5 remain.
Each wore an expression akin to the other.
Takuya…remorse…
Izumi…defeat…
Junpei…worry…
Tomoki…grief…
and the last…
…hollowness.
"…when does saying a final goodbye to a friend ever hit you?"
"how…would they leave?"
"do you…scatter their ashes in still waters?"
"-or, lay them to rest, deep…to show how far they've gone?"
"What is more selfish; to ask them to stay, against their will..."
...OR TO ASK THE SAME WORLD WE ENTERED, TO GIVE HIM BACK?
"To those who hear this:"
"-Hello."
"-Hi."
"-Hey."
"—Welcome."
"-so…"
…WHERE DO WE BEGIN?
"We understand—truly understand—…"
ALL THE QUESTIONS SWIRLING IN YOUR HEAD.
"Time...has wronged us."
WHETHER REAL OR DIGITAL, WE SEE THIS NOW.
"I wish we could explain to you."
But even WE don't have those answers.
"The impossible has happened, to us…right here. In this very world we stood in."
The world you now stand in…
"That we came to love…to discover…"
to reinvent…
"I was just like you—"
-heck, we ALL were:
"Lost"
"Alone."
"Scared."
"Insecure."
"Conflicted..."
Innocent.
All of which, are acceptable feelings to show...
"…because it prepares you for your journey…"
"But, things have changed far beyond imagination."
THE OLD RULES NO LONGER APPLY.
"Danger had always been prevalent—"
-it never left this place, really.
Not. Even. Close.
"We speak to you, the destined ones worthy of entering…I, or…we, want you to know:"
LOSS IS INEVITABLE.
"It HAS to be."
We offer our support…
"…our friendship…"
"…trust…"
"…courage…"
"…and strength…"
"for what awaits you,"
MUST BE LEARNED ON YOUR OWN…
"May I…say something?" murmured a timid voice from afar.
"…the one thing that, we can't give—guarantee-" said the voice, crackling as he spoke.
"…w-we can't guarantee…family…" the voice wavered.
"…family…"
IS NOT DECIDED BY BLOOD ALONE.
"…it's who you believe in…"
A BELIEF THAT IS HARD TO BREAK…
"…even in the afterlife…"
"...if he returns…if you see him again, would you tell him, I miss him?."
SO MUCH, IT…HURTS…
"I think about him every second I'm alive…this world took him from me—"
The voice shattered, unable to control his sobbing.
...because this world needed him…he chose to leave...
"—and yet…"
He…made it possible for US—
"and YOU—"
TO PROSPER.
"…I love you, brother..."
The voice said to himself mentally.
"I know you'll guide them..."
It's why you left us, after all, right?