Screams for help were echoing. The sirens of police and ambulances overlap.
A fire, so huge, roars so strongly.
However, even with the continuous efforts of the authorities, the fire won't go out.
It was as though, it was the flames from hell itself.
A kid, specifically a boy, stood in front.
The burning chokes his throat, as his lungs close up on him.
But, he was unable to move.
His face was in shock and fear. His whole body is paralyzed in terror.
One of the authorities noticed the boy and immediately ran to grab him.
As the officer grabbed the boy, he unexpectedly resisted.
"N-No! H-He's i-in there! I-I'm waiting for him!" He yelled his heart out, as tears flowed from his eyes.
He squirmed forcefully, but the officer managed to tighten his grasp around him.
The officer took him to a place, far from that hellish scene.
...
The fire... that burned everyone inside.
The Nigishimaya Incident years ago.
The birth, of the dark.
The birth, of his hatred.
And the birth, of his weakness.
...
Ryo suddenly sat up, panting as sweat dripped from his forehead.
"W-What was that?" He said as he tried to recollect his thoughts.
He had a nightmare. A nightmare, where he saw a kid in front of a burning building.
That wasn't just a dream to him... It was a familiar scene.
He held his head with both hands as a sharp pain pierced through it.
He clenched his eyes, as he wished for the pain to stop at once.
However, it only worsened.
A high-pitched sound echoed through his head, and voices began to spur.
Whispers that sounded gibberish, began tingling in his ears.
He clutched his head in pain, until a distinct sound, eliminated all of those, bringing him back to reality.
The sound of his phone alarm rang violently.
Though the pain lingered, it was bearable.
He grabbed his phone and turned off his alarm. It was 5 a.m., and he had slept all day after the exhausting exam.
He sighed, as the dream he saw rushed through his mind.
"The fire..." He murmured under his breath. Just the thought of that dream makes his chest tight.
That dream reflected the same experience he had.
In his case, he was, the kid.
He stood up from his bed and walked towards the kitchen area.
He grabbed a glass and filled it with cold water.
Then, he proceeded to do his usual.
Today, he plans to have an early morning exercise. Not just today, but every day, with the goal of improving himself physically.
The Seiei Academy opens at 4 am, with a big running track available for all students.
Ryo prepared himself, and changed into s tracksuit, bringing his headset, bottle of water, and phone as he left.
He ran continuously while listening to classical music. However, the dream still lingered tightly in his mind.
He tried to shrug it off but to no avail.
After running for at least half an hour, he decided to take a rest.
He threw himself on the bench, and immediately chugged on his water bottle.
He checked the time on his phone, and it was just 5:37 in the morning.
There's still a chunk of time before the class starts.
Just as he was pondering on what he should do, he noticed a presence right near him.
He looked up and saw the unexpected presence of Ryujin Kajiyashaki.
"I thought I was seeing things. If it isn't Kyosuke Ryo," Ryujin, who was in his PE attire greeted.
Ryo's eyes slightly widened in surprise.
"Kajiyashaki-san,"
"Hello there, Kyosuke-kun. Didn't expect to see you here." Ryujin continued as he sat beside Ryo. From the looks of it, Ryujin was also running.
"You too."
"Well, I hit the tracks early in the morning. Really important to keep those muscles running."
"Oh, I see."
"How about you?"
"I just started today."
"That's nice! You should continue it, it really helps your body."
"I will, thank you."
The conversation soon turned into silence with Ryo'z minimal replies.
Ryujin smiled for a moment as he chugged on his own water bottle.
Then, he leaned back and looked up to the sky.
"You did well back at the test." Ryujin complimented,
"Thank you."
"You heavily resemble someone I know."
"Someone you know?"
"Say, do you think we've met before?"
Ryo tilts his head towards Ryujin, confused at his statement.
"No."
Ryujin stopped for a moment, before continuing.
"I see, I'm sorry for that weird question." He replied with a chuckle,
"Okay."
"I guess I've had my break, I should get going soon."
Ryujin stood up and waved goodbye as he went on his way.
"But, I'm certain that it's You."
Ryujin thought to himself as he smiled. Familiarity blossomed as he saw Ryo's abilities during the exam.
He knew those techniques. Not only did he know, but he also tried to do it.
Moreover, he is positive, that he and Ryo, have already met in the past.
...
Ryo was left wondering the reason behind Ryujin's question.
His past is cloudy and blurry. He can't remember any person from it, aside from his Father and the incidents around him, the incidents that shaped him into who he is now, and the incidents that are a near mimicry of his dreams.
...
Time passed, and it's already time for class. As usual, he finds himself sleepy as he looks out over the window.
"You seem sleepy, Kyosuke-san." Rin, who was in front of him, said.
"Couldn't sleep, that's why." Ryo sleepily responded.
"O-Oh, okay. I'll leave you be then." She replied as she turned around, now facing the front...
However, as the clock ticked, his sleepiness grew. He struggled to keep his eyes open as the pressure grew heavier and heavier. The lecture was continuing, yet his mind was somewhere else.
He vividly remembered his earlier interaction with Ryujin.
No matter how he tried to remember, he couldn't remember anything. Was Ryujin someone from his childhood?
And at one point, he fully succumbed to his drowsiness.
...
The officer hugged the boy tightly, feeding comforting words into his ear. However, at this time, the boy's ear was deaf.
The only sound he heard was the lingering sound of blazing flame, burning everything around.
Embedded in his mind was his Father, who was left inside.
His cries weren't enough to reflect his pain.
"Magic was that what killed them. Fire... magic killed them!"
He yelled out, squirming violently, trying to get out of the officer's hold.
Then suddenly, the fire grew so big, that it swallowed the both of them.
It happened so fast that they could not even react.
...
Ryo suddenly darted awake, and just like in the morning, he was profusely sweating and catching his breath.
Tsubasa was surprised by Ryo's sudden movements.
"A-Are you okay?" She asked with concern.
Ryo looked around in a panic, unable to hear her.
"T-That dream again?" He thought to himself, as he caught his breath.
He noticed that Tsubasa was looking at him worriedly.
"What happened to you, Kyosuke-san?"
"N-Nothing." He denied in between his panting.
*You know, you were whispering something while you slept." Tsubasa said, her voice soft and concerned.
"W-What did I say?"
"I-I'm not sure, it was all muffled."
"O-Oh..."
"Haruto-san was about to invite you to lunch, however, he noticed that you were asleep. I was reading when you suddenly started whispering something, and for some reason., tears were flowing from your eyes."
"T-Tears?". Ryo immediately touched his face, and just like what Rin said, there was a trail of water down his cheeks.
"S-Sorry, won't happen again." Ryo was embarrassed, and at the same time, fearful of what he dreamt about.
He immediately left the room after leaving those words.
He walked fast through the hallway, his mind still puzzled and in a mess.
At one point, he came upon Reina who was walking with her usual smile in the hallways.
"Kyosuke-san, hello-"
However, Ryo didn't hear her. He was too occupied with his thoughts, as he walked right past her.
Reina followed him with her eyes, her smile disappearing. She noticed something was wrong with Ryo today.
However, once she deducted the probable reason for Ryo's unusuality, she smiled unsettlingly, before turning to the front and continuing walking.
As for Ryo, he arrived at the school rooftop.
He immediately goes over to the edge fence and looks over the small buildings.
"T-That dream." He murmured.
Looking back, he realized something.
When he first lost his Father, he became allergic to something.
The reason he didn't interest himself nor tried magic himself in his past years is because of this; the nightmares.
His childhood wasn't bright and filled with colors. It was monochromatic and dark, and now that he used magic again, it triggered the deepest wounds of his pasts, rendering the dreams he had been experiencing.
It's not that he hates magic, but he's just not allowed to love it because it is the trigger to his trauma.
As he remembered the dream he experienced, the past became much more vivid.
The past that bound him for years.
And he remembered again, the Nigishimaya Incident.