Chapter 2: Life for a Life

The sixteen year old body Ai was in control of was significantly nimbler and swifter than the refined figure she used to possess. Though she was initially uneasy being at the helm of a younger body, the main objective she had in mind as well as the rush of adrenaline had bestowed complete familiarity with the situation she was bound to.

"I…I won't let it happen again!"

That conviction rang inside her head as she hastily blitzed through the crosswalk, nearly leaving behind a trail of smoke along the sidewalk in her haste.

There wasn't even time to pay heed to the puzzled pedestrians she ran past. Her eyes were quickly shifting their focus between the path in front of her and the apartment complex while her legs tried their best to bring her closer and closer to her destination.

She needed to make it. Under no circumstances could she allow Ryosuke to end her life again.

All of the emotions that ran through her head when she was killed by the man she was trying to stop resurfaced in her mind as a sudden urgency to change what had happened dominated her every thought.

The beating of her heart was as fast as the quick gasps she made, trying to will her new body into reaching the doorstep of her home before Ryosuke could do anything. Sweat was already dripping from her brow down to her chin and her face was heating up, owing to the anxiety, dread and tension that had taken hold of her.

The exact same bouquet and the same dark-colored hoodie and pants her "fan" wore flashed in her head, recalling how the blade pierced through her abdomen, steadily draining her of her strength and filling her with pain…both physical and emotional.

She wasn't sure yet if any actions she made for the sake of the Hoshino Ai who hadn't gone through it all would have any effects on her own complicated existence but for the time being, she had to make sure she'd do everything to make sure the family inside the apartment stayed together for several years more.

That possibility was already ripped away from her and she daren't allow that to happen again.

"Almost…there…one…one more floor!"

By the time she had reach the bottom of the staircase, new energy seeped into Ai's young body.

She didn't even take a second to catch a breather as she darted upwards, skipping as many stairs as she could while taking the shortest possible routes between the shifts in direction. She had lost sight of Ryosuke while he was on the way to the floor the apartment was on and that only served to increase her sense of urgency.

Every single step she took, heading for the upper floors of the building intensified the fear in her heart that she might have been too late.

She didn't care what happened to her as long as she stopped him from doing what he had set out to do.

It wasn't like the previous time when her slowly fading conscience and the unbearable pain had wrecked her mind, allowing her to only form thoughts that came from the deepest and most genuine part of her heart. The acceptance of death and the crumbling of her façade were the catalyst for her pouring it all out in her last moments, without even giving a thought to the cold-blooded act of murdered committed upon her.

Right at that moment though, she was wide awake and she was fully aware of how unfair it would be if she allowed Ryosuke to make good on his murderous intent upon the version of her sitting comfortably with her children, completely oblivious to the fate that would befall her if she wasn't there.

Giving the other Hoshino Ai the chance to live even just a day longer and have her spend even just one more day with the people she loved was all she wanted to do.

And the second she made it to the floor where the apartment was located, her heart nearly stopped.

"H…He's there…"

The door, thankfully, had not been opened yet but the man who had killed her with a fatal stab, the person who would take her away from her children and the one who was the reason behind her being in her current situation was standing just a short distance away from her.

He had not noticed her as he was fully tunnelling on the wooden gateway to the interiors of Ai's apartment in front of him. A bouquet of white roses was in one of his hands but she was certain the knife was hidden from view.

However, Ai was unable to proceed any further as a sickening chill gripped her, leaving her staring in horror at the sight of her murderer. The horrible, sharp sensation pierced through the exact spot where the knife went through and she was reminded of all that went through her head as she lost her previous life.

"…H-He's right there….he's really…right there…"

Her body refused to budge as she was made to stand and stare at Ryosuke with a terrible fear taking over her. Had she still possessed the shield of lies that helped her power through anything and everything, she might've been significantly more composed but that part of her had not returned to help her yet and only her true, human self remained.

As the door opened though, she audibly gasped.

Trapped in place by pure shock, Ai watched incredulously as she saw her old self opening the door, facing Ryosuke.

"I-Impossible…"

It almost felt like a surreal dream as she kept her widened eyes on the twenty year old woman emerging from the confines of the apartment. Her blue-purplish hair and her brilliant eyes were visible even from a distance and they were as real as they could be. The sweater and frock she wore were clean, devoid of bloodstains and her expression was of curiosity and not of pain…not yet.

She had really been sent back to the moment where she was about to die.

There was no time to properly assess her past self as she knew what was about to happen next.

Her body was no longer strangled by the crippling fear of seeing Ryosuke so close and the second she realized she could move again, Ai got her bearings together, trying to not allow the shock of seeing herself in the flesh overwhelm her senses.

"I…I have to do this!"

She rushed towards the apartment as fast as she could, her gaze firmly fixed on the other Ai and her unexpected visitor.

Time seemed to slow down as she dashed towards Ryosuke, each step she took reverberating against the concrete floor of the balcony connecting the apartments. Her vision was focused on the frame of the man, watching his every move and hoping that she wasn't too late.

His lips were moving as he asked that ominous question.

"How're the twins?"

With that, the woman standing in front of him finally realized he had a knife in his hands.

The teenager rushing towards him already knew exactly what he had said…word for word…a brief compliment followed by the question and then…followed by the blade making contact with her clothing first…and a nanosecond later, her body.

"NNNNOOOOOO!"

At the top of her lungs, Ai yelled out instinctively. Blood began rushing to every part of her being as she could hear her own heart beating rapidly; faster and faster with each passing moment. Not even a single second could be wasted; the time for action was right then and there.

And the moment the bouquet of white roses fell, it would mean she was too late.

"Huh?"

The brief shout of desperation from Ai had stalled Ryosuke for a moment, making him turn his head towards her.

It was only for a moment that he had taken his attention off his target.

But what a precious moment it was.

Throwing caution to the wind, Ai used all of the momentum she had garnered from the sprint across the balcony to crash her body into the man's abdomen, ducking down as she lunged at him with arms ready to take him down.

She didn't care about what could happen to her. All she had on her mind was to provide a window of safety for her past self and in her amateurish takedown of her murderer, she had done exactly what she had wanted to do.

"Guaahhhhh!"

Ryosuke let out a grunt of pain and surprise upon feeling a body collide with his, destabilizing his stance and causing him to stumble backwards for a couple of steps before completely falling to the ground.

The back of his head would bounce unprotected off the concrete floor, sending a ringing spark of agony to travel all through his body in an instant. He would then lose his grip on his weapon, dropping it to his side.

Filled with the same urgency as before but with a significant sense of fulfilment, Ai quickly sat up, her body still on top of Ryosuke's as she then stared at the bewildered woman near the door.

Trying not to let the strangeness of the situation mess her mind up, she looked right at her past self who had now survived the attempt on her life. In the most commanding voice she mustered, she shouted a crucial instruction.

"LOCK THE DOOR AND CALL SOMEONE!"

That was a choice she was never given the previous time but at that moment, due to her critical intervention, she had given herself a chance to completely be rid of her murderer.

The other Ai nodded, her face showing signs of concern as she closed the door behind her, but not before a young, blonde boy peered for a brief moment.

Ai's heart skipped a beat as she locked eyes with her son Aqua, for a split second, seeing a perplexed look on his face, before the door was slammed shut and locked immediately after.

"A…Aqua…Ruby…" she mumbled.

An overwhelmingly bittersweet feeling clutched her heart immediately as she recalled the timeless prison she was pried from before being taken back in time. She remembered every single non-existent second she spent pining for her reunion with her children and the pain in her heart when she was close to accepting that she would never see their faces again.

However, in the act of saving herself, she was bestowed with the gift of seeing one of her beloved children once more. And there was nothing in the world that could describe the soul-crushing joy she felt upon being given that brief glimpse at her son.

In the new life she was given, she could not be their mother as instead, she was a stranger in their eyes.

That fact did not do anything to lessen the love she had for them and the joy she felt in her heart whenever she saw them. Knowing that they would see the coming days with their mother instead of her being taken from them was all she needed to know to fill her heart with a bittersweet sense of happiness.

She had done it…she had given her past self a future she was deprived of.

"You…fucking BRAT!"

Unfortunately, she had seen him reach for his knife a bit too late.

During her moment of introspection, Ryosuke had reclaimed the fallen blade and had on his face a look of sheer rage, stemming from having his plans being thwarted by a stranger.

He pulled his left hand back slightly, clutching the knife tightly, prepared to lodge it into the back of the girl who had tackled him in an act of pure frustration.

With Ai in the line of danger, there was no possible way for her to get out of the situation unscathed.

"N-No…"

She had no time to even say a word as she stared into his fiery eyes, filled to the brim with hatred for her and for the woman she had saved. And at that moment, she realized he was about to unleash all of that pent up rage on her…again.

Time, once again, seemed to slow down as an expression of shock took over her face.

With the knife inching closer and closer to her back with malicious intent, Ai understood it was futile trying to do anything.

"…what a twisted turn of events…"

And then, once more, she could feel the cold steel being thrust right through her skin, drawing blood almost instantly upon contact.

At that point, she was too stunned to even properly register the agonizing pain but she knew she had that exact feeling before. A simple sense of incomprehensible shock that would numb everything else for a moment before it would shoot through her entire nervous system.

The first time had caught her off guard…the second time had an air of anticipation to it.

After all, from the scornful words he spat at her after he stabbed her the first time, she could somewhat tell that he wouldn't be above redirecting his anger towards anyone who'd dare mess up his personal mission against the idol who had betrayed him.

As the force from the man's strike caused her back to arch a bit, Ai's thoughts went to her past self who she had saved.

"The door's locked…she's safe.."

Even though she was on the verge of having her second life being snuffed out by the same person who ended her first, she felt no bitterness, no negative feelings and no regrets.

She had achieved what she had set out to do…and that was to save Hoshino Ai. And her own personal desire of seeing at least one of her children again was fulfilled by the brief glimpse of Aqua, her loved one.

All that was left was to allow the painful shroud of death to welcome her back to the place she had been taken from.

All that was left was to wait for the pain to start.

…

…

But it never did.

A certain sense of loss returned into Ai's mind as she felt her eyes widening in surprise.

The strange lull from a place she had spent eons in came back, instilling a feeling that the corporeal side of her was displaced from her consciousness once more. She was lucid but every single one of her senses was rendered inert in an instant.

As she attempted to make sense of what was happening, Ai noticed one crucial detail.

Everything around her had gone still.

Her surroundings, the ambience of the city just across the street as well as the movements of Ryosuke's body had been frozen in place for some unexplainable reason.

The blade making its way into her body had also stopped and so did anything related to her sense of being.

Only her thoughts appeared to be unaffected.

"…Time…it...it's stopped?"

At first, she assumed it to be the result of her life force leaving her physical form once again but she was far too cognizant of all that had transpired to come to that conclusion.

She couldn't move anything or feel anything but her train of thought proceeded as normal.

"W-What's happening?"

Before she could form another question in her head, a response would be given.

"I told you that life and death isn't like binary…"

Ai instantly realized who was speaking.

It was her companion who had taken her from the void and brought her to the past.

"Y-You…"

"Death is a complicated matter" the unnamed man explained in a calm tone, "And it is more constant than you'd expect."

Hearing him speak had given her a bit of relief. Despite having gone through a range of emotions and finding herself in unexpected situations, there was hope in her that he would do something to change things for the better.

"…what do you mean?"

"No matter how many times you go into the past, no matter how many times you try to save yourself…there will still be death…a life for a life if you may. This is a fundamental law of existence."

Pondering his words, the consciousness of Hoshino Ai knew she hadn't fully grasped what he was implying but there was a truth to it, given how her new life was about to be ended in order for the other Ai's life to continue.

"Do you mean that someone was always going to die at this moment?"

"Yes. In this instance, it was you. If it wasn't you, it could be the woman again or possibly, someone else. A death was always bound to happen in this situation."

Ai found it horrible that there seemed to be no way to prevent the inevitable…but at the same time, she was content that it was her who had taken the fall instead of her past self.

"Am…am I going to die again, then?"

"Yes" the answer was given without any hesitation, "You will die again in this world."

The confirmation didn't hit as hard as she expected.

But she understood she was already mentally prepared to accept any fate once she had fulfilled her mission.

"…it's fine then…as long as the other me gets to live on and as long as my kids have their mother with them…"

A non-existent smile formed. A satisfied one.

"They'll be fine, right? The other me won't leave my children now, right?...I can't bear to imagine what life would be like for them if I wasn't there…"

The smile disappeared, giving way to a sorrowful look as she thought about the past she came from where her murderer succeeded in separating her from Ruby and Aqua.

But with her second life being taken again, the hopes of seeing her children all grown up faded as well. The only silver lining to all that happened was the knowledge that in some way, a version of her would be gifted the precious chance of living beyond twenty years of existence and be by Ruby and Aqua's side longer than she could've managed.

…

"What a coincidence!" the man's voice exclaimed, "That's our next stop."

Puzzled by the man's words, Ai quickly asked a question.

"H-Huh? What do you mean by that? This…this is not the end for me?"

"Dead or alive, you couldn't stay here. You don't belong here. This isn't the reality you came from. Your reality is somewhere else. It's the reality where-"

"…my kids live on without me?"

That question was given with a strong sign of sadness.

It came as a shocking revelation but Ai realized that despite all of her efforts, in her reality, her children had to move on without their mother being there by their side. She couldn't even fathom how heartbroken they would be to know they'd have to live out the rest of their lives like that.

It made sense though.

All those ominous feelings of dissociation she had felt, whether or it not was due to her new body didn't matter, all of those had been there because deep down in her heart, she knew that the little boy and the little girl who lived in the apartment right next to her were the children of the woman she had saved.

They weren't hers.

Her children were in a reality where she died, not in one where she lived and she had to accept that bitter truth.

"Does…does this mean I won't see my kids again? Since I…I'm dead…?"

"That's a technical truth."

"I…I understand…"

Ai let out a heavy sigh into the familiar nothingness, resigned to the fact that returning to her children as their mother was no longer a possibility.

"It's only a technical truth in the sense that they won't ever meet their mother again as they knew her" the man suddenly added.

"Huh? I don't understand what you're implying."

She kept her attention on the disembodied voice, intrigued by the sudden change in his tone.

"They knew you as their mother, the idol Hoshino Ai, didn't they?"

"Uh…um…yes…that's who I am…"

"But we've already established that regardless of your physical form, your true identity is the you that's currently speaking with me."

Ai slowly nodded, recalling the conversation she had with him at the parking lot.

"And the form you had, the sixteen year old body you are in possession of, that's an anomaly, an existence that defies everything about the natural law of life and death."

"What? Can you explain it a bit more?"

"The explanation regarding that is not important. Just think about this instead: Typically, two true selves of the same person can't exist in the same reality. That's why I said you don't belong here. It's because the other Ai's survival meant there would be two physical bodies sharing the same essence in this reality and that would destabilize everything."

Still unable to properly grasp everything he was speaking about, Ai opted to listen before giving her thoughts.

"But in your reality, there can never be two of you since that's where you came from. That's where you belong so there is always a place for your essence in your reality."

The moment he finished his sentence, the man fell silent, giving time for Ai to think deeply about all he had told her.

Before long, realization would set in her mind and with hope returning in her heart once again, she would speak up.

"Does…does that mean…I can exist again? I can be alive again?"

"In a way, yes."

That short answer filled her to the brim with unadulterated joy.

Just when she had convinced herself that returning to her children was impossible, her companion had given her hope for a possibility that would have never crossed her mind after he told her that she couldn't see her children again.

"Let me clarify" the man cleared his throat, "Ahem…you can't see your kids again as Hoshino Ai, the idol, because that person has already died. We can't have a zombie running around now, can we?" he said in a rather dry tone.

For the first time in a while, Ai giggled, finding his question quite humorous, especially given how casual yet serious he had been all the time.

And since it had been an eternity since she responded with genuine mirth to something, the liberating feeling was astonishingly cathartic.

"Hehe…that would not look good…So…does that mean I can only return in a different body?"

"You're a smart one, Ai-chan" the man told her, "Yes, you've got that figured out nicely. And you already have a different look that will work well. In the grand scheme of things, that wouldn't matter, would it? After all, the only thing you desire is to meet the ones you love, isn't it?"

Ai did not require even a second to answer.

"Yes! I want to see and talk to my kids again. That's all I ever wanted…even if I have to be in a different body again…I just want to see them again."

While the perfect scenario was for her to continue with the life she previously had: as Hoshino Ai, an idol and a caring mother living with her two precious children, that was a reality she could not return to. However, the compromise of still having the chance to see them even if she wasn't her previous self was something she couldn't pass up on.

The man responded with a subtle chuckle before announcing.

"Let's see what happens then…"

Ai's vision turned black, as if she had blinked.

The next moment she opened her eyes.

"…t-this…what is this place?..."

As she found her voice again, Ai was aware that she was no longer in a prone position outside of her apartment.

Rather, she was standing on the rooftop of a building she couldn't recognize, right in the middle of an open space.

The subdued noises of people chattering and walking, as well as the chirping of birds and the sounds of moving vehicles in the distance filled her ears in an instant. The sun was shining high above in all its glory, its warmth instantly surrounding her entire frame. The air was still but there was a hint of a wind kicking up.

Registering every single thing around her, Ai realized that, like before, she was taken somewhere else and in every sense of the word, she felt normal.

No pain. No ethereal lull looming over. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Glancing to her side, she saw the man once more, still wearing the plain brown suit and sporting a neutral yet benevolent expression.

"I'm alive, right?" she asked as she faced him.

"Yes, you are" he nodded.

Without a word, she ran her hands through her hair.

The strands falling in between her fingers were of the same colour as before: a faded hue of green. That confirmed her suspicions immediately.

"And I…I'm still in this body" she reiterated her thoughts.

"You're very astute. Get used to it" he said dryly before he looked towards the sky, "This is the reality that you, as the idol Hoshino Ai, left behind."

A brief moment of surprise later, Ai nodded to acknowledge his words about having to exist in her reality as a different person. Even with her appearance alone, she knew that trying to be Hoshino Ai, the idol, would be impossible.

"I understand" she told him.

Although the disappointment of not being able to continue her life as a mother to her children lingered on, it was completely overpowered by the sheer happiness of being given the chance to meet her kids once more and the anticipation began building steadily inside of her.

Unconsciously, she smiled.

"So…what's next?" she asked, "Can I meet Ruby and Aqua? Where are we? Are they far from here?"

Sensing the excitement in her voice, the man crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at her.

"You will meet them, I promise you" he stated, "However, let's get the meat of our situation out of the way first."

"Eh?" Ai raised an eyebrow, "What?"

The man took a couple of steps back to increase the distance between him and her.

"This is to validate both of our existences. I'll go for something that'll be useful for you" he said before clearing his throat, "Ahem…my name is Yamada Tarou, a member of an esteemed family."

Ai quickly took note of the name…and how generic it sounded.

"Oh! You…you haven't told me your name yet…" she sheepishly smiled.

Her companion simply ignored her reaction.

"And you…" he motioned towards her, "You are my niece who goes to this school as a second-year student and you are an independent idol."

"Niece? School? Student? Independent idol?" Ai arched her eyebrows in confusion, "What's that all about?"

The man, who declared himself as Yamada Tarou, walked towards her to close the gap.

"Since you can't be the old "you", I validated your existence as someone different" he explained, "You don't ever have to worry about the fundamental laws trying to dissolve your existence."

That explanation only raised more questions for Ai as she glanced at the outfit she was in.

She found herself to be wearing a student's attire. She had a buttoned white shirt underneath her stylish blue blazer and there was a ribbon tied around the collar of her shirt. Her skirt was greyish in color and she had a pair of white socks and standard school shoes on her feet.

"Eh? I'm in school?" she asked in surprise.

Instinctively, she leaned over the railings to make sure he was saying the truth.

The moment she peered over and looked towards the grounds below, the sight she saw would confirm his words.

There were countless numbers of students moving around the rather prestigious looking place. Even from a distance, she could tell that a lot of them acted in a way that perfectly reflected the grandeur of the school they attended. They were all dressed in the same uniform she found herself in and that left little room for doubt that she was indeed, a part of the school.

Ai's eyes twitched a bit as she nervously smiled.

"I-I'm really a student…huh?"

"Well, I wanted to give you a chance to see your kids as soon as possible so I don't want any complaints regarding that" Yamada casually revealed.

"Huh?! WHAT!?"

Ai could hardly believe her ears and she turned to Yamada in an instant.

"M-My kids? They're here?"

The man nodded.

"R-Really?" she could barely contain both her surprise and her excitement, "Where are they? Uhh…why would such small kids like them be in a place like school? Are they in a day care nearby or something?"

Yamada shook his head and cleared his throat.

"No. Actually, as you're a second-year high school student from here on out, they're your kouhais."

"Oh…"

A moment of silence fell between the two before-

"K-KOUHAIS!?"