[2025, Havok City, Piasu, Ryomania, May 6th, Tuesday, 2:46 PM]
The realization kicked in as I stood over the deceased groom.
Cathy had seen what had happened and had calmed down, the red glow in her eyes now fully gone. She angled her body downwards and floated down slowly as all of the debris in the air fell down—somehow not hitting either me or Jasmine or even the dead groom.
The weight of the moment finally crashed down on me as we stood over Keito Nakamura's lifeless body.
My hand trembled, fingers digging into my thigh as I pressed it against the pocket where the rose was now tucked.
My gaze shifted from Cathy to Keito. Tears blurred my vision again, and my throat tightened.
James Karawei: "We killed someone... Cathy. No I killed—"
She hovered closer, her anger dissipating like mist, leaving only a cold, neutral expression. Her arm hovered above my right shoulder.
Cathy Ariston: "I think everyone is responsible for this James. Obviously even... What's his name? Keito, right? Oh fuck..."
She raised both of her hands up to clutch her head, her legs tucked in, cowering from the weight of the consequences to our actions.
Cathy Ariston: "Fuck! Fuck... I-I mean... We didn't have a choice! HE came here, HE killed everyone... T-this is justice! I-It's not your fault, James. Right! It's not... right?"
I wiped the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand and glanced up at the buildings where the agents were watching us from earlier, they were now gone, equipment and all.
James Karawei: "I take the blame... We did this, but... I killed him. We... We have to go. We have to leave. Anywhere but here."
The distant sound of police sirens pierced through the air, looks like someone finally tattled.
A gust of wind swept across the wreckage of our school.
My mind struggled to process it all—
A sudden crack appeared in the air before us, glowing red. It felt like reality itself was splitting apart. I remember seeing this before.
A man in a red business suit stepped through. The Boss.
His presence sending a cold shiver down my spine. His voice, though calm, made my stomach churn.
The Boss: "Fracture..."
He chuckled, almost leisurely, as the crack in the air sealed itself shut. With eerie ease, he hoisted Keito's body over his shoulder, his smile wide and unsettling.
James Karawei: "Who are you?! Let him go!"
I reacted on instinct, swinging the pipe I still gripped in my left hand, hoping to smack him.
Out of the great surge of emotions that had been coursing through me, the result of all that had happened a rainbow bubble shot from it, hitting the stranger square in the chest. It popped like one of Keito's bubbles.
Something that didn't even register to me.
He didn't even flinch as the bubble burst, only his suit was now unbuttoned and there was a hole in it.
The Boss: "Interesting, I'll have to study this."
He waved his hand over the hole the bubble made in his suit, what seemed like red lighting crackled through his fingers.
The hole fixed itself.
His hand moved again, the pressure from his strange ability was enough to cause the pipe to explode in my grip, leaving only the twisted, jagged end. He didn't seem to care, simply holding his hand out towards me.
The Boss: "You don't get to keep my employees, James. Maybe if you behave, I'll hire you one day. Then we can work together in perfect harmony, wouldn't you like that?"
He slowly retracted his hand, putting it in his pocket.
His voice carried a cruel humor as he turned to look at Sakura's lifeless body.
The Boss: "That... that girl sure is something... I'm interested, I think I'll take her."
Both Cathy and I were frozen, not knowing how to fight against whatever this is.
James Karawei: "W-what? Sakura? What do you mean?!"
Before I could blink, he was already there, vanishing through another red crack in the air which seemingly took him over to her body. He used these for teleportation.
He picked up Sakura's body and hoisted it on his other shoulder. Now holding both Keito and Sakura's bodies.
He then teleported back towards me and walked towards Jasmine.
But Cathy was faster—
With a death glare, she thrust her hand out, violet energy crackling as Jasmine's body moved out of the way.
Cathy Ariston: "He doesn't work for you, and neither does she, so get the FUCK out of here before I send you back to Target or whatever corporate shithole you crawled out of!"
The man wagged his finger, his smirk turning condescending.
The Boss: "My dear, you'll never, ever, stop my plans. Nobody will."
He stretched his arms out as Cathy charged forward towards him, getting ready to knock him out.
The Boss: "Fracture..."
But before she could make contact, she vanished through another red crack in reality. It was as though the air around us had turned into a mirror, cracking reality itself.
The Boss: "Disorienting, isn't it?"
Cathy suddenly found herself behind me. She looked around in confusion before her gaze fell on the man.
The man, now holding Jasmine by the wrist, turned to me. His masked face was grinning, something dark in his eyes.
The Boss: "James, we will meet again... after you've brought down 'The Great Dragon, Ryuusei Kajima.' Until then... don't get caught. Oh and good luck with Hakomaru, he's quite a handful~"
He chuckled and waved his hand again—
Before we could do anything, another red crack appeared, swallowing him, Keito, Sakura and Jasmine into it, leaving behind nothing but silence. Even the red mist had dissipated.
Cathy Ariston: "UGH! I'm sick of all this! Stupid fuckin' Syndicate... Hmph, whatever... Where's Jack?! He's alive, right?"
She scoffed, frustrated, and turned her gaze toward me.
I slowly stood up and took a deep breath.
James Karawei: "Sorry, um, yeah I know where he is, I'll show you."
I started walking, leading her toward the inner-courtyard without saying a word. We had to get moving.
Cathy Ariston: "I can't believe that just happened. Ugh... D-don't worry James, we'll get Jasmine back. I'm sure of it. S-so... If you wanted to talk maybe I could listen?"
A beat of silence passed before she quickly followed up.
Cathy Ariston: "A-actually nevermind, that's stupid. This whole thing is stupid... I'm sure you're fine, I'm fine... Jack is fine... right?"
Her voice was softer now, and she reached out again, but the faint forcefield around her repelled her touch before she could make contact.
I kept walking, the bloody and now broken pipe still in my grip.
James Karawei: "I'm fine... I uh... We'll talk later. Let's go find Jack."
The two of us walked in silence, Cathy hovering behind me as we made our way to where Jack was.
He was practicing some sort of martial arts moves, he was still where I left him in the inner schoolyard.
His left arm was seemingly healed, the blood completely gone, and I saw it for only a split second but a faint white light shined in his eyes.
Once he saw us he ran over.
Jack Daniels: "Oi! You two! What happened? Is... is that a bloody pipe?! Did you bonk that weird wedding soap guy on the head with it or something? What did you guys do—"
Cathy lightly slammed her fist onto his head, making him winch in pain and stick his tongue out at her. Her aura softened the blow.
Cathy Ariston: "Sure is, gov'nor! Maybe later we can have a bloody tea party and discuss it! You damn moron— Don't make fun of my accent or else you're next."
Jack put his hands up in a placating gesture, smirking.
Jack Daniels: "Look, I don't know what happened, but you don't have to get your panties in a twist about it."
Cathy's eye twitched, and she started reaching for a rock to throw at him. But I stepped in, putting the pipe between them to stop it.
James Karawei: "Hey! This isn't a good time to bicker. We have to get out of here. We'll go to my house... It's safe there. I live in the countryside... I think. I don't remember exactly. Everything feels foggy now. Cathy, do you mind flying us over there?"
She scoffed and rolled her eyes at me.
Cathy Ariston: "Yeah, I DO mind... People will look up and see us, dumbass... We'll just go through the backstreets. It's faster and Darrilyn is pretty close to the city anyway."
I stared at her, caught off guard.
James Karawei: "You know where I live?"
She looked ready to hit me.
Cathy Ariston: "Did YOU hit your head? Obviously I know, who doesn't? We're friends... M-moron..."
Jack rubbed his hands together excitedly and chuckled.
Jack Daniels: "Oooh... A sleepover, huh? Just like old times!"
Police sirens could be heard approaching the school, they were in the parking lot. No way to get Jasmine's bike.
Cathy Ariston: "Come on! We have to go, follow me."
Cathy led us away from the inner-schoolyard, we ran to the back of the school and hopped over the gate into the street and made our way into the shadows of the alleyways of Havok.
Jack lightly slapped me on the back as we walked.
Jack Daniels: "Hey! James! I'm not really sure what happened, but you two did a great job! Phew... You got any Coco-Cola at home?"
I glanced at him over my shoulders and kept following Cathy.
James Karawei: "Not the best time for this Jack, I wouldn't know though."
We continued to make our way through the alleys of Havok as the sun finally set, the city was bustling during evening but Cathy and Jack indeed knew their way around Havok.
Soon enough after about 2 extra hours or so of walking we made it out of Havok.
We kept walking towards Darrilyn by the main big road until we finally had reached my house.
It had a strangely peaceful vibe to it, but right now, it felt like a distant memory from a time before everything had turned upside down. And it sort of was.
Cathy chuckled out of nowhere, her gaze glued to the asphalt just below her legs, something she could no longer touch.
Cathy Ariston: "This is actually kind of nostalgic... Don't you remember how we used to walk up and down this road like a hundred times a day? Or how we used to run in the Redwoods until our knees started creaking? Do you... James, do you really not remember any of that? We've always been friendly to you..."
She looked at me, her eyes full of something between hope and frustration. But there was a gap in my heart. No matter how temporary.
James Karawei: "No I don't, I'm sorry... Look, we can talk more inside. Let's go."
Cathy opened her mouth to retort, but paused, probably sensing the weight of the situation. Instead of arguing, she just sighed and let me lead the way.
It was getting darker outside, the sun was fully setting.
We made it inside the house through the front door and into the living room.
Jack finally straightened his clothes and put down his sleeve, looking kind of dumb as he stood there, seemingly oblivious to the fact that we were all clearly on edge. He quickly glanced between the two of us and instantly went to the fridge.
James Karawei: "I live alone now, so we don't have to worry about any troublesome onlookers here. After all... Cathy... you're a spectacle to behold!"
I chuckled nervously, unsure of what to do or say next. I didn't know if it was better to laugh or keep quiet.
Cathy didn't respond immediately, but there was a hint of a smirk on her face.
She rolled her eyes and barged into my room, already knowing where it was, opening the door with the flick of her wrist.
Without missing a beat, she hovered above the bed in a starfish position. Her face was an odd mix of anger and calm.
Cathy Ariston: "Hmph! Whatever... Be that way, idiot."
I leaned against the doorway, glancing back towards the kitchen as the sounds of Jack rummaging for food and drink could be heard.
James Karawei: "Uh... okay..."
I scratched my head sheepishly, then watched as she turned toward the window, her back to me, clearly fuming but holding it in.
James Karawei: "Make yourselves at home, and um... I'll just... Well actually I'd like to make a memorial, for everyone that died today. Including Mr. Nakamura."
I walked toward the door but felt Cathy's grip on my leg. Feeling the weight of gravity on it startled me.
Cathy Ariston: "Huh... That actually worked— Look, James, if you ever need a 'trauma buddy'... we can talk, I guess. This is affecting you as much as me, right?. So... yeah. J-just don't make a big deal out of it and go crying again! Life is about dying; that's just how things are..."
I gave her a quick nod. She wasn't wrong. Life was brutal, but sometimes, you had to push through.
James Karawei: "Yeah... I know... Thank you for wanting to listen."
I stepped out of the room, heading down the hallway.
I could hear Jack coming over, clumsily holding a dozen cans of Coco-Cola—"The Pop! That makes you coco!"
Jack Daniels: "Yo bro, where ya going? We were gonna talk, nah?"
He said, grabbing one of the cola cans and drinking from it.
James Karawei: "I'm going to pay my respects to everyone who died today, including Keito... Are you going to drink all of those?"
I grabbed a can from the pile in his hands, inspecting it before putting it back.
Jack Daniels: "Oh damn. I was just gonna binge these and order a pizza or something... that sounds like a better plan though!"
Cathy threw a pillow from my room at him, hitting him square in the face.
Cathy Ariston: "We can't order anything dumbass, we're wanted now. You're so stupid sometimes..."
Cathy popped out of the doorway just as Jack was about to respond, snatching the cans from his hands with her new power.
Without hesitation, she floated them into my room and threw them onto the floor.
Cathy Ariston: "I'm coming too. May the groom rest in peace or whatever... Stupid bastard. He was mind-controlled, right? He had to have been! I mean, he had glowing red eyes, and half his skull was cracked, and he was STILL fighting me! Maybe that weird insurance salesman did something to Keito. Either way— What WE did was necessary, so don't beat yourself up about it, either of you, okay? Promise?"
I gave her a gentle smile and nodded, my right hand already on Jack's shoulder, ready to drag him.
James Karawei: "I promise. Now let's go."
Jack pouted but followed outside.
Cathy floated beside us like a cat lounging on an invisible hammock.
Jack Daniels: "Man, she took my funky coco-cans..."
We stepped outside into the beautiful backyard. It overlooked a golden wheat field, the wind carrying the earthy scent of the crops and the distant sounds of crickets.
James Karawei: "Hey, how do we make a gravestone?" I stopped and asked them.
Jack Daniels: "Oh, nah, no need! Your parents used to be morticians, so they always had spare gravestones from work and whatnot. I didn't really look into it much, plus you mostly just used them as Halloween decorations. Which was AWESOME! I miss Halloween dude, we should like do another one tomorrow—"
Cathy shot him a glance, he chuckled again and sat on the grass.
Jack Daniels: "Yeah, yeah, I'll shut up... They're in the shed over there."
I walked over to the shed near the big oak tree in the backyard. The tree had a makeshift tire swing, swinging gently in the breeze.
A strange sense of nostalgia washed over me, but I pushed it aside for now.
I opened the door and saw a bunch of tombstones, tools and other various supplies inside. Alongside some sort of strange chest.
I didn't question it and pulled out a heavy, medium-sized tombstone—about 2.5 feet tall, made of stone, perfect for a memorial.
Cathy instinctively reached out and floated the tombstone into the backyard, setting it down carefully.
Jack Daniels: "So, let me get this straight. You two actually KILLED that weirdo? Man, that's messed up... WAIT! We're wanted criminals now! Damn it... How will I ever get a job now?! Oh wait, I technically don't need to—"
Cathy hovered dangerously close to Jack, poking him with her pointer finger.
Cathy Ariston: "Seriously? That's what you're worried about? A man DIED today because of us, even if he was... Controlled. Y- you stupid idiot! Moron! Ugly! You can't even get a job if you're such a moron all the time! Geez... Why did we EVER become friends?"
She scoffed and set up the tombstone with her powers, firmly embedding it into the ground.
James Karawei: "Thank you, Cathy. This is for all the poor souls who died today and for one Mr. Keito Nakamura... May you all rest in peace."
I knelt in front of the tombstone, placing the white rose I had kept from earlier in front of it. I used the broken part of the pipe I had to carve Keito's initials into the stone, the jagged edge nearly cutting my finger.
Cathy turned away and floated back into the house, trying to not cry in front of us. We both heard her sobbing though.
Me and Jack stayed outside, sitting in front of the tombstone. Cathy threw a Coco-Cola can through the back door, and it rolled outside, landing near us. In frustration, probably.
Jack didn't say anything. Neither did I.
He cracked open the can, like everything was fine, but I could tell he was holding back tears.
He smiled gently, looking calmly around, especially towards the sunset.
James Karawei: "This is nice... Despite everything. It really is peaceful out here."
He took a sip, then poured the rest on the tombstone.
Jack Daniels: "I agree, I sometimes get jealous when I think about the freedom you have... No offense.
I did the same as he handed me the can, taking a sip and pouring the rest of it onto the tombstone.
I crushed the can in my hand and tucked it into my pocket, sitting in silence for a moment and watching the sunset.
At least thirty minutes passed.
The scent of the forest filled the air, the soft chirping of birds drifting on the breeze.
I bowed my head, making a vow.
James Karawei: "I... I vow to never let The Boss do this to anyone ever again."
The world grew quieter, calmer. The only thing that could be heard was the wind and Cathy's muffled cries of frustration, anger and sadness from within the house.
A new feeling rose within me—not peace, but purpose. The kind that only comes after you've buried someone.
Now we both had closure.