Chapter 5

The noise of the busy city was deafening. It is nearing nighttime, yet numerous amounts of people still walked throughout the streets, too many to count, each minding their own business as they move to destinations unknown. The roar of engines of passing vehicles and the clanking of the train tracks that pass overhead. It was so loud; one could barely hear themselves think.

However, I could hear none of it. I was solely focused on all the strange events that had occurred within the short span of time. Lingering questions and frustration swelled in me as I frivolously try to make heads or tails of everything.

“Why do I have no memories of the literature club if it was such a big part of my school life? There’s no way I would forget something like that, even if I had been just a ghost member. Because if that was so, I would’ve at least remembered joining.”

There was not a single memory. My mind was completely blank, as if somehow, my memories have been wiped clean.

I shook my head frantically. Maybe ... maybe I’m focusing on the wrong thing? I tried to recall what those two strange guys said to me.

“They said; I have “broken free”? Free from what? What is that Artificial they keep mentioning? What does that mean? It’s English, isn’t it? They also said that; my life is in danger?”

A slight shiver went down my spine.

“What does that mean? Is something going to happen to me? Am I going to die? Ah...” My legs started shaking and my heart began beating rapidly. I panicked as I looked around.

“It can’t be that, someone is out to get me? Could it have been because I found out something I wasn’t supposed to?!” Fear and paranoia flooded my thoughts.

“Wait ... wait ... calm down. Deep breath ... deep breath.” I got a hold of myself.

“There’s no way such a thing could happen. This isn’t some kind of crazy horror story. No way.” I repeated, carefully steadying my breathing. Composing myself, I tried to think rationally again.

“Okay, let’s not think about any of this. Maybe ... just maybe I should just get home and forget everything. Yes, maybe Asumi was right. I’m just delirious from the lack of sleep. That’s right.” I tried to convince myself. “Just go home ... home...”

“Huh?”

My mind went blank. And suddenly, a sharp jolt came across my brain.

“Aahh!” I cried out as grabbed my head, wincing in pain.

“Wha... ? It ... it can’t be!”

I had no recollection of where I lived! Breaking out in cold sweat, I began to realize what just happened. Feverishly, I racked my brain for any and all information that came to my mind.

“My name is Takatora Ryuuko, age 16 ... my hobbies are reading and writing and...” I tried to recall every little trivial detail about myself that I could think of. Prominent moments of my life were still clear to me, such as the time when I was in middle school;

A boy was picking on me when he found out my dream of wanting to be a novelist until one day, I smashed him in the face with an encyclopedia after he poured water on my manuscript. I was suspended for two weeks and that was also when Asumi started taking Kendo. They were clear as can be but...

“I was born on November 9th in ... Agh!” I felt a sharp pain in my head the moment I try to remember my year of birth. Nothing.

“My ... my parents are-Aah!” Another sharp pain. Nothing again. I could not recall anything of my parents, neither name nor face.

It can’t be...

“The place...” I trembled as I clutched my head, shaking it in pain. “The world I live in is...”

I screamed in agony as a splitting pain erupted in my head. The pain was unbearable, as if my brain was about to explode. I started to stumble, bumping into someone and was promptly knocked off my feet. I landed on the ground with a hard thud and laid flat on my back. I struggled to breathe as I stared up at the sky, everything momentarily flashing red and black before going back to the myriad of evening colors.

“What is going on?” I weakly whimpered as I laid there, unable to move. The people moving by did not spare even a glance as I felt a sudden flood of extreme frustration and loneliness.

“What is happening to me?” I sobbed. Desperately, I awaited an answer. Any answer.

“Have you finally opened your eyes?” Suddenly came a single voice in response. It was such a clear voice, cutting through all the noise around me, as if it had called to me.

I immediately leapt to my feet and frantically searched around for the owner of the voice through the crowd of people. My eyes finally locked on to a strange silver haired figure unlike any other, slowly walking away.

Slightly, the figure’s face turn to my direction and showed a grin that sent chills down my spine. There was no doubt about it, that was directed at me.

“Wait!” I shouted as I ran after that person. The distance was quite far between us, but the silvery hair stood out and almost glowed even, like a beacon. Beckoning me to follow.

I ran after the figure as fast as I could.

My stomach felt as if it has been turned inside out from all the running. I do not know how far or how long I’ve been running, chasing after that strange person but it seems that no matter how fast I ran, I was unable to catch up. That person was always a safe distance away from me, always just out of my reach yet would still be in my sights.

“Was I being led somewhere?” I wonder as I wheezed and gasped for air, trying to catch my breath.

I checked my surrounding. It was a part of the city I’ve never seen or been to before. The sun, now completely set, with only the night sky and the moon hanging over me. It and the few flickering streetlamps being my only limited lighting in a dark alleyway. There was not a single person around nor was there any sounds, as if the whole world had gone silent.