The moment we stepped into the property, the air became cold. I looked back at my friends and they were staring dead straight at the house. We were all silently walking forward, but Christy broke the silence.
"This is exciting! We might even find some awesome stuff here!" she said.
"But, wouldn't that count as stealing?" asked Scott, looking uneasy.
"Not if the owners are long gone" she replied with a giggle and a wink.
"I-I saw something!" exclaimed Toby. Christy sighed as she opened the front door casually.
"Ugh, Toby ghosts aren't real! When people die there's no afterlife. Your consciousness just fades away into nothingness" Christy said while making gestures with her hands. I looked at Eliza and noticed she's been really quiet lately.
"Hey, are you okay?" I asked. She looked at me and her expression suddenly changed.
"Yes, of course! I'm just a little scared." she replied.
"Pfft, you're scared a ghost might pop out and take you?" I replied, entering the house.
"O-oii, don't you laugh at me!" she said, pouting.
The house was really dusty. I covered my face with my sleeve and walked through the main hall.
"I liked your gift by the way. I'd definitely use it more often." I told Eliza.
"O-oh, you do?! Well, um, I can try bringing you more tapes to listen to! I mean, I don't know what your taste is but-"
"Anything is fine." I replied, smiling at her.
"This place is huge!!!" I heard Toby on the other room.
"This house must've definitely belonged to a rich guy." I heard the voice of Scott.
"Duh! It's like a mansion!" replied Toby.
"That means more loot!" butted in Christy. I reached the kitchen and looked around. it was big. I turned the knobs on the grills and checked the fridge. All I found was rotten food that smelled extremely bad, so I closed it immediately. I turned and I saw Eliza making a scrunched up face.
"How's your OCD?" I asked.
"Bad." she replied with a look that suggests she will pass out very soon.
"Really bad"
"Maybe you should just explore outside. Come on, I'll take you there." I suggested.
"Okay, okay. I'll just wait where there's the least amount of dust."
We both left the room and I escorted her outside. But as soon as she's out, I heard the whispers from the other day again. I felt that compelling feeling once more, as if I'm searching for something.
"What is it?" I muttered to myself.
"Hold on, Eliza. I'll just, check things out." I told her. Without waiting for her response, I walked around the house going in room by room. The bathroom, the dining hall, the living room.
"Where is it, where is it, where is it." I muttered to myself over and over. I entered the master's bedroom. What I saw was almost like a crime scene. The mattress was clawed and shredded. Broken glass and wine bottle on the floor. A big portrait hanged over the bed was torn. It was probably the past owner of this house.
But what made my gut drop was the skeleton of someone who committed suicide on the floor. He was holding a wine glass on his left hand and a gun in his right hand. I covered my face once more from the horrible stench. Under the gun I saw a locket. I approached slowly and picked it up from the corpse. I opened it, and I saw a carved symbol. The symbol resembles a treble clef. But it looks a little weird.
On the other side of the locket, I can see a strange piece of wood. It has a whitish color with blackish outlines. But what makes it weird is, the more I look at it, my eyes start to hurt and I keep seeing different colors. I touched the wood and the voices in my head sounded closer. I can make out some of the words. But the word I heard the clearest was my name.
"Hikori, Hikori, Hikori" it kept repeating in my head.
"Hikori? Where are you?" I heard Toby call, his voice getting closer.
"He's probably not here. Let's check the kitchen" said the voice of Christy.
"This house is big." replied Toby, their voice fading. I began to feel dizzy. I lost my balance and I landed head first just a few inches away from the corpse.
"Mother, mother, mother... Brothers, brothers, brothers." the voices said.
"What? Mom? Akio... Haru...." I muttered. Then I lost consciousness.
******************************
"Hikori! Hikori, wake up!" I heard a muffled voice. I opened my eyes slowly. I saw my friends arguing.
"Maybe we should've just called an ambulance!"
"There's no need! He'll wake up soon enough"
"Maybe he's just exhausted "
"MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHY WAS HE IN A ROOM WITH A CORPSE?!"
"Hey! He's waking up!"
All of them gathered around me.
"I told you he'll wake up" said Christy.
"Are you okay? Did something happen?" asked Eliza, tearing up.
"What was the deal with the dead body Hikori?!" asked Toby with a panicked expression in his face.
"We shouldn't do this again." said Scott crying.
"No, it's-" I slipped my hand in my pocket and felt the locket was there.
"It's nothing, and I don't really know anything about the dead body, probably the past owner." I replied.
"Oh uh, how long did I pass out?"
"It was over thirty minutes ago-"
"Thirty minutes?!" I exclaimed, cutting off Scott.
"I-I need to get going!" I stood up quickly and begin collecting myself.
"See you all next week!" I called behind as I run down the sidewalk.
"Are you sure you're okay?!" Eliza called back. I just replied by waving my hand over my head.
'Ohh I'm dead.' I thought to myself. 'Im definitely dead.'
The sun was beginning to set. Our street was getting dark. As I approached our apartment, I heard two men arguing. They were standing beside our building making angry gestures at each other. When I passed by, they both stopped and gave me scary looks.
I did my best to ignore them and went on to face my own doom. I hid my cap in my bag as I was climbing on the stairs. When I reached our floor, I took a deep breath as I walked towards our door. I opened it, and much expected, heard her voice immediately.
"Where were you?!" she asked.
"I-I got held up at schoo-"
"To hell with that! I called your school so don't fucking lie to me!" she shouted.
"Well, it's my birthday! I at least want to have fun with-" She cuts me off with a strong slap in the face.
"Fuck your birthday! You don't talk back to me you got it?! Watch your tone!"
My cap fell from my bag. It seems like I forgot to zip my bag. Mom looked at the red cap lying on the floor and her expression grew more threatening.
"What is this?" she picked it up.
"What the fuck is this shit?!" She asked me, waving it in my face.
"What have I told you?! I don't want your Ninhoni shit in this house!" She threw my cap on the floor and raised her leg to step on it. I tried to reach forward to take it, but as soon as she steps on the cap, the whole building shook violently. 'Earthquake?!' I thought to myself. My two brothers went out of their room and ran towards us.
"Haru!! Akio!" Just as I was about to reach for them, an explosion happened. I felt the force knock me back and everything I saw was black. When I opened my eyes, it was as if time stopped. I saw bricks floating. People falling down with limbs bent in twisted angles.
Shattered glass suspended in the air. I guess time slows down when you're about to die. I looked down and I saw the silhouette of a man, standing above the rubble. And I passed out for the second time that day.
I can hear sirens wailing. When I regained consciousness, I was sitting on an ambulance. I saw officials checking out the areas. Police lines were around the scene. And I saw.... Mr. Osura?! He was talking with those red coats again from earlier.
'Akio! Haru!' I suddenly thought about them. I hopped out of the ambulance and ran towards Mr. Osura.
"Mr. Osura!" I called while running towards him. I gasped for air once I reached him. My body was aching all over.
"Oh, Hikori, you're awake I see." he said.
"What happened here? To Akio, Haru?" I asked. His expression became grim. I already know what he's gonna say before he did.
"Hikori, I'm sorry-" I shoved him out of the way and began rummaging through the rubble.
"Where are they, where are they?!" I desperately searched.
"Please... Not them too... God, please..." tears begin to roll down my face.
"Please... Please.." each debris gets heavier and heavier the more I dig. I ended up sobbing silently. I gripped the rock so hard till my hand bled. I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Hikori, I know what you feel." said Mr. Osura.
"What.... Happened.... What did this?!" I suddenly remember the silhouette of a man earlier.
"Who... Did this?!" I asked. There was a moment of silence from Osura.
"I'll tell you the details later." he finally said.
"Oh no, I want to know now!" I stood up and turned to him.
"This isn't something that happens naturally. YOU being here isn't natural even!" I exclaimed.
"What's wrong with a concerned teacher trying to see his student."
"Don't lie! Please... I know you're hiding something and I don't care. I just want to know what happened here..." I said. Osura sighed.
"Your father is looking for you." he told me. After hearing that, a lot of emotions stirred up inside me all at the same time.
"Him?! The same person that left his family, to rot and be broken?!" I blurted out.
"The same person that left his WIFE to die! And his children to get adopted by a, a depressed and abusive woman?!" I told him angrily.
"Now listen Hikori-" he started.
"He chose his duty over his family. He got what he wanted so why the hell would he bother to come back? When everything is already gone."
Osura gestures me to sit.
"Let's talk, Hikori." we both sat down on a fallen pillar.
"Your father, regretted his mistakes. He has been searching for his family for the past six years. He was devastated when he heard news that his wife, your mom, passed away from sickness. He later found out that you were put up for adoption. He had a hard time looking for you three. So he asked us and a few other people to keep an eye out for you. And we agreed." he explained.
"He still loves you Hikori. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been a drunkard and down on his spirits all the time."
"That still doesn't change his past. He should've thought of that sooner. Now he lost two more of his sons." I replied. We both looked at the distance in silence for a while.
"As for what did this. A creature we call Drakais did it." he said.
"Drakais? I haven't heard those kinds of creatures before." I asked.
"Humanoid beasts. They have deformed bodies and mostly hunt in packs. Their main preys are usually just animals, but when they're desperate they can go for humans. Some Drakai species can be extremely powerful if left alone. Like this particular one." he explained.
"How come we haven't known about it? Creatures like that living in this world with us?" I asked.
"That's because we prevent it. We're the ones dealing with this case." Osura stood up and I noticed he had a ring with the same insignia with those red coats.
"Who's 'We'?"
"Hikori, we're the Shinki Corps. We deal with lots of cases behind the scenes." he answered, looking at me with stern eyes.
"We'll always be here for you."
I suddenly had a flashback. This is the same organization my dad works in. He wore the same coat and insignia the last I remember him.
"My dad... He works here doesn't he?" I asked.
"Yes... However, we'll be asking you to come with us. As you know plenty already. You are a strong child Hikori. And I know you can overcome obstacles over and over."
"Why does it even matter. I don't even have a purpose anymore." I told him, looking down.
"You have a purpose, boy. You just don't see it. Brush off those dirt and grime on your diamond, and you'll see it shining." he smiled, offering me his hand. I smiled back and took it.
"So every single person here is from the Shinki Corps?" I asked while walking.
"Yes, we have made a deal with governments that Drakai related activity are to be handled by us. The Shinki has different branches, but it's too much to explain all at once. But this current branch is the military branch. We deal with actions against Drakais." he explained.
"Oh, I see." I replied, with a confused face. While we were talking, I saw my cap on the distance. I excused myself and ran full speed towards it.
"It doesn't have a rip." I brushed off the dust and put it on. I lowered my cap as the scene sinks in on me again.
"Hikori, we should get going. They're going to clean this area soon." Osura called. I looked at the collapsed building once more. Seeing other survivors, crying about losing their loved ones. I looked at the sky, 'Haru, Akio... I love you both, Goodbye.'
**********************************
A day later, I was in a truck with Mr. Osura and Shinki personnel. Osura told us that we're going to the Shinki headquarters located at the border intersecting Unima, Ninho, and Salacknovekia. The three of the four main countries.
"How long till we get to the headquarters?" I asked.
"We call it 'The Citadel', and it's far so it will probably take us at least two days. Better rest up." Osura replied. We fell silent for a while. The other people were sleeping in their seats.
"Hey, Mr. Osura. Why the red coats?" I asked.
"The military also has its branches called divisions.. There are the green coats, they are the scouts division. They pinpoint locations of Drakai groups, gathering, or possibly a nest. The bluish coats are the logistics and research division. They aid the soldiers in locating Drakai hotspots and offer any relevant information to other squads. And finally, the red coats are the exterminator division. They finish the job by killing the Drakais. The heavy duty per se." he replied.
"Are you sure you want to join the Shinki? You were only asked to meet your father." said Osura.
"I could care less about my old man. I just want to eliminate Drakais... I want to prevent this from happening to anyone else as much as I can. And that's what I want." I replied.
"You will be pronounced dead, and will be asked not to connect with any person you may know in the past." he said.
"So, I have to leave this life behind? My friends?..." I asked. He took a deep breath
"At this point, do you have any choice?" he replied.
"I understand." I told him back, looking down.
"Oh I forgot to mention Hikori." he picked something up from his bag. It was a green wool jacket.
"Happy Birthday, Hikori. I know you have gone through a lot, so this is the least I could do." he told me. At that point, I couldn't hold back my tears. I broke down crying on his shoulder. He smiled and patted my back.
"Get rest Hikori, it's gonna be hectic at the Citadel once we arrive." he suggested, leaning on his seat to get a shut eye. I wiped my tears and leaned back. I pulled out my Walkman, fortunately I was able to retrieve it when I saw my bag still intact. I listened to the song while staring outside the window. My first time going out of city and in the worst possible situation.
I was watching out the window while listening to music on repeat. Once we were out of Wilbell city, there was nothing but rural areas. Passed by small towns and farmlands. The air was cool, it felt so different rather than being in the city. I can see mountains in the distance and the skies were clear. The whole scenery was beautiful.
I felt so nice that I laid back and dozed off. It took us eight hours to reach our neighbouring city, City Smokes. City Smokes is the biggest city among the five cities in Unima. One of which was Wilbell city, the city I recently lived in. We drove for another thirty minutes to find a place to stay in for the night.
We stopped in front of an old style motel. The parking lot was mostly empty except for three vehicles including our truck. We entered through the doors and I looked around. It was as if I was in some sort of fantasy-like tavern. Wooden tables and chairs. Candles for light above our heads. And an innkeeper who greeted us.
"Welcome to Quincy's tavern! How may I help you?"
We approached the man and Osura told me to sit beside for a while. They were having a discussion. I didn't quite get what they were talking about because I was extremely tired. Osura showed something to the innkeeper and his expression changed. He looks shocked and bewildered.
"Oh dear, welcome welcome! You may stay here for the night! Come, come!" he told us while going upstairs. I stood up and walked beside Osura.
"What was that about? You know, the thing you showed him?" I asked. He grinned at me and continued to climb the stairs.
"You probably won't get it if I explained right now. You're tired aren't you?" he replied. It was true, my mind's getting all fuzzy. All I can think of right now is a soft bed to sleep in. When we arrived at the second floor, a few housekeepers passed by us, and we saw the innkeeper standing on the doorway of one of the rooms.
"Please, make yourself at home." he told me, gesturing me to go in. I did not hesitate. The moment I entered, I slumped in the bed. It was so soft I can doze off any second.
"As for you Mr. Gajin, your room is next door." I heard the man say. 'Gajin?' I thought, 'What is that?'
I pushed that thought away for tomorrow, I need rest. I closed the door and turned off the lights. I buried myself in the bed and began to snooze.