One year ago: 12-3-2986
Fubuki Train Station
Tokyo, Japan
3:17 p.m.
Tamim and Fahim stood beside a train track, the afternoon sun casting long shadows around them.
"The train will arrive soon; please stay ," the announcement echoed through the station, followed by the soft, nostalgic strains of Miki Matsubara's "Stay with Me."
Tamim was engrossed in his phone, his face illuminated by the screen's glow. Fahim tried to ease the tension, "Don't get so worked up. She'd never been to Japan before; she was just a little excited."
"Excited? We don't even know Japanese properly. Our tournament starts at 6:00, and we're wasting time here because of some stupid anime con," Tamim grumbled, his annoyance clear.
Fahim chuckled. "You and Tanisa are twins, but your personalities are polar opposites. It's so weird. But seriously, try to enjoy life a bit. I wonder what you'll be like when you get a girlfriend."
Just then, a girl approached with three ice creams. It was the younger version of the girl Fahim had met in the haven.
"Here you go. I told you there's a vending ice cream stall here," she said, handing an ice cream to Fahim.
"I didn't notice anything like that when we came in. Maybe the rules here are different," Fahim replied.
The girl turned to Tamim. "Tambu, don't you want an ice cream?"
"No," Tamim said flatly.
"Come on, do you know how hard it is to use those vending machines? Everything is in Japanese, and I found your favorite, no peanuts. Now you don't want it?" she said, her tone exasperated.
"Still no. Because of you, we've been stuck here for an hour," Tamim snapped.
"This is an apology. Please, have it. I spent 400 yen on this," she pleaded.
"Still no. Don't bother me. Eat it yourself," Tamim retorted.
The girl raised the ice cream threateningly. "Look, if you don't take it, I'll drop it on your shirt," she said, teasing.
"Hey, stop. If you drop it, it'll be a big problem," Tamim warned, grabbing her hand.
Despite his efforts, the ice cream slipped and smeared across his shirt. "Shit!" she exclaimed.
"I told you not to do that. How am I supposed to enter the tournament like this?" Tamim fumed.
"It didn't ruin your shirt completely. I saw a washroom to the right. We can get some fabric cleaner; it'll be fine," Fahim suggested.
"I'm sorry, Tamim. I didn't mean to," the girl said, her voice small and apologetic.
Tamim didn't respond, walking toward the washroom. Fahim turned to the girl. "Tanisa, don't be so sad. It's just a shirt. No worries. You know your brother; he'll cool off soon," he said, smiling.
Fahim followed Tamim to the washroom. Tanisa watched them go, her eyes lingering on a woman in a hoodie holding a baby.
In the washroom, Tamim was vigorously wiping his shirt. "Bro, she looked really guilty," Fahim said.
"I know, but it's obvious I'd be angry. She took us to an anime convention, we got stuck, and then the ice cream," Tamim said.
"But still..." Fahim began.
"My shirt's mostly clean now.
You know what? I feel bad for how I acted. I don't know why I'm like this. I feel so bad," Tamim confessed.
"Bro, I get it. It's normal to have these moments between siblings. Just apologize, and it'll be okay," Fahim reassured, as they left the washroom.
The station announcement blared: "The train to Kyoto is arriving. Please stay away from the platform for safety."
Fahim glanced around and saw a woman running. He then noticed Tanisa jumping onto the train tracks. "Tanisa!!" he yelled, sprinting toward her.
The station was almost empty, the silence broken only by the approaching train. Fahim realized it was coming at full speed. He pushed himself to run faster, reaching Tanisa, who had a child in her arms.
Tanisa quickly handed the child to Fahim. Before either could react, the train struck Tanisa with brutal force, her blood splattering everywhere, including Fahim's face.
Tamim emerged from the washroom, as soon as he saw the train crash Tanisa and all he saw Tanisas blood splattering everywhere, including Fahim's face.
Fahim fell to his knees, screaming Tanisa's name while clutching the child, his mind reeling from the shock and the sight of his Tanisas lifeless body.
Tamim stood frozen at the washroom entrance, his face a mask of shock and disbelief.
His mind struggled to process the horror that had unfolded in mere seconds.
His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open, as if trying to form words that wouldn't come.