Hey, Readers! I've finished the whole of Chapter 4, so I will be taking down the one from a few days ago that has only shown you half. I may have changed a few things, but apart from that, it's complete. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 4:
One minute, it felt as if I was sinking into a deep sleep, and the next thing I knew, my eyes were open and I'm surrounded, engulfed by an eerie white mist. It just happened, I didn't know how I ended up here. I look to turn my head to look around, the mist was everywhere. I looked up to the sky, enormous grey clouds began to form into a bundle and darken together, almost looking like it was just about to rain. For some reason, I decided that it would be a good idea to walk around and see if I could find someone, or find a sign as to where I was. Walking through the mist, my body grew cold and I felt my arms and legs forming small goosebumps. Though I shouldn't have anything to be afraid of, I had a feeling that someone or something was going to jump out of the mist. Silly I know, but when you are alone, scared, unsure of who or what you will find, you can tend to feel yourself growing small.
I walked for what seemed like hours, and despite the mist, I couldn't see anything in my eyes line of sight, only a vase empty land that stretched out for miles and into nowhere. There was nothing, nothing but the mist. I almost felt stupid, thinking that I could find something through this land of nothingness. I felt a sudden gust of wind pushing me behind, making me stumble a few feet forward, and the mist started to lift a little.
Then, though I had a small visual of what it was, I saw a silhouette of something through the mist only a little aways from me. As I walk towards it, my eyes adjusted better through the mist and I came to see it wasn't something, but someone. As I walked slowly closer to them, I could see that they were wearing a long white robe, that hanged off from their shoulders to the floor with a hood that covered their head. I also noticed that around both her wrists were rusty iron shackles. That should have been my first red flag telling me that this strange person was suspicious, but for some reason, I was still drawn to them despite that, like I wasn't afraid at all. Their back was turned to me, so I couldn't see their face, but as I stopped a few feet from them, I slowly began to notice that they were as tall as I was. "Hello?" My voice surprised me as I heard it coming out like an echo. The hooded figure, without turning their head ignored me. "Excuse me, could you tell me where I am?"
"….coming…." Their voice was as quiet as the wind and I barely heard what they said, but I was only able to make out that one word. They spoke it in a strange wavering voice, so it was hard for me to tell either if it was a he or a she. I cleared my throat and asked again. "Can you tell me where I am?"
"The Devil… will rise again." This time in a much loud and clearer voice, it occurred to me that I was talking to a girl, it startled me that their voice almost sounded familiar to me. The Devil? "What are you talking about?" I asked, attempting to walk around to see beneath her hood. But as I was just a few inches from seeing her face, the mist started to abruptly rise, covering us both in its thick blanket. I stagger back a couple of feet, covering my eyes with a hand as the mist clouds my vision, making it harder for me to see. As it slowly cleared again, I saw that she was no longer next to me. Frantically turning to find her, I couldn't see where she was till I finally saw her standing twelve feet away, turning to face me as the mist parts between her and me.
Under her hood I couldn't see her face, a dark shadow covered her eyes and mouth, making me think for a second that she didn't have a face at all. Though we were far from each other's earshot, I heard the words that she spoke as if she was standing in front of me. "When the moon turns to blood, her powers will resurface and she will attempt to poison your body, mind, and very being…" She removed her hood I felt the air in my lunge seize, I didn't how, but staring back at me… was me. She had the same dark brunette hair, the same hazel eyes, the same face. It was like looking into a mirror. "You must break the chains that weigh you down, or you'll never hope to win." She slowly turns her back to me, throwing her hood over her head and walking away, leaving me stunned and conflicted. That was… Me! Or at least, she looks like me. How? WHY?! That's impossible!
"Stop—" Just as I was about to take a step and follow after her, I suddenly felt my left foot sink into something cold and wet. My head shoots to the floor, and my foot was sticking into a small pool of black ink that appeared out of nowhere! Where did that come from?! I tried pulling out, but it wouldn't budge. As I struggle to break free, I didn't notice the pool was quickly spreading itself towards my right shoe and climbing up my ankle as I start to feet both my feet quickly, but slowly get pulled under. In a panic, I desperately tried to jump out as the sinking become faster and I struggle to break free from it's held on me. "Help—!" Suddenly, shooting out from beneath the pool, leaking black chains grab hold my wrists, pulling my arms downwards and I start sinking faster. What the hell is going on?! I tried pulling my arms up, so to break the chains while I cry out to the other me, "Help! I can't get out! Help please!" But I couldn't see her, not even through the mist as I got no response and I continue sinking. Am I gonna die?! I don't want to die! I need to get out! I need to break free! I had these thoughts to motivate me to keep trying, but deep inside, I knew that all my efforts would be pointless at this stage. The inks begin to sink up to my waist at incredible speed, it felt like the ink had a somewhat kind of mind of its own. I soon reach the sinking into the floor, the ink travels up my neck and covers my mouth, stopping me from crying, and leaving me to gasp for air through my nose. I feel tears beginning to seep from the corners of my eyes, and my vision is engulfed as I fully sink into the black pool of ink.
I look up to the light of the surface of the pool as it fades and I sink deeper, feeling the strength in my arms and legs fail. It felt like I was drowning, I desperately wished for air as I was beginning to lose conciseness. I could feel my eyes struggling to say open. 'I'm so tired… I need to stay awake…' My eyes slowly close and I could feel myself sinking deeper and deeper… Suddenly my eyes blink open, my vision slowly adjusts to a blinding red light and I'm now looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling. I could feel cold sweat dripping down the side of my face as I breathlessly panted, and trying to control the abrupt beating of my heart. 'Was it all… a dream?' I thought as I try to take slow deep breaths as I began remembering small fragments of my dream.' It was…strange it felt… real. I remember the feeling of the cold mist, the steps I took, the feeling of drowning…' The thought of the blackness of the pool made me quiver, but glad that it was not real.
Turning my head to the side, I was lying on a black velvet sofa in an empty room that was dimly lit by a single red spotlight above me and the rest of the room was cast out in the shadows surrounding me. There were hardly any windows, except for one that was just under the roof. 'Where—' As I try sitting up to get a better look at my surroundings, I felt a sudden sharp feeling of pain beginning to spread through my torso. I let out a small wince of pain as I took hold of my chest.
'Why does my chest—?' My mind suddenly recalls and flashes back to the events of what happened. 'I… was taken, by that guy in the black cloak. Where am I? I need to get out of here before he comes back.' I look around the room. Through the shadowy darkness outside the spotlight, I spot a door at my right-hand side. I ran to it and frantically tried turning the knob. It was locked shut. I then hear the faint sound of beeping coming from somewhere. I turned around to see if it was somewhere behind me, but then, not realizing before, I suddenly felt something heavy and tight bounded around my neck.
As I tried looking downward, and I could see a glimpse of a thick black metal collar around my neck. 'What the heck is this?' I clench my fingers around the collar and start pulling hard. I grunted as I felt my knuckles go white and my fingers ache from strain. My neck also started to tire from the effort and pressure I put against my neck, I felt at any second I would break the back of my neck.
"I wouldn't toy with it if I were you." From behind me, spoke a familiar voice. I let go of the collar as I spun around in alarm. Hiding in the shadows from behind one of the pillars, I see pale blue eyes from the silhouette of a man. "The collar is invented with a shock function that can deliver a powerful and painful electric current if when attempted to be removed or activated." He walks towards the couch, and he sits himself down on the arm that was facing me putting his hands in the pockets of his trousers. At once I instantly recognized him and that curly orange hair.
"Y-Your…." My throat felt as dry and my voice sounded like a clogged pipe. I lightly coughed, rubbing my throat underneath the collar as I cleared my voice and tried again. "Y-Your the guy from earlier."
"Glad that you remembered me." He said bluntly, sounding annoyed. His expression looked intimidating and neutral, but almost in a way that looked like I was an eyesore to him. I didn't care about the tone though, I was more scared about the current situation I was in. "Where am I?" I asked him not trying to conceal the shakiness in my voice. "You're inside The Port Mafia Headquarters." He answers truthfully.
'The Port Mafia?! I've only heard the rumors about them back home. They say that the mafia is known as a legal organization full of killers, murders, and ability users that rule the streets of Yokohama under fear and terrine, and I also recall that they're sworn rivals and enemies of the Armed Detective Agency.' I then felt the pain in my head slowly returning, as well as the pain in my diaphragm. I moaned caressing my stomach, cursing to myself and remembering about 'the guy in black'. "How long was I out?" I asked. "You were out around a couple of hours." Chūya answers. 'A couple of hours… the pills!' Looking past him, I eye the sofa to see if my bag was around its legs, but to my fear of it, I couldn't see it anywhere. 'Where is-'
"Looking for this?" From underneath Chūya's coat, with his injured hand that was wrapped in bandages, he pulls out my backpack tosses it to the ground and dragging to a stop stops before me. I crouch down to it and started scavenging inside to search of my pills. Everything was still there, my dad's diary, the leftover Taiyaki (that had now turned cold), and my drink bottle, but I couldn't find the container. However to my surprise, right next to my bottle on the of my bag, I saw my flip phone, though it was not looking in the best shape. The case and coating had a few scratches, but apart from that, I think it'd be able to work well. But why was it in here? 'Did they forgot to search my bag?' I thought suspiciously. While lower my head, not minding Chūya's intense and suspicious glare, I quickly pulled it out and flipped it open, shocked to find that a spiderweb crack was punched in the middle of the black screen. "Calling would be pointless, even if it was fixed." I look up to Chūya, who crosses his arms to me as he continues. "Phone signals that are inside the building are immediately disabled unless they're connected to the mafia's computer database network."
'It must have gotten damaged when that guy knocked it out of my hand when I tried calling the Agency.' I thought as I disappointedly place my phone back into the bag beside my bottle. 'I wonder if they are already trying to look for me since I didn't come back. Would they still be keeping Howl locked up?' I brush the thought away, trying to focus on my meds. I checked the rest of the bag for the pill container, and to my worry, they weren't there. Didn't I put it— *gasp* my pockets! I patted myself down onto the pockets of my hoodie to my jeans, but I couldn't feel it on me. 'I must have dropped it while I was running!…' Then a thought entered my panicked mind. 'Then again, is it really bad if I don't take them?' My body wasn't acting out of the sorts, no uncontrollable urges, no impulses and I wasn't feeling like I'd explode.
"Looking for these?" I look up from my bag to him, and from inside his coat, he pulls out my pill container! I am relieved to see it, but from in his hand, I noticed that there were fewer pills than when I last took my dose. As if reading my thoughts, he explained. "When you passed out, it fell out of your pocket and they scattered across the ground while Akutagawa was carrying you. There aren't many left unfortunately." From where I could see through it, there were at least 10 pills left surrounding the bottom of the container. That means, if I ever had to take them again, I'd haft to be mindful of how many times I need to take a dose.
"Are you sick or something kid?" Chūya lightly throws the container to me asking as I catch it. I quickly take out only one pill and swallow it whole, not minding the hard feeling in my throat when I swallowed. "Kinda." I simply answered, putting the container away in my hoodie's pocket after making sure the lid was tightly closed. I didn't know how it got there, but we then stood in a long uncomfortable silence. I decided to slowly walk pass Chūya and sit across from him at the edge of the couch while staring at the floor and trying to not look him in the eye. Chūya wouldn't talk, and we'd both continue to stay silent. At one point I looked up at him, he had his arms crossed against as he was typing on a black flip-phone and was sitting against the arm of the chair. My eyes traveled a little down to his bandaged hand that was holding the phone. The events of burnings Chūya's hand playing repeated in my mind and replayed on a loop. The memory of it made me feel guilty for hurting him. I know that's stupid to think, even from me, but I couldn't take the thought out of my head since I didn't mean to purposely burn his hand. I began to feel like I should maybe apologize, but what could I say? More importantly, how would he respond? At one point when I was thinking, I didn't notice that Chūya takes his eyes away from the phone, and he catches me staring at him. "What?" He snaps as his eyes narrow at me and my mind jumps back to the present. I tried coming up with something to say, so then I asked, "You mentioned the name 'Akutagawa'. Is he the guy who knocked me unconscious?— He has black clothing and white tips at the end of his hair."
"Yeah, that's him." He answered not bothering to take his eyes away from the phone. "Take my advice, he's not very kind to kids, so don't think of it anything personal earlier." Too late for that. Chūya puts away his phone in his pocket, as he slowly walks to the door and knocks on it three times. I hear a click and the immediately opens ajar. Outside, I could make out a silhouette in the crack of the door as a small ray of white light entered the room. "Tell the boss she's awake and we'll be coming up shortly." I hear Chūya say. I hear footsteps fade away, and the door fully opens as more light shines into the room, almost blinding me. A small group of men, around four or six, dressed in sharp black suits and dark glasses were stiffly, but sharply waiting in the hallway. Chūya then turns to me with a stern expression. "We're leaving." He said. I get up from the couch, but I cautiously take a few steps backward as I clench the strap of my bag. "Where are we going," I asked him. "You're going to meet our boss." He explains, his expression was intimidatingly scary. "The purpose of why you're here is cause he wants to talk with you."
"Why does he want to talk to me?" I asked a little conflicted. His eyes roll to the right as he lets out an annoyed sigh. "Look, kid, I'm not asking." His body began to glow, surrounding him in a red aura, and my body suddenly felt weightless as if I was light as air. I noticed that a few thick strands of my hair were slightly hovering over my cheeks, and my arms were slightly elevated, it felt like I was floating through water. I had the urge to look to the floor, and as id did I was stunned to see that I was levitating above the ground, almost three feet in the air. I lift my head at Chūya who gave me a menacing smirk, and I suddenly felt my body being pulled towards him as my head was shot back from the unexpected force. While not giving me time to react, I was sped past him, whilst I stopped in the middle of the hallway surrounded by the men in black. Without warning, I dropped onto the cold marble floor with a thud as felt my body return to back normal. Did he…? Was that an ability? Was that his ability? As I slowly recover and pulling myself off the floor, one of the men closed the door as the others block the hallway from behind me, cutting me from a way to escape.
Chūya then pulls out a small thin remote shape device from the pocket of his trousers. It was just at least the size of his palm with only one button in the middle. He waves it in his hands as he speaks. "See this? This is a remote that can instantly activate the collar if I please. I want you to know, that if you disobey me or step out of line, you'll get what is coming to ya. Got it?" I quickly nodded in response. "Then let's move." He puts away the remote back in his pocket and walks away in the opposite direction from where I was facing. As he leaves, two of the suited men each roughly grab hold of my shoulder and forcefully walking me off silently follow Chūya. We walked through the empty black pearl hallways for a while, turning onto every corner that leads to a similar hallway felt elaborate. The suited men in black were walking from both beside me and behind as I continued holding onto my bag and Chūya was taking the lead in front, leaving a small gap open in between. As we continued walking, I tried thinking of what would Howl say in a situation like this. 'Everything is going to be okay' would be my first suggestion. Or something reassuring like, 'Try to stay calm. Don't think too much about it.' It didn't care what he would say, it would always make me feel brave even though I was scared deep down. All I wanted at this point, was for him to be beside me, saying that I would be alright and that I need to stay calm.
We soon stopped as we reach an elevator door. Chūya pushes onto the button to go up, and instantly the doors open. Inside, the walls were made from thin glass, and only two wooden rails were bolted into the two sides across each other. Chūya walks inside, his back turned to the men and me as I quietly follow behind. Before any of the other men could follow, Chūya turns to them speaking in a low voice as he walks up to the gap of the elevator. "I'll take care of it from here."Without hesitation and no response, the men obediently walked away just as the doors close, leaving me and Chūya alone closed inside the elevator as it travels up.
The elevator turns dark and I realized it had no light source, but as we continued upward moments after, the glass elevator brightens with a strong and dull light from behind me. I quickly turned around and saw that the light was coming out from a gap at the back of the elevator that opened to the outside of the building.
I walked up to the window, placing my hand onto the cool glass as I gaze out. The sun was a roaring fire color as it was settling down over the port and into the harbor and open seas. The view was amazing, I felt drawn to the suns light, and for a moment I almost had forgotten where I was. But that moment stopped when an unwanted thought entered my mind. "Howl," I whispered to myself. The Agency. Dazai. Kunikida and Atsushi. How am I suppose to testify for myself when I can't even get back to the Agency and save Howl? Not to mention, how am I supposed to testify for myself when I don't remember what happened or get out of the headquarters of the most dangerous criminal organization in Japan?!
I feel the elevator come to a stop and my body grows stiff, cutting me away from my thoughts. We were on the top floor. I turn my head to Chūya, the doors open and he walks out into a furnished lobby, not looking to see if I was following him. When he did turn his head to me, my legs began tripping, moving on their own and the next thing I knew, I was standing behind to him, in front of two wooden doors.
"His office is just behind these doors." As if reading my mind, Chūya said this in a low grumble as I look up at him startled. "Prepare yourself, kid." Prepare?! How do I prepare myself when I don't know what's gonna happen?! I was _ to meet "the boss" of the Port Mafia, but strangely at the same time, I was also a little curious. (I said 'a little', I mean even you gotta wonder, what kind of man rules a crime syndicate.) I don't know what I was feeling was curiosity or fear, but whatever the case, I was going to meet him. And I secretly hoped that I would not cry. As the doors opened, we stepped into the room. And then… "Oh come on Elise ~ I'm only asking for this one favor!"
…Huh?
The room we entered was dark but dimly lit by a candlestick that looked like it'd been burning for hours sitting on a small three-legged table beside two velvet armchairs that were both facing a peculiar metal wall that stretched out across the room. The other walls were painted in a bright aqua green color and had wooden baseboard across the bottom above the marble floor. Decorated in black and white diamonds that lined diagonally underneath a red and violet picturesque rug.
A tall slender man and a young girl were on the opposite side of the room. A large wooden desk and a second armchair chair were placed behind them, while bookshelves alined sections of all the walls. The girl, who's name I guess was Elise, said turning her back to the man with her arms crossed. "You're always asking for the same favor!" She said pouting her face. She wore a red garnet dress with short puffy sleeves and had white frills at the bottom of her skirt, while underneath she wore a white buttoned-up shirt and a thin pink ribbon tied in a bow around the collar. Her long blond hair had straight bangs on her forehead while her long curls were pushed behind her ears and down her waist, and a matching red bow was clipped on the side of her head. Her skin was pale and her eyes were bright blue.
"Elise you're a lady ~," The man, who I assumed was her dad, holds up a pink dress that almost looked identical to the dress she was wearing by the puffy sleeves speaking in a desperate but cheeky voice. "It wouldn't kill you to act like one— or dress like one." He didn't resemble his daughter at all, it was kind of the opposite. He had striking jet black hair, wore a black trench coat that was similar to Chūya's, black trousers, a pinstriped suit jacket to match, and a wine-colored maroon scarf that hang over the shoulders of his coat and down to his knees. Underneath, he wore a white button-up shirt with a purple lavender tie, and also wore boney white gloves.
…I…. have absolutely no response to this.
Their bickering went back and forth, and of all that time, they didn't notice us coming in or standing at the door as we silently watch them. The conversation was all muffled words as I only listened to the bewildered thoughts in my head. 'This is the leader of the mafia?' I thought as I stood there dumbfounded. 'I expected someone more… evil. And to think, this person is a dad that fusses around with his daughter…In a way, it kinda reminds me of how Howl and I would argue to each other or have a disagreement.' For a moment mind wanders off, and I think about him. Then, interrupting my thoughts, in the most natural tone of voice, behind me I hear Chūya then says to him, "Boss, I brought her to you as instructed." In my mind, I'm thinking, 'How the hell is he not fazed by this?' while I successfully hold back the urge to laugh.
He turns attention to us, wearing a startled expression on his face as if we surprised him. His hair was slicked back from his face, showing his violet eyes and leaving equal length bangs on both sides of his face. He looks first to Chūya, then straight at me, and to my surprise gives me a somewhat kind smile. I couldn't say why, but to me, his smile didn't seem… genuine. I felt the earlier urge to laugh vanish, replacing it with an uncomfortable feeling of fear in my chest. He narrows his eyes but turns his head to Elise, who was not paying much attention to us but more onto her father. His smile turned more authentically real as he spoke to her in the way you would talk to a baby. "Daddy has a guest now Elise. We'll continue this conversation later."
Like it was planned on cue, the light from the candle suddenly burned out, leaving the room in total darkness. For a few moments, no one spoke. The room was dead silent, I only heard the sounds of my shaking breath and beating heart that felt like I was stuck in a horror film. "Forgive me for that whole ordeal you had to witness." Startling me, I hear the boss's voice, now speaking in a much deeper tone that sent goosebumps down my arms and made my hands slightly tremble. "Children in our days can be a handful sometimes." The metal wall that the chairs were facing began to make a humming noise before it came down, revealing a hidden window that looked out to the sky, and filling the room with a warm orange glow. I turned my head back to the direction of the boss and his daughter, but I was taken back as I looked into the eyes of a new face. Though nothing had changed in his appearance, I felt only threatened his new unwavering glance that his eyes looked upon me. The violet color that I saw before, completely darkened and lacking from the suns light that they pierced through my body like a bullet. And the girl, Elise, was no longer next to him. Like as if she vanished, disappeared as soon as the light of the candle did. He gives me a wide smile as he said, "My name is Ōgai Mori, I am the leader of the Port Mafia." All at once, my body freezes up like a statue, but I could feel legs slightly shaking. 'What the hell? Where did she go? He wasn't the same guy from before, he's like a completely different person!' I couldn't pull my eyes away from him, it felt like my feet were rooted to rug as I stood there petrified in fear.
He strides to the chair that was closest to him and gestures his hand to the empty chair beside him. "Please take a seat." He said giving me a smile that didn't reach his cheeks, it seemed empty and fake. From behind, I feel Chūya lightly shoving me from my back towards the chair, and I compelled to obey despite my urge to run away as I desperately clench the end of my hoodie. I wanted to cry, scream, shout, but my throat refused to. I could feel the mafia boss giving me an uncomfortable stare as if he was examining me under a giant microscope. "I can see you trembling." I hear him say in a gentle voice, sounding almost as if he was close to my ear. When he said those words, I felt my heart skip a beat and dropped in the pits of my stomach. I refused to look up at him, and I continued desperately squeezing the ends of my hoodie. "I understand why you could be frightened," he continued. "but I can assure you, you're not in any kind of trouble."
"W-Why am I here?" I shakily spoke without thinking, the only words I was able to send out my mouth. I slightly lift my head to look up at him. Sitting with one leg over the other, he gives me a small subtle smile. "I heard a few stories that have been going around the city about you, Kaiya." I froze at the mention of him calling me by my name. Though I knew that probably would regret asking, I shakily asked him. "How do you know my name?"
"I know a lot of things, my dear." His eyes glistened to my anxious expression. "I know more about you than you may think." He turns his head and looks at Chūya. "There's a folder on my desk. Would you please?" Obediently, Chūya casual walks over to the wooden desk, coming back with a deep blue folder. He hands it to Mori, who opens it up and silently reads as Chūya walks back behind me. His eyes trail across the page, as he read out loud. What he read from that folder, terrified me, sending chills down my spine.
"Kaiya Nozomi, 15 years old, born on the 12th of April and raised in the city Onomichi. At the age of 12, both your parents died in a car accident 3 years ago, where afterward you were moved to a foster home in Tokyo. One night, a mysterious fire broke out and burned the home down and everyone was able to safely evacuate, none were badly injured." He paused, looking up at me. His eyes made it feel like he was reading me like a book. "Everyone, except for one gifted girl." My body goes into a panic and I start building up with questions. But before I got the split chance to ask, 'How the hell do you know about that?' he continued. "The police assumed that she perished in the fire, but all this time, they never knew that she was living on the streets. Only now to show up here in Yokohama City…" He closes the folder, looking back up at me. His eyes glistened in the sunlight, showing an evil kind of feel to them. "Did I get any of that right?" He asked.
I felt as if I had been glued to the chair, unable to wriggle myself free. In years since the accident, I never once used my call myself by surname because I thought that I wouldn't be of use to me anymore. Hearing my it again and now, only brings back bits and pieces of the remaining blurred memories of my past, and my parents, who's faces I cannot picture. I felt tears rising, but I pushed them back. "How do you—" as I was about exclaim for an answer from him, he cuts me off and said this in an unreadable smile, "When you are the leader of a criminal syndicate with connections to the underworld, you tend to acquire information like this."
I was taken back by the information he seemed to dig up on me. He knows about my ability, he knows about the fire, and how I spent the last two years with Howl on the streets. If it were in a normal situation, I would probably be impressed, but since it's with a mafia boss, it just makes the atmosphere threateningly dangerous to be in. If he knows this much about me, could he have a folder full of data about Howl? Would the mafia have tried to kidnap him if he was alone like I was? Gathering up all my courage while trying not to sound scared, I asked in a deep demanding voice."WHY AM I HERE?"
Though Chūya's eyes narrowed by the sudden rise of my voice, Mori's face remained expression was calm and stiff with his evil smile. "The reason is that I have taken an interest in you and your friend." He must mean Howl."Well, in your abilities to be more specific." He rephrased himself as he explains. "The Port Mafia is a coalition of skilled individuals and assassins, but our organization mostly takes its pride in the gifted users that serve as key members. Though there are only a few of us gifted in the mafia, like Mr. Nakahara and myself, whenever we hear of an ability user whose power is of interest to us, we—."
"Talking like that will confuse the kid." Chūya interrupts Mori and cuts him off from. "It's best to just get straight to the point."
"Alright, alright." He closes his eyes sullenly, letting out a small sigh. He looks back at me, continuing in a sweet tone and flashing that empty smile. "Kaiya, would you be interested in joining the Port Mafia?" All at once, the world felt like it was switched on pause, a million thoughts rushed through my head, and I started to feel more anxious than I already was. Lowering my head to the floor, I could feel my heart beating wildly and uncontrollably fast. As I tried to take in breaths through my nostrils, my chest tightened every time I tried, I felt like I was suffocating and I was not getting any air in my lungs. Without purposely meaning to, I opened my mouth to try to breathe, but instead, I shouted. I don't remember what I said exactly. My mind went blank, however, when I came too, I felt like my throat was sore and dry as I let out a deep exhale and was able to breathe in the air again and straighten out my thoughts. I realized that the room became very silent, I didn't know kinds of expressions Mori and Chūya were making because my head was down, but I had a feeling that what I said was spoken way out of line. 'Ohcrap, ohcrap, ohcrap! You've done it this time Kaiya! What the hell were you thinking?! Oh wait, that's right— I wasn't! I didn't say something that will get me killed right?!'Then to my astonishment, I heard Mori chuckled while saying, "Well, I should've expected that you are quite brave to be saying things like that to me." I look up to him dumbfounded. Huh? Is he seriously not taken back by that? Wait, did I say something that stupid?! He stops this chuckling as he continues, "But though I can't force you to join the mafia, I would still like to make a wager with you instead?"
A wager? Does he mean… "A deal?" I asked him for finishing my thought aloud. "Correct." He explains. "To join or gain your freedom, I would like you to participate in a test." A test? "What kind of test?" I asked curiously wanting to know the details. "It's nothing special," he spoke in such a carefree tone, it was hard to think if he was being serious about what he's saying or not. "but I guarantee that it would be the kind that you would be able to pass. Of course, the test would involve all the kind of qualities to add, intelligence in tactics and strategy, as well as athletics and vigilantes in mortal combat."
"In other words, you will go against one of our members." His voice suddenly turns serious as he continues. "An arena will be set up in a location somewhere in Yokohama where you both will fight till one of you either forfeits or lose." Fight?! What kind of test is that?! (Is what I would have said aloud, but then I remembered I had an electric dog collar around my neck.) As I listen to his words, I carefully thought out through everything I have just heard and put them all into a conclusion of what would happen if I accept their offer, whilst trying to keep myself sane. "So if I pass the test, you will let me go free, but if I fail, I join the mafia?" He solemnly nods. But if they don't know I can't use my ability, would they make an exception or something? I mean cause if they do know and are just giving me the options to die fighting or die honest, then it'll be just like signing my death certificate. Then an idea came popped in my head. "Would you allow me to have a weapon in the fight?" I asked, feeling my heartbeat running faster. Mori and Chūya give each other puzzling looks, but with no further questioning as to why, Mori turns to me and nods, "I have no objections. If you require a weapon, one will be given to you on the day." He said.
Small drops of sweat rolled down my head, swallowing a small lump in my throat, I asked. "And… if I refuse to take the test?" I think I might regret this too. I thought. "What do you think?" His subtle smile disappears, and his eyebrows narrow at me threateningly as he continues. I felt my whole body freeze up and I unconsciously curse myself for asking. "We wouldn't kill you, of course, you're too valuable of a gifted user for that. However, if you were to refuse to take part, then you would have no choice but to work for us against your own free will." Does he mean, make me a slave? —No. He would make me his prisoner, I would end up working for them either way if I refused or fail. There was no way out of it, he knew it, and I knew it.
Though there was no hope of winning with an uncontrollable ability, I still that I had to try, and considering that there was no fourth option. Swallowing another lump that formed in my throat, I said in an anxious voice, "I…I'll take your test." Then I quickly added, "B-But I would need some time to prepare. I'm… a little rusty." I sarcastically thought to myself, 'Rusty?! I am such a great actress.' Looking as if he was pleased with himself, he gives me a small sly smile."The test will take place tomorrow at noon, so you'll have plenty of time to practice. Of course, Chūya will be there to keep an eye on you." He turns is eyes to Chūya, who was casually standing behind me. "Escort our guest to her chamber."
"Sir." I felt Chūya lightly touch my shoulder as if signaling me to get up, and I hesitantly I complied whilst I try not to collapse from my now tired legs. Without looking or saying anything to either of them, I silently turned my back and slowly walked away, with Chūya lightly pushing me from behind. "I look forward to seeing you again Miss Nozomi." He calls out to me as Chūya opens the door to the lobby. "And I wish you luck on the challenge to come." The way he said that made me feel like I was a chess piece. Stuck in this twisted game that I can never quite out of, and I was only 5 or 4 turns away from losing to him. Chūya closing the door from behind, and side by side, we walked across to the elevator. As we approached, the elevator's doors open, and standing before my eyes, was a man. At once, I immediately recognized him, remembering the last person I saw before I woke up in this Mafia Hell Hall. Ryunosuke Akutagawa. As we pass by him entering the elevator as he leaves, I catch him giving me a death like glare as his steel-grey eyes made contact with mine and it felt like time was ticking slower. Our contact broke a moment after, and he continues walking towards Mori's office. Though I couldn't explain why it felt like I was staring into the eyes of a broken soul. Chūya pushes on a button, the elevator slowly closes, and I watch Akutagawa walk into Mori's office as the doors shut.
We took the elevator, traveling to a few floors down under Mori's office, and walked around through the empty black hallways in silence. Throughout the whole walk, neither of us said a word, and we never once passed another mafia member. We soon ended up in an ornate hallway full of grand looking doors. We walked to the last door at the end of the hallway that stood beside a tall window. "You will stay here tonight." Chūya turns the shinny golden knob and opening the door to an enormous bedroom. Sitting against the left wall of black marble, four-poster bed fame with four long poles at each of the bed's corners, held a large bed mattress that was dressed in stone blue sheets and two matching satin pillows. The wall to the right side and across from the bed was all a giant window made from glass that looked outside into the city whereby now, it was already beginning to hit nightfall. I noticed that the room also had two furnished velvet chairs and a small side-table with a clear jug of water and two glass cups between them. On the blue spruce wall across from the door and us, was a small brown oak door with a metal coat hanger on the knob that held a white nightgown.
Standing beside me, Chūya begins explaining what things I had to know. "Dinner will be around seven o'clock. A few guards will be stationed outside, that door leads to a small bathroom, and the windows are indestructible— and bulletproof, in case you try to break them. Breakfast will begin…" He continues, but I wasn't paying attention. During the whole walk to now from Mori's office, I kept replaying the details of the test and tried thinking of ways I could win. I know that I'll probably haft to use my ability at some point, just so they won't get suspicious, but the problem is how long could I be able to hold it in before I start puking out blood. If I pushed my limits and overexert my capabilities to use it, I might as well be putting myself at great risk of passing out or slowly dying. I'd just be taking a gamble with my life—
"Hey!" Snapping out from my thoughts, a gloved hand was waving over my face, trying to grab my attention. "You listening kid?" My head turns around like a bullet and Chūya gives me frown as if thinking I was being disrespectful. (That says it all) "A 'thank you' would be nice," he said grimly.
"Oh, Sorry. Thanks." Quickly walk into the room not paying much interest to my surroundings, and I placed my bag down onto the bed. I took out my bottle, and drank the last bit of the water, before hearing Chūya say behind me in low voice. "You know, I noticed that you've been staring at my hand for a while earlier." He then added, "If you've got an apology to say, say it."
I stopped my drinking, putting the bottle away and slowly turning to him. He was leaning against the frame of the door with his arms crossed as he waits for my response. I look at the ground and thought that even if I apologized, he probably wouldn't accept it. So gathering up the words in my throat, I deeply bowed my head to him as my hands clench to the ends of my hoodie. "I'm very sorry about your hand. It was an accident and I didn't—"
"Forget it." He said stopping me, cutting me off from my apology, sounding like the whole ordeal didn't matter. "Whether it was an accident or not, you acted out of self-defense. I don't blame you for following your instincts, I would have done the same if I was in your position."
"Still, I am sorry. I don't like using my ability to hurt others. Not even… people you." After I few moments for a response, I hear his footsteps walk away. I slightly lift my head and see him walking out, grabbing the door by the handle, and closing the door. I sighed, and I lift my head back to up turning back to my bed. Then as I did, I realized that the door didn't click shut, and just as I turned my head to check, it opens again. "Dammit!" Chūya hissed as he briskly walks into the room with a huff, this time he closes the door behind him with a loud click. "A piece of advice kid." he bit out harshly in a low growl, as I see him grinding his teeth together. "Just because you're young, don't think the boss won't act kind towards ya. Don't expect tomorrow to be a fair or easy fight." Hearing this made me feel a little reassured, but before I can get a word, or even say 'thank you', he cut me off again.
"Don't get the wrong idea though." he snaps back in a sour bitter tone. "It's just something to keep in mind before the match tomorrow. I'm not looking to be friends with ya." Like that wasn't on my mind. "I'll be back with your dinner later." And with those last words, he takes his leave and resumes to the door, not giving me a final look. I quickly took in a breath, speaking up in a small voice. "Chūya?" He stops, his hand had just grasped the doorknob. He didn't turn to face me, but I knew he was listening, so I didn't mind. So taking another breath I continued, "Thank you." As I said those words, I felt my lips form into a small smile. We stay like that for a few moments in silents, then without a response, he closes the door and I hear a loud click, indicating that he locked the door.
I stood there as a couple of minutes passed before my smile disappears and my legs collapse down on themselves, making me land on the floor with a silent thud. I could feel my heart slowly sinking, like the black pool in my dreams, and my small silver tears dripped onto the carpet as they continued to rise to the corners of my eyes. Failing to fight them back, I covered my hands over my eyes, whilst trying to keep my voice in as I silently began to sob.
'Why? Why am I crying? Why can't I stop crying?' It felt like my head was a cloud that was waiting to burst with rain. All that time I was in that room, talking to him, unable to escape him, I wished wholeheartedly for this to just be another nightmare that I could wake up from. At that moment, I realized that for the first time in two years, I felt scared. Not only of my ability or myself, but the world I was in, and the people who craved only for power and control. Thoughts about tomorrow kept growing inside my head as tears continued to fall. 'If what Chūya was telling me was true, and if I was to be faced with a strong opponent, then there was a good chance I may fail the test, and I'll never see Howl again. I may never get to apologize to the Agency for running away or even have the chance to meet Dazai. If I fail at passing the test, I may never again get to have a normal life, or return to the one that I had.'
As I continued to cry, and my breathing became harder and painful every time I hold back a sob, I can only think to myself, 'What have I done?…'
Next Chapter will be published around May, but while I work on that, I'll be writing a Bungou Stray Dogs short story. Details of progress and story are in my profile, and thank you for reading!