Chapter Two
Light brown hair clung to her skin, thick strands hanging over her face. Sunken, weary eyes stared at me. Her lips were contorted into a repulsed snarl, lingering drops of water running down her cheeks.
There was no doubt about it. She hated me. Despised me. Desired for me to share the same fate as her.
Turning away, I left the bathroom and sat on my cot, uncaring for the water that soaked the sheets. My arms hung limply by my sides as I absentmindedly looked at the ceiling. It flickered and fizzled, my brain trying to make sense of the shapes in the dark.
A huge spot of blood seeped from above. Ribs and cartilage bubbling from the viscous crimson liquid. It began to drip.
Plit. Plat. Plit. Plat.
On the floor.
I blinked and the blood was gone. There was a faint dripping of water from the kitchen sink.
Tilting my head back, I returned my gaze to the ceiling. This time, there was no blood. No viscera. Just an absence of color.
Am I really such a failure?
My being felt hollow. As though my very soul had been scraped and scrounged from this still living corpse. I heaved, but there was nothing left to expel, for I had already coughed up the ideals I held so dear when I left that clone for dead.
I held on to my own life; I held it tightly. I feared losing it. To fall back into oblivion.
…
When I was a young child, I would sometimes imagine what it was like before birth. Before existence. Funny, I know, for someone who was barely learning the multiplication tables.
But I imagined floating through space. Stars and asteroids zipping by at the speed of light. In between was complete and utter darkness.
As I grew older, I dismissed and forgot such thoughts. As if I could even conceive the idea of preexistence. I was just having fun thinking, an enthusiast of space and the fantastical.
Three or so months had passed since I returned to being. I was the youngest I had ever been. Even younger than the past. It was paradoxical. Contradictory.
The first few weeks of awareness were nonsense. Something may have happened. In fact, I knew something had happened. But I kept the door closed.
However, with a mind far older than the physical, my perception of time was incongruent with my brain. Recalling four months ago was trivial for a young adult.
And so I tried to remember. I thought back four months ago. Then five months. Ten months. A year. Two years. Five years. Fifteen years. Thirty years. One hundred years. One thousand years. One hundred thousand years. One hundred million years. One hundred quintillion years.
I had lived to adulthood in the past. This was my third month in the present. But in between was infinite.
Or was it? Was the seemingly everlasting gap between my previous life and current one actually physical? Metaphysical? Metaphorical?
I didn't know what to believe anymore. But if I died, then I would surely cease to exist. And along with it, the memory of everything that I knew.
My home, my real home, gone. My old life, my day to day, my experiences, my acquaintances, my friends, my family.
My dad.
A low whine crawled from my throat, unbidden. My legs pulled to my chest as I clenched at my heart.
Even if I had saved my life—held in my hands the one thing that was truly left of my old life…
How could I face the very reason I clung so fiercely, when that life was now stained with innocent blood.
I let out a low shudder, joints creaking as I slowly unfurled. It was too late for regrets. The past was scored across the fabric of time. The path forward was linear and there was no turning back.
No wibbly wobbly, timey wimey for me. I thought with a sniff, gathering myself, and peeling off the grime covered clothes that hugged my body.
This was a world without the comforts of home. There was no facing the consequences of my actions. No one to hold me accountable. No sin. No salvation.
And if that was the case…?
Then there was nothing to live for. Nor was there anything to die for.
V V V
I sat at one of the many park benches, this one without a shade. Not that it was necessary, as there was a 100% chance of a blue sunny day.
Most of the day went without much to note. There were a few more students in the alleyway than usual. For a moment, I wondered if I had been spotted, but each person was strangely focused.
Maybe it was some new fad among the youth?
It did get me thinking. If I were found in the alleyway by students, would there really be any consequences? The park, along with other populated areas of Academy city, were along my route. Really, the only reason I probably had to patrol the alleys was to familiarize myself with potential battle locations.
That… if that's the case, then what was the point of being so paranoid to begin with?
My thoughts trailed off from there, already knowing the answer. There was only one thing that I truly wanted to avoid. Far more than any callous scientist or secret enforcer.
"Meow!"
Tilting my head to the side, I caught sight of a familiar orange tabby. It walked up to me, tail pointed straight into the air. Its green eyes fixed on my own, unblinking.
Sighing, I turned my gaze to the sky and patted the seat next to me. The cat hopped up and immediately began to rub its head into my elbow; a deep rumbling purr reverberated from its chest.
Scratching its chin, a ghost of a smile pulled at my lips as I was reminded of better times.
"She's petting Neko-chan! Ichigo-san is petting Neko-chan!" The shrill voice of a child caused the tabby to leap into the air. For a completely valid reason, the cat swam into the bushes, disappearing from sight.
"Ah!" Another one of the kids shouted, bringing her fist down on the first with a bonk. "You idiot, you scared him away!"
"But she was petting him…" The black haired boy complained, kicking the ground with a pout.
The girl snapped her head to the right, eyes widening in excitement. "Neko-chan's over there. Let's get him!" She rushed forward as fast as her little legs could carry her, arms swinging wildly back and forth.
The black haired boy yelped, stumbling forward to try and follow the girl. "Wait for me!"
I watched as the two scrambled on, making quite the show. Holding back a chuckle, I shook my head, ready to return to my silent musing.
The brown haired boy took a seat next to me. Nearly jumping in my seat, I stared into the boy's swirling gray eyes, flakes of blue and green scattered throughout the irises.
His brows scrunched together as he scrutinized me, his lips pursing. If I didn't know any better, I would've assumed he was constipated. But I had some faith in humanity.
As he stared a bit longer, sweat began to run down the back of my neck.
Thankfully, his eyes lit up. "I know! You look like my mom when she gets that phone call every Friday! Then she tells me to go to my room when she notices I'm listening."
What the hell, kid. That is not something you share with a complete stranger.
"Why do you make that face? Is it because your grandfather has aim eye tropical ladder all skull oasis, too?" With the most innocent tone in the world, the kid hit me with absolute word salad.
"Aim eye… what?" I muttered to myself, taking a glance around to see if this wasn't some sort of prank. "No, that's not it."
Without giving me a break, the kid pushed. "Then why?"
Licking my lips, I felt my throat go dry as the reasons flashed through my head. None of which were appropriate to tell the grade schooler. But if I didn't tell him anything, then he'd probably bug me further. And then go on and on until I was forced to give an answer.
I didn't need a repeat of last time.
Clearing my expression, I gave the boy a shrug. "I've been busy with work. Honestly, I wish I could quit, but I can't."
"Oh. But don't you have the weekend? I love playing games with my friends on the weekend, because school sucks!" The kid vibrated in his seat, already daydreaming.
A sardonic smile appeared on my face as I shook my head. "I work seven days a week, from morning till night. I don't get breaks."
"What! You're lying! You have a Tokidai uniform, so you go to school. That means you have work and weekends." Crossing his arms, the school boy nodded to his own assessment.
Deadpanning, I let out a quiet sigh. "The Tokiwadai uniform is a fashion choice. I don't actually attend the school. And even if I did, that doesn't mean I don't work on the weekends-"
"But that sucks! That's so unfair. If you're working and going to school, when do you hang out with friends? When do you play games?" Getting up from his seat, the grade schooler paced, righteous fury on his squishy face.
I covered my mouth, choking out any laughter. Both because of habit and because the kid had a point. "You're right. It does suck. But I appreciate the sentiment, so thanks."
Stopping in his tracks, the boy slowly turned his head to look me once more in the eyes. "You should skip classes."
…
"What?"
The kid jumped onto the bench. It rumbled beneath me, sagging for just a moment. Then he pointed his stubby finger at my face. "Mom says it's bad to skip class, so that means it has to be fun. If you aren't having any fun, then you need to make your own fun. Chase your dreams, be a hero!"
The boy held the pose, likely imagining himself as one of those shonen protagonists.
A snort snuck its way out from my nose.
And just like that, the floodgates were broken. Laughter erupted without restraint. Long, hard, wheezing laughter. I found myself out of breath, sucking in air between each chuckle as it slowly petered out.
"Ha… hah… hah. You're something else. Thanks, I really mean it." Without warning, I stood from the bench, having entertained the boy for long enough.
As I headed away, ignoring the stunned kid, thoughts started to bounce around my mind. Dangerous thoughts.
What if he has a point?
V V V
Of course, as novel as 'skipping class' was, I had no idea where I'd even begin. My morning routine was set in stone. I couldn't sleep in and I definitely wouldn't wake up any earlier.
Following that was going to the alleyways.
Wait, maybe I could've just stayed home.
Shaking my head, I let a tired sigh pass my lips. As fun as staying home could be, I would get bored within minutes. There was nothing to do in the apartment. Nothing but stare at a wall and listen to a faulty faucet.
…
Creeping down the narrow paths, I ran my fingers along some external pipes, idly wondering what their purpose was.
Reaching an intersection, I halted my pace, closing my eyes and straining my ears. There were gentle footfalls reverberating from the left. Furrowing my brows, I tried to make out the number. It sounded like more than one person, but not noisy enough to be a group.
But several individuals walking together tended to have a specific cadence. There was definitely more than one person, but not with each other. Curious, very curious.
Opening my eyes, I reached into the skirt pocket to grasp at nothing.
My heart dropped, realization hitting me like a brick. Out of all the days to forget the mirror, it had to be this one?! To think that I had been so distracted by that kid's insane idea.
Alright, this is fine. I might cut it a bit close, but I should be able to backtrack.
…
Hold on. Why should I care if someone sees me now? What are they going to do, report me to the project staff?
With a wavering confidence, I peeked my head around the corner, fingers clenching the cold concrete wall. Just ahead was a student, as expected. He was average height with brown hair, out of uniform.
His gaze darted across the alley, in search of something.
Frowning, I stood on my toes, trying to see over the boy's shoulder. Though it was difficult, I was able to make out the figure of yet another student, likely with the same seeking look.
Pulling back, I straightened my collar and brushed down my skirt, holding back a visible grimace. Something odd was happening. Something that may affect my usual patrol-
Not usual. What could be usual about ducking behind vents and hiding behind corners? No, I'd find out why these kids were snooping around the alley. What came next would be far better than doing as I always had. It just had to be.
I stepped out with a self assured stride that was only skin deep. My neck prickled as the boy's eyes landed on me. There was no surprise in his eyes. No questioning as to why a Tokiwadai student was skulking around such tight spaces.
He only angled his body to the side, giving me just enough room to pass by. Exchanging only the briefest of nods, we passed each other, not making any physical contact whatsoever.
Then he was behind me and I behind him, our backs facing each other.
"Geh!" I strangled down the strangest of coughs as I spun on my heel, watching as the student continued as though nothing happened. My first lead on what was happening.
Wait, I need to-!
Reaching out with a hand, I awkwardly curled my fingers, unsure as to what exactly happened.
Is this what happens when the only conversation partners I have are literal children? I lamented, running a hand down my face. Okay, second time's the charm.
Turning back around, I found the second figure slowly approaching. This was a girl, maybe high school age, standing an inch or two taller than I.
As quietly as I could, I cleared my throat and made to approach the girl. She quickly caught sight of me, harsh brown eyes brokering no desire for conversation. My question died before it could take breath as I shifted to the side, letting the girl pass without issue.
I didn't bother trying to turn around, a cold chill running up my spine.
Has it really been so long that I've lost any social skills I had before? That- that can't be right, can it? I'm not some damn recluse!
Be it luck, or mysterious machinations, yet another student made her way down the dingy, disgusting back alley. She had a far gentler look to her, straight black hair reaching the small of her back.
Raising my arm, I waved at her. She waved back. Taking a deep breath, I put on my game face and approached the stranger. "Excuse me, could you tell me why so many people are going through these alleys? It's not usually this busy."
"You haven't heard the rumors?" The girl put a finger to her lips, an eyebrow raised in incredulity.
Chuckling, I scratched the back of my head, playing the role of an embarrassed outsider. "Let's say, hypothetically, that I live under a rock."
"Oh, okay then!" The student smiled innocently and by some miracle, accepted my words at face value. "There's been stories of hidden treasures around the alleys of district 7. I heard that Minami from class A found something super cool."
"Hidden treasure?" I questioned, disbelief leaking into my voice. As if there was some chest of gold lying around the alleys. I knew each corridor like the back of my hand. There was no way I could miss something like that.
Ignorant of my skepticism, the school girl eagerly swayed in place. "Yeah. I'm going to find something awesome and then share it with all my friends!"
Sensing that the conversation was coming to a close, I hummed in acknowledgement, moving to the side. "Uh-huh. Good luck with that."
"Thanks!" And so, the girl continued her pursuit, skipping down the cramped alleyway.
As her steps faded away, I wracked my brain for where these rumors could've possibly come from. It definitely wasn't from my own actions. I usually carried as little as possible on my person. Unless I was restocking on supplies, I didn't need to chance getting robbed by the likes of Skill Out.
And I doubted it was any of the other participants.
So it had to be another party. There were rumors indicating that a 'treasure' existed in the district 7 alleys. Specifically the alleys. And while it could just be rumors, it wouldn't be so widespread if there wasn't some kernel of truth to them.
Huh, so maybe there is something of value hidden around.
Putting my theorizing on hold, I decided that there was no harm in doing a bit of treasure hunting myself. If there was anyone who'd find these elusive riches, it would be me. And once I found it, it would surely illuminate what all the fuss was about.
Okay, seeing as this treasure isn't out in the open, the best place to hide it would be either under electrical boxes, behind thick pipes, or tucked between external vents. And they shouldn't be impossible to get. Whoever is leaving these behind wants people to find them.
Having made up my mind, I walked forward and crouched down, angling my head to the side to look under an electrical box.
It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dark space. But once they did, I could clearly see all that the box had hidden beneath. There was dirt, a little bit of mud from the day before, and… a soggy envelope?
With a tentative reach, I grabbed the corner of the brown envelope and pulled it out from under.
The paper was sturdy enough that it didn't disintegrate against the weight of gravity, but there was definitely something heavy within. My heart started to pick up in pace as my thoughts went back to the conversation from mere seconds ago.
This isn't it, is it?
Holding the envelope with my right hand, I pulled at the top with my left. It tore easily, allowing me to see what it contained. Now revealed to the light of day, I could finally unveil what numerous students sought to claim.
I extracted a thin, gold-orange card. At the top of the card, in bold text, were the words MONEY CARD in English.
A cash card, that's it?
To my understanding, cash cards were sort of like visa gift cards. Only Academy city sanctioned, and commonly used in place of hard cash. They were accepted by most venders and were easy to acquire.
Flipping the card over, I examined the details on the back. It looked authentic, no signs of being a fraudulent card.
And here I was hoping for a pot of gold. I wonder if there's even anything on this card. I guess I can always go and check.
V V V
My eyes were glued to the machine, naked awe overtaking my usual apathy. Miraculously enough, there was cash on the card. I was immediately given the exact number.
¥100,000.
One hundred thousand yen. Or approximately nine hundred forty dollars.
That was more than half the cost it took to produce my body. I literally had half of my own monetary value in the palm of my hand.
Well, technically, it was still in the machine, but that was beside the point.
Why does this have so much money on it? I mean, I get why there are so many people looking for these, but jeez. Talk about a strong incentive.
Or maybe I just got lucky. For all I knew, the majority of the cards may have been duds.
Hitting a key on the machine, it spit out the card and returned it into my possession. I pocketed the item, glancing side to side. No one was paying any attention to me and I didn't recognize any faces.
I have ¥100,000 to my name. ¥100,000 that can't be tracked by the scientists.
Back at the apartment, I had a money card that was regularly recharged, courtesy of the experiment. But there was no chance it wasn't being monitored. The moment I started spending frivolously, I'd get exposed.
But now, I could buy whatever I wanted.
A gentle wind tousled my hair as a train rushed by. The sidewalks were tiled, colored a clean tan and orange. Breaking up the pathways were healthy and well maintained bushes, adding a verdant splash to the technological landscape.
Tilting my head back, I stared at the towering glass structures, reflecting the deep blue sky. In between the buildings were giant windmills, slowly and silently spinning away.
Was the city always this nice?
A grumbling made its way from my stomach to my ears.
At that moment, I wanted only one thing. One thing that, for the first time, I'd have the opportunity to obtain.
A good bowl of ramen.
O O O
A/N:
kamenriderzio218: Thanks!
Ichigo-enjoyer: We can only hope. But she still has a lot ahead of her. Excellent handle, by the way.