Darkness.
I could see nothing but darkness.
Yet I could hear everything: the ticking of a clock, the rush of wind brushing past my ears, even the sharp clicks of my shoes against the ground as I ran.
...Why was I running?
And why couldn't I see anything?
Oh, my eyes were simply closed.
***
I opened my eyes.
Was it out of duty or mere curiosity? I don't know. Either way, I quickly regret this decision.
Not because of the stack of old televisions, the bulky kind with curved screens, lined along the hallway which was covered in red carpet. All of them were switched on. Most flickered with static, but a few showed grainy footage of bloodied rooms, empty corridors, and empty streets. One screen showed the very corridor I was in, though from farther ahead and with no blood.
It wasn't even because of the dismembered humanoid statues made with stone, all of them depicting something that wasn't human yet feels eerily similar to one. With perfectly centered skin, dripping bones, and other characteristics that's wrong in a way that was hard to explain.
All of them were impaled by blades made from the same material as their bodies, each one driven straight through and pointing in a single direction... forward.
No. That's not it.
It was because of that thing behind me.
I didn't look back.
I couldn't bring myself to.
Every step forward felt mirrored by something just out of sight. It felt dreadful, cold, and elusive... like death itself. I hadn't seen it once, yet the moment I opened my eyes it was there.
Almost as if it was alive.
***
I ran.
My footsteps struck the floor in sharp, uneven beats, echoing far louder than they should have.
The hallway stretched ahead, as if it would never end. The air grew colder the further I went, brushing the nape of my neck like something was almost there.
It sent a shiver down my spine, but I didn't stop. Instead, I clenched my jaw, forcing my eyes forward.
Just keep moving.
It'll all end soon.
I tried reassuring myself but the corridor didn't end. Like a sick, twisted joke, it only continued, bending slightly, repeating itself in ways that felt familiar but never identical.
The same televisions. The same statues. The same blades, all pointing forward.
Forward.
I pushed harder. My lungs burned, my steps grew heavier, but I wouldn't stop.
I couldn't.
Then...
A door.
It stood at the end of the hallway, plain and unremarkable. Yet the moment I saw it, it became the most beautiful thing in existence.
Hope filled my dying heart, and I ran straight for it.
The thing behind me didn't rush when I did. It felt as if it was letting me go.
No. Don't focus on that.
Focus on the door.
Focus on your last hope.
My hand shot out, grabbing the handle. I twisted it open and threw myself inside, then slammed it shut behind me.
Silence.
For a second, nothing moved. Not even me. Nothing followed. Was it gone... or simply waiting?
I didn't know.
...but for now, I could rest.
***
I looked around.
The room was lined with the same old televisions, stacked high in uneven towers. Unlike before, all of them played static, a uniform hiss leaking from every screen, blending into a single, steady noise.
No scene could be seen apart from the grainy black and white imagery.
Until one changed.
A television near the center, a few steps out of reach, flickered once before the static gave way to an image, snapping back and forth between clarity and noise.
Curious, I stepped closer.
One... two... three steps.
The image held still for a moment. It was still very blurry, but I could make out two figures. One standing, while the other one was kneeling seemingly tied up.
Four... five steps-
"You still can't accept the truth, can you?" someone spoke from behind me.
I turned quickly, my fists raised, expecting an attack. However... there was nothing.
Nobody was there, except another TV that had somehow appeared where I had just been.
It was slightly away from the door. The screen showed the same scene from the other television, only clearer and with sound.
"The truth that it's Uno's fault? That it's your son's fault that your life is ruined right now?"
It was Mom. She was kneeling on the floor, her hands and feet tied, while a figure was violently grabbing her by the hair.
Dad was there too, lying on the ground, beaten and not moving.
"H-hey... HEY!"
It was the first time I had spoken in this place. For some reason, it felt difficult, like I had forgotten how.
I rushed toward the TV, crouching down and shaking it violently, shouting in the hopes they would notice me.
"Look at Hiro, he's close to dying... because of your own son."
"It's not my son's fault! You! You were the one who- KRAAGH!"
The figure dragged Mom by the hair, pulling her out of view.
"NO! COME BACK HERE!"
*KGRRASH
My fist slammed into the screen, going straight through the TV as if it wer-
No, no. what am I doing here? I have to save them! But I'm stuck! And the only way out is...
Where I came from.
But that thing might still be there.
So what if it is?
My parents are dying, and I'm here doing nothing.
Fuck that.
So, without another thought...
***
I opened the door.
"A kid?"
"A kid?"
That's right, there was a kid in the middle of the hallway turned room. He wore a simple grey hoodie, black pants, and a ruby pendant around his neck.
He looked to be around ten years old, with cold blue eyes and dark messy hair. He seemed mature for his age, if you ignored the stuffed penguin tucked under one arm.
Everything about this was already strange, but the strangest part was that he was also repeating my every move.
"Hey, who are you?"
"Hey, who are you?"
"Stop that!"
"Stop that!"
"Haa... I don't have ti-"
Wait. That red pendant... I've seen it before. No, not just it. I've seen him before. Why did it take so long for me to realise?
He was...
"Haa... I don't have ti-"
"Kiyoshi."
"..."
But alas, I realised too late.
The darkness already swallowed us both.
***
I jolted awake.
My lungs screamed as I gasped for air, like I'd been underwater far too long. Cold sweat ran down my back, and even with the sun hitting my face, a shiver still crept down my spine.
I focused on breathing properly and calming down. The dream was already starting to fade in my mind, yet I could still remember.
the fear that came with it.
But most importantly.
"Kiyoshi."
At the thought of that name, my heart started racing and my breath became uneven once more. It had been so long since I'd dreamt of him, I thought I'd moved on.
So, why now?
Of all times. Why, when I finally have a mission.
"Haaa, haaaa."
No, Saitou get a grip. Let's focus on something else.
This happened yesterday as well, and the dream was... well I'd already forgotten most of it, but it was definitely still about that incident.
l looked around, trying to take my mind off it. There was no point in remembering anymore, it was all in the past anyway.
Off to the side, Naoki was already awake sitting in his bed and staring mindlessly at the clock atop the small cabinet separating our bed.
The clock read: 11:34 am.
"Naoki?" I called out to him.
"Hey, if you're awake let's go down already Kuromaku probably made lunch already."
No response. That's weird, he'd normally be ecstatic hearing the word lunch... well, anything related to food anyway.
"Hey! you oka-"
Suddenly, he dropped down the bed, rolling to the side and covering himself with a blanket.
"Dude."
"Will thou be gone? It is not yet near day." He murmured with one eye open.
"Haaa... Just get up already."
"It was the nightingale that sparked thine ear."
"Shut up." I sighed once again.
"Oh, believe me, love." He said, grinning.
"You're disgusting. If you don't want spaghetti, don't come downstairs."
"Spaghetti?!" Naoki bolted upright.
"You're the worst Juliet I've ever seen."
Naoki rushed into the hallway like he was possessed.
I followed behind, still half asleep, watching him nearly trip over his own feet in excitement.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Kuromaku was stirring the sauce and plating the pasta at the same time. Naoki peeked into the pot as if it held national secrets.
"Hey, hey, hey! It's still cooking! Bloody hell."
Kuromaku pushed his face away.
"Smells like... spaghetti."
"Just sit down, wait for me to bring it to you."
"Smells like spaghetti" he repeated again.
We all sat down at the dining table; Naoki already finished his plate.
"So..." he grinned more suspiciously than a madman.
"How was your date yesterday? You just put the skewers on the table last night and immediately went to sleep."
"Did it fail? or were you tired becau-"
"I had a talk with him," Kuromaku interrupted.
"Anyways, not that good, he lectured me in the car, I almost punched a weed smoker and we found something... new on our way back."
"New?! New is a big problem!"
Kuromaku sighed. "Anyways, we found a microchip last night, attached to someone's brain."
"We found a similar chip inside an abandoned car." I added.
"We think they're from the same source. The chips were too similar to be coincidental."
"Woah, woah. Stop right there both of you, my brain isn't big enough for this. And also, I was asking about the date, what happened at the date?"
"The date went... sort of well. But enough of this, if you're not gonna help then go do the dishes or something."
"Great, I'll be a housemaid for thirty minutes, hope you won't peak in the kitchen." Naoki said, collecting the dirty dishes on the way to the kitchen. While also stubbing his toe on the door.
"Ahn!"
"I'm out of here!" Kuromaku and I synced.
***
Mr. Watanabe entered the main lobby, his presence unconsciously demanding respect from everyone.
"Sir. I thought you'll be away for a while, may I ask why you're here?"
"Yes, I came to see Yuta. Have you seen him by any chance? It's urgent."
"Forgive me but... nobody has seen him since yesterday afternoon I think. Must've been something important for him to leave so quickly."
Wait, this is my chance to talk to him. "Speaking of important, do you mind if we talked?"
"Well, if Yuta isn't here, I have some time. There is something on my mind as well."
"You can go first, sir. Let's talk at the office."
***
We both sat down, ready to start the conversation.
"I just want to tell you that you did a phenomenal job on your first task. His Royal Highness was very satisfied. With that, I hope you'll improve further with each mission. And try not to be so... "playful" with your enemies in the future. The King was a bit mad when he heard of what happened."
"I'll work on that. Definitely will."
"You better work on it. Because if not, I'll have to grow more eyes just to watch over your theatrics."
I cleared my throat. "And sir, if you don't mind me asking, have you ever heard of anything strange found in corpses lately?"
"Enlighten me."
"Yesterday, we found an advanced microchip inside an old, abandoned supercar. That in itself is unusual, but what's even unusual is the fact that the car moves and acts as if sentient."
"Where was this?"
"It happened at the hideout where my mission took place. Also, note that the sentient car was hostile, even more so when the chip was taken out."
Mr. Watanabe looked shocked, only for a second, then he went back to his usual calm demeanor. He must know something.
"What's more, around twelve at midnight. We found another one. But this time, it's planted in someone's head."
"Yes, that does sound concerning. This should be investigated further. I'll call other professionals about it."
He looked at me before shaking his head.
"We should talk about this some other time, but not now. I have business to deal with."
Wait, that's it? He clearly knows something about it, so why won't he tell me?
"But sir, this is important-"
"There are right times to talk, Saitou. And it's not now."
"...Yes, sir." There was nothing I could do.
There's something wrong here. He clearly knows something so why won't he tell me? does he just not trust me enough?
Yes. In the end, I am merely a child in his eyes. It would be logical to leave me out of the situation.
But I feel like there's more to it than that.
We both left the office. Mr. Watanabe went back to work, and I went to my room, grabbing my phone.
If he won't tell me anything, then I'll look for it myself.
***
Somewhere within the palace, locked inside a room, Sophia practised archery. She wore fitted clothing, along with a chest guard and arm guards made from high-quality materials.
"Oh, I'll never do that again. I've made a complete embarrassment of myself. The flowers were ruined, father was angry, and now I'm not allowed outside for a week."
She took an arrow, closed one eye, drew it back, and released. The arrow flew swift and true, striking the centre of the painted bullseye on the far side of the room. The sound echoed throughout.
"Now I've nothing to do but wait... and make Father even angrier, of course."
She took another arrow, aimed once more, and fired it. It flew fast, striking the uppermost part of the target this time.
Someone knocked on the door.
Sophia sighed. "Come in."
A lady in a maid's dress entered the room, calm and dignified. She glanced around, immediately noticing the arrows embedded in the wall.
"My lady, your father will not be pleased when he hears you've been practising archery in your bedroom. There is a designated area within the palace, allow me to escort you there."
"No need, Claire. My father getting angry is rather the point."
The maid, Claire, wore a confused expression. "Is it out of pettiness?"
Sophia shook her head. "No. I simply like seeing his expression when he's angry. Anyway, why have you come?"
"His Majesty asked me to check on you. He has been quite worried since he heard of the attack."
"Pay him no mind. I'm fine. And while you're still here, can you bring me tea and something to eat?"
"Yes, my lady." Claire went out of the door,
but before closing it, she hesitated and spoke again.
"Are you really alright, my lady?"
Sophia stared at her for a moment, slightly taken aback by the genuine concern in her servant's voice, before letting a gentle smile form on her lips.
"I'm fine, so don't worry about me. Just focus on bringing my tea, and make sure it isn't lukewarm, alright?"
"Yes, my lady." With that, she closed the door.
Sophia returned her focus to archery,
reaching for another arrow, when her phone suddenly rang.
***
"Hello? Who is this?"
"You know who it is."
"Oh, I do now. What did you call for?"
There was a brief pause on the line before the voice replied.
"You're royalty, right?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm the only daughter of King Thomas Night. Does that answer your question?"
"Yes, that does. Thank you. Anyway, being a princess means you know about some... confidential information, don't you?"
Sophia narrowed her eyes slightly, her grip tightening around her phone.
"What are you getting at?"
***
"So what you're saying is... you found a chip inside someone's head? And Sir Watanabe knows something but won't tell you."
"Exactly. Can you help me? I've also sent you an image of the chip if you wanted to take a look."
Silence followed. Not the empty kind, but the thoughtful kind. Sophia is thinking if she could really trust him enough.
"..."
"..."
"...Hello?"
"Oh right, my apologies. It's just Saitou... If what you're saying is true, then it raises serious concerns for my country's safety."
"So you'll help?"
"I'll try asking my father if he knows anything. It might be difficult to reason with him at first, but if I explain the situation properly, I'm sure he'll look past his anger and tell me."
"What if he refuses to tell you as well?"
Another pause, heavier this time.
"... Then I'm sure he has his reasons. As for helping you beyond that, I'm not sure I can do much. I could search our library for clues, but that's about it."
"That's alright. I appreciate the help. Also... what was that about your father being angry?"
A small, almost sheepish laugh came out her mouth uncontrollably. The mood immediately shifting into something warmer.
"Hehe... he grounded me recently. For a whole week as well. Can you believe it?"
"What? Why?"
"I'm sure you know why."
"Right... sorry about that."
"Well, you can make it up to me by buying me flowers next time we meet."
"You're really not giving up, are you? But fine, I guess. For now, goodbye."
"Yes, goodbye."
"...I'll come find you soon."
***
The call ended. I put my phone down on the desk, and laid my head back on my chair. What she said at the end there was a little ominous, but I'll ignore it for now.
After a while, I finally remembered about doing my own research. How ironic, I used to hate doing it back in high school, and now it might actually come in handy.
Well, I doubt I can actually find something, but with nothing else to do, it's at least worth a shot.
"Let's get this over with."