10th of January, 8:00 pm, Akane's room
Akane jumps up from her chair. The short conversation she had with Susanoo renewed her vigor. Something deep inside her is still telling her that she is going psychic, but she pushes it aside as she grabs her coat and heads out of her door.
A sudden feeling of warmth overcomes her as she smells the faint odor of detergent mixed with a hint of cologne.
I'm really grateful to have such a supportive mom.
She always helps me when I need her.
I just hope her actions don't stem from guilt.
I wouldn't want her to feel guilty over the past; it wasn't her fault.
Akane pushes the front door open and is hit by a surprisingly warm gust of wind. She already begins to regret wearing a coat, but she has no time to change her mind. So she just continues, closing the door behind her and stepping down the dark path leading up to her house.
Regardless of what it is, I should be happy.
Most people aren't as lucky as I am.
Kana, for example. Her mom is the worst.
I just wish I had known this back when I first met her; maybe I would've understood her better.
Akane walks through the dim streets of Setagaya. It is already dark, but most houses still have their lights turned on, so the setting is rather comforting than creepy.
Or Aqua, he lost his mom while he was a child…
No, it's more than that; it happened twice.
I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to lose a parent. Especially like that.
Ruby too, it must've been horrible for both of them…
Hmm, I wonder if Ruby was reincarnated too…
She at least knows about his reincarnation.
Akane continues to walk, her steps quickly echoing through the quiet neighbourhood around her. Akane's house is in a rather prestigious area of the district. The house in her vision, on the other hand, while certainly looking quite expensive too, was definitely part of a more rundown area.
…
Minutes later, she arrives, and she instantly sees why Aqua had picked this house. Sure, he couldn't be picky about his choice, but it looks somewhat secluded, standing on quite a big plot of land.
Weird, such a big plot with an abandoned house in the middle of Tokyo?
There is definitely something fishy about this, but I can't afford to wait any longer.
Akane pushes the weird feeling in her stomach to the side as she steps closer. She notices only now that every window of the house is barricaded with thick wooden planks.
Okay, there is no way in hell Aqua did that.
I wonder if all of this is a part of Amaterasu's plan.
Akane walks up to the front door, placing her ear against it to listen for any noises. She remains like that for a good minute, but when she can't hear even the slightest sound, she pulls back.
She stands for a moment, deeply breathing in and out. Then she pushes down the door handle. She had already expected it to be unlocked, but getting the confirmation feels weird.
A long hallway stretches out in front of her; it is void of any furniture, the only thing in it is the door connecting it to other rooms, and a disconnected lightbulb hanging from the ceiling.
A quiet thud, and the door is closed again. She tries to be as sneaky as possible to not alert who- or whatever might be waiting for her in one of the rooms.
She goes systematically through each and every one of the doors until only the one the furthest away from the front door is left. She places her hand on the knob, not feeling ready for what she might see when she pushes further.
Okay, breathe, Akane, in and out.
Whatever is behind that door, it won't be as bad as you believe.
You already opened the rest of them. Why do you suddenly fear continuing?
It doesn't make sense, Akane.
She silently shakes her head, her hair wildly flying through the air and hitting her face. Then she opens the door and pushes it open.
The sight is not as she expected. She had expected Aqua to be standing there, some ominous creature behind him telling him what to do, but it's nothing like that. Not a single soul besides her is in the room.
She sighs, half in relief, half in disappointment. Then she steps inside, walking a few steps until she stands in the middle of the room. She looks around, but apart from a few sticks of incense lying on the ground a bit deeper inside the room, there's nothing else. That is, until she looks down, what she sees makes her jump.
In big red letters, right beneath her, there are the words "Hoshino Ai" written. She tumbles a bit, backing away from the letters while her heart is racing, threatening to jump out of her chest. She already expects Aqua to make his grand entrance, but it stays completely silent except for the constant quiet ringing in her ears.
She slowly steps closer again, blowing down and examining the red color, dreading that her theory will be confirmed. Some of it is still wet, so it sticks to her fingers as she goes over it. The strong scent of iron hits her nostrils as she raises her hand to her face; it's almost enough to make her vomit.
What is all of this?
Is this Aqua's blood?
It is so much.
Okay, maybe it is not so much.
Maybe it just looks that way, Kamiki bled way more.
But where is Aqua? This is still wet; he must be close.
Unless it is already too late.
No, no, no, no, no, don't think that, Akane.
You still have plenty of time to save him.
But for that… You will first need to know where he is…
10th of January, half an hour prior, Aqua's hideout
"Tera, I need to get this tape back as soon as possible," Aqua says while he paces around the dusty living room, still a little lightheaded from the blood he had used to write the letters on the ground. "God damn it… I wish I were more sentimental, then I would have lots of stuff, like Ruby does," he murmurs a moment later.
Tera is standing, leaning against the wall of the room, quietly listening to Aqua's rambling monologue.
"I mean, I cannot just go back there and say 'Hey, yeah, I actually forgot my videotape, I need it to perform a ritual'... Maybe that way I could at least get the insanity plea."
Suddenly, Tera speaks; his voice makes Aqua stop in his tracks. He sounds as kind as ever, but also just as weird, too. "Why can't you? It's just a quick in and out, and you got the tape. Then you are finally able to fulfill your wish."
Aqua remains silent for a moment, evaluating his options. Then he speaks. "You are right. It might be risky, but I cannot just sit around and do nothing… You stay here, you must tell me when something happens."
…
Okay. I go in, grab the tape, and then I leave.
Simple as that, then I finally have everything I need to do it.
Fulfilling my last great purpose, Ruby will be so happy…
And I can even help Tera out since I am the one who managed to look through the web of illusions.
I always knew my second life had a great purpose.
I knew my death would not be in vain.
Aqua's nostrils are hit by the strong smell of detergent and a hint of cologne as he passes by someone. He doesn't even look up from the ground; instead, he keeps walking with his head lowered. Soon, he returns to the thoughts that the strong yet gentle odor had ripped him out of.
But I never thought that Tsukuyomi would do something like that.
She really wants to use me to gain more power?
Good thing that I got away from her before she was able to pursue her plan further.
… But was she not the one who broke off contact with me?
No, I am misremembering things. I looked through her veil of deception and managed to free myself.
…
Aqua arrives in front of Miyako's house. Like always, it is completely dark. He quickens his step as he walks up the porch.
Today must be my lucky day.
It seems like Miyako and Ruby are still working.
Okay, I should be quick regardless. They could return in 2 minutes for all I know.
Aqua quickly unlocks the door and pushes it open. He hastily steps through the dark hallway, doing his best to make as little noise as possible. The stairs to the second floor are the last obstacle between him and his room.
He slowly makes his way upstairs, making sure not to accidentally step onto one of the bad floorboards. A bad feeling he can't quite place comes over him as he sees the hallway in which he fought just one day prior. It is clean, like nothing ever happened to begin with. He keeps going regardless, pushing the bad feeling to the back of his mind.
The feeling only grows the closer he comes to his door; it becomes so bad that he even thinks about turning around for a second before opening it. What he expected was to find his room, dark and empty, maybe some stuff gone.
And he was partially right. There are indeed a few of his things gone, most prominently the mysterious book. But that's not why he stands paralyzed in the doorframe, completely unable to move. His room is bright, not dark like he had expected. And it isn't empty either, Ruby is sitting right on his bed. She leans with her back against the wall and has her knees pulled against her chest.
The two of them just stare at each other in silence for a long moment, both startled by the other's presence. Ruby is the first one to find her voice again. "Aqua?... No, no, no. That's not good, you shouldn't have come here."