Ryou and Diva want to go to the park and play hide and seek. It was Diva's suggestion. He is planning on getting Ryou as alone as possible so he can steal the ring back. I can't let that happen. Even though it's 5 o'clock, Ryou's mum agrees. The park is close enough. They have 30 minutes.
The park is big. Trees, shrubs, and play places scattered about. There are plenty of places to hide, and plenty of places where Ryou and I can keep the guardian from finding us. When we arrive, the guardian starts counting, we have 20 seconds to hide, and Ryou runs to a thickly wooded area.
We have a secret hide out there. A little hobbit hole surrounded by shrubs and bushes. Someone else dug it out. I visit more often than Ryou does. Old habits die hard, I hide things I've stolen there. Nothing I've hidden goes missing, and it's the perfect hiding place. Out of the way, out of sight.
Ryou curls up in the small space, twiddling his fingers.
Nervous?
He jumped a bit, and nodded. "Yeah, a little."
It'll be fine. As long as I'm here, the guardian won't hurt you.
"What do you mean?" He doesn't listen well. Does he?
The guardian wants to take the ring, and me, away from you. We are considered dangerous. Too dangerous for a little boy like you to handle.
Ryou scrunches his nose and looks down.
I haven't let it hurt you. I'll never let it hurt you.
Ryou didn't look happy with my reassurance.
A few seconds pass in an awkward silence. I look around our little hole for something that I could use to defend us with. A shiny rock I took from a gift shop? No. It was likely brittle. Some short metal pipe? No. Not much I could do with that in this body. That's when I saw it. By Ryou's left hand, was a switchblade. I grabbed it from an older kid at his school. It was perfect.
Hey Ryou. See that knife right there?
I point at it. "No." Liar.
Stop lying. Grab it. If we're lucky we won't have to use it.
He started to tremble a bit, but placed his hand around the knife.
He stares up at me, lips quivering, "You won't hurt him, right?" He asks.
I can't guarantee that. But, I'll try not to.
"Promise you won't?" His eyes began to waterand his voice was trembling. How could I not reassure him? Even if I'm lying.
Sure. I promise.
I stared at him for a second. His eyes had become a bit unfocused, he was staring at nothing. Something isn't right. Ryou was on the verge of tears barely a second ago, but looking at him now, a blank expression was present. As gently as I could, I shifted Ryou's head forward. At the back of Ryou's head, was the teeth of the key. Shadi found us.
When venturing into the mind of another item holder, it's always important to be careful. Watch every step taken, pay close attention to even the most minor of details, and never stay in for too long. That last one is always difficult. Time inside a soul room works much differently. One could spend hours inside a room, only for barely a second to pass in the outside world. Each soul room was different, however. Some had time move as normal, others sped it up. No two rooms were ever the same.
When venturing into the room of someone who was a suspected universe soul however, the same rules apply. One just has to pay attention to if the room has any signs of a past life. More than one religious symbol (always hidden somewhere), if the room is very abstract or only what the person knows is always helpful. It's easier to tell in the souls of children. That's when their past life has the most impact, before their new interests and personality begin to form.
In the soul room of Ryou, it is his bedroom. A door leading to a garden on one side, and a door leading to the living area of his house. The room is filled with drawings, miniatures, dolls, small cars, and other toys.The drawings are of Ryou, cats, tapirs, and a shadowy figure with yellow eyes. That was most likely the spirit in the ring. There is a shelf with quite a few books, comics, board games, and video games. His bed has blue covers with stars on it, and a white blanket with different desserts decorating it. Two small plushies are tucked under the blanket, a tapir and a cat. Both are black and white. The walls and carpet of the room are a cool, light grey. A dresser at one wall, and a desk next to the bed. Both were made of ebony. The desk has a deck of Duel Monsters cards, coloured pencils, and an unfinished drawing on it.
The soul room of Ryou. The room is only with what he knows, but there is an extreme clash of interests. Were some of these from the spirit? From a past life? The drawings of Ryou are in a different style than the rest. They're more detailed. Were they drawn by the spirit? Did the two of them share a soul room? It wasn't the most far fetched idea. If the spirit wanted Ryou as close to him as possible, connecting his room to Ryou's made sense.
I looked at the door to the living area. There was no doubt in my mind, that door led to the spirits room. All I had to do was get rid of it, and make it a regular wall. It should be easy enough. This will be the easiest way to get the ring away from Ryou. I will not kill him. I am above that. Even if Ryou is a universe soul, killing him will just restart the never ending cycle again. Someone who has had nothing but an awful life takes the ring, we kill them, and a year later another one comes. The cycle was gruelling. Every single guardian has the blood of an innocent person on their hands. My hands will not be covered in a childs. I will not kill something that has nothing waiting for them in the afterlife.
As the door begins to fade, a pang in my stomach appears. Sharp, twisting, and stabbing. The door is completely gone. And the pain has become unbearable. My legs give out, and I leave the soul room.
When the real world comes back into view, I am on my back. Ryou's body is straddling my waist and repeatedly jamming a switchblade into my stomach. I try pushing him off, but his body is planted on me. I can't move him.
"WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" the body cried. His voice was noticeably deeper, raspier, and hoarser. His face was twisted in anger and grief, and his eyes… his eyes were an impossible shade of yellow.
The stabs and twists continued, my arms fell from his hair to the ground. I can barely keep my eyes open. I can barely hear the constant yells and cries. I can just barely process Ryou being aggressively kicked off my body, and him running off.
I can't die yet. Mani needs to be trained, Diva needs more guidance, the rest of the guardians need the notes I've taken. I can't die. The pharaoh will need to know what to do. He'll need someone who can warn him. I clench the key with what little strength I have left.
I wish to live to see the pharaoh enter the afterlife.
