I know that shadow. It belongs to someone, I'm sure of it! All of a sudden, my blood runs cold as I realize who it belongs to, who Zero is. But wait, something's wrong. Hideo? How can that be, I saw him and Zero in the same room, at the same time, there's no way it could be him.
After coming out of the Dark World, I sit at my desk, thinking. The whole situation is bothering me. It seems so obvious; I just can't reach it. Should I call Hideo? Maybe he'll tell me something useful, maybe he'll let it slip that he is Zero, but that seems unlikely. Something is very wrong. The shadow couldn't possibly be Hideo, but there is no mistaking it. Who else could it be?
I call Hideo.
"Emika," he says. He sounds so intelligent. Maybe it is him?
"I found something; I think we better talk."
"That's great! This link is secure, you can go ahead." I wonder how he'll react to the news.
"I know who Zero is," here goes…
"You what? Who is he? How did you find him?" His rapid-fire questions are making me even more suspicious. He sounds like he truly doesn't know, but how can I be sure, he's asking questions like a suspicious person.
At that moment men in black burst into my dorm room pointing guns. I jumped back, terrified, and they all pull the trigger.
I bolt upright, breathing heavy. Zero looks an awful lot like Hideo, but who could he be? Maybe my dream was true, and Hideo is Zero. There's only one way to find out. I press the call button and hope with all my heart that the assassin part was fake.
I hear the line pick-up, but there's no voice.
"Hideo?" I call.
"Emika," he answers, "how are you doing, that was some explosion."
"I'm doing fine, but I need you to answer one question." My heart's beginning to pound.
"Sure, what do you need?"
The fateful moment. "Are you—"
I break off, because I know.
I figured it out.
"Emika, are you okay?" His voice drips with worry.
"Yes," I manage, "I'm fine. I'll call you back later. Sorry." And just like that, I don't know what to do.
Why would Sasuke Tanaka want to tear apart what his brother created?