*Thud!*
After being engulfed by the portal, Ae Rin found herself among the bushes in a place which she assumed was a misty and chilly forest.
"Ow! W-where did I even bring myself?" She thought to herself as she got up and eyed the area for any harmful animals or persuaders and was relieved that no one was around.
She winced in pain as she limped forward, hoping to find a clue which can lead her to the highway or a nearby town.
"Wait a sec, someone's coming." She froze in her tracks when she heard a faint sound in the distance.
She slowly retreated a few steps backwards when the sound started to become clearer and clearer as a big inhuman figure came to her view.
"God, seriously? That scared the hell out of me!" She sighed in relief as she realised that it was a car playing a hip-hop music, coming her way. Without thinking further, she stood at the side and stuck out her thumb asking for a lift.
The driver seemed to have noticed her gesture and drove to her side and stopped.
But, the moment their met, they both looked at each other in shock.
"YOU?!" Both of them said in sync when they realised who the other person was.
The person infront of her in the driving seat was none other than Ryouta, Kyou's best friend/ the flirt.
"W-what happened to you?! Were you in some kind of a battle?!" He said as he came out of his car and noticed her blood soaked shirt and slightly ripped sleeves from the battle.
"I am injured ..and might not... be able to stand.. for so long as well...Take me to the hosp..ital..plea..se..." She said as she collapsed in his arms and passed out.
"A-Ae Rin! Can you hear me? Oh god, Oh god!" He panicked as he lifted her and set her down in his car and drove to a nearby hospital.
*At the hospital*
"Is she okay now, doctor?"
"Don't worry, she's a strong woman. Even after so much blood loss, she was able to survive. May I ask you how did she acquire such a toxic poison? It's still hard to believe that she survived it. Normally, people would die within a minute after its consumption."
"I am not sure, either. I was just passing through a forest and I noticed her in that state."
"Oh, is that so? I thought you were her family."
"No, I m...just a friend of hers."
"Oh, alright. I'll be back in a moment. If anything happens to her, please inform one of the nurses."
Ryouta nodded and the doctor left both of them alone.
His gaze shifted to the unconscious Ae Rin lying on the bed.
"What kinda monster are you to survive such a poison?" He said.
"A demon, perhaps." Ae Rin opened her eyes all of a sudden and turned to look at him with a meaningful smile.
His eyebrows shot up in surprise to see her gain consciousness so fast.
"Really, a demon? Could be possible." He laughed.
"Jokes apart....do you know where Kyou is right now?" She asked abruptly.
In return of an answer, he just stared at her confusedly and said, "Kyou? Who's that?"
"Now you're gonna act like this? I asked where you best friend, Kyou Agatsuma is!" She sighed in frustration.
"Wha? Kyou..who? Look, I really don't know what you're talking about." He replied.
Ae Rin's eyes widened in fear as she realised that he was not joking or lying and that it was something else.
"D-don't tell me.....the portal which I used to let him escape...did I accidentally use the Fading Void? No way....This can't be happening!" She mumbled under her breath.
"Uh...Ae Rin? Is something the matter? You look pale." Ryouta asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
She hurriedly turned towards him and grabbed his hand, "Please, take me back to my house! It's on 23rd Street near the Water Valley Park."
"But..! Ok..fine... let's go." He sighed.
They drove all the way to her house and without waiting, she dashed inside her house and made her way to the bedroom where Kyou used.
"It's...empty.." She fell to the ground as tears rolled down her cheeks when she saw that the room was completely empty and Kyou's belongings had disappeared.
"I...what did I do to him?!" She cried.
Apparently, the portal of Fading Void is a dark portal which basically wipes out the memory of the person who had been into it completely and also the memory of the people who had known him before. It's like as if that person never was a part of their lives. In fact, he would be living in a completely different environment with different people who would be seen as his friends. The only thing which will remain same is his name, physical features, behaviour, birth date, etc.