Prologue Title: Chronicles of Time
“She’s dead!” The girl screamed. Tears fell out her eyes, and her shoulders shook uncontrollably. “Natsumi’s dead! Yuu, do something! Anything! Please...I beg you! S-save her!”
She shook the arm of the boy next to her who had a dark expression twisted with pain. “She’s...not dead.”
“H-huh?” The girl’s liquid golden eyes wavered. “W-what..do you mean?”
“Himari, Natsumi isn’t dead.” Another boy who looked almost identical to her gritted his teeth. Just why did the situation have to take a turn for the worst? If only they arrived earlier, then this wouldn’t have happened! Natsumi wouldn’t have been… No! Even if they had come earlier, what could they even do?!
He looked at the body of another girl who rested in his sister’s arms. Her face looked peaceful while the people who stood near her were in a somber mood.
“S-so...what...should w-we do now?” Himari sniffled, and tightened her grip around her precious friend.
“Now...we wait.” The black haired boy said, jamming his eyes shut regrettably. “That’s...all we can do now.”
“...huh? What are you talking about?” Himari screamed bizarrely. They’re supposed to just wait patiently? Until when? Until her friend wakes up from her sleep?! “Are we supposed to just leave her like this? Aren’t we her friends?”
“Himari, Yuu is just–!”
“Shut up, Sora!” Her sharp refute silenced her brother. “Why? Why are you not worried about Natsumi’s condition? Why? We’ve been with her since childhood! She’s like a sibling to us!”
“Himari–!”
“No, you don’t get to tell me to stop, Sora!” She spat out viciously. Why? Why is her brother not on her side? Why is it that she’s the only one who is actually concerned about her sleeping friend? Why don’t they get it? Why can’t they understand her feelings and her strong commitment towards her best friend?!
“Himari.”
“Why are you so calm, Yuu?!” She hissed at his words. “Natsumi...Natsumi poured her whole heart to you, you know? S-she...she loved you! So...why can’t you…? Why…?”
Fat droplets fell again from her eyes.
“...do you think...that I’m not conscious of that fact?” It was a bare whisper but she could hear his words so clearly. His voice was hoarse, which shocked her. “Do you...think that...I don’t know that?”
“Yuu…” Sensing that she pushed it too far, she wanted to reach out to him, to hug her other friend as well, but she couldn’t. She wasn’t able to move her hands.
“Do you think that...I didn’t...feel the same way?” Her eyes widened with disbelief. Her indifferent friend who never cried during emotional moments in movies, who always comforted them with haughty and heartless words–was shedding tears for someone else.
His usual cold ruby eyes blurred with thick salty tears.
“Yuu...why...why didn’t you tell her earlier?” Himari asked softly, her anger subsided. “You had plenty of time…!”
He stayed quiet, keeping his gaze on the dark damp road beneath him. Clenching his fists wasn’t enough! He committed one of the worst mistakes of his life–no, it wasn’t a mistake, it was a sin. Why...just why did he have to develop feelings? He wanted to destroy something. Anything. His insides were boiling with ire and drowning in the sadness of losing a loved one. Pathetic.
The pain was toxic.
He wanted to turn over the whole world! Destroy everything in his sight, and go on a rampage until he releases all his grief onto all the existing things on this planet–including himself. If only there was someone to stop him, to quell the negative emotions and thoughts bubbling inside him, threatening to take over his whole body!
It was so hard to scream! The only thing that came out of his mouth whenever he opened it were inaudible gasps and cries. It felt like the world didn’t want him to speak, and didn’t want others to hear him crying. Was that a good thing or not? He didn’t know!
A golden flash and a boy stepped out of the light and ran towards them after spotting their familiar figures.
“Wha–?” He stopped in the middle of his steps.
“It’s too late.” Yuu managed to squeak out. “You arrived...too late.”
The next second, he was pushed to the ground. He didn’t retaliate but just let it happen.
“You–!” The boy’s clear aqua blue eyes formed a deep glare. His palm radiated explosive energy, ready to kill.
“Go ahead. I deserve it either way. If I continue existing, I’ll just harm more people. I’m detrimental...no–my whole existence is.”
“You little–!” He reluctantly lowered his hands and got off him but not after giving a good kick to his shin. “At least take responsibility for something you did. And plus...you guys aren’t at fault.” He looked at the pitiful kids surrounding him with their eyes watering. “It was meant to happen either way. There’s no way to stop fate - though you tried your best, I’ll give you that….Where’s Akira?”
“He’s with Natsumi’s soul, protecting it from evil.” Yuu replied, standing up.
He nodded toward a white marble pendant hooked around the sleeping girl’s neck with a small tiny ruby planted in the middle.
The blonde haired boy nodded understandably. “For now, let’s leave this place. It’s not appropriate for her to continue resting here, Natsumi-chan wouldn’t like that either.”
He glanced at the dark haired siblings who looked at him with anticipation.
He sighed, exhausted. “I rushed when I heard the sound of her chain breaking, so I can’t do anything about this right now. And I can’t interfere much either, since gods could be removed from their positions if they get involved in human matters and twist fate too much.”
“But–!” Himari began to plead only to be cut off.
“Mortal, I understand that you are devastated over the loss of a friend, but this is a personal matter.” The boy said sternly, exuding a pressuring aura that made her clamp her mouth shut. “Natsumi shall wake, so don’t worry too much. I’ll make sure of that even if I have to destroy the string of fate itself; along with the blood flowing inside her. Now stop mourning, she’s not dead yet.”
“Himari.” Her brother gave her a comforting pat and she nodded. “Yuu, here. Take Natsumi.”
Yuu flinched when he heard his words, but raised his fingers with hesitation and the girl’s body rose into the air and drifted towards him. Her light purple hair now dark, and her shining crystal blue eyes which used to steal his gaze were now hidden behind a curtain. Ah, how painful it was to even look at her. Now in his arms carried the girl who he loved...and who he brought harm to.
“...let’s go,” he released the barrier around them.
With a snap of his fingers, they all disappeared.
***
“Where’s Natsumi?” Himari asked her brother who sat on the couch, filled with misery. “Where did Yuu take her?”
“To her room.” He replied monotonously. “He added an invisibility spell on her so she can’t be seen resting to other people besides us–otherwise if anyone comes to visit, they’ll think that we have killed someone.”
“Oh,” she nodded. “So, where did Takuma-san go?”
“Right here.” The blonde haired boy raised his hands and appeared out of a gold shower in thin air. “I just came back. I had to verify something.”
“I’ll go call Yuu down.” Himari said slowly. He’s been moping around upstairs ever since they arrived back in their home–Natsumi’s home. They inhabited her house ever since he appeared, and now just being in this place was suffocating since it held so many dear memories of their sleeping friend when she was awake and brimming with energy.
Once she arrived upstairs, she found herself frozen in front of the door. In Natsumi’s room was Yuu, who sat beside her bed and held onto her lifeless hands.
“You idiot...I’m sorry.” He whispered silently. His hand held onto hers, and the light in his eyes flickered as small water droplets formed. “Come back…”
Not able to hear his words, Himari walked over to him quietly when she saw him tearing up. Her heart was heavy, filled with emotions that even she couldn’t handle, so she could comprehend how Yuu felt. Since they both treasured Natsumi, and loved her.
“Yuu...Takuma-san, is calling for us.” Was all that she could say to his depressed state, then she left him alone in the tranquil room.
“How’s Yuu?” Sora asked when he saw his sister trudging down the steps.
“Sad.” Is all she said as she headed to the kitchen to make tea. Her eyes were red from crying, but the feelings of longing for her friend still hadn’t simmered down. Her hands trembled as she arranged the cups and poured the boiling water from the steaming kettle into the teapot.
“I’ll handle this.” A strong hand took the tray from her shaky hands. She looked up to find her brother’s warm smile with cracks in it. “You can just...sit down for now.”
“...okay.” After a while, her brother came out of the kitchen with the tea. His eyes had a hint of redness but she pretended to not notice as she picked up her cup, trying to be her usual confident self.
The blonde boy, whom she called Takuma-san, examined the two with keen eyes, and sighed. “She’ll be alright, so don’t worry. You’re really close to her, aren’t you?”
She bit her lip and attempted to stop the tears from spilling again.
“Natsumi-chan would be disappointed if she saw you guys cry about her, wouldn’t she?”
“Mmm…”
“So, don’t cry anymore. And you–you have to toughen up.” He spoke loudly and shot a mean look towards Yuu who teleported into the same room with his eyes hidden underneath his unruly hair.
“...got it.”
“What if...she never opens her eyes?” Himari murmured, fidgeting with the side of her cup.
“Right now, I’m trying to find the person who she imprinted her other half on.” Takuma-san said calmly, taking up a cup of tea. “It’ll be difficult, but if we find her other half, we can revive her. As long as that person is easy to coax, then we can get our precious person back.”
“And how will you do the search?” questioned Sora who looked at him with serious eyes. “We’ll help as well since just one person isn’t enough. Natsumi’s other half could be on the other side of the planet for all we know.”
“No, I’ve pinned them down to this country.” He shook his head. “They are residing somewhere in this country. I’ll contact you all when I find them, otherwise, I’ll continue searching independently.”
“How will you search alone?” Himari plucked up her courage to ask.
“I have my ways.” He said with a mysterious smile. “I’m a mountain god. God of felines and bravery. I’ll manage by myself.”