I'm really sorry I didn't update last week, my computer broke down and I had to send it for repairs. I'm so glad to have it back with me! I also apologize for this short chapter. I had to make it short because in the next chapter things will get even more interesting! Thank you for sticking with me till this far!

Phantom

Chapter 6

It's Too Late

All of them were silent as Tsurugi's realization sunk in. Nishiki blinked before scratching his head, a look of confusion on his face. "Tenma? Why Tenma?" he wondered out loud. "I thought the Phantom targeted the strongest player in a team? And didn't the coach say he was, what was it again… depressed?" his eyes locked with Tsurugi's and the younger forward narrowed his golden eyes into a glare. Nishiki flinched under Tsurugi's glare and turned his attention to Endou. "Right, coach?"

"I lied." Endou said, almost without any guilt. "The doctor himself didn't know the answer to Tenma's condition at the time, so I took the opportunity and lied about it after realizing the Phantom is back." Another round of gasps echoed throughout the clubroom, the loudest owned by Nishiki. "S-So this means… But… But why would you lie about this in the first place?!" he demanded.

"Because I didn't want to worry any of you—I hoped that maybe Tenma could be saved before it got worse." Endou explained with a pained expression. Maybe it wasn't a good idea after all, not telling the players. Most of them were silent—most of them except Hayami.

"WE'RE DOOMED!" he shouted and his head slammed onto the table. Hamano, who sat next to him, sweat dropped. "THE PHANTOM'S GOING TO GET US AND WE'LL BE GONERS!" he shivered, scared. Hamano pat his back. "Come on now, don't say that. Coach Endou went through the same thing and he's still here! I'm sure we can get through this too, we're the Raimon soccer club aren't we?!" Hamano said enthusiastically. He lifted up the spirits of almost everybody there with his words of encouragement.

"But why Tenma…?" Shinsuke wondered out loud. It was apparent he was worried for the brunet. All of them were. "It's probably because Tenma was the one that stirred up the winds of revolution among Raimon's members." Endou worded out his thoughts with a scratch of his head. "If he hadn't been so persistent about playing real soccer, there's a probability that Fifth Sector would still be controlling junior high school soccer right now."

The tension in the room increased. Everybody's faces were solemn. Tsurugi walked to the door, his face drooped low and his fists were shaking. "Where are you going?" Aoi asked and jumped to her feet. He shook his head. "I'm going to find Tenma," she rushed to him. "I'm coming too!" her eyes shone with determination.

"You can't meet him. He's too scared of you now, Tsurugi." Endou said. He was on his feet as well. The teenager turned his head; his gaze was in a piercing glare—silently demanding another better reason to not meet with Tenma in this current condition. "He can meet Aoi, but not Tsurugi—or the rest of the players for that matter." Endou continued. Aoi's eyebrows rose. The coach sensed the confusion in the teenagers' minds and he sighed. "The curse doesn't have an effect on the managers."

"What?!" Midori shouted. "You mean, we're like, spared?" she had her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. "That's the case, I guess," Haruna spoke on behalf of Endou. There was a sad smile on her face. "But even if we weren't affected, we still couldn't do anything to help them," she placed a hand over her mouth, "There was nothing us managers had been able to do that day…" Kidou wrapped his arms around Haruna and pulled her into a hug. She started to cry on his chest as her brother tried to soothe her. Midori's mouth was agape at the woman's emotional breakdown and she immediately sat back down. Silently she wondered to herself, so this means we can't do anything to help the boys too? But… help them with what?

Akane looked around and she immediately had a bad feeling. She nudged Midori with her elbow and said in a quiet voice, "Aoi-chan and Tsurugi-kun are gone." The redhead turned towards the direction of the door and frowned. Akane was right; the two were nowhere to be seen. "Shit." Midori cursed under her breath.

They ran most of the way to the manor, with Tsurugi in the lead and Aoi tagging along. He knocked on the door in a fast pace. She was surprised he didn't break down the door instead. It creaked and Aki was more than shocked to see them both. She opened the door wider and let them inside, questioning their intention to visit as she did.

"We want to see Tenma," Tsurugi quickly replied. He saw how Aki's face fell. "He is here, right?" he started to feel the panic taking over his body. If Tenma wasn't here, where else could he be? But all his worries went away when Aki nodded her head. "He's in his room but…"

"But what?" Aoi took a step closer to the woman. Aki looked to the side, averting her gaze. "He locked himself in there ever since he came home. I couldn't even get him to eat lunch," she replied and bit her lip. Tsurugi clenched his fists. He started to make his way to Tenma's room when Aoi grabbed his wrist. "Tsurugi, wait! Coach Endou said you can't meet him!" she reminded. He froze and scowled. Aki immediately caught on to their conversation. "Endou-kun already told you guys?" she asked in surprise. Both teenagers slowly nodded their heads. "But why…" Tsurugi started slowly, "why can't I meet him when she can?" Aoi let his wrist go. She turned to Aki for help; maybe the woman knew the answer.

"It's because the Phantom altered Tenma's memories of you and the rest of the Raimon members except the managers—I'm sure even his memories of Endou-kun and Kidou-kun were altered too," Aki explained what the two teenagers had missed when they sneaked out of the clubroom.

"But why just the managers?" Aoi asked.

Aki shook her head. "Nobody knows exactly why. We came up with a theory that it's because the managers don't play soccer like the rest. There had been a few female teams who succumbed to the curse too but their managers were unharmed."

Aoi turned to look at Tsurugi. It was obvious from the expression on his face—even if he had his head down—that he was disappointed and mad. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll go and talk to him. Maybe I can help him a little," it took him a few silent moments later before his shoulders relaxed and he nodded slowly. He stood there in static as she made her way to Tenma's room. Aki listened as Aoi knocked on the door.

"Tenma?" the girl knocked again. The door creaked open slightly and she saw an eye pop open. "A-Aoi? Is that you…?" his voice sounded raspy and dry. Aoi was surprised Tenma even opened the door. She thought he wouldn't even want to talk to her. So Aki was right, Tenma's memories of her weren't altered after all. "Tenma, can I come in?"

His eye narrowed. She couldn't see the rest of him, just this one eye. "I heard another voice with you…" he said suspiciously. "Whose is it?"

Aoi was caught off guard. What was she supposed to answer? "Oh um… that was Midori-san!" she quickly lied. She was about to say 'Shinsuke' but then she remembered that Tenma probably didn't trust Shinsuke as much as he didn't trust Tsurugi anymore.

Tenma shut the door close and Aoi heard it click into a lock. She was surprised by the sudden movement. "Tenma?" she softly knocked on the door again. "YOU LIAR! LEAVE ME ALONE! I SAW YOU AND TSURUGI COME IN FROM THE WINDOW! NOW YOU ARE TRYING TO KILL ME TOO!" she took a step back and gasped at Tenma's accusation. Her cheeks burnt with anger and sadness and she felt her eyes water. How could Tenma accuse her of such a thing like wanting to kill him? That was the last thing she wanted! Her only intention right now was to save him—save all of them—from the curse, from the dreaded Phantom.

Tsurugi and Aki came rushing towards her after Tenma's shout and when Aki saw her teary face she immediately hugged Aoi and comforted her. The teenage boy glanced at Tenma's door with furrowed eyebrows. Was the Phantom really that desperate into annihilating them? Even to the point of involving the managers? Is this what all of them will be going through, an emotional and mental challenge?

Tsurugi found himself vowing to stop all of this nonsense for good—for the sake of the team and the sake of his best friend.

Aki carried the tray of food with her to Tenma's room. It was a young night and Tenma hadn't eaten anything all day. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get him to leave the room. Aoi and Tsurugi already left a long time ago with discouraged spirits. The woman wondered to herself what she could do to help them. Feeling helpless was what she hated the most in the world.

She knocked on the door. "Tenma, please open the door. I made your favourite food. If you don't want it, at least eat some. You must be hungry," her persuasions weren't replied to. Nothing but silence came from inside. Aki frowned. She turned the door knob and gasped when the door opened. "Tenma…?" a cold breeze tickled her cheeks and she drew in a sharp breath. The tray she had been holding on to fell off her hands.

He was nowhere to be in his room. The window was wide open. The cold night air blew her hair as she fell to her knees, slowly realizing the fact that Tenma had run away.