by Ash Masters
They were all over him...
My view of his body was eclipsed by the blight of students and his body was overwhelmed by the blight of feet raining down on him, breaking his legs so he couldn’t run, breaking his arms so he couldn’t crawl, braking his ribs so he couldn’t breathe. His eyes were wide as pain flooded his body and his screams tore my ears. And then...
And then...
The guilt was killing him as it was because of him that himself, Aki and Seito had gone to Zone Three in the first place. I should have gone alone! I should have just stayed alone! Whenever a Ghost gets involved all goes to hell! Why did I do it!? Why did I have to fight the laws of society!?
I will be alone forever and it will be my fault! Mine and mine alone! But I can’t accept this loneliness and so I fight it. At least mother embraced what she was afraid of! Even if it was bad – even if it drove her insane at least she didn’t have to think about the problems that brought up the feelings in the first place!
I thought there was darkness in everyone but not in me! Where is my darkness to take the pain away!? Even Aki found the darkness in her heart and allowed her to act the way she felt in her heart!
Kioshi remembered how animalistic Aki became and the supernatural strength she demonstrated. She’s got the same thing my mother had. The power of Demons coursing through her blood... But, how is that possible?
‘No matter what darkness you meet Kioshi, you mustn’t become lost in it like I did. You’ll think that it will cure you of your pain, but it won’t. You must fight it.’
Kioshi’s hands curled into frustrated fists. Damn it! I can’t do this! I don’t want to do this anymore! His hand clamped down on his head, his fingers pulling on his hair. What about Seiya? Did she really jump or was she tricked into killing herself? His hands fell softly onto his desk.
The class was quiet around him as they worked, their new teacher at the front writing things down on the board. Kioshi looked at Aki who looked at him back. He was sweating, he felt cold, he felt sick. His breathing was shallow as the constant hammering of his heart was leaving him breathless. What the two of them saw – what they experienced was a nightmare come true.
He closed his eyes.
Kouji eyed the Kioshi and Aki with interest as did Miyako and Hido. The fact that the two had returned to class the next day looking like they had survived hell had him on edge. Somehow people in the two groups had found harm on their missions. And where is Seito?
The classroom door slid open and the headteacher, Mr Yurikawa entered. ‘Attention everyone.’
The class quickly put down their pencils, standing up.
‘We have a new student joining us today, I hope you will treat her well.’
The girl made her way to the front of the class, smiling. ‘My name is Yamamoto Ayumi. It’s nice to meet you all.’
‘Ayumi is transferring from the High School in Zone Three.’
She smiled. ‘We’ve all heard about the problems going on there. I wanted to move to this good school so that I can focus on my studies.’
Some of the class nodded while others pretended to not know what Ayumi was talking about.
‘YOU!’ Kioshi cried, bringing the attention of the class on to him, surprisingly. ‘YOU! YOU! YOU BASTARD!’ He barged through the rows of desks to grab Ayumi by the shirt.
‘Mr Tamashii! Unhand Ms Yamamoto this instant!’
‘You don’t know what she’s done!’
‘YES HE DOES!’ Aki roared. ‘He knows fully well what she’s done! They’re all being controlled by Akira! THEY KNOW!’
Kioshi wanted to say so much but he was held back by common sense that told him that revealing that she was a Key was bad in the long run. ‘Why did you do it!? Because of you Seito is dead!’
‘What was that!?’ Kouji, Miyako and Hido all had outrage on their faces.
Ayumi remained quiet with a look of confusion and horror etched on her face.
‘I won’t forgive you!’ Kioshi spoke venomously. ‘I swear to God that I will make you pay.’
‘What did I do?’ Ayumi asked. ‘Do I know you?’
‘W-What!?’ Kioshi went to retort further he stopped, thinking back to yesterday. What had happened?
What had really happened?
He had gone to Zone Three to find a clue about the teenagers deaths and so they left their own school to get Zone Three High before the school day ended so that they could question Hatsu Seiya’s classmates.
They were directed to a gang who was known in the school to bully and abuse Ghosts and other such students then having been told of a particular abandoned store that they hung out, Seito, Kioshi and Aki went to investigate but were disappointed when the place was deserted.
Just as they were about to leave however, they were ambushed and tied up where the group proceeded to attack them. Kioshi watched in horror as they knocked Seito over and then stomped him to death while others enjoys harming Kioshi and Aki in other senseless ways. They finally stopped when they got bored and decided to go home.
Ayumi slipped out of his grasp, Kioshi holding his head.
Badly hurt, Kioshi and Aki left, seeking help and some time later found a crowd. They called for help but the legion of Deprived simply ignored them, even barging them out of the way in their mindlessness. But one person did help eventually, a girl with red hair. Yamamoto Ayumi. The two fainted on the street from their wounds.
Kioshi woke up sometime later feeling dazed and confused. The only thing he could remember was Ayumi’s face and the pain he felt...
‘It... It wasn’t you... It was them... Those bullies.’ Kioshi made his way out of the class, holding his head, a sickly feeling in his head making him dizzy. A short way down the corridor he fell onto his knees.
‘Are you okay!?’ Ayumi asked. ‘What happened!?’
‘Kioshi.’ Ayumi asked, kneeling in front of him. ‘You’re still hurt. You shouldn’t have come in.’ She placed a hand on his shoulder.
‘No... That’s not how it happened... The students...’
‘What about them?’
‘They... They attacked us.’
‘A gang attacked you. At least, that’s what you told me. You and Aki, you were bleeding and no-one would help so I got my driver to take you to the hospital.’
Kioshi’s head steadied itself. ‘Yeah... But, why are you here?’
‘I was disgusted that people in my school could be so cruel so I asked my father to transfer me. He’s owns the energy companies in Japan so he has great influence.’
‘But your name is Yamamoto...’
‘So?’
‘That’s his last name, Yamamoto Akira.’
‘I don’t know who that is, but “Yamamoto” is a common last name. You should know this.’
‘Y-Yeah, of course...’
Ayumi smiled a wide, endearing smile. ‘It’s alright. You were hurt so it’s not surprising to not know what you saw.’
‘What I saw...’
His mother was standing at the window in her pink cardigan.
‘What I saw...’
She turned to face him, greasy hair curtaining her face, skin grey and transparent.
‘What did I see then?’
She advanced, walking awkwardly like she forgot how to use her legs.
‘Something is wrong.’
Kioshi gaped at her as Izumi’s grim form stood before him. She knelt, stretching out her hands to touch him and when she did Kioshi’s body reacted as blood vessels began to bulge under his skin.
‘Something isn’t right...’
The closer her fingers reached the more they bulged – the further they expanded as she was calling out the darkness locked inside his heart, the same darkness Izumi had found and embraced.
‘No...’
‘No...’
‘No...’
‘We should get you to the hospital Kioshi.’
‘Kioshi? Who’s that?’ Kioshi asked.
‘You are? You must be concussed.’
‘No!’ Stubbornly he shook his head. ‘What are you talking about! My name is Izumi.’
Ayumi was taken aback. ‘N-No you’re not, your name is Tamashii Kioshi.’
‘You still think I’m crazy don’t you, Junichi!’ Kioshi exclaimed. ‘When will you realize that something is wrong! That something is wrong with me!’
Ayumi was deeply puzzled.
‘Wait, no!’ Kioshi, placed his hands on his head, shaking it madly. ‘My name is Kioshi! My name is Kioshi! Not Izumi! Izumi had friends! Izumi had a family! Izumi had courage and strength! Izumi was my mother!’ He shook his head again. ‘I’m Kioshi! Kioshi is weak! Kioshi has no friends! Kioshi is alone! Kioshi gets people killed!’
Aki was watching Kioshi in the doorway, frightened at the sight of the person who she considered a friend going mad but didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what to think as she had experienced the same wave of memories that Kioshi had. Had their encounter in the school really been false? What’s real? What’s not? She looked down at her shaky hands, shaking from a conflict between confusion and anger.
‘I can’t take this anymore!’ Kioshi cried.
Ayumi fought back the urge to smile. He’s already broken. Just like the others. This is going to be too easy...
