" Are you kidding me !!?? "
The unbelievable tone of her sounds reached his ears. The man who she has trouble thinking about the entire day since he arrived. But before she could go any further with her complain the man in front of her pull her into a hug that surprise her for a second.
" I... I'm sorry...i just can't believe it. You really changed so much "
Rei who's body stiff at first eventually relax into his hug. She start to get comfortable with his warmth
"At least ask me first... idiot." She could feel him getting nervous, so she decided to break the hug and giving him a reassuring smile to him.
" Don't worried about it. But...if it's make you feel any better... how about you treating me some snacks. " She winked at him with a playful manner. Ake feel like his cheeks are getting more red by the second because he knows what she meant.
Ake : " A... Alright" he said to her with a voice so low that only the two of them can hear.
She smile at him one more time before she walk out of the room leaving the brushing mess that is Ake just standing there like an idiot.
"Well..let's have a dinner now shall we? "
Rei's mom said to him and walk out of room following Rei.
" ' Sign' ...This is going to be a long night" Ake said to himself with a small smile on his face.
02.55 am.
At the second floor of the Kukihiko resident. There's a lone figure sitting on the edge of window, who overlook the entire town with silence.
Ake look at the town and trying to memorize everything he can. He feels fascinated by the environment, a clean streets, a lamp, a Japanese style house, the feeling of calmness that he will not find back at his homeland. A gentle breeze that brushed against his body. With a deep breath, he looking back at his futon to see that's there's another person in his room beside him sleeping under a blanket. He smile at the figure beneath it who's none other than "Rei" herself, sleep peacefully with a smile on her face. These two have a special relationship to say the least, that there like to keep it for themselves.
BOOOOM !!!!!!
The comfortable silence is interrupted by the sudden sounds that are so loud that It shake the whole house for a second. Ake are right now on full alert and trying to find the source of it. He looks back at Rei to see if she awake by it but to his surprised, she didn't even move a fingers...
And then he saw it, A ginormous black cloud gather at the Maharaguchi high, and inside it there's something that he couldn't describe clearly. But one thing that Ake know for sure. it's that the 'Thing' looking directly at him.
" Wha... !? "
Ake suddenly wake up with sweat all over his face, he tried to calm down for a bit before realizing that it was just dream.
" Did you have a nightmare?... " There's a sound coming beside him, he looks back to the source of the sound to find Rei sleep beside him and on her face are the look of concern.
"It's nothing... don't worried about it" he said to her with a smile.
Rei said nothing further but she suddenly close the gap between them and give him a reassuring hug
"You know you can tell me anything right..." She said to him.
"Yeah I know... " He answer back to her. But this time the smile is genuine.
At Maharaguchi high
Lunch break
" Hey there! Are you a transfer student from yesterday? "
The same teenage boy that talked with Rei yesterday decided to approach Ake, who have been sitting in the cafeteria all by himself without a company.
" Uh... " He replied back
" Ohhh ~~ well... let me introduce myself then. My name is Kawara Tanda, but you can call me 'Fey'. You might already saw me yesterday with Rei-Chan. Anyway let me tell you about the origin of my cool nickname then..... "
Ake who have been listening to Fey at the beginning. Decided to put his mind into the breads that are in his hands instead of continue listening to the guy
' Does this guy ever shut up?' Ake think to himself. And continue to have his lunch
At that moment Ake overheard a conversation from the students that walked passed his table
" I've seen 'FEAR' last night for real !! "
This one bit in particular interested him the most, the thing that students call FEAR
Ake think back at the mysterious phenomenal that he experience last night in which he know for sure it's not just some nightmare.
" Hey... what is this 'FEAR' thing they are talking about ? " Ake decided to ask Fey for more information.
" Huh? You didn't know about it yet? ...i thought you know about it by now ... it's like a folk lore of this town, even though it's come to light not that long ago. "
Fey answer him with a more serious tone of voice. Ake decided to move around and face him directly.
" .. There is a urban legend about a creature called 'FEAR' that appeared every 3AM a top of this school, and anyone who stayed up at that time will have their fears and soul consume... well it's sounds like a bunch of nonsense if you ask me...."
" It might be true... "
" What?! " Fey response to Ake with a startled.
" I said...it might be true. " Ake repeat the same words he said to him.
" Don't be ridiculous ! How would you know if it's real ? " Fey said to him.
" I've seen it. "
" Eh!? How are you... "
Before he could finish asking him, the sound of the bell that signal the end of a break gone off. The conversation come to a halt.
" Well... I'm going. " Ake said to him before he stand up and depart from the table.
" Hey! Wait a sec! " Fey trying to call out to him but to no avail.
" What a weirdo... " Fey think to himself.
Afternoon
Ake have been sitting listening to the English teacher for a while now. He is very good when it comes to the said subject. Be the first to respond to the teacher's question and delivered the correct answers everytime. At the same time watching some of the classmates struggle with the subject.
" Alright who next? " The teacher ready to find another student to answer one of her question. She looking around the classroom for anyone else who hasn't been called yet.
" Ehhh ! Miss Fuuko absences again ? "
The teacher talk about someone that he never heard of before.
" Fuuko ?... "
Ake mumble the name with interested. Rei who sat beside him then decide to elaborate.
" Huh? You interested in Sarada Fuuko ?...well she's a good girl, her grades are great, pretty popular, but she like to keep things to herself. I can't even remember the last time we had a conversation. "
Rei try to tell every bit of information to him as best as possible.
" Then what happened? " He ask.
" She has been missing for four days straight. "
Ake listening to her word careful and think back to the last night, in his mind the rumor about Fear and the disappearance of Sarada Fuuko seems to connect. His curiosity start to increase further to the point that he will do anything to prove his theory.
Night
02.55 am.
Ake sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night without anyone noticed, his mind are already made up. He needs to know whether or not this FEAR is actually real. Ake making his way up to the school which is stood at the foothill of a mountain.
When he made it to school gate he discover another thing that surprised him, which is there's no security guard in sight!. It seems like this school have no worries about their own safety at all.
He starting to looking for any way to get in until he decided to jump over the wall with the help of the tree that stood near the wall. But at that moment when his foot is about to touch the ground...
BOOOOM !!!
The sound of explosion coming from the center of the school, and there it is the same ginormous black cloud appeared out of nowhere before him but this time there's something else inside it.
The huge creature who's skin are pitch black and cover in scale like that of a reptile, body shape like a four legs animal similar to dog or cat but weirdly twist, it's blood red eyes staring down at him with full malice but to him the most frightening feature of this monster it's the sound it makes, like human screaming for help...
Ake can only standing there in pure shock. The thing that call Fear is right in front of him in full glory!
But Ake not standing still for long because Fear make it's move to pursue him with great speed!
Ake running for his life behind the big tree on the side of the main way before Fear strike him with it's giant claw!
With one strike, the tree that he running behind are torn in to pieces and with the force of it making Ake body flung across the field and land hard with his back.
He can only let out a silence scream. The wind in his lungs are knock out of him. His mind are filled with pain and agony before it's begins to loose conscious. The only thing he saw before his mind are out completely, it's the hideous Fear that are creeping towards him.
......
White.
The only thing he can see since he woke up. Nothing but a white plains. Alone. No one to turn to. No help. No nothing.
' Am i...dead? '
Ake try to walk around the place. Trying to find some sort of way out.
[Where do think you going?]
"!!! "
A mysterious voice said to him.
[You don't have to be worried. This place exist in a word between time, reality and dreams. A place where the one who's loses something precious longing for....for there are no such thing as 'lost' in this place.]
" Why's that? " He ask the voice.
[In this place, people who are about to lose some things, get to have their second chance. But you were the only one who manage to come here, for the first time actually.] The voice said
" Why didn't anyone else have ever come here before then? It's there any specific requirements or something? "
[Because it's not interesting enough...but you, my friend. Are something completely different.]
" Ugh!!!! "
Ake who have been listening from the beginning suddenly feel searing pain running through out his body. Like a fire that burn him constantly. But at the same it's filling his body with overwhelming power that he couldn't describe what it is.
[Your existence... it's such a pitiful.]
" Arghhhhh!! "
[Did you know... your past... where you come from... what your lose.]
" I..i am...!! "
[Did you know... ' Your Power ']
" !! "
At the end of the sentence. Every inch of Ake's body filled with an overwhelming power. His adrenaline are off the top. His vision starting to get blurry until he saw nothing but white light.
....
Fear that are coming closer to Ake's body stop dead in it's track. For there are something strange happening. A light emitting from the body, so much that it making Fear go blind for a moment.
Ake slowly getting up from the ground. The light that coming from his body are beginning to die down, only for it to come out again. The golden light feels like it has a mind of it's own. It begins to cover his whole arms and legs. Making it look like some sort of armor only it's not cover his hold body. Ake could feel the intense rush of power ! He never felt like this before. He feels like he can punch a hold true the hardest steel without a problem.
The monster after seeing what transpired, decided to move to attack Ake. It coming straight to him with it's crooked teeth. But when it attack land where he stood. It's already too late. Ake have jumped over it's head to avoid the incoming doom with ease. His face is full with excitement ! He landed behind the beast before rushing in and punch it from behind with all his might!
He wouldn't know how much damage it's gonna cost though. But when Fear body are flying to the side building and actually damage it. He feels fascinated. This power sure is something else!
But after Fear body hit the ground, it start to screaming so loud, that every windows in the school shatter from the sheer force of it. Ake standing still without any fears, looking right back at it, with determination.
Then something strange happened. Fear plant it's feet firm to the ground before a mysterious light start to gather in the center of it's mouth, the size of the light beginning to grow, until it's bigger than his body! And then Fear unleashed the hugh ray of blue light straight to him !
Ake didn't have the time to doge the attack, decided to put a guard up instead, he consciously moving all the light armor at his feet to his arms and cross them to protect himself.
When the attack finally hit him, It create a explosion that pulverized everything near that area and continue to going all the way across the town from above, missing all the house, but making every inch of the area light up for a moment. The light continue to travel until it's gone off the horizon.
Fear await the outcome of it's attack, to see the results of it's power.
"That's really hurt, you know?"
The sound of the things that it trying to get rid of make it visibly startled. It never seen something that can survive the attack before.
"Now's my turn"
Ake who's right now can be seen more clearly, his clothes are torn, his body are filled with small cuts and blood, but even so, he still standing. He began to reeling back his left fist and at the same time, the golden light begins to emit intensely at the left first. And then he punched the said fist forward to Fear, releasing a golden light ray that is not as big as the one Fear use, but feels more intense.
Fear try to flee from the attack, but with the speed of light, it cannot escape in time and got hit from the back and straight through the stomach, Fear screaming painfully before it's body begins to dissolve in to the black mist, and eventually all of it's body are nothing but black mist that are starting to swelling back to the center of the school, and with that, suddenly the mist are gone completely without any trace left.
Ake who's standing there, and feeling so much exhaustion, are surprised once again when the damage that happened to the school are gone completely, alongside the black mist. Right now the question that he needs answers are already answered, but at the same time, more questions. But right now he feels really tired, so he decided to put everything aside for now, he slowly making his way to the exit, right now, the real problem that he needs to find a way out is how to explain to the Kukihiko how he got these injury.
" ... someone... please help! "
Suddenly, the mysterious voice calling out from behind him, Ake turn around quickly to find the source of the voice.
" Who's that !? Are you Sarada Fuuko ? "
Ake try to call out the owner voice, and a moment later, there are someone walking out of school, he tried to see the face more clearly by stepping closer. Until he sees the girls who's quite shorter than him, wearing a school uniform, with a short grey hair, he also can spot some bruised on her face too.
" Umm...y..yes i am " she answer nervously.
Ake after hearing the answer, feels like a weight have been lifted up his shoulder, it's seems like something good come out of this mess after all.
" What a relief... "
With that said, Ake body finally succumb to the injuries and collapse to the ground with a heavy thud.
" Eh!? Are you okay mister !?"
The girl running up to him, turn his body over so she could see what happens, and when she does , all she could see was blood.
Getting more worry, she try to find something that can help them contact for help, but it's no use. She can't scream for help either, since there are so far from town, and she can't leave the injured behind.
She decided to mustered up all her strength, and tried to carry the boy' s body, with great difficulty, since the one she carry are so much heavier than her, but even then she refused to give up, and try taking him back to the town.
After a while, Fuuko finally see the house from afar, a two story house located near the river bank , she picks up her pace, trying to get to the house as fast as she could.
When she get closer to the house, she finds out that it's actually a sushi restaurant, that looks quite old, she remembered that she used to come here when she a kid.
Fuuko put Ake's body down near the front door , and try calling for help.
" Hello ! It's anybody in there ? .. please help !! "
She called for help and knock on the door at the same time.
" Ok, alright...i heard ya. "
Fuuko felt relieved after hearing someone answer back, the voice that she heard are that of an old person.
The door slowly slide open, and behind it are an old man with long white hair, wearing yukata, he scratch his eyes try to get a better look at the person, who have been calling him.
" Eh! Young girl, do you need anything ? "
" Can i make a phone call, sir ? It's really urgent ! " She begging.
" Alright...what happened to you...!? "
The old man stop asking her all the sudden, when his eyes met with an unconscious body of Ake, there's a look of pure shock written on his face.
" Umm.. it's something wrong? "
Fuuko asking the mysterious old man, but no answer were giving to her, instead, the old man walk up to Ake, and begin to carry him up and try to take him into a house.
" W...wait ! ...we have to take him to the hospital !! "
Fuuko try to stop him to no avail , her strength are starting to leave her body.
" If you take him there...he's dead ! "
" What? But why? "
He's not answering back, still carrying Ake's body into his own house, and up to the second floor.
" You wait down here, alright? "
He said to Fuuko before continue on his way.
" Ah!...yes sir... " She complied.
Fuuko walk up to the empty seat in front of the bar. She use this opportunity to catch her breath, and think about the situation, after experience something that will change her life forever.
" What should i do now...." She asked herself
" Welp, here you go! "
"!!?? "
Fuuko startled from the sudden appearance of the old man, who's hand her a glass of water. She was hesitant for a second, before taking it while thanking him.
" I already patched up your boyfriend, did you have any injury ? "
" Eh!? Wh...umm... he's not... "
Fuuko did not expect this kind of question, and for the old man to assume such a thing, but before she could elaborate, the old man sit opposite of her, before putting on a serious face.
" So... how much do you saw 'It' "