"Adachi was a dead end, Mitsuru. He claims he didn't do it, and as twisted as he might be, I believe he's telling the truth. He didn't have any leads to provide either, so we're back to square one."
Marcus leaned back in his seat, trying to ignore the headache that was building up. He was on the train heading back from Inaba, and had called Mitsuru as soon as he was securely on board.
"That's unfortunate; I know this was a long shot, but still I was hoping for anything of value at this point. Well, when you're grasping at straws, sometimes you come up short."
For her part, Mitsuru sounded disappointed. Marcus wasn't sure if it was due to his failure or that of the mission, but the thought of letting his boss down was not helping his nerves.
"I want you to know that I take full responsibility for this situation. I started this line of investigation, and since you put me in charge of finding any leads, any failures to do so are also my burden to bear."
"Thank you for saying so, but don't put the whole world on your shoulders," Mitsuru replied, sounding more serious now. "This isn't something you have to do alone. You have more resources available than you realize. Just keep an open mind."
"With all due respect, what good are resources if I can't use them right? How can I get the job done if I don't trust myself to do right by you and the task you gave me?"
There was a pause, and Marcus was afraid he had said too much. In his agitated state of mind, he was more likely to admit his doubts and insecurities.
"That's a question you have to answer yourself," Mitsuru finally responded, a hint of sympathy in her voice. "You did an exemplary job today; take the rest of the afternoon off. You haven't had time off since you joined the Kirijo Group, and the lack of rest is showing. I'll see you tomorrow. There's still work to be done, and I need everyone at their best."
"Sure thing. I'll see you tomorrow Mitsuru," Marcus said, putting his phone away as he closed his eyes.
She wasn't wrong about the lack of rest; I don't clearly remember what happened the last few days, let alone the last time I got a decent amount of sleep. Maybe I'll take a nap this afternoon or something…
Back in his apartment, Marcus was listening to some jazz on his computer as he tried to calm his mind from the roller coaster of emotions he had experienced earlier in the day. Everything was a blur from the moment he had called Mitsuru to the point he had returned to the city, and even though he had been told to take the rest of the day for himself, the brunette found his mind either on the investigation or the mysterious dreams he had experienced this entire week.
Making a decision, he put the music on pause, sent a text message, and then pulled up a video chat homepage. After a minute, there was a notification of an incoming call and Marcus opened the page while also putting on a smile for the person on the other line.
"Hey Junpei, it's been a while. You're looking pretty good for having to take care of a horde of kids 5 days a week."
"Says the guy who's not getting paid enough for the job he's doing," Junpei retorted, grinning as he appeared on Marcus' screen. He had changed a bit since his high school days; his brown hair was longer and unkempt, and he had a more pronounced goatee. He was wearing a blue baseball jersey, and had a baseball cap on backwards. His grey eyes were slightly shadowed in tiredness, but his face held a cheer that had never faded in all his time with the Shadow Operatives.
"Shut up, Stupei. I'm making a six figure salary now, unlike someone I know," Marcus said smugly, feeling his spirits improve already. After joining the Shadow Operatives, Junpei was the one who helped him transition into the group, and became his friend right from the start. In a time and place where he felt scared and alone, Marcus found relief and companionship with Junpei, and he would be grateful to Junpei for the rest of his days.
"Heh, still not worth it in my book," Junpei snickered, not impressed at the jab Marcus made. "I like Mitsuru well enough, but I don't think I would be able to last a day having her as my actual boss."
"Is that why you're not around as much these days? I miss having you here dude," Marcus sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Things have been really rough lately. I could really use a friend right now."
"Hey, don't be so glum dude, I'm always willing to hear you out," Junpei frowned, looking concerned. "All kidding aside, I'm sorry I haven't been there for ya. Having to deal with the robbery must be really stressful."
"You could say that again," Marcus mumbled, holding back a yawn that tried to escape his lips. "There's a lot that's on my mind lately. When you have more free time, I'll bring you up to speed. I could really use some advice."
"Sure thing man, anything to help," Junpei replied, grinning as he tried to cheer Marcus up. "Well I have to head out now. Planning on visiting this town called Inaba in the next couple of days. Hoping it's a nice place for a vacation."
"Oh yeah, Inaba is a great little town. I visited there recently, and definitely recommend it," Marcus responded, smiling at the memory of his visit. "Well, best of luck to you bro. See you when you get back. Have a nice trip."
"Thanks, keep a cool head. And good luck with your investigation," Junpei commented, ending the call and putting Marcus back to the home screen.
Marcus let out a deep sigh as he folded his laptop closed and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as a wave of exhaustion overtook him. After a few seconds, he stood up and turned towards his bedroom, slowly walking toward the doorway as he fought to stay awake.
I hate to say it, but I think I'm getting used to these earlier starts in the day. The sad thing is having no energy left to do anything afterwards. Guess I'll have to adjust my sleeping patterns a bit. …Well, for tonight, maybe I can catch up on some rest…
He found himself once again in the crystalline chamber, gazing around the pristine room in curiosity. The design was the same as last time he had visited, with a few small changes. There was a door behind him that must have been the one he entered through previously, with the same style as the door that resided at the top of the staircase. In that regard, the door above him had a faint glow emanating from around the doorframe, as opposed to tendrils of darkness that it possessed beforehand. Ascending the staircase, he opened the door, and a blinding light enveloped him, overwhelming his senses.
When the light faded, he lowered his hands and found himself standing in the middle of a bridge, bathed in the light of a full moon. Before him was the aftermath of a car crash, with a crying infant beside a person whose back was turned toward him. On closer inspection, this person appeared to be a young woman, wearing a black military coat dress and black pants, with short blonde hair and dark blue eyes. While this person was at first unrecognizable due to her attire, he realized who she was the moment she spoke.
"Threat has been neutralized and the crisis has been averted," said Aigis, speaking into a phone she was holding in her hand. "Subject will be monitored continually for any future changes. …Understood, returning to base now."
Aigis put away the phone, and briefly glanced at the child beneath her before walking away across the bridge. Before he had a chance to call out to her, light blazed from the moon and blinded him again. When he was able to see again, he found himself on the bridge again but with a few changes. The lighting now resembled time spent in the Dark Hour, and instead of a car crash there was a person in front of him. The kid appeared to be in his late teens, with sweptback black hair, blue eyes, and had a beauty mark underneath his left eye. He was wearing some type of school uniform, with a yellow scarf wrapped around his shoulders.
"So this is where it all begins. But perhaps this is an end as well. Such is the way of life."
The boy walked forward and stopped right in front of him, looking at him with a sad look in his eyes.
"Don't be afraid, Death comes for us all. We can only avoid it for so long; the most we can hope for is to face it with no regrets."
Putting a hand on his shoulder, the boy walked past him, and for a moment it seemed as though a mask appeared on his face, a pure white one with soulless eyes and a sinister smile. As terror filled his mind, the world around him faded to darkness, slowly coming back to a change in scenery. He was now standing in a dark corridor, with black walls laced with red and a ceiling lost in shadow. Behind him came a threatening growl, and glancing behind him revealed glowing red eyes, the same ones he had seen previously. Instinct took over, and he ran for his life, the sound of massive footsteps following behind him. Turning down one corridor and another, he continued to run, the snarling never far behind him. Seeing a black door at the end of his current passageway, he threw himself toward it and slammed it shut behind him. Continuing his retreat, the sound of roaring and a shaking door faded away behind him. After letting out a sigh of relief, a wave of dread crawled over his back. Turning around slowly, he found the hooded figure standing behind him. Mind-numbing fear seized him, and he could do nothing but watch as the mysterious figure stepped forward and placed a hand over his face, blocking his senses and binding him in darkness.
In his bedroom, Marcus was tossing and turning, fighting to escape the nightmare that had him trapped and failing to do so. Out of the corner of his room, the hooded figure stepped out of the darkness, stopping beside Marcus'bed and gazed down at the restless boy.
"You can't take him. He's not ready yet."
Turning around slowly, the mysterious figure looked at the foot of Marcus' bed where Pharos was standing, looking at the cloaked figure with a sad expression on his face.
"I never thought I'd see you again. Our fates were decided long ago. How did it come to this? Is there any way things can return to the way they were?" Pharos asked, sorrow plain in his voice.
After a brief moment of thought, the hooded figure shook their head, and passed a hand over Marcus' face. For a brief moment Marcus' face was shadowed, but then the darkness faded and his sleep became more peaceful. Turning away from Pharos and the bed, the mysterious figure walked away, melting into the darkness and vanishing from sight.
Pharos sighed as he watched the cloaked figure disappear then turned to gaze at Marcus with guilt and sadness.
"I may have only delayed the inevitable, but this is the best I can do for you. I cannot say what the future holds, but I fear only loss and despair will find you. I pray that you prove me wrong, and if you lose faith in others, never lose faith in yourself."
With those words, Pharos faded away, leaving Marcus to slumber in the folds of darkness.
Well here's the next chapter. Between 3 jobs and college, it's amazing I still find the time to work on the next chapters. I feel like this is a stress reliever for me now, and I enjoy every moment I have working on this story. Feel free to leave reviews if you feel like it, and don't worry, this story isn't over anytime soon.