Here is the promised continuation of my previous AU

Life force: Part 2

The coffee shop was booming. People ordered at the front, choosing to hurry to their jobs or stay and sit in one of the booths. Several coffee tables occupied the center strip of the room, bordered with sofas meant to create a comfortable, homely feeling.

It was away from that encircling warmth that Kyoko sat, stationed in the corner booth. She couldn't stand the activity near the entrance, wanting the peace this place so blatantly advertised. Still, this was the best she could get, so she sat in her corner and waited.

A Styrofoam cup, capped with a black lid was set on the table in front of her. The person that had placed it there slid into the booth opposite Kyoko, taking a purse off her shoulder and plopping it beside her.

"Yet again, I find you daydreaming," sighed Kanae. "You're going to get yourself killed if you don't pay attention to this world."

Kyoko didn't react, the comment hitting a little closer to home. What she wouldn't give to be able to laugh it off like usual.

Kanae leaned in closer, brows furrowed. "Hey. You in there? Don't go off on me again. I'm not dragging your comatose body halfway across-"

"I'm here, Kanae," said Kyoko quietly.

"You sure?" said Kanae. "Because you're acting like you're possessed or something. I have talismans in my bag if need be."

"I'm not possessed," said Kyoko. "Or charmed, hoodwinked, or cursed. Nor are there spirits following me. I'm completely fine."

"Great," said Kanae, sarcasm thick. She put a hand into her bag, rummaging inside as she continued. "I'm so glad I left work early because of this damn near-terrifying cryptic text. I feel so much better."

Kanae slammed her phone onto the table, the display blinking toward the ceiling. It showed a thread between her and Kanae, the latest messages depicting Kanae's replies. They contained quite a few expletives. Kyoko had really scared her friend in her moment of hysteria. She should have waited to text Kanae until after she had calmed down.

"Sorry for worrying you," Kyoko said. "I was scared."

"And are you going to tell me what scared you this time?"

"I dreamed that I was dead."

Kanae tapped her finger against her cheek for a moment, lips thinning in displeasure. "Was this a dream? Or was it a vision?"

Kyoko closed her eyes. "Vision," she clarified. "Clearer than any vision I've had before."

It was part of what weighed so heavily on her heart. In the past, her visions had never been this vibrant. She would usually see flickers or portions of the future, showing her what could happen or possible choices she may have to make. Never had it been this solid, this permanent and clear.

"Alright Kyoko," said Kanae, her voice clear of irritation. "Tell me what's going on. From the start."

Kyoko opened her eyes, focusing on Kanae. Her friend was never this openly concerned for her. It served to both soothe her worries and enhance them.

"I dreamed I was a spirit," said Kyoko slowly. "Bound to this world by regret. I haunted this man—someone I have never met before. I was helping him find swindlers in his company, and together we uncovered a plot to destroy him. It worked… but they tried to kill him and set the building on fire. He couldn't escape. I… I saved him by passing on my life force to him. I disappeared, Kanae. Not even my spirit survived after I gave that up."

"Shoot, Kyoko," said Kanae, breathless. "Why would you even consider doing that?"

"Because I loved him."

Kyoko lowered her eyes, fists trembling on the table. She, Kyoko, unloved by family and friends, had fallen in love. No, she would fall in love. The vision confirmed it. The clearer the vision, the more certain the future. And how could it be any more certain than this? She remembered everything. Every single detail save one thing.

Ironically, it was how she had died. The same fact she had desperately kept hidden from Ren the whole time in the dream.

Ren… Kyoko almost smiled, thinking his name. Even in her current predicament her heart warmed at the memory of the last words he had spoken to her before she departed.

"I don't like this," said Kanae., her voice cutting into Kyoko's thoughts. It was firm, hard like the woman who forced them out in a grunt. "How could you love this man? How could you even die? You have, like, the perfect out. Always seeing visions of death and able to predict horrible events."

"Thank you," she said shortly. "I'll be sure to ask my future self that question."

"I'm just saying it doesn't make sense," said Kanae. "Are you sure it wasn't just a normal dream? You've managed to live through some stupid impossible events."

"I'm certain," said Kyoko. "Somewhere in the near future, I'll die."

In a sweep of rage, Kanae stood up, hands pressed into the table.

"Like hell you will!" said Kanae. "You're not going anywhere until we can figure out what's supposed to kill you. We can find a fellow seer, see if they can help us change the future."

"No."

"No?!"

In the face of Kyoko's calm, Kanae was a wreck. The woman was still standing, arms trembling as they supported most of her weight. Raven hair framed her beautifully enraged face as she sneered. "And tell me why, exactly, we are just going to ignore this premonition?"

"Because I'm not sure that it matters," said Kyoko. "Was I meant to see this? And by trying to avoid my fate, I die? Or will this happen if I continue without changing any of my actions? The truth is that I don't know. I can't avoid it if I don't understand how it comes to pass. Besides… I'm not sure if I want to."

Those precious moments she would have together with Ren in the future, she didn't want them to disappear. Her mind and heart were full of them, cradling each memory with loving care as she reminisced over their future.

They wouldn't start as friends, driving each other up the wall with their stubbornness and shortcomings. But they'd eventually surpass that stage. Their relationship would blossom into something wonderful. A trust that Kyoko had only experienced once in her life.

How soft I became, she mused. Before last night, she would have rather poked her eye out with a needle than even think about falling in love. Especially after her last fiasco of a relationship. Yet here she was, willing to give it all up just for a few precious weeks in bliss.

The woman in front of Kyoko faltered, crumbling visibly.

"Kyoko..." said Kanae quietly. "You can't… would you really rather cease to exist just because of this man?"

"I would," said Kyoko firmly. "It's not as if this life has given me much to care about anyway."

Pushed back by Kyoko's cold admonition, Kanae plopped back into her seat, staring at Kyoko. The hurt that painted her features was impossible to miss, and Kyoko knew she had placed it there. Kanae gazed at her hands that still rested on the table.

"Kanae," said Kyoko quietly. "I'm sorry, I meant—"

"I get it," snapped Kanae. "I know what you meant. I am your only friend that's not a spirit. A fact you are fond of repeating. I'm just… frustrated."

"Because you think I'm still suicidal?"

"That no one else in this bleeding world can see you for who you are!" Kanae slammed her fist on the table, nearly upsetting the coffee cup. The commotion caught the attention of a few nearby. They turned to stare, only to hastily look away when they met Kanae's harsh glare. Nothing could stand that gaze of fiery beauty when it was turned upon them. That included Kyoko.

She smiled, heart warm as she reached out placed her hands on Kanae's. The woman stiffened, eyes darting to the connection and then to Kyoko.

"I can't express how grateful I am to have a friend like you," said Kyoko. "Don't worry. I'll do my best to avoid my fate. If I can't… well, I just wanted to let you know that I'm happy, and grateful to have had you in my life."

The last trickle of fight died from Kanae at those words. She understood the importance of them. How few times over the years Kyoko could admit to being happy. The world had not been kind to someone with powers like Kyoko's, and Kanae had been one of her few sources of light

"Don't be a martyr, Kyoko," said Kanae through clenched teeth. "I swear, if you die because of something stupid like sacrificing yourself…"

Kanae trailed off.

"For your sake, I'll try not to." said Kyoko with a smile, finally taking the coffee cup Kanae had bought her. She breathed in the earthy scent, enjoying the warmth beneath her fingers. For all she knew, it may have been the last time.

Thank you for reading!

Yes there will be another part, I promise.

-Blushweaver