It was an evening at the poles.
A river flowed from between the rocks.
Two yellow crescents hanging in a purple-dyed sky reflected in the river. Stars shone between the clouds. Heavy raindrops lay paused in the air.
The environment was encircled by snowy mountains. Snow buried leafless trees and the surface. Ruins of an old wooden bridge hung from the sides of the cliffs along the river. Ruined remains of a shrine and mountains lay ahead. Everything felt familiar.
White, smoky spirits floated, surging from between the remains.
On a ruin ahead sat a young man with purplish hair. He wore a black zip-up hoodie with a thick, braided texture over a plain white shirt. A thin white scarf draped around his neck. On his chest hung a necklace. Its pendant was a slender, pale oval tightly wrapped in small flowers. His pants were black, wide, and loose, gathering at the ankles. He wore black and grey high-top sneakers.
As they approached him, a strange pressure intensified.
An open envelope rested in his left hand, and an unopened, folded letter in his right.
Black smoke swirled around him. A girlish silhouette formed from it. It gained long hair and fingers made of blades. Its face, hands, and a part of its arms began to be revealed. It had pink and light blue eyes. Blood dripped. Wounds covered its skin. Laughing in pain, it wrapped its hands around his throat. Its sharp blades touched his skin.
The gaze in his purplish eyes seemed emotionlessly serious.
His pupils grew wide.
Inside the dark depths of one of his pupils…
Eyelids snapped open into a memory…
Showing it from his own sight.
It was a memory from his youth.
The horizon of the bright blue sky was lined with mountains, dense trees, winding rivers, and green valleys.
Birds flew across the sky. Some perched on branches, singing peacefully.
He sat on a cliff, gazing at the landscape. A tear fell onto his leg. Someone called out from his right.
"Hey, Inezeya."
Inezeya looked to his right. On a ledge above him, a boy lay against a tree, smiling at him. He had messy, spiky, medium-length black hair. The landscape was reflected in his white diamond eyes. Sharp shards of diamond encircled his black pupils, filling his irises. His body was covered with bruises. He wore a dirty, worn undershirt. His smile widened.
"No matter what… Turn your tears into smiles. Laugh as loud as you can! Because otherwise… when you show your weakness… you will be used as a slave. Not only by others, but also by your own pains… So stand strong and laugh! You deserve happiness. "
Inezeya nodded and laughed gently.
The boy stood up.
"Alright then! Let me introduce you to…"
As Inezeya blinked, he woke from the memory.
The night sky turned to grey and black. The heavy rain resumed. Half of it drizzled down, and the other half drizzled up. A raindrop fell onto the letter. He opened and read it.
"Do not grieve, for He is surely with us. Indeed, with hardship comes ease…
Turn your tears into smiles.
Greetings,
Trash."
A smiley face was drawn at the bottom.
Inezeya smiled widely, gazing at the sky as he slid the letter in his pocket. Drizzling rain fell on his face.
"Thank you, Yakoza."
The clouds slightly dissolved.
In the sky shone the purple disk of the black hole.
Raindrops dripped from his wet hair strands, flowing slowly down his face to his chin.
The wind whistled softly.
He lowered his head. Gazing at the mountainous landscape, he took a steady breath.
"There's no luxury to waste time…"
He rose without haste.
Resting his hands behind his neck…
"Well then... Let's investigate..."
He walked calmly through the ruins. His right hand lightly grazed the remains.
The drizzle persisted.
The flowing river and falling rain sounded serene and peaceful.
As he advanced, shattered columns appeared among the ruins. Passing between the columns, a grave stood before him. The grave was adorned with small rocks.
Upon it stood three higanbana flowers planted close together. Between two of the higanbana flowers stood a smaller one, shriveled and dried from withering.
Inezeya approached the grave.
"Hello mother! It's me again. How are you?"
He wiped away the snow and cleaned the soil of the grave.
"It's been 10 years now, since the incident…"
He smiled.
"...Well…"
Standing up, he held his necklace wrapped in flowers.
"I made so much progress researching… I finally decided to visit the graveyard for clues…"
He reached out his hand toward her in farewell.
"See you soon! Be at peace."
As he turned his back and walked away, the withered higanbana flower slightly came to life. Seriousness filling his face, Inezeya's smile faded.
After walking for a while, crumbled statues of soldiers lay scattered among the ruins. Cracked and broken stone swords, shields, and armors lay amidst the debris.
Inezeya lightly trailed his hands over the ruins. Leafless trees had grown around, from amidst the remains.
When he came before a massive pile of ruins and rocks, he stopped. Plants and roots protruded from among the piles.
"Here it is… Man… I should save my Nes for emergencies…"
He removed the small rocks in front of him and pulled the large rock away.
Behind the pulled rock lay a staircase descending downward.
"Alright… here I go."
He descended the stairs.
The ground trembled.
Rocks fell behind him, blocking the entrance.
"Ah yeeks…"