I wanted to ask so many questions. "Where are you taking me?" "What's so important?" "Why do you need me?" "Who's Adam?" I decided to just keep my mouth shut since nothing I ask ever gets answered anymore.
Aurora walked me all the way back to the brothel that I had got blown into from the wind yesterday. Inside the building, a couple of the rooms had there doors closed with little signs that said "Occupied ;)."
"We set a barrier in the room that keep all noise from escaping there." Aurora said.
"I didn't ask." I groaned.
Aurora dragged me to a room at the end of a hallway that said "Employees Only." Inside the room were many rows of tall shelves with boxes that looked heavy and full of items. This room didn't have the same atmosphere as the rest of the building did.
Aurora further proved my point after she flipped on a light switch.
"Have a seat over there," Aurora said, pointing at a rectangular table with chairs under the light bulb. "I have to go and get the others, so just sit tight for a sec."
With that, she left the room.
I was left alone, a small fan in the corner of the room was the only noise that I could hear. I started feeling a little uncomfortable.
"I hate being alone." I said to myself.
I thought about that dream I had last night before Wrath woke me up.
"What was that about," I asked myself. "Some random nightmare? Some sort of vision? A horrific future?"
"What about a memory?"
A hard and clear voice echoed from within the room. I jolted up off my chair and looked around.
"Who's there?" I said sternly.
Shana and Wrath weren't with me, so I was completely powerless against whatever was in here with me. However, I poured flames out of the tips of my fingers and took a stance.
"No reason to be alarmed," the voice said. "I've been wanting to meet with you for so long, so if anything I'm glad that you aren't dead yet."
*Click!* *Clack!*
I heard footsteps coming from behind me. I turned around and saw a tall man shrouded in black. From his hoodie, to his pants, all the way up to his head was all black. The hair was long and curly and his face looked very young. His eyes were a heavy, dark green with bags that made him look sleep deprived. The after-shave on his face said that he used to have a beard as well.
"Not what you were expecting?" The young, attractive man asked me.
"You could say that." I said.
"Yeah, everyone says that. I like to consider it a compliment."
This man's smile was both genuine and welcoming. I felt safe around him, if not safer.
"Allow me to introduce myself," the man said. "My name is Kuro Kaen. And…I'm basically God."
…
"…"
…
"…"
"Did I come off a little too strong," Kuro said. "Ah geez… I'm always doing this. I can never make a good first impression. Sorry about that. Oh wait! You're Japanese, so I'm guessing I should lower my head and apologize. Ok then, I'm lowering my head. I'm sorry!"
I stood there, completely dumbfounded as I watched the self-proclaimed god apologize a hundred different times.
"You're…a god?" I asked him, still wracking to process what I had just heard.
"Well, more like "the" God," Kuro said. "Oh right, some people still think that multiple gods exist. I guess I can't blame them since they never actually "see" me, but there are certain rules that'll never change. Then again, I guess you could consider the angels as gods since they're pretty powerful people, but, in the end, I'm pretty much the most powerful one here."
He has to be lying. Why the hell would "the" God just show up out of nowhere and talk to someone like me?
"I've been writing your story for quite a while now, but when your pages went blank, I immediately knew that you were now a part of our spectrum. I'm glad that I can finally meet you face to face Hiro."
He…wanted to meet me?
"I still don't understand. I mean, what's so special about me?"
"Everyone has a story to tell, and that's why everyone is special. Well, except for rapists, cold-blooded murders, and pedophiles. Other than that, they're all wonderful people. I don't discriminate. However, you have a type of power that came from the heavens. A power that belonged to the first human to ever exist."
"The first human?"
"Yes. That human's name was Adam."
Adam…
I wanted to start thinking again, but Aurora along with her group of friends came inside the room.
"Seriously Kuro," Aurora sighed. "Why do you always have to know everything?"
"I don't write your stories Aurora, Lain, Lily, Tanya," Kuro said. "I knew that he was hear because…let's call it a hunch."
All the girls except for Aurora chuckled at his response.
"Anyways, we found Adam. So, what's the plan exactly?"
"Hold on a sec-"
"He isn't Adam."
I wanted to say that they had the wrong guy, but Kuro seemed to figure that part out pretty quickly.
"What?! But, that power…" Aurora exclaimed.
"His power does belong to Adam, but he isn't Adam," Kuro said. "He is Hiro."
"I don't really understand…"
"There isn't anything to understand Aurora. This is just who he is."
I don't know if I should be thanking him or weirded out by him.
"I'm, this power," I interrupted. "What exactly is it?"
"You surely must've noticed it by now," Kuro said, pulling out an apple from his pocket and tossing it to me. "Don't worry. That ones clean."
I looked at the apple. It was bright red and a little wet.
"It's water," Kuro pointed out. "I swear, I wouldn't give you something harmful."
He didn't sound pushy about it. He sounded like he just wanted to give me an apple. I shrugged my shoulders and took a bite out of it.
*Crunch!*
Most apples that I eat at home taste amazing, but sometimes they're kinda hard to bite into. Sometimes I'll draw a bit of blood from it. But this one was much different. It had a crunch, but it was soft. I felt the cool juices from inside drip down my chin. It felt like I was drinking a cool glass of water after a hot day of work.
It tastes perfect.
But also…familiar.
"How is it?" Kuro asked.
"It tastes perfect," I said. "But, why do I feel so nostalgic?"
"This isn't just any ordinary apple Hiro," Kuro said. "That apple came from the Tree of Immortality. A fruit like this isn't meant for a mortal to consume, but I think it would be fine for you now since you're on the spectrum. Right above a human's highest power potential."
"I don't understand. What's this got to do with me?"
Kuro chuckled a little.
"Honestly, I just want to fool around with you guys a little," Kuro said, looking like he's about to burst into laughter. "Although, I technically am telling the truth. Hiro, you aren't Adam, you WERE Adam."
"…"
Huh?
"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME KURO," Aurora shrieked. "WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO JOKE ABOUT EVERYTHING?!?!"
"There she goes." Lain said, a half smile on her face.
"She needs to learn the meaning of a joke." Lily said.
The other girl, who's name was Tanya, just simply smiled.
Kuro put on a smug face.
"Chill out. It was just a prank."
"Um, excuse me," I said, my hand raised like I was in a classroom. "I still have a question."
"What's on your mind Hiro?" Kuro asked.
"Um…who's Adam?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Um…guys?" I said, a little scared.
"I…never took that into consideration," Kuro said, sounding a little hurt. "I guess you were never taught this kind've stuff. *Ahem!* Anyways, I'll explain everything in a bit. For now, follow me for a bit."
Kuro places his hand on my shoulder and started leading me out of the room. We left the four other girls alone. The expressions on their faces were strange, like they had seen every truth that the universe had to offer them.
Except for Tanya, who's smile just turned into a worried frown.