I'm back! So, It's been almost three years since I finished Realizations. I know many of you guys have been eagerly awaiting the sequel, so here it is.
I was waiting for the train as usual, when a strange sound caught my attention. Someone was whistling. I seemed to be the only one who heard it because everyone else around me kept going about their day. I looked around to see if I could find the source of the whistling, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. It was slowly getting louder in volume, and soon, I heard footsteps echoing towards me. This sparked a feeling of fear mixed with dread. Why can no one else hear the whistling? And, why do these particular footsteps echo? I looked to my left only to spot a dark figure walking towards me.
As soon as I saw the figure, the footsteps and whistling stopped. By now, I was facing whatever this was. It didn't move. It was almost otherworldly how still it stayed. I stared at it for quite some time. The feeling of dread slowly growing. I was frozen in place. Too scared to move, but knowing if I didn't, I would regret it. Suddenly, the figure took one step towards me. Soon after, I heard Masamune's voice yell out.
"Ritsu, run!"
I didn't have to be told twice. I bolted as fast as I could to the subway entrance. No one seemed to be noticing what was going on, and I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. The footsteps were slow, but sounded like they were right behind me. The exit didn't seem to be getting any closer. I tried running faster, which only caused the exit to be getting further away. All of a sudden, my surroundings completely changed. I stopped dead in my tracks. Lying in front me was a figure I knew all too well.
"Masamune?"
Nothing. It looked as if he'd just been dumped in the middle of the dark room. He was covered in blood, but there was no way to tell if it was his or not. I couldn't tell if he was still alive or not. I couldn't see if there was anyone else in the room. There was only a spotlight effect on Masamune's still figure. I was too afraid to move. I heard footsteps coming from beyond the darkness. They were circling the perimeter of the room.
"He doesn't love you."
"Wo are you?"
"He'll leave, just like he did back then."
"What do you want?"
I could hear their footsteps clearly making their way around the room. The synchronized tapping of each footstep echoing loudly in the silent room.
"Oh, Ritsu, how naïve you still are. You're clinging onto a false hope. You know he doesn't love you. He never will. He's using you."
"You're wrong."
"Am I? Why do you think he's trying to tie you down so quickly? He wants your family's influence, not you. He only cares about himself."
"You don't know him. He's not like that at all. He genuinely cares about me. I've never been happier. No matter what you say, I'll never leave him."
"Ritsu," It even sounds like him.
"Stay away from me!"
"It's me, Masamune. Don't you recognize me?"
"You're not him."
"It is me. Ritsu, you're having an episode. You didn't take your medicine again."
It reached out with a small syringe in its hand. I backed away as fast as I could, only to bump into a wall. Only then did I realize I was in my apartment. The bedroom had been turned upside down. The bed had been stripped. The bedsheets littering the floor. The lamp from the bedside table was now across the room, and the drawers had been completely emptied. I looked towards the middle of the room to find Masamune in the same position. His face held no sign of difference. He looked as he always did. The blood was also missing.
What happened? I'm running for my life one minute, talking to a disembodied voice the nest, and now I'm back in my room. Was it all really in my head? What was I doing before it all started? I looked over at Masamune, his face calm. It was as if this had happened before. I slowly made my way towards him. I needed desperately to know if it was all real. If he was real. I touched his face once I was close enough. I was expecting my hand to pass through, or come into contact with something that wasn't skin.
As soon as my hand came into contact with his face, I knew it all had to be real. The feeling of skin, the warmth, and color couldn't have been more calming. Masamune waited until I had calmed down before making any movement. He slowly circled his arms around me, tucking my head under his chin. The warmth of his being further calmed my nerves. I felt safe in this man's arms. I knew, right then, the voice from earlier was wrong. This man truly cared for me.
"Ritsu, I'm going to give you your medicine now. Can you cooperate with me?"
I nodded my head, afraid to use my own voice.
"Okay, I need your arm," I slowly extened my arm palm up.
"I'm putting the needle in. Don't move. It will only take a second.:
I felt him prep my arm before the needle went in. I kept my eyes on the wall in front of me, never being too fond of needles. After he was done injecting the medicine into my arm, I started to feel more relaxed. However, soon I started to feel a little too relaxed. I tried to get up, but my body refused to cooperate.
"What did you give me?"
"Just a mild muscle relaxer. I can't have you squirming around, now can I?"
I tried my hardest to move away, only to be rendered completely immobile by what was now suppressing my central nervous system. After disposing of the syringe, Masaume came closer. Slowly, he moved on top of me. All I could do was watch in fear as his hands slowly came to rest on my neck. I should have run when I had the chance. Whoever this was now, is definitely not the Masamune I know.
"The voice was right. I'm only out for myself."
"Stop! Please! This isn't you!"
I could feel his hands slowly circling around my neck. He seemed to be taking his time to enjoy this. The look on his face was manic. He was unrecognizable at this point. The pressure around my throat was slowly becoming worse. Whatever muscle relaxer he had giving me was not about to fade any time soon. All I could do was lay on the floor with a stranger's hands slowly doing away with my life. As my vision started to blur, the voice finally had a face to it. The face of the person I trusted and cared for the most.
"I was right. How does it feel to hear it from the proverbial horse's mouth? Remember, RItsu, his voice and mine are one and the same. I only voice what he feels deep down. What he feels in the one place he refuses to acknowledge even exists. I am his dark side. He is me and I am him."
"NO!"
I can't wait for your feedback, I was just as excited to finally be able to start this chapter as you guys have been waiting for it. Please review, and I hope to update soon.
