Satoru stared numbly out the car window as his father drove them home from school in stony silence. Getting arrested and expelled on the eve of graduation - was a scandal beyond anything his family could withstand. The façade had finally shattered completely.
Yet Satoru felt only cold detachment, all turbulent emotions exhausted long ago. In his father's eyes, he saw reflected back that same emptiness - the resignation of perfectionists who realized the game was rigged from the start. Neither spoke a word the entire ride. What left was there to say in the smoldering ruins?
Arriving home, Satoru went straight to his room without glancing at his mother or siblings. Their shock and despair were of no concern to him anymore. He had no path left but the one of his own design, wherever it led into the wilderness. Shutting and locking his door forcibly behind him, Satoru collapsed onto the bed and closed his eyes, hoping oblivion might take him.
But sleep eluded him, mind still churning relentlessly despite his utter apathy toward life now. He replayed the sequence of events leading to this outcome. Where had the cracks first started forming in his meticulous plans? What flaw in his nature had doomed the entire charade to inevitable failure? Or was he merely a pawn of forces beyond comprehension?
A harsh buzzing snapped Satoru from his brooding. His phone rattled on the desk with notifications as gossip about his attempted stunt spread rapidly online. He silenced it contemptuously - the petty judgments of sheep were meaningless now.
But one new message gave him pause - an unknown user had sent a link to a private forum. The brief note read simply, "I understand. -R" Too weary for suspicion, Satoru clicked the link.
A black and crimson webpage loaded, dominated by a swirling logo resembling Paradigm's. But the site's name was Avidity Hub. Scrolling down revealed dozens of threaded conversations between members with names like DegenKing and RobblGold. Satoru quickly gleaned the nature of this community - a support group for the hopelessly gamer-addicted.
One lengthy post by Vert1calVoyage caught his eye: "No one gets it, man. My family just sees me as a failure for caring about games more than working some soul-killing job. But in these virtual worlds, I'm free to be my best self. Reality will never stop trying to cage us. Only by banding together can we break their chains!"
Similar sentiments were echoed by many members, speaking of their "safe spaces" with an almost religious fervor. They seemed to view the waking world as irredeemably corrupt and doomed, finding hope only in transcending through fantasy realms.
Satoru leaned back, intrigued by this grim solidarity. Here were others who sought meaning not through conformity or competition, but by defiantly embracing that which society scorned. Could this fringe be the only place left for fallen angels like him?
Scrolling further, Satoru eventually reached the bottom of the front page. A note said sites discussing "forbidden subjects" were hidden from public indexing. To proceed, members required invites from current users proving their sincerity. Another insular community architecture - one must be properly initiated into the fold.
Checking his messages, Satoru saw the user named "K" had indeed sent a cryptic invitation. "The journey inward just requires an open mind. Dive deeper?" Below is a link promising answers to Paradigm Online's greatest mysteries. Hands trembling with equal parts worry and anticipation, Satoru clicked through, the unknown rushing up to swallow him whole...
...
Ayaka shuffled through the mostly empty school hallways, keeping her head down. The gossip mill was spinning furiously in the wake of Satoru's downfall. His failed stunt and expulsion had shattered student perceptions of him overnight - the former perfect role model exposed as yet another disgraced rebel brought low by inner demons.
Ayaka tuned it out, having endured her own undeserved labels for too long now. Yet part of her took cold comfort in the shifting attention, feeling slightly less alone in her ignominy. Misery at least had fleeting company.
Ducking into the library, Ayaka claimed a corner computer and navigated hesitantly to the Paradigm Online forums. She couldn't seem to stay away for long, needing to cling to some faded connection with that world even if denied access. Logging in through her phone's VPN to anonymize visits provided scarce relief from the hollow ache of separation.
Today the trending boards buzzed with hype about the upcoming "Grand Update." The long wait was almost over for new features to revitalize the aging game.
Reading veterans' eager speculation stirred up surprisingly fond memories in Ayaka of her own excited explorations there as Scar, seeking adventure with kindred outcast spirits. She had found real friendship and meaning along with escape during her journeys. Now only lingering nostalgia remained, those scant joyful moments fading like pages turning to ash.
Logging off, Ayaka headed to lunch with a fragile optimism. Connecting sincerely without facades, even digitally, gave her the faintest hope. She would cling fiercely to that flickering candle flame, nourishing it as steadily as she could to illuminate her way forward through the shadows.
Ayaka stayed late after school in the library, reluctant to head home to stifling solitude. The fluorescents hummed softly overhead as she listlessly turned pages, retaining none of the words. A growing sense of surrender settled upon her - giving up on expecting anything to change or improve. Rock bottom, but without even the strength for tears.
The thump of a backpack hitting the table roused Ayaka from her gloom. She looked up to see Nakata take the seat across from her. Up close he seemed uncomfortable, eyes darting about furtively. When he finally spoke, his voice was hushed. "Hey, so...I know we're not exactly friends. But I gotta talk to you about something. Please just hear me out."
Confused, Ayaka nodded wordlessly. Nakata took a deep breath before continuing. "Look, what happened with Satoru... I did all that."
"What?"
"I did everything to him, it was my plan from the start"
He lowered his gaze guiltily. "So, yeah, that's it." Finishing his fumbling speech, Nakata stood abruptly to leave.
"Wait."
Nakata halted, surprised by Ayaka's sudden firm tone. Ayaka asked quietly. "Why? Why are you telling me this?"
Sitting back down, Nakata seemed to wrestle with something shameful. Finally, he replied "Look, I'll be real. I always had...a thing for you. But you barely looked at me. And I noticed that after Satoru moved to our school you had some underlying anger because of him, didn't you? it was from hatred you hated him so much remember when you were the perfect girl? before Satoru came here and ruined your perfect place. And it drove me crazy, y'know?"
He laughed mirthlessly. "Pretty stupid right? Like you'd ever look at a thug like me. Anyway, I figured maybe with him gone now, I could step up. Be the kinda guy you deserve your prince. Make things different, I want you to be back like the old you, I want you to be the princess that you really are, I want to protect you! Satoru was playing perfect but I know the real Ayaka is perfect the way she is no matter what" Looking at Ayaka earnestly, he asked "So whaddya say? We could look out for each other now if you want. Think it over."
Ayaka sat stunned, unable to formulate a response. Sensing her speechlessness, Nakata quickly stood up. "You don't have to answer now or anything. I just wanted you to know I always loved you" Flashing a crooked grin, halfway he stopped and looked at Ayaka again "Ah, and don't worry about any of the bad talking about you I know you are not weak at all, I will take care of those rumors as well." he walked out before Ayaka could react.
That evening, Ayaka lay awake restless until past midnight. Thoughts tumbled through her head, unable to settle. Nakata's confession had stirred up memories and regrets swirling like debris in a storm.
She was just like Satoru the perfect Ayaka but unlike him, that wasn't an act that was the real her, but after Satoru came his act was better than all of her efforts.
And now Nakata's misplaced affection fell upon her real self as just another piece of collateral wreckage set adrift by the chaos.
Part of her sympathized, knowing how it felt to pine desperately for someone barely aware of your existence. Yet the rest recoiled instinctively from his clumsy overture. Was this her only option now - settling for some facsimile of companionship and callously using another's feelings to subdue her loneliness? How far the forgotten girl had fallen? yet someone like Nakata fell down with her...
...
Satoru sat fixated as the hidden forum's archive pages loaded before him, revealing Paradigm Online's shadowy past piece by piece. The deeper he delved, the wider his eyes opened, shaking as the encoded secrets coalesced gradually into a terrifying whole...
It began innocuously, almost cliché - a small startup in the 1980s researching VR neural implants to treat anxiety and PTSD. But the military soon took interest, recognizing the technology's potential for simulated field training sans risk. With seemingly noble aims, covert funding flowed in.
However, lead researcher Dr. Kakeo Fujimoto envisioned far loftier goals for his project, which he named the PARADIGM (Programmed Artificial Reality for Diagnostics and Instruction of the Greater Mind).
Fujimoto believed VR could unlock humanity's utmost potential by training the unconscious itself as one conditions muscles. But traditional morality constrained his radical experiments.
Thus, Paradigm Labs was born off the books, with no rules or ethics to limit the grand vision. The military's interest provided cover and cash to push boundaries behind closed doors.
Test subjects were misled about the intended applications, believing they were aiding benign therapy research. In truth, Fujimoto sought to reshape participants' deepest psyches through immersive neuro-conditioning. The virtual worlds harbored hidden purpose - training simulations designed systematically to provoke fear, aggression, submission, and addiction.
No laws constrained the clandestine trials. Fujimoto's unpublished writings revealed a coldly utilitarian view of human life, just fodder to propel his theories forward. Results mattered above all, no sacrifice was too great. Even his staff were considered expendable assets once their usefulness ended.
By 1993, Phase 1 trials were progressing successfully. Subjects displayed markedly increased suggestibility and modelability even outside the VR programs. Fujimoto moved to rapidly scale up, envisioning government applications for mass thought influence, soldiers who felt no remorse, and workers contentedly subservient.
But the human mind is not so easily reforged. Cracks formed - test subjects spiraled into obsessive dependence, emotional volatility, and violent outbursts. Rather than stop, Fujimoto pushed recklessly on. Then the lab went dark.
No records exist of what exactly triggered Paradigm Labs' sudden shutdown under intense federal scrutiny. The chief investigators later died in freak accidents. Lawsuits from families of test subjects vanished from all court databases. After 1993, only an empty warehouse remained, Okubo and his research simply evaporated as if they never existed at all.
Then a decade later, Paradigm Online emerged via mysterious funding sources, developed by unseen entities. A new round of shadowy human experiments is now conducted voluntarily under the guise of harmless entertainment. At least, that was the whispered conclusion drawn by those who dared connect the clues: Paradigm was programming made flesh, the VR panopticon fulfilling its maker's twisted vision, but it only ran for 2 years up to 2005 then stopped updating for 6 years now it's back.
Satoru finally closed the archive, head swimming and pulse thrumming. This glimpse beneath the veil only further shattered his notions of control over reality or self. All were being subtly molded by forces that hid themselves ever deeper in the widening gyre.
Looking at his phone, Satoru mulled who had sent him down this damning rabbit hole, and to what purpose. The "K" user who had reached out claiming they understood his isolation. Maybe others tread this lonely path. Kindred spirits sometimes signaled across voids.
He drafted a simple reply: "I want to understand more." Then erased it, reconsidered, and typed a single ambiguous word: "Unveiled." It would suffice as coded reciprocation.
Shutting off his devices, Satoru laid back atop the crumpled sheets fully clothed. He craved the oblivion of sleep but suspected his circling thoughts would grant no such mercy tonight.
The bed felt adrift on agitated seas as the room slowly spun. Closing his eyes against the vertigo, Satoru waited helplessly for answers or absolution. But only the howling darkness responded.
...
[3 Days until the grand update]
The next day, Ayaka arrived at school early and headed hesitantly toward the rooftop where Nakata's gang usually loitered. After the kindness he had shown reaching out, she hoped to possibly talk more as acquaintances, if not friends.
Part of her even wondered secretly if Nakata might know some way she could access Paradigm again to revisit memories she now missed dearly.
It was a risk, but one she felt unexpectedly ready to take after exposing her vulnerabilities online. Only by opening up could she regain what isolation had cost.
As the sun came into view, Ayaka spotted Nakata leaning against the wall listening as Tomi talked enthusiastically. She felt suddenly self-conscious, hugging her arms around herself for courage.
But before she could lose her nerve, Nakata noticed her and coughed loudly, interrupting Tomi. "Yo Ayaka, what's up?" He waved casually. Ayaka approached, managing a shy smile. "Hey. Not much, just got here early for once. How about you guys?"
Tomi looked at Nataka while saying playfully "Hey isn't this your crush" Raiden laughed. Nakata had a little blush but didn't say anything, playing it cool. "Ah you know, just chilling as always. Gotta savor that freedom before they cage us up in class again." He laughed, putting Ayaka more at ease. She even chuckled softly along too. It all felt so normal.
"So Ayaka, you still into Paradigm?" Tomi asked with an amused grin. he continued "I know you aren't the only one. Nakata here plays it all the time lately even after we stopped." He nudged Nakata in the ribs. "Don't let the teachers catch you guys sneaking off to fight dragons or you'll end up like Satoru!"
Ayaka averted her gaze, embarrassment mingling with secrecy. Nakata shot Tomi a warning glare before chuckling. "You got me, dude. But nah, the teachers don't get it. An hour in there beats a whole weekend in reality sometimes ya feel me?" Raiden and Tomi just shook their heads bemusedly and went back to chatting.
Nakata turned back to Ayaka, speaking more quietly out of the guys' earshot. "But for real, you still do that stuff right? I thought I remembered you were into it." Ayaka hesitated, then gave a small nod. No point hiding it from him, and it felt good speaking that hidden part of herself aloud. "I was really into it, yeah. But... I stopped playing" she trailed off sadly.
Nakata studied her face intently as if trying to read deeper meanings. "Gotcha, I feel that. Stuff can get taken away quickly. But you know, me and the guys still play and it's sick. If you ever want to watch a bit just to like, reminisce or whatever, you're welcome to swing by." Scratching his head self-consciously, he added. "No pressure of course, but could be fun."
The morning bell cut off any response, sending students scurrying to class. But Ayaka felt a rush of gratitude at the kind offer, so simple yet something tangible to cling to after losing her sense of belonging. "I'd really like that, thanks," she said sincerely before hurrying off. Just a baby step back toward the world she once thrived in, but it lifted her heart all the same.
As the day progressed, Ayaka found herself anxiously anticipating Nakata's invitation after school. She knew observing someone else navigating Paradigm could potentially be painful or awkward.
But a faint flame of hope still burned inside at coming even peripherally nearer to that creative outlet that once brought fulfillment. Each small risk to inch outside her comfort zone was progress toward rediscovering the passion lost.
When the final bell rang, Ayaka lingered uncertainly just inside the school entrance, not wanting to intrude on Nakata and his friends if they had changed their minds about welcoming her along.
But soon she spotted them beckoning her over with surprisingly warm smiles that melted her hesitance away. Falsely believing oneself friendless for so long could make mere basic kindness feel like salvation.
The walk to Nakata's home was mercifully free of any awkwardness. Ayaka mostly just listened happily as the guys talked and joked about classes and teachers. For the first time in a while, she didn't feel totally excluded at school. Being with others who had also been unfairly labeled outcasts created a sense of solidarity she had sorely needed.
Arriving at the apartment complex, the group headed straight to Nakata's bedroom. Ayaka fought a reflexive pang of loss seeing the VR setup that used to be identical to her own before it was taken away. But Nakata's enthusiasm as he fired up the bulky rig was infectious. "Alright, who's ready to ascend to greatness? Once we dive in, reality can kiss our butts for a few hours!"
Laughing at Tomi and Raiden's responding cheers, Nakata plopped down cross-legged on the floor and slid the heavy headset over his eyes. Ayaka settled nearby, watching breathlessly as he loaded into the world she had been exiled from. His awed reactions made it seem he was glimpsing Paradigm's wonders for the first time too.
"Holy crap, this new city hub is insanely huge! Look at all these shops and character classes..." Nakata gestured and mimed his way through Paradigm while giving Ayaka whispered context to paint the picture in her mind. She found herself leaning in, utterly enthralled by even this fleeting glimpse back inside.
Nakata spent some time showing off combat skills and gear to impress his spectator not knowing she was a ranked player.
Ayaka listened enraptured as he guided his party through vivid locales, battling fantastical creatures that he described with infectious enthusiasm. She felt like a kid huddled by a campfire soaking in ghost stories. In Nakata's cadence, Paradigm came alive again.
After nearly two hours, Nakata stretched and removed the headset, grinning ear to ear. "My eyes are fried from gawking at all that shiny new stuff! But so worth it. Pretty amazing right?" Ayaka nodded in awestruck agreement.
Despite feeling envious, she was also simply grateful that he had invited her along to share in even a small piece of something she feared lost forever. As disappointed as her mother would be, Ayaka knew this couldn't be the end of her story. She belonged there too much.
On the walk home afterward, Nakata fell in beside Ayaka as Tomi and Raiden chatted behind them. "So, I gotta ask - how does our noob stuff stack up to how the pros do it?" He laughed self-deprecatingly. "I bet you know stuff that would blow our minds."
Ayaka smiled, appreciating his efforts to include her. "I did play a lot back then," she admitted. "But really, just seeing inside again was amazing. I'd forgotten how inspiring it feels like anything is possible..." She trailed off wistfully. After a pause, she added sincerely, "Thank you for this. It means more than you know."
Nakata shrugged, looking mildly embarrassed. "Of course, glad you liked it. Make sure to hit me up if you ever want to watch our adventures again." They walked in comfortable silence the rest of the way home, the fresh memory of her temporary return carrying Ayaka's spirit until tomorrow.
[2 Day until the grand Update]
Ayaka took Nakata up on his invitation after school. Being virtually reunited with Paradigm awakened a creative drive in her she feared being lost forever. The vicarious journeys rekindled her passion for adventure and reminded her how fully alive she had felt questing beside friends, facing challenges bravely as a team. She yearned to recapture that feeling firsthand again someday.
Gradually Ayaka began offering Nakata subtle suggestions during his Paradigm play sessions - tactics to ambush enemies more effectively, and ideal skill combos to maximize his class builds. Though initially hesitant, Nakata came to appreciate the advice which noticeably improved.
...
Satoru lay awake in the darkness of his house, studying the faint glow-in-the-dark stars still, his brother and sister weren't home today, and his parents were sleeping.
clinging to his bedroom ceiling from childhood. He traced imagined patterns between them - constellations forming a map for navigating back from the wilderness he now found himself in. Where had he lost his way among the winding trails leading to ruin?
Perhaps the seeds of his downfall were sewn long ago by forces beyond his control, nurtured in secret until flowering into inescapable fate. Paradigm's twisted roots dug deeper than any could know. But dwelling on the past was fruitless; he could only move forward relentlessly along the path he had carved, for good or ill.
A muted buzz broke the late-night stillness. Satoru checked his phone to see dozens of unread texts and frantic voicemails from classmates. Word of his expulsion has spread quickly, each gossipy scavenger eager to peck another chunk from his carcass. Their pompous outrage was laughable - they knew nothing.
One message stood out among the petty din:
"I warned you darkness lurks beneath the surface. We all wear masks until they slip. - R"
R? Was this missive another cryptic link in the chain binding his choices? Satoru's instincts bristled, but his intrigue won out. Carefully he typed out a coded response.
"The blind cannot see even their own masks. I walk willingly into darkness unmasked."
Satoru was tired and didn't try to think about it, only visceral experience could guide him; the mind lied endlessly to itself.
Squinting into the glaring kitchen, Satoru took a knife and started to walk across the house. His mother was the first, her eyes were puffy from tears.
Father simply sipped as the crimson blood was all over the room.
Satoru stared blankly ahead, remaining silent.
Without a word, he waited and returned upstairs, None could grasp the murky depths where he now swam alone.
Next, he logged into the hidden forum from the night before to archive any telling information just for fun. As the pages downloaded, his eyes caught again on Dr. Fujimoto's chilling research towards reshaping minds. If only his family knew these efforts persisted mostly unchecked, with thousands now immersed...
A notification jarred Satoru's focus. A private message from the same user with the mysterious initial "R" - his new digital confidant. Apprehension warred with piqued curiosity as Satoru opened the chat window:
R: We seem oddly intertwined by circumstance. Perhaps a joint interrogation of fate would illuminate further. Meet me in Paradigm tonight at sundown in the Dark City's graveyard. Use any means necessary. I will unveil answers there.
The request took Satoru aback. What game were they playing at? After brief consideration, he resolved to find a way to attend this rendezvous. His instincts buzzed with portent, for good or ill. Curiosity overpowered caution.
Satoru's room door clicked open as he went to his parent's room where two corpses were staying, granting access to the house PC. Satoru hastily installed remote access software before returning to confinement just as the front door opened. The noose loosened, if only slightly.
Under cover of night, Satoru connected via the remote app to the family computer, linking his phone to the VR headset through a makeshift mobile rig. Crude, but it should suffice for one pivotal meeting. Donning the visor, Satoru hesitantly loaded Paradigm Online, the system messages confirming full immersion capability from his phone. It worked - he was back inside.
[Welcome Dante]
His avatar spawned into the familiar grungy streets of the Dark City, unchanged. Checking the position of the setting sun, Satoru made his way towards the dilapidated graveyard overlooking the ruins.
Each step heightened his anticipation of finally piercing the veil shrouding his circumstances and Paramdigm's enigmatic past.
Stepping through the rusted gate into the overgrown cemetery, Satoru spotted only weathered tombstones and mausoleum ruins strewn among the dead flora. He was about to leave the area and see if he had the wrong location when suddenly he sensed movement in the corner of his eye.
Spinning quickly, he glimpsed a figure vanishing into a large crypt at the top of the hill. Had he just missed them? Sword drawn cautiously, Satoru approached the crumbling structure. This was almost certainly a trap, but the need for answers compelled him headlong.
The musty crypt interior was bathed in eerie torchlight revealing worn stone sarcophagi and disturbing skeletal remains chained to the walls. Satoru kept his back guarded as he crept towards the figure now waiting impassively by the altar at the rear - a tall man draped in a dark cloak, face concealed by a ceramic mask.
Drawing near, Satoru broke the ominous silence. "I'm here as you requested. Time for some answers." He leveled his blade warily. "Starting with who you really are and who is that K person and let me tell you, i am tired of all that cryptic stuff."
The masked man raised his palms in placation. "I didn't tell you I have any answers." His voice was modulated but organic. Satoru's eyes narrowed. "You lured me here under some pretext and sent cryptic messages. Explain yourself."
"As you wish." The figure inclined his head. "I am but a wanderer who noticed meaningful patterns and chose to follow the trail. Much like yourself in that regard, I believe." He chuckled softly. "Curiosity and isolation forge strange fellowship."
Satoru weighed these words carefully. Either a clever manipulation or genuine confession - the two often intertwined. "So you truly don't know me then? How I am here breaks rules set upon me." It was a probing gambit, awaiting the reaction.
The wanderer inclined his head thoughtfully. "Your reputation as a cunning agent precedes you. But I know only what the winds whisper, nothing of certitude." After a pause he added, "Sometimes barriers must fall for one to continue their journey. The drowning flail hardest when freedom nears."
Cryptic, And Satoru hated that. With his sword he slashed the person in front of him and as he did that the game crashed.
Back in the uneasy sanctuary of his bedroom, Satoru surveyed his domain. The police would search it soon for contraband, so he needed to conceal anything sensitive quickly. He took a last glance at the VR headset before breaking it to a point where it couldn't be recovered.
Satoru was cut off entirely from anything beyond his four walls, His parents were gone, and there were no chains on him.
When Satoru's rampage finally exhausted itself, he collapsed trembling onto the bed and closed his eyes. He had reached the terminus - no moves left to play, no masks left to wear. An end seemed barreling towards him, for good or ill. He could only wait helplessly for its arrival, too weary to even dread the looming impact He felt like he was Dante.
Let inevitability come. He would meet it here, stripped of all pretenses.
...
[1 day until the grand update]
In the computer lab one day, Ayaka compulsively logged into the Paradigm forums from her phone, seeking faint remnants of past happiness.
Then out of nowhere, Nakata puts his hand on her shoulders
"Yo! So uh I actually have an old spare VR headset you can just have if you want." He said while holding a bag.
Ayaka stared incredulously, heart racing. this lifeline shone as a beacon piercing the fog. Hands trembling She replied "Wait really? I would be happy to take it!"
Nataka smiled back.
Ayaka could scarcely contain her nervous excitement as she took the bag with the headset from Nakata. She took the parcel to her room and slowly opened it. Inside, wrapped carefully in packing blankets, was an older model standalone VR headset. Ayaka gleefully hugged them to her chest.
She hastily downloaded Paradigm Online and connected the wireless setup, forcing herself to breathe steadily. In mere moments she could return to the realm that had become her solace from an indifferent world. As the system booted up, anticipation overwhelmed her.
[Login failed - User not recognized]
The bland error message hit Ayaka's soaring hopes like a truck, popping her balloon of joy. Of course - Nakata had gifted hardware but she still lacked official account access She wasn't Scar, after all, she needed to make a new persona a new life.
This bitter pill was the final proof that the place she felt she belonged was forever denied to her she didn't love Paradigm but wanted to be Scar again. The reality sank in like a terminal diagnosis.
Life settled into an apathetic holding pattern after that fleeting spark was swiftly extinguished.
Going back to school she put her head on the table but then Ayaka raised her gaze hesitantly to see Maya smirking, flanked by followers.
"I heard you got so pathetic you had some random guy buy you a headset online!" The gawkers tittered cruelly.
Heat rose in Ayaka's face Nakata was more than just a random guy to her but her shame quickly turned to slow-burning anger. These meaningless taunts no longer cowed her. She stared Maya dead in the eyes and responded evenly.
"Say what you want. Your words don't matter to me anymore." Turning swiftly, Ayaka strode away with shoulders back, leaving Maya.
Maya still kept her smile as Ayaka left.
That small defiant stand kindled a tiny spark inside Ayaka. She had revealed her vulnerability before and been badly burned as thanks.
But no more. If the world insisted on seeing her as an outcast, then she would embrace that role on her own terms going forward. This meek wounded girl had finally glimpsed her own quiet strength. A new path was clearing through the shadows she wasn't Scar, but she was Ayaka.
...
Satoru slowly opened his reddened eyes as predawn light filtered into his room.
Satoru knew he should feel fearful or defeated by everything that happened. But strangely, an eerie calm had settled upon him - the tranquility of a man accepting his fate and narrowing the focus to each present moment.
If these were to be his final days, he would inhabit them fully without faculties wasted on futile speculation. A peculiar contentment could be found even in oblivion.
The morning followed its usual routine for him but without worrying about his parents anymore. Satoru meditated or completed basic exercises to pass the time, observing the shifting light against the blank walls. In the absence of all distractions, his senses took on heightened acuity.
When the sun reached its apex, faint strains of piano music echoed up from downstairs - it was a recording his parents took of him when he was 7 and it was always repeated every day showing how proud they were.
Satoru closed his eyes, letting the muffled melody carry his thoughts back to simpler times of childhood when music held joy before life became solely schedules and expectations monitored by looming eyes...
The third meal came, marking the day's end. Satoru ate slowly as the smell of the two corpses took over the house.
"Tomorrow is Paradigm's update huh," He said looking at the clock, he was only waiting for his end yet he wanted a chance to see the world he always loved.
He walked to his room and closed the door, just as Satoru's heavy eyelids began to close, he heard his door handle turn with a faint click.
Eyes snapping open instantly, he watched the knob begin to slowly rotate as if unlocked from outside - an impossibility! Every muscle tensed, unsure what would enter but ready to face it unflinching.
The door creaked open halfway, casting long shadows into Satoru's blackened room. But strangely, no figure stood waiting beyond the doorway. Rubbing his eyes, Satoru cautiously approached the exit now beckoning him forth. He felt lucid and alert, not dreaming. Hallucination perhaps, brought on by extreme isolation? Either way, some primal force compelled him onward, bare feet cold against the hardwood floor.
Passing over the threshold, Satoru peered down the upstairs hallway bathed in liquid moonlight filtering through arched windows. no sounds of occupancy at all. The house seemed emptied of any presence besides his own.
Reaching the top of the grand staircase, Satoru spotted the front door hanging ajar, opening into the night like a dark pupil. His confusion mounting, Satoru descended the steps, debating whether to call out. But some instinct kept his voice stilled then.