastion uttered last night and hastily shoved it in front of Number Five.
“Ah, I see” he said understandably as he showed it to umber Six.
Satisfied with the answers given so far, matching the information Guild leader Gurion has provided so far.
Number Six scrolled through the files on Carin and noticed a locked file attached to her page.
Unlocking the file, her eyes scanned through the sea of information, skimming past anything irrelevant. Until one particular piece of information caught her attention and her interest in Carin.
Noticing Carin’s more relaxed demeanour, Number Six suddenly asked a harder question, taking her eyes away from her phone.
“With Pyroclast gone, why do you stay in Greendenn? With his celebrity status no longer sustaining the town, why are you still here?”
The question hit her like a truck as her heart beat felt heavy “I...I...” Carin stuttered as she struggled with the question.
Number Five quickly stopped taking notes and payed more attention to Carin’s expression, his interest piqued as to why Number Six suddenly asked this question, when she only found out about Pyroclast living here roughly ten minutes ago, and he especially wanted to know why it was so hard for Carin to answer.
“Pyroclast was this town’s only saving grace, with him gone restaurants closed, buildings grew empty and the central park became a feeding ground for junkies. Why, are you here?” Number Six asked as though she was putting more pressure onto the question.
Tears began to stream down Carin’s cheeks as her heart squeezed in agony.
“I...(sob)...I...he’s my dad....I... how could I not stay?.....”
Almost dropping his pen, Number Five was stunned at Carin’s answer and he quickly understood why Number Six had asked it.
Carin is Pyroclast’s daughter! She is the daughter of a former Scorch S-Ranker!!
“It says here you are an Awakened, a Non-Ranker. Which is hard to believe with the legacy you have”
Placing her phone onto the table and pulling a holographic display of Carin’s file, Number Six asked one last question.
“Did you know 95% of all awakened have the same Core element as one of their Awakened parents? On your file it tells me you are a Gale user, if you were to show me your Core, would it be green and not red, like your fathers?” she asked demanding to know the answer.
Pulling back on her chair, Number Six rose and quickly walked around the table and loomed over Carin, waiting for an answer.
Carin shivered in her seat as her throat parched and tears of pain streaked red across her cheeks. Slowly lifting her shaky hand, Carin pulled onto the top of her shirt collar, revealing to Number Six her vibrant green Core nestled in her chest.
Satisfied with colour of her Core, Number Six gently pulled away Carin’s hand from her collar, releasing it from her tight grip.
She knew she had pushed Carin too far with her invasive questions, but Number Six had to be sure Carin couldn’t be the Scorch Murderer.
If she had a red Core in her chest like her fathers, she would have been Number Six’s main suspect for the case.
Only a Scorch user of a mid to high ranking could be the killer, and being the daughter of one of the best Scorch users in the world, Carin would have fit the bill.
And yet... despite having such a legacy, why is she a Non-Ranker...
Seeing Carin in such a state and feeling they have enough information out of her, Number Five unlocked the door and ushered Andy inside.
Andy saw his precious girl in despair and rushed over to her side. He knew Hunters were terrible people, but what did they do to harm his little Blue Bird?
Unable to ask out of fear, Andy carefully guided Carin out of the room. But before he left, he gave an intense look towards Number Five, like he was promising pain for hurting his Carin.
Closing the door behind him, Number Five turned to Number Six who was simply staring at Carin’s empty seat.
“That was excellent quick work on noticing her connection to Pyroclast. At least we can rule her out as a suspect” he said cheerfully.
“But boy, I did not see that coming”
Number Six didn’t respond, she felt like she pushed things too far and was worried for Carin’s mental health.
Noticing Number Six in doubt, Number Five moved over to her side and placed a hand over her shoulder trying to comfort her.
“I know that look, even with the mask it is obvious you’re taking this hard.... maybe becoming a Number was too soon for you” he admitted slightly squeezing his hand.
Quickly shoving Number Five aside, Number Six was shocked at him for saying that.
“Why are you saying that? It was you who wanted me to excel and become a Number, it was you who suggested taking Number Six as my Number. Why are you backing out on me now? And so soon after my second Hunt has begun” she retaliated, visibly disgusted in Number Five.
Taken aback by her words, Number Five had to remove his mask, to clearly display his heartfelt apology to her.
“That was not what I meant” he started calmly, trying to control the situation he started.
“I’m just worried for you. I’m worried you are taking too much of a personal interest in Carin. You know as much as I do that we must act accordingly in order to succeed in the Hunt. Even if it means physically or verbally harming others to achieve this, we must finish the Hunt”
Taking his hands closer to Number Six, his grasped her arms gently, trying his best to calm her down.
“I rushed you through the Hunting program because I saw great potential in you that day. I don’t want you to suffer because I made a mistake and made you a Number too soon. You are, my crowning achievement as my star pupil, and I cannot be more proud of you” he smiled warmly as he eyes watered.
Nodding gently, accepting his apology, Number Six picked up his mask from the table and placed it onto Number Five’s chest.
“You better put that back on... We have a few more Miners to question” she said holding back her tears.
Taking hold of his mask, Number Five winked thankfully to his student as he fixed the mask back onto his face.
“Then, shall we continue?”
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Trivia:
S-Rankers: a term given to the five strongest Warriors. Each S-Rank Warrior commands mastery over their element, as such the S-Rank is only held by the strongest user in their respective element.
Titles: being an S-Rank grants the holder a unique Title, a hero name passed down from former S-Rankers like a form of ritual and a type of prize many Warriors hope to obtain.
- Pyroclast: The fire master of Scorch
- Jetstream: The wind master of Gale
- Galvanic: The electric master of Surge
- Metamorph: The earth master of Gaia
- Cascade: The water master of Torrent167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvyHZpr3gk
Rift Rings/ Rift Gates: invented by the esteemed Dr Adler to combat the large distance needed to travel to close Portals. They are designed and inspired by the Portals themselves.
After spending many years researching how a Portal operates, Dr Adler had finally discovered a way to simulate the raw power that is required in opening an artificial Portal. The five crystals powering the node are the key to space and time itself, however because of this controversial nature of the Rift Gate, only a select few are allowed to use them, such as the Ten and S-Rankers.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIuvJLq64t
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Authors Notes:
So I spent my Christmas banging my head against the desk, frustrated with this chapter... how was your Christmas?
I originally wanted the beginning of this chapter to be the end of last chapters, however it felt better as the opening, which I am happy with.
What I really struggled with was trying to convey convincing dialogue without making them info dumps of random but necessary world building.... my word it was annoying.
Especially trying to tie in Pyroclast suddenly out of nowhere... I wanted badly to mention him sooner in a previous chapter, but I could not for the life of me figure out a perfect place to mention him.
Anyway, next chapter should be easier to write... I hope...
It will focus on the troubles facing Bastion and Mr Waters.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLT2Pgea9GI
Thank you for reading.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxtSPjzzDP
