《The One, The Enlightened》 The One You Swore To Protect

CHAPTER 1: THE ONE YOU SWORE TO PROTECT

- Michiaki: Aaaaaand I am finally done! Michiaki was working on his upcoming school project. He had to create his own 20 Page book. He skeptically looked at his paper one last time. - Michiaki: Why does this last section sound so familiar....? - Very loud boy: MICHI! We will be late for school! Come downstairs! The loud boy screaming from downstairs is Michiaki''s brother, Raiden. Michi is his nickname his brother made up for him. -Michiaki: Gosh, why do you have to be so lousy? It''s really early for you to be that energetic! - Raiden: CAN''T HEAR YOU FROM OVER HERE! COME DOWNSTAIRS! - Michiaki: Fine, let me get my stuff ready at least! Michiaki and Raiden are an unstoppable duo. They are always together and are practically inseparable. They always hang out together, had the same friends together, and were even on the same football team. - Raiden: Finally, what took you so long? - Michiaki: I was finishing up the project we had to prepare for English class. - Raiden: You have to be joking me... This project is due next week! - Michiaki: Well, when you will be struggling to finish it last minute, I won''t be helping you. Annoyed by his brother''s comments Raiden looks to unlock the door. - Michiaki: Your shoes are not tie- Interrupting him mid-sentence, Raiden steps on his shoelaces and falls to the ground head first. - Raiden: Ouch! Why didn''t you say so earlier?! - Michiaki: Be more careful next time! It''s not my fault you are always forgetting to tie them. A woman is heard talking to them through the kitchen window. The woman, in particular, is Ichika Ito, Michiaki, and Raiden''s Mother. - Ichika: Raiden, you forgot your lunch again! Here you go! - Michiaki: Well you know him! He always loses track of time and forgets to do simple things, like tie his shoes or- Raiden playfully gives a punch to Michiaki and while they are both laughing the school bus finally arrives! - Ichika: Both of you have a great day! - Michiaki and Raiden: Bye mom! Both Michiaki and Raiden enter the bus and are greeted by an awkward silence. They are usually both greeted by a swarm of high-fives but today something is off. What is also strange is that tomorrow is election day and Michiaki is running for school council president. Michiaki always treats people nicely is loved by everyone. No wonder why they want to vote for him. It is weird why no one is talking near him. Michiaki finally seats down next to a boy wearing a blue hat and a plain black t-shirt. - Michiaki: Hello Aki! Is everything alright? Akihito Nakamura is Michiaki''s best friend. They always share secrets with each other and is the person Michiaki trusts the most. Aki is a nickname which unsurprisingly, Raiden gave him. - Akihito: Hello Michi! Truth to be told, I am concerned about something and I am afraid that it will affect your performance in the elections. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.Akihito quickly inserts his hand on his left pocket and gets hold of his cellphone. He then opens an article on the web. - Akihito: Take a look at that! Akihito shows Michiaki an article in the school''s online newspaper with the title: '''' Ichimakase High School''s student council president candidate, Michiaki Ito, is a prime suspect of a prank that was pulled of on behalf of the school''s principal'''' - Michiaki: What is this? When did this happen? - Michiaki: You do realize that this is not true right? I mean, why would I ever do such a thing to ruin my reputation? - Michiaki: I need to speak to the principal about that but who would try to impersonate me? Akihito was interrupted by a loud greeting coming from the bus'' entrance. - Michiaki: Hello Hikari! Another hyper-energetic person at 7 that makes me want to stay in bed! - Hikari: Come on Michi! Don''t be so negative! Moreover, tomorrow is election day and we need to hand out flyers and put up posters! - Michiaki: Whatever makes you happy Hikari. Anyways, have you seen Miyuki around? Miyuki is a really strange person. She seems emotionless to other people except for the group and is always alone reading books. She is the mind of the group and is always analytical. - Hikari: No, unfortunately, I haven''t seen you here today at all. But she should be arriving any time now! - Michiaki: Well I certainly hope so! The bus will start any time now! - Hikari: By the way, didn''t Raiden come with you today, Michi? Hikari turns her head to the right and finds Raiden balancing a football on his index finger surrounded by a group of girls. In other words, typical Raiden behavior. While Michiaki goes to approach his slacking brother, a girl taps his shoulder. He turns around. - Miyuki: I am sorry I made you worry, I was finishing up the posters for today. - Michiaki: Oh yea, let me see them. Michiaki takes a look at the posters and pats Miyuki on the head. The three of them laugh for a bit and discuss more the upcoming elections. After a while, Raiden decides to join them, and they all chat together. - Bus Speakers: Hello Ichikamase High School Students! This is your driver speaking we are about to head off. Please take a seat and fasten your seatbelts! And thus, the bus headed off. New Beginnings Hitotsu, satori o aita The One, The Enlightened While they were on the bus, Michiaki took another closer look at the posters. Miyuki had made them perfectly like they were printed in a machine of some sort. She always tried their best to impress them. - Michiaki: Hmm, I guess election day is really important to her as well... His monologue was interrupted by a loud bang on the bus''s backside, followed by high-pitched screams. - Akihito: What happened? Does anyone know? Akihito desperately tried to ask the students but nobody knew what had happened. After a while, the bus went silent and the speakers opened again. - Bus Driver: Hello again Ichikamase high school students. It would seem as if we had a problem with the bus'' wheels. I and the supervising teacher will take care of the problem immediately. Then the bus went loud again and everyone could be heard chatting. - Michiaki: That''s really weird... I think got a flat tire or something like that. - Hikari: I am afraid that''s the case, look outside the windows on your right. The group looked outside the windows and unsurprisingly they saw a blown up tire and the bus driver speaking on the phone. - Raiden: Well, it looks like we are not getting to school any time soon. I also have to go attend some business right about the back of the bus so I will catch up to you later. Bye! Raiden silently went back to the group of girls and they started chatting again as nothing had happened at all. Michiaki looks at Miyuki as she nervously starts looking around. - Michiaki: What''s wrong Miyuki? Is everything alright?Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. - Miyuki: I am worried that we won''t be able to put up the posters today. - Michiaki: Why is that so Miyuki? - Miyuki: I eavesdropped on the driver and heard that help will come in no less than 2 hours. - Michiaki: Well, I guess that can''t be that bad, right? Michiaki pulls his phone out of his pocket and checks the time. It''s 9:30 which means that half of the day will have gone by when someone has arrived. - Michiaki: Nevermind we are screwed... Then, an announcement is made through the bus speakers again. - Bus Driver: Hello again students! This is your driver speaking and I have some good and some bad news. The bad news is that we have a flat tire. The good news is that we have covered more than half the distance so you can walk the rest of the way. Mixed feelings were flooded through the bus as the announcement was made but everyone agreed and started getting off the bus. Michiaki, Hikari, Akihito, Miyuki, and Raiden decided to walk together telling jokes to each other and chatting to pass time. - Michiaki: Aaaaand we have arrived! Woah, time passes by really fast when you have fun. He then checks his phone. It''s 10:05. He then gives a reassuring glimpse at Miyuki. - Akihito: Alright group. Let''s focus a bit today and take advantage of today to set everything up and create the best impression! Mr. Haru didn''t give us time to slack off! I am talking to YOU Raiden! Everyone turns their heads and they see Raiden eating an ice cream sitting in the school cafeteria. - Raiden: Come on, everyone deserves a little break now and then! - Akihito: Yes, especially those who have done nothing to deserve it! Akihito pulls Raiden out of his chair and grabs him by his wrist. - Akihito: Come here! They eventually all group together and share tasks. - Hikari: Sooo, I made this plan here out of all the things we need to do today! Take a look. - Raiden: Put up posters..... Count the fliers... Wait a moment! Why do I have to do all the boring stuff?! And why do I have to put up fliers with mister I-hate-having-fun over there?| Raiden points to Akihito - Akihito: Oh come here yo- - Michiaki: Woah calm down you two! Here Raiden, you can have my tasks. I don''t mind counting fliers. - Hikari: But Michiaki, you are the canditate! You need to talk students into voting for you! - Raiden: You know what? Give me these tasks! I bet you I can put up fliers better than Aki! - Michiaki: That''s the spirit! Now Miyuki, why don''t you help me hand out these fliers? Miyuki silently nods and follows Michiaki. Hikari waves at them and goes to the cafeteria to get them some food. Akihito looks a bit annoyed by Raiden''s comments but eventually follows him. - Hikari: See you soon! Aki! - Michiaki: Bye-Bye! While they both depart to different areas of the school. A black shadow can be seen through one of the windows. - ???: This can''t be true. No! This wasn''t supposed to happen. Seconds later the shadow disappears into nothingness leaving no traces behind. This is it. It''s now or never. Michiaki talks to students with his charming voice followed by Miyuki who hands them her well-made flyers. It was like a dream come true. They were all so happy. Until.... they weren''t. Chapter END The One You Swore To Bystand Hitotsu, satori o aita The One, The Enlightened It was a bright, wonderful summer evening. It was really hot outside and Ichika decided to take her children to the park. A childhood friend of hers also decided to take her child outside that day. They surprisingly bumped into each other at the park. -???: Hey, you! What''s your name? My mum knows your mum so we should be friends. -???: My name is Akihito! Nice to meet you. Are those guys there your brothers? -???: Yes, Raiden is the one on the left with the football in his hand, and Michiaki is the one on the left wearing a baseball hat. Do you have any siblings? -Akihito: No, I don''t and I want to have but, I enjoy being alone sometimes. Also, I get extra ice-cream teehee. -???: I am happy you enjoy your life as it is. It is really important to appreciate what you have and find happiness in things. -Akihito: Umm... Can I ask you a question? What class are you in? I haven''t seen you at school. I knew your brothers attended the same elementary school as me but you? Where have you been? - ???: I don''t leave here. I leave far away, with my dad. That''s why you haven''t seen me. I am also one class higher than you, I attend 6th Grade. -Akihito: Well I hope you get to see your brothers and mother enough. It seems really rough living away from your family. -???: That''s really sweet of you. I am really happy you care about me. You don''t have to worry. I am not living in sadness or grieving. I am really happy to live with my father.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. -Akihito: I see... Oh, I didn''t ask for your name. What''s your name? -???: My name is... Akihito suddenly collapses. Students surround him and Raiden tries to wake him. Soon, the rest of the group arrives at the scene. -Michiaki & Hikari: Akihito! What happened? Wake up! Miyuki silently stares from the back with a very stressed-out look drawn on her face. -Raiden: Stay right here guys! I am going to call the nurse. Raiden sprinted through the hallways towards the nurse''s office. He enters and explains the situation to one of the nurses. The nurses follow Raiden back and try to wake up Akihito. Michiaki decides to throw a bottle of water at his face resulting in him waking up. -Akihito: Wha- where am I? Akihito wakes up confused, but after a moment he bursts into tears. -Akihito: I-, I for-, forgo- Akihito can''t find the courage to speak. Everyone looks confused as they try to comfort Akihito. Michiaki hugs him to calm him down. The students slowly start to leave. Everyone eventually returns to their tasks and Akihito stands up. -Michiaki: Aki, what happened? What are you trying to tell us? -Akihito: I forgot Michiaki, I forgot! -Michiaki: What did you forget? I am sure it''s fine. -Akihito: IT''S NOT FINE! Akihito quickly apologizes for his loud scream and starts crying again. -Akihito: Tell me, Michiaki. Who are the ones closest to you? Who do you call family? -Michiaki: Family is a very broad term. It could either mean the ones related to you, or the ones that you trust the most and are happy to stand by. In the second case, I would have to say you, Raiden, and the two girls that are about to cry behind you. Michiaki points at Hikari and Miyuki who anxiously look at both of them. Akihito laughs for a second but becomes even sadder than before. -Akihito: No, Michiaki. I mean who is related to you. Who do you live with? - Michiaki: Where did that come from...? Um, my brother and my mother, I guess. -Akihito: What about your father? - Michiaki: Well, I haven''t seen my old man in years. He permanently lives in Europe now. We only talk on the phone twice a month. He always used to go on long business trips and make my mother sad so he decided to leave for good. He thought that it would make mum less sad but it made her even sadder. I wish I could see him... -Akihito: What about your sister, Michiaki? -Michiaki: Sister? What are you talking about? I don''t have a sister? -Akihito: In that sense, I forgot your sister''s name CHAPTER END Lost And Forgotten Hitotsu, satori o aita The One, The Enlightened Michiaki''s eyes suddenly grow darker and darker. His facial expression shifts as if what Akihito said was not a joke, and while he doesn''t know, something resonated within him; Something long forgotten, something that he used to grief but now just disappeared. In other words, a part of his soul. -Michiaki: What are you talking about Aki? I don''t have a sister. I never had. Where did that come from? Michiaki''s expression shifts again. He is now more anxious and reserved. -Akihito: I know, Michi, I know... And with that, Akihito took his cellphone out again. The time was 12:30. -Akihito: Time really does fly by, huh? Dim silence filled the room. No one decided to speak up. The whole group was silent. It would be reasonable that they would just laugh it off or not think much about it. What was undergoing them was revival. Revival of an old memory that they still haven''t recovered yet. Something they wished to forget, but now that it is forgotten is grieved. Akihito picked up the posters that fell down and continued his way to the right section of the school. -Akihito: Raiden are you coming or no? Raiden silently nodded and followed him. Michiaki was lost for words. Hikari finally decides to break the silence. -Hikari: Ok... That was unnecessary. We had better keep going or else we will lose our only opportunity to make ourselves the student council! -Miyuki: I agree. Aki, could you please continue without me? I dropped my phone somewhere outside and I need to search for it. - Michiaki: Don''t worry, Miyuki! I will help you look for it! -Miyuki: But, what about the posters? Who will put them up? - Hikari: You don''t have to worry about it! I am finished with my tasks so I can put them up. No Problemo!The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Both Michiaki and Miyuki wave at Hikari as they are about to head outside and Hikari goes inside the school cafeteria. A lurking shadow can be seen again through one of the cafeteria windows. -???: Hmm, interesting. Code green in full activation. The shadow then whispers to herself. -???: Raibaru No Michi, my mission will be accomplished. The shadow then disappears into nothingness once again. Half an hour passes and Michiaki finally finds Miyuki''s phone. -Michiaki: Miyuki! Over here! - Miyuki: Thank you so much Michiaki! I am sorry I caused you so much trouble. - Michiaki: Don''t think about it! I was just helping you out! Miyuki blushes and stars walking towards the school entrance. Michiaki follows behind her. Raiden and Akihito have engaged in a very purposeful argument about whether you should put water on your toothbrush before brushing your teeth. It seems, however, that Raiden will win due to pure strength advantage as he punches him in his stomach. Hikari is done with the posters and a group of classmates can be seen looking at the awe-inspiring posters. Hikari full of pride walks over to them to inform them about Michiaki. Suddenly, an announcement was made through the school speakers. - Mr. Haru (aka The school principal): Hello Ichikamase High School students! This is your principal speaking and we have an announcement to make. A fire has broken out inside the facility and we must immediately go into evacuation mode. Every student must follow the nearest teacher''s instructions and follow them strictly. This is not a drill. Students already outside the facility are obligated not to enter the facility. Leave personal belongings behind. Your safety is our top priority. The group seems equally confused since no fire has broken out anywhere near the school, let alone inside it. Michiaki calls Akihito on his phone. -Akihito: Hello? -Michiaki: Did you hear the announcement. -Akihito: I did and I am 100 % percent sure that no fire has broken out anywhere. - Michiaki: That''s what I also thought. Is Raiden with you? - Akihito: No, he went to the bathroom a while ago. Now that you mention it, he seems to be away for quite a few minutes now. - Michiaki: Make sure you find him. Try to also find Hikari before leaving school. If you happen to find her, tell her to meet up at my place after leaving. Tell Raiden the same thing. All of you, come meet me. I am afraid that those strange occurrences that we have encountered today are planned. Think about it. The broken bus, The strange incident with the break-in, someone impersonating me, my alleged sister, the fake fire alarm. Something or someone is making these things up. There is no way all of these are not connected. Everything up until yesterday was fine, why did all of those things happen now? Why? -Akihito: Okay Michi, I believe you. I am also afraid that these are not strange occurrences. Something is underlying. Akihito takes a deep breath. He is still trying to remember her name. He can''t get over it. It''s eating him. He feels like his soul will get crushed. Moreover, he needs to figure out what is happening to the group while simultaneously being targeted by an unknown enemy. -Akihito: I will do it. I will make it. No matter how many times I fail, I will do it for you. I owe you my like. Here''s to you..... I-. It''s fine. I will remember it. Akihito wipes his tears off his face and rushes to the bathroom. -Akihito: Wait for me, It will all be over soon... CHAPTER END To You, In Another World Hitotsu, satori o aita The One, The Enlightened Akihito enters the Men''s bathroom. -Akihito: Raiden? Are you there? -Raiden: Yes! I''m inside the 2nd stall! My phone is stuck behind the trash bin. -Akihito: Can''t you just move the bin? We need to exit the building quickly! -Raiden: It is screwed to the ground! Who made these bins anyway?! -Akihito: C''mon we don''t have time for that! We need to move fast. We will return to get your phone. Raiden seemingly annoyed silently agrees and follows Akihito outside the school building. The strange shadow reappears inside the bathroom. -???: 2nd stall he said? Perfect. The strange shadow enters the 2nd stall and unscrews the bin. It then grabs Raiden''s Phone. -???: 14052020.... Yes, I remember correctly. The shadow unlocked the phone. The shadow disappeared once again. Raiden and Akihito finally reunite with Miyuki and Michiaki. -Michiaki: Where is Hikari? -Akihito: We couldn''t find her... -Michiaki: That''s fine you stay here I will be right back -Akihito: No! Don''t go! You are already on the edge of punishment with the camera footage, you can''t risk getting expelled for disobeying orders! -Michiaki: Akihito, Hikari needs us OUR friend needs us. What if she is hurt? What if she is unable to move? What is something happened to her in general? Would my getting expelled match her well-being? Being a friend is about backing each other up!If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Akihito didn''t realize his mistake right away but he only wanted to protect Michiaki. He tried to apologize but Michiaki had already gone inside the building. -Michiaki: HIKARI! CAN YOU HEAR ME?? But nobody came. Michiaki went inside the school cafeteria only to find it empty. He then ran off to the eastern side of the school. While running inside a hallway, he spots her curled in a corner sobbing. -Michiaki: Hikari! What happened? Why are you crying? -Hikari: I- -Michiaki: I hate to interrupt you like that but we must get a lead or else we will get caught. Come here! Michiaki grabs Hikari by her hand and leads her towards the exit. They finally reach the others, and they all sigh in relief. -Michiaki: Great, now that we are all here, we can finally plan our next move. I suggest we go to my place to discuss some things. What is happening to us is something planned. I can sense it. There is nothing more suspicious than an anonymous curse that is bound to you and always tries to pull you down without you realizing it. -Hikari: You are right.. something is definitely off! -Raiden & Akihito: I agree Miyuki gives a warm smile towards Michiaki and sighs in relief. -Raiden: Michi can you call Mum to tell her that we will bring the others? I lost my phone inside the bathroom. -Michiaki: Sure thing, wait a second! Michiaki gives a quick phone call to his mother. After a while, he hangs up. -Michiaki: Alright! Everything is set! We can go to my place. Everyone celebrates and starts heading towards Michiaki and Raiden''s place. Everyone is happy again. It''s like nothing had happened, or that they were used to it already..... After a while, they arrive at the house. -Michiaki: Mum! We are here! -Ichika: Well hello there! Look at you, you all have grown up! I haven''t seen you for ages guys! -Raiden: We will be at me and Michi''s room so if you want anything you know where to go! -Ichika: Sure thing! I will be preparing a pizza for you in the meantime! Have fun! The group went inside the bedroom. It was a very well-organized room decorated with anime posters. A few footballs could also be spotted in the corner of the room. In the center, there was a big carpet. -Michiaki: Alright, so we already know that we have encountered a lot of strange things today and we need to try our best to find out who is behind those occurrences. The main issue, however, was the mysterious closure of the school. Obviously, that isn''t true. Do you have any thoughts? -Hikari: Couldn''t it have been a small fire? Not big enough to realize but still a fire. The protocols are really strict so they would have had to do the evacuation nonetheless! -Michiaki: That''s a good point but it doesn''t explain the fact that we were not even allowed to get our stuff before evacuating. If it had been such a small problem, there would have not been a need for that strict level of orders. Anything else? -Miyuki: I have an idea. Everyone looked at Miyuki with a surprised look on their faces. -Michiaki: Well..., what is it then Miyuki? -Miyuki: What if your opponents did it to sabotage your reputation and throw you out of the election. Just like they did with the footage. -Michiaki: I know you really want to support me but this is not a good time to be joking around, Miyuki. -Miyuki: But I- Miyuki is interrupted by a massive slam on the door. -Ichika: What is the point of that, Michiaki Ito? Why did your school call me and tell me that you broke into the school? Why do they want me to go and apologize for your actions? What did you do? CHAPTER END The Day They Crossed Paths Hitotsu, satori o aita The One, The Enlightened Ichika calls out her son one more time. -Michiaki: Mom, I can explain. Nothing ever happened. Someone pulled a prank on me! -Ichika: I am trying my best to believe you but they have detailed footage of you breaking into the school at night time! -Michiaki: Mom, I never left my room last night, let alone the house! Raiden can confirm that cause he stayed up late reading manga. -Raiden: Hey! Don''t go snitching on me now! But yes, it''s true; he never left his room. He was asleep. -Ichika: And how do I know that you two are into it together? You know what, we will discuss it after I get back from school. And with that in mind, Ichika left the house leaving a very awkward aura behind. The group was silent again. Those awkward moments just keep getting more and more intense. They are all devasted and hopeless. They have been trapped in an endless loop filled with problems. -Michiaki: That''s it! I am tired of waiting for something to happen! We need to take matters into our own hands! If we sit down like this all day we won''t accomplish anything! -Raiden: Then what''s your idea danger lover? -Michiaki: I suggest we break into the school. Everyone looks at Michiaki with their eyes wide open. Everyone except Raiden seems to be thinking that Michiaki is crazy. -Raiden: Hell yeah! That''s my brother! I really like this idea.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. -Hikari: Are you serious? What if we get caught? Then what? - Raiden: Would you rather sit with crossed arms in the safety of the house? What''s life without a little danger? -Michiaki: I did not suggest it because I want to have an adrenaline rush, Raiden. I am seeking answers. The only way to find reliable answers is straight from the source. That''s why I want to go inside the school. -Akihito: How do we know that the school is connected to all of this? Do you know anything? -Michiaki: You''ll think I am crazy, but when Aki mentioned my ''''sister'''', I got a weird feeling that only left when I exited the building when we were searching for Miyuki''s phone. I believe we have nothing to lose in this situation. -Hikari: I still believe that this decision is stupid and we will get in trouble but, truth to be told, I also felt something strange inside the school. -Miyuki: Me too! Miyuki suddenly stood up and raised her voice. -Miyuki: We had better do something to prevent more things from happening! This is seriously damaging our mental health and think about the possibilities of it becoming an everyday event! Think about leaving a life full of bad things happening to you! About a life where you are set to fail at everything you do. A path where everyone is being prejudiced about you because someone wants to ruin you! Everyone looked at Miyuki with amazement. Miyuki had never spoken up like that before. You can see how proud Michiaki is through his eyes. Miyuki is right. They needed to do something and they all knew it. Avoiding it would only cause more problems for all of them. Miyuki blushes and quickly sits down. -Miyuki: I- I am sorry.... I shouldn''t have raised my voice like that. Michiaki dashes towards her and gives her a hug. -Michiaki: It''s ok Miyuki. We all have to vent sometimes, don''t we? Michiaki lets her go. -Michiaki: Alright then! Here is my fool-proof plan that will never fail! -Akihito: With that introduction, I am afraid this plan is another step towards failure. -Michiaki: C''mon now! At least here me out first! -Akihito: Alright then! Start talking. -Michiaki: So, you know how our school has this back door that has a broken lock, right? I thought we could maybe go through that door. The bars are really low that way so climbing them won''t be a problem either. When do we enter? I suggest we take notes of our surroundings and then proceed as we go. What do you think? -Hikari: Your plan, I am afraid, is full of flaws. What if the back door got fixed? What if someone spots us? The backdoor is located outside a very large parking lot. -Michiaki: To that, I respond with a big ''''I have no idea cause we don''t have a map of the facility''''. We are in a really difficult position here since we are not expert burglars so we need to risk it. -Raiden: I agree with Michi''s plan. Raiden extends his arm in the middle. -Miyuki: I also agree with the plan. She also puts her hand in the middle] -Michiaki: Hikari? -Hikari: Uhh, fine! I guess we need to do it, don''t we? Hikari puts her hand as well. Michiaki lastly, put his hand on top. -Michiaki: That''s what I like to see! C''mon, let''s get prepared. CHAPTER END The Mix Of Our Feelings Hitotsu, Satori o Aita The One, The Enlightened Michiaki packed up a spare bag he had in his room with things he thought would be useful. -Michiaki: Hmm... Flashlight, check. Cellphone, check. Spare batteries, check. Oh, would you look at that! Michiaki opens one of the many drawers in his room and finds a pair of Walkie-Talkies. -Michiaki: Guys! Come check this out Everyone is now gathered around Michiaki. Raiden looks more excited than the rest of them. -Raiden: Woah! That''s really cool! Let me have a look! Raiden grabs the devices from Michiaki''s hands. Michiaki looks slightly annoyed but doesn''t give it much thought. -Michiaki: I found them inside this drawer and I thought it would be a good idea to get them so that we can communicate inside the school. -Hikari: That''s a great idea, Michi! We can''t risk ringing each others phone''s inside the school. Akihito and Miyuki look at each other and nod in agreement. -Michiaki: It''s set then! I will pack them with the rest of the things I packed. -Akihito: What did you pack, by any chance? -Miyuki: That''s what I was going to ask as well...A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. -Michiaki: Well, glad you ask! You see, I don''t any have any professional breaking-in equipment as I am not a burglar, but I have some things that might help us. For example, a flashlight is a must inside the dark facilities of the school. Some spare batteries for obvious reason and another slightly damaged flashlight... Michiaki takes the slightly damaged flashlight to try and use it. -Michiaki: ....Aaaand as it seems it is working perfectly! -Raiden: Have anything else inside there tech guy? -Michiaki: Well, apart from the Walkie-Talkies you won''t let go off.... no. -Hikari: We are soo busted it''s crazy. -Michiaki: C''mon now! Don''t be so negative! It''s going to work! I have a fool-proof plan, remember? -Hikari: That''s where most of my concerns come from. Michiaki jokingly cries -Michiaki: Boohoo, my friends hate meeeeeeee... Raiden tried to slap Michi but he instinctively dodges it. -Michiaki: Ha, you are so predictable! I can''t even joke for a while without putting my health in danger! They all burst into laughter. A moment later Michiaki stands up. -Michiaki: Alright team! Stand up! We have a mission to accomplish. Everyone stood up. -Michiaki: One last celebration, come. 1..., 2..., 3...! Michi, Aki, Hikari & Miyuki: Go Team! Raiden: Go Raiden''s Team! Raiden screamed so loud that the other voices were covered by his. He is now being chased by the others in the room. They only stopped when Raiden hit his head on the wall and fell. -Raiden: Ouch... -Hikari: Oh my god Raiden, are you alright? -Michiaki: Don''t worry Hikari, he was reset to factory settings. -Raiden: Oh come here you brat! Everyone in the room burst into laughter once again. After a while, they exit the house. -Michiaki: Alright group, let''s g- -Hikari: You have said that a million times just move forward! And thus, they all started heading towards the school. Thenceforth, something changed. The atmosphere of the group grew distant and unpleasant as they moved. It was really strange. In the corner, the shadow figure could be seen again peeking through the bushes. It waited until everyone left sight of the house and snuck inside the house through a window they had left open unintentionally. She entered Michiaki and Raiden''s room. -???: I can''t stand this place anymore. It shed a tear of sadness. -???: When will it end? When will I be able to finally make it? It spoke to itself for a couple of minutes then wiped its tears and stood up. It left Raiden''s phone on the desk and left through the window. It entered the bushes and disappeared once again. CHAPTER END The One To Guide You Hitotsu, Satori o Aita The One, The Enlightened -Akihito: Are we there yet? Why is so school so far from your house?! -Michiaki: You like to jog all around the city in your free time and get impatient from a 10-minute walk? -Akihito: You know, when I jog I have my headphones on and listen to music. I like to be buried in my thoughts when I jog. -Raiden: It will be fun until you get hit by a car! -Akihito: Don''t worry, I am really self-aware! I am always aware of my surro- A small dog blocked Akihito''s path causing him to trip and fall over. This scenery seems familiar. -Hikari: Aww look! A dog! -Miyuki: Where? Miyuki has a very big crush on dogs. She loves them. On the other hand, Hikari is more of a cat person as she is the owner of a yellow cat. Michiaki and Raiden don''t have a special preference. They all now stare at the dog except for Akihito who tries to get up. Nobody helps Akihito. -Akihito: Hello? Does anybody care if I am hurt? -Hikari: You are fine! Now help me approach the dog. She pushes him playfully. Miyuki is now glued to the dog trying to pet it. It is a pure white and fluffy dog. It could easily be misinterpreted as a lamb. Miyuki finally manages to pet the dog. -Miyuki: It''s so fluffy! I love it! Miyuki seems really happy.Stolen novel; please report. -Raiden: Do you think this dog is stray or did it get lost? -Michiaki: Let me check. Michiaki checks around the dog''s neck. He finds a tag on his collar. -Michiaki: I found something! -Hikari: What is it? -Michiaki: It has its owner''s phone and address. -Akihito: Great! Let''s call them! As Michiaki grabs his phone, an old woman approaches them from the corner. -Old Woman: Oh dear, you kids found my dog! Thank you so much! -Michiaki: That''s really good timing! We were about to call you right now! -Old Woman: Thank you for everything darling! Come here, willow! -Miyuki: The dog''s name is Willow... -Michiaki: That was a really pleasant break. I suggest we continue. The sun will start to go down now so we had better get there before it does. -Old Woman: Oh, you want to enter the school? Why do you want to enter it? The woman overheard the conversation. -Michiaki: Well, I am looking for my parents. -Old Woman: Wait a second sweetheart. I recognize your uniforms. You attend Ichikamase High School, right? -Akihito: Yes, but how do you know? -Old Woman: My son is the school''s principal. -Aki, Michi, Hikari, Raiden & Miyuki: Your son is Mr. Haru is your son?? -Old Woman: Well, yes. I can help you enter the school if you''d like! I think my son is also inside the school right now so you won''t have to wait long. Michiaki wanted to accept the kind lady''s help but then became skeptical. Michiaki thought to himself. -Michiaki: It would be really bad if Mr. Haru learned that I wanted to break into the school again at nighttime. I didn''t speak to him about the fake incident so he will come to the conclusion that I want to cause damage or even worse. -Michiaki: It really is ok ma''am. You don''t have to bother you and Mr. Haru. We are all fine by ourselves. -Old Woman: Dear, are you sure? -Michiaki: Yes, and thank you for offering to help us! -Old Woman: It''s alright sweetie, have a nice evening! And with that, the woman finally left. -Raiden: Dude, why did you decline the offer? We would have easily entered. -Michiaki: The idea of Mr. Haru learning that I wanted to go inside the school at night terrifies me since I haven''t explained myself yet. We can do this all by ourselves! -Raiden: If you say so... The group continued to walk and they eventually reached school. -Michiaki: Alright! Good luck, everyone! They all started climbing up the metallic poles that were surrounding the back of the school. Everyone easily made it over, except for Miyuki. -Miyuki: Um... I-... Miyuki has a really big fear of heights and froze in fear. -Michiaki: Don''t worry, Miyuki I will catch you if you fall! Just keep going downwards. Miyuki trusts Michiaki more than anyone so she climbed downwards. She, fortunately, didn''t need Michiaki''s help as she climbed down without a scratch. -Michiaki: Now that we are all here, let''s get the party rolling! And with that Michiaki tried to open the back door, only to realize that it was locked. CHAPTER END The Ties We Made On The Way Hitotsu, Satori o Aita The One, The Enlightened -Akihito: Is this a joke? -Hikari: I told you we should have expected something like this! Michiaki looks ashamed as he avoids eye contact with his friends. -Michiaki: Err, there might be a way around the front! -Akihito: Did you forget that there are guards at the front? Our school is not an ordinary high school! It''s like a mini-city! -Michiaki: Well it won''t hurt if we give it a go! We don''t have anything to lose, do we? The group members looked at each other silently. They tend to do that a lot lately. Huh? -Michiaki: We can always go back home if you don''t want to proceed. There is no point in thinking about the closed door. If we don''t act quickly we will get caught!Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. -Akihito: I also think it is a little dumb to back off now. We need to do something. -Hikari: You do realize that we don''t have any kind of magical powers right? It would have been perfect that way! -Michiaki: It''s not like we need to break walls or something! We are just going to sneak past the guards and enter. -Hikari: What if the front door is closed? -Michiaki: They leave the windows open to renew the air -Hikari: What if they are clo- -Michiaki: We can enter through the ventilation system. It''s wide enough to fit 1 person at a time. -Hikari: What if w- -Michiaki: We won''t make noise because the ventilation is soundproof. -Hikari: Fine smartass! Let''s continue your ''''foolproof'''' plan. Let''s get this over with! -Miyuki: Em... Michi? -Michiaki: Yes? Miyuki looks at Michiaki. Her eyes because extremely wide and she has a very creepy look on her face. -Miyuki: How do you know all this information about the school? -Michiaki: I don''t..... I- Michiaki himself doesn''t know where he learned all of this. Michiaki starts fading away as Akihito did at school. He starts to lose balance and finally collapses. Akihito, Miyuki & Hikari: Michi! They all rush towards Michiaki. Akihito throws water at him from his bottle. Michiaki shows no signs of waking up. Akihito stands up shocked and alarmed. He looks extremely frightened. -Akihito: Guy... Guys!!! -Hikari: What happened? -Akihito: Wher-... Wh-... He has difficulty finding words. -Hikari: For goodness sake, Akihito! Spit it out! We are really scared! -Akihito: Where-... Where is Raiden? They all look around and Raiden was nowhere to be found. CHAPTER END To Protect, To Care And To Love Hitotsu, Satoria o Aita The One, The Enlightened -Hikari: Okay, calm down! When was the last time any of you two saw Raiden? -Miyuki: Now that you mention it.... I don''t think Raiden came to the school at all... -Akihito: I haven''t seen him either.... -Hikari: We need to search for him. -Miyuki: But.. We can''t leave Michi like that! Someone needs to protect him. You go looking for him and I will stay here to look after Michi. The two of them surprised again by Miyuki''s confident speech, agreed to the plan. -Akihito: Ok Miyuki. We will leave now, ok? -Miyuki: It''s fine. Really, it is. I could never abandon him. -Hikari: We know Miyuki. You really care for him. Not that you don''t care for the rest of us but you know... -Akihito: I don''t think it is the right time to discuss these events. We have priorities. Come Hikari. Miyuki, we will return soon! -Miyuki: Bye... Miyuki waved at them whilst shedding a tear. She is carefully watching over him and also tries to wake him by mildly slapping him. Michiaki seems unresponsive from the slapping. There is nothing she can do so she continues to watch over him. Meanwhile, Hikari and Akihito decided to follow the road which they took to come to school. They finally reached the spot where they met the old lady. Akihito goes inside a small passage that leads to the back of the grocery store. To his surprise, he finds Raiden, and in front of him is someone with a very big hood. -Akihito: Raiden! Akihito calls out for Raiden. The moment he does, the person turns around to look at Akihito then turns back to Raiden. He tells something to Raiden then snaps his fingers. With that movement, he disappears. -Raiden: What took you so long! I thought I was gonna die in here!Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. -Akihito: I am really sorry, Raiden! Your brother collapsed and he had to take care of him. -Raiden: Of course he gets taken care of first. My perfect brother. -Akihito: Don''t make me remind you of what you did. You are really lucky that he still speaks to you! Raiden looks at Akihito with an expression that is a mix of annoyance and sadness. -Raiden: ... -Akihito: Come on! Let''s get you back. We need to enter the school. -Raiden: FIne.. Raiden not being able to make even one step collapses. -Akihito: Raiden! Not you too! Hikari! In here! Quick, I need help! -Hikari: What happened? Did you find him? -Akihito: Well, look for yourself! The brothers share the same fate. -Hikari: What happened this time? Did you find him like this? He then explains everything to Hikari. -Hikari: What? Are you high? Did you eat anything rotten? -Akihito: I swear! This is what happened! -Hikari: Then how are you so calm? What you described to me was terrifying and really strange! -Akihito: I really don''t know.... -Hikari: Why didn''t you ask him what happened? We could have easily learned something! -Akihito: I was waiting for him to calm down, alright? I didn''t know that he would collapse! Stop blaming me now and help me carry him back to school! While Hikari and Akihito were struggling to fix the situation, Miyuki accidentally fell asleep. Michiaki suddenly wakes up. He tries to get up but realises that Miyuki has rest on top of him. He gently tries to move her as to not wake her up but the inevitable happens. -Miyuki: Hm.....? Miyuki still half asleep realized what she had done. She gets up extremely fast and hides behind the corner in embarrassment. -Miyuki: I-.. I a-.. I am really sorry, Michi.... Michiaki laughs it off and approaches Miyuki. -Michiaki: Come on now! You didn''t do anything bad! You just fell asleep! Truth be told, I should also thank you. Thank you for protecting me and staying beside me. Miyuki becomes more embarrassed than before. She slowly comes out the corner and tries to speak with her head glued to the ground. -Miyuki: You have nothing to thank me for.... I have only caused trouble..... -Michiaki: Don''t ever say that! Now, come here and tell me where the others are. Miyuki explains to him what happened. -Michiaki: Interesting... This situation is getting unnecessarily problematic. However, I have something more important to speak to you about, Miyuki. Miyuki waits silently for Michiaki to start speaking. Michiaki leans into her right ear. -Michiaki: This is a really big secret, so please don''t tell anybody about it. This will stay between us, ok? Miyuki nods in agreement. -Michiaki: So..... Michiaki says something to Miyuki. Miyuki starts getting really anxious. Midway through, she is clearly in shock. After a few seconds, she starts crying. Michiaki finally finishes. Miyuki quickly hugs him. She starts crying on his chest uncontrollably. -Miyuki: I don''t want to believe you... How.. Why... I can''t process it..... Michiaki pats her on the head. -Michiaki: Don''t worry, Miyuki. The pieces will eventually come together. I still have a large portion missing, but I am sure we will find it together. All of us. The truth will prevail. The dark shadow appears again. This time some pieces of clothing can be seen. It wears a plain black t-shirt and black pants. It''s shoes are black and white. -???: Yes... Plan activated. Everything will come back together. There is still hope.... Right, Akira? A yellow cat lures from the shadow figure. -Akira: Let''s hope that this time it will work. The one to save us. The one to save everybody... Here''s to you, The Enlightened. CHAPTER END Dear Diary, Today I Turned My Back To Darkness The inevitable greed. The dark thoughts luring from the back. The ability to compromise but not to comprehend with others. My birthday. The diary entries have finished. I have nothing left to say. I have nothing left to show. The truth has been revealed. The light is not always the correct choice. Handling is key to success, and the ones possessing the knowledge are no exception. Whatever is causing this will think that this is no more than mere entertainment to him. We are the fools. We believed we would change so we shifted towards our goals. We believed his words when he climbed up the tower and shouted to his people. Words of encouragement. The people were excited. We were promised victorious battles and freedom. The leader lied. He was a manipulator. He didn''t care about his people. He was merely money-driven. But we had no choice. The first rival user. That sounded promising to a land of powerless people getting destroyed more and more as time goes by. He was our only hope. The only thing keeping our sanity glued to our black glowing souls. We had been eliminated from the map. We were not accounted for. 19th May 2057. That marks the day my brother stopped writing these damn diaries. It was my birthday. My own damn birthday. I can''t even imagine seeing what he saw these days. It was my fault. I shouldn''t have let him do it. It was me who was supposed to go down there. He spends hell on earth because of him. I still can''t forget his eyes when he looked back at me crying with a smile on his wounded face. It was a smile of forgiveness; and a smile of happiness that he was finally able to make me happy. He forgave me for my actions, and I gave him more pain. Going down the stairs, he waved at me. It was the heaviest goodbye of my entire life. I now live to regret it. The brutes don''t stop. I need a savior. I need someone to cry to. I need¡­. Another copy of myself. God, I wish I had cool powers. Maybe I should stop wishing about things that would inevitably bring more pain. A lie. That''s what brought me to this mess. A very big lie. That one day, she approached me. Her eyes were shining and she wore a beautiful purple dress. I liked that dress. As a matter of fact, I had given her that dress as a gift. She never wore it, however. She said she kept it for ''''special occasions only''''. I didn''t really think much of it until I saw her wearing that dress at that moment. My heart skipped a beat as she opened her mouth. The words that came out were horrific. She destroyed my life with these words. I sure am a fool for believing her. The situation is difficult. I don''t think I am going to make it. So I am guessing this is the last chance I get to leave something for this cruel world to remember. I will be forgotten. Lost in the sand of time. But I want you, the one reading this right now, to stop reading for a second and think all the times your friends let you down. Think of all the times you felt disappointed in your friends, a time where you know they tried their best to make up for you. Think all the times you felt proud of your friends. You''d do anything to make them happy, right? That''s what I thought so. So remember this key thing. Carry the burdens of those unable to carry your dreams. Don''t let them down. This is the hefty price I am paying. I didn''t believe I could put them back on their feet again. Just like I did to my brother. I have to go now, my duty is to reach out to me. Be safe for me. Thank you, and goodbye. The One, The Enlightened Hitotsu, Satori O Aita.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Miyuki has finally calmed down. Michiaki reaches his hand onto her but a scream stops him from pulling Miyuki up. -Hikari: Michi!!!! Michiaki turns his head to the left to find Hikari running towards him. She hugs him tightly. -Hikari: I was so scared something might have happened to you! -Michiaki: I am fine, Hikari! Look! I hope I didn''t make you too worried. Did you find Raiden? -Hikari: Yea, he was following me a minute ago... Wait how do you know about that? -Michiaki: You forgot you left miss Miyuki with me earlier. Miyuki giggles. Hikari: Oh yea righ- Waaaaaait a hot second! Where did he go? Everyone turns around surprised not to see Raiden around. -Michiaki: Don''t tell me he took a wrong turn and got caught up again!! -Hikari: I mean, he is really clumsy after all. -Michiaki: Well, we have to do something about it!!!!! -Hikari: Right! I came from¡­. Ah yes! Right here! Follow me! Everyone followed Hikari sprinting. Michiaki stops running and looks inside a small bakery. -Michiaki: This has to be a joke¡­ WHY IN THE HELL DID YOU SCARE US LIKE THAT?!?!?!??! -Raiden: Uhhhhhh, hello?? -Michiaki: Hikari!!! Miyuki!!!! I found the slacker!!!! -Hikari: Oh this has to be a joke. Come here! Hikari punched Raiden in the arm with all her power. Raiden falls to the ground. -Raiden: WHY ARE YOU SO DAMN STRONG?? OUCH¡­. A moment later, Akihito entered the bakery. -Akihito: WHERE AHAVE YOU ALL BEEN?!??! I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR YOU EVERYWHERE!!! -Hikari: Didn''t I tell you to follow me back? -Akihito: Do you realize how fast you run? -Cashier: Excuse me are you going to pay or not? -Raiden: Oh yea, here you go! Raiden pulls Michiaki''s wallet from his pants. -Michiaki: Are you kidding me?? Give that back!! -Raiden: Nonono. As a responsible brother, you have to buy us all something because you scared us like that!! -Michiaki: You went missing as well!! I was not the primary cause of all that anxiety and fear!!! Was I? Everyone nodded in agreement. -Michiaki: Uhhh fine! But only this time, ok? Everyone nodded in agreement once more. After they bought everything, Michiaki (other than an empty wallet) was left with a very nostalgic feeling. He misses going on adventures with his friends. Since the accident, everything changed. Nothing is the same anymore, and it will never be. By the time they had eaten, the sun had gone down. -Michiaki: Ok guys! I know it''s already pretty late so why don''t we all stay at my place for the night and go search the school tomorrow after the elections? -Miyuki: That sounds like a great idea! We can have some snacks too! -Akihito: Yea that sounds like a great idea! Let''s do it! Everyone then headed towards The Ito''s property. Michiaki unlocked the door with his key and entered the house. -Michiaki: Mom? There was no response. -Hikari: Where is ms Ichika? It''s already 10 am she can''t still be at the school!!!! -Michiaki: She may have gone out for a walk. Let me call her. Michiaki rang his mother, but nobody answered. -Miyuki: Michi! There is a note on the kitchen table! -Michiaki: Let me see it. Michiaki sprinted towards the kitchen. On the kitchen table was a hand-written note and a photograph. -Michiaki: ''''I hope you don''t mind but we needed your parents for some¡­. Behavioral readjustment. Don''t worry although! You will meet them soon.'''' As he read the note all of them froze in fear. Michiaki quickly looked at the photograph to find his mother and his father handcuffed inside a dark room. Also to his surprise, the kitchen window was open. THE END @ito_michiaki is the truth. We will prevail. Pay close attention. Our history is in great danger. I Was Shown Its Darkest Side Until The Moonlight Broke Apart I didn¡¯t have much. I lived in luxury, my parents had big salaries and I wasn¡¯t denied anything. I was also popular. Everyone knew about me. I was the school prodigy and genius. I am surprised that they even cared the slightest about me. I might have lived surrounded by most things a teenager my age wanted, but I didn¡¯t have anything. I felt empty. I still do. I don¡¯t deserve anything that has been given to me. I hate myself. I don¡¯t know how long I will last. I am afraid I have reached my breaking point. People I love are gone, people, I respect and care about. I don¡¯t care what happens to me. I just want to hear those words all over again one more time. They made me feel I was valued in life, and it wasn¡¯t because of my existence. It was because of my presence. Those words do have quite the meaning, don¡¯t they? Man, I love wordplay. They make literature a science of its own. Since I started associating myself with literature I have developed a lot. I love how the writer can get hold of its readers'' souls and pass on such powerful emotions. Who would have guessed that fictional characters would have such a meaning, huh? That was my obsession. Do you know how some people have a lot of pets? They bring ones warmest feelings and motherly nature. Oh, have I mentioned that I like dogs? It''s because I don¡¯t like them, but I love them! Gosh, I wish I had a pet. My parents are always busy with work so maintaining one would be very difficult. I''m not a laid-back guy either. My brother is out of the question as well. I hope I reach someone with this. I hope that whoever finds this, uses their knowledge for good. I have no option but to trust you. Thank you. The One, The Enlightened Hitotsu, Satori O Aita Chapter 12: I Was Shown Its Darkest Side Until The Moonlight Broke Apart 20th September marks today¡¯s date -Michiaki: Is this some kind of sick joke? If someone is playing on me, it is your final chance to reveal everything. The room went completely silent. Awkward glanced filled up the room making everyone more anxious. -Michiaki: This has to be a joke. I am going to prove it now. Michiaki nervously pulled his phone out. His hands are trembling and he has great difficulty dialing. -Michiaki: C¡¯mon mum, answer¡­.. -???: Well, hello there! How are you doing this fine day? -Michiaki: WHO IS THIS? ARE YOU THE SOURCE OF THE PRANK? -???: Prank? What prank? Did you hit your head on the way home darling? -Michiaki: You know exactly what I am talking about so speak up now! -Akihito: Michi... Calm down ple- -Michiaki: I said SPEAK UP NOW! -???: Woah there young man! It is a bit immature to yell at the person who has hold of your mother. The atmosphere is as awkward as it has ever been. The others question whatever made Mitchiaki¡¯s face go so blunt. Miyuki tries to approach him but is stopped by Hikari. Akihito speaks up. -Akihito: Mitchi! Keep it together, please! -Michiaki: What are you saying¡­¡­ What can possibly make you say that¡­Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. -Ichika: MICHIAKI!! -Michiaki: MOM? What is happening? What is this man saying? -Ichika: Listen, this is serious ok? Don¡¯t even consider doing whatever this man says to you. I will be fine, I promise. -Michiaki: Mom, where are you? Who is this man? What is happening? -Ichiaki: I am afraid I can¡¯t tell you, but I am safe so don¡¯t worry. - Michiaki: Wha- Why? -Ichika: Listen, he wants the phone back. Just be sure not to come to find me. Ok? -Michiaki: No¡­. I Can¡¯t¡­. -???: How was your little chat with your mother, Michiaki? -Michiaki: What do you want from us¡­ Raiden approaches Michiaki -Raiden: Give me the phone¡­ NOW! Michiaki passes the phone to Raiden. Michiaki falls on his knees devastated. Miyuki rushes to Michiaki and hugs him from behind. -Raiden: WHO ARE YOU??? WHAT DO YOU WANT?? -???: Well you tell me what YOU want! You were the one that called me! -Raiden: Why do you have my parents handcuffed? -???: Some unfinished work that had to be done. Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t come after you. You cannot help us after all. -Michiaki: Why¡­¡­. This is the way I see my father after so many years? And why¡­¡­.. Michiaki is unable to speak. He starts bursting into tears. -Michiaki: Mother¡­. -Miyuki: I promise Michiaki¡­ We will find her¡­. And your father. -Michiaki: How are we supposed to do that?? We have no clue where they are? -Raiden: We are going to contact the police. Do you hear that fuckface? -???: If the police gets involved you can tell your goodbyes to your parents right now. I am not playing any games with you, spoiled brats! -Raiden: You better pray we don¡¯t find you, because if we do your face will meet my shoe! Do you understand that gramps? -???: You kids sure are funny! I would suggest not trying to look for us. And this is a warning. The other end suddenly hung up. Everyone was shocked. Michiaki had broken down and wouldn¡¯t do anything. Raiden was fighting the urge to throw the phone against the wall. Hikari was trying to keep her sanity together while trying to help Michiaki stand up. Akihito tries to calm down Raiden and Miyuki is still hugging Michiaki. Michiaki finally stood up. -Akihito: There is no point in doing anything right now. We have to think rationally. I suggest we discuss this tomorrow. -Hikari: I agree. Me and Akihito will prepare the guest room for me and Akihito. The rest of you, try to put Michiaki to bed. He is the one that needs to rest the most. Everyone accomplished their tasks and after they were all done they met in the living room. -Akihito: That sure was something, wasn¡¯t it? -Raiden: This can¡¯t be happening. What is happening to us? -Hikari: This surely has to be connected. There is no way all of the things happening to us are coincidences. It can¡¯t be. Miyuki headed upstairs to find Michiaki. As she entered the room all the old memories shook her again. Everything that they had been through, all the times she would come in here and play endlessly with all the various toys. She still remembers every single thing very clearly. How could she forget? She spent the best hours of her life here. As she approached his bed a cold aura hit her. She turned her head to the left and on his desk she noticed a small notebook. She opened it to find Michiaki¡¯s unfinished essay. She started reading it. She already knew that he was an extremely talented writer but that one essay, was different. Miyuki couldn¡¯t hold back her tears while reading. Michiaki managed to bring Miyuki such nostalgia just by writing a school essay. She reads the topic of the essay. ¡®¡¯Describe your best childhood moment.¡¯¡¯ She giggled. After a while, she closed the book and headed towards Michiaki. Michiaki was fast asleep and he still had tears on his face. Miyuki quickly wiped them and laid her head on his stomach. She started thinking of all the amazing things the group had been through. She didn¡¯t let herself be consumed by the infinite darkness of the void. -Miyuki: No matter what happens, I promise you that we will make it. Those reassuring words were more impactful to herself rather than sleepyhead Michiaki. She giggled one more time before closing her eyes. She was also fast asleep. 21st of September marks the day of the elections. The night goes by and the next morning comes. -???: Michiaki!! Wake up! You will be late for school! -Michiaki: Hmm? What? -Ichika: Wake up dummy!! -Michiaki: MOM?? Michiaki quickly stands up and hugs his mother. -Ichika: Whoaa there! What happened?? -Michiaki: Thank God you are ok! What did they do to you? How did you get back? -Ichika: What are you talking about, Michiaki? Did you see a nightmare? -Michiaki: It felt too real for it to be a dream! Where are the others? Did they already leave for school? -Ichika: What do you mean? Did anybody spend the night here? -Michiaki: Hmm. Maybe they left home before you came back. -Ichika: Came back from where honey? -Michiaki: Hahaha, are we playing this game right now? Anyways! It is election day today so I had better get ready and call the others. -Ichika: Isn¡¯t election day tomorrow? -Michiaki: No it can¡¯t be! We were handing out the flyers yesterday! Michiaki quickly takes a look at this phone and checks the date. The date is 20th September. That¡¯s when the shock came in. THE END Holding our hands until the end The One, The Enlightened Hitotsu, Satori O Aita Chapter 13: Holding our hands until the end -Michiaki: Uhhhh -Ichika: Is there something wrong, honey? -Michiaki: Just a quick question. Did you go to my school yesterday afternoon? -Ichika: No. Why would I do that? -Michiaki: This isn¡¯t a prank right? -Ichika: What prank? I am really confused. Did I do anything wrong? Michiaki feels continuous chills down his spine. The everlasting sensation of fear and agony has long been gone but replaced by feelings of devastation and exhaustion. -Michiaki: Nevermind. You can have breakfast without me today. I need some time to think about something. -Ichika: You two are acting weirdly this morning. Did something happe- Ichika¡¯s sentence was cut short by Michiaki¡¯s aggressive questioning/ -Michiaki: What do you exactly mean by ¡®¡¯you two¡¯¡¯? -Ichika: Your brother also thought I was pulling a prank on him! Like I did anything to anger him! -Michiaki: I am sorry mum but I have to go. You can have breakfast without me. -Ichika: If you insist. Just make sure to ear something before going to school today, okay? You need to prepare for the elections. I have to leave for work so I¡¯ll go eat fast and leave. Have a great day at school! -Michiaki: You don¡¯t have to worry about it! Goodbye! And with that, Michiaki sprinted out of his neatly tied room and rushed into Raiden¡¯s room. -Raiden: Please tell me you haven¡¯t forgotten. -Michiaki: What¡¯s going on? Are we going insane? Is someone playing with us? -Raiden: I seriously have no idea. Did mom get her memories erased or something? -Michiaki: Could it be possible that this ¡®¡¯man¡¯¡¯ brainwashed her? -Raiden: Calm down there pal. It is just a theory. Don¡¯t take it too far just yet. -Michiaki: You are right. I am going to give a call to Hikari. We need to confirm whether we are the only ones with memories. Michiaki grabs his phone and starts dialing. He briefly notices that in his recent calls, there was no communication between him and his mother for the past 24 hours. Not giving much thought, he continues to dial Hikari¡¯s phone number. -Michiaki: Please pick up, please pick up¡­. -Hikari: Michiaki! I was just about to call you. Please tell me you still remember! -Michiaki: I do, and so does Raiden. We have no clue of what¡¯s going on. -Hikari: What happened with your mom then! If it truly is the 20th again, your mother should be home! -Michiaki: You are right. She is here, but she doesn¡¯t have any memories. It is like she never experienced yesterday. I mean today. You get the point. -Hikari: So do my parents. This is strange. Nobody seems to have experienced anything except us. Did Akihito call you? -Michiaki: No, but I hope he still remembers. We will have a massive problem if he doesn¡¯t. I haven¡¯t spoken with Miyuki either. -Hikari: Okay, I suggest we meet up at school as usual. If everything is the same, we should experience the same events. Listen, I know you are still shocked about what happened yesterday, but if your mother and possibly your father as well get kidnapped again, we will have to go through all of it again.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. -Michiaki: I see where you are going. And I hate to admit it, but we have no other choice but to¡­ -Michiaki & Hikari: Follow her on her way to school. -Michiaki: Goddammit. I was hoping we didn¡¯t have to do that. -Hikari: Why, Michi? -Michiaki: Seeing your mother getting kidnapped is not a very good sight. Also, that doesn¡¯t guarantee that we will get proof. -Hikari: Listen. We have no other choice but to do it. It is hard for all of us. Just imagine if we don¡¯t repeat the same day, and miss the only opportunity given to us to take a lead. -Michiaki: Okay¡­ -Ichika: Put me on speaker, please. I want Raiden to also hear me. Michiaki pushes the speak button. -Hikari: Listen to me carefully. We will follow the daily schedule as in every normal day. After the fire gets called out, we will move straight back to your house and wait until Ichika leaves. Then we start following her. Understand? -Michiaki & Raiden: Yes. -Hikari: Great. I have to go eat breakfast now. See you on the bus. And so Hikari hung up. -Raiden: We should probably also call Akihito. -Michiaki: You are right. You do it. I am really hungry. I¡¯ll go get something to eat. -Raiden: Yes, my master! I will follow your orders even if it brings my death! -Michiaki: Stop being ironic! This is a serious matter! -Raiden: Whatever. Bring me a sandwich when you come up again, ok? Michiaki nods and heads downstairs. Raiden takes Michiaki¡¯s phone and calls Akihito. -Akihito: Yes? -Raiden: Akihito? Please tell me you remember! -Akihito: Remember what? -Raiden: About last night! -Akihito: What was so special about last night? Raiden froze in fear. There was an awkward silence for a bit before Akihito decided to speak up. -Akihito: I wish I could see your face right now! Hikari called me earlier and explained the whole situation. -Raiden: Trust me, you don¡¯t know how hard I want to punch you right now! -Akihito: Woaaah, chill there big guy. Is Michiaki alright? Does he remember? -Raiden: He is fine, but I have something serious I want to talk to you about. -Akihito: Is it about what I think it is? -Raiden: Yes. This time is getting serious. -Akihito: Isn¡¯t it better if we let him snap out of it? -Raiden: Are you kidding me? You remember what happened the last time he did! -Akihito: I still insist that letting him leave in that lie is a punishment for something he doesn¡¯t deserve. -Raiden: We don¡¯t have a choice. It¡¯s either this or¡­ -Michiaki: Raideeeen! I brought you your sandwich!!! -Raiden: I have to go. I¡¯ll tell you when I get another chance. And with that Raiden hung up. -Michiaki: So is everything alright with Akihito? -Raiden: Yes and Hikari already spoke with him so he is informed about the plan. -Michiaki: Great! I¡¯ll just call Miyu- -Raiden: Actually why don¡¯t you go check the bus timetable? I think they changed it recently. -Michiaki: I know that you are stupid, but you do remember that we are repeating the same day, right? -Raiden: Oh yea, I forgot. Anyways, I¡¯ll call her, you go downstairs. -Michiaki: If you insist soo much! I¡¯ll go watch TV or something. Michiaki headed downstairs. Raiden lets a sigh of relief puts Michiaki¡¯s phone in his pocket. He then follows Michiaki downstairs. -Michiaki: That was quick! What did she say! -Raiden: Uh, she is fine! She also agrees with the plan. -Michiaki: Ah, that¡¯s a relief. Know we just have to do exactly what we did yesterday. I mean today. You get what I mean. -Raiden: Yeah ok. Is that the bus I am hearing? -Michiaki: I think it is. And if I remember correctly we will not be having a very warm welcoming today. -Raiden: I agree but you should take a closer look at the video Akihito showed you. Maybe whoever did that is somehow connected to everything. -Michiaki: I highly doubt it, but okay¡­ They both stepped out of the house and went inside the bus. The atmosphere inside was exactly the opposite of what they expected. Everyone was cheering them up and clapping. Some people were even holding signs that read ¡®¡¯Michiaki for student council president¡¯¡¯. Nowhere near as to what happened yesterday. -Michiaki: Is this some kind of sick joke? -Raiden: Please tell me we are dreaming¡­ Michiaki proceeds to sit next to Akihito once again. -Akihito: I think we are in big trouble. -Michiaki: You think so? -Akihito: Not only the atmosphere was completely different from last time, but the video of the intruder also was never uploaded. -Michiaki: What? Do you mean that no one sabotaged us? -Akihito: Exactly. This is almost too good to be true. I wonder what we find in the afternoon. I am almost too scared to think about it. -Michiaki: Wait, why is the bus going? Miyuki hasn¡¯t come yet! -Akihito: Didn¡¯t you call her? -Michiaki: No, Raiden said that he will do it himself. -Akihito: He did, huh? Akihito gives an alerting glance at Raiden who is as always with a group of girls in the back of the bus. Hikari jumps from the front seat. -Hikari: Why don¡¯t you call her right now? -Michiaki: I will. Michiaki tries to call her but nobody responds. -Bus Driver: Dear Ichikamase High School students, we will now start our path to our school. Please fasten your seat belts. -Michiaki: This is bad. I hope she makes it. As Michiaki finished his sentence, the dark figurine slightly appears after the remaining smoke the bus leaves behind. -???: What do you think happened, Akira? -Akira: This has never happened before. I guess this is the one. -???: I hope so. THE END Revealing the one that was lost Another day passes with no clear picture. I stopped counting a while ago. My mind started playing games with me today. For a brief moment I saw her sitting in the corner. She glanced at me and giggled. The memories started flooding. One time in kindergarden, she came up to me with a pack of cards in her hand. Each one had a flower drawn on it. She turned the deck upside down and made me pick a card. I chose one randomly. She looked very satisfied when I picked the card. Its the kind of feeling you get when somebody makes your favourite food for you. When its a cold friday evening, and you gather around the living room table with all of your friends. Everything defines logic at that moment. Every thought you have, stops existing and you only focus on what¡¯s important. I never got to see what card I picked. She took it and hid it in her right pocket. When I asked her to show me what card I chose, she frowned, saying it was a surprise. I never got to see it. Not until that day. The day that reshaped my view on everything in life. The day I started to appreciate the stray dogs in my neighbourhood that would let me pet them. The one cat that used to roam inside our old primary school. The abandonded house we used to explore. My own feelings¡­ Her mother came up to me a day after. She decided that it would be best if I received something that was hers. Clearly emotionally dead, her mother left the house, after reminding me of how important and impactful I was to their household. I gently opened the box. Inside, there was a beautiful blue Jade Vine. I remember in 4th Grade, we had a conversation about flowers. I told her that I really liked exotic flowers. I didn¡¯t really have a particular interest in flowers. I want to be seen as a person with taste. The last thing I wanted was for her to believe that I am a boring normal person. A few weeks after our conversation, she and her family took a trip to the Philippines. She brought back a magestic Jade Vine, a very rare turqoise flower. She loved that flower. I never knew why. It was extremely precious to her. Every day she would come home early to take care of it. I don¡¯t know much about these, but it surely caught my eye. So seeing the flower amongst the things her mother gave me, was heartbreaking. I put the flower aside, and grabbed an envelope. It was already open, but it was clearly very well prepared. Inside the envelope, was a red poker card and a note. I unfolded the note. ¡®¡¯Dear Michiaki, things are not looking very good. I have been hospitalized once again, and I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to see you again. I didn¡¯t tell you, because I don¡¯t want you to see me in that mess. I don¡¯t want you the last memories of me to be of an attrocious state. I am writing this letter to apologize. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be there for you. Im sorry if I seemed a bit of a jerk. Im not very good with emotions lately. I am not like my past self. I miss getting excited about going to school, instead of hoping its over. I miss enjoying the surface of life, instead of burning inside the fold. I want you to accomplish one last selfish request. Please remember me. The last months I pushed away everyone that considered me a friend. I had no one to talked to. The only one who accepted my awful behavior, was you. You were the one that made my last months on this planet the best of my life. I owe everything to you. Thank you. Inside this envelope, is the card you picked. It¡¯s from the deck I showed to you in kindergarden. You probably must have forgot by now¡­ It¡¯s okay tho! I just wanted to give it to you¡­. I don¡¯t want you crying. I will remain by your side. I will never stop protecting you. I will never stop loving you¡­. I am thankful to you eternally. You are the best thing that has happened to me. You are the only reason I am not so scared of death, because I know that at least you were with me until the end. Thank you, and goodbye. With much love, ¡­.. ¡®¡¯ Heh. I forgot her name¡­ the effect is finally kicking in. Anyways, I dropped the note and grabbed the card. I turned the card upside down. The card showed a very distorted picture of a flower. I then looked at the bottom. With big red letters, it wrote: ¡®¡¯ Jade Vine¡¯¡¯. That must have been the moment I felt the worst in my entire life. I was crying for multiple days. That¡¯s why my brain made me forget everything. Yea, that must have been the reason. Anyways, thank you for talking to me again today. You are my only hope. The One, The Enlightened Hitotsu, Satori O Aita Chapter 14: Revealing the one that was lostUnauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ???: We can¡¯t afford to do this again! How long will it last? Akira: Trust me, we need to let it go. This experimental protocol is not going to work! ???: What other options do we have? You saw what happened the last time. This is the only way. I don¡¯t want to do it again! Akira: Leave it up to me. They will figure it out very soon. Remain calm. It¡¯s going smoothly. ???: Please don¡¯t make me regret this. Akira: I won¡¯t. Do you trust me? ???: Yes¡­ Akira: Then let me handle it. Do you have any news on the other front? ???: No, nothing new as usual. Akira: Great! That means we still have time. We need to act quickly. ???: I guess so¡­ Akira took a last look through Michiaki¡¯s bedroom before disappearing. The mysterious figure followed him. The bus made a full stop. Miyuki is nowhere to be found. What could have possibly happened to her? Michiaki is visibly nervous. Everything is falling apart. -Michiaki: Was it all really just a dream? I don¡¯t want to believe that my mom is wanted by a secret organization. Please tell me it¡¯s a joke. -Akihito: The situation is pretty messed up. Im sure it wasn¡¯t a dream, however. It felt, too real. We need to reconsider things when we meet at your place. Make sure we are prepared. -Michiaki: I guess you are right. Let¡¯s get off the bus for now. Michiaki, Akihito and Raiden get off the bus. Hikari still remains inside. -Michiaki: Hikari, is everything alright? -Hikari: Yes. I just found something strange. Can you come and take a look? -Michiaki: Sure! Michiaki steps inside the bus politely asking the driver for permission to go inside. -Michiaki: What is it? -Hikari: Here! Hikari gives Michiaki a weird looking stick. The build feels plasticy, and it has a bright red button on top. -Raiden: Is everything alright up there? The other didn¡¯t hear a thing as Raiden¡¯s voice was burried in the mumblings of the other students. -Raiden: Michiaki? Hikari? Still no response. -Michaki: Thats¡­ a stick¡­. -Hikari: Yes but possibly could it be! -Michiaki: This looks like an anti ¨C stress toy to me! -Hikari: Maybe it is¡­. Raiden steps inside the bus looking for the others. -Raiden: There you are! What did you find? -Hikari: We found this leve ¨C Be careful Raiden! Raiden trips over a forgotten bag inside the bus. He falls onto Michiaki, causing him to press the button. -Michiaki: Ouch! Watch it, big man! Sudden bleeping noises start to go off. They are coming from inside the stick. -Hikari: What is making these sounds? Suddently, the blinking stops. After a few seconds, an explosion occurs from within the bus. The bus bursts into flames. Hikari was thrown outside the bus¡¯ window. Raiden and Michiaki are unconcious. Raiden suddently wakes up. He tries to stand up, but he is unable to. He tries to reach his brother hand. Raiden is too weak. Akihito rushes inside trying to pick up Raiden. He manages to move Raiden outside the flaming bus. -???: Wake up sleepyhead! -Michiaki: Mhmpf¡­. Michiaki wakes up. Michiaki: Mi-.. Miyuki! How did you¡­ What happened? -Miyuki: Everything is going to be fine. You can trust me, right? -Michiaki: Quick! Step off the bus! You will burst into flames! -Miyuki: Hehe! You are very funny Michiaki. Michiaki slowly stards to fade out again. He glances Miyuki who smiles as he slips away again. -???: Wake up Mr. Ito! -Michiaki: HEEELP! Ichika slaps Michiaki -Ichika: Have you lost your mind? What do you think you are doing? -Michiaki: What happened to Miyuki??? -Ichika: Not this again.. Did you have a nightmare? -Michiaki: No wha¡­ Wait, actually¡­ what time is ? -Ichika: Time to go to school! -Michiaki: I¡¯m being serious! What time and what day is it! Ichika checks her watch. -Ichika: It¡¯s 7 am Michiaki slowly loses his expression. His thought are mixed about what happened. He is glad that he is still alive, but the whole situation is extremely weird. -Michiaki: I can¡¯t do this anymore¡­ -Ichika: What happened? Tell me! You are acting very strangely! -Michiaki: It¡¯s nothing probably a nightmare¡­ -Ichika: Okay then! Now, GET UP TO GO TO SCHOOL!!!! -Michiaki: FINE YOU DON¡¯T HAVE TO SHOUT!! Ichika giggles as she leaves Michiaki¡¯s room. THE END