SPLASH
Water was thrown onto my face, instantly awakening me from what must've been a restless sleep. I'm not quite sure where I am, the last thing I remember was being captured during the last heist. A quick look around didn't help much with determining where I am, there was a camera on the wall and serious looking men in suits, but no defining features to the room.
It wasn't long before one of them spoke, telling me "No dozing off"
I struggled to attempt to get out of the chair, but I was handcuffed to it or something. I could only struggle, which seemed to have agitated the men before me.
"You still don't get it, do you?" - The man had said again, posing a question that had no real meaning to me.
"Give it up!"
The man had spoken to me before proceeding to kick me to the ground right into the stomach. The chair behind me broke and I was on the ground with an immeasurable amount of pain.
"Come on, Cooperate. Or what, do you want another shot?"
They had drugged me. That explains the fuzziness. But, if this is an interrogation than.
The camera. Right, that could probably be useful in court.
"Huh, what about the camera? Are you thinkin' it can be used as video evidence?"
Damn it. I was hoping it wasn't that obvious. I remained silent to his questioning though. I'm not giving him the satisfaction of an answer. He gave me another kick to the stomach demanding to know if I heard him, and to answer. But I wasn't going to.
"Obstruction of justice, Defamation, Blackmail, Possession of weapons."
"Manslaughter too yeah? Talk about the works."
That's what they're charging me with, Good to know. Even if I get out of here alive I'm not leaving without seeing a prison cell for the rest of my life.
"To think all those crimes were led by a punk like this."
"And you seemed to be enjoying every second of it."
I was...Enjoying it…?
Ugh, everything's hazy. I can't remember.
"You should know your place."
I wasn't expecting them to unlock my handcuffs immediately after that statement. But one of the men had brought over a clipboard. Which I quickly found out the purpose of.
"Sign here. It's a confession under your name."
No way in hell am I signing this. I tossed it aside. This isn't justice, this is basically signing my own death certificate.
"...I see. I need your hand to sign this, But."
THWACK
That man had put his shoe onto my leg. The pain I felt in my chest earlier seems to have migrated to that site in an instant. It felt like he was going to crush my bones any second now.
"I don't care if you end up losing a leg"
That much was obvious, Asshole. I had internally said. I didn't dare speak out loud right now, otherwise the people here might just wind up snapping my neck right then and there. I had no choice but to cooperate. The man had looked me dead in the eyes for one final statement.
"Don't expect to walk out of here in one piece. We are going to make you understand."
I'm basically signing away my entire life, But the alternative is dying now. Hesitantly, I wrote my name down on the clipboard.
Ren Amamiya
"Looks like you finally decided to see reason. Fine. Pack it up, let's get out of here."
The men had left without a second word after. Allowing me to take a moment to reflect on what had happened.
My friends were safe, The heist we had worked so hard on to clear our names had seemingly ended in failure. I'm captured and detained by the police, likely about to face life in prison or outright execution, and I didn't understand how things had gone this poorly. The last words I had heard before being detained kept flashing in my head as well.
"You have your teammate to thank for this. You, were sold out."
Who. Who had sold us out? I'd known nearly everybody on the team for months at this point.
No, it couldn't be.
I didn't get much longer to think on the situation after that however. I could faintly overhear a conversation on the other end of the room I was kept in.
"I'm Sae Niijima from the public prosecutors office." - Said the voice of a woman.
"The public prosecutors office? What business do you have here?" - Barked a stern sounding man back at this Niijima.
"Just let me through, It's urgent. There's something I need to confirm with the suspect." - Responded Niijima
The suspect clearly meant me. Way those men were talking I'd already been tried and convicted.
"Niijima-san, I believe this case is no longer in your jurisdiction. Besides…" - The first man had said in response. Before being cut off by another, older sounding male voice.
"Are you prosecutor Sae Niijima? There's a call from your director. Hurry and get it over with. To be frank, you're being an inconvenience."
I couldn't make out the entire call, only the parts that Sae vocalized.
"I'm responsible for this case yet I'm not even being allowed an interrogation!?"
"I will not be convinced until I confirm it for myself. This is my case."
"Uh, prosecutor, I forgot to mention something important. Your time will be cut short, we can't permit you to talk to him for long." - The first voice I had heard informed Sae, causing her to let out a frustrated sounding noise.
"It's for your own sake, His methods are unknown after all, we don't know if it's safe for you to simple meet and speak with him."
That's bullshit, what do they think I'm gonna do? Slit her throat or something?
"...I understand."
That was the final thing I heard Sae say to the men outside. Moments later she came into the room with me. I recognized her appearance from a few months ago, but didn't know who she was at the time. Greenish-silver hair, Brown eyes, and a serious looking expression on top of a black turtleneck, presumably over a black business suit as well.
"I didn't expect it'd be you. You'll be answering my questions this time." - Sae began to speak at me.
She looked aside on the floor, noticing an empty syringe on the ground. I figured I was drugged, that would explain the comments of that man earlier, as well as my inability to process much of what was happening.
"Those bastards…"
"Hey, can you hear me? It seems you've been through a lot."
I nodded simply in response. My head hurt, but I could still make out sounds.
"Almost anything can happen here, and I can't stop them. That's why I need you to answer me honestly. I don't have much time left either."
"What was your objective?"
"Why did you cause such a major incident?"
"I didn't think it was a prank from the get-go but I couldn't assemble a case for prosecution. It's because I couldn't figure out the method behind it." - Sae asked me this series of questions in rapid succession.
"Of course you couldn't…" - I said in response. The police wouldn't have been able to determine the methods I and my team had used under normal circumstances.
Sae let out a small laugh, and then began to speak again.
"True. There's no way I could be convinced of such a "world" just by reading the reports."
"It seems your cohearent, at least. So answer me. When and where did you find out about that world? How is it even possible to steal another's heart? Tell me your account of everything."
"Start from the very beginning."
The very beginning…
So long ago. Everything's fuzzy in my head, like thoughts are dashing in and out rapidly. I can't piece it all together.
Why can't I remember. I should be able to remember.
As I sat here attempting to recollect my past, I looked up to see a butterfly flying through the room. I must've been the only one who could see it though, as Sae hadn't commented on it.
"You are held captive. A prisoner of fate, to a future that has been sealed in advance."
"This is truly an unjust game. Your chances of winning are almost none."
"But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you."
"I beg you...Please overcome this game, and save the world."
"The keys to victory lie within the memories of your bonds - The truth that you and your friends grasped."
"It all began that day. When the game started half a year ago."
Half a year. It's been half a year. Right. I'm starting to remember now more clearly.
"For the sake of the world's future, as well as your own, you must remember.""Hey, did you hear me? Start from the very beginning. Any details can help, no matter how small you think they might be." - Sae had spoken up again.
Who was that voice? She sounded, familiar, somehow. Did I know them?
"...Alright. It all started around half a year ago." - I spoke.
I remember the event that started this quite vividly.
