December 3
I awoke to a soft whisper calling my name repeatedly.
"Hanako...psst....Hanako, wake up. Guess what day it is?"
"Morgan, I'm not a kid anymore."
I noticed soon after rising from my sleeping position that Morgan was already dressed in his usual daywear; a plain black t-shirt, blue jeans, and even his sneakers. I had fallen asleep in my casual wear, so there was no need for me to change.
"There's no time to lose," he said urgently. "The others are waiting for you downstairs. Let's go."
Without giving me a chance to react properly to his sudden demand, Morgan seized my wrist and took off for the staircase, then bolted down them, nearly causing me to trip and fall. "Slow down!" I cried, but unfortunately for me, my friend payed no attention. Next thing I knew we had skidded to a complete stop inside the kitchen, where I soon found Jeremy, Niall, and Suri seated around the table. Each had a steaming cup of coffee in front of them as they seemed to have been patiently awaiting my arrival.
"Ah, would you look what the cat dragged in," Suri laughed, a surprisingly gentle sound to her voice. She was almost unrecognizable to me. Not only had her tone abandoned its typical strictness, but her usual ponytail was gone, and instead the general had allowed her hair to fall loosely at her shoulders. Additionally, she wasn't wearing her glasses. They were sitting in an open case beside her.
She really does look younger without her glasses.
"Good morning, Hanako," Niall said to me, a kind smile spread across his face. He looked peaceful, which made me glad.
"Good morning to you, too, Niall," I said back.
"Hey, what about me?"
I looked at Jeremy. He seemed somewhat different, too, though his situation seemed rather difficult for me to describe. As he sat with his legs resting on an empty chair, fingers gently clasping the handle of his coffee mug, his single eye was open wide enough for me too identify the emotion that lay behind it.
They all look so...happy. But why? They couldn't possibly just be happy because it's my birthday, could they? There must be some other reason. "Are you guys planning something?" I said, one side of my mouth bending upward into a half-smile. "I'm kind of growing suspicious the more I look at you."
Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "Well, we had planned something, but it's nothing devious or cruel, so don't sound so worried."
"Jeremy is right," Niall reassured me. "It is just a little surprise to celebrate your birthday, that's all."
"What do you mean 'surprise'?"
"It involves taking the train to a city you've probably never been to before," said Jeremy. "Interested as to where exactly we'll be going? I guess the quicker you get ready, the earlier we can go."
I couldn't help but feel excited. It had been a long time since I was ever this excited about my birthday, and just the thought of spending it with people I knew cared about me was enough to grant me a sense of fulfillment. "I guess I'm ready then," I said with a sigh. "Ready when you are."
+++
The air was still and peaceful, which was a rare condition. There were some noticeable winds, but they were all too gentle to be called a bother. The snow had nearly melted entirely, and not a single cloud was in our beautiful, pale blue sky. It almost seemed too perfect.
We climbed aboard the train as soon as we reached the station. It wasn't too crowded, to our satisfaction, and in no time I was seated on a comfortable train seat cushion, staring out the window and watching as the few people on the station platform gradually began to pass me by.
Something in particular, however, caught my eye. As though it were a fishhook that had latched onto me, I was pulled forcefully from my seat and urged to press my face up against the window, peering outside in a desperate attempted to get a better look at what I thought I had just seen. With but a mere second of eye contact between us, this certain somehow and I both were made aware of who the other was.
Short, blonde, furious look on his childlike face, he couldn't have been mistaken for anyone else.
It was Jean. Jean Ortega. And he was now running in my direction.
But what is he doing here?! I shouted mentally. Is he looking for me?
"Hanako?" Morgan touched my shoulder out of concern. "Are you alright? Did you see something?"
It was too late. The train proceeded much faster that the blonde boy's short legs could. In just seconds Jean had completely vanished from my sight, leaving me with yet another barrage of questions. "I must be..." I sat back down on my seat and took a deep breath, doing my best to relax my tense shoulders. "I must be imagining things..."
Morgan's eyes were filled with confusion and worry now, and as he spoke, so were his words. "What did you see? Or rather, who did you see?"
I thought deeply for a moment, debating whether or not it was okay to tell him. Then I realized two important things: one, Niall was sitting right across from me, and bringing up anything pertaining to Jean would probably stir up some unwanted memories: two, Morgan had no clue who Jean was, anyway, so there was no point in explaining what I saw. "It was no one..." I lied, returning my attention to the scenery outside. "Just...no one..."
The remainder of the train ride was spent in complete and utter silence. My eyes were fixed on the window still, particularly at my own reflection, which stared back at me with a cold expression.
+++
"Is the blindfold really necessary, Jeremy?"
"Shh! Yes, now shut up and keep walking."
"I can't see anything!"
"Don't worry, I'm right behind you."
The suspense was killing me. What could possibly have brought them to feel the need to blindfold me? Is it some secret location I wasn't supposed to know the route to?
"We're here. I'm going to take the blindfold off now, okay?"
"Thank you."
I felt Jeremy's hands tug at the blindfold tightly fastened around my head, and he loosened it, then pulled it off completely. I blinked a few times, finding myself having to adjust my eyes to the sudden increase in brightness. It didn't take long for me to be able to see clearly what was standing right in front of us.
We were directly outside of a bar—Fyrillia Bar, it was called. The letters of the bar's name were unlit, suggesting that it was currently closed, which only made me more confused as to why I had been brought here. "Uh, Jeremy-"
"Ah, ah, ah-..." Jeremy's pressed him finger to my lips and gave me a smirk. "Before you ask, I want you to walk in there and do something for me."
My eye twitched. "What."
"First, take a step inside and walk up to the front counter. Next, I want you to knock on the countertop 7 times. And finally, I want you to call out the name 'Luca' in a really deep, sexy, masculine voice. I'll come in soon after that. Okay, Hanako?"
What the heck? "I don't understand you at all, cyborg, but I suppose I'll trust you this time." I took a deep breath and rolled my shoulders, dramatically cracking my knuckles and craning my neck, just as Jeremy had before attempting to do a handstand. As I placed my hand on the smooth, brown wooden door, I glanced over my shoulder at Niall, Suri, and Morgan. Suri wore a sly grin on her face, which frightened me. Niall's expression was kind as usual, but it also held curiosity. Morgan, on the other hand...
"Remember, Hanako...deep and sexy."
Morgan, you idiot...
With that, I pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The bar was completely empty, and not a noise could be heard. I took small, cautious steps forward, my nerves being set on edge as I listened to the creaking of the floorboards. As I approached the counter, I could've sworn I heard shuffling in the distance. The mere thought of it made me jittery. Swallowing my fear and clenching my fists, I knocked against the countertop once. Then twice. Then three times...four....five....six....seven.
My breath peaked; I expected something to happen—anything...but there was only silence. To be honest, it felt like I had stumbled into a ghost town saloon. Now I just had to call out to this guy named Luka, right? I felt stupid, making such a big deal out of something so simple. Taking a deep breath, I shouted in the deepest and clearest voice I could...
"LUCAAAAA!!!"
*CRASH!!*
I heard glass shatter in the near distance, followed by quiet, muffled voices.
"That was my mother's mug, you twit."
"He knocked seven times, Luca. Seven."
"Yeah, yeah, I heard."
"You think it's him?"
"No, his voice was way too deep to be Ryder's. I'll go check it out. You wait here."
I froze. Footsteps were definitely coming closer, but I had no way of telling from what direction. That was when I heard a click...then a hollowed, creaking sound noisier than the floorboards. I leaned over the edge of the counter and squinted at what was below, but unfortunately, I had done this at the wrong time, for my chin smashed against the hard head of the footsteps' owner.
My own head was thrown aside instantly due to the harsh impact, and I stumbled backwards until I tripped and landed on my backside. It hurt both my rear and my pride, so I glared up at the person responsible.
I immediately regretted it upon seeing the man who stood behind the counter.
Compared to me, he was towering, and I liked to think I was fairly tall for my age. His dirty blonde hair fell in thick spikes over his forehead, and a pair of wide, silver eyes back at me with curious intent. To top it off, he was wearing a black vest and a bow tie, pulling together the whole menacing-bartender look.
I found myself tongue-tied, unable to speak properly due to a profound fear that had settled itself in my mind. Strangely enough, the blonde bartender spoke, and his voice didn't at all match his appearance.
"Are you alright? I'm sorry if I startled you...and hit your chin with my head."
Kindness... "No, it's okay. I'm fine." I rose to my feet and brushed the dust off my pants, then walked closer to the man. "I'm sorry for barging in and...shouting...."
The bartender smiled and waved away my apology. "Quite alright, my boy. Jeremy sent you, didn't he?"
"Yes. Are you two friends?"
"I guess you could say that," he laughed softly. "Anyway, could I have your name?"
"I'm Hanako."
"Hanako?" The bartender placed his hand on his chin, humming thoughtfully to himself. "That name rings a bell.....ah, never mind. It's a pleasure to meet ya, Hanako. You can call me Luca."
It was then that the door burst open, and in stormed Jeremy, soon followed by Suri, Niall, and Morgan. With one large sweeping gesture of his hands, Jeremy swung himself at Luka, his mechanical fist soon coming in contact with the unexpected bartender's face. Luca was knocked back against the wall, and the second he regained his balance, I noticed a large bruise had appeared on his cheek. I also noticed...that his eyes had turned black, pupils blood-red with anger.
And my heart sank.
+++
"So let me get this straight: you used to work under Ignis?"
"Sure did," Luca replied, leaning back in his chair and taking a swig of beer. "I even used to be his right hand man, up until...well, I made a mistake and killed the boy he was s'posed to be protectin'. That's how I ended up in this here bar."
"Oh..." I frowned, my gaze dropping to the floor as I nervously averted making eye contact. "I'm...I'm sorry for asking."
"Nah, don't be." He waved away my apology. "My own foolish mistakes were the cause of it."
Morgan gazed intently at Luca with both interest and sympathy, sitting beside me at one of the bar's many empty tables, listening carefully as Luca gave us a brief story of his life and how he became a bartender. He certainly had some good qualities—how easily he seemed to warm up to strangers...and he had a very friendly vibe to him now, much more than when I had first laid eyes on him. One mistake he made, however, was offering everyone free drinks. Niall and Jeremy were somewhere in the back of the bar arm wrestling, and Suri was shouting at the air that she would burn down the entire bar if it wasn't painted over in pink immediately. I could also tell that Morgan was starting to get a bit tipsy after a few drinks as well.
Now Morgan was sixteen. In Gyrahem, as well as in several of the surrounding countries, there existed a light and safe type of alcohol which was legal for those seventeen and up to drink. And even though Morgan's birthday was in the near future, a part of me was still strongly fearful of the idea of my best friend getting drunk.
I could hear him giggling stupidly.
"That's all quite fascinating and stuff, Mr. Luca bartender sir," Morgan began, gradually beginning to slur his words, "but did y'know something? You want me to tell ya something, Juca?"
"That's Luca," the bartender corrected. "And sure, you can tell me something."
Morgan took another sip from his glass. His head bobbed up and down, then slightly in circles, his eyelids fluttering as though he could fall asleep at any moment. Without giving me any warning, Morgan slapped his hand forcefully on my shoulder, causing me to make a startled jump. "My friend right here...this guy's my good fr-...no, my best friend...Hanako. But some people call him the Shadow Keeper, I dunno why, 'cuz I actually think he's a rather bright fellow, y'know? I mean, just look at-"
"What did you just say?"
It was beginning to sound annoyingly repetitive—being addressed by that ridiculous name. But, knowing I couldn't avoid this situation, I took a deep breath, let out an exasperated sigh, and said, "I'm the Shadow Keeper."
"I thought so."
"H-huh?"
"You're awfully transparent, has anyone ever told you that?"
I could feel the blood draining from my face—his words, though few, were capable of reducing me to a nervous, stuttering mess.
"N-no. A-and what do you...w-what do you mean transp-...?"
My sentence was cut off by the shrill sound of a female voice shouting Luca's name from the basement. "Luca!! I need your help down here!!"
Luca clenched his teeth, and he shouted back, "What is it now?!"
"Your dog just broke another seventeen of our special glasses!"
"Are you kidding me!? This has got to be a joke...I'll be right there!!" Luca quickly shoved back his chair and firmly grasped his beer in his hand as he stood up. "You'll have to excuse me, Hanako, Morgan." With that, he headed off to the basement in a raging fit.
And it was just then, as if on cue, that my phone rang. Eyebrows arched, I reached for it and flipped it open, then glanced at the caller ID. However, there was no name, just a bunch of question marks. I was hesitant, but still curious, so I clicked the 'answer call' button. "Hello? This is Hanako speaking," I said timidly.
"Thank goodness I finally reached you."
The deep, muffled voice on the other side of the receiver sounded strangely familiar, but in a way I couldn't describe. "Who is this?"
"Hanako, it's me. Jean."
I nearly dropped my phone. Hearing his name shouldn't have shocked me as much as it did—after all, I just saw him as I was leaving the train station earlier. But why had he been there in the first place? Why was he trying so hard to contact me? "J-Jean, why-?"
"Are you alone?"
My eyes widened. "No. I'm with my...friends...."
"Happy birthday, Hanako."
My heart stopped. Even if it were just for a second, I was sure that it did. Those three little words made me so happy, and I didn't really know why. And the fact those words came from...well, Jean, I guess you could only expect that I'd be a little surprised.
But how had he gotten my number? And how did he know it was my birthday?
"T-thank you, Jean, but..."
"Meet me outside of the bar. Please."
Desperation. There was pure, unadulterated desperation in his voice, and, if I wasn't mistaken, fear as well..
"M-may I ask why?" There was a pause after my question, and I felt my muscles tense with anticipation.
"J-..."
"Just come. Please, Hanako. I'm begging you. There's something I need to tell you."
I glanced at Morgan. He was fast asleep with his head on the table, a stupid smile spread crookedly across his face. He was giggling in his sleep while slowly curling his fingers around his beer bottle, which was now completely empty. I smiled softly and gently ruffled his hair. "I'll be right there, Jean," I replied.
Without anyone else noticing, I quietly slipped out of the bar and immediately began to search for a certain short blonde kid. Surely enough, I found him, leaning against the side of the bar, hands in the pockets of his jeans, cellphone still in his hand, which was shaking for some reason.
"Jean?"
He turned his head to me. His eyes were narrow and filled with uncertainty, but the rest of his expression was undefinable. I tilted my head and tried my best to smile at him, and much to my surprise, he smiled back. "It's good to see you in person, Hanako," he said quietly. "For a while I thought I'd never find you."
I had so many questions, but I decided that now probably wasn't the best time. "Well, here I am," I said. "You said you wanted to me to tell me something right?"
Jean gestured for me to come closer, so I did. He lifted up his head and looked me straight in the eye, then, without another word, he handed his phone to me. It was already unlocked, and the first thing I saw on the screen were a bunch of text messages, all under the contact name 'Sebastian Reed.'
"Who's he?" I asked curiously, resisting the urge to read through the text messages.
"A friend of mine," Jean answered. "But a special kind of friend. He's the person who alerts me on any business involving the Midnight Legion."
"Oh." I frowned, and my good mood was somewhat crushed by the sound of that name. Great. Always happy to hear from the Midnight Legion.
"Sebastian has been tailing and monitoring the twin demons recently, and just a few days ago, he sent me this message." Jean handed me his phone and pointed at the recent messages he received from his friend.
Jean. U won't believe where I am. The Twins' Mansion!! Yeah, I know right? I'm awesome. U can reward me later. ;)
Update: I know what they're planning. And it has to do with u know who. >:/ I'll give ya a hint. His initials are H.I. ((lol))
Hey Frenchy boy guess what? I found this room and there's this girl here and she says her name's Rachel. Is that the girl I was supposed to find? Cuz I found her.
Jean scrolled down to show me the other messages.
Rachel is really pretty
Rachel says hi
Ok, I think it's to risky to go on any further, so I'm taking Rachel and leaving k?
Another update: JEAN. I NEED YOUR HELP I THINK THEY KNOW I'M HERE
RACHEL JUST DISAPPEARED AND I HEARD HER SCREAM JUST NOW
THOSE TWINS MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO HER
hey Jeany boy it's Karm here. ur friend has got a nice phone. i might keep it.
"Oh my gosh..." I breathed raggedly, staring with trembling eyes at the last message. "Well, crap." I lifted my gaze to meet Jean's, unsure as to what expression I should be wearing. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm sorry."
I squinted at him. "What?"
"Hanako, please forgive me for what I am about to do." I noticed Jean reach into his back pocket with his other hand and start to pull out some kind of cloth. "But you know the twins, and the only way they'll give back Sebastian is if I bring you to them."
"J-Jean, you can't be s-"
Before I could finish my sentence, Jean pressed the white cloth forcefully to my mouth until I couldn't breathe any longer, and I blacked out.