Later that night, as the shelter sleeps, Hiroki's room creaks open silently. He tiptoes out in a state of silent tension, casting nervous glances around him to ensure nobody notices. He makes his way towards the main exit, his heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and fear.
Unbeknownst to him, another door creaks open just as he leaves. A shadowy figure, hidden in the darkness, observes him from above.
Hiroki reaches the site of the incident. The once bustling area is now a desolate wasteland, a stark reminder of the destruction unleashed. The air hangs heavy with an unsettling silence, broken only by the occasional creak of debris.
He scans the scorched earth, searching for anything that might shed light on what happened. Large, ominous black marks scar the ground, remnants of the blast. Despair threatens him as he finds nothing of significance.
His mind does not turn away from remembering that girl from his previous visions. "Why could it have anything to do with this" he thought to himself.
Until he noticed something that seemed eye-catching hidden among the rubble. He rushes towards the pile of debris, his eyes fixated on a glimpse of something hidden beneath.
There, partially buried, lies a casing. "What exactly is this, a cover? Book? Wait a minute, isn't that..."
His heart skips a beat. It's the book. The same book that has haunted his dreams.
With trembling hands, he pries it open. A blinding flash engulfs him, momentarily erasing everything around him.
A torrent of memories floods his mind. Images, forgotten events, and suppressed emotions come rushing back with overwhelming clarity. He now understands everything – what happened before, the significance of his dreams.
Everything had passed through his consciousness, and he now knew everything he had missed. Now he knows everything about himself.
"It all makes sense now. My past, these dreams... everything. The book, it unlocked it all. What a miserable state I am in.. Why all this exactly, at what cost?! WHY WHY WHY DAMN IT!"
Laughter erupts from his throat, a mix of sadness and hysteria. To turn into screams of remorse. He slams his fist onto the ground, dirt flying as his eyes almost explode. It's a bittersweet realization – a surge of knowledge laced with deep remorse.
He crumbles to the ground, overcome by the weight of his newfound memories. Grief and regret claw at him, a heavy burden to bear.
Yoru notices him in those moments. It seemed that she was the one who was following him, with looks of sorrow on him and constant tension.
The current event is not over yet; the book has begun to shine with a striking golden color. Yoru calls him from afar "Hiroki!"
Hiroki stumbles to his feet, disoriented. He looks at Yoru, his voice trembling with astonishment. "Yoru? What...? why did you..."
Before he can finish his question, until the book shone with unparalleled brightness, emanating from within it absolute magic that threw everyone away due to its intensity. Its explosion resembles an earthquake for those who have not seen it.
Hiroki groans, shaking his head to clear the dizziness. As his vision clears, he looked at Yoru with astonishment. Her eyes were staring at the scene behind Hiroki, so he himself turned around and saw the unexpected.
A monstrous entity made of darkness emanates, its many hands glowing with a dark eerie power. Just looking into his eyes startled him.
The monstrosity lets out a series of guttural roars, its rage seemingly directed at everything around it. It lashes out with its shadowy tendrils, tearing at the ground and shattering nearby structures.
"Hiroki...? What have you done?" Yoru said in a state of nervousness
Driven by instinct, Yoru leaps into action. A skilled fighter, she was able to push Hiroki away in time, and she continued jumping directly towards this monster, and tried to attack him from left to right, here and there, without the monster moving from its place. Simply moving its many shields was enough to defend itself.
She utilizes her mana magic to launch a series of attacks at the creature. Her graceful movements made Hiroki dazzled. Her spells strike true, but they seem to have little effect. The darkness absorbs the energy, fueling the monstrosity's power.
"What's happening? Why it ended like this? This wasn't supposed to happen!" Hiroki said to himself.
Yoru continues her assault, dodging the creature's attacks with acrobatic agility. Frustration mounts on her face as she realizes her normal tactics are failing.
Until Yoru was exhausted, he surprised her while she was unaware, in less than the blink of an eye, attacking her with one of his long shields to grab her and hold her tight.
Hiroki, after this trauma, he pluck up courage and tried to attack him with whatever fitness he had remaining, dodging him from side to side, knowing that he did not have the optimal strength like her. He met one of the other shields, in a stationary position, then a quick attack that threw him far to the ground, stronger than the previous one, until he noticed blood coming out of his organs, making his tension increase.
In a state of exhaustion, Hiroki almost loses consciousness. He feels sorry for himself, even though he was the one who caused this matter. He begins to imagine irrational things, but they are the truth that is happening now. That girl from his vision came in front his eyes. He couldn't focus on her features as he lay on the ground, but he knew it. She was saying things to him without focusing on what she was saying. "I apologize for being late. It's fine. I hope you realized the truth of those thoughts that came to you before. Just stay strong and hold on."
To complete the matter of this black entity, the girl unleashed a powerful mana roar that resonated and destroyed what was in front of it, but the monster disappeared inside this book as a retreat, leaving traces everywhere.
This strange girl sighed, "That's what I expected anyway. At least the matter has calmed down now."
People come from afar after this commotion, and she continues her words to Hiroki, who is almost unconscious, "It seems that I have to go now. The date of the meeting is approaching, but you must not fall into the trap that will come to you later. It may be difficult for you."
To quickly move towards an unknown direction without anyone noticing her.
Hiroki fell completely, while Yoru regained consciousness, noticing that everything they were in had disappeared, wondering how all this had happened. She noticed the book thrown on the ground and quickly hid it so that suspicion would not spread and further problems would arise. Both Kenji and Miyu were coming with some guards. She sees Hiroki completely collapsed, she leaned him on her back, and inside her there is remorse and optimism for what happened so that they survived.
The guards inquire about what exactly happened here, a question that is threatening them. Yoru, shaken but determined, scrambles to her feet.
"There was... another attack! Similar to the one before few days. We heard strange noises outside the shelter and went to investigate. We got caught off guard.. I apologize." Yoru said.
They scrutinizes Yoru and Hiroki, his gaze lingering on the unconscious figure. A hint of suspicion flickers in his eyes, but Yoru maintains a convincing facade.
"You should have reported the noises immediately. Regardless, get yourselves and your friend back inside. We'll handle it from here." one of them said.
She helps Hiroki stand after he regained consciousness, his body weak from the ordeal. As they slowly return towards the shelter, Kenji and Miyu rush to meet them, worry etched on their faces.
They return to the shelter entrance, where Nao observes them with a concerned and amazement expression. The weight of the night's events hangs heavy in the air.
Back in their room, Yoru decides it's time to come clean. She retrieves the book from her hiding place, its dark brown cover emblazoned.
They felt panic and anticipation at first, but there was nothing particularly frightening.
After a long explanation of what happened, Miyu continues, surprised and astonished
"This is really wonderful. It is the forgotten Golden Book of Yumix. It is one of the legends related to Yumix. It is still considered one of the biggest mysteries in the world. I have always wanted to do a lot of research on it." Miyu said.
Yoru continued: "We need a plan. This book is too dangerous to be left out in the open."
"I Agree with her. We can't let the authorities get their hands on it." Kenji speaking, "We keep this a secret. For now, at least."
While the others discuss their next move, Hiroki remains lost in thought. Wondering about that girl who saved him.
Yoru sees those glimpses of Hiroki, and announces to everyone that Hiroki seems to have regained his memories again. Everyone looked in astonishment, especially Hiroki. "How did you know that? Oh, that's right. You followed me. Anyway."
Hiroki continues his story, without mentioning that he came from another world, because he is certain that he died there and there is no trace of him anymore, as this place is completely different.
To finally gather his strength and self-confidence, he decided for his future to leave the place to complete his journey.
[To Be Continued]