Chapter:1
UNDER THE BLUE MOON
It was a cold night. My eyelids felt heavy. I couldn't remember how I got there. The wind was blowing smoothly. When I opened my eyes, I was lying beside the lush green field looking up at the moon. The cold breeze gives a sense of calmness. I was not worried about why I was here alone, why there is no one here besides me. To be fair there was no one else around me except grass. A tree stood close to where I was lying, except for that the lush greenfield seemingly went on and on. It was as if that the field was seemingly infinite. But after looking around for few more second, I pushed my thoughts away and again closed my eyes. After a while, I heard a voice, breaking the silence.
"Oi, Brat what are you doing here? I almost stepped on you because of how small you are. Geez kids these days"-stranger
Hearing this kind of annoyed me, considering I was one of the tallest kids in my class. I got up to see who was talking. It was a woman about 170-180 cm (6.1 feet) tall, she was carrying a large suitcase in her left hand. After a few moments stare, she put down the suitcase on the grass beside me and said,
"aren't you going to say anything? Did cat get your tongue, boy?"-stranger
"Who…are you?"-protagonist
"Hmph, now you are questioning me? (With a slight laughter) Alright before I do you go with the start"-stranger
"I don't know, what to say. I just woke up and here I was….''-protagonist
"I am Sofia Aozaki"-Sofia
"Ryogi Shiki...(With a Slight pause)…I am Ryogi Shiki."-Shiki
"Ryogi Shiki, huh...Nice name. It brings a nice ring to it. Now, let's get to the main question. I wonder, Why are you here? No one else can enter this place except from some specific people."-Sofia
She paused for a moment and continued with,
"Have you experienced anything unusual may I ask?" ."-Sofia
Her question confused me. I didn't quite understand what she meant by it. Everything seemed normal to me at that moment, though something was definitely bothering me. It took a moment to realize that she appeared weird to me. Why couldn't I see the red marks on her as I did on others? I asked,
"Umm...why can't I see the red markings on your body? It's almost as if you're empty."-Shiki
She smiled hearing this and said,
"I see then my guess was correct. I never expected to encounter someone like you in this time and age. Tell me if I am correct, you can see thread like red markings on everything, right?"-Sofia
I paused hearing that…could that mean she is also like me? With hesitation I asked,
"Yes, I see thread like red markings on everything. It's fine if you don't believe me…"-Shiki
I was a bit nervous. But after hearing that she gave a smile and said,
"Huh, knew it! I guess an old geezer like me can still identify other's talent even after this long. Pretty good for an old hag like me!"-Sofia
This was the first time someone had listened and believed my ability to see thread like red markings on every physical object. She even seemed to know something about my condition, which I didn't. As a result, I became more curious as well as getting more excited about it and I thought of asking her if she knew why I had this weird sight. Why was I the only one who saw this. Summoning my courage, I asked,
"Uhm, Miss. Do you have any idea on why...I can see these markings? No matter how hard I try to unsee it I can't. Everywhere I go it follows with me. People say that they do not see these then why was I different? The fact when I go to a crowded place my head starts to hurt more and more." -Shiki
She gave a small chuckle hearing that and explained,
"It's sort of complex. But to make it simple for you this power of yours is perception. The perception of knowing people's vital point. All living and nonliving things have different sorts of vital area. For humans we have brain, heart which is connected by many blood vessels. Those Blood vessels act like the red marked threads that you see on others"-Sofia
"Then miss what about the circle thing that I see on the chest of someone's body which is connect by red threads?"-Shiki
I asked wanting to know more
"These are known as the 'Core' of the body. A part which all living beings have. To make it simpler they are the essence of our soul. The very thing that keeps us moving. Think of it as a burning flame that changes as we age, grow from our prime. The flame slowly becomes more weak overtime as they are going to meet their death. But If you manage to strike this core with a sharp object then they will die instantly."-Sofia
Stopping for a second, she pulled out a pocket mirror pointing at me and started again,
"Now look at yourself for a second in the mirror. If you observe your body, you can also see the red threads that you see on others. But in the end, they all seem to end up on the same circle or core I talked about. As I said this is our soul. One sharp attack on the core could easily take away a person's life. Now it is up to you. On what you will do with this power, Shiki. Either you help or pave the road to destruction. But who am I to say what you can do or not do with this power?"-Sofia
She finished her explanation in a joking manner. Despite feeling confused, I tried to comprehend her explanation. It did sound like a plot from a fanfiction novel.
"Miss, then why do I see the same red marked threads in the non-living things? From your explanation they do not have any blood vessel or anything like that to show the red marked threads on them."-Shiki
I asked her with curiosity in my eyes.
"Well, non-living objects or things lacking life do not possess soul. However, they do have their own weakness. For instance, a chair has its own sets of weak points. Which are shown by your eyes. If you want to you can easily cut these weak points with a sharp object thus it will end up sliced up like a piece of butter. Though the only limit for this is how much you brain can process."-Sofia
As she said that I was quite intrigued by the limit she talked about. What did she by saying that depends on how much my brain can process? Being intrigued I again asked,
"But what do you mean by limited by my brain process"-Shiki
"Well by that think of a computer or any machine for this instance. If over work anything it will get hot and more destabilized. If this goes on the machine performance will go down and might as well completely break down at one point. Same goes for your brain. That brain of yours works relentlessly to give you the visual feedback of what you need. But yours eyes being special it needs to work more than an average human. This is one of the reasons why you get head aches in public places or in a crowded place."-Sofia
At this point every single explanation of my power is going over my head. But I pretended to nod away as she explained. But even with all that one question was still unanswered.
Why was she empty. She doesn't have a core not to mention they isn't a single red marked thread in her body. Why did she neglect all things she just talked about? While thinking about it she suddenly strokes my hair and started saying,
"You might be wondering by now on the fact that why I seem empty or in other words so 'normal' to you. I might as well tell you the answer rather than beating around the bush. In short, your abilities do not work on me yet because you are not strong enough to do so. Perhaps one day, you will be. But don't be too surprised if you were unable to see my vital points even in the future. The world is full of mystery after all..."-Sofia
Her words made me excited. But this conversation also brought a somewhat strange relief. Not a single person believed me when I spoke of these red threads. Some even suggested I had mental issues. Meeting her felt nice. It was as if a freshening breath came to me after all the things I had to go through. She suddenly starts stretching her arms and finally sits beside me. She asked away with a question,
"Say, Shiki. What do you think about a person who has nothing to lose anymore…(Pausing for a second)…actually don't answer this? You wouldn't be able to answer it properly. Probably I hope I will get a proper answer from you in the future."-Sofia
As she said that she again looked at the sky being silent. Soon she again spoke,
"The moon appears unusually blue tonight, right?"-Sofia
She told as I nod agreeing with her. After a while, she took out a pocket watch from her coat. Glancing at it, she said,
"It seems our time being together is coming to an end."-Sofia
Hearing this, I said with a tone of surprise,
"Our time is ending? What!?"-Shiki
"You'll see soon enough." She said in a soft chuckle-Sofia
She stood and took her suitcase in her hand. While doing so she added,
"I believe in existence of faith. We'll meet again, Shiki. I hope that day we will have more time to talk. And before you leave, here is a small gift I wish to give you. Take it as one's Sensei giving his student a parting present."-Sofia
From her suitcase, she pulled out a black bag, which she threw to me.
"With your abilities, you could get into serious trouble if not cautious. Keep this with you no matter where you go. It will help."-Sofia
As she gave me the black bag, I open it and decided to take look of what was inside of it. Inside I found an eye glass and a sharp dagger. I sort of became amused by this and I kept looking at them. Like this is some kind of trophy. She kept staring at my amused face with a smile and finally said that,
"Glad to see you like it. Remember as I said previously always have this with you, till your grave if you can."-Sofia
"One last piece of advice from this annoying lady. The last thing we will talk about. Never get this power get into your head. It can be both a miracle or a curse depending on how you use it. Shiki, you can become someone who people respect or you can end up in a path that will only cause hatred and destruction. But this is Farewell for now. I won't intervene on the path you choose. I believe this is thing every person should make on their own rather than other choosing it for you. With this my last speech comes to an ending"-Sofia
"Huh!? But where are you going?" I asked with a worried and confusing tone into my voice."-Shiki
"I am not the one who is going anywhere. You are the one who will soon depart!" she said with a smile on her face.-Sofia
With that she started to walk away. I couldn't move. It felt like my body was frozen. As I see her leave little tear makes my vision blurry. At least I wanted to show my gratitude to her for this. Without knowing if she will hear me or not, I decided to give her the highest honor I can give at that point. I shouted,
"Thanks for everything, SENSEI!"-Shiki
Whether she heard me or not, I don't know. Because it was the last time, I saw her. As Darkness slowly consumed me. The vision also started to fade.
The Hospital Incident
Time passes, I still don't know how long it has been. It feels like I am in the depth of the ocean. But it doesn't feel like I am suffocating. I feel, I hear a lullaby but muffled because of the water…? Suddenly a mysterious voice spoke,
"Wake up! This is not the time to rest. So, hurry up and go through the path that waits us, Shiki. After all we no…I am you."-Stange voice
『Wake Up』
A faint voice was heard echoing through my mind.
Slowly my consciousness started to come back. I woke up in the hospital bed, alone in the room. I don't remember how much time had passed. As I glanced around, I realized that somewhat cold
breeze was coming from the open window. And the room was brightened by the light streaming through the window. The silence in the room was sort of nice?
"My whole body feels stiff! How long has it been even…?"-Shiki
I could barely move my body though. Even though I tried to sit up, I couldn't. It felt like my body was frozen. And the red threads....they are still here. All remained same as before, huh. The glasses and dagger are not with me…either
"Guess all of it was a dream, Sensei." I whispered faintly.-Shiki
I wondered if it was all an imagination I had made to cope with my loneliness. Am I going insane slowly? As I was wondering about the event a nurse suddenly came in and was shocked to see the fact, I was awake. She ran out of the room. After a few moments, she returned with a doctor.
"Looks like you're awake!" the doctor said with a smile.-The Doctor
"How are you feeling, Shiki?"-The Doctor
"I…feel, ok? Though I can barely move my body."-Shiki
I said in a somewhat disappointed voice knowing all the things I thought was reality is actually fake.
"Take this, you'll feel better." he said, giving me a capsule like medicine.-The Doctor
"Rest for now. Don't worry, everything will be fine. We will talk once again after you get some proper rest."-The Doctor
"Ok…I suppose."-Shiki
Thinking about my dream with Sensei, I closed my eyes. Before I knew it, I fell asleep. As I woke up, I saw the doctor. Who was sitting beside me, going through some papers. He noticed that I woke up and broke the silence, saying,
"Oh! You're awake. I just got here."-The Doctor
I slowly got up as my head still felt somewhat heavy.
"How are you feeling?"-The Doctor
"I am feeling better than before. But my head still feels heavy."-Shiki
"Okay then, say what do you remember before ending up in a hospital."-The Doctor
"Well, I don't remember anything. Everything feels blank…even remembering the past is hard. My head feels like it might split open if I try to go on. The only thing I am certain about is I am not dead."-Shiki
"I see…."-The Doctor
The doctor went on writing on his clipboard. Stopping for a second he said,
"Well, you were caught in a terrible accident. It left a terrible damage to your brain and body. Thus, you fell to a coma. Even we did not think you would ever wake up. I guess miracles can happen."-The Doctor
I remained silent. Looking out of the window, I still wonder when the red threads will disappear. While amidst my thoughts the doctor spoke again,
"Now, I need to take my leave. I have to check on my other patients. If you need anything, feel free to call the nurse. And don't worry rather try to be calm to not put stress on your brain. I believe you will make a quick recovery. So, rest for now. That's it,"-The Doctor
the doctor said while he was leaving. Almost immediately after him leaving, a nurse barged back in saying,
"Sorry to interrupt again, but this was given to you by a stranger"-A Nurse
She handed me the black bag and then left.
I was so confused that I forgot to ask who gave it to me. I got curious as anyone would in that situation. I opened the bag not knowing what to expect. As I opened it, I found…the same dagger and glasses that Sensei gave me. I….don't know what to say. I was beyond shock at that moment.
"If this is real….then the glasses should also work! Right!?"-Shiki
I said with a bit of hesitation but as I wore the eye glass the red threads actually disappears.
"YES! They are real!"-Shiki
I shouted with excitement as if I healed completely from my exhausted state.
『Crack』
"Ow, ow, ow. It still hurts very much."-Shiki
It seems being happy doesn't fix my current body state.
"Thank God! It wasn't a dream…I thought it was all a lie….*sniff*Sensei was real then."-Shiki
Water began to come down from my eyes.
"I am finally normal! I feel like I am free from my curse….no curse isn't the right word here. If Sensei was here, she would get mad at me for saying it is a curse. I am free from this gift that I have. Now I can live my life as a normal person…thanks to Sensei." Stopping for a second another question came to mind.-Shiki
Now that I confirmed that Sensei and I really met. Then the story doesn't add up at all. The doctor said I have been here since the accident then what about the field we met? I tried to give it a thought but after wondering for a few minutes I just gave up.
"Even reality is stranger than fiction."-Shiki
I lay down again and put the dagger inside the bag to make sure nobody notices. After all, if someone saw this on my hand they would try to take it or confiscate it.
With that I spend 1 week at this hospital. But for some reason I was transferred to another hospital which was located on a remote village. I was told it was due to not make my brain more over worked or something like that. Not that I understood any of that. And for some reason no one seem to visit me from my family…I can't remember if I was hated or ignored in my family. What other reason would it be that no one seem to visit me? Whatever it was I didn't care. The remote place was actually nice too. I was permitted to walk around the hospital after reaching there since I was making good progress. Which was sort of nice. There I met someone interesting. Another patient who was also supposedly suffering more major brain damage and amnesia. She was 20-ish years old. She was kind of a big sister to me. She was kind and caring and often talked with me when I was taking stroll around the hospital. For some weird reason other patient refrained from talking with her. One particular day I got in a conversation with a staff of the hospital. He said,
"Tell me kid, what are you in here for?"-Random Staff
"Well, I got into a terrible accident causing massive mental and physical damage. So, I am here until I fully recover from all this."-Shiki
"Sheesh you had it tough." He said while still doing his job-Random Staff
"But kid like you in this remote place is rare to say. Most of the patients are old geezers here. There are some exceptions of course. Most notable being that huge creep of a girl."-Random Staff
Being intrigued by sudden mention of a creepy girl I decided to ask him more about it.
"What do you mean by that 'creep of a girl' mister?"-Shiki
"Wait, you don't know!?" he said with a genuine shock-Random Staff
"No…? Is she that known here?"-Shiki
"Oh yeah without a doubt. It's the patient of room 404. Her name was Reinako or something."-Random Staff
"Big sis...!? No there must be a mistake!" I protested knowing she was a kind person-Shiki
"You know her? Well, kid then you are in for a ride. Though if you think she is normal then do what you want. It's not like I care…I don't get paid enough for this crap anyway." With that he went back to his work-Random Staff
After that I went to meet big sister. Even though I met her not so long ago, I believe she wasn't that kind of person which people led to believe. As I made my way to the room 404, I knocked on the door and said,
"Sister, Reinako! Can I come in?"-Shiki
"Oh my, Shiki. Come in the doors open." she said in a calm voice-Reinako
"*Opening the door*Big sister, how are you doing?"-Shiki
"Pleasant as always"-Reinako
"What brings you here today? Feeling bored again?"-Reinako
"Not that. But I wanted to ask you something, sis."-Shiki
"Oh my, what is it now?"-Reinako
"Uhm, *Being a little hesitant* I heard one of the staff talking things about you. He mentioned that you were a huge creep of a girl and I should stay away…"-Shiki
"*Her demeanor changes slightly* Really? That's unfortunate, even after all this time I still have such a bad reputation. But Shiki, what do you think of me? I am more curious about that" she said with a smile-Reinako
"I believe you are the kindest sister here! I don't get it why people would think such things about you!?" I pouted. After all she was a kind person-Shiki
Hearing this sis Reinako gave out a small chuckle and proceeded to say,
"Oh, Shiki. You are too kind for your own good. To trust a stranger that easily is almost like asking for trouble. Looks can be deceiving sometimes"-Reinako
"But if you are not careful someone could…gobble you up and you wouldn't want that, would you now, Shiki?"-Reinako
At that time, I took it as an advice but I failed to notice…something more s̸̛̙̭̩̳͍̦͍͉͕͖̫̞͍̎̂̈́̔̇͠i̴͎̙͇͙̞̖̰̦̦̙̣̲͙̞̺̘̳̳̗̝͙͗̊̉͋̔́͘͜͝ṇ̵̨̡̧͍̣͈̳͓͈͇͚͒̋̇̇̈́̊͊̄͐̇̇͜͜ͅị̵͊͛͌̆͌͒̋́̅͐̏̐̍̉̿͌͛̅̔̓̔͘s̶̢̨̧̢̧̭̻͍̱̗̳͕̠̮̅̄̊̈͑̈́̐̿͗̑̆̈̂́̒̆̊̓̾̊̂̽͗̆̕̚͜͝͝t̸͚̺̩̪̰̩̻̬͔̻͖̟̠͈̝̜͇̼̫͂͌̑̏ͅẹ̴͖̩̠̘̗̤̞̻̿̈́͑̂́́̾́̈́ͅṛ̴̨̨̛̬̯̳̱̭̖̘͇̟͙͖̐̈́̊̇̾̂̈́̆͋̽̃͒̄͋͆̿͐͝͠ that I would come to regret in the future.
"But they also are an outsider. Why would I believe them? I believe you are a kind person, sister Reinako." I again pouted still insisting that she wasn't a bad person.-Reinako
"I get it, I get it. No need to repeat it again and again. We should move aside this matter now. Oh, I know how about you share about your past experiences. I talk all the time so it would be nice if you are the one who is going now."-Reinako
"Ok! So"-Shiki
With excitement we again started our daily routine of talking…to each other for hours. For some reason her family also didn't visit her so it was kind of easy to relate to our situation.
Both of us were suffering from a terrible accident and both being abandoned in a place where we barely know anyone, we got along pretty well.
But one night while I was having trouble getting sleep, I decided to go for a walk in the hospital. It was maybe 2 or 3 pm. Since this wasn't particularly a large hospital most of the staffs were absent at this time. From what I heard the staffs house were close to the hospital too. So, they were permitted to leave after 12 pm.
While I was taking a walk in the hospital hallway it was eerily quiet. As expected, there was no one here at this time. As I made my way to room 404, I thought of going in there. But I hesitated thinking sister Reinako was probably sleeping at this time.
"Sigh, what should I do now? It's kind of boring without anyone to talk with."-Shiki
As I was pondering what to do. A thud sound came from the backroom…where mostly cleaning equipment were kept. I got curious and slowly started to approach the room…this was one of my first mistake. I regret this decision….
As I came close to the door. I heard some crunching noise. It was as if someone or something was biting on flesh and bones. I became more hesitant the door was slightly opened but I somehow mustered up courage and slowly push the door. Thus, it caused a creaking sound and what I saw in there made me almost throw up.
"What is this…!?"-Shiki
Blood was spilled in the room… chunks of flesh can be seen. It was a mess I stopped not opening the door any further. But the creaking of the door made whoever was in there alert and the crunching noise stopped. I was frozen not knowing what to do. As I was about to take a step back the door was slammed open by hand and a hand full of sharp claws rushed towards my eye. I closed my eyes as a reaction but nothing happened. I didn't feel pain yet. I kept my eyelids shut but soon a voice rang out.
"I hate when someone disturbs me in dinner…come on open those eyes."-Stranger?
I try to calm my nerves and slowly open my eyes as the voice instructed. But I regret doing it…the person who was ahead of me was big sister Reinako.
"Sis….ter? Why are you covered in blood…?" I asked in a shacky voice.-Shiki
"Oh my, Shiki….? Out of all the people you were the one who caught me….first? That is quite disappointing"-Reinako
She licks her lips while cleaning her blood-soaked chicks with the back of her hand.
"Say, Shiki. You ever heard that good children never stay awake pass the bed time? I really wished that no one found out about this."-Reinako
I was still at shock. My hands and legs were still visibly shacking but I couldn't utter a single word. Noticing this sister Reinako continued with,
"Listen Shiki…I really wished you weren't here right now. Out of all the people I…didn't want you to find out. But now that the truth is out. I guess I owe a simple explanation. Don't I?"-Reinako
She gave a smile while in this blood-soaked state.
She spread her hands almost as if she wanted to hug me.
"Can you trust your big sis, one more time?"-Reinako
I somehow manage to calm down a bit…but it didn't remove the fact her body was full of blood and chunks of flesh…I feel there was something behind her. Should I run?
I don't know what to do, I am afraid. But I believe or at least think that the person who I spend so much time with can't be really that bad right? I decided to trust her one last time and moved forward to her as she kept her arms wide open. It was as if she was inviting me to embrace her.
As I slowly moved closer and decided to hug her, she closed her arms and tightly hugged me back. But the blood-stained clothes and bad smell did not help.
"Shhhhhhh, focus on me…take big breathes and let it out. Close your eyes and calm down." She spoke in a gentle voice-Reinako
I do as she said after a little while I calm down. I slowly open my eyes again but she presses my head down to not let me see what's behind her. After a while, I decided to ask the obvious,
"Sister…what is this? What did you…*with hesitance*do, sister…?"-Shiki
"I…guess *she stopped for a second* I was having a little midnight snack."-Reinako
"Shiki, listen what I am going to say is very important after this I pray you and I never cross paths again like this. I am not what humans call normal…I am in short, an abnormality. I guess that's what normal people would call me."-Reinako
"But sister-!"-Shiki
"Stop…let me finish. I eat humans to keep living…in short, I am a killer. All those people who called me messed up, is right. I am messed up in the head! *Her grip becomes tighter* But isn't it normal to eat? Everyone should have their right to live! Think it like how humans eat other animals to live! I am NOT INSANE RIGHT!?"-Reinako
She started to say in an angry way. Her grip continued to tighten.
"But you wouldn't understand this now, will you? You are just a kid."-Reinako
Saying that she finally loosened her grip on me.
I slowly open my eyes. I can feel her breathing becoming heavier. I try to look what's beside her again. As I was about to look, she pressed down my head into her shoulder this time tightening her grip on my head.
"Even I have a limit that I do not dare to cross. A child at your age should not witness what I had done to another…but if I must say it, was a delicious meal. If you remember all of this events in the future then maybe so…you will finally understand what I meant. Or you could think of it as some sort of nightmare."-Reinako
"Sister, are you a bad person?"-Shiki
Hearing this Reinako stopped. She finally released me from her arms. And looked dead into my eyes. Her pupil seemed abnormal resembling a snake's pupil. Her face seemed dead…after hearing those words.
"Yes." She uttered this single word.-Reinako
"That what you believe as well right?"-Reinako
I kept looking at her in silent…not saying anything. She pushed me away, but not hard enough to make me stumble.
"Run, Shiki. Forget anything you seen here. Treat this as a nightmare. So, go before anything bad happens to you."-Reinako
I silently looked at her one more time and asked,
"Was this my fault, sister? It seems that everyone who I met and liked pushed me away at the end. If you don't want to then I won't tell a soul about this! You must have a reason right!?"-Shiki
I thought I would get a kind response but it was quite the opposite,
"I SAID GO!! Do you want the same fate as this person had! I am a MONSTER! I eat human, I don't care about some human child, I deceive to catch my pray. What makes you think you are safe, Shiki?"- Reinako
Her sharped claw comes close to my face once again. Blood still dripping.
"Do you wish to test my patience, brat? Run while you can."-Reinako
With all that I felt terror over my full body. My body moved on its own I started running not looking back. I ran and ran until I reached my room. I barged in without a second thought and locked the door. I got up to my bed and covered myself with the blanket. I was shacking…
"I am scared. Anyone please help me…"-Shiki
I continued to sob under the blanket until I felt asleep.