Reiji was walking a step ahead holding Aki's hand, beside the railway, through the fog. Aki was silent and wasn't looking how he was walking so he stumbled on a stone and fell. Reiji didn't let go of his hand. This time he became aware of his surroundings. He tried to unhand himself but Reiji didn't let go. Instead he sat beside holding his hand.
He noticed tears on Aki's face, 'Did you like my father so much that you cried while parting with him?'
'I wasn't crying. I don't know what came over me. Let go of my hand.' Aki insisted.
'Is it hurting you?' Aki couldn't understand what he meant.
He thought Reiji might be asking about his feet which had hit the stone.
'Yes!' Reiji looked upset and let go of his hand as he thought he was hurting Aki's hand.
'Can you get up?' Aki felt like he couldn't walk.
As if his soul has left the body. He can't move his body or maybe he is so exhausted that he can't move. He suddenly felt hungry.
'I want to eat.' He started finding something in the jacket.
But because he was disoriented, he couldn't find it. Reiji noticed Aki repeatedly searching the same pocket. 'There are other pockets besides these,' he said as he began rummaging. 'Can you tell me what you're looking for?' Aki fixed his gaze on Reiji. His heart feels heavy.
Reiji found three energy bars and gave them to Aki.
Aki began to eat them while sitting comfortably. Reiji got up and didn't disturb him while he was eating. While eating, Aki looked so adorable that Reiji couldn't take his eyes off him. But Aki was so immersed in thinking and eating. Reiji was smiling. Reiji stopped smiling and saw Aki was engrossed in thinking and eating slowly. He was often forgetting to chew, sometimes forgetting to take a bite.
"Why do you have to be so adorable!" Reiji smiled as he kept thinking.
Aki suddenly asked, 'Who are you all?'
Reiji knelt down on one knee and looked at Aki. Reiji touched the corner of Aki's lip and removed a crumble from Aki's face. Aki didn't dodge. He looked at Reiji.
His eyes are soft while speaking, 'Jinn. You can categorise us as them.'
'Jinn?! What…is that? Are they like spirits and ghosts?' Hearing Aki, Reiji laughed.
'Let's go.We are getting late.' Reiji urged him.
A vintage train whizzed by.
His hair fluttered in the wind, messing up his face as he looked at the train. The messed hair was taken care of by Reiji. Aki observed that he was still unable to walk. He was walking with pain.
'Hold on to me,' Reiji said as he extended his hand.
Aki didn't listen. He kept walking.
'Do you want me to carry you?' Reiji threatened him.
'I will kill you if you do!' Reiji laughed as Aki was very angry.
'What made you angry?' Reiji softens his tone.
'I'm angry because I don't know how long I will be asleep like this. I don't know where I am and what kind of situation my body is in.' Aki exhaled his exhaustion.
'Are you trying to say that you are…lost in your nightmare?' Reiji was surprised.
'What else can it be? You didn't answer my questions. So it all might be my mind playing tricks on me. My mind does not know the answer so it is making up these illusions as you are avoiding the answers. I want to wake up.' Aki said.
Reiji was utterly surprised at the summarization, 'Wow! Who said you needed a psychiatrist?'
'I never…needed it.' Aki's voice was down.
Then why did you search for me? Did you at some point…thought you might be going crazy?' Reiji asked while walking.
Aki would be lying if he said he didn't.The doubts sometimes made him concerned but he didn't pay attention to that, 'I just didn't want to hurt mom. She had this belief that having a different heart might be causing me these hallucinations.'
'It can sometimes though.' Reiji kept walking behind him.
Aki didn't look back at him. He was hurting but wasn't asking for help. Reiji was looking at him continuously and was feeling restless because Aki was having trouble walking.
'I know. But that's not the case for me. I used to see unusual things since I was of age. So that's not true for me. But yes…it's gotten a lot worse recently. I don't mind though.'
As long as he can differentiate where he should pretend to be blind. Reiji got irritated by Aki's limping and went ahead of Aki and bent down.
Aki was surprised to see Reiji act like that, 'What are you doing? Why blocking…'
'Get on before I lose my mind. We are getting late.'
'What!!'Aki patted Reiji's shoulder and said, 'Ok..Please don't. I won't be comfortable.'
Reiji got up with a disappointed face.
'It was my fault that I fell and I know I'm slowing you down. But please let it be this way because I want to take this time to get to know you.' Aki's eyes were curious and Reiji couldn't say anything anymore.
He just kept watching from behind and kept walking.
'I'm not in your nightmare. You are not inside a nightmare.' Reiji tried to clear.
'I am not, maybe... But you have no idea how crazy my nightmares are! Sometimes I can't believe it myself. I saw somebody getting hurt and that very person got hurt! I saw you in my nightmare as well and now! You are here…'
'You saw me?' Reiji only caught that.
Aki frowned while saying, 'Hm...I did…The office became quiet,because you weren't there.'
'Did you miss me?' Aki stopped walking when Reiji asked. He was thinking something. Then answered in a low tone, 'I did.'
Suddenly Aki's expression changes, 'Tell me,Everything! Make me believe that this is real.
'Isn't it better to think of this as a nightmare? You will probably won't remember anything about this incident.' Reiji's voice was very calm.
'I don't want to have that feeling again.' Aki became silent but thoughts were talking inside his head.
"I had forgotten about how my mother died...for a period of time. But eventually remembered everything. There is a part of me that wants to forget those but if I forget those I will have to forget my mother's love as well. Sara is like my mom, I would say she is my mom, she would do anything to save me…that's how much she loves me. But that doesn't mean I can replace my mom."
'Nothing should be replaced…' Reiji listened to Aki silently, 'Not sorrow, not happiness.'
Reiji looked into Aki's eyes. There were so many thoughts, not spoken out loud.
"We need to feel everything to become 'myself'. I couldn't let my mom go nor could I let go of my friend. My surroundings think I have suppressed my emotions. But I didn't do it though...I just let it flow as it had wanted. Without resisting them...If I resist I will fall…"
Aki went silent, eventually distracted and kept walking on the train track's line as his thoughts carried on. Reiji saw Aki limping but it was not showing when he was walking on train tracks. Nobody can guess Aki is limping because no one can walk in a normal way inside a train track. Everyone will stagger while walking in there.
"So one can blend in their flaws by adjusting in another poor situation without trying to heal themselves." Reiji sometimes examines how patients behave to cope up.)
'Are you trying to camouflage yourself ? So that I can't see you are staggering?! You will get hurt. Get down. Right now.' Reiji insisted.
'I'm not. I am just saying if you go with the flow you will blend in.' Aki smiles.
'You cannot blend into everything. There are rules and side effects in every situation. If you walk here with your injured leg like that, this will only make your injury unable to heal. So instead of trying to blend in by hurting yourself, why don't you take another way so that you can give yourself time to heal and not have any side effects.' Reiji smiles as he brings Aki off from the train track.
Aki was silent and kept walking while holding Reiji's hand.
'Then instead of hiding and making excuses why don't you answer me so that I can find a way to heal my imagination.' Aki altered the question.
Reiji was left speechless, 'You are really!! You did that purposely!??Huh!'
Reiji rubs his eyebrow in frustration, 'I answered you already...We are Jinn...and no we are not ghosts. We are something that was created before humans. We were made from fire and were given powers to live on earth.'
Aki imagined the story in his head as Reiji kept on telling.
For some reasons the ancestors lost the favour of the Almighty. Then The Almighty created humans and the earth became a place for humans and Jinns had to adjust by staying where humans won't interfere. Overtime, Jinn made their own world out of human sight. But now maximum places are being used as common places where humans and Jinns both are living together.
'We are invisible to humans unless we want them to show ourselves. We even live among them as humans. But humans cannot live in our territories. They are strictly forbidden for humans. Like today's.' Reiji stops and waits for Aki's response which he did, 'So…you are saying we took your lands? Your world?'
Reiji smiled, 'Ya ! In a way. But that's our punishment as well. We are all subjected to the Almighty in the same way like humans.'
They, too, must face punishments, rebirth, and, eventually, judgement. Aki remained silent.
'It's just we can coexist if we don't mess with each other's life. You won't understand that. Just know that we have to maintain a distant relationship.'
'If we are the same then why don't humans have powers like you all?' Aki's question made Reiji frown.
'You are powerful, in your own way. We are…different from that, that's why we are being punished.
Power makes you forget kindness and makes you conceited. That's what the ancestors did. That is why they can't befriend humans,God's most beloved humans.
'So power doesn't make your life better?' Aki felt it was odd.
To the Jinns, it's mostly like hands and feet. Nothing else.
'There are issues...love,hatred, friends and enemies,same as your human world has. The only difference is that we are supernatural beings while you are not. but even we Jinns have our own lives, our own problems.'
Aki was hung up on one thing,'Why can't we live together?'
The wind made the silence strong.
'I don't know. We can help humans. But we cannot,must not harm them or have a family with them. It will create another chaos.'
'Ok! Do you die or are you immortal?' Aki holds his breath.
'We are not immortal but we can live for thousands of years if not killed.' Reiji answered while looking away from Aki's eyes.
'How old is your father? He seems so young just like you.' Aki was curious to see such a young person as father to someone like Reiji.
'He is young. He was born in the 1900s. So ya! You can say he is young.' Aki was disappointed to hear that, 'What! I thought he might be a thousand years old.'
'Sorry to disappoint you. But no!' Reiji's smile touched Aki's heart.
Reiji's mother is also the same but a few years older than Reiji's father.
'Are you rich?' Reiji laughed at the question.
'Yes we are.' Smile deemed down a bit from his face.
'But our family name precedes us more than wealth.' Reiji's face became blank.
That was obvious. His father held the authority over those two Lords.
'Weren't you afraid of him? He is the most feared but respected even among the purebloods. Did you not have the slightest worry while facing him?' Reiji wanted to know what Aki was thinking.
Aki smirked, 'Most of the time I was thinking I was in a nightmare.'
'Are you fearless in a nightmare?' Reiji seemed to admire the courage to be fearless.
'I am...unless it's about someone I care for.' Aki doesn't seem to understand but he saw he had reached the station and he saw Joshua had returned.
To see him well Aki couldn't contain his relief and hurried to him.Then hugged him, 'Are you ok? Why did you come back from the hospital? What did the doctor say?'
'Calm down!' Joshua was surprised to see Aki here.
When Aki understood, he felt awkward.
He released the hug,'Sorry!'
Joshua didn't say anything. But he felt the sincerity from Aki, 'I am ok. It was nothing much. What were you doing here?'
'Um...I was…' Aki couldn't see Reiji anywhere so he turned back. 'lost while walking. I missed the train. What did the doctor say?'
'Nothing much. I will have to take a rest…' Joshua stopped as Reiji appeared)
'Brother ! How did the guard receive the information about your injury?' Reiji asked without asking the wellbeing of Joshua.
'Daichi informed them. Did anything happen? He got caught?' Aki was looking at both of them.
'No! But he…' Reiji pointed towards Aki, 'got in a mess because of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.'
'Joshua looked at Aki.
Aki was astonished, 'This is your brother…whom I hurt.?..no before that ! you too?! A Jinn?'
'He knows?' Joshua asked with a surprised face.
Reiji nodded, Ya! I will tell you everything later. First I have to take him home. Let's go.'
Aki was utterly astounded with the turn of events. He stepped on the train.
Reiji sat beside him, 'You seem to like Joshua a lot.'
'Yes I do.' He saw Aki was thinking something while answering.
'Is it only me that you don't like?'Aki didn't answer because he was thinking. A moment passed then Aki spoke, 'Before I asked Joshua what was the thing going on with the train station. He didn't say anything. He acted like nothing even after knowing that I can see things.'
Reiji felt uncomfortable, 'I'm sure he must have forgotten. Why don't you sleep? I will wake you up when you get near.'
The idea was better to consider. 'Ok!' Aki nodded.
Aki fell asleep on Reiji's shoulder as he was sleeping. Reiji rested his head on his shoulder, ensuring that he did not fall. He lightly stroked Aki's cheek.
"Should I make you forget these things?" Reiji smiled and took Aki's hand in his palms.
He was looking outside. The train passed through nature.
'Mother!' Reiji knocked on the door before entering.
'There is an order for execution. Your father and I cannot interfere in this matter.' Sayo said.
'Is it about that family?' Reiji could guess.
'Yes. I want you to confirm whether that person is really a dealer or not.'
'Yes, mother.' Reiji was feeling conflicted as he was never ordered to do something like this.
Sayo read his mind, 'You possess the power to cut off the connection between a dealer and a Jinn. You have been giving them an opportunity to repent. And now you have a powerful force of your own and the clan. If you intervene, no pureblood will doubt your intention. Moreover you are a Ruan Rei, so hardly anyone will question you if you postpone.'
Reiji was curious what the kid had done, 'What has he done?'
'He has done nothing I believe. But it is reported that someone is using your sister's alias and collecting souls. He is taking portraits of humans and sealing their souls in them. Then hides their body with the help of a Jinn. That Jinn had to help by changing his appearance and committing crimes disguising as them. He is also making money out of that. That man is now trying to enter here.' Sayo closed her eyes then opened to look at Reiji.
'But sister would never do that!!!' Reiji became angry.
'I have called you here to make a request.' Sayo interrupted Reiji.
'Mother! What are you saying!? You just order me...anything.' Reiji was embarrassed and quickly bowed to her.
'I know you will do everything I say. But your sense of justice will be compromised. I want you to see him and observe him. State me your opinion then. I will listen to it. If he is innocent then Protect him…with all your might. I,Ruan Sayo cannot interfere here, you might have got the reason why. I will Stage a coincidence and you tell them that you had found this guy through your job then no one will doubt. Your father will call back Joshua. Meet with him disguised as Joshua so that everyone knows that you went there to kill him as Joshua but reveal yourself only when you see that he is not the one and postpone it. During that time,talk with him. I'm sure you will see why I am doing this.' Sayo went silent
'I will do as you have told me.' Reiji nodded and obeyed her decision.
Aki was leaning on the window's side. Reiji touched Aki's cheek lightly with one finger. Moved out the hair that was hiding his eyes.
"Do you know that your right eye changes colour from amber to hazel just like our mother's? I thought you only have resemblance. But why does your eye change like Sora's? Why?Are you really hers?" Reiji leaned back as he kept thinking.
When they reached home it was almost dawn. Reiji bade goodbye and was about to take his leave but Aki stopped him.
'You will disappear again?' Reiji felt content seeing Aki's concern.
He felt jealous when Aki was having a hard parting for his father. He wished Aki had shown a little more affection towards him. He didn't expect his wish would be fulfilled this early.
'I will see you at the clinic.' Reiji smiled.
'Ok.'Aki went inside.
Ginger came to him. Aki picked him up and hugged him. Ginger moved and licked him on his cheek. Aki thought to take a shower to relax his mind.