Chapter 25

Opening his eyes, Itsuki found himself in a city. A city that was very familiar to him. It was the city he grew up in from Japan. Confused, Itsuki cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Hellooooo?" He shouted.

"It's nice out today." A voice spoke, catching Itsuki's attention. It was a voice he hadn't heard in a long time.

"Mhm!" Came the high pitched hum of a little kid.

Looking back, a woman walked along the sidewalk with a small child.

Itsuki knew this vision before him. It was the route he and his mother took each time they went to the park together while his older siblings were at school.

The woman was his mother and the small child was himself, years younger.

"What..?" Itsuki said in disbelief.

Staring at the duo as they entered the park, Itsuki watched as the younger version of him sat on the swing and his mother began to push him.

"Why am I seeing this?"

"Your mind is fighting to keep its memories." A new voice explained.

Startled, Itsuki glanced back to see a woman approach wearing a pure black dress.

"Satella?"

"This isn't what usually happens when someone is affected by the Archbishop of Gluttony." Satella said, stopping at Itsuki's side and staring at the two people before them.

"What usually happens?" Itsuki asked.

"They sleep forever." Satella replied. "Without any dreams. Just an endless void of darkness that will never end. They don't age, hunger, thirst or fall sick."

Itsuki's mouth fell open slightly.

"Is this some sort of sick joke?"

"It is not." Satella replied. "Your mind is fighting to keep its memories intact."

"What?" Itsuki asked. "Wh-what do I need to do?"

Satella took a few seconds to reply.

"Find the right memory."

Satella disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, leaving Itsuki by himself.

"Higher!" The kid version of Itsuki shouted as he laughed.

His mother chuckled before obliging.

Itsuki gave a smile at the memory, approaching the play set and leaning against one of the metal beams.

Watching for a few moments longer, the vision of himself and his mother vanished, as did the park and city. Letting out a breath, light began to shine from behind him. Turning around, Itsuki saw a door a few yards away. Approaching it, he reached out and slowly turned the doorknob, walking through it and right into a dimly lit room.

"Huh?"

Itsuki glanced around the room, seeing his old apartment he and his girlfriend used to live in together. Walking into the livingroom, Itsuki saw himself, having just turned seventeen, and his girlfriend standing behind him.

"I remember this..." Itsuki said softly, standing in the doorway that led to the bedroom. Looking to his ex, Itsuki fought back the emotions that threatened to surface. "Iina..."

The girl, Iina, let out a sigh as she stared at her boyfriend, a look of pure heartbreak on her face.

"Kyto..." Iina said softly. "It wasn't your fault this happened."

Itsuki looked at himself, watching as Kyto leaned forward burying his face into his hands.

"Leave me alone, Iina." Kyto said, his voice breaking.

"Kyto." Iina said as she walked over and knelt in front of Kyto. "Look at me." She said, but Kyto refused. "I'm going out of town for a bit. Call me, okay? I'll always be there for you."

With that, Iina gave Kyto a hug before standing up and leaving the apartment.

Itsuki, having watched everything, looked confused.

"That's... not what happened..." he said softly. "She said everything was my fault and I was a fuck up. This was the moment she broke up with me."

Watching himself slowly vanish, another door appeared before him. Walking through it without hesitation, Itsuki came face to face with Satella.

Staring at one another for a brief moment, Itsuki was the first to speak.

"What was that?" He asked. "She never said any of that to me."

Satella's eyes softened.

"She did." Satella said. "But-"

"The hell she did!" Itsuki interrupted. "She blamed me! Just like how my family blamed me!"

"They never-"

"I don't want to hear it." Itsuki growled as he walked passed Satella. "Just... leave me alone!"

Satella sighed as she was once again surrounded by the fog.

Walking through the door, Itsuki saw the aftermath of a horrific accident, with himself sitting on the curb, arms wrapped around his knees and head buried.

"It's all my fault..." Kyto said softly.

Immediately, Itsuki took a step back on impulse. Itsuki's eyes softened at the memory of the accident. A tear slid down his cheek as he turned away. Approaching the door to the next memory, Itsuki looked back at Kyto, his eyes narrowing in disgust.

"You deserve everything that happens to you."

With that, he walked through the door, seeing Satella standing there, waiting for him.

"This isn't the one."

Satella looked sorrowful as she placed her hands over her chest.

"I know the past is painful, but you'll never awaken if you keep this up." Satella told him.

"You told me to find the right memory and I am!" Itsuki replied, getting overly defensive. "That one sure as shit wasn't it!"

"Ky-"

"Don't..! say it!" Itsuki growled. "That name brings me nothing but grief!"

Satella took a step towards Itsuki.

"You aren't the person you think you are." Satella said, getting Itsuki to listen. "You're too hard on yourself."

Itsuki stared at Satella.

"Don't talk like you know me!" Itsuki growled. "You have no idea what I did! Who the hell are you to judge?!"

"I've seen everything you've been through." Satella said softly. "Even before you arrived here."

Itsuki didn't reply as Satella simply gestured to another door. Inside the labyrinth that was his mind, Itsuki grit his teeth and approached the next door, opening it and walking through, with Satella right behind him.

Upon entering, Itsuki saw a younger version of himself, roughly around the age of twelve, playing Teaparty with a girl that was even younger, maybe seven. The two were clearly having fun, with Kyto listening and playing along with the girl.

The two sat opposite of each other, with a few stuffed animals participating as extra guests.

"Would you like one or two sugars?" The girl asked Kyto.

"Two, please." Kyto said with a smile.

Itsuki, watching everything, looked like he was about to cry.

"I remember this..." Itsuki said softly. "I... completely forgot about this day."

Satella walked over and stood beside Itsuki.

"Tell me about it." Satella requested.

"She asked me to play with her since our older siblings thought it was dumb." Itsuki began. "They were at school, but I had the day off because I was sick, when in actuality, I just faked it until our parents were convinced. When they left for work, she asked me to play since she wasn't actually feeling good, hence why she was at home, too." Itsuki walked over and sat down beside the small table, staring at his little sister. "She caught on quick that I faked being sick and blackmailed me to play, threatening to tell our parents the truth if I refused." Itsuki paused to chuckle. "I hated it at first, but quickly grew to enjoy the time I spent with her. After this, we'd have Teaparties every now and then until she grew out of it. But we still played other games together. Went from Teaparties to dolls to board games and even console games." The more Itsuki spoke, the more his voice began to break as tears welled up in his eyes.

"You're crying..." Satella said softly.

"I miss her so much..." Itsuki said through sobs. "She was my best friend."

Satella watched Itsuki for a few moments before speaking.

"What's her name?"

"Ellie." Itsuki answered.

As he watched Ellie and himself, the two began to vanish, causing Itsuki to lurch forward.

"Wait! No!"

It was no use as the two disappeared into nothing. Grasping at air, Itsuki moved onto his knees, staring at his hands.

Satella gently placed her hand on his shoulder, getting Itsuki to look up at her.

"This isn't the one." Satella said, watching as Itsuki got to his feet.

"Right..." moving through the next door, Itsuki stopped dead in his tracks as he saw himself, the age he is now just a few months younger, standing in a cemetary, looking down at one of the headstones.

Upon realizing what this was, Itsuki turned around to walk through the door but it was gone. Satella, standing before him, gestured to the vision.

"You have to see this." Satella said. "You need to see all of it."

"Nothing good comes out of seeing this!" Itsuki yelled. "It's just heartache!"

"You must if you wish to awaken."

Itsuki clenched his fists and grit his teeth before turning around and approaching Kyto, slowly. Standing next to the memory of himself, Itsuki didn't want to look at the headstone but knew he had to.

Slowly, his eyes fell to the headstone and he read the words written across it out loud.

"Ellie Hanamura... 2004 - 2016."

End of chapter 25.