The sun was setting while I carried Irene to the place she said the door to the Velvet Room was. I walked with Irene in my arms towards the place where I waited for Sasaki every night for the last week. When I got there, Irene told me to turn into an alley nearby. I wondered if I could tell the door apart if I saw it and when I turned into that alley, I was right about the door being obvious. Right in the middle of the alley was a tall blue door. I stood in front of it, staring at the strange design of the door. I pulled on the handle but the door wouldn't budge. I remembered obtaining a key from Irene and for some reason, the key always appeared in my pocket whenever I thought about the Velvet Room. While I held Irene up with one arm, my other hand took the key out of my breast pocket. The key felt like it was being pulled into the keyhole when I took it out. A loud unlocking sound came from within the door when I turned the key.

"We're here, Irene," I whispered into the napping girl's ear.

"Put me down," she whispered back.

I let the little girl down in front of the door.

Irene yawned and rubbed her eyes. "You're next trial is coming soon, Kimi Amaya," Irene said still rubbing her eyes. "Are you sure you can make the right choices again?"

"What are you saying?"

"You made the right choices in the last trial but this one will be more dangerous," Irene answered. "I hope you can make the right choices again this time, Kimi Amaya. I really want to spend some more time with you."

Irene smiled at me and then turned around. She opened the door and in a bright flash of light, the little girl disappeared. For a second, I saw an expression on Irene's face that looked like she knew a lot more about my so-called trial. The reason I liked the little girl was that she always gave me a straight answer but now Irene only gave me more questions.

But I still wondered if I could make the right decisions this time…

…..

The next day after school, Chikako and I hurried to the student council room. Since Hiroki was the student council president, it was a safe bet he would be inside this room. The other council members might be in the room but according to Chikako, they leave before Hiroki when their meetings over. Hiroki stays behind for a while in order to record what happened in the meeting. I was suspicious about why she knew so much about his schedule but I wasn't questioning her about it now. Right now, I needed to stop the student council president from calling the Nostalgia Line. Either by convincing him not to call or… something a little more destructive.

"This can't be a coincidence," Chikako said. "Hiroki-kun has a connection to me. Whoever's doing this must have chose him because he failed with me."

"Don't think of it as a possibility, Kimura-san," I told her. "It's not your fault Tsubasa-san's being targeted by the Nostalgia Line."

"I know," Chikako sighed. "I'm sorry, Amaya-san. I went through so much in that world and I'm still blaming myself for things that aren't my fault…"

"That's alright, Kimura-san. Just think about saving Tsubasa-san and nothing else," I said.

Chikako nodded but her face soon turned red afterwards. I sighed while Chikako's face got so red, she looked ready to start smoking. I ignored her and slightly opened the door to the council's meeting room. I saw Hiroki standing in front of the other three members of the student council, speaking intensely about something. If I placed my ear against the door, I could make out a little of what he was talking about.

"These funds for the clubs are far less than last year's. No matter how we divide these funds, the clubs are going to get mad…"

Hiroki was talking about the funding for the school's clubs. Apparently, the school gave the council less money than last year and nothing the council did would please the clubs. If that was the problem Hiroki was having, then it would be too simple to solve. There had to be something more than just money issues.

"How long are these meetings?" I asked Chikako.

"It should be over in half an hour," she answered checking her watch.

"That's too long. We need to get closer," I said.

"There's a air duct we can walk through in the girl's bathroom," Chikako responded pointing down the hallway. " It leads right over the student council room. You can hear everything they talk about inside the room."

I narrowed my eyes. "How do you know this?"

My glare was obviously having an effect on Chikako. She chuckled while she spoke quickly. "I know everything about the school's ventilation system and the layout of the entire building. You know because I'm in the Occult club…"

"That's a weak excuse," I said.

"I know," she sighed.

"Anyway, an air vent won't help us in this situation," I told her. " We have to be able to move quickly in case he starts calling the Nostalgia Line. We have to be able to destroy his phone in that case."

Chikako pointed at the room. "They're leaving! We have to hide!"

I followed Chikako to hide in the bathroom nearby while three of the council members left the room. We watched the three students hurrying to leave the school, each one of them having an exhausted look on their faces.

"The president is asking for too much," the student council's Treasurer said. " How does he expect the student council to convince the board to give more funds for the clubs? We're just students, we don't have any actual power around here."

"I'm sure Hiroki-san knows that but he still wants to change things around here," the Secretary said.

"The guy has a little too much passion," the student council's vice-president said. "You know with that much passion, he's going to try too hard. It's only going to backfire on him sooner or later…"

The three council members continued to converse while Chikako and I left our hiding place. When the three were out of sight, we went back to the student council room. Chikako and I gave each other a nod before opening the door.

"Hello again, Hiroki-san," Chikako said with a nervous voice.

Hiroki looked up from the pile of files in front of him to see Chikako and I at the door.

He gave us a smile. "Ah, Chikako-san, it's a pleasure to see you again," he said standing up. The council president was at least a foot taller than both of us, so we had to look up at him while he looked down. "I'm sorry if you are here for the Occult club. I cannot do anything about the club until you have three members…"

Hiroki noticed me standing next to Chikako. "Oh, you got a new member?" He asked Chikako.

"Uh, not exact-"

"I'm Kimi Amaya, the new Occult club member," I interrupted holding my hand out to the council president. "Nice to meet you, Tsubasa-san."

Chikako gave me a teary stare and looked ready to hug me but I quickly shot her a glare back, stopping her before she could hug me.

"I'm glad Chikako-san could find another member for her club," Hiroki said smiling. "But until you find another member, I still can't do anything for the Occult club."

"We're not here to talk about the Occult Club," I told him. "We're here for research actually…"

Hiroki gave us an interested expression. "What kind of research?" He asked.

"Research into the Nostalgia Line," I answered. "Do you know anything about it?"

My question had an obvious effect on the council president. He looked honestly surprised at my question about the Nostalgia Line. His expression was enough to confirm that he did receive the Nostalgia Line text.

"I only heard the rumors," he lied pushing his glasses up. "It's about happy memories or something like that?"

"It lets you experience your happiest memory," I told him. " But are you sure you don't know anything about the Nostalgia Line?"

He pushed his glasses up again when he spoke. "All I know about the Nostalgia Line is the rumors the townspeople talk about amongst themselves and nothing else," he answered. "I'm sorry if you expected something else, Amaya-san."

"It's alright, I didn't really expect an answer." I already got my answer from him. He received the text and I confirmed it.

"If you're done with the questions, then is it alright for me to leave? I have a lot of work to do and I would like to get started as soon as possible," he said gesturing to the pile of files he had on the table.

"Chikako and I have nothing else to say," I answered. "We'll leave so you can start working."

Hiroki nodded. "Thank you, Amaya-san," he said. " I hope you have fun in Chikako-san's club."

I nodded back at the student council president and turned around, taking Chikako's hand while I walked out of the room. The moment I stepped out of that room and closed the doors behind me, my whole body slumped forward and I sighed.

"I think we did our job nicely," I said turning to Chikako.

Chikako, however, surprised me with the tears trickling down her cheeks and a trembling smile on her face. She hugged me tightly a second later.

" I love you, Kimi!" She cried. "I said so much mean things to you before because I thought you were making fun of me but you still joined the Occult club! I liked you before but now I love you now! I love you as much as a woman can love another woman without it becoming weird!"

"It's already starting to feel weird, Chikako," I said while Chikako hugged me. " How about you stop hugging me so I can talk about my plan?"

I could feel Chikako's gratitude after hearing I would be joining her Occult Club. I felt the two of us growing closer but I dismissed the feeling quickly.

Chikako stopped hugging me after I said that. She wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Okay, Kimi, you can start," she said.

"The plan is very simple," I told Chikako. "Now that I know he received the Nostalgia Line text, all we have to do is destroy his phone the moment he takes it out, thereby preventing him from making the call in the first place."

After hearing my plan, Chikako could only stare at me.

"Is that all?" she asked.

"What do you mean 'is that all'? That's all we have to do," I answered. "Destroy his phone and he won't be able to call the Nostalgia Line. It's as simple as that."

"I guess that's good enough but what happened to the plan convincing him not to call?" She asked.

"He won't believe that Nostalgia Line throws you into your worst memories so it would be pointless to tell him that," I explained. "I knew you wouldn't believe it either when I tried to convince you not to call."

"I guess you're right, Kimi," she sighed. "I wouldn't have believed you if you told me everything about the Nostalgia Line so I doubt Hiroki-san would believe it."

"That leaves the only choice of action being to destroy his phone," I said.

Chikako nodded, agreeing with my plan to destroy Hiroki's phone.

I only hoped this plan would work.

…..

For the next hour, Chikako and I left the school to shadow Hiroki everywhere he went. For the whole hour, however, Hiroki didn't even take out his phone once. These days, it's hard to find a single student who didn't check his phone every ten minutes and yet we found someone who didn't even look at an electronic screen for the whole hour. Hiroki had his attention buried in the file he carried. He looked like he was thinking hard about whatever was in the file. I was starting to expect the student wouldn't take out his phone until it was time for me to wait for Sakaki. I picked up a long steel pipe for nothing if that was the case.

"Doesn't he have any friends to text or someone to call?" I said getting annoyed.

" Hiroki-san doesn't use his phone that much," Chikako told me. "Every day I followed him, he only took his phone out once because someone was calling him."

" Damn it, so he's one of those people who don't use their phones for anything other than calling," I whispered swinging the pipe I held at the ground

Then I noticed something weird about what Chikako said. "Wait, you were following him before this?"

Chikako began sweating. "Um… no?"

I sighed. "I'm going to forget about that, okay?"

Chikako nodded.

"Do you at least have his number?" I asked.

Chikako took her phone, the phone that was founded by a local policewoman and gave back to her after seeing her name on one of the key-chains. Chikako scrolled through a page of numbers until showing me Hiroki's phone number.

"Okay, now call his number so he'll take out his phone," I said tightening my grip on the steel pipe.

Chikako was ready to execute the plan. My phone, however, started to ring before she called.

I sighed while I flipped my phone open.

"Hello?" I said.

"Kimi! Are you already chasing after Hiroki Tsubasa!" Yosuke's voice yelled through my phone.

"I'm kind of in the middle of preventing him from calling, Yosuke," I said back.

"Good, Kimi," he said. "I hoped you won't need it but I've-"

I didn't listen to what Yosuke said.

My attention was all on Hiroki, who had just taken his phone out.

"I'm sorry Yosuke, but I have to hang up!" I yelled gripping my pipe tighter with one hand.

"Wait, Kimi!" Yosuke yelled while I snapped my phone closed.

Now was my chance! I had to destroy Hiroki's phone as fast as possible while he still had it out. I ran as fast as I could towards Hiroki, swinging the pipe above my head. Thanks to two years in kendo, I was sure I could strike his phone without hurting him. I swung the pipe with all my strength at Hiroki's phone, landing a perfect strike on the phone. For a slow second, Hiroki was in a state of pure surprise while his phone flew out of his hand. I didn't bother hiding my face while I stood there, staring back at the shocked Hiroki. I didn't mind if he knew who destroyed his phone as long as he didn't have to experience that world of the Nostalgia Line.

"Amaya-san?" was all he could say when he saw me.

I let out a breath of relief when I saw the shattered remains of Hiroki's phone on the cement street below us. There was no chance of anyone calling the Nostalgia Line on that phone.

Hiroki took his glasses off and wiped them with a cloth. "Um… mind explaining to me why you just destroyed my phone, Amaya-san?" he asked while he wiped his glasses.

"Believe me, you would thank me if I didn't do that," I answered turning around. I was all ready to run away the moment he started to ask more questions…

"I'M SERIOUSLY BEGINNING TO DOUBT YOUR INTELLIGENCE, KIMI AMAYA!"

It shouldn't be possible… but I heard Poseidon's scream clearly and looking at Hiroki, I'm sure he heard it too.

"This can't be happening," I whispered turning my head back to the phone. " I destroyed the phone…"

Black tendrils were rising up from the black screen of Hiroki's phone. Faster than we could react, the black tendrils snapped themselves around our limps.

"I'm coming, Kimi!" Chikako yelled running towards us.

"What's happening, Amaya-san?" Hiroki yelled trying to pry the tendrils off his arms.

"KIMI AMAYA, YOU SHOULD KNOW I HAVE BACK-UP PLANS IN CASE YOU TRY THIS!" Poseidon screamed from the broken phone.

The tendrils pulled us closer to the broken phone and I knew it was pointless to resist. Chikako got caught by the tendrils too and she was being pulled in with us but she knew it was pointless to resist too. Hiroki was the only one who tried to fight back. He tried to rip the tendrils but more snapped themselves around his body.

We were lifted off the ground by the tendrils and in one pull…

All three of us were thrown into the black ocean.

…..

Once again I found myself lying on a cold floor except this time, loud mechanical noises pounded against my ear. My hand gripped the steel pipe tighter while my other pushed against the floor. I stood up quickly and got my balance back just as quick. I kept my eyes closed for a while until I stood up. The mechanical noises only got louder and I was curious to know where it was coming from, so I opened my eyes.

The sight I saw was far more terrifying than I thought.

I was standing in the middle of a massive factory with dozens of impossibly long rows separated by an equally long moving belt. What traveled along the belts were all the same blocks of gray metal that was being formed into something while it traveled down the belt. What terrified me, however, wasn't the sight of the vast factory or what was being built here. What terrified me was the ones who worked in the factory.

Hundred and hundreds of Hiroki Tsubasa's were sitting in front of the belts, picking up the metal and adding something else to it before putting it back on the belt. To see so many of the same person was a terrifying sight. To see the lifeless expression on their faces was even more terrifying.

"This is… horrible," Chikako's voice said next to me.

I turned to see Chikako standing a few feet away from me, her hands covering her mouth.

"I can't make a difference in this world…"

Chikako and I jumped at the loud voice of Hiroki echoing throughout the whole factory. His voice sounded… dead. As if he had no will to live left, that's how his voice sounded.

"This world doesn't see me as an individual…"

"This guy is special, Kimi Amaya!" Poseidon's laugh echoed. "He doesn't have any particularly bad memories except for a nightmare he had in the past. You are fighting the demon created from his nightmare! Legion will rip out your heart, Kimi Amaya!"

Poseidon's laugh continued to echo until we focused our attention on the Hiroki Tsubasa's around us. They kept working without paying attention to us. It was heart-wrenching to watch them build something that looked useless but they kept working with those lifeless expressions on their faces. One Hiroki, however, caught my attention. It was working faster than the others and smoke was beginning to rise from its head and joints. It kept working until sparks started flying out of its joints and head. Chikako and I watched that single Hiroki until it finally expired, its head falling on the belt.

A mechanical voice soon spoke when that Hiroki fell.

"Number 122349 has outlived his usefulness. Replacing Number 122349…" the mechanical voice said.

In no time at all, another Hiroki came and threw the dead one aside, soon taking its place at the belt. It began working on the useless piece of metal the moment it sat down.

"The world only sees me as a machine it can easily replace when I'm gone…" Hiroki's voice echoed.

I looked at Chikako. Tears were trickling down her cheeks while she stared at the dead Hiroki on the floor. " This is so… sad," she cried.

It wasn't until I looked around that I noticed something important. I could only see Chikako and me in the entire factory. The real Hiroki was nowhere in sight. But if I couldn't see him here…

Then that meant Hiroki Tsubasa was amongst these machines, working on a useless piece of metal with the same lifeless expression as them.