Chapter 8 - Her Last Chance

Shokuhou Misaki stood within the depths of an underground facility, dedicated solely to the examination of esper abilities. The place resembled a penitentiary rather than a scientific laboratory, and an inexplicable pang of guilt crept into her conscience. Bending down to inspect her reflection, she discerned that the sturdy glass dividing her from the outside world could likely endure a level 4 pyrotechnic's fireball without faltering. She caressed the white glove adorning her hand. A superfluous action, a feeble attempt to mask her underlying unease.

"The voice in Misaka's head says everything is ready, says Misaka, checking to see if you want to proceed with the procedure already."

The clone girl, who was different from the previous day if you were to judge by the heart pendant, approached the thick glass and put her face in it, her cheek deforming comically as she maintained a blank expression.

"Give me a minute, I need to check with Kamijou-san," Shokuhou said with a tone tinged with melancholy.

Doubt lingered within her, uncertain if she truly desired to proceed. She walked sluggishly towards the chair that looked like one used by dentists, which was occupied by a boy with spiky hair, tied by the wrist as if he were dangerous.

"Are you comfortable, Kamijou-san?" Shokuhou tried to smile, but realized she couldn't.

"Eh... I've been worse. This here is reminding me of the Tower of London, are these restraints really necessary?"

"Unfortunately yes." She sighed, uncomfortable with the boy stuck there. "We don't know how intrusive the procedure ability will be, so this will help in case you move around a lot. It's for your safety."

Shokuhou pondered how, initially, this measure had been implemented to deter espers from attempting escape during the procedures. The thought crossed her mind to simply untie the boy. At least that would grant her some peace of mind.

"Are you nervous?" asked Kamijou. Even tied up like this and clearly uncomfortable, he still cared about her.

"Just a little bit, but don't worry about me. By the way, do you know my name? Without the voice in your head of course."

The boy simply shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he said as he noticed her downcast face. "The truth is, I don't even really know what I'm doing here, but it will help you, won't it? What kind of problem am I solving today?"

"We'd better not talk about it, my sanity ability has already taken a lot of damage just in the last few hours."

"It's okay...I shouldn't have commented." Kamijou looked away from the girl.

"No, no. It is you who are taking the biggest risk here for a selfish request of mine, please don't blame yourself for that."

With her hand outstretched, she thought about holding his hand or stroking him but she restrained herself.

How strange was it in his vision? To have a girl he barely knew making demands while acting like she knew him more than the people he had closest to him. It must have engendered an uncanny sensation. He had his voice in his head, so that was alleviated, but what about before that? The perpetual charade of each encounter being their first, the need to reintroduce herself, state her name, and leave a lasting impression. Such efforts inflicted a painful toll. Yet, if her memories remained present, albeit inaccessible, did that not inflict a similar anguish upon him? Perhaps even unconsciously, he too bore the weight of that pain.

"Kamijou-chan seems fine despite everything /return." The clone girl approached the two, speaking with that odd speech pattern. "So Shokuhou Misaki, should we proceed /escape?"

"I'm not sure," she replied, holding up a control with a trembling hand. She looked at one of the cameras in the closed location. "How are his vital signs? Any abnormalities?"

"No," replied a female voice, probably one of the scientists in charge. "Vital signs are normal. We did get a rise in blood pressure at some certain times but I imagine it's nothing to worry about."

"You seemed more spirited yesterday /return. However /backspace, I feel that your determination remains unshaken /return." The clone girl clapped her hands twice in front of Shokuhou's face, causing her to blink in surprise at the sudden gesture. "Focus now, you don't want to show weakness to Kamijou-chan at such an important moment, right /escape?"

Her response was a mere inclination of her head. This girl was talking in a way that was too energetic, perhaps an attempt to improve the general mood in that small white room that seemed to extend endlessly. Maybe that was why Shokuhou felt so lost there, seeking refuge in the reinforced glass that served as a mirror.

"Let's do this," Shokuhou said, deftly turning the control in her hand.

"Now, that's more like it /return." She seemed happier now. "I don't have much more time, so you better know that we won't get second chances, at least not for now /return."

"It's our last chance ability anyway." A loud sigh escaped her mouth as she pointed the remote control toward the head of the boy trapped there. "I'm going to connect to his mind now. Per the instructions, I will need your processing power. I will use my ability to connect directly to you, who will serve as the medium for the delicate procedure."

"Yes, you already explained that to me /return."

"Just checking, you never know how much preparation is enough when fighting misfortune." She looked at the camera once more. "Let me know if anything abnormal happens."

Shokuhou didn't wait for confirmation from the scientist. The moment she pressed the button on the control, that same emptiness from the previous day engulfed everything around her once more. It was strange, all she wanted was to connect and try to read the boy's mind, but she was brought here into this mental space as if her powers were going out of her control.

"Are you there?" asked Shokuhou to the void.

"Yes, I am."

Beside her, Kamijou Touma, or someone just like him, was standing with his hands in the pockets of that expensive-looking formal suit. His arrogant smile made the girl flinch, bumping into something.

"Don't worry, I'm here too /return."

The clone girl gently supported Shokuhou's body so that she would not fall into that void.

"So you are that impostor /escape? Know that if you intend something you haven't told us, you will make enemies of all Misakas /return."

"Making threats to someone who only wants to help, my life really isn't easy, such misfortune."

The scenery underwent another transformation, seemingly compelled by the nonchalant wave of the suited boy's right hand. Above them, a vast expanse of twinkling stars adorned the sky, while beneath their feet, the ground transformed into an ethereal realm, where stardust swirled and undulated like elusive memories.

"The rest is up to you," he said, pointing to the sky above. "Work it all out in your own perfect way, Shokuhou-san."

"I swear I'll find a way to erase you from his head," Shokuhou muttered, trying to make sense of that luminous tangle above them. "Was that supposed to represent neurons?"

"Don't ask me, you're the expert here."

"Thank you for your useless help ability."

"If you guys keep fighting, the chances of everything working out are smaller /return."

This was not her intention, but the nervousness she felt was bringing out the worst in her.

'I need to concentrate,' she thought, taking a deep breath. 'Locating the damaged spot...shouldn't be hard. The problem is that if I get it wrong...there's no going back.'

"Just relax, I'm helping you here /return." The clone girl's touch landed upon her shoulder, gentle yet firm, inducing a sensation of weightlessness. In that moment, it felt as if she were suspended in the air, the radiant 'stars' drawing nearer, their brilliance intensifying with each passing second. "Our job is not to heal him /return. We just have to point that impostor over there in the right direction, don't we /escape?"

Shokuhou said nothing, her concentration was mentally deteriorating even here. As if she had gained new powers because of the girl next to her, she flew up to the stars, swiping her hand as if sliding a finger on a touch screen. The landscape transformed incessantly, shifting her perception of the celestial expanse above.

"I'm not interested in the temporal lobe for now." Shokuhou slid her hand away once more. "His problem is similar to a vascular injury, but his cognitive functions ability don't seem to have been affected, so I'm not sure what track I should follow."

"Didn't that doctor give details about the problem /escape?"

"Yes, but his problem is something unique, I really can't even properly explain how it supposedly got to that point," Shokuhou said, whispering the last part. She put a hand to her chin, thoughtfully. "It wouldn't make sense that he suffered intracerebral hemorrhage...it's hard to know if he had behavioral changes or decision-making...what clue do I follow?" She appeared akin to someone scrutinizing a board, assessing all available options and dismissing the irrelevant ones, her hand moving as if 'erasing' certain stars. "I have to focus on the prefrontal cortex... no, the medial temporal lobe."

"Dangerous decision/return. You are touching the hippocampus at this moment, if you are not careful -"

"Sorry to interrupt you girls," said the impostor, "but we're having a problem."

Something bad slid down Shokuhou's spine. It made her momentarily lose concentration, causing a few stars to glow red.

"Hey, be careful, that's his brain in there," the boy warned, raising his tone.

"I'm just analyzing, so you shouldn't have any problem ability."

"What do you mean just analyzing?" The boy sounded quite exasperated. "I've been following all of your instructions here. Have you lost your mind?"

"What?" Shokuhou's body stiffened, her quivering lips drained of their color. "No, I haven't given any instructions. What on earth are you talking about?"

"Shokuhou, do you think we have any time to waste? You've been at it for almost an hour, obviously I've already started the restoration process."

"An hour!?"

It couldn't be true. She was concentrating, but if she had to guess, not even five minutes had passed. The clone next to her didn't seem to want to protest, so did that mean that she was so engrossed that she lost track of time? And worst of all, what kind of instruction was that boy following?

"You said we have a problem?" Shokuhou inquired, her hand instinctively resting upon her rapidly racing chest.

"See for yourself."

As soon as the boy uttered those words, a peculiar monitor materialized within the empty void. It flickered with rapid glimpses, accompanied by the faint voices of doctors and scientists engaged in that procedure.

"His vital signs are abnormal, what's going on?" asked a female voice.

"I have no idea. And #5 seems to be in some kind of trance. Maybe she's responsible?"

"We have to abort, bring -"

"No, no, no," cut in a male voice talking through speakers. "We are detecting a strange distortion. This data is important, so don't interrupt. If all goes well, we'll see a holistic phenomenon happen."

Shokuhou was almost hyperventilating at that moment. Not only did things look bad in this space, but outside Kamijou was convulsing for a reason she didn't know for sure. And the scientists were too fascinated by what was happening to help.

"Take us back!" cried Shokuhou in desperation.

"Unfortunately I can't," the boy replied, shrugging.

"What do you mean you can't?" It was impossible to keep her tone of voice low as she sharpened her eyes in his direction. "Do it NOW!"

"Shouting won't convince me," he retorted, nonchalantly scratching his head. "Finish what you started, and then I'll get you out of here."

"No... no... I can't take the risk of going any further." Her eyes shifted from anger to sadness.

When she heard that boy just sigh casually, her eyes moistened. The utter absence of even a hint of concern for her or the boy she loved surely ignited a fiery anger within, but her spirits were too downtrodden to feel anything of the sort.

'What did I do?' she asked herself, looking up at the stars again. 'What kind of instructions did I give? Were they the right ones?'

"Last chance," the boy continued. "Get up and finish what you started. No one said this would be easy. Isn't it a miracle you wanted after all? Hold back your tears and give me the instructions."

"What if I end up making things worse?"

"Then suffer the consequences."

Sweet words wouldn't help her here, but that boy didn't even try. On that day, in that castle, she could at least still feel that it was him there. Even if she knew something was wrong from the beginning, his way of acting still reminded her of that boy. That was not the case here.

"It's always like this when people like us try to save someone," he continued in a cold voice. "I wonder how many times you've been treated like the villain for wanting to do things your way. But you went ahead just the same. You swallowed the tears along with everything you felt and moved on. Why should it be any different now?"

The words carried a chilling tone, yet, for some inexplicable reason, the girl lifted her bowed head. Her hands trembled, but she clenched them into tight fists and gazed upward at the scarlet stars before her.

Her starry eyes seemed to resonate with that night sky.

"Let's do it," she said, taking a deep breath. "Let that be the last time I settle things like this then."

x-x

There was a famous doctor in Academy City, one so legendary when it came to saving lives that he was given the title "Heaven Canceller". It was this same doctor who had given her the news almost two years ago.

"I don't really know what happened to Kamijou-kun," that doctor said, looking at a clipboard instead of into her eyes.

Shokuhou Misaki was now in a hospital room. Following the completion of the procedure in the laboratory, the boy she loved fell into unconsciousness. No one, not even the doctor, could rouse him from his slumber. And to make matters worse...

"It's a similar situation to that time," he continued, this time looking at the girl with the sad expression in front of him. "His brain was damaged irreversibly. Honestly, I don't know how he's still alive."

The doctor fell silent upon noticing the girl avert her gaze. Her starry eyes shimmered with watery reflections, her expression resolute as she fought to hold back her tears.

"How much damage are we talking about?" she asked, her somber tone consuming the room.

"Are you sure you're ready to have this conversation?"

"Yes."

She was not. The doctor noticed this detail, who wouldn't? But he just sighed at that.

"Sorry to have to ask, but are you responsible for this?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "I... my selfish ability... and no one else."

"I see." He shook his head. "We'd better talk about it after he wakes up then."

As he turned to leave, the girl raised her hand to stop him. She was sure she let a "wait" escape her lips, but that was not the case. Shortly after, her hand dropped back down. The truth was, she yearned to be alone.

To be alone with him.

Her arms trembled as she retrieved a visitor's chair and positioned it beside his bed. He slept so serenely that the gravity of the situation seemed momentarily softened.

"It seems that my ability to make things worse only gets better." She tried to smile weakly to herself, but couldn't. "I should have just let it go. The news I received that summer is that the situation was irreversible...only a miracle would be helpful here. But none of us here are saints, are we? Now that I stop to think, was the 'new you' different from the 'you' of that summer? Was I getting attached to a person who doesn't even exist anymore?"

The girl closed her eyes. By instinct her hand went down to the bed and slid down the sheets, but didn't touch his.

"My quest ends today," Shokuhou whispered, her voice fainter than before. "I believe I'm prepared to move forward... before I assume the role of a villain once more. Life is unfair, and most of the time, disappointing. You were the one who once said that... but I don't think it was meant for me. I... I'm sorry."

Summoning strength in her feeble legs, she attempted to rise from the chair, yet remained motionless. But the reason was not her, or at least not just her. Her hand, gliding down the bedsheet discovered another hand, that precious right hand of that boy now bound in bandages.

"What are you apologizing for?"

Her eyes opened by reflex. She forgot where she was for a moment, ignoring the white room and focusing on the face of the boy in front of her. Why was he smiling?

'He's doing it again' She almost looked away in frustration when she thought that. 'He has noticed that is something wrong even without any memory and is trying to make me smile. I can't let him do this anymore… I can't keep hurting him any longer.'

"People usually apologize when they do something wrong, Kamijou-san," she replied without any emotion. This day had drained all the energy she had, she was nothing more than an empty shell now. "And yes, I know you, better make that clear soon. It makes no difference, you'll forget anyway and I'm not in the mood for games."

"Eh... you look angry."

She was indeed angry, but her frustration was primarily directed inward. Tonight had been a complete disaster, and she couldn't blame anyone but herself. The damage she had done to him had been catastrophic, there was a chance that he had forgotten everything once again, not just her.

So she had something to do.

"You should be too," she continued. "The person who is talking to you is the one responsible for ruining your life. Even if you are going to forget about me, maybe I can engrave in your heart that I am the villain in this story."

That was all she could think of at that moment. Even though it hurt more than anything she had ever felt, the only way she could think of to move on was to take full responsibility. She would not make the same mistake. If everything she did only caused pain and suffering, both for her and for him, then she had better assume the role of the villain. Maybe then, the tightness in her chest would go away.

'It's not working.' She thought, doing everything she could to hold back the tears forming in her eyes. 'My acting ability isn't enough. Not when I can't see any bright future ahead of me.'

"I know what I'm saying may be confusing," she continued, trying to make her voice steady, "but I'm getting out of your life for good now. I'll even leave Academy City if I have to. The more I try to stay by your side, the more my mental ability deteriorates. It's better to leave all this behind. Yes... I'll leave all this behind and -"

"Shokuhou, what the hell are you talking about?"

The girl froze, her body becoming still as a sudden squeeze enveloped her hand. She turned her gaze away, only to find the boy gently caressing the back of her hand. In that moment, the world appeared distorted, as if a hazy blur was beginning to form within her vision.

"You..." She hesitated, getting lost in the blue of his eyes.

Speaking became impossible, her chest heavy, her eyes tired and watery. What should she speak? Or think?

"What's all this about a villain?" asked the confused boy. Suddenly, he moved from his lying position to sit on the edge of the bed. The girl couldn't help but startle at the sudden proximity. "It's that bastard's doing in my head, isn't it? I bet he must have fed you a bunch of nonsense."

"You...can you remember?" Her breathing exploded, her chest becoming noisy.

"Yes, why wouldn't I remember, golden girl?"

Shokuhou felt tears welling up, threatening to spill over, but she managed to regain control just in time. The world was not such a kind place after all, she knew that very well.

"The voice in your head, that must be it -"

"Not really," he didn't let her finish. For some reason, he held her other hand. "I imagined you would think that, but no... I really do remember. Those last days together, that time in England, the situation with Mitsuari Ayu... that summer -"

"No!" the girl's voice rose higher than she planned, "I heard that doctor's explanation. Your brain was damaged somehow, you shouldn't remember any of this...it's some kind of trick ability."

"Of course my brain was 'damaged', wasn't that the intention?"

"Huh?" For a moment, her mind seemed to freeze. "You mean... it worked?"

Even she couldn't tell what kind of procedure they were performing today. All she got from the imposter's explanation was vague things that barely made scientific sense, so looking only from a scientific point of view, surely something had to be wrong with this boy's brain.

But was this necessarily a bad thing?

"I need to be sure." Shokuhou took her smartphone from her golden bag, fiddled with it a bit, and then turned it over to Touma. "What is written here?"

"Shokuhou Misaki." He didn't hesitate. "Come on, I'm almost repeating grade but I'm not an illiterate, Shokuhou-san. "

"Don't make jokes. I'm not convinced in the least." She deftly removed her gloves and brought her hands up to his spiky head.

"Hey, Shoku -"

"Don't move your right hand," she said in a serious tone. "I should be able to use my powers if you stand very still. Now answer the question, what is my name?"

"Shokuhou Misaki, the #5 and queen of Tokiwadai." She saw him look away, but he soon spoke again. "And you've grown quite a bit...you're basically a big sister now."

"Impossible." The girl looked at him intently, her starry eyes almost sparkling. "Your memory ability... are right here. But how?"

"That bastard in my head has some sort of 'backup' of my memories. It looks like you guys fried my brain, which would normally make me forget everything again, but that doesn't matter since I can just restore it using my powers."

"No...it can't be real...I have to be missing something."

"Shokuhou, you did it. We did it."

He smiled. Why did he have to smile like that? Shokuhou couldn't take it, it was too much to contain in one night. Her already watery eyes began to release what had been begging to come out for a long time. Thick tears now streamed down her face, ruining the 'queen' facade she had always tried to maintain but was unable to in the presence of this boy.

"Kamijou-san, I have a request," she said, leaning her forehead against the boy's chest as she sobbed, "tell me our story. I want to hear it from the beginning."

It was no longer a test, she was no longer interested in something like that. It was just a sincere request from a girl who had clung to those memories for so long.

"I can do that, but on one condition," Kamijou said this and immediately held her chin, making her raise her head. "Don't cry, please." He wiped her tears away with his fingertips.

"I'll try, but I won't promise anything." She sniffled about three times. "My self-control ability was destroyed today."

"Fair enough." He shrugged. "Now let's see. It started that summer almost two years ago. I bumped into you and ended up dropping my cell phone..."

Shokuhou Misaki had achieved her goal. Her quest was over, and that lengthy tale served as her prize. She expected to shed more tears as she revisited it, but to her astonishment, that didn't happen. The profound and cherished words from the person she held dear brought a smile to her face. And she knew very well that he liked her smile.

"Do I need to tell you the part where I almost died?" he asked.

"No, it's better to focus on the good stuff for now." With a playful grin adorning her face, the girl leaned in slightly closer to him. "I still have a small quest to fulfill, and obviously, I require your assistance with it. Are you free tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? I should have some extra classes but... if you promise to help me with this problem, yes, I'm free."

"I'll do anything for you, Kamijou-san."

"Shokuhou, you're getting a bit too close," he said, subtly distancing himself when the girl leaned in towards him.

"Misaki," she murmured, licking her lips with a hint of seduction.

"Hmm?"

"You used to call me 'Misaki-chan' not too long ago, remember? I didn't like that downgrade ability. That's why I'm considering having you compensate for it with something else."

"If that's so, you can call me by my name then. It would be weird if this was a one-way street."

The girl instinctively ran her hand through her hair and adjusted her posture upon hearing this. Sporting yet another radiant smile, she playfully winked at him.

"Hmm... so have you made your decision about that?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Never mind." She gracefully stood up from her chair and turned, placing her hand over her heart like a smitten maiden. "See you tomorrow, Touma-chan."

x-x

In a student dormitory at Tokiwadai Middle School, a girl with golden hair and starry eyes lay in bed, tightly hugging a pillow while placing one hand over her heart. A perpetual smile adorned her face as she lay there, unable to drift into slumber. The cause of this restless state?

"And now, all that's left is for you to be mine... Touma-chan... hehehehehe..."

A miracle had finally happened. Her quest was now a different one.

Hello dear readers! I am back and we had sadness and joy today. With the recovery of Touma's memories, the first part of this story is finished, and now Misaki-chan is aiming for the "big prize". What kind of strategy will she use?

Thank you so much to everyone who has read and left a review, it really inspires me to keep going. That's all I have to say at the moment. Moon Leaving.