《Keepers: The Fabric of Reality》 Prologue: Insurance Claim Prologue: Insurance Claim Raechal, Zayu National Hospital
¡°Everyone thinks working a corporate job is great! The free health insurance, the cushy offices, all of that makes the money almost seem worth it. But nobody talks about the cons, you know? The constant hookups, the overtime, the politics? I hate it! I didn¡¯t become an engineer to be holed up in an office all day. I wanna be out in the field. I wanna work with people, not deal with corporate shenanigans,¡± my interviewee ¨C the patient ¨C ranted, almost pulling her IV off its hook. My lip almost twitched. Her disdain for corporate life was truly adorable. ¡°I see. Ms. Honda, can you please describe the sequence of events before the incident?¡± ¡°So last night I was out with my team,¡± now there was a slight tremor in Honda¡¯s voice. ¡°This guy, Ta- Tanaka was trying to get me drunk. At some point he tried to get handsy with me. I¡¯d be lying if I said I don¡¯t usually enjoy the attention, but not like this. Never like this. It¡¯s just been so long since the divor-¡± ¡°Can we please get back on track?¡± I asked, trying to keep as neutral an expression I could muster. Showing any form of emotion in interviews has never gotten me the results I¡¯ve wanted. Honda wasn¡¯t making eye contact with me. Her hands twisted atop the thin, almost see-through hospital blankets. Cheap. The result of trying to please shareholders over treating their patients with the respect they deserve. The hospital room was as bog standard as they came. You had the typical accoutrements, the bed, bedside table, an IV, an infusion pump, and pretty much nothing else. The room reeked of sterilisation, practically rolling off the beige walls and white tiles. Nothing special, budget and paid for by Honda¡¯s company health insurance. The silence was, once again, dragging too long. ¡°Ms. Honda?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, last night was a bit hazy, what I remember is a bit¡­ unclear,¡± Honda paused and scanned the room, from me leaning with forced nonchalance against the wall, to the small table by the window where my ¡®partner¡¯ (technically my superior) was seated. Daiki was wearing an all black outfit. Black suit jacket, black dress shirt, black pants, black socks, black shoes, even his watch was black. A total edgelord. ¡°Why is mister tall and handsome here?¡± Honda asked me. Despite her quip, I could tell she was nervous with Daiki¡¯s presence. ¡°He insisted on helping me with this case,¡± I deadpanned. Daiki heard the unsaid but has done absolutely nothing thus far, loud and clear. His eyebrow quirked. Lazily, he got up and made his way towards us with that smug expression that never ended well for me. He dragged the cheap plastic chair he had been sitting on with him. Honda watched him in wide-eyed silence, broken only by the click of his shoes and the low plastic squeal from the chair. ¡°Now then, could you tell us what happened last night?¡± Daiki said as he slowly placed his left hand over Honda''s shaky ones. She looked at him and immediately turned pink. Nervousness successfully banished. Personally, I didn¡¯t see Daiki¡¯s appeal. Then again, men in general were unappealing. ¡°Oh. Yes. Um. I slapped Tanaka and made my exit. I just wanted to get home. I took a route that I wasn¡¯t exactly familiar with. I cut through a few dingy back alleys.¡± ¡°Back alleys are never a good idea¡± I said, ensuring Daiki wouldn¡¯t make any comments before me. Letting him steer the interview was the last thing I wanted. Honda seemed to remember my existence and withdrew her hand from Daiki¡¯s grasp as if she had grazed a hot skillet. ¡°What happened?¡± Daiki asked. ¡°I¡¯ve read the case file, it¡¯s not worth the paper it¡¯s printed on.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°You won¡¯t believe me even if I told you. Let¡¯s call it assault and leave it at that,¡± a bead of sweat ran down the side of Honda¡¯s face. Her nostrils flared up and her complexion started to grow pale. ¡°Wow. A chameleon,¡± I thought. I shot Daiki a dirty look, hoping that he¡¯d back off, but seeing as how he slid him onto my case, this was inevitable. ¡°Assault,¡± Daiki¡¯s voice oozed scepticism. ¡°Seems to me that YOU put yourself in this situation. YOU rejected Takana¡¯s advances and instead of dealing with the issue like an adult, YOU ran.¡± He looked over to me, smirked at whatever he saw on my face (horrified anger, probably), and then looked back at Honda. ¡°Is it safe to say that this is an open and shut case? You are at fault here and therefore should be held accountable.¡± ¡°What?¡± I could see Honda¡¯s pupils dilating. Her nostrils flared, hands shook as she glared at Daiki. ¡°Who the fuck do you people think you are? You just waltz in here and say that you¡¯re here about my case. What are you? Lawyers? Tabloid writers? Insurance investigators?¡± Her voice quivered. ¡°I should report you to the police!¡± Daiki, ever the calm one, leaned back in his chair, the cheap plastic flexing to support his weight. ¡°Ms. Honda. Trust me. Nobody is ever going to believe you. To everyone but us, you''re just a mid-thirties divorcee claiming assault and harassment by the CEO''s son. Sure, your injuries are enough to open a case, but there''s no evidence of who attacked you. And as for Tanaka, nepotism runs deep. He''ll get away with it. You''ll be lucky to keep your job.¡± He leaned forward, his eyes glinting with a cold, calculating light. ¡°We can''t do much about Tanaka. You''ll have to deal with that. But my partner and I believe there''s more to the assault. Something unnatural happened, and we''re the only ones equipped to handle it.¡± Sensing that this scenario was spiralling too far out of my control, I stepped in. ¡°Ms Honda. What my partner is trying to say is, what happened to you is the kind of inexplicable incident that neither the police nor lawyers can help with.¡± I took her hand and put on my most sympathetic expression. ¡°I promise you that if you help us, we¡¯ll help you back.¡± Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hinami standing at the doorway. Noticing the frown on the doctor¡¯s face, Daiki stood up and gently ushered her outside, moving like a guilty puppy that¡¯s been told off by his owner, leaving me and Honda in blissful solitude. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I was taking this alleyway, past the Fire Squid Restaurant and onto Hanafuda Lane. The whole street was dark so I turned on my phone¡¯s flashlight and kept going. I think I missed a turn because the road stretched on and on,¡± Ms. Honda paused to take a big gulp of water. ¡°I saw a vending machine and I was buying myself a can of black coffee when this guy walked up to me. I don¡¯t know where he came from, but he just appeared from down the street.¡± Her grip on my hand tightened. ¡°The guy looked at me. He had no face. I¡¯m not sure if it was the darkness but I couldn¡¯t see his face. Like this void that wanted to suck me in.¡± ¡°Similar to that urge to jump you get when you look down a cliff?¡± ¡°Something like that. He then spoke to me.¡± ¡°It¡­ Spoke to you?¡± ¡°Yes, but I couldn¡¯t see his mouth¡­ He wasn''t a ghost right? Was I attacked by a ghost? They aren¡¯t real are they? I said some bad things at my father¡¯s funeral, he didn¡¯t come back for revenge did he?¡± Honda reached for her now nearly empty glass of water, but lost her grip. It shattered against the textured faux-marble tile, making her jump. ¡°Ms. Honda, I can assure you that ghosts aren¡¯t real. What did he say?¡± ¡°The guy asked me if I knew the way to the nearest graveyard. I told him to scram, but he hit me square on the face. Even though I was on the ground, I tried to get him with my pepper spray and he just took it. Like he felt no pain. Even when I tried to run, he was unnaturally quick. It¡¯s like he teleported. At some point he grabbed me by my ankle and I hit the ground. That¡¯s all I remember. I woke up here, and you two arrived shortly after.¡± Before I could press the patient for more questions, Hinami was standing at the doorway. She eyed the broken glass all over the floor. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to leave,¡± she said, her gaze cold, piercing my soul. Not wanting to cause a scene, I decided to comply. Standing up, I looked over to Honda who was still holding my hand as tightly as her body would allow. In truth it wasn¡¯t painful at all. She had very weak grip strength. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll get to the bottom of this. Your suffering will not be in vain,¡± I said as I freed my hand from her grasp. Walking outside, I found Daiki leaning against a wall, arms folded and looking into the distance as if he were in deep thought. ¡°I told you that I¡¯m not doing Good Keeper, Bad Keeper. I had things under control. You just wanted to be done and not be late for lunch.¡± ¡°Fine, fine. You can come with.¡± ¡°My evening lectures are more important than third wheeling your lunch dates.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you learning today?¡± ¡°Shallow building foundations.¡± ¡°Send me the slides, I¡¯ll give a better explanation that your professors¡± I frowned at Daiki, ¡°Sometimes I forget that you¡¯re an engineer.¡± ¡°And yet I am.¡± Chapter 1: Urban Legends Chapter 1: Urban Legends Asahi, The Fire Squid
¡°Hey, Asahi. What do ya think about urban legends?¡± Wren asked me, his beer mug hovering too close to his chin. ¡°Are you drunk already? You¡¯ve barely had one drink.¡± ¡°My good sir. Do I ever pose sane questions when I¡¯m drunk?¡± Wren put on some fantasy knight accent. It was terrible; I barely understood what he said. ¡°You don¡¯t pose sane questions when you¡¯re sober.¡± ¡°Fair.¡± ¡°Out with it. Tell me about these urban legends of yours.¡± ¡°I heard about this girl who was attacked recently. Apparently she was being chased by this guy, WHO DIDN¡¯T HAVE A FACE!¡± Wren exclaimed, his eyes glinting with a very maniacal glint. A glint that was usually followed by either a flash-in-the-pan idea, short lived enthusiasm, or an absurd proposition. Something I both loved and hated about this man. ¡°Really, and I suppose this victim has a name?¡± Often, I questioned where he got his information from. The Police Department? Out of his ass? Or, the worst possible place ¨C Weddit. Wren furrowed his brow and closed his eyes, going into deep thought, or, as he called it, ¡°his mind palace.¡± For no reason whatsoever, I got this tingling feeling of being watched. The room felt a lot colder than it did a second ago. I looked around The Fire Squid, at this point our go-to establishment for dinner so often that it was as familiar to us as home or school, close to campus, and with great value-for-money. At first glance, the Izakaya with its two-floor fantasy-themed central kitchen looked the same. I squinted. Two chefs on each floor; nothing out of the ordinary. The dumbwaiter to pass items back and forth between the floors; the usual. The wait staff who ran the food, the busboys who cleaned the tables, the rest of the team; just a regular day. Even the obviously watered-down all-you-can-drink beer fountain looked the same. But for some reason, the surrounding noises began to dim and my vision started to get cloudy. Out of nowhere, a woman a few tables from us let out a blood-curdling scream. ¡°NO MORE! PLEASE NO MORE! I CAN¡¯T TAKE IT. STOP WHISPERING IN MY EAR!¡± she screamed at the top of her voice. She tried to get up but fell, knocking her food off the table. ¡°What the- Why¡¯s that chick on the floor?¡± Wren asked, blinking rapidly as he came back to the world of the living. Just then, I saw a figure rush out the door. A flash of black, nothing else. ¡°Hey, did you see-¡± ¡°Matsumi Honda.¡± Wren blurted out. ¡°Matsumi Honda¡­ she works at the Gardener Construction company. She was attacked¡­ last night in a back alley not too far from my apartment¡­ and then hung upside down¡­ from a light pole.¡± Wren¡¯s pattern of speech was almost robotic, like he was reading off a script. Something wasn¡¯t right. ¡°Dude? You okay?¡± I asked, forgetting the screaming woman for a moment. Wren¡¯s robotic tone had sent a shiver down my spine. ¡°I think we should make ourselves scarce, this just isn¡¯t the right setting for food,¡± Wren stood up, ignoring my question entirely, with a clear look of discomfort sprawled across his face. I sighed. I should be used to Wren¡¯s whirlwind of mood changes by now. One moment we¡¯d be serious about work, then he¡¯d be flirting with me, calling his one and only true love. But this didn¡¯t seem like his normal mood swings. Must be one of his hidden quirks. Shaking it off, I chugged the rest of my beer. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw medics rush in and approach the now crying woman. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s have the food to go?¡± ¡°Yeah, can you handle that? I¡¯ve gotta pee. Let''s split the bill.¡± A few minutes later, I found myself with the check, a decidedly quieter restaurant sans a screaming woman, and a now ready-to-leave Wren sitting across the table, fumbling with his wallet. Before he could fish out his half of the bill, the portable card reader beeped. Wren looked at me with a puppy dog expression as I took my card and the bill from the waiter. ¡°That¡¯s 121k now,¡± I said, a diabolical grin spreading across my face. Wren¡¯s face fell. As soon as we stepped out of the restaurant, the air felt different ¨C lighter and cleaner ¨C despite us being in the middle of a crowded city street. It made me realise how stuffy the Fire Squid was. Nights in Zayu were known to be cold, but tonight felt especially so. The events in the Fire Squid had put me on edge. The woman who had a mental breakdown, Wren going full robot mode, and the dark figure who fled.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Maybe it was the lingering feelings of something being off, but I didn¡¯t want us to split up just yet. Fortunately, I had to pick up a few books I¡¯d left at Wren¡¯s apartment anyway. ¡°I¡¯ll come pick up my books from yours?¡± ¡°Yeah sure.¡± The route to Wren¡¯s place was a familiar one. I¡¯d spent many nights there, coaching him through a report that was due the next day, helping him clean up, passing out after getting too wasted, but mostly just chilling and doing our own thing. We turned onto the familiar well-lit residential street. We saw the familiar vending machine with its familiar drinks. Wren stopped, fed a few notes into the machine and got two drinks. ¡°It¡¯s a lot colder out than usual,¡± he muttered as he handed me a can of Milton Black Mint Tea, unsweetened. ¡°Maybe we should bust out the scarves tomorrow. If this continues, we''re getting snowfall later for sure,¡± I said, watching my words form little clouds of condensation. ¡°Mmm.¡± Downing our drinks, we tossed the cans into a nearby bin and continued. Every step we took the air around us seemed to get colder. The silence seemed to creep in along with the darkness. The shadows somehow seemed to hold more shadows within them, almost like portals to another world. Thankfully, the streetlamps fought it off, creating a safe path for us. I shook my head, laughing at my poetic idiocy. I must¡¯ve been more spooked than I thought. The small residential street seemed to stretch on and on. I frown. This seemed way longer than I remembered, unusual given how often I¡¯d taken this route with Wren. He was shivering next to me, though his unending stubbornness refused to admit it. We turned the corner of the street, both hands already reaching out to grasp Wren¡¯s doorknob, but brushing the familiar cool surface of the vending machine instead. We both paused, staring at the artificially-bright display. Something wasn¡¯t right. ¡°Strange, I think we got turned around somehow,¡± Wren said, ever the optimist. ¡°Most probably,¡± I blurted out, shoving my more pessimistic side away for the moment. We continued walking. The silence grew more and more eerie. Our footsteps seemed to echo down the street. You could hear a pin drop, a moth flap its wings. The only thing keeping me from freaking out was Wren¡¯s occasional muttering, but it was too muted for me to make out anything. The silence was screeching in my ears, the cold was setting my skin on fire. The street lamps started to flicker, the once resolute defenders against the darkness faltering. It took only another moment; we ended up in total darkness. Now Wren had an uneasy look on his face. ¡°Hey? Did we miss a turn or something?¡± ¡°Lemme check Zoogle Maps,¡± I said, pulling out my phone, though it too seemed to have surrendered to the darkness. No matter how many times I pressed the power button, the screen refused to show an ounce of life. Getting impatient, Wren pulled out his own phone, only to be met with the same result. ¡°Why aren¡¯t our phones working?¡± I asked, my fingers now completely numb. ¡°Let¡¯s keep walking. I know we¡¯re close,¡± Wren said, a hint of worry in his voice. We continued through the void of pure darkness, unbearable silence, and murderous cold. No matter how long we spent in the dark, our eyes didn¡¯t seem to adapt, leaving us to find our way using our hands. After walking, no, stumbling along for way too long, we saw a light in the distance. By unspoken agreement, the two of us ran. Our footsteps broke the silence like the welcome crack of thunder over a desert, only to come to a screeching halt upon seeing a very familiar 6-foot tall monolith standing under a lamp post. It was the vending machine. ¡°What-¡± the words just fell out of my mouth. ¡°No. No, it can¡¯t be, right? Maybe they installed new vending machines down the block. Ha, haha! Yeah, that must be it,¡± my voice came out shaky. Wren walked over to the trash can next to the vending machine and peered in. He stood there frozen for a whole minute. ¡°Hey, uh, Asahi?¡± he asked, his voice shaking. Something wasn¡¯t right. ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked, slowly walking towards him. I peered inside the trash can, and froze. The light of the vending machine glinted off the cans piled high inside the trash, like little malicious faces winking at us. A singular wrapper at the top caught my eye. Milton Black Mint Tea, unsweetened. Wren exchanged a terrified glance with me before bolting into the darkness, shouting ,¡°WAIT HERE. I¡¯LL GET HELP!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I shouted after him. ¡°I don¡¯t think splitting up is a good idea!¡± Too late. An hour passed, but no Wren. Two hours passed, still no Wren. Three hours passed, and I was still alone. Or so I thought. Something wasn¡¯t right. The longer I sat there on the ground, the more a sense of impending doom came over me. It was the same feeling from the Fire Squid. I was being watched. ¡°He- Hello?¡± I called out. ¡°If that¡¯s you, Wren, this isn¡¯t funny.¡± The darkness absorbed my words, leaving not a single trace of them. ¡°Wren? You there buddy?¡± I asked, hoping to get a response. But I didn¡¯t. ¡°Run¡± A voice called out to me. It was faint, but Wren¡¯s. Wren was telling me to run. There must be someone in the darkness waiting for me. Not needing any other reason, I made a break for it into what was also the darkness, but in the opposite direction where I was being watched. I ran as fast as my feet allowed me. Eventually, I saw a light in the distance. Relief washed over me. Until I noticed something. Something that I really didn¡¯t want to see. The familiar monolith. The vending machine. My footsteps faltered. My mad dash came to an end. Something wasn¡¯t right. Tired, cold, alone, and defeated, I walked over to the machine, entered some money, and selected a drink. ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest graveyard?¡± A voice asked. My body froze, the voice spoke right behind my ear. I felt a strong hand gripping my shoulder, causing my body to freeze up. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe it¡¯s down the street?¡± ¡°Funny. That¡¯s what your friend told me as well. But I couldn¡¯t.. Find one.¡± The voice was a lot closer. Almost as if it had penetrated my brain. The grip on my shoulder tightened. ¡°What did you do to Wren?¡± I asked. ¡°Uh uh uh. Wrong answer,¡± the voice said in a raspy tone. Before I had time to react, I was thrown at the vending machine. Pain exploded across my side. Dimly, I heard the glass shattering and saw the lights go out. The darkness slammed down on me like a physical force. I tried to get up, but stopped when pain shot through my left thigh. I felt for it. Glass, embedded. Hot liquid running down my leg, the smell of rust heavy in the air. I was helpless and immobile as footsteps sounded around me and I felt hands on my neck. His firm grip blocked my wind pipes, suffocating me. My eyes rolled up. Either way it didn¡¯t matter. I was bleeding out and a murderous man was squeezing my neck. As I felt my eyes closing, a loud shatter split the damning silence. I tried to turn my head or hold on to consciousness. I failed. It felt almost like a nightmare¡­ Chapter 2: Hospital Heist Chapter 2: Hospital Heist Wren, Zayu National Hospital
The first thing I noticed ¨C everything hurt and everything beeped. A hospital, then. My insurance provider was not going to be happy. Not that I had an insurance provider. I cracked my eyes open. Why was everything so damn bright? It was almost too bright to make out the people in the room. Tracks, there were always people in the room in scenes like these. If I was all alone, that would¡¯ve been sad. ¡°Am I dead?¡± I mumbled out, staring at the ceiling. ¡°Nope. You¡¯re very much alive,¡± June¡¯s voice sounded right next to me. ¡°Aww. And here I was wondering if I were in heaven,¡± I said, trying and failing to lift myself into a sitting position. ¡°If I¡¯m with you, we¡¯re not in heaven,¡± June said, her voice much closer now. Not close enough. ¡°If anything, the deepest depths of hell would be my bet.¡± ¡°Sounds about right. Just my Weddit comments would be enough to get me half way down.¡± ¡°Here, let me,¡± June said as she slipped one arm behind me, allowing me to sit up and see the whole room. I blinked repeatedly, everything finally coming into focus. Asahi¡¯s bed was next to mine but he was still out cold. An IV drip was attached to the back of his hand. He was wearing a blue hospital gown. Hmm, giving dad in midlife crisis. He wore a neck brace- hey, so did I! A rustle from the corner drew my attention. The only other person in the room was Daiki, looking out the window and pretending he didn¡¯t give a shit. Why were we here? I frowned, reaching back mentally for my mind palace. The events from last night came rushing back. Asahi and I got caught in an oddity and kept looping the same street over and over. I had Asahi stay back and stay safe but we both ended up being attacked by a creepy dude in all black asking about a graveyard of all things and now we¡¯re¡­ here? ¡°What happened last night?¡± June asked. ¡°I¡¯ve heard bits and pieces, but I want the whole potato from the source.¡± Something felt off. I¡¯d read enough and more mystery novels, and I was sure you weren¡¯t supposed to be asking questions from the kid who literally just woke up. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know,¡± Daiki said, his gaze still pointedly out the window. I didn¡¯t trust him, for some reason. Alright, playing dumb it was. ¡°I was in the stratosphere when we left The Fire Squid and¡­ uh yeah. That''s all, nothing, nada,¡± I put on my best Amnesiac Kid? face. ¡°Is that so?¡± Daiki asked, still looking out the window. Asahi had described his brother as a very melodramatic man, and I was starting to believe him. ¡°How drunk would you even get at The Fire Squid? The beer there is practically water,¡± June said. She was now beside me on the bed, poking at the padding on my neck brace. ¡°What can I say? My tolerance is weak.¡± ¡°You can say that again!¡± a groan sounded from the next bed. Asahi was awake. ¡°Oh come on.¡± ¡°Hey, if you wanted a flattering review, I was the wrong person to become friends with,¡± newly awake or not, Asahi was clearly enjoying this. ¡°Asahi, would you mind giving us a rundown of how this happened?¡± Daiki asked, still staring out the window. Brother, give your brother a break! Asahi frowned. Before he could respond, I shot him a look. To his credit, the man rolled with it. ¡°Yeah, no. I got wasted at The Fire Squid. I think I tried to fight a vending machine?¡± ¡°Of course you did¡­¡± June sighed. ¡°Right¡­¡± Daiki said, turning to the two of us. ¡°I¡¯ll go get a doctor. You two stay put.¡± ¡°Hey Asahi, let¡¯s siphon off the painkillers in the IV bags. I know a guy,¡± I said, waving the IV tube attached to my hand. Daiki scoffed and walked out, gesturing for June to follow him. Finally, some peace and quiet and what the- ¡°Dude. Last night was freaky,¡± Asahi piped up. Huh, he remembers too. ¡°Freaky is what happened between me and that girl from Professor Yamada¡¯s class.¡± ¡°She turned you down, dude.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying! It¡¯s freaky that she turned me down,¡± I said, waving my arms in the air and making the IV wobble. Whatever Asahi was about to say was interrupted by Daiki and June, coming back with the doctor. I stared at her. Hinami, Daiki¡¯s wife. ¡°Hey Hina! Do you have any idea when we¡¯ll be able to get outta here?¡± Asahi was more happy to see his sister-in-law than his brother. Hinami looked over at the two of us. ¡°You two knuckleheads aren''t going anywhere until you get your heads checked, quite literally.¡± She flipped through her clipboard. ¡°Although, you two are going to have to explain how you got here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯d like to know. Asahi and I don¡¯t really remember what happened.¡± Hinami sighed, looked at Daiki and then back at the two of us. ¡°The 911 report says that one of the residents in Wren¡¯s building found the two of you passed out at the foot of the stairway, reeking of alcohol. I¡¯m thinking you two were so drunk that you fell and hurt yourselves in the process.¡± ¡°I do remember fighting a vending machine¡­¡± Asahi was totally playing it up, dumbass that he is. ¡°Well now that¡¯s just embarrassing,¡± I said, rubbing the back of my head with just the right amount of sheepishness. ¡°What were you two thinking?¡± June asked, smacking Asahi¡¯s head. ¡°Ouch. What the hell June!¡± Asahi yelped. ¡°I¡¯m the patient here!¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Yeah, a drunk patient.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, Hina, how high were our blood alcohol levels?¡± ¡°Well, the reports I have here indicate that you had a 0.23% and Wren was at 0.28%,¡± Hinami said, squinting at the clipboard. She was lying. We weren¡¯t found at my apartment building, nor would our blood alcohol levels be that high after a couple watered-down beers. I looked over at Asahi, who seemed to be having the same train of thought. Hinami did a few tests on us, gave us a few painkillers, updated our charts, and then practically dragged Daiki and June out with her. ¡°So, I¡¯m not the only one here who wants to call cap on Hinami¡¯s story right?¡± I asked, fully knowing she was lying. Asahi seemed only partially convinced. ¡°I don¡¯t know Wren. What if we were just drunk and fell down a flight of stairs?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean, a never-ending street, a shadowy figure, a vending machine villain and all seem very Tim Murton, right?¡± ¡°Dude all we had was Milton¡¯s Black Iced tea! Un-fucking-sweetened! Just look at your right thigh. Look at that stab wound. Does that look like something you¡¯d get falling down the stairs?¡± ¡°Maybe we fell through a window?¡± ¡°Who do you think you are? Bella Swan? Go touch some grass, dude! What window would we fall through in the middle of the street? ¡°...Are we being gaslit?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°So what do we do?¡± Asahi opened the drawer in his bedside table. ¡°And where are our phones?¡± ¡°The hospital must¡¯ve taken them.¡± I paused, double checking my bedside table. Same story. ¡°Yeah, they for sure took them.¡± ¡°I say we wait until nightfall and find our case files, figure out if we really were drunk,¡± Asahi said. ¡°I know where Hinami¡¯s office is, plus I know how to pick a lock.¡± ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡± I asked. ¡°Risky. I like it.¡± ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m full of surprises,¡± a smug expression spread across Asahi¡¯s face. ¨C ¨C ¨C We spent the rest of the day being model patients. We slept a lot and quietly sat through Hinami¡¯s tests when we were awake. The IVs were unhooked after a few hours along with the neck braces ¨C thank God ¨C and when it started becoming dark outside, we managed to convince everyone that we¡¯d be just fine by ourselves overnight. Daiki was less convinced, but June dragged him out by the collar, telling him to stop being a helicopter parent. I owed her one. By 1am, the hospital was dead silent. The hallway was dimly lit. The only thing we heard was the whirring of the machines and the occasional sound of footsteps. For the most part, the halls were silent; most of the staff were probably snoozing in a staff room. They deserved the break, and it worked out for us since we were more or less free to walk right up to Hinami¡¯s office. Earlier in the day, Asahi had managed to swipe a hair pin right off a young nurse¡¯s head. I had just watched, slack-jawed, the entire time. This hairpin was now being used to open the door to Hinami¡¯s office. ¡°So, should I start calling you Sir from now on?¡± ¡°What are you on about?¡± ¡°I saw how you pulled out that premium rizz with the nurse.¡± ¡°Oh please. You¡¯re just as capable of flirting.¡± ¡°Well yeah. I have rizz. You just have that premo shit.¡± ¡°The fu- what?¡± Asahi asked, as he opened the door. Hinami¡¯s office was small, her desk in front of the door, and her filing cabinet right behind her admittedly comfy-looking chair. We moved silently ¨C as silently as two boys feeling run over by a truck possibly could ¨C to it and opened it up. Thank god Hinami didn¡¯t lock it. The files seemed to be arranged by what looked like case names and not by person. ¡°Dandelion Seeds? Bottomless Mimosas? Unsanitized Sanitizers? What are these, code names?¡± Asahi asked as he flipped through the files, eventually stopping at one. ¡°Hanafuda Street Stalker, maybe this is us.¡± ¡°Well, we were attacked by someone who was stalking us on Hanafuda street. The name checks out.¡± I looked over Asahi¡¯s shoulder as he went through the file. There were some images of the street itself, and then the vending machine with its glass smashed in and blood all over the ground. ¡°How¡¯s the leg treating ya buddy?¡± I asked, looking at Asahi, who was not pleased. Before I could say anything, he elbowed my ribs. ¡°Yeah okay, I deserved that one.¡± ¡°Jokes aside. This is shady beyond belief. What¡¯s going on here, Wren?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± I asked as I closed the door. What should¡¯ve been a simple smash-and-grab had now become a smash-and-critically-analyse. ¡°This whole thing is shady.¡± ¡°If Hinami¡¯s in on this, Daiki definitely is,¡± Asahi sat on the chair and picked up a framed picture on her desk. ¡°I should¡¯ve known. A leopard doesn¡¯t change its spots. We can¡¯t leave June off the list either.¡± He placed the picture back on the table. It was a picture of their family; Asahi, Daiki, June, and Hinami. Asahi looked at me with an expression that was a mix of anger and confusion. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m sure they have their reasons,¡± I said, placing a hand on Asahi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What else does the file say?¡± Asahi took a second to compose himself and opened the file back up. ¡°Matsumi Honda.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the chick who got attacked recently. It was big news in the neighbourhood.¡± ¡°And here I thought you got your info off Weddit,¡± Asahi said, flipping through and stopping at a particular page. He had found the info I was looking for. ¡°Matsumi Honda. Attacked by a Class 2, Humanoid Oddity? What on earth is an Oddity?¡± ¡°Does the file tell us anything about where we can find this woman?¡± I asked, peeking at the pages. ¡°With the injuries she sustained, there¡¯s no way she¡¯s been discharged.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. She¡¯s here in room 509.¡± Asahi said, pointing to the room number in Matsumi¡¯s medical report. ¡°Let¡¯s go pay her a visit. If she¡¯s really a victim of the same guy, she¡¯ll have info we can use to figure out what happened last night.¡± ¡°Asahi, but there¡¯s also a good chance that Daiki¡¯s gotten to her. This woman will probably give us nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot anyway.¡± ¨C ¨C ¨C It didn¡¯t take us too long to figure out where room 509 was. Asahi and I made sure to move as quietly as we could ¨C for two boys feeling run over by a truck, again. 509¡¯s room lights were on and shone into the hallway. Two voices came from inside the room. At 1am? Goddamn. ¡°Yeah, and it seems that the creature that attacked you managed to harm two other civilians. It¡¯s a whole mess,¡± one voice said. Wait, she sounded familiar¡­ ¡°I see. How old were they?¡± ¡°Early 20s. College students attending The Zayu National University. For now we have them believing that they got drunk enough to not remember the night before. But we have to start taking more drastic measures to ens-¡± the voice was interrupted by the sound of a pen falling¡­in the corridor. Wait a minute- we were in the corridor. I looked back at Asahi, the file he was holding, and the pen that was now innocently rolling away from us. We looked at each other, and then, as one, turned and made a mad dash for our room. We almost made it too, only to be tripped up at the last moment. I tried to get up, but got kicked down by someone, most likely one of the people from Room 509. I looked over to Asahi who was being pinned against the wall by a red umbrella. I tried to get up, but the person holding Asahi against the wall snapped at me, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare move a muscle.¡± The dip lights made it hard to make out facial features, but with my limited vision I managed to make out a familiar face. Raechal. ¡°Reachal? What- Why¡­ are you doing this?¡± I asked, slowly getting to my feet. Asahi was struggling to break free, clawing at Raechal¡¯s umbrella. She was a lot stronger than she seemed. ¡°I said-¡± Raechal moved back, releasing Asahi who fell to the ground gasping for breath. ¡°don¡¯t-¡± she shifted the grip of her umbrella, pointing the handle towards Asahi ¡°move.¡± She drove the handle into the back of his neck, knocking him out cold. ¡°Alright, I yield.¡± I said, raising my hands in defeat. ¡°Why were you two snooping around Room 509?¡± she asked ¡°Matsumi Honda¡± I said, nodding my head in the direction of the file that now had its contents all over the floor. ¡°You two broke into Hinami¡¯s office and got this, didn''t you?¡± Raechel frowned, realisation dawning. ¡°You two remember. You feigned ignorance.¡± I had to hand it to her, girl was quick. ¡°Bingo!¡± I said, pointing two finger guns at her. Startled by my sudden movement, she jabbed me thrice, straight in the stomach, making me drowsier with each strike. As I faded out of consciousness I heard a dial tone, followed by a voice: ¡°Daiki. You were right. Wren and your brother remember everything.¡± Chapter 3: Family Meeting Chapter 3: Family Meeting Daiki, Wingspan Apartments No. 1403
It was Hinami¡¯s turn to be the little spoon today. She was exhausted after a 12-hour shift at the hospital. I could feel every little breath she exhaled. She fit like a small creature in my arms. I must¡¯ve done something right to have found her. Through the windows, the rest of the city was still very much awake. People were out there living their lives, and I was here. Holding my beautiful wife in my arms. Life was truly peaceful. Until my work phone buzzed. Fortunately, I had put it on vibrate, and Hinami didn¡¯t stir. I slid out of bed, grabbed the phone, and moved into the living room. It was Raechal. ¡°Daiki. You were right. Wren and your brother remember everything.¡± I sighed as I practically threw myself across the couch in the centre of the room. ¡°Take them to the estate, I¡¯ll be there by 7. Have June send over a van.¡± ¡°Will she be pleased to hear from me at the devil¡¯s hour?¡± ¡°Either you deal with the devil, or a sleep deprived Hinami.¡± ¡°Point taken. I¡¯ll see you in the morning,¡± Raechal hung up. I let out a long sigh and, deciding that wasn¡¯t enough, followed up with a low groan. Hinami¡¯s voice called out from the bedroom, ¡°Love? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I made my way back to the bed and got in, wrapping my arms around her and nuzzling into her shoulder. ¡°Sorry to wake you up,¡± I murmured into her hair. She made an answering hum. ¡°Asahi and Wren were faking memory loss.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re surprised by this?¡± I pulled away and sat down on my side of the bed, facing away from Hinami. ¡°Asahi¡¯s a good kid. I¡¯m sure he had his reasons,¡± she said, hugging me from behind. ¡°I¡¯m wondering what I should do.¡± ¡°Well, standard procedure dictates that you should wipe your brother¡¯s memories. Though I get the sneaking suspicion that you won¡¯t.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with that boy. He never listens to anything I tell him.¡± ¡°Careful now, all that stress will only cause you to age faster,¡± Hinami leaned in and kissed my forehead. ¡°Though this forehead of yours could do with a few more wrinkles.¡± ¡°And why would you want me looking like an old man?¡± I asked as I slid my arms around her waist, shifting her to be the little spoon once again. ¡°Do you have any idea how many of the nurses and doctors ogle you when you come by? I don¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a two way street missy¡± ¡°Oh please. Next to you I look like a peasant.¡± ¡°Well to me, you¡¯re a goddess,¡± I said, pulling her closer. Her hair smelled of strawberries. It was dark in our bedroom, but I didn¡¯t need light to know Hinami had turned as red as a tomato. She always did. ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest, I¡¯ll be heading out at 6:30.¡± ¡°And I know nothing of this so I can¡¯t come. As usual.¡± Hinami was annoyed, either because she had to feign ignorance of my activities, or more likely because I was spending time with Raechal. The room fell silent. Not the peaceful and quiet kind, but the kind you get from your wife being angry at you. ¡°You hate that I¡¯m spending time with Raechal, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh wow, it¡¯s as if you read my mind,¡± she replied, deadpan. She was definitely not happy. ¨C I rubbed my bleary eyes as the car pulled into the Furuya Estate driveway. Having to work at 7am should be considered a human rights violation. Then again, this wasn¡¯t work. Asahi and his friend were the ones ¡®fucking around and finding out.¡¯ The car stopped in front of our main entrance. No matter how familiar I was with it, the old-school western styled mansion never failed to impress. My great grandparents had built it in the ¡®50s with the best materials money could buy, back when Danjyon reopened its borders after the 3rd Great Eastern War, foreign trade was hot and building generational wealth was easy so long as you were ready to crack a few skulls. ¡°Be sure to get yourself breakfast from the staff kitchen,¡± I told my chauffeur as I stepped out of the car and headed inside. Entering the dining hall, I was greeted by June, equally bleary and finishing off a gigantic cup of coffee. ¡°Want another one of those?¡± I asked, making a beeline for the coffeemaker next to the bar. ¡°And did you get the call?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know Daiki. Maybe you can jog my memory,¡± June said, gulping down what remained of her drink. It was Deadpan Day for everyone, it seemed. ¡°I receive a lot of calls, you see.¡± ¡°How many do you receive at ungodly hours?¡± I asked, as I switched on the coffee grinder. ¡°It¡¯s the Devil¡¯s hour. Raechal says devil''s hour- okay no, this bit done.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Shame. We had a good bit going there,¡± I said as I carried over two cups of coffee to the table. I made sure June got hers in hand before I dared sit nearby. She didn¡¯t hesitate to immediately take a sip of the burning concoction. ¡°Goddamn, Jimmie! This some serious gourmet sh-¡± ¡°Language!¡± I interjected hastily. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before June. Using foul language is below your station.¡± ¡°Oh please. As if you didn¡¯t cuss up a storm when you were my age.¡± ¡°I did, and I¡¯m not proud of it.¡± An awkward silence ensued. ¡°Sooooo... Asahi?¡± June said, unsubtly changing the topic. ¡°What about Asahi, and his friend¡­?¡± I asked, looking around the large hall with its heavy dining table. It felt odd coming home at times. The apartment I shared with Hinami wasn¡¯t small by any means, but this dining room always made me feel miniscule. It was more suited for groups of 20, not two. ¡°Wren.¡± ¡°Right. Wren.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the plan? If we¡¯re going by the books, it¡¯s the memory erasure route,¡± June paused to take another gulp of her coffee. ¡°Though I feel you have some scheme in mind. Elaborate.¡± Before I could word an indignant reply to June ¨C why did no one have faith in me ¨C the dining room door opened without warning. It was Raechal, Asahi and the other boy, whose name I had once again forgotten. Ah yes, Wren. ¡°Good morning Raechal. Asahi, Wren. Sit,¡± I said. Raechal took a seat at the head of the table closest to the entrance, while Wren sat across the table from June, and Asahi across from me. ¡°Are we in trouble?¡± Wren asked, his voice calm. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to feel about the stunt you two just pulled,¡± I said as I took a sip of my coffee. ¡°Cut the shit Daiki. We all know you¡¯re not here on a social call,¡± Asahi said, slamming his hands on the table. I looked over to Raechal, who was gulping down a glass of orange juice from god-knows-where. I hadn¡¯t noticed the maids bring it in. They were doing their jobs well. ¡°Raechal. Tell me, what is the procedure for when civilians see anything they shouldn¡¯t?¡± Raechal took a moment to process my question, taking another sip before replying. ¡°Standard procedure dictates that a civilian is to be interviewed by the Keeper in charge of the case, in cases where the civilian remembers and comprehends the incident, they are detained and have their memories erased after further investigation. ¡± ¡°Bingo!¡± I said, finishing off my coffee. ¡°But, in this case, we¡¯re going to break protocol.¡± ¡°And there we go. The scheme.¡± June said, placing her mug on the table. ¡°You do realise that you¡¯re making my job a lot harder right?¡± ¡°Daiki, there¡¯s a reason we follow protocols. It¡¯s to prevent personal bias interfering with our duties,¡± Raechal said, frowning. ¡°Protocols exist to prevent people from veering from the mission statement. So long as you keep to the core values of the Keepers, you¡¯re in the clear,¡± I held up my coffee cup, inspecting it, hoping to find a defect. ¡°You don¡¯t get to where I am without breaking a few eggs, Raechal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only the outcome that matters, Daiki. The process of how you achieve results is equally important. I -¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to cut you two off. Daiki. Either you start talking or Wren and I are leaving,¡± Asahi said, standing up and glaring at me. ¡°And where do you plan on going? You know running from me is pointless,¡± I said, gesturing for Asahi to sit down. Surprisingly, he complied, with a glare that said he would happily see me burn. ¡°What do you want from us, Daiki? You already know what happened on Hanafuda street, maybe you could answer my questions for a change.¡± ¡°You want answers? Fine. Let¡¯s skip the niceties,¡± I said, getting up from my seat. ¡°What you encountered on Hanafuda street was an Oddity.¡± I fished out my field notebook from my jacket pocket, tore off a page and slid it to Asahi. ¡°Tell me what you know about this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a piece of paper, nothing out of the ordinary,¡± as Asahi spoke, a maid appeared from the side kitchen door carrying Wren¡¯s double shot, a pot of coffee, and Asahi¡¯s favourite mug. ¡°Fill your mug to the brim, place the paper over your mug, give it a bit of pressure and flip it and remove your hand.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do it before your friend does a better job of it,¡± Asahi glared, but begrudgingly followed suit. To nobody¡¯s surprise the coffee didn¡¯t spill. ¡°Notice how the coffee doesn¡¯t spill?¡± I asked, reaching into my pocket. I found my pocket knife and pushed it across the table. ¡°Poke a hole.¡± Asahi held the upside down mug away from him and stabbed the paper, spilling the coffee all over the table. ¡°Notice how that caused a mess?¡± ¡°Can you please get to your point?¡± ¡°That paper, delicate and fragile thing that it was, was the barrier between the coffee and table. The moment that paper got a single tear, the whole barrier was compromised. The coffee interacted with the table, causing a mess.¡± I paused for dramatic effect. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Asahi¡¯s friend swipe my pocket knife off the table. ¡°Our universe is made up of two sides,¡± I continued, ignoring the petty thief. ¡°A world we can see and a world we can¡¯t, separated by a delicate barrier we call the Fabric of Reality. When that barrier is damaged, messes are caused, Oddities.¡± ¡°Oddities?¡± ¡°Entities that don¡¯t obey the laws of science.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, because that sci-fi crap totally exists.¡± ¡°Seeing as how you two came into contact with an Oddity recently, there really isn¡¯t much that should make you doubt me.¡± ¡°Who deals with these entities? The magic police?¡± Asahi asked, smirking. ¡°Yes. Us. The Keepers.¡± Asahi scoffed, "Really? You expect me to believe your eighth grader delusions?" ¡°Believe me, I wish these were delusions.¡± Wren cut in before Asahi could speak. ¡°Is it safe to assume that the thing we ran into on Hanafuda Street is an Oddity?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re calling it the Hanafuda Street Stalker.¡± I looked over as Raechal shifted uncomfortably in her seat. I couldn¡¯t blame her. So many protocols were being broken here. ¡°You two are the second group of its victims.¡± Asahi¡¯s friend, for all his delicate bird-boned looks, seemed to have caught Raechel¡¯s movement too. ¡°With all the talk about breaking protocols earlier, I assume we now know too much? You¡¯re going to associate Asahi and I in this¡­ situation somehow?¡± ¡°You¡¯d be correct in that assumption.¡± I looked over at Raechal and tilted my head inquiringly. Once she was at my side, I leaned over and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re going to hate this, but I want you to get Asahi and Wren on this case.¡± Raechal stared back in abject horror. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to break half the oaths I swore to uphold.¡± Her voice rose. So much for discretion. ¡°It¡¯s not breaking protocol if it¡¯s official recruits,¡± I said, blandly. ¡°Henry would never do something like that.¡± Raechal said, taking a step back. ¡°Henry is far from a worthy successor,¡± I could see that my comment made her uncomfortable. But it was true. An uncomfortable silence pervaded the dining hall. Asahi¡¯s eyes were flitting between me and Raechel, Wren was fiddling with my pocket knife, Raechal was pointedly avoiding eye contact and June? June was on her phone. I sighed. ¡°June, make sure that this case is dealt with. Get Asahi and Wren onboarded. Spin your magic and handle the logistics.¡± With that I stood up and made my way towards the exit, but not before stopping behind Wren and taking back my pocket knife. ¡°Make sure Asahi doesn¡¯t do anything stupid,¡± I told him as I left the dining hall. My chauffeur was waiting at the entrance. ¡°Take me to the Financial District StarDucks. I¡¯m meeting an old friend.¡±