VOLUME #4 - EPISODE 10
[NARRATOR: Some people stay dead. Some people return changed on the inside while looking unchanged on the outside. And some people escape government facilities with stolen information that explains everything—every confusing plot point, every bloodline connection, every reason abilities exist and preservation techniques trap souls. Today, Yakamira Shiko returns looking exactly as he did two months ago, but carrying truths that will reshape everyone's understanding of Jeremy High's foundation. Today, the impossible brother brings answers. Today, Hansamu's deadline accelerates. And today, everyone learns that the 1876 founders didn't just create sanctuary—they created prison disguised as salvation, and every Shiko descendant since has been trapped in its design. Welcome to when dead brothers return. Welcome to resurrection bearing revelations.]
PART ONE: THE REUNION THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST
Sunday. 5:23 AM. Hansamu's deadline day—twelve hours until he exposed abilities to the world unless stopped. Riyura's phone buzzed. Text from an unknown number:
"Brother. I'm out. Escaped at 4:47 AM during guard shift change. Heading to Jeremy High now. I look the same—preservation kept my body exactly as it was at the moment of death, no changes. But I have information. Government files about 1876. About the founders. About the preservation technique. About why everything connects the way it does. About Hansamu's real connection to all of this. Meet me at the school gates. Alone first—need you to understand before we tell the others. This information changes everything. See you in twenty minutes. —Y.S."
Riyura stared at his phone, emotions crashing together impossibly. Yakamira. Alive. Escaped. Coming back with answers.
[RIYURA'S INTERNAL MONOLOGUE: He's alive. He's actually alive. My brother who died protecting me two months ago just texted like he's returning from a trip. And he has information—government information about all the confusing stuff. About why preservation works the way it does. About the 1876 connection to everything. About—about all of it. This should feel like a miracle. Should feel like everything I've wanted. So why am I terrified? Why does 'this information changes everything' sound like warning instead of hope?]
He got ready real quickly, left a note for his mother about "early student council emergency"—technically true if you counted "reuniting with supposedly dead brother who has government secrets" as student council adjacent.
The walk to Jeremy High felt surreal. Empty Sunday streets. Cherry blossoms budding despite winter barely ending. Everything looked normal except his brother was alive and carrying information that "changed everything" and in twelve hours Hansamu would expose abilities to the world unless they stopped him.
Just normal Jeremy High Sunday stuff. Yakamira stood at the school gates.
And Riyura felt relief crash over him so powerfully he nearly collapsed. Because Yakamira looked—looked exactly the same. Same silver hair. Same pale gray eyes. Same analytical expression. Same posture. Nothing wrong. Nothing changed. Just—Yakamira. His brother. Alive.
"Brother," Yakamira said, and his voice was right. Completely right. No wrongness. No death-echo. Just Yakamira's usual calm, measured tone.
Riyura ran forward and hugged him—something he wouldn't have done before, but grief and loss and two months of mourning made emotional restraint impossible. Yakamira was solid. Warm. Alive. Real.
"You're really here," Riyura said, voice muffled against his brother's shoulder. "You're really—you're really alive."
"Yes," Yakamira confirmed, returning the hug with careful precision. "The preservation technique kept me exactly as I was at moment of death. No decomposition. No changes. I look the same because I am the same—physically at least. Mentally—" He paused. "—mentally I've spent two months in suspended state learning things I shouldn't know. But we'll get to that. I've also aged 2 months older somehow like you and the others. I guess I could still age because of my abilities. Because usually you don't age in that kind of situation, so it shows it. I have abilities to, and I can tell just by the look on your face you already figured that out recently."
He pulled back gently. "I need to show you what I found. What I stole from the government facility before escaping. Files they'd compiled about the 1876 founders. About the Shiko bloodline. About preservation technique. About why everything connects the way it does. About—" He pulled out a stolen tablet, government logo still visible on the lock screen. "—about every confusing plot point. Every unanswered question. Everything."
"How did you get that?" Riyura asked.
"Guards thought I was a corpse," Yakamira said with a slight smile—first expression of dark humor Riyura had heard from him in forever. "Corpses don't steal classified tablets and escape during shift changes. Their mistake."
He activated the tablet, bypassing security with codes he'd apparently memorized. "I have twelve hours of information to explain in—" He checked his phone. "—approximately two hours before Hansamu's exposure goes live. So we need to be efficient. First question: Do you understand what the preservation technique actually is?"
"Principal Jeremy said it's failsafe," Riyura replied. "If a Shiko bloodline member dies at Jeremy High while another Shiko descendant is present, the dead one gets preserved. Suspended between death and life until conditions allow return."
"Correct," Yakamira confirmed. "But that's incomplete. The technique isn't just a failsafe—it's a prison. The founders created it as mercy killing gone wrong. As an attempt to escape suffering that accidentally trapped them in suffering forever."
He showed Riyura files on the tablet. Medical records from 1896. Documents written in careful script describing symptoms, progression, deterioration.
"The 1876 founders—Hikari Shiko, Yami Hakizage, Kage Poleheadedsandwich—they developed abilities at age sixteen through trauma. Hikari's family was murdered by corrupt officials, triggering blue energy manifestation. Yami watched his village burn, awakening shadows. Kage lost everyone to plague, developing preservation power as a desperate attempt to save someone—anyone."
"They built Jeremy High together," Yakamira continued, scrolling through documents. "Ages sixteen to eighteen. Created sanctuary for broken students. Helped hundreds over the next twenty years. But the abilities were killing them. Every use caused internal damage. Hikari hemorrhaged from blue energy overuse. Yami's shadows spread through his body like cancer. Kage's preservation power started preserving him while he was still alive, creating horrific state where he existed in multiple timeframes simultaneously."
Riyura felt sick. "So they were dying."
"Worse than dying," Yakamira corrected. "They were becoming monsters. Exactly what villages called them. Their bodies were transforming into something inhuman. Something that shouldn't exist. By age thirty-six, all three were barely recognizable as human. They knew they had to die. Had to end it before they became monsters completely."
He showed Riyura photos—aged, damaged, but clearly showing three figures that looked more nightmare than human. Distorted. Wrong. Proof that abilities pushed too far destroyed their users.
"March 15th, 1896," Yakamira said quietly. "That was the day they chose death." He let the words settle before continuing.
"The students planned a mass suicide. They intended to lock themselves inside the school and set it on fire. They believed it was the only way to end their suffering… to stop what they were becoming. They wanted to die as humans, not live on as demons. They left behind a note explaining everything—their pain, their fear, and their final choice."
His expression hardened.
"But what happened was so horrific that Japan's higher authorities buried the truth. They erased it from history. They kept Jeremy High open, brought in new staff—teachers who understood trauma, who could guide students away from that same darkness. For a long time, it worked. The school became a place of quiet recovery instead of tragedy. And so the goverment kept abilities secret from the world."
He glanced at Riyura. And looked away, and continued to read.
"But nothing buried stays buried forever. The same darkness began to surface again in many criminal themed ways. And then you arrived. You became the center of the stage of everything—the one person who started changing the school's fate."
His voice dropped lower.
"The original suicide note was hidden all this time… until Hansamu found it. Becoming an agent gave him access. And once he read it, he twisted its meaning into justification for his own plans. He believes he's saving people. He believes he's doing something righteous. But he isn't. He's using their suffering as an excuse to spread more of it. And so that all also means that the government knew about the whole thing with abilities all along. And that makes it also obvious, that the crime was so big that they were willing to keep it a secret from the entire world. But they didn't expect the crime to rise up again until you stepped in and took center stage for their choices. Because I've also found records of you involved in the files of them knowing about your transfer changing things for the best. The transfer Riyura Shiko himself, also my dear brother. And in the process that ended up also causing the Sotsuko family drama which made Jiastu bring them back into the fold. And because of that... it seems we're now dealing with a new enemy and the near end of probably the entire world. But we're also fighting for are freedom and that's final. And also your extra messages really helped with this whole process before I arrived with extra information."
Yakamira clenched his jaw. "With the truth exposed, with the lies around Principal Jeremy and everything else unraveling, the same cycle is beginning again. But in a different form that suits are fates alone."
He looked at Riyura with quiet resolve. "And this time… it's up to us to stop it." "But Kage couldn't accept it," Riyura said, remembering Principal Jeremy's explanation.
"Exactly," Yakamira confirmed. "Kage developed the preservation technique as compromise. They could die but remain available if Jeremy High ever needed them. Could escape their suffering but stay accessible. Could end transformation while preserving what they'd been before abilities destroyed them."
He pulled up more files. "What they didn't realize—what Kage didn't understand until too late—was that preservation doesn't stop suffering. It traps you in the moment of death experiencing it infinitely. The founders burned themselves alive March 15th, 1896. And the preservation technique activated. They experienced burning alive—continuously, eternally, without end—before their preserved states finally degraded enough to grant actual death."
"That's—that's horrific," Riyura whispered.
"That's what I experienced for two months," Yakamira said quietly. "That's what preservation does. I died from Father's knife. Felt my heart stop. Felt life leave. And then—then I experienced that death on loop. Continuously. For two months. Dying over and over while my body remained in stasis. With a few side effects of course, which is that I could still age though. But from hearing this, it seems... they didn't have that function with their own abilties as it would of said it here, and because of the technique they were using overall."
"But you look fine," Riyura said desperately. "You look exactly the same. You sound normal. You—"
"The preservation technique is sophisticated," Yakamira interrupted. "It keeps your body unchanged while your consciousness experiences death infinitely. Makes you look alive while trapping you in death. That's its design. That's what makes it prison instead of salvation. You appear fine on the outside while screaming internally forever."
He met Riyura's eyes. "I escaped because Komedi Kirā Shiko came near me. Another Shiko descendant with active abilities. That's the exit condition—if another bloodline member with activated powers comes close, the preserved person can choose to return. Can choose to stop experiencing death and resume living. Komedi was at the facility two days ago. Hansamu brought him to prove multiple Shikos had abilities. And when Komedi got close—when another Shiko descendant activated their powers near me—I could finally break out of the death-loop. Could finally escape preservation and return properly."
"So you're—you're actually alive?" Riyura asked. "Not preserved anymore? Not experiencing death?"
"I'm alive," Yakamira confirmed. "Genuinely alive. The preservation released me when the exit condition triggered. I'm back. I'm real. I'm—I'm your brother again. Just—your brother who spent two months experiencing death on repeat and now carries government information about bloodline curses and founder traumas and every confusing plot point you've encountered."
PART TWO: THE INFORMATION THAT EXPLAINED EVERYTHING
They sat on a bench near the school gates, Yakamira scrolling through the stolen tablet while explaining revelations that connected all the confusing pieces.
"First confusing point," Yakamira said. "Why do abilities only manifest in people who hide despair behind joy? Why that specific contradiction?" He showed Riyura neuroscience files—government research attempting to explain abilities through brain chemistry.
"The founders discovered this accidentally," Yakamira explained. "Abilities aren't supernatural. They're psychic pressure made manifest. When someone experiences profound trauma but forces themselves to perform happiness anyway—when the contradiction between internal despair and external joy becomes extreme enough—it creates neurological stress that manifests as visible effects."
"The blue energy, the shadows, all of it," Riyura said, understanding.
"Exactly," Yakamira confirmed. "It's not magic. It's just human consciousness pushed so far past normal limits that it becomes visible. The brain creates psychic pressure trying to maintain the contradiction. That pressure has to go somewhere. So it manifests as energy, as shadows, as whatever form matches the user's specific trauma pattern."
"Second confusing point is that abilities only seemed to have started manifesting at Jeremy High only ever since Kage did alot of his own research, yep. Shocking to me as well." Yakamira continued. "Why is preservation tied specifically to Jeremy High? Why does dying here trigger the technique?" He showed Riyura architectural documents—blueprints of Jeremy High with annotations in the founders' handwriting.
"Kage Poleheadedsandwich built the preservation technique into the school's foundation," Yakamira explained. "Literally. Used his preservation abilities to infuse the building itself with the technique. Made Jeremy High into a giant preservation artifact. Any Shiko bloodline member who dies while spiritually connected to the school—while thinking of it as home, while considering themselves part of it—triggers the mechanism."
"That's why Father's house counted," Riyura said. "I died there physically, but I was thinking of Jeremy High. Thinking of you, of the school, of—"
"Of the place you considered home," Yakamira finished. "Yes. The technique responds to spiritual connection more than physical location. That's why it activated for me. That's why it would activate for any Shiko descendant who considers Jeremy High their sanctuary. And It's also showing we're lucky that It's happened this many times in a row, as these Shiko descandants could of changed fate by refusing Jeremy High entirely, as an example of course. And It's entirely possible in the future. But are problems in this generation are the problems are generation has to deal with. So if things change. Then things change, and it will have nothing to do with us with the destruction other generations cause in many different ways, if it does happen. Because that's their problem to deal with, not are own. And It's probably why father and mother in the end, sent us both to Jeremy High. They didn't expect things to get this crazy though. But we're moving past this stuff."
"Third confusing point," Yakamira said, scrolling further. "Why does Hansamu specifically want to expose abilities? What's his actual goal beyond revenge on Principal Jeremy?"
He showed Riyura files about Hansamu's background—detailed government psych evaluations, family history, connections to the Shiko and Poleheadedsandwich bloodlines.
"Hansamu is descended from both founder bloodlines," Yakamira revealed. "His biological father was Poleheadedsandwich Jeremy—Principal Jeremy's son who died many years in the past as well. His mother was a distant Shiko branch. He's—he's literally a combination of two founder bloodlines. Which means he has potential for abilities from both lines. Or a combination that creates a super powerful ability never ever seen before."
"But he doesn't have abilities," Riyura said. "Does he?"
"He does," Yakamira corrected. "But his ability is manipulation. Psychic influence. He can subtly affect people's thoughts, their decisions, their beliefs. Make them more susceptible to his suggestions. That's how he's orchestrated everything so effectively. That's how he convinced the other agents to follow him. That's how he's positioning himself as the whistleblower instead of the villain. His ability makes people believe him."
"That's—that's terrifying," Riyura said.
"That's why he was abandoned," Yakamira explained. "Principal Jeremy noticed Hansamu's ability manifesting when he was twelve. Realized the kid could manipulate thoughts. Got scared. Sent him away to government care because he was terrified of raising someone who could control minds. And Hansamu—Hansamu interpreted that as rejection. As proof he was a monster. As confirmation that having abilities made him unlovable."
"So now he wants to expose abilities to prove what?" Riyura demanded. "To prove Principal Jeremy was right to be scared?"
"To prove everyone with abilities is a monster," Yakamira said. "To prove the founders were demons who created a prison disguised as a sanctuary. To prove that people who can manipulate reality—manipulate energy, shadows, thoughts, preservation—shouldn't be allowed to hide among normal humans. He wants abilities exposed so society treats people like him the way he feels: marked, dangerous, a demon wearing human skin. It's all obvious when you connect the pieces you've told me, and the ones that I figured out from these files on his background all together. And It's kind of sad honestly. Because we all thought it was like the problems we were dealing with now. But honestly in the end it proves we didn't expect something this big to do with one of are closest friends Principal Jeremy. Things have been big for us before I will say that much. But this is on a whole 'nother level. And you can tell because the government could of fixed this themselfs, and they didn't so they made themselfs another weapon of theirs, to fight one of are closest friends to end are found family, with somthing emotional and truly tragic."
He showed Riyura more files. "Fourth confusing point: How is Komedi connected to all of this? Why does he hate you so much? Because you didn't really explain that part in the messages. It obviously helps if we know that. Because It's like my senses are telling me, probably connected to my abilties or something. But we may never know."
"Headayami explained some of it," Riyura said. "Komedi is are unseen nephew from one of fathers abandoned brothers families. Abandoned. Rejected when he showed Riyazo his abilities. Turned that rejection into a hatred of legitimate family. Because his parents always hated him. And Riyazo used to be the only person he cared about. Until he left that is because of the organization if you really piece it together. And that started the whole drama."
"Correct but incomplete, because I've pieced more stuff together from your words and the documents right here and right now." Yakamira said. "Komedi isn't just Father's abandoned family member. He's also Hansamu's half-brother. They grew up together until age seven when Principal Jeremy adopted Hansamu and sent Komedi away. They're both abandoned sons. Both rejected for having abilities. Both shaped by bloodline curses they never chose."
"They're working together," Riyura realized. "Not just as agents. As brothers seeking revenge on the families that rejected them."
"Exactly," Yakamira confirmed. "Hansamu wants to destroy Principal Jeremy's legacy. Komedi wants to destroy Riyazo's legacy—which means destroying you, the legitimate son who got acknowledgment Komedi deserved. They're both trying to burn down the family structures that abandoned them entirely."
"Fifth confusing point," Yakamira continued. "Why does the government want to keep abilities secret if they're researching them? Why not expose them already?"
He showed Riyura classified documents—government internal memos, policy discussions, strategic assessments.
"The government knows abilities exist," Yakamira revealed. "Has known since 1876. Has been researching them quietly for over a century now. But they keep it secret because exposing abilities would cause mass panic. Would make every person with abilities into a target for public fear. Would force the government to choose between protecting ability users or weaponizing them. And weaponization—weaponization would start wars. International conflicts over who controls the people who can manipulate reality."
"So they keep it hidden," Riyura said. "Keep abilities as a classified research project. Keep people like us secret to prevent wars."
"Exactly," Yakamira confirmed. "That's why Hansamu's exposure is so dangerous. He's not just revealing a personal secret. He's forcing governments worldwide to acknowledge abilities publicly. To make policy decisions about whether ability users are humans with rights or weapons that need controlling. And those decisions—those decisions will destroy everyone like us."
"We have to stop him," Riyura said firmly.
"We have to reach him," Yakamira corrected. "We have to make him understand that exposing abilities won't heal his abandonment wounds. Won't prove he was right to be rejected. Won't make the suffering stop. It'll just spread the suffering to everyone with abilities. Make all of us targets. Make all of us demons marked by governments instead of just villages."
He closed the tablet. "That's the information. That's what connects everything. The founders created abilities through extreme trauma, built a preservation prison for trying to escape suffering, accidentally trapped themselves in a bad experience. The bloodlines descended from them carry those curses. Hansamu and Komedi are both abandoned sons seeking revenge on families that rejected them. And the government keeps abilities secret to prevent wars. Everything connects. Everything makes sense now."
"Except how do we stop them," Riyura said. "How do we stop Hansamu from exposing everything in—" He checked his phone. "—ten hours?"
"We show them an alternative," Yakamira said. "We show them that being abandoned doesn't mean being unlovable. That having abilities doesn't make you a monster. That preservation—even with its curse—creates possibility for second chances. We show them me. Living proof that coming back from death is possible. That found family waiting for you makes suffering bearable. That a sanctuary is worth protecting even when it's imperfect."
He stood, looking exactly like the brother Riyura remembered—analytical, calm, strategic. Except now also carrying weight of government secrets and two months experiencing death on loop.
"We have ten hours," Yakamira said. "Ten hours to convince two abandoned brothers that destroying a sanctuary won't heal their wounds. Ten hours to protect Jeremy High. Ten hours to keep abilities a secret. Ten hours to prove that broken people can survive together instead of destroying each other entirely."
"Then let's start," Riyura said, standing beside his impossible brother. "Let's save everyone. Again. Like we always do." "Like we always do," Yakamira agreed.
And for the first time in two months, Riyura felt something like hope. His brother was back. They had information explaining everything. They had ten hours to save the world. It wasn't much. But it was something.
And something was always enough.
EPILOGUE: THE CALL THAT CHANGED THE PLAN
As they walked toward the school building to gather the friend group, Riyura's phone rang. Unknown number. He answered cautiously. "Hello?"
"Riyura Shiko," a familiar voice said—cold, calculating, perfectly controlled. Hansamu. "I know Yakamira escaped. Know he's with you. Know he stole government files. And I'm—I'm calling to make an offer."
"What kind of offer?" Riyura asked carefully, putting the call on speaker so Yakamira could hear.
"Meet me," Hansamu said. "You, Yakamira, Komedi, and me. Four descendants of founder bloodlines. Four abandoned sons—you by Father's hatred, Yakamira by Father's knife, Komedi by hateful parents from a rejection of a brother connected to his parents, me by Principal Jeremy's stupid fear. We talk. Honestly. Without manipulation. Without any abilities. Just—four broken people deciding whether to destroy this sanctuary or protect it."
"Why would you do that?" Yakamira asked. "Why offer negotiation when you could just expose abilities and win? And jeez, did not know that was the reason why his parents hated him so much."
"True and... aside from that, because," Hansamu said, and something in his voice broke slightly, "because my brother—my half-brother Komedi—he told me something last night. He said: 'What if destroying Jeremy High doesn't make us less abandoned? What if burning a sanctuary just makes us arsonists instead of victims? What if—what if we're making a mistake?' And I—I couldn't answer him. Couldn't explain why destruction felt right. Could only say: 'Because it's all we have left.'"
Silence on the call.
"Meet me," Hansamu repeated. "Old music room. In two hours. Four bloodline descendants. Four abandoned sons. One conversation. We decide together whether abilities stay secret or get exposed. Whether Jeremy High survives or burns. Whether—whether broken people can find an alternative to mutual destruction."
"We'll be there," Riyura said. "Thank you," Hansamu said quietly, and hung up. Riyura and Yakamira looked at each other. "That's—that's not what I expected," Riyura admitted. "I also didn't expect such a heavy truth with my father as well to do with Komedi, but aside from that. It seems he does know what could happen if he exposed abilities to the world. And he's willing to do it just because of his heavy past. I can also tell that's it by the way he said his father was stupid by the sound of his breath, yeah bet you didn't expect me to be this smart at times, aside from jokes though. But either way jeez... this is confusing."
"That's what happens when abandoned sons realize they're not alone," Yakamira said. "When they realize other people carry the same wounds. When they realize destroying each other won't heal anything. That's—that's possibility. That's hope. That's chance."
"Two hours until we find out if hope is enough," Riyura said. "Two hours until the finale begins," Yakamira corrected.
And together—the living brother and the preserved-then-returned brother—they walked toward Jeremy High to prepare for the conversation that would determine everything.
The battle was almost here. And nobody—not even Hansamu with all his planning—knew how it would end.
[NARRATOR: And so the dead brother returns bearing answers that explain every confusing connection. The preservation curse revealed as a founder mistake. Hansamu's manipulation ability exposed. Komedi's half-brother connection clarified. Government secrecy explained. And now—now four abandoned sons will meet to decide Jeremy High's fate. Next episode: The finale. The conversation. The choice between exposure and protection. When bloodline descendants decide whether to burn sanctuary or become its newest defenders. The end is here. Stay with us.]
TO BE CONTINUED...