Chapter 4
Space for Three
Finally, everything was silent around him.
They said that giving a name to something gave it a presence, making it real although Makoto wasn't so sure, with the haunting chuckle of his guardian angel. Its existence was known to him for a long time, a presence of a fragile flicker like an overtaxed body.
Makoto never told anyone because the guardian angel was just the product of an overactive imagination of delusional liar, gone after the clock struck past midnight. But whenever those black blobs approached him and his legs fell asleep with weakness, the guardian angel would touch him through his mind.
It didn't have a name yet, and it was always in a strange state of half-sleep, to let its power being put to rest, Makoto mused. Immobile save for a wide, grinning teeth and armour that draped around itself like a well-worn coat. Its eyes were golden like half-moons against the green, eery backdrop of complete darkness. He could feel that the creature ingrained itself within him, the union nearly parasitic but he didn't mind. Because when the guardian angel stirred and stood on its full height, it hovered over him, over those black blobs and Makoto would be safe.
Sometimes, when it was strong enough to be tangible to naked eyes, Makoto could touch its cold, metallic snout and those grinning teeth. He held up his palm, feeling the patter of that night on its skin. What a sight- something as taller as the support beam of the bridge leaping away, like a gossamer of Death itself throwing everything into chaos and then something moved, dancing in the air to fight it.
He remembered that his own breathing tore through his ears as fire and the smell of burnt bodies played over and over again, before it rushed forth with one great brush of its sword sent its foe hard into the destroyed battlefield.
He reminisced, startled, that he had grinned in response.
But of course, the adults wouldn't believe him. Dismissing it as the product of a scared child. He was scared, when he realized that he lost everyone and everything in one night. But the guardian angel itself wasn't scary at all. Instead, the cool metal covered his small body completely, becoming a thick shell that deflected the screeching of those black blobs.
The chains that connected them were familiar, with each cold snap that brushed the metal coffins were familiar. As if those coffins were simply an extension of himself. And in the weary state of his mind, his guardian angel whispered in his ears, cradling his head and Makoto listened.
"You belong to me,"
And handling over the reins completely seemed as natural as breathing. Giving it to the one who controlled both itself and him.
Makoto closed his eyes and plugged his ears.
"Thanatos."
Humming quietly to the receiver, he corrected the precarious balance of the phone between his ear and shoulder before turning the pages of a patrol report of his subordinate. Graduating at the top of his police education program's class like his older brother, Tatsuya was quickly offered a position in the NPA Headquarter's Safety Division despite his young age.
"I haven't make pressed flower bookmark for ages, Tatsuya. Oh, what if he wouldn't like it? What if it's ugly?" a panicked voice said from the other line, accompanied by a loud thump that signaled that his fiancee was browsing through her aisles and aisles of books. Once, she even said that she wanted her own library once they get married and moved out to their new home.
Tatsuya chuckled, making his subordinate older than him by a few years sent him a knowing look. He only gave the man a roll of his eyes, "I'm sure that's fine. He seemed like a brat who'd enjoy reading."
A huff. "Really? Why do you think so?"
He finished checking through the report and nodded, signing his name on the spot pointed by his older subordinate and the man left his office. "I would know, because I spent years courting one hell of a bookworm." He heard an embarrassed splutter from Jun and smirked, oh this is getting fun.
"Enough," came the whined reply. "I'm going out, so let's meet up in Dr. Sonomura's home later, okay?"
Tatsuya moved his head up and down, forgetting that Jun couldn't see his face. "Yep, see you at 7."
Neither said anything after a few seconds, but he waited until Jun gave in first, although she probably knew that he enjoyed teasing her.
The physics teacher mumbled through the receiver. "L-love you,"
Ah, love is in the air. "Love you too,"
Jun still flushed even minutes after ending their phone conversation and she walked briskly to the shopping district. The September weather was still warm, but the chilling air made her draped more layers of coat. She smelled autumn within the distinct, polluted air of the city, but smiled nonetheless.
The cold was an excuse to gather in front of the furnace. Sharing heat as they talked in low, quiet voices over hot chocolates and old books in Tatsuya's home although both of them weren't fans of sweets that much. It was simply a tradition that carried over from their childhood.
She remembered that Katsuya, Tatsuya's strict but responsible older brother who entered police force years before his brother, would make cakes, wanting to open his own patisserie but choosing to support Tatsuya's study with the higher income of a police.
The petite woman found a flower shop in the tiny corner of the shopping district, just a small shop wedged between its high-fenced neighbors and the automatic door opened for her. Jun hadn't make pressed flower since she was too busy poring over her teaching materials. More importantly, she hasn't done anything for the boy. But it wasn't a mere pity.
They were similar. She and that child.
She knew loneliness when she saw one. But the boy didn't, wouldn't seek to make it known to others. There was a lot more to Makoto than meeting those deadened eyes. Jun saw the boy's faith in humanity failing as those thin arms tightened around his wraith-like figure. It was like seeing a brittle wooden boat with cracks wherever they couldn't see. Water running down thru the side and pooling, drowning everything and nothing into the bottom of a slippery lake.
It was a dangerous stream that no one should've experienced.
Jun's fingers touched the different flowers, mentally recalling the meaning of each flowers, considering which would fit into the boy's small hands. The colour that would suit Makoto the best and the patterned card stock for the bookmark.
Sometimes, she thought that the boy was so colourless that anything would fit him, but soon decided that a white chrysanthemum with a shade closer to the boy's silver eyes was perfect.
Truth. Makoto.
She smiled contentedly as she packed her purchase, imagining the silver-eyed child's reaction over the bookmark she'd make.
Jun plucked the petals one by one with a gentle care, the soft contour smooth against her fingers. Old knowledge and experience surging up as her muscle memory guided her. She silently treaded and arranged the petals to fit a thin, plain dark blue card stock artistically. She dipped the tip of a small crafting knife into a bottle of glue and slowly lifted the arranged petals, applying the glue to the card stock.
Overlapping, enveloping.
She added some glitter across the medium, index finger and thumb rubbing together to fill up the space and work its magic. Jun finished the piece within minutes and pressed it under her heaviest book to let the glue and petals settled. The pressed bookmark should be ready to be laminated right before they meet up in Dr. Sonomura's house and she was nervous with giddiness.
Would Makoto like it? Does he even like to read?
Jun intertwined her fingers in front of her chest, smiling quietly and heading to her kitchen, preparing for the dinner.
"Makoto," she said once the aforementioned boy cleaned his plate, the pale-faced boy looked up questioningly, his cheeks smeared with ketchup and sauce. Tatsuya was rummaging the home for a forgotten monopoly board games with every intention to teach the boy. He just nodded passively and helped to clean up the table. He was too quiet that Jun could've missed him if not for his unusual hair colour.
Jun ran the pad of her thumb through his cheeks to wipe off the leftover sauce and pinched, laughing quietly as the boy covered his reddening cheeks. For once, she couldn't think of any reason of why nobody wanted to take care of this adorable boy.
What would happen to him if he's left alone to fend for himself?
It was one question Jun wouldn't dare to voice out loud. Jun remembered Makoto's closed-off smile, distant and untouchable by humanity and she wondered what was happening and slowly, slowly piecing the puzzle together. It was scary to see a child looked as if he could see pass through people's heart.
But she didn't want answer, she just wanted that glint of distrust to disappear.
So, she took out something from her pocket, "I made you something," she presented the handmade bookmark, waiting eagerly for his reaction.
Jun saw it, though. The unbidden surprise in his beautiful eyes and maybe -she hoped it was not- even a twinge of doubt at accepting her gift.
"...Do you like to read?"
Makoto nodded, eyes hidden from view. "Thank you, Jun-san." Came the mumbled reply.
It saddened her, the unwanted realization that Makoto –however way the boy used to be- was reduced into a child that didn't expect something good to happen. Then, a look of pure curiosity passed in his eyes, replacing the doubtful expression.
"Why do you look so sad?" he blurted out.
Jun closed and opened her mouth, alerted by the boy's sharpness. She was reminded of Dr. Sonomura's words, that those who had gone through things like that would be more well-attuned to the emotions of people around them.
She voiced honestly, wondering whether he would believe it or not. "Because I want you to be more used to receive a present."
He stared at Jun, dumbfounded stiffness on Makoto's figure and she wanted him to become more used to something as small as receiving a gift. Later on that night, after Makoto defeated both adults fair and square at monopoly, she couldn't stop thinking about it. About the remembrance that became a part of her current self, that the weight of being loved held a certain gravity. How a small acceptance could change someone's future. Touching someone's reality with the true future that everyone had helped to win. She wanted to do the same for the boy.
If tatsuya wasn't there, if everyone wasn't there-
I'll kill you! I'll kill everyone for taking-
Who?
Sometimes, Jun dreamt of a tainted world festered in destruction. Of a boy who was fated to embrace and be absorbed by his affection into the void.
Even if somebody blames you... even if the world is surrounded by foes...
A lone boy stood behind the deep void, wishing to exact justice upon those who scorned him, his eyes brimming with thrill of power as if he would stand there until the cogs of the world set it right.
And a lone person, then another, and everyone joined their hands, unlocking the heart of time together.
Until there was nothing left but a future built upon the bodies of his enemy.
The true future bloomed to completion, colouring the world.
Until he became the only shadow left for humanity to eradicate. And-
And changing the sorrowful end the story had into a tale of possibility.
Author Note
Unbeta'ed! Damn ninja-chopping, I'm sweating through my eyes.
I'm experimenting with purple prose, since many books that I've read that used this writing style were beautiful. Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think and where do I have to improve on^^