PROLOGUE

Nearly three months had passed since I last saw him. Three months since the end of the Lost Ground, and the dawning of a new land altogether. The Lost Ground had practically fallen apart, no thanks to the Mainland's interference. If it hadn't been for them, the land may not have become such a battle zone. It was too dangerous to be too close to the center of the Lost Ground, so several of the citizens choosing to remain on the island stayed near the coast line.
Kanami and I joined those citizens. Kanami worked in the fields along with several of the farmers in the small village. She did small tasks such as retrieving milk from the cows or collecting eggs from chickens that weren't fertilized. When she wasn't working in the field, she was helping several of the villagers in the kitchen; washing dishes or preparing food.
I worked in the school, teaching many of the children there basic academics such as science, math, and english. Being a teacher was certainly far from the profession I had sought after in my younger years, but I couldn't do my previous job. I had worked about three years of my life as a researcher in the medical field, only to transfer to the now extinct HOLY company. The company served one purpose: eliminating dangerous alter users.
Alter is not a simple term to define. It has been tossed around, and I used to believe it was a blessing born to about five percent of the population. While it is still granted to a small number of children, it has proven to be more negative than positive in its involvement in everyday lives. Alter is genetic mutation caused in the development in some babies through their early years in the womb. This genetic mutation alters the physical capabilities of the individual with it, often granting an inhuman power. With the development of alter users in Japan, also came the growing tension between those in the Lost Ground and the Mainland. Most alter users habitate the Lost Ground as military forces ran them out of the Mainland. The Mainland has become the center for alter research and the increase in human population.
I was apart of the research team, serving as a medical officer for the research team there. My father didn't approve of my involvement in that group, but what could he do? I was over seventeen years old, and though I was a princess, there was no way that I could sit around and do nothing while Ryuho was out there fighting for his life. Ryuho, as well as Kazuma, were alter users native to the Lost Ground. The difference between them was social class. Ryuho served HOLY loyally, the leading commandant under Captain Martin Zigmar. Ryuho, thanks to me, was able to stop Zigmar after discovering his true intentions for the Lost Ground. Zigmar had been planning to destroy the Lost Ground's alter users in order to gain complete control. Granted, Kyouji Mujo ended up running the entire operation due to the Mainland, but Zigmar was the one deceiving Ryuho directly. As a result, he was killed in battle and Ryuho learned more about his past. Kyouji Mujo was eventually destroyed, just over three months ago, by Kazuma and Ryuho. Kyouji was a very corrupt man, as well as an alter user. He had merged with what sounded like an Alter God, as Ryuho explained it to me. Kyouji entered the Otherside to do so the second Kazuma and Ryuho fought against each other. As a result, Kyouji had nearly destroyed the Lost Ground and practically killed Ryuho.
Ryuho is alive now. Scherice, a business partner of his from HOLY, used all of her alter to transfer her life energy to his body, giving him his life back and taking hers away. Scherice had loved Ryuho, much like I myself do. She and I hadn't always seen eye to eye, but I still missed her presence. In the end, just before her death, we had finally made it to level ground and were able to settle our differences. Ryuho, to some degree I believe, was in love with Scherice too. During that time, he was too concerned with maintaining his dignity and pride, as well as competing with Kazuma, to really focus on internal matters. I almost wish that they had gotten together, for his sake. It pains me to say that, but I couldn't be so selfish with him.
Time had passed since then, and I hadn't heard from Ryuho since my confession of love for him. He had known about my feelings for him since the two of us were young. Practically ten years back, Ryuho and I had met at a gala held by his father Tairen Ryuh. My father and I attended the special evening, as my father was business friend of Tairen's. I had gone as my father believed that Ryuho and I would hit things off from the start. I went as it was my duty as a princess, as well as a chance to meet someone new. I never had much friends growing up, so I figured I might make a friend at such an event.
"Remember your manners, Mimori," my father had said to me. I had smiled and bowed before making my way up the large staircase and over to Ryuho and his father. I had greeted them, keeping a smile on my face despite the uneasiness churning in my stomach. Ryuho was very handsome, with his green hair falling gently around his face and his maroon eyes poking out from his bangs. I could tell he was a bit shy too, which made me feel better.
"The stars are so close! You can almost reach out and touch them!" I spun around, gazing at the beauty of the night sky cluttered with stars the second we made it to the balcony. I stared in awe, not having gotten such a nice view of the Lost Ground before. I stared out at the dark buildings with some bright lights in the area, the night sky painting a beautiful portrait.
"It's so beautiful out!"
"They're not that beautiful," Ryuho had exclaimed, standing by one of the pillars of the house. I looked over at him from where I stood, staring at him in wonder.
"You see that wall out there? My mother told me that beyond that wall lies dangerous rock formations and raised ground levels thanks to alters."
"But if it weren't for genetic mutations," I chimed in. "Alter users would never have gained the ultimate gift of power. 'Alter', the power granted to one percent of Japan's population as recorded caused by genetic mutations in a fetus' developmental stage."
"No, stop!"
I looked over at Ryuho just as he began to glow. An aura emerged from his body, highlighting it. The second he started to glow was the second an unseen force chipped the side of the pillar, forcing a small chunk of stone from it to hit the ground with a clank. I winced slightly before looking down at it. I stared, wide-eyed, up at him.
"You have alter."
"Alter has never been a gift. It's just a curse."
I faced him fully.
"I always thought alter was a gift given to children, a special talent to be born with."
Ryuho shook his head and looked away from me.
"All alter has done is keep me from living a normal life. Please, if my parents invite you to my house, don't come. I wouldn't want to hurt you on accident."
That night, I went home with the shard, thinking about Ryuho and his alter. The next couple of days, I had received a personal invitation from Ryuho's mother to come to his house. Despite his warning, I went anyways. When I arrived, I was greeted by his mother outside. She was beautiful, tall, and very kind. Ryuho had told her about me, and also told me about his own struggles in growing up with alter. Off in the distance, Ryuho was playing with his rottweiler Zetsuei. He had looked up to say something to his mother, only to set his eyes upon me.
He and I stood just outside of the large garden, talking.
"Why'd you come here?"
"Your mother invited me. She seems to think that we're good friends already."
Ryuho leaned forward, resting his upper body on the fencing before us. He sighed softly.
"She does, huh?"
I nodded before facing him.
"So why don't we give them what they want?"
"Huh?" Ryuho sat up and faced me, a questioning look on his face.
"Let's be friends, okay? Here, you can give this to me as a gift." I held out the shard to Ryuho. He stared down at it before looking back up at me.
"Sure, it's yours."
"Thank you!"
We smiled at each other. From there, we had spent about a month together until my father was relocated to the Mainland. Since then, we hadn't see each other for seven years. When I had gotten a job at HOLY, Ryuho was completely different. He was practically a zombie, blindly following Zigmar's orders without any connection to his feelings. Nothing about that changed until Kazuma made an appearance. Since then, Ryuho and Kazuma had been enemies.
So much had changed since then. Ryuho and Kazuma had disappeared, and Kanami and I were left to protect the village. Cougar and Asuka Tachibana, two friends from the former HOLY, would visit from time to time. Cougar continually mispronounced my name, and Asuka would occasionally come bringing gifts for villagers and helping me in the classroom. Life would've been great for any other person, but not me.
'Ryuho,' I pleaded silently as I stared out the window of my dismissed and empty classroom.
'Come home…'