Yuta's cries gradually began to fade as I was swiftly taken farther and farther away from her and the others. No matter what I did to to break away from Ezekiel, he was much too persistent. I had no idea why he insisted on dragging me along with him...but I wanted out immediately.
"Ezekiel, let go of me!"
"Not happening," he said, just as he pulled me around yet another corner.
"Why not?!"
"I can't let anyone with connections to the Shadow Keeper get away from me."
"The Shadow Keeper again, huh?" I looked away from Ezekiel for a minute, a slightly depressed feeling washing over me. "I really wish...people would stop calling him that. His name is Hanako...and he's my best friend."
It was then that I felt a sudden, forceful tug of my arm, and my feet soon skidded to a stop under the shadow of a tree. Ezekiel placed his hands firmly on my shoulders and looked at me with an apologetic expression. "I didn't mean to offend you," he said quietly. "And I truly am sorry for dragging you away from your friends. It's just that...well-"
"Save it." I took his hands and threw them back at him. "If you really were sorry than you would take me back to them."
"Natalya will kill me."
"And what makes you think she won't kill me, too?"
"If you run back to your friends now, I can't guarantee you won't die," Ezekiel said harshly. "There's a good chance this whole amusement park will be in ruins before the day is done. Natalya will stop at nothing to find and eliminate me, but I'm not about ready to let her do that. There are some things I need to do before I die."
I thought on Ezekiel's words for some time, trying to recall why they sounded familiar. It wasn't long before I remembered almost those same words coming out of Niall's mouth the day I last saw him. He had also claimed that there was something he had to do before he died...a question he wanted to find the answer to, and the only person who could answer that question was Hanako. Frankly, it seemed as though everyone I had been running into lately was desperately searching for Hanako for some personal reason. It was almost hard to believe there was a time when I was one of the few people Hanako even spoke to. But now...there was so much I didn't know...and it scared me. I had no idea where he was, what he was doing, why he hadn't come to see me in five years. For all I knew, he could have even forgotten about me. That was what frightened me the most. Hanako was my friend...my best friend...and there was nothing I dreaded more than to hear the words 'who are you?' come out of his mouth.
But this was all just me thinking negatively. Who knew what would happen in my future? It was all up to me and what I chose to do. In this moment, I could choose to run away and risk being trampled by a raging demon, or I could choose to tag along with Ezekiel and hope that he knew what he was doing, while at the same time silently wishing for the safety of my friends. The second option seemed like a cowardly one...however, I trusted Kyo and Ushio to protect themselves as well as Yuta.
"Fine," I said at last. "I'll come along with you without resisting."
Ezekiel seemed to relax a bit after hearing me say this, giving me a smile and a gentle pat on the shoulder as if to say, "Thank you."
"Somebody call the police! There's a dead body!"
"It was her! The lady with the white hair! She killed him!"
"She's a freakin' psychopath! Everyone run for their lives!!"
All of a sudden the screams of terrified citizens began flooding my ears, and the sounds of feet frantically trampling over the cement gradually began to push me further out of my comfort zone. I looked at Ezekiel, hoping he would have some sort of plan as to what we were supposed to do next. Unfortunately for me, the look on Ezekiel's face caused me to suspect him yet again of hiding something, thus adding to the uneasiness that was steadily growing within me.
"We should go," he said finally, swiftly turning around as he put on his sunglasses. I hurriedly followed after him as he began walking in the direction of the Ferris wheel. And as we walked casually at a steady pace towards the amusement park ride, I began to take notice of what a serious, yet relaxed expression Ezekiel was keeping on his face. I was having trouble staying calm...and he made it look so easy. I wanted to ask him why we were headed towards the Ferris wheel, but at the same time I was afraid of what his answer might be.
We're probably going to just take a turn at this next corner...then head out of the park...and I'll be able to go home...yeah....that's all it is...
Those were my thoughts, at least. When we actually reached the next corner, we didn't turn to head out of the park. We kept walking until we were standing directly in front of the Ferris wheel itself. I stopped in my tracks. Ezekiel kept going. "The ride's been shut down," he said, heaving a sigh of disappointment. "No matter. I'm sure I can power this thing up on my own. I mean, it's not like I actually need to power it up, I could always just climb up there, but I'm doing this for your sake."
Is he serious about this? "Uh, Ezekiel, are you sure...this is a good idea?" I asked him hesitantly.
Ezekiel glanced over his shoulder at me, then shrugged as if it was nothing. Not a moment later, a loud whirring noise emitted from the control panel he had been messing with, and suddenly the Ferris wheel's lights flashed on. However, with the instant pull of a lever, the lights were once again switched off. "Can't let Natalya know we're here just yet," Ezekiel said with a laugh. "We gotta get to the top first."
"You're kidding right?!" I exclaimed in disbelief. "There's no way we're seriously getting on the Ferris wheel at a time like this!"
"Then stay right here," he said, pointing at the ground of the little sheltered box we were standing in. "And I mean right here. Don't you go running off. I need to go...hide something real quick."
"On the Ferris wheel?"
"Yeah." Without another word to explain himself, Ezekiel began steadily climbing up the Ferris wheel as if it were just some plain old tree. I leaned over the metal gate in front of me and craned my neck so that I could get a better look at his position. In just a matter of minutes, Ezekiel had reached the center of the Ferris wheel, where he was now hanging from one of the long, steel beams that connected to the outermost parts of the ride. My heart skipped a beat when let one of his arms fall to his side, but I soon noticed he was having no trouble hanging on with just his left hand. With the hand he had just freed, Ezekiel reached into a hidden part of his cloak and took out some strange object, then hurled his arm upward to reclaim the metal beam, whilst still holding tight to previously said object. He inched his way down the beam and closer to the center piece of the Ferris wheel, where he soon began to fix the object onto. I soon heard him breathe an exasperated, "There!" and soon after he started climbing back down to where I was.
I stared at him in awe, and I felt the blood begin to drain from my face as a horrifying thought popped into my mind. "A bomb..." I said aloud without realizing, my gaze dropping to the ground.
"That's correct."
My eyes darted up and fixated on Ezekiel yet again. He wasn't trying to hide it at all...why was that? He had just planted a bomb on a Ferris wheel...and he seemed proud. That same look of pride he wore on his face was what made me even more uncomfortable with being around him. But at this point, there was nothing else I could do.
"Ezekiel the terrorist, huh?"
"That's a rather dull title, don't ya think?" Ezekiel laughed, throwing his arm over my shoulder. "I prefer to be called 'Silencer.' That's the nickname I was given, after all."
"Is that so...?" Cautiously I picked up Ezekiel's arm and slipped out from underneath it, then took a few steps backward to keep my distance. This man is just getting less and less trustworthy by the minute...I'm starting to get scared here...
Just then, as if to further increase the gut-wrenching feeling of it all, the sharp, eardrum-shattering sound of the amusement park's speakers being switched on caused me to collapse and press my hands tightly to the sides of my head. Thankfully, it took just a few moments for the problem to fix itself, and soon a powerful voice began to make an announcement over the speakers for the entire park to hear.
"Listen up, amusement park visitors! I'd like to start this message off by informing you that I have locked off all the exits to the park and destroyed any way of using these phone lines. If you try to use your mobile device to call the police, I swear I will slaughter each and every one of you, mark my words..."
"That's Natalya," said Ezekiel, his eyes narrowing at one of the speakers. "You think you're clever, eh?"
"Now on with what I was saying..." The voice continued. "I'm going to put this in as few words as I can. I want you all to find someone for me. If you can successfully locate him and bring him back to me, I will reward you all with your lives. His name is Ezekiel." All of a sudden a large image of Ezekiel's face was displayed in the sky as a hologram, large enough so that everyone could easily see all the details. "And just in case he decides to change his appearance to fool me, I want you to bring to me anyone who even looks the slightest bit suspicious. No one leaves the park until I have that filthy man at my feet. I'll take him dead or alive. So find him!!"
I couldn't read his expression. As I looked into Ezekiel's eyes, I was only left to wonder what was going through his mind.
"Natalya," he whispered thoughtfully. "I thought you were smarter than this. I guess you still haven't learned...after all these years. No matter what you do...even if you are able to catch me...you won't be able to kill me. I promise you that..."
This guy is seriously scaring me... "Ezekiel, what do we do now?" I asked hesitantly.
"I'll tell you what we're gonna do..." Ezekiel's voice grew darker as he spoke, and ever so slowly he craned his neck until he was staring directly into my eyes. "We're gonna go plant some more bombs."
"No!" I took a step back from Ezekiel and shot him a harsh look. "I'm not going to help you destroy this park!"
"Oh, really....?"
Before I could even blink, Ezekiel was right in front of me with a sharp dagger centimeters away from my throat, and I was pinned in a position that was impossible to get out of. I tried my best not to show fear, but the expression on Ezekiel's face as he looked at me told me that he wouldn't hesitate to kill me if I refused him again.
"You've got two choices..." he said darkly. "You can either be my accomplice until this whole ordeal is over, or...I can just kill you right here. Pick your fate."
"You're one sick, twisted man, Ezekiel," I hissed. "Fine, then. I'll help you."
A devious smirk crept up onto his face as he pulled away from me, returning the dagger to its place at his side. "Wise decision, Morgan. I knew you wouldn't let me down. Now, come along. We've got work t-"
"There he is!!"
"That guy matches the description!"
"Capture him and we'll all be able to leave this place!!"
Shouts from an angry crowd interrupted Ezekiel's sentence, and before long I could see the large mob of people begin to approach. Ezekiel and I shot each other worried glances. The second he looked away, I decided that it was the perfect chance to escape. However, it seemed like Ezekiel had read my mind before I even had the chance to move. He seized my collar and dragged me forcibly out in front of the mob, once again placing his dagger dangerously close to my neck. The people stopped in their tracks and stared at Ezekiel with threatening looks in their eyes.
"Let the man go," I heard someone say.
"What business do you have here anyway?" someone else snapped.
Ezekiel didn't say a word. I could hear his breathing becoming heavier as he stood behind me, scanning the crowd in a panicked manner. This time, I thought, he didn't seem as alert of me. So I took advantage of the opportunity and made my escape. With an elbow to the chest and a deliberate sweeping motion to knock him off his feet, I had Ezekiel on the ground and dazed long enough for me to run away. Luckily he ran off in another direction, as if he had forgotten about me entirely. However...it was at that moment...when I had gotten about 50 yards from the location of the Ferris wheel...that the bomb set off. I was shot forward by the blast of the explosion and hit my head against a brick wall, knocking me out cold in an instant.
+++
I awoke to a soft voice calling my name. It sounded somewhat familiar, but it was too difficult to tell due to the splitting headache I had. I slowly opened my eyes and soon found myself staring into the wide, concerned eyes of a boy I faintly recalled seeing at the cafe months ago.
"H-Haru?"
"You hit your head pretty hard, mister," said Haru. "I'm glad you're awake now. Mister Kyo went to go look for a first aid kit. He should be back soon."
I sat up quickly at the sound of that name. "Kyo was here?" I asked. Haru nodded. "Oh, thank goodness. Was he with two other people? A man and a woman?"
Haru titled his head. "No," he said quietly. "Sorry. It was just him."
"Oh." I hung my head sadly. I hope Ushio and Yuta are still okay...
"Morgan!"
I lifted my head after hearing my name being called and discovered that Kyo was running toward me, and he was carrying what I guessed to be a first aid kit. "Hey, Kyo," I said weakly as he knelt down beside me and immediately began to treat my wounds. "You didn't get caught in the blast, too, did you, Kyo?"
"No, I'm fine," he replied as he started to wrap bandages around my head. "You'll be fine, too, so don't worry. It appears to be just a minor concussion."
"Where are Ushio and Yuta?"
Kyo was silent as he began packing away the first aid kit, avoiding my gaze as if he was ashamed. "I don't know," he said at last, voice almost inaudible. "We got separated a little while ago. I don't know where they are now...but they're fine. Don't you worry about anything. We're all going to make it out of this place alive, understand?"
I stared at Kyo for a moment before finally whispering, "Yeah. But what do we do now?"
"There's only one thing we can do. We've got to find and capture Ezekiel, then bring him to Natalya."
"But how?"
"I haven't planned that far ahead, okay?"
I turned my head away from Kyo shamefully. "Right. I'm sorry."
Kyo got to his feet and looked down at me, then threw out his hand, gesturing for me to take it. Once I did, he helped me to my feet and gave me a little bit of support until I was able to stand on my own. "Are you ready to go?" He asked me.
"Yeah," I said, nodding, but then my eye caught Haru staring up at me from behind Kyo. "Wait...Kyo. What about Haru?"
"His mother is inside the building we're at right now," Kyo informed me. "The little guy will be fine. So let's go."
As Kyo urged me along the path leading away from the building, I glanced over my shoulder at Haru and waved at him, smiling reassuringly until he disappeared inside the brick building.
"Are you sure he'll be alright?" I asked Kyo, picking up my walking pace to catch up with him.
"You sound just like my mother," Kyo sighed. "You worry way to much, Morgan. Just focus on where we're going now."
"Which is...?"
"While you were still unconscious, there was another explosion that took place near the roller coaster we were on earlier today."
"I see..."
Kyo and I continued walking the path we were on for about 10 minutes before reaching the roller coaster. As I suspected, it had been a direct target of Ezekiel's. The entire ride had been destroyed. There were large pieces of metal rusted and lying on the ground, while the coaster car itself was suspended off the side of a portion of the track. I heard Kyo grit his teeth as he stared at the wreckage. "How could that man do something like this?" He groaned. "What is he trying to accomplish?"
"Kyo."
"I guess I should be thankful that no one was on the ride when it happened, but still."
"Kyo."
"I mean, come on! This park just opened! Think of all the money that just went down the drain thanks to him."
"Kyo!!" I unintentionally raised my voice loud enough to create an echo, but I at least I was able to get him to focus. Once Kyo looked at me, I redirected his attention over to a teenage boy standing afar off, injured and trembling. I hadn't recognized him at first, but after gazing into those nostalgic, dark brown eyes of his, I couldn't have mistaken him for anyone other than Aki Izumi, the younger brother of my best friend. If my memory served me correct, he would be around 16 years old by now.
"I can't...I can't believe I'm seeing this..." Aki's voice was low and shaky, but it still resonated a distinct and familiar sound as it did in the past. He reached out his hand but it soon fell back to his side, and he continued to stare at me with an expression of utter disbelief. "How long has it been...?"
"Six or seven years, I believe," I said with a smile. "How have you been, Aki?"
The ginger boy came staggering towards me until he collapsed into my open arms. I held him up against me and pressed his head against my shoulder as he began to sob softly. It wasn't long, however, before he pulled away and began to wipe away his tears, whispering, "I'm okay, I'm fine," repeatedly.
"What are you doing in Aobasani, Aki?" I asked once he had calmed down.
"I'm here on a vacation," he told me. "I thought it'd be nice to check out this new amusement park, but I see now that I made a huge mistake."
"You had no way of knowing what was going to take place today, Aki," I said reassuringly, placing my hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry..."
"Forget about me," Aki said, heaving a sigh. "There's someone I need to find in this park, but I want to tell you something before I go. There were two people I ran into earlier who had asked me if I had seen an orange haired man and a dark brown haired man, both in their twenties. I told them I would keep an eye out for them. They were referring to you two, weren't they?"
I shot Kyo a hopeful glance, then said, "Tell me, did one of these people have green eyes and black hair?"
Aki nodded. "Yes. And the other was a man with white hair."
"Ha-ha! So they managed to stick together after all!" Kyo exclaimed happily, a wide grin appearing on his face. "What was your name again?"
Before Aki was able to answer Kyo's question, I interrupted him by speaking first. "Kyo, this is Hanako's little brother, Aki. Although...I guess he's not all that little anymore, now is he..."
I was expected a noise of shock to come out of Kyo's mouth after I had said this, but instead, he smiled. "Do you miss him?" He said in a tender voice. "Your brother, I mean."
Aki stared at Kyo, his eyes full of wonder. "Yeah..." He spoke quietly. "Yeah, of course I do. Have you met my brother before?"
"No, but I hope to one day."
After pointing us in the direction of where he had last seen our friends, Aki parted ways with us. Kyo and I stuck to the same path until it eventually led us to exactly what we were looking for. Just afar off I could see them now, and after calling out their names just one time, the brother-sister duo came running at us with looks of immense relief plastered on their faces.
"We were so freakin' worried about you guys!" Yuta threw her arms around my neck and gave me a tight squeeze. "I'm so glad you're both okay..."
"I'm glad you're okay, too, Yuta."
"So have you two made any progress on finding Ezekiel yet?" Kyo asked the siblings. "Or rather, do you have a plan?"
"Sort of..."
"What do you mean by that?"
Yuta backed away from me to stand beside Ushio as her snowy haired brother began to explain himself. "Natalya said 'dead or alive.' Yuta and I found this just a little while ago. We think Ezekiel dropped it after running from a mob of park visitors. It's not something I want to resort to, but if it has to be done..." Ushio reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and revealed a dagger...more specifically, the same dagger Ezekiel had threatened me with.
"Are you suggesting we kill Ezekiel?" said Kyo.
"Like I said! It's a last resort!" Ushio quickly hid the weapon again, turning his head to the side as if to avoid our gazes. "I don't want to kill him, but I also don't want to spend the rest of my life locked up in this stupid amusement park."
"Ah, so you're the man who stole my dagger..."
"Don't come any closer, Ezekiel!" Ushio spun around quickly and glared at the cloaked man as he revealed himself to us.
Ezekiel narrowed his eyes at Ushio. "I just want what's rightfully mine," he hissed. "Give it back and I'll leave you all alone."
"Not gonna happen." Ushio took the dagger out of his inside pocket and held it tightly with both hands, all the while remaining attentive to Ezekiel's every move. Despite the risky position he was in, Ezekiel still felt bold enough to run at Ushio full-speed. However, when he was just a foot away from him, Kyo threw out his arm and socked Ezekiel right in the jaw, causing the cloaked man to stumble backwards and fall to the ground. My dark haired friend then took the liberty of snatching the dagger from Ushio's grasp and holding it up to Ezekiel's neck.
"Now you listen here, buddy..." Kyo said in a dark voice as he leaned in closer to the terrorist's face. "You've made this much easier for me by coming to retrieve your dagger, but luckily for you, I'm too much of a coward to actually kill you. However killing you isn't necessary. I'm just going to knock you out, okay? Then we'll let Natalya take care of the rest."
"You can't!!" Ezekiel's eyes shot open and fear began to engulf his entire expression. "You can't bring me to her! I can't die yet! You can't do this!!"
"I can."
Kyo pulled back his arm and swung it at Ezekiel's face, but this wasn't enough to render him unconscious. So he did it again. And again. And again. It seemed like forever before he finally backed away from Ezekiel, throwing the dagger to the side as if deciding he didn't need it anymore. After a few seconds of staring at the terrorist in silence, Kyo lifted up the man and swung him over his shoulder, then began to walk off in another direction without even saying a word to any of us. None of us said a word to him either. He had done us all a favor. He had done everyone in this entire amusement park a favor.
I can't say I'm not a little concerned, though, I thought to myself. Something seems different about Kyo...but I can't place my finger on it. He said I worry too much...maybe that's just it. I hope that's all it is...