A ginourmous, huge thank-you to Goldyn Li, for letting me re-write her story. I couldn't even have begun to think of something this amazing, and kept at it as long as she did. You're amazing!

Project Zero is © of Tecmo.

Also, i'm currently proofreading and re-editing the chapters, snippets may change. Be polite, say what you thought.


Mio Amakura:

I woke up as usual.

I was feeling a little sad, and I knew the reason, obviously; because Mayu wouldn't and couldn't cheer me up anymore. We are twins, and her habit to wake up earlier than me always remains in my heart. She tried to wake me up almost every day, much to my sluggish protests, might I add. But it wouldn't happen anymore, since that day… the day when I committed my sin. It was my eternal sin, my original sin.

Four years had already passed since I became trapped in the Manor of Sleep. Thanks to my Uncle Kei I managed to survive the curse of the tattoo. Because of that, new people were introduced into my life, kind people, like Kurosawa Rei and Hinasaki Miku. They too, had lost their dearly loved ones like me, although I never tell them the truth about what happened to me and Mayu in Minakami Village. I am just so afraid and ashamed! I not only failed to save my own sister, but something much more terrible than that... I killed her...what kind of sister am I!? What kind of twin am I, that I could murder my own double? I slaughtered my shadow, and for what? That's what scares me most, that question; why?

I opened my bedroom window as the breeze gently blew outside, today we would go with Uncle Kei, as we had planned to visit mother's grave, and after that we will go to Minakami Dam. Uncle Kei told me that I must enjoy my holiday. It's a long holiday though, and it's still a while before I have to continue my studies at my new university. But without Mayu beside me, it's increasingly difficult to continue. This life is a half life, because I myself am only a half. I wasn't made to be without her, so it seems fitting that half of the world got ripped away. Only the ugly half remains. Only the Remaining remains…

"Mio, are you awake already?" Uncle Kei yelled at me from kitchen. "Take a bath and come down here; I've prepared your breakfast."

"Okay, I'll be there shortly. Thank you!" I called back. I lived with Uncle Kei since my mothers' sickness took a turn for the worse several years ago, and after she died, he asked me to stay here with him. Well… he is the only person I could consider as family now. I admire him so much, he is a great folklorist and he knows a great deal about urban legends; some of them even sound interesting! Although I didn't like when he talked about 'The Lost Village'; all I could think of for the next few days was Mayu. I locked myself in my room, feeling that solitary confinement was nothing like enough punishment. But I was too weak willed to do anything consequential.

"Scrambled egg?" I said with a wince as I saw the pan sitting on the stove next to Uncle Kei.
"Don't say like that, this is a special one. I guarantee you will like it. Try some," he replied.
I smiled before I said; "Just kidding Uncle."

Uncle Kei is a culinary wizard, and he even makes cakes! Rei-san even asked him to teach some recipes to her, and Miku even asked him about how to make a perfect vegetarian pancake. His cooking is heaven. In fact, one of the places I am happiest is in Uncle Kei's kitchen, with the warm smells drifting and mingling in the air, and checking the oven sporadically. It feels like home. It's one of the incidentals. One of those tiny things that keep me going, through my black moods, the falling into the endless Hellish Abyss of my guilt. Sometimes, when I'm in the kitchen, and Uncle Kei's cooking and singing softly to himself, I can forget for a moment. Just a moment, time passing as it does, and that is all it is. It is not a sacrifice, an effort, a grudging trudge. It is simply…

"Earth to Mio?" Uncle Kei asked, tentatively.
"Yes?" I replied, while quickly thinking 'Thank goodness he broke me out of my reverie; I was starting to sound completely ridiculous for a moment there.'
I looked at him, still enjoying the warm, rich taste of the scrambled eggs.
"I am sorry to have to tell you this."
I automatically tensed; when people began like this it was always bad news. So far, bad news hadn't touched me here. I started to feel the pretty jigsaw, made of the scraps of my life that I had carefully pieced together, begin to crumble.
"We will visit your mother's grave today, and I will take you to Minakami Dam too, but I've got something I have to do. Would you mind terribly if I leave you at the Dam alone? Don't worry. I will take you home again of course. This job will take less than an hour, I promise."
I nodded, breathing a sigh of relief, thinking that actually it would be better for me if I just stayed alone, especially at the dam. Sometimes I just felt that Uncle Kei is too protective over me, giving all his time and attention to me though he is already too busy with his work. I don't want to be a burden to him. That's why…

Several hours later

"I will come back later to pick you up, just call me if you need something okay, you've got your phone, right?" Uncle Kei said as I get out from the car. I nodded before I replied; "Don't be late!"

The car was gone in no time, I walked to the Dam slowly, the wind ruffling my hair as if it were pleased to see me. My hair is still the same as it was four years ago; I decided not to change the style so when I see myself with mirror, I still can see Mayu inside me. It may sound creepy, but it was a comfort to be able to pretend sometimes that I was still a twin, and not just a little lost speck in the huge, terrifying world. I walked to the spot where I usually sat, a comfortable spot below the big tree where I could see the Dam without getting sunburnt from the afternoon heat. As I approached, I was surprised that there were someone already sitting there. We looked each other for some second before I realized that was not the right thing to do. Feeling instantly self-conscious, I started to stammer.

"Err…good afternoon," I said nervously.
The man smiled at me, and I noticed he was wearing a brown shirt, which was a little worn, and jeans which has formerly been black, but had suffered so much washing that they were actually an odd shade of grey. He appeared to be about my age, although the way his face was creasing up right then, he looked a little older.
"Is this place your spot? I am sorry, please don't let me disturb you", he said as he stood up.
"Don't worry, you should sit here as much as you like, I am not the owner of this spot! It is simply my favourite, particularly in this weather", I replied, although in truth I was a little disappointed, because my wish to enjoy my time alone at the Dam had been snatched away again.
"Do you always come here?" He asked suddenly.
I nodded without replying, and I realized he was still staring at me and, decorum forced me to say something;
"Well… I came here before it was a dam. I come here because my memories linger. And you?" I asked him brusquely, feeling somewhat violated. Who the hell was he to question me?

His reaction startled me a little; he swiftly turned his face away from me, and stared at the dam. When I looked at his face, I realized he had a similar face to Miku's elder brother, and though I never met her brother before, Uncle Kei has his photograph. I am not sure, but I remember his name was Mafuyu or something like that. He had a clear red eye, and I wondered dimly if maybe he wore some kind of contact lens. I didn't realise how rudely I was behaving, until, looking slightly annoyed, he turned right to me.
"Is there something on my face?" He demanded.
"Eh…well…no…I am sorry…" I avoided his eyes, feeling mortified for staring right at a stranger. I could I have such poor manners?!
Thankfully, he didn't seem too put out. He started to speak again;
"Me too… I have many memories here...even before this place became a big dam."
I didn't give any response as he continued; "though I want to forget , but I can't."

I stared at him, and noticed that the misery I felt was perfectly reflected in his face, the kind of misery only half a person can feel. I was about to ask him something, when he cut me off with his melancholy smile and said; "I am sorry…for talking about nonsense like that. I have to go, and it looks like you want to be alone. I apologise for wasting your time."
Without waiting for a reply, he leapt to his feet and strode off quickly.
Watching him walk away with me, I began to feel curious about his face. It had seemed so sad…I began to get lost in thought, but before I could submerge completely, I noticed him stop abruptly, pivot round, and walk a few neat paces back to me.
"May I know your name?" He inquired politely.
Surprised, I answered him nervously, accidentally saying my own name before that of my family, before quickly righting myself; "Mio. Amakura Mio." I replied.
He smiled before said something that made me choke, winded by his cruelty; "My name is Asakura Shinnley, and I like that butterfly bruise on your neck. Hope I can meet you again." He smiled for the last time before once again he turned and walked away.

My chest was on fire. I realised that I had been holding my breath, and let it out. I felt as if the wound that I carved into myself by letting go of Mayu had been gouged out again, just when it was beginning to heal a little. Breathing raggedly, I sank to my knees, desperately holding myself together, rationing my breaths to stop myself from fainting.
How could he so callously say that?! I knew deep down that he was just ignorant, but my brain was screaming obscenities. Anything to drown out the flood of memories that were overtaking me.
I turned back to the dam, staring blindly at where the woods and village had been.
As my eyes stung, and the water and the sunlight became meged and blurry, I let myself say her name. It was an honour I didn't deserve, but…but…

Oh Mayu.

Mayu.

Forgive me.