Chapter 64: New information

Sunday Jan 1st, 20XX+1 Early Morning

Ren shivered in his attic as he threw on clothes. Turning off the space heater at night meant it was always a chilly morning in the winter. Resisting the urge to turn it on, Ren pulled on his jacket and picked up his phone. Looking out the window, it was still dark outside.

His phone alarm had woken him up at 5:30 in the morning. "Hatsumode, huh?" It was an odd, somewhat nostalgic feeling. Every year prior, Ren had gone with parents to the local shrine. It had been one of their few yearly traditions. Ren remembered looking forward to the day. They would spend the whole day together and play board games.

Today would be very different. He was going not with his family, but his girlfriend and her sister. The three of them would welcome in the new year together… and in doing so, decide its fate.

As Ren exitted LeBlanc and started his walk, he thought back to the past week. His perceptions hadn't changed much. Interacting with Wakaba more had only confirmed a few things. Her behaviour seemed designed based on what Futaba and Sojiro expected. Ren, as someone who never knew her, had only strange interactions with the woman.

Just like with Makoto's parents, Ren had noticed so many oddities. The most jarring one was that the reanimated people didn't appear to know anything. Ren had tried to get Wakaba to explain some of her cognitive psience and been very disappointed. All of her answers only included things that Ren already knew.

If Ren was honest with himself, he had been hoping to find something. A spark of humanity, true individuality. A sign that would allow Ren to reject Kasumi's proposal. So far he had found none.

So, with his mind made up and feeling sick, he walked to the shrine. He genuinely thought that Maruki had tried. The world he had created did have some serious appeal. It was like an addictive substance that one could get lost in. A dream of possibilities that could have been. It was not reality however, and never would be.

A little after six, Ren arrived at the shrine gate. It was still pretty empty. There were no families around, mostly old people and some ambitious couples coming for the sunrise.

Standing to the side of the torii gate, Ren checked his phone. It was hard to use with his numb fingers. His limbs were shaking slightly in the cold air. Sumire had sent him a message ten minutes ago saying they had finished getting ready and were on their way. Typing out a quick reply and where he was, Ren pocketed it.

Shoving his hands back in his pockets, Ren watched the people arriving. Did they look happier than usual? Were those emotions genuine? Ren had no idea.

"It doesn't matter," he mumbled to himself. Closing his eyes, Ren took the chance to rub them. He was so, so tired. The stress of the mounting decision had weighed on him like a stone. Nights spent tossing and turning, mind whirling. Thinking about Maruki's world, about how Morgana was missing.

Ren had hoped that reaching a decision would absolve him of the stress and let him sleep. That had been another foolish wish. He longed to make it happen. To take his ideal life and meld it into reality. Not the way Maruki had done, but in a world where everyone had a chance, a possibility to achieve their dreams.

As Ren was mulling in a sightless void of regret and apprehension, time slipped away. It happened to him often these days. He would look into the distance for many minutes at a time. Not sleeping or thinking, just dissociating from the world.

"Did you wait long?"

The words were the hammer that shattered Ren's shell. That voice was the one thing Ren was still fighting to forget. The angel that had blessed his life. Only, when he turned to greet her, there was a second angel, equally as radiant. Fighting to keep his face calm, Ren performed a shallow bow. "Happy New Year, Sumire, Kasumi."

"Happy New Year, Ren." They replied in perfect sync. Even their bows were the exact same depth. The girls were wearing matching Yukatas of white. Sumire's had red accents running up from the hem and fading out around the bosom whereas Kasumi's accents were golden.

Ren nervously patted down his hair feeling very underdressed all of a sudden. He should have put in more effort. Should have gotten a yukata of his own. Just as guilt was starting to overpower him, Sumire walked over and grabbed his arm.

"Come on, we have to hurry."

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" Kasumi sniffed. "Spent all that time on your hair and he didn't even notice."

Right beside Sumire, Ren got a good look. Sumire had ditched the glasses and gotten rid of her bangs. Her hair was bunched up in a high bun and then fell down her back in loose curls. Ren didn't know if the hairstyle had a name, but it made her look like a princess in a fantasy story.

"It's gorgeous," Ren breathed, touching a lock with his free hand.

"T-Thanks," Sumire blushed, ducking her head.

Kasumi sniffed. "Haven't you two slept together? Why are you blushing?"

How does…? Ren wondered.

"K-Kas!" Sumire whined. "You shouldn't ask questions like that. It's improper."

"Oh? So I was right!" Kasumi said happily.

Ren coughed. "Enough chit chat. Let's speed up a bit."

"Urgh, this thing is hard to stride in," Kasumi complained as they took the stairs up and into the shrine. They would be one of the last people in it looked like. There were only a few sleepy couples keeping them company near the bottom. The sky was beginning to lighten and time was running short if they wanted to greet the first rays of the day.

"Here," Ren said. Without thinking he reached an arm back for Kasumi. She gave him a dirty look but accepted. So, with Ren situated firmly between the two angels, he acted as the central link of their chain. He was also the motor that kept them moving without stumbling. Ren did not envy the girls the challenge of climbing broken stone steps in low light while wearing a tight yukata and clogs.

After a moment though, their motions became more fluid. Falling into a pattern, Ren could anticipate where each pull would come from and was there to compensate. Left, right, left, right. Their pace picked up and breathing grew less labored.

"This really is… a lot easier," Kasumi panted near the top. "That's a lot, Ren."

"It got easier with you," Ren admitted. Having the same resistance on both sides had evened out his steps.

Hearing a small giggle from Sumire, Ren looked over at her. Her triumphant eyes were looking up at him. Ren didn't want to say anything with Kasumi right there, but he could read her thoughts. Easier with you there. Yes, exactly what she had been proposing.

Not a second after reaching the top, Ren made a show of releasing Kasumi's arm while continuing to clutch to Sumire. She rolled her eyes at this.

"Come on, no time to pray beforehand."

The shrine wasn't in a very populated region and also had only mild popularity. The view was partially obstructed with highrises to the south east. Despite that, Ren still had a great view over the city's edge to the fiery ocean.

Just as they lined up, the first rays of sunlight crested the horizon. Putting their hands together and bowing their heads slightly, they made their wishes. Ren's was simple: the power to do what had to be done. He assumed the girls made similar wishes.

They stayed like that longer than almost everyone. Many of the guests were taking pictures and talking. For five minutes they kept their hands together, praying fervently before Kasumi eventually spoke.

"The two of you have decided, I assume?"

"What does that look mean?" Ren replied suspiciously. He wasn't sure why Kasumi had that knowing twinkle in her eyes.

"You said we will kill millions. I think you were already decided on that day."

"I…" Ren swallowed but couldn't reject her words.

"I'm sorry. What are you two talking about?" Sumire asked sharply.

"It was just a point that Kasumi and I discussed. Maruki can create these shadows of dead people. Therefore, well, he doesn't have to let people die."

"Doesn't have to…" Sumire blinked, her eyes going wide. "That… That would…"

Ren laid a comforting hand on her arm. "It's alright, we will stop him."

"Stop…?" Sumire shook her head with wonder. "Why would we want to stop that? Isn't that a reason to let him rule?"

Ren raised a hand to forestall Kasumi. As the dawn's rays illuminated them, Ren explained slowly to the best of his ability. "They wouldn't really be alive. They would be kept alive solely because their family didn't want them to die. Their entire life would become a fabrication meant to appease the people that Maruki is helping. We can't allow people to live in his dream forever."

"...Actually, I have something to admit," Sumire said, changing the subject without a reply. "I have an appointment to see Maruki today. I still want to talk to him."

"Sumi!" Kasumi whined, stamping her foot. "You met Wakaba this week! You heard what Maruki did to Akechi!"

"And I still trust him!" Sumire yelled back. Her eyes filled with tears and she looked away. Ren knew it was the wrong time, but he thought she looked beautiful in that moment. The sun cast her in an aura of brilliance as she shone like an angel. The tears in her eyes were sparkling priceless jewels.

"I think that's fine," Ren said. It was partly to stop the argument, but also because he did honestly think it was a good idea. He himself had been wanting to talk to Maruki. After everything he had seen the past week however, Ren was good. Actions speak louder than words, and Maruki's actions demonstrated very clearly the world he wanted to make. "What time will you be done? The three of us should meet up again for supper after."

"T-That will work. I'm meeting him at two."

"Great. We'll meet at the restaurant near school then. The booths are quite good at maintaining privacy."

"Fine," Kasumi sniffed loudly. "I guess if you want to run off and talk to the mad doctor, I'll co-opt Ren for the day."

"Fine," Sumire shot back, sticking out her tongue.

Like two cats hissing at each other, Sumire and Kasumi glared nose-to-nose. Unable to resist, Ren reached out and rubbed their heads. "There there. Why don't we write down some wishes and then go pray?"

Both of the girls predictably turned their glares to him. Surprisingly though, they didn't bat his hand away. Ren wasn't sure so he just left his hands there, awkwardly resting on their heads

Gradually the glares faded. "Umm, Ren?"

"...Yes?"

"Why are you patting us?"

"I'll stop if you want me to."

"..." Sumire didn't reply to that, a slight tinge of red coloring her cheeks.

Kasumi apparently had had enough and swatted him away. "Doing that to me in front of your girlfriend. How indecent."

"Oh lighten up," Ren joked, removing his hand from Sumire as well. "Let's go pray."

Sumire reluctantly agreed. Moving as a trio, they navigated the thinning crowd and completed their mission. As Ren held a pen over his wish, he hesitated. What do I want? Ren thought a little bit longer before scrawling out a quick sentence: I want to create a world of infinite possibility.

Tying it to the board, Ren felt happy with what he wrote. It was perhaps his largest problem with Maruki's world. Slowly but surely, as Maruki took away all suffering, he would snuff out people's ability to change. Ren's happiest moments were direct consequences of suffering. To remove one was to remove the other. All because he would no longer have the chance to create happiness by pushing through the hard times.

"What did you wish for?" Kasumi asked quietly as she stepped up to his side.

Ren told her the truth with no hesitation. Kasumi shot him a knowing smile and showed him hers.

I want to be able to decide my future.

It was a simpler way of writing the same thing he had. "We will make it happen."

"It isn't us I'm concerned about," Kasumi replied.

Together, they looked at Sumire. She had the pen in her mouth and had a clenched jaw. She made to write and then paused again. Her brow was furrowed as she continued to ponder but not write. Sumire looked over at them, her eyes unfocused. As they passed over the two of them, Sumire blinked back into the present. She gave them a small wave and then scribbled down a wish quickly.

"What do you think she wrote?" Ren asked Kasumi.

"Not what we did," Kasumi replied.

Ren had a feeling that she was right. As the girls tied their wishes to the board Ren went to the giftshop. Finding matching hair ties, Ren quickly bought them and left. When he returned, the girls were looking for him. Smiling, he held them out.

"Happy New Year. Thanks for coming to Hatsumode with me."

As both girls hesitantly took their gift, it marked an end to their first shrine visit of the year. All that was left for Ren now was to wait for the results of Sumire's meeting.

Sunday Jan 1st, 20XX+1 Afternoon

"U-Umm, hello?" Sumire's voice shook as she stepped into the air conditioned room. It had a beautiful view through floor to ceiling windows out at the surrounding city. Tokyo looked beautiful from this perspective. It made Sumire feel like she was a CEO for a fancy company like Haru…Haru's dad.

Suddenly getting a headache, Sumire put a finger to her temple and rubbed. It faded quickly. In the room was a tall potted plant and two comfortable brown chairs. Sumire looked around for Dr. Maruki but he obviously wasn't there. Deciding to wait, she lowered herself into one of the chairs with a sigh.

She ran a hand through her hair again. The curls remained from her morning do but she had let it down to hang loosely. Coming here, Sumire had drawn even more gazes than usual. Twirling one of her locks, Sumire wondered if maybe she should get a perm. It would set her apart from her sister, and Ren had been mesmerized…

Click!

The door opened and her extraneous thoughts fled faster than a weak shadow in mementos. Sumire popped to her feet. "D-Dr. Maruki!"

"Hello there, Sumire."

Maruki was the same as always in his brown loafers, jeans, and lab coat. His square glasses were slightly ajar and his brown hair was unkempt. That relieved Sumire. Letting out a deep breath, a sense of anxiety that she had been carrying around vanished. This was still the same man. He hadn't been corrupted.

"Please, sit back down," he continued. "I'll bring you a cup of tea."

Sumire listened to him and sank once more into the plush cushioning. She turned her eyes back to the city. It took only a few minutes until the kettle boiled and Maruki handed her a cup.

"Thank you," she murmured, accepting the blue and white porcelain cup. It had patterns of a flower she didn't recognize upon it. That was secondary though to the warmth that seeped into her hands. She hadn't realized how cold they had been.

"So it appears that Ren and your sister aren't taking things well. Could you tell me why?"

"You know?" Sumire asked, surprised.

"Of course," Maruki smiled, his eyes twinkling. "I made a promise to them. I mean to see it through to the end."

"You'll help them even if they don't want it?"

"I mean to help everyone." Maruki said softly.

It was both an answer and an evasion. Sumire took a sip of her tea. It had a strong herbal scent but the flavour was weak. On the table was a honeypot. So, taking advantage of the luxury, Sumire added a good dollop to her tea and stirred it in. That gave her time to come up with a follow-up question.

"Do you think you've gone too far with bringing people back from the dead?"

"I don't," Maruki smiled. "In fact, when my expansion is complete, I plan on stopping death entirely. The final evolution of humanity."

"You'll have perfect control over their perfect lives…" Sumire frowned. She could see what Ren and Kasumi meant now. This felt like a step too far.

"Yes, but a god should have control. It is unfortunate that those two are so unhappy, but I'll figure something out. When they return the power that they stole from me…"

"Stole?" Sumire said disbelievingly. "It originally belonged to Ren! And what happened to Morgana?"

Maruki did not answer. He lowered his head slightly and his eyes disappeared behind the reflection off the lens of his glasses. "I can do this. No, I am doing this. You said you trusted me. I would appreciate it if you would continue to do so."

"I-I…" Sumire couldn't get the words out. She wasn't sure anymore. Taking a steadying gulp, Sumire asked another question. "How do you plan on making them happy?"

"Well, I hope that you will help with that. If you just push a bit more, I'm sure the three of you can make each other happy."

Sumire's head jerked up. She stared wide-eyed at Dr. Maruki. He knew. For a moment, she thought that the air around him was distorted like a heat haze. Within that distortion, Sumire thought she saw an eye and the swirling of long tentacles. Stumbling to her feet, Sumire backed up into the corner of the room.

"Why? Why do you run?"

"Something's wrong with you. They're right. I'm sorry Doctor… we're going to change your heart."

"...You don't want to do that." Maruki said emotionlessly.

"I-I'm sorry, but I do." Sumire replied. She began walking along the wall towards the exit.

"Do you remember what happened in March?" Maruki asked without looking at her. His head was towards the window, but Sumire got the feeling he wasn't looking at the scenery.

"A lot of things happened then." Sumire answered shortly. She stole a look at the door, only a few tantalizing meters away. Maruki wasn't trying to stop her though. Curiosity getting the better of her, Sumire waited for Maruki's story.

"You ran out into the rain. Upset about your recent failures in gymnastics, you were inconsolable. Ignoring your sister, you continued forward and crossed a street without looking."

"No. I stopped when my sister yelled for me."

"But she didn't," Maruki continued softly. He hadn't moved a muscle. "She ran forward and dove to push you out of the way of the car."

"Liar!" Sumire gasped.

"In the timeline of harsh reality, Kasumi died before ever attending Shujin academy. Your parents brought you to me for therapy where you assumed your sister's place to be rid of your guilt. For you thought that if only one of you should live, it should be Kasumi."

That's… That's exactly what I would think. An unsettled Sumire listened in a sort of trance.

"You weren't a perfect Kasumi obviously, but you enjoyed school life. You were friends with Ren, but never became a phantom thief. Eventually, they reach the bottom of mementos… and cede power to me. Isn't this storyline better? You two sisters shouldn't be separated."

"So… If Ren changes your heart…"

"That's right. The timeline will revert to reality."

Sumire collapsed to the floor. All colour had left her face leaving her paler than a sheet of paper. She wanted to reject Maruki's words. To throw them back but… She felt like she could almost see what he was talking about. The choices, the changes.

Suddenly, Maruki was kneeling in front of her. "Do you want to see?"

"N-N…" Sumire couldn't get the answer out. She didn't want to see. She wanted to reject the very thought of what he had brought up. Then, Maruki touched her forehead.

Sumire's back went rigid. Her eyes unfocused and her vision went black before memories flooded through her mind. She was suddenly there that day. The rain pounding down around her as she screamed her sister's name.

Crawling along the ground, Sumire ran a hand down her sister's face. Her body had been sent rolling meters away from the car. Sumire couldn't see any blood. Kasumi was still in one piece. But she was just laying there, face-up.

"Kas!" Sumire cried out, stroking her sister's cheek. Kasumi's eyes slowly locked onto hers.

She smiled weakly and then coughed, a stream of blood erupting from her mouth. The stark red staining her cheeks momentarily before the rain wiped it away like a mirage. "Sumi? You're… okay?"

"Yes, yes, you saved me!" Sumire wept over her dying sister.

"Good… That's good." Kasumi's eyes closed. A soft smile was left on her face. "Hey, Sumi… Win for me, okay?"

"W-What? No! Win for yourself! Don't! Don't leave me!" Sumire's tears mixed with the pounding rain. Screams, cries, and sirens were all echoing in the background. Sumire could not process any of them. She was in a daze as her sister's chest rose and fell one last time.

Sumire screamed, lurching backwards. The pelting rain was gone. She was back in the air-conditioned room in Salvation's headquarters. The immediacy of the vision was gone, but Sumire could still remember it. Not just that scene either. More and more were flooding in, memories of a year she didn't live. Of her fake life pretending to be her sister.

"No! Kasumi still lives!"

"She does," Maruki agreed. "And we would both like to keep it that way I think."

Sumire fled for the restaurant without a backwards glance.

Takuto was left alone in the consultation room. Breathing out a heavy sigh, he sat back down in one of the chairs. He knew that he shouldn't be relaxing, but the meeting had drained him more than he had expected. He had thought Sumire would understand. Why couldn't she see that simply giving him all the power was best?

He had the ability and the background to fix everything. It was rankling that his control was dependent upon a group of hormonal teenagers.

"And after everything I've done for them?" Maruki muttered, just the smallest bit of bitterness entering his voice. "Why must they act like injured animals flailing in a trap while I free them?"

With another sip of the tea, the negative emotions flowed away. It wasn't their fault. They didn't understand. Children always had too bright a view of the world. They didn't understand that their brilliance and infinite potential would soon dim to a shadow of itself. They were at an age where they actually believed that someone could accomplish something if they put their mind to it. Struggling against one's own natural talents was the path of pain and suffering.

His back-up strategy went against his principles. He had sworn to stop people's sadness and had gone and caused it. Sumire would be branded by his words until the day that those two gave their hearts to him.

"How long?" He asked into the empty room.

The air distorted near the door and a deep voice rang out. "It will emerge tomorrow. The conversion will be finished at the month's end."

"Good," Maruki whispered. Taking off his glasses, he cleaned them. Then, with his sleeve, he wiped away the last tear of guilt. That would be the last tear of sadness this world ever shed.

Sunday Jan 1st, 20XX+1 Afternoon

"You did not!"

"I did!" Ren assured Kasumi with a laugh. They shared wide smiles as Ren regaled her with some of their earlier adventurers in the metaverse.

In front of him, the console made a series of beeping noises indicating that the next level was starting. With his right hand, Ren expertly maneuvered the joystick to send his character moving in a specific pattern. With masterful precision Ren kept his character alive and out of range of the assaulting ghosts.

They had found their way together to an arcade that was out of the cold. Kasumi had changed and had her formal gear in a bag. Already more than two hours had passed together. Time seemed to slip away quickly. Kasumi's sharp tongue meant there was hardly a dull moment.

"So what I'm hearing is that you're the stupid little cheese muncher there and got yourself trapped in a deadly pyramid?"

"Cheese muncher?"

"Meh, it's yellow and missing a slice. Close enough, right?"

"Hold on," Ren laughed. "Since when is a cheese muncher made out of cheese?"

"Since I said so," Kasumi fired back, sticking out her tongue. "So? what happened?"

"Well… Honestly, I suffered a lot. I couldn't sleep for fear or being discovered by shadows lurking around. Each shadow was so powerful that I was quickly left in a near death state. Eventually I found a safe cubby out of reach and laid there waiting."

"Wow. How did you escape?"

"I didn't. The others broke back in and rescued me the next day. It nearly killed them as well. Sumire was radiant then… I can still vividly remember her standing heroically over me as she fought off the shadows."

Kasumi snorted with laughter. "Should have proposed right then."

"I probably would have if I didn't pass out."

Once more they looked at each and laughed. It was quieter this time, more intimate. A moment of silence stretched between them. God she's gorgeous.

Another loud sound from the game rang out. When Ren looked over, the large words: GAME OVER were plastered in front of him. "Oops."

"You let yourself get distracted," Kasumi teased.

"Hardly my fault when the sight is so alluring."

Kasumi's eyes widened with shock.

Ren reacted instantly, throwing up his hands. "S-sorry. I was just teasing."

"R-Right. Of course you were." Sumire stroked the front of her shirt. "A-Anyway, since the mood is already awkward, I may as well say it. I appreciate you spending time with me today. I feel like I've reclaimed a part of myself. This past week was torture. I was stuck in a mire of uncertainty. I wanted to believe that you would help me but I couldn't be sure. Every moment those anxieties ate away at me…"

"I'm sorry," Ren apologized, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I needed the time, but I know this was hard on you."

Kasumi leaned into the contact. She briefly rested her head against his shoulder. As she let her eyes close, Ren saw her relax. It wasn't lost on him how much she trusted him.

"I'm so glad you're here with me. I would not be able to do this by myself."

"None of us would be able to," Ren assured her. "Don't worry, I'll help you stop this no matter what happens."

"Even if Sumire won't help?"

"Yes," Ren nodded. "I love her but that doesn't mean we will always reach the same conclusion."

Kasumi looked up at him then. A new worry shone in her eyes. "If she does side with Maruki…"

"Don't think about that right now," Ren interrupted sharply. "We will reason with her, try to reach an accord. Based on how she was acting this morning, I'd say she's basically with us already."

Kasumi didn't look completely relieved, but she gave a relenting nod. "Very well. And how long do you plan on holding me?"

Ren's hand that was still on her shoulder shot away like Kasumi had turned into a hot stove. "S-Sorry."

Kasumi rolled her eyes and poked him in the side. "Come on. Let's head on over to the restaurant, shall we?"

Ren checked his watch. "We'll get there about an hour early."

"I know. We can just order some coffee and plan our infiltration, right?"

"Lead on then." Ren nodded. They exited the warmth back into the chilly January air. It was only a short five minute walk over to the restaurant. This far before supper time, it was mostly empty. Ren was just glad they were open at all on the holiday.

They picked one of the booths in the back corner. Ren let the server know that they'd be there for a long time. Putting his bag down he went to sit down opposite of Kasumi.

"Where are you going?"

"Umm, nowhere?"

Kasumi rolled her eyes. "I meant why are you sitting there? Come here."

Ren hesitated. He looked between the spot she was patting and her face. "Why?"

"Because it will be easier to compare notes and come up with plans of course!"

Ren conceded without a word. Sliding around to the other side, he settled in beside her. "I ordered us coffees, I hope that was okay."

"It's perfect. Now, I think we should first discuss who we want to approach first."

"Approach?"

"Yes, of the phantom thieves." Kasumi said with a note of exasperation in her voice. She shuffled closer to Ren with a text app open on her phone. With the quick strokes of a practiced typer, she began writing down the names of Ren's closest friends. "Now, I get the feeling that Ryuji will be the easiest, right?"

"Hmmm," Ren pondered the question. "You have a point, no ghosts brought back to mimic family members. On the other hand though… No. Ryuji will never agree first."

"Why?"

"Ann. Now that they're dating, Ryuji will prioritize her. He wouldn't go behind her back."

"Then we approach her."

"But she has Shiho now," Ren complained. He took a break to run a hand through his hair. As he did, Kasumi was frantically typing away, turning his ramblings into bullet points under the respective name headings. "Ann has a lot of guilt about Shiho's attempted suicide. Asking her to subject her friend to that again… I'm not sure if that's the best avenue of approach."

"There should be something there though. A way to get to them. You know them better, so think on it for me."

"Sure." Ren nodded. At that moment, the coffees came, resulting in a brief break. Ren took a sip of the invigorating fluid. Its warmth flooded through him. Placing it back down he turned to Kasumi, leaning in to read better. "Let's list out the problems first."

"Sure?"

"Go to Futaba. Her ghost mother… no, that's not quite right. Shade? Spirit maybe?"

"Ohh, I like shade! Let's go with that. Kind of like the shadows, you know?"

Ren grunted. "I assume they function on a similar principle to the shadows. Just somehow made manifest in our world."

"Hmm, well we don't have anyone knowledgeable enough to help us with that side. For now, I'll right down Wakaba under Futaba and move on?"

"Yeah. For Makoto it's her parents. Haru's father is healed in this world. Then for Yusuke it is Madarame was a proper mentor and his mother came back."

Ren took another drink as Kasumi typed. He didn't notice how their shoulders rubbed together.

"Looking at this though… isn't Ann the starting point that makes the most sense?" Kasumi reiterated. "Her and Ryuji are the only people who don't have shades."

"I was considering using the shades against them actually," Ren said. He had given it quite a bit of thought over the last week. "The shades only respond when needed. They don't have their own desires or passions. If we can make them notice that…"

"I see…" Kasumi added some notes on her phone. "But if the shades respond to make them happy, won't that mean it will be impossible for the people to see them in that state?"

"That's why I thought maybe Futaba would be the easiest to approach," Ren continued, laying out the thoughts he had had. "Wakaba was a cognitive psience researcher. If Futaba for example asks the shade to teach her about Wakaba's research and expresses a desire to let's say commercialize a product from it. Her mother would probably have been willing to help her with that, but I doubt the shade can."

"Hmm… Why can the shade not do it?" Kasumi asked.

"That's where my plan could go wrong," Ren admitted. "I think though that the shade is pulled from the relevant people's cognition. Therefore, it shouldn't be able to speak of things that the people themselves don't know."

"But what about the palaces? The shadows in them can teach you things."

"Yes, but the palaces are all reflections of the person's inner mind. We aren't the ones making them up. For example, Futaba's palace that I was telling you about earlier had a version of her mother that reflected Futaba's fears. I doubt that Wakaba, even if it was a reflection of her mother properly, would be able to recite all of Wakaba's knowledge."

"I don't get why you're confident that they won't have all of the original's knowledge though."

"Because if they did, they should be better impersonations." Ren explained. "They should be like Okumura and have desires and make choices on their own."

Kasumi mused over the information before nodding. "You're right. It should be possible. But really, Futaba? She's like a little sister to you. She suffered so much…"

"Are you getting cold feet?"

"No," Kasumi shook her head. Her eyes reflected the sorrow she was feeling. "But of everyone… she is the one person who deserves this dream."

"Agreed," Ren whispered softly. "But she's moving past it. I don't think she needs the dream either."

Kasumi turned to look up at Ren. With their shoulders pressed against each other, their noses were almost brushing. Despite the close distance, neither of them moved away. He didn't know how she was feeling, but Ren was extremely overwhelmed.

"We can do this," Kasumi whispered intently.

Eventually Ren nodded, shooting her a weak smile. "Alright. I'll hold you to it. Futaba usually eats breakfast with us before returning to her room. Do you want to come over tomorrow?"

"Why not tonight?" Kasumi asked. "It's already been a week.I don't want to waste more time."

Ren considered but shook his head. "No. It will be a family night tonight. I think the four of us are doing something after this supper."

"Fine," Kasumi sighed and turned back to her phone. She typed out what Ren had said and then some of her own thoughts.

While Kasumi was working, Ren took a drink. When he set his cup down, Sumire was there. She was just standing there, stiff as a board. Her face was devoid of colour except the red eyes from crying.

"Sumire?"

She didn't even spare Ren a glance. Sumire collapsed onto the far side of the bench and scooted over until she was opposite her sister. "Kas…"

"Umm, yes?"

Sumire didn't reply, only staring unblinking into her sister's face.

Ren and Kasumi shared a look at the odd behaviour. Leaning forward, Ren grabbed unto Sumire's hand. "Hey. Are you feeling alright? What did Maruki do?"

"Hmm?" Sumire seemed to come awake. She smiled at him and briefly clutched his hand back before extracting it. "Nothing happened. Have you two eaten yet?"

"No…" Ren replied. The server, noticing Sumire, had come over. So he bit back his questions for now and ordered with everyone else. The silence continued through while the server went to get their sandwiches.

Eventually, Kasumi spoke up. "Is there a reason you're staring at me so intently?"

"J-Just happy to see you." Sumire clearly lied.

Ren placed a light hand on Kasumi's thigh. She jumped a little and shot him a look. Ren tried to silently convey his words. He doubted it got through, but Kasumi didn't say anything further.

"Here," Ren slid his remaining coffee across the table.

"Thanks."

There was a minute of silence where the sisters drank coffee and stared at each other. It was a thoroughly unnerving experience that was barely interrupted by the food arriving. Ren thanked the server and distributed the food.

"So, what have you two discussed?" Sumire asked before diving in.

Ren and Kasumi took turns going over the notes they had made and their plan to talk to Futaba tomorrow. By the time that they had finished going over the points Ren thought relevant, Sumire had finished eating.

"I… I think you two should stop this."

"What?" Kasumi asked harshly. "You haven't said anything about your meeting yet. DId he threaten you!?"

"Not me," Sumire whispered.

"Then who?"

"It doesn't matter!" Sumire replied sharply. She was still looking at her knees, unable to meet their gazes. "Just please… do me a favor and stop trying to take power back from Maruki."

"How can you say that?" Kasumi growled. "Haven't you heard? I thought you were on our side?"

"Please," Sumire said, "I'll do anything! Just give up on this."

"No." Kasumi rejected her outright, voice cold.

"Please! Y-You can have Ren! We can work to revoke the changes to gymnastics!"

"That you can even say that shows your continued naivety! What about Ren's choices? Or mine!?" Kasumi fired back, vitriol dropping from her lips.

"But if you take the power back… you still won't be able to choose," Sumire whispered. She finally looked up at them, eyes full of tears. Sumire's lips were trembling as she stared at her sister pleadingly.

"What did Maruki say?" Ren asked suspiciously. "It seems like you agree with us. Did he threaten you?"

"No!" Sumire wailed. "It's what he's done for me already… Kas… You're already dead. I killed you that day in March! B-Because of me you sacrificed yourself to–"

"And you believed that!?" Kasumi cut her off. "You stopped running. You took command of your life! Don't let Maruki play with your head!"

"HE SHOWED ME!" Sumire screamed, standing up. "I saw it. Don't lecture me! You didn't have to hold your sister's dying body as she died! You didn't have to see the light leave her eyes! Tell me Kas, honestly. If our positions were reversed, what would you do? Would you leave me to die?"

Kasumi froze at the question. She seemed to genuinely consider it as she bit her lip. Her eyes filled with uncertainty. Just as Sumire was beginning to adopt a triumphant expression, Kasumi whispered her answer.

"Yes. I would."

"W-What!?"

Kasumi looked straight at her sister, eyes full of fire. "If the consequences of my actions led to your death then yes, I would do my best to accept that and move on."

"Pretty words with no backing." Sumire spat venomously.

"You said it yourself though," Kasumi countered. "I can let people make decisions. You're the one that's always struggled with that. Trust us Sumire. Let me die if Maruki is telling the truth and honestly, I doubt he is."

"I agree," Ren added quickly. "Kasumi doesn't act like a shade. If she was dead this whole time–"

"She's different because we lived in this timeline!" Sumire yelled. "Maruki let us live in this timeline for my sake!"

Ren gaped but it was Kasumi who took the words from his mouth.

"You're saying that everything that has happened this year… was all because Maruki wanted you to be happy?"

"Yes."

"...I don't believe it. I can't!"

"And I can't afford not to!"

Kasumi glared at her sister. "Are you planning on obstructing us?"

"Only if you try to steal Maruki's heart."

"Don't do this…" Kasumi whispered but it was too late.

Sumire had risen and exited the booth. For only the second time since she had arrived, Sumire finally looked at Ren. She reached into her hair and extracted the hair clip that he had given her only this morning. It clicked down unto the tabletop with a sense of finality.

He wanted to say something, but the longing in her eyes made him lose his words. Ren stretched out a hand to her. His fingers were poised halfway between them and the world seemed to pause for a moment as Sumire stared at his hand.

She reached out, hand trembling towards his hand. Her fingers hovering just above his own. At that moment, a shadow passed across Sumire's face. Her hand snapped back and she held it tightly to her chest. Whirling around, Sumire mumbled out one last sentence.

"Take care of each other… Goodbye."

"Su…mi?" Ren muttered stunned. He didn't rise to follow. His body felt like it had no energy left. Completely drained, he could barely feel his numb body beginning to shake.

"That girl," Kasumi moaned. She lowered her head to the table, ignoring propriety.

"I-I don't understand." Ren said. "She… She just broke up with me!"

"Broke up with you? She told me that I'll die if we do the right thing!"

That got Ren's attention. Pushing through the numbness, he put a hand on Kasumi's back. "That was very brave of you. If you–"

Ren couldn't finish before Kasumi threw herself at him. She clutched tightly to his body while burying her face in his chest. Her body was trembling with terror. "I-I don't want to die. I-I…"

"Kas…" Ren felt his eyes beginning to water. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her as tight as he could. Not just for her, but for himself as well. If this continued for too long… He might break as well.

"Don't let me waver. Don't let me back down. Please Ren. We have to do this. Freeing the world is bigger than us. If… If my life is the price… then it is no more than I deserve."

Ren understood how she felt. He felt keenly the guilt that was stabbing into him. What he couldn't feel was his own impending death. He had no idea how Kasumi managed to speak those words, but he nodded. Voice full of respect, he acknowledged her courage. "I will. We will convince the thieves… We will convince the thieves and steal Dr. Maruki's heart. No matter the consequences."

In a moment of strength, he grabbed Sumire's abandoned hair clip and stuck it back in his pocket. He would return it to her at the appropriate time.