A New Beginning

KENTA KAZUKI

My new life with aunt Rei started right after she adopted me.

Once the doctor had proclaimed that I was fit to leave the hospital after they forcibly kept me under observation for an entire month. Several close-by relatives whom I had never met before suddenly started popping up to take me into their custody.

Somewhere I had wished that my parents might return after hearing the news of my recovery. But such a thing never came to pass.

I was happy that out of all of them according to some set terms, aunt Rei met all the criteria and she told me she fought her hardest to take care of me.

After I woke up from my coma aunt Rei visited me each day to spend time with me. She also helped and supported me during my physical rehabilitation therapy on a regular basis. Usually, she told me that something very important prevented her from visiting me when I was ill but now she could do everything to take care of me.

And now I too had decided that I would spend my life under her care.

After spending almost half a year with aunt Rei in her apartment. I was glad I made such a decision.

But there was one thing that always felt odd to me. But still being small in age I couldn’t decide whether it was right or wrong.

From the moment I stepped inside this house, not even once have I gone outside these four walls except for the mandatory monthly checkup to the hospital. And that too I had to travel the whole way inside a taxi.

I was forbidden to go outside or meet anyone. Going near the door to answer a doorbell or picking up a phone was set off-limits by my aunt.

Despite her calm demeanor she always got frustrated whenever I talked about going outside. And she would then always clutch me in her arms as if afraid of something.

Not that I knew anyone I could have wanted to meet. Or call someone for that matter. So, I decided to go along with Aunt Rei’s wishes.

However, there was still this one thing I couldn’t give up no matter what. For some reason, I always kept on pestering aunt Rei to allow me to join school as she had promised me previously in the hospital.

But aunt Rei always admonished my idea saying that I was too young to do so and she would teach me everything herself.

But for this, I could not settle and I continued with my tantrum. I always felt like there was something waiting for me if I went to school. Or that it would make a certain person happy if I did so.

But it was not like I sat inside my home doing nothing. It just turns out Aunt Rei had a hidden talent.

Despite the apartment not being too big, it housed a grand piano.

One day I just happened to discover Aunt Rei playing the piano skillfully. From that moment it sparked my interest in learning to play the piano myself.

I began taking piano lessons from Aunt Rei and she promised me that she would impart every ounce of her experience to me.

So, when she was not at home or at work, I had my piano lessons to practice. And aunt Rei was both demanding and passionate when it came to playing the piano.

.

But past these few weeks, aunt Rei’s behaviour had completely changed. She no longer went to work. And every time I asked her to give me more piano lessons, the thing she liked doing the most. She outright refused and put it on hold.

Instead, she would always from far blankly stare at the door or at the telephone placed close to the door. The part of the house that had always been off-limits for me.

If I had to say when this change began, it was right after she received a late-night phone call and dropped the phone on hearing the voice on the other side. I thought it was only by accident, but the look on Aunt Rei’s face was filled with despair.

And no matter what I did to cheer her up, I failed miserably. The cheerful aunt Rei I knew from then had vanished.

.

“Ken I am going out to buy food for today.”

“Rei, can I come with you.” I asked sweetly hoping for once she would let me accompany her.

“No, that’s not possible.” She shouted.

“But…”

“You have to stay here no matter what. You can’t leave from here.” Aunt Rei screamed.

Her words succeeded in discouraging my naïve little self and I ran back inside feeling helpless.

Aunt Rei quickly came running back and hugged me from back.

“Ken I am sorry. Please don’t be angry with me. But you see your aunt is facing some kind of big trouble and she can’t let you out.”

“What kind of trouble?” I asked hoping she would tell me.

“Don’t worry I will come back as soon as possible. Please for once do this for me. I promise I will take you out anywhere after I have fixed this problem.”

I was forced to give up after she wheedled me with her affection.

Or at least that’s what I always thought her feelings for me always were.

***

HALF AN HOUR LATER

I was still practicing the piano lessons from where Aunt Rei left off teaching me. Hopefully, the people living around these rooms were mostly absent in the daytime so the voice did not disturb anyone.

But during my practice an unusual noise interrupted me. Unusual I say because it was my own doorbell ringing. And to be honest I myself did not recognize it.

Even the delivery parcels that aunt Rei would order were always asked to be left in the mailbox and then were only picked up by her.

Also, aunt Rei had instructed me to never open the door unless I heard her voice because strangers are dangerous.

So, I just stopped playing and waited for the person knocking on the door to willingly leave.

But as if the person on the other side of the door was possessed the waiting only intensified the bangs on the door he made. And then he screamed, “Rei I know you are inside. I heard the piano.”

I was specifically in shock because this was not a stranger but someone who knew Aunt Rei.

“Now open the damn door. Or I will break it.” The man continued shouting and repeating himself in his crude tone.

In fact, the door knocking became so loud that I was afraid people from other floors might come to complain. It also looked like the man was not joking because I could see the hinges shaking from each thrust he made on the door with his kicks.

I quietly walked to the door and lifting up my heels reached the door knob myself and unlocked it. But before the door could be thrust completely open I quickly hooked the iron chain lock to the door to only let it partially open.

This was a special lock that aunt Rei had specifically installed in the door.

This way the door only opened up for a small space and at the same time I could see who was outside without letting anyone in.

I had decided to simply refuse the man entry and tell him that aunt Rei wasn’t here.

“So, you finally decided to open. Now come out.” The man shouted.

“Mister.” I spoke to grab his attention below.

“Who are you, twerp? And what are you doing in Rei’s house!?” The man looked below with a confused look.

This person on the other side looked young with a muscular build but his dress was in rough shape and looked shabby as if he had been in a fight not too long.

So, this guy knew aunt Rei and where she lived but he didn’t know about me. So, either this man had not met aunt Rei for a long time or aunt Rei hadn’t told him about me.

It was the first time someone had come to visit and also knew aunt Rei, so I was a bit hesitant.

“Rei isn’t home so you can come back later?”

“I asked who are you to Rei.”

“I am her… son.” I said.

“Her son. Is that some kind of joke you brat? Now come on unlock the door or I am forcibly getting in. Rei come out. Did you hear me?” The man looked like he still suspected the piano was being played by aunt Rei.

“I was the one playing the piano.” I said confidently and felt a little pride that my piano playing was being compared to aunt Rei.

For a moment, the man wore an expression of pure frustration, as if he believed I was outright lying to him.

And I was ready to face him with every ounce of my resolve and not let him in.

However, this standoff came to an abrupt end when we two heard a voice familiar to both of us.

“Daisuke… Why? What are you doing here?” the voice gasped and then became silent.

Simultaneously, I heard something crash to the floor. In a rush, I unlocked the door to investigate the source of the disturbance.

On the doorstep stood my aunt Rei, her face filled with agony. A bag of vegetables dropped on the ground, and tomatoes scattered around.

“Rei we finally met.” declared the man whom Aunt Rei had just recognized, sporting a triumphant expression.

Aunt Rei whom I had known to be an assertive and confident woman suddenly became docile. Her fearful face was evident to me.

And it was all due to the man who was now sitting at our dining table.

“Kenta quickly go inside your room.” Aunt Rei ordered me as if those were the only words she could utter after gathering all her strength.

“What’s the harm Rei let the boy sit and talk. I am sure he would be itching to know who I am?”

For the entire time, the man called Daisuke kept on talking nonsense while aunt Rei kept on hearing as if she had no other choice.

But what I hated the most was this man was making aunt Rei uncomfortable.

For the entire time the man kept on bragging about himself and how he would be again coming to stop by before he finally left.

“You will come here.. again?” Aunt Rei had a crestfallen face.

“Of course my dear Rei, after all, there is so much to catch up after you left me without a word.”

“And I think I have found something of use again.” The man said looking in my direction.

With these words, the day came to an end as the man stood up and left.

Aunt Rei then settled into her unadorned spot, silently and without saying a word for a long time.

“He will be coming back, he said. I need to get away far from here.” Aunt Rei stared at the ceiling and spoke to herself loudly. The effect of those made her hands shiver.

She suddenly stood up and now I couldn’t read the expression on her face.

“Kenta get ready we are leaving this place?” Aunt Rei started moving around the house like a mad person throwing everything unnecessary and putting whatever important things in a bag she could quickly grab.

“Are we going out on a trip? When will be back.”

“Never. We will be leaving this place forever. Yes, we will move to some other town or village where no one will find us.” Aunt Rei pushed me aside and continued with her baggage heist.

“No, I am not going anywhere. I will take the piano with me.”

“Don’t be a child, that thing is useless. We need to get away from here before…” Aunt Rei stopped as she saw me running back into my room as I hated the idea of leaving this place.

I was not the kind of a kid who would make a baloney demand, but still.

After all aunt Rei herself said this was going to be my home.

Aunt Rei as if angered by my tantrum caught hold of me from the back in a haphazard manner which resulted in me falling on the floor.

I turned to look up while lying down on the floor. Aunt Rei was in front of me, but not the one I had known.

Her eyes, once bright and lively, were now sunken and encircled by heavy, dark bags. They bore the weight of countless hours of wakefulness.

It was as though a heavy emotional weight of guilt had settled upon her face, casting a shadow.

And now her crime was right in front of her face… Crying. This was more than enough to break her down.

“If it was not for you I could have left this place long ago.” A thought crossed aunt Rei’s mind while also saying it out loud.

“Rei.” I called her by name. but the look in her eyes did not change.

At that time, I did not know the meaning of that expression but I was scared.

“Everyone told me to stay away from you. Saying that whoever got close to you died horribly.”

“If only I was not so desperate at that time…”

“Rei I am sorry if I have done anything wrong. I will do whatever you say.” Aunt Rei’s words made little sense to me but I knew I couldn’t watch her like that.

“⸺Then just go away from my life.” Aunt Rei’s bloodshot, glassy gaze met my teary eyes but this time her reaction exploded with all her bottled-up emotions.

Like a possessed soul, her hands moved and slipped to take right hold of my neck.

Her thumbs pierced the center of my neck while her hands circled it tightly.

It was also at this time I saw strange fuming dark particles all around aunt Rei which shouldn’t have been there.

“Reee..ii. I am… sorry.” I was choking and unable to breathe.

But this time as if my voice finally did reach her. Aunt Rei suddenly pulled her hands and got far away from me.

“⸺Rei.” I called her name out but she had already gotten far away from me.

“What’s happening to me? That wasn’t me. That was…” Aunt Rei repeated the same thing.

I lifted up my arms and spread them as usual. Hoping aunt Rei would hug me as she always did.

“Stay away. I must not be in my right mind What was I even trying to do.”

I tried walking to her. But the fear on her face did not allow her to look at me.

Until Aunt Rei stood up and ran outside the door screaming.

I was left alone in the house wondering why aunt Rei would act like that.

The mark on my neck, still hurt. But what hurt me even more was the thought that aunt Rei hated me.

I had no choice but to wait for aunt Rei to come back.

She would come back!?

I don’t want to be abandoned again.

***

EREBUS

I did tell Kenta that I couldn’t look at what was happening inside the trial cave. But just yesterday I had made sure to link my eyes with his vision. So, if he is still alive in there I should be able to have a good show to myself.

This much seems appropriate for a deity of darkness.

But I sure do like him for his tenacity in suspecting me for whatever I do no matter what sweet words I pour into his ear.

His heart really must be filled with hatred and distrust for others.

Now let’s see what that test really could do to a human…

***

KENTA KAZUKI

It suddenly started raining heavily outside. I was still waiting inside the house right in front of the door.

My heart pumped and my eyes blinked. But I felt completely lifeless from inside.

Until an hour later, the door suddenly opened.

I ran to the door first thing knowing who it was.

And before I could react, aunt Rei came down and hugged me back.

“I am sorry. There is no forgiveness for what I did but I promise once we are out of here. I will tell you everything.”

“Okay.” I was happy. She finally did come back.

This was enough for me as I did not want to be left alone in the world again.

After Aunt Rei dried herself, she swiftly packed a small bag with all the essentials and collected all the cash from the locker before we left.

No one would have been able to see us leave on such a dark night and it was also raining heavily outside.

Aunt Rei opened the door, and just as she began to step halfway outside, a large shadow of someone unexpected was cast by the only flickering light bulb in the outside corridor, blocking her way.

“I knew you would try to run away. That’s why I waited for you here.”

Aunt Rei’s body was stuck in one place.

But this time she shouted back, “Kenta run away inside and do not come until I tell you.”

Daisuke forced his way inside and aunt Rei incessantly stepped back inside her house.

“You wouldn’t want to make a ruckus outside.” Daisuke said confidently as he closed the outside world shut for us.

By then I upheld aunt Rei’s order and hid inside a cupboard in the kitchen.

“What are you doing here?”

“Don’t be so pricky Rei. You know how much I love you.”

Daisuke tried to bring his hand on Rei’s shoulder but Rei turned away in disgust.

“I know what I did to you was unforgivable but I had no other choice. Just listen to me. I can fix everything for us back to normal.”

“Fix everything. How dare you even say that after blackmailing me? Get away from me.” Aunt Rei was completely repulsed by the man.

“No, this time I have a plan. It won’t fail like the last time. Either way, it was your fault.” Daisuke continued on insisting on Aunt Rei.

“My fault. It was only because you begged on your knees for my favor and I foolishly handed my company’s records that I was responsible for to you. And because you were still sloppy at your own job you were inevitably kicked out of your own company. And then you started blackmailing me that you will expose my crime in public.” Aunt Rei shouted at Daisuke explaining what had transpired between them previously.

“Those stupid bosses had no idea what I could have given them and kept on complaining that my work was not good enough. After being kicked out I had no source of income and blackmailing you was the only way left. An independent man needs money to fulfill his needs.” Daisuke tried to justify his actions.

“So, does that really give you the right to blackmail me? I was naive that I trusted you and that’s why I hate myself for being such a fool. If only I hadn’t believed you at that time, I would have never had to see such a day.” Aunt Rei broke into sobs as she recalled her past.

“It’s alright I will free you from all your burden.” Daisuke still tried to coax aunt Rei to listen to him.

“My company has already fired me because they became aware of my suspicious actions. They are still trying to find out and have put detectives on my case. If they find solid evidence, I will be put behind bars. I need to run away as far as I can.” Aunt Rei was still panicking and her breaths became heavy.

“No, I can’t let you go. As long as you have my only ticket to my freedom.” Daisuke still kept on blocking aunt Rei’s path with his huge build.

“What do you mean?” Aunt Rei was shocked.

“I want that kid.” Daisuke pointed in the direction in which he saw me running away.

“What do you want with Kenta? He is going with me.” Aunt Rei was scared because she didn’t know what Daisuke was planning to do.

“You see there are rich families who are willing to pay a huge sum just to adopt talented and good-looking kids like him. I heard him playing the piano and he was just as good as you. I came in contact with a family who wanted such a kid for themselves.”

“You won’t.” Aunt Rei gasped.

“Yes, I already talked to them and have finalized the deal. Believe me, it’s a fortune that we are getting as long as we pretend to be his guardians and hand the kid over to them.” Daisuke laughed feeling proud of himself that he was able to negotiate a good deal.

“You are a demon. How low are you going to fall?” Aunt Rei could have never imagined that the person she once felt being close to would turn out like this.

“I know how you have been paying me off the blackmail money after you were suspended from your job by reeling in that kid. You have only kept that kid trapped here in your own little world. Isn’t that just like you Rei when you broke contact with me after I lost my job because you thought I was useless?”

“Huhhh? How did you… kn..?” Aunt Rei was as if struck by lightning and couldn’t even finish her sentence.

“I had been keeping an eye on you for a while. The hospital you take the kid to. I just happened to have a long chat with a staff there after I paid him a little and they told me everything.” This time Daisuke again approached Rei himself.

Aunt Rei’s shock was even greater that she did not even feel Daisuke trying to approach her.

“I know that kid has been a burden to you for a long time and someday or other you would have abandoned him anyway. That kid will only bring misfortune to you. So, let me take him away from you and we can start a new life together.” Daisuke this time confident, had believed that Rei had finally surrendered.

“You are not going to take him away from me.” With that Rei pushed Daisuke away with a strength she never thought she had in her.

“Then how about I tell him the truth about what you did to him and then let him decide.” Daisuke believed that he still had the upper hand on aunt Rei.

“No, don’t do that. Please don’t.” Rei begged crying. Even though she had decided that she would reveal everything to Kenta someday. She did not want for this to happen right now.

“Now you finally understand your position.”

“You are not going to tell that kid anything. Stay away from us.” For a final push, Rei put all her might in her hands and was able to knock back Daisuke who tripped and fell.

“Now you have done it, woman.” Daisuke stood up and taking Rei by her hand threw her away. For a heavy-built person like him, Rei only looked like a light doll in his hand.

Rei fell hard on the ground and collapsed there.

“Reiiiii….”

I who was still hiding inside the cupboard could barely see anything. But listening to aunt Rei’s scream just now shook me to my core and I let out a scream.

I quickly placed my hand over my mouth, trying to cover up even the sound of my breaths.

I could hear footsteps now in the kitchen and from the heaviness of the steps it was not of aunt Rei’s.

“I heard you, you little twerp. Where are you? ⸺I know. Why don't we play a game? If you come out on your own, it will hurt less. But if I find you, I'm not sure your fake mom would be able to recognize you again.”Daisuke started humming to himself as he started checking the empty places in the kitchen in front of him.

“I heard you wanted to go to school. I can make that possible if you come with me. Rei is the kind of woman who would do anything to get what she wants.”

I knew he was doing this so that I make a mistake and get enraged and found out.

“Such a poor child who doesn’t even know he has been robbed by the one, he called his mom. She took away all your money which came with your adoption and gave it to me while she forever planned to keep you locked inside here.” Daisuke playfully tells me whatever he wanted to.

Suddenly the footsteps stopped.

“So, this wasn’t enough to get you out. I hate you even more now. You are only going to make this hard for yourself by making me angry.” Daisuke continued with his search as he started checking out the cupboards on the top.

So, he was really waiting to see my reaction. Aunt Rei she means more to me than this man thinks.

“I also heard an interesting story at the hospital where you were undergoing treatment for a long time. An entire family of a doctor tragically died in a car accident when they showed kindness to an orphan boy and were helping in his treatment.”

Suddenly a plate shook and the noise was heard throughout the kitchen despite the heavy storm outside. Daisuke quickly opened the upper shelf to his right and a mouse leaped out and ran outside.

“Shhh…” Daisuke shrieked.

This was my first time hearing it nor could I confirm whether it was a truth or lie.

But my heart felt so heavy at this moment that breathing suddenly became difficult.

“And then there is the story of your real parents who abandoned you. The poor mother and father who couldn't gather enough money needed for their child's treatment and out of regret decided to take away their lives by jumping…”

“Hhhh…” I let out a surprised sigh despite my mouth filled with my hand.

It can’t be true. But remembering aunt Rei’s words everyone has hidden so many truths from me.

“I pity those parents who ended up with such an ungrateful child who should had taken his own life instead. So, I am going to punish that ungrateful boy today.” Daisuke laughs as he finds the story amusing.

With a sudden hush of silence, “⸺I found you.”Daisuke shouted in an elated manner.

Opening the lower cupboard under the water sink, he expected me to find there.

But instead, a heavy metal container falls on his leg.

Daisuke shrieks in agony, while I quickly escaped from the attached shelf. Thankfully I decided to choose a spot where the two shelves were connected.

But in my situation, my legs were only moving because I feared for my life. The things that I heard did not allow my tears to stop from overflowing.

But I needed to find Aunt Rei first. However, being small in size has its disadvantages. By the time I got past Daisuke, he had already recovered.

“Where are you going kid?” Daisuke screeched but suddenly his voice sounded different.

I turned back to find what was wrong, and it was clear that Daisuke had gone from bad to worse.

Daisuke's appearance had transformed into something far from normal. He was now shrouded in an ominous, inky haze that materialized around his body. And gradually coalescing like a swirling vortex around him.

“Gwahha….ahhhhh.” A series of primal, guttural sounds escaped Daisuke's lips, resembling the growls and shrieks of a wild animal.

Panic gripped me, and I quickened my pace, but an eerie transformation was unfurling around me as well.

My surrounding was changing into a black prison as everything darkened around me. While a singular path stayed in front of me.

Desperate to escape, I pushed my legs to their limits, but it was futile; I couldn't move any farther.

Suddenly, a shadowy tendril, as black as the void itself, ensnared my ankle, causing me to tumble to the ground. Turning back, I realized that the ominous black fog had multiplied, encircling me from all sides.

I tried to dig the ground around me but my nails couldn’t even scratch the hard surface.

⸺I couldn’t do anything.

“What do you want from me?” I shouted at the black shadowy humanoid figure that might have now possessed Daisuke.

My heart ached as if I was trapped in a recurring nightmare. As if I knew what was about to happen if I stayed here any longer.

As if all of this had happened to me before but somehow I don’t remember.

The shadowy appearance of Daisuke elongated his arm into a long black blade and started walking towards me.

Was I going to die?

***

EREBUS

“Ah! Such a shame and here I thought he showed some potential. But fighting that thing as a human and that too in a child’s body is totally impossible. Well, I did get to know something about his past and I thought I could use that information.”

But still, if all this test does is show your terrible past. I wonder why anyone couldn’t have survived the test. I am sure those who tried before were strong individuals.

I guess he, too, would be trapped along with that darkness and consumed by his own misery and sorrow.

A fitting end for the guy who tried to partner with the god of darkness. I won’t have it any other way either.

Still, if he was this ordinary, then either way he would have been useless in realizing my dream.

But then why would the Divine System go out of its way to interfere with his life by sending the Abyssals after him?

The beings of the dark that are even beyond the control of the gods of the Divine realm. Only the Divine System can so much as manipulate them in some cases.

And this Abyssal was strong enough that it could form its own territory domain. There’s no way someone could defeat such a monstrosity.

Deciding to take a final look I was thinking of cutting the connection.

“Please save me.” Kenta said with bated breath.

As if he knew somebody would come to his help no matter where he would have been.

Hah! Human nature can be hilariously stubborn; they don’t even know when to give up.

But as if my senses felt something suddenly brewing up in this pitch-darkened world.

Kenta’s body began to glow brightly with a golden light.

“That magic. Can’t be… ⸺its divine magic. Is someone else here… another god.”

I said in a tense voice.

The power was growing, while the distance between Kenta and the Abyssal was shortening.

And at the same time, it felt as if time had suddenly stretched... No, in fact, it had slowed down.

The golden light traveling past Kenta’s body had started materializing in front of him now.

“What’s happening?”

The final form of the condensed light was the silhouette of a girl with long hair and around the same age as Kenta. Except for those features it was just a manifestation of divine light in golden layers.

Spreading its palm, a burst of golden light whips flashes out. A single contact with the black shadows, and they evaporate.

All of this happened in a quick flash even for the Abyssals to notice until they got completely annihilated.

“That was no ordinary divine light. Its purity far surpasses anything I've encountered; it would require a tremendous effort even for me to attain such a level.”

But that’s not enough to take down an Abyssal. The final Abyssal possessing Daisuke still remained intact.

The manifested girl then suddenly launches spherical light balls but the Abyssal strikes them off with his elongated blade arm.

The girl should have known that the attack wouldn’t work. Is that all there was to this abnormality?

I couldn’t help but wonder.

The attack did put some distance between her and the Abyssal. Was she trying to protect Kenta?

No, it’s not just that, I am sure the power manifested within her is still greater than what she had shown till now.

Perhaps it was to buy time. But for what…

Krrk... Krrk... Krrrkkkk....

Above!

That can’t be true. A small crack tore through the domain and sparkling white light seeped in. In its wake, a faint, ethereal white sword descended through the breach.

The sword was not real but again just a manifestation of a maybe original sword. But the power that revolved around it was blinding even for a god like me.

The sword resembled close to an object I knew about, but I could not say for sure. And because I was sharing my vision with Kenta I could only see what he was seeing.

And right now, his eyes were moistened with tears and glossy.

The white sword floated down to the girl until she grabbed it with her hands.

“Gwaahhhhh…” The Abyssal roared and looked agitated.

For a brief moment, the girl toyed with the sword and had a sudden realization.

She looked back but I could not tell her facial expression because she was completely enshrouded in the golden light.

She suddenly let go of the sword and allowed it to fly around freely, pretending as if she had never taken it in her hand.

“I see. The sword was too big for her hand.” I felt surprised for a second.

The enraged Abyssal plunged towards her as if she were its sole enemy.

The sword now levitating blocked its path. Until the manifested transparent white sword alone entered a quick showdown with the Abyssal.

The blades collided a dozen times in a split second and each time with a mere brush the Abyssal’s sword got destroyed.

I could feel the white sword was taking all the magical energy from the Abyssal in each attack even though its own inherent nature was light.

“This situation is too unprecedented.”

The Abyssal jumped back realising brute strength rendered no effect on the sword and was taking away its power.

The girl too called back the sword close to her.

This time the abyssal shrieked and invoked the power of its domain. Thunderous bolts and a vortex of black fog started pouring in from the dark territory spreading everywhere.

The Abyssal’s power also grew exponentially as it increased both its body size and the length of its sword hand.

The girl muttered something but I could not hear her voice.

She extended her index finger, directing it towards the Abyssal, and then sharply pointed it downward.

The gravity around the entire territory changed. The power of the girl was so strong that it interfered with the Abyssal’s domain power.

Usually interfering in another’s domain is considered a total impossibility. But this situation had been absurd from the start.

The vortex and lightning also died down under its effect.

Even the motion of the Abyssal slowed down as its absorbed body mass dropped and sank onto the floor.

But Abyssals do not feel pain. The overwhelming power made it even more desperate that it started fusing with the soul of the human it had possessed and taking its life energy.

The miasma of the Abyssal darkened even further and it again tries to get close to the girl. Its sword hand turns into an obsidian solid.

The girl moved her other hand and again with the movement of her lips as if commanding something. Her cheeks transformed into a subtle, small smile.

The domain of the black Abyssal began to crumble, disintegrating rapidly, while a white room materialized and expanded in its place. I could have not described it in any other way.

The hovering sword shifted horizontally, enveloped in crackling white lightning. With incredible speed, it thrust towards the Abyssal with immense force, piercing through its heart in a blinding flash of light, and then the sword vanished.

At the same time, the dark miasma of the Abyssal disappears as well.

Kenta who was still in shock couldn’t even stand up. Everything he saw felt unbelievable and a bad dream to him.

The girl enveloped in the golden light walks towards Kenta and with slight hesitation, she gazes at him.

I couldn’t help but imagine that even if this manifestation was a condensation of raw magic power it possessed some kind of unique consciousness.

She puts her hands on her waist while her face is looking away.

As if she wanted Kenta to stand on his own. The golden light had already started to fade away. The amalgamation of magic power was disintegrating as well.

“Who are you?”

The girl tries to speak something but before her voice can be heard the white room cracks and falls apart and the golden manifestation turns into fragments of light.

Suddenly the voice of a loud boom catches Kenta’s attention and time is resumed back to the real world.

From the previous sword attack’s impact, the possessed man in return was thrown away.

While the woman Rei had gained consciousness and now stood in front of Kenta. She takes his hand and calls out to him.

“Kenta we need to run. To the gate.”

“Rei you are alright.” I said happily. As if memories of a moment ago again vanished into oblivion.

.

This is so wonderful.

I would have never imagined something like this to happen.

The girl in that golden light, that white sword. The interference of the Abyssal. This goes even beyond my imagination.

Just exactly what kind of secret your past holds Kenta that the Divine System is so eager to get rid of you.

But that also makes you the perfect candidate.

This will have to work out. I cannot see any other way. Everything happening in the Divine Realm holds meaning and potential for a change.

After all, you will be the one who will destroy the Divine System. Even if I have to make you to.

.

Resuming to the current scenario the test did not seem to have ended just yet. Even though Kenta had regressed to the past it is impossible to alter it no matter how hard he tried.

Unfortunately, the tragedies of the past are unchangeable and humans can only cling to the memories like a moth to a flame.

***

KENTA KAZUKI

Aunt Rei and I decided to run towards the gate and lock Daisuke inside.

This plan would have surely succeeded only if Daisuke would have remained still.

But his physical endurance far exceeded aunt Rei’s expectations. Even a blow like that was not enough to knock him down.

He quickly got up and caught aunt Rei’s hair and started pulling her towards himself.

The naivete of a small child; I did not let go of aunt Rei’s hand even though there was no way I could gain ground against someone like him.

“Give me that boy. You heard me Rei…” Daisuke groaned.

He again succeeded in pushing away aunt Rei and was about to grab me by my collar.

CRASH!

Before Daisuke could gain control over me, aunt Rei had used the glass flower vase kept at the center of the dinner table to hardly hit on Daisuke’s head.

Even though this was a surprise attack; it did only little damage to Daisuke. While Aunt Rei’s own hands bled.

She steps on the fallen sharp glass pieces to get to me first.

“Damn you Rei! Now pay for it.”

Gwahk!

After that Daisuke collapsed due to the loss of blood from the wound he sustained just now on his head.

“Kenta keep on running.” Aunt Rei shouted as if she did not want me to look back.

This time we would succeed. We were close to the door.

If the two of us could safely make it to the outside we could still live happily. And this time there would have been no lies.

“…And then maybe.” My head was completely filled with overflowing thoughts.

I stepped out of the door and expected aunt Rei, who was holding my hand to do the same.

But as I turned back I couldn’t even breathe.

“Rei… Reiiii.” I screamed.

The aunt Rei whom I had always known to be the most confident whenever she played piano with me. Or so gentle and warm the moment she would embrace me whenever she felt sad.

Right now… she was hurt. Her hair was untidy and torn from the fight. Her palm bleeding and, nails broken. Wounds all around her hands she sustained when fighting with Daisuke.

And then the long shrapnel of glass embedded directly into her abdomen. A large amount of blood had already marked her lower clothes with deep red. And more dripped through her legs and the wounds.

“Reiiii…” I shouted as I quickly turned my legs to move inside to help her.

But instead, aunt Rei who had succeeded in freeing her hand closed the door on me.

“Reiii… rrrei. Open the door. You are hurt.” I knocked on the door rapidly without stopping with both my hands.

I then heard something fall down against the door.

“Rei what happened? Are you alright?” I shouted from outside. My tears were entering through my mouth, but I had no time to wipe them off.

“⸺Kenta…, I am alright.” The words stopped me from knocking as I waited to hear Rei’s voice.

Aunt Rei quietly sat leaning on the other side of the door. Her entire body writhed in pain with every little breath she took.

“Just open the door. Why won’t you let me come in?” I asked after a small pause.

Why won’t you open the door?

Why do you all lie to me?

⸺Let me save you. I don't want to always end up as the one being helped and losing everything.

***

REI AOKI

“Daisuke, he finally got me.... Kho-Kho!” I look at my hands and I coughed up some blood.

Looking at the shard of glass, I could feel that it was deeply embedded in my stomach. Had I tried taking it out I would have bled to death on the spot.

For now, it looked like I have still some time left. Even if barely.

“Ken. Are you there? I am sorry you had to go through all of this.” I spoke trying not to bring up the pain in my voice. But I still couldn’t stop the trembling.

That boy has already suffered enough.

“Rei. Come outside.” Kenta said as he kept on banging at the door.

“I have been so irresponsible and a liar from the start. You wanted to go to school right? Even though I had all the money I got from your adoption. I lost it because of my foolishness and gave it to that man just to save my own skin.”

“I know he was lying. So, don’t say anything, just come outside.” Kenta, as usual, seemed to care little about himself.

Even though he had been wronged by me in several ways, he still wanted to be with me.

“Daisuke was right I am a dirty woman. I told you pretty lies and kept you away from the truth about your parents. Khoo…Kho.”

“Rei I will get help. I will call an ambulance. Someone, please help.” Kenta kept on shouting desperately.

It hurts so much. Even right now, I want to hug him. I always seemed to have calmed down after that.

But I can’t let my shadow follow him even after my death. I have to stay away from him.

“Kenta you’re not hurt right.” I asked to assure myself.

“No, I am not. I promise I will always listen to you.” Kenta’s shaken voice only told me how much I had hurt him deeply.

“You always tried to find a mother in me. I am sorry, I couldn’t become one for you, nor I tried. All I did was only take from you. Every time you played the piano I wanted to see you play someday even on a bigger stage.”

“Rei. Please stop talking. I only want to play the piano with you.” Kenta said.

I made him cry again. I am so awful.

“You like playing the piano right, I would like to hear you playing more. So never stop playing it.” I tried to conjure up a cheerful voice.

“Yes, I will.” Kenta bursts into cries and without any regard to his bleeding palms, he puts all his force on the door.

“And also… also… waahhh.”

More blood rushed to my throat and clogged it. I was unable to speak any further.

“Khooo…Kho.”

This is probably… it for me.

“Damned woman. You completely deserved it.”

Daisuke was standing back on his feet again.

“Great after your death I can pretend to be his guardian and do whatever I want.”

Daisuke waited for a second to see my reaction. Maybe he wanted to see me beg for my life or apologize to him.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you smiling like that? Say something.” A horrid expression plagued Daisuke.

I wonder what kind of face I was making to scare him so much.

I need to make sure.

“How are you still able to stand?”

Yeah, I was trying to stand. I wonder where I got this kind of strength. But the blood leaking from my body became more intense.

Weakness caught me soon after.

So, before I fall again I will make sure.

It took me so long. But I realize what I am supposed to do to stop Kenta from suffering anymore.

“Don’t come any close to me.” Daisuke stepped back with every step I took towards him.

My legs were hurting from the glass pieces still stuck in my soles. But slowly the pain was disappearing.

Somehow I had come as far as the balcony and Daisuke was right in front of me.

“I said stay away Reiiii….”

I wonder why was Daisuke was so afraid of me right now.

Am I smiling right now? Am I finally feeling happiness?

⸺I am sure its because I feel so relived right now.

Looking outside, the storm had finally died down. All we needed to do was run.

And then maybe we could have gotten far away from here. I would have begged for Kenta’s forgiveness and promised to forever look after him.

We could have been a family just like a mother and son.

All this time I had been running to save myself. So, this time I will run again, but not for myself.

With those last thoughts, I ran towards Daisuke and grabbed him.

But the momentum did not stop us from moving forward till we got close to the railing of the balcony.

I could see Daisuke moving his lips and still making a scared face. But even my ears had given up on me by now.

Maybe it was because I was finally dying, I cared little.

I had been wanting to end this all for a long time. That’s why the two of us who are on the same boat, will now drown together in the sea of misfortune that we decide to sail into.

Ah! I still hadn’t told him the one truth. That the time I got to spend with him I was grateful he was there.

***

KENTA KAZUKI

“What’s happening inside?”

Why isn’t Rei responding anymore?

“Rei. Rei.”

Thump!

Is that Daisuke’s voice? Has he woken up again?

“Rei open the door. Run. Please.” I shouted but there was no reply.

And at the same time, from below the door, a lot of blood started to flow outside.

“No. this can’t be. Rei. Not again. Not again.”

I had no choice but to try looking from the keyhole.

Even though I could barely see anything through it.

Rei was standing again but Daisuke was right in front of him.

For a second I thought I caught a glance of her face trying to say my name but I could not understand the full sentence.

Until she started to run towards Daisuke. And after grabbing him she pushed him towards the railing of the balcony. Until I could no longer see either of them there.

“Reiiiii….”

The shock almost made me puke and fall to the ground.

But I also realized something. I was not a weak child anymore.

The child who would just trust anyone whoever showed him little kindness.

I came here because I needed power to make sure I never lose anything ever again.

“Right Erebus. You are watching aren’t you?” I said out loud.

The world around me which was constructed around my memories started to melt down and wash away like fluid and disappear.

I was back in my normal body again.

And the darkness that remained started to enter my body like waves of black fluid getting directly attached to my soul. Penetrating and eating it away.

Until it became so heavy with pain that I couldn’t even stand up.

“Are you in pain Kenta? The test has finally ended. But seems like you have one more hurdle to clear.” Erebus descended from above.

For a second I was confused by Erebus’s words.

But then the pressure of the black substance fusing with my soul became too much for me to bear. The pain was so intense I fell on my knees.

I thought my chest would rip apart any moment.

My heartbeat became uncontrollable.

If this overpowering situation continued and I could not contain this weapon’s power I would most probably die. My soul would be broken completely.

“No. Not right now.” I said.

This time I will no longer make the choice of believing whatever lie I am told to.

I will break through all lies and find the truth myself.

“The current system is so disgusting I want payback and maybe I would be doing something good too.”

“Aren’t you still too cheeky for a human? Still laughing even in this pitiful condition. Even when you know if you keep on absorbing that black mud you will die.” Erebus bends down to my eye level as if he wanted to get a good laugh at me.

“Of course, I will die if this continues. That’s why you are here. If you still think you can use me. Then I am going to use you as well. Give me your power. Make a contract with me.”

I knew Erebus knew that even if I would have succeeded the trial. It would come to me dying if I failed to wield the weapon itself.

That’s why I need him, no I will use him to gain more power.

“You want my power even though you say you are going to use me. It's hurtful, but I like your style. But you do remember the god of darkness deals only in curses.”

I never liked Erebus putting on a pompous act.

Erebus at the same time released the full volume of his magic power. By now I suppose my soul had adjusted to be able to see magical powers.

His entire body was shrouded by a black-purple aura which pushed away the black mud trying to take over him.

Even though it was some kind of power display to overwhelm me or make me look at him as a superior.

“I don’t care. Whatever curse or condition you want on the contract. As long as I get my answers and payback, I will form a contract with you.”

I was determined.

“Alright.”

Erebus brought his hand to my head and channeled his magical powers through me.

A sort of magic circle temporarily overlapped my forehead and passed like a scanner through my brain.

I could feel the exceptional power of a god flowing into me as it tried to suppress the chaotic black mud entering me and form a harmony.

At last, when I thought I could finally rest, I involuntarily lost consciousness.

"And finally, with this contract, you will forever be under my control. And in exchange, all I want is you ⸺the one abandoned by the divine system. Is to kill the one favored by the divine system."

***

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