The outside world appeared so happy
and full of life from these few sets of tinted, cracked windows; almost, but
not quite. This world that lay out
there was hell, every meaning of the word.
There was violence of every kind, humans slaughtering their own kind,
the rich abusing the poor, starving children left to scrap up the tiny specks
of food alongside city roads. What
other crimes were there left for this place to commit? Pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony,
envy, sloth. They were all there, and
every human in this world was capable of them all. This world is Hell.
Gazing out of the dirt smeared panes
of glass was a common pass time, although there was not much pleasure in
it. Nothing interesting ever came along
until that one day when the red-head from the nearby school passed by the
rotting house. That was exciting,
seeing him fall to pieces right be for his very eyes. He relished in every last drop of anguished sweat that poured
from the young boy’s brow, and he was determined to get much, much more than
that. He wanted more, so much more, and
he knew the perfect plan to set it all in motion.
Gedeon, current and only resident of
the Hokage home, lived quietly, carrying out his days virtually in peace, keeping
himself within the boarded up doors and windows of the ancient building. He had seen so many people walk past this
house, staring into the windows and wondering if there was anyone inside. Some even attempted to break into the home
but then were frightened away by low-level magic tricks. Humans were always fun to tease. He wasn’t even sure why the humans of the
outside world still referred to this building as the “Hokage” home, since the
Hokages hadn’t lived in that house for centuries… Or maybe not. Perhaps on
that dark day of the storm, a tear in the world’s fabric of time splintered in
two, wiping the family, save the house, from existence. No matter the case, the Hokage were gone and
Gedeon was replaced in their stead.
Now, this one man that took refuge within the
shriveling Hokage mansion was far different than any other this world had ever
seen in its day. He was young looking
and wore his purplish hair neatly down the length of his back, tied together
with a piece of twine half way down his back.
His blood-red eyes pierced the darkness like a cat’s in the darkest of
nights. Not only was he young and
handsome, but he was well built as well.
He wasn’t exactly a heavyweight, although he did have some mass to those
bones that could easily be reckoned with.
A hint of power irradiated from those glowing spheres within the
shadows, but not with just any power: divine power, and as he grinned to
himself, his large K9 teeth glimmered against the glass. The garments Gedeon wore were far more ancient
than the building he now resided in. He
wore a velvet robe of several different dark colors: dark blue, red, brown, and
yellow, each one represented a precious gem on a chain-like earring that
dangled from his left ear. From two
ripped sections on the back of his robe protruded two large wings, leathery and
black, and at his side he wore a broadsword, stained black from ancient battles
and overflowing blood baths. The
handlebar of the blade was so craftily made, they appeared to be clawed fingers
reaching out to slice the wielder’s hands when held. Perhaps that was the small price a master swordsman would pay to
wield a monster of a weapon.
With eyes peering out of the slimy window, his face
curving as hard as the wooden frame around the window, the man took one last
glance at the phone receiver in his hand and then set it down softly. Gedeon had the head of PCM wrapped around
his finger and could command him to do anything he desired with the minor
promise of power, god’s power. The
thought of it all made him laugh. How
could anyone be so gullible as to believe that! Of course, Gulabel was a power hungry fool that would believe
anything if presented with enough evidence to persuade him. The day that little accomplishment snapped
into place was the day Gulabel became Gedeon’s doll, with only the promise of
power.
Greed was one of the world’s greatest flaws, and
although it caused many a great deal of heartache and pain, it gave Gedeon all
the delight and gratification that he would ever need. Every drop of human blood that spilled
across the globe slowly filled his goblet at the dinner table and kept his soul
alive. Sure, normal human food would
have worked the same, nourishing and fulfilling his natural hunger, but hatred
and death were far more appealing, satisfying.
He sat down in front of the window and feasted on the boy from school as
he passed on by the house. Nothing was
more satisfying than to watch that human—especially that human—suffer and
gradually lose his mind. Gulabel would
soon have what he wanted so dearly…
Standing from the small crate next to the window,
Gedeon jerked his hand away from the windowsill quickly. A rusty screw that stuck out from the window
frame scraped against his right hand as he drew away from the window. Neither flinching nor crying out in pain,
Gedeon casually stared at his hand, watching as the blood rose from a small cut
on the palm of his hand. Why did humans
dislike pain so much? Pain is such a
beautiful thing, something that should be wished upon everyone, and yet, why do
they hate it so? He raised his hand and
covered his mouth. The smell alone
almost made him faint from the pleasure. He lowered his hand back down to the
window frame, drops of blood soaking into the wood. Then, past the cloud of pink pleasure, a face of a man began to
form in his mind. This man shone golden white against the darkness, his wings
of gold sparkling like the stars in the night sky, and his deep red hair
flowing down his back like priceless silk blowing weightlessly in the
wind. Gedeon knew this man well. His name was Aurien, a god of heaven and the
only “known” god of this earth. Still,
all the stories and myths of this being passed away long ago and no one has
ever pondered his disappearance since that time... Gedeon smiled at the thought of the forgotten god and said
quietly to himself, “I’m coming for you, ‘brother.’”
**********
Picking up the pace once again, Hisoka crossed the road leading up to the school. He was a little later getting there this morning because of Nanami’s rantings. A mass of students foamed at the entrance and spanned outward in long strains of people. As he attempted to make his way through the sea of people, a young student with green hair rammed into him. Glancing backward, the boy’s eyes opened wide with shock.
“Hi-Hisoka? Is that really you?” he said, halting his advance towards the building.
Another person who knew him before? How many more people would he suddenly run into. And why didn’t they notice he moved back into town before now… after 3 some months since school started. All too awkward. Hisoka didn’t know what to say this time, he was caught off guard and out of breath from the impact. But once he glanced into those greenish-blue eyes, he knew he knew this person. He just couldn’t place the face with a name or anything more than a vague feeling of recognition.
“Uh, I’m sorry, but you do look familiar…” Hisoka grimaced, trying to catch his breath and piece together his memories.
“Wow, it really is you, isn’t it!” Holding out his hand, the man smiled as if he was meeting a rock star. “The name’s Frenier. We used to be buddies way back. I was in your group at the mountain, but we were separated in the woods. If only I was there during the accident.”
“You… were there?” Hisoka said, completely interested in this new “friend.” If Frenier knew something more about the accident that he could not remember…
“Yeah, I was there. It’s funny. When I think about that day, I have these feelings like I wish I could have been there to help and then again I also wish that I wasn’t anywhere near the accident at all, you know? You were a mess, man. You both were. I thought you were both going to die on the spot, but…”
“You saw us… after…?”
“Unfortunately, half the class was there at that time, even Kataki’s little sister, Sakura. The teachers and higher-ups tried to shoo us away, but what could they do? They were more concerned with getting the two of you to the hospital.”
You can save him.
You just need to think it, to believe it.
You have the power to save both of
your lives, if you’re strong
enough.
You are very noble
to sacrifice yourself to save
your enemy, but I cannot allow you
to
die yet.
It was that voice again, from those new memories of the past. It was the voice of the demon inside of his head, flying around him like a damned vulture, just waiting for the first moment of death to dig into a grand feast. Every time Hisoka thought back to the accident at Sakuba something else popped into his head. The heat that he felt earlier on the walk to school felt like it was crawling up his left arm again. Could this new power be some sort of a protective measure against something, his fear perhaps? With so many people around, Hisoka knew he had to stop whatever it was from arising within him. He quickly stuck his hand into his pants pocket, twirling his book bag over his right shoulder like he hadn’t a care in the world.
“Hisoka? Are you all right? You suddenly looked ten miles away,” Frenier said.
“Yeah, I’m all right,” Hisoka responded. “Just whenever I hear people talking about the accident, I feel as if my whole body remembers what the pain felt like even if I cannot. Weird, huh? But I wouldn’t be surprised. All kinds of weird stuff has been happening lately. Anyway, what class you have first?”
“Phys. Ed.,” Frenier answered, then quickly going back to the previous topic, “What were you saying about other strange things happening?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I just ran into Nanami this morning.”
“Nanami? Pretty-girl Nanami!?”
“She has a nickname?” Hisoka said, confused.
“She’s got bright yellow hair?”
“Yeah.”
“And looks really cute?”
“I guess so.”
“When did you see her?”
“On the way here this morning.” Frowning, Hisoka looked over the swarms of students still streaming into the school. There were several people gathered by the courtyard where the school’s Pride Fountain stood in the center. Turning his attention back to Frenier almost instantly, Hisoka continued, “Why are you asking me all these questions?”
“Hisoka… If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from that girl. She’s bad news, despite her good looks.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean. She is the one who came up to me. I wouldn’t have even known that I knew her before the accident if she hadn’t told me.”
What was she up to? What were they up to? Frenier, also a friend of Kataki, knew that Nanami only talks to others if it suits her own needs and desires, and also those of her “boss.” Kataki was at the heart of it all. If he instructed Nanami to pretend that she knew Hisoka before the accident in order to get close to him… What were they planning?
“No, Hisoka. You have to listen to me.” Don’t listen to him. Just listen to me.
“Nanami and anyone else she is in contact with is bad news! You have to stay away from her!”
Still frowning, Hisoka kept slowly walking towards the school building. “I don’t know what you’re getting at, man.”
“You never knew Nanami back then. She just moved into town a year ago.”
How could that be? She told him… She made him feel like they were close friends once. Very close friends. Was it all a lie? Maybe that’s why something inside of told him to shrug her off. Could she have been the reason for the steam to boil from his arm? Then what could she have meant about the bird…?
Glancing a way for a moment to collect his thoughts, Hisoka looked Frenier in the face with his blue eyes burning into the boy’s and said, “Does she have a pet bird, by any chance?”
“A pet? No, she doesn’t. That chick couldn’t take care of anything if her life depended on it. In fact, there’s rumors around that say she likes to take in stray animals, but she doesn’t feed them or anything. She keeps a hidden area that her parents don’t even know about where she watches them slowly die of starvation. Isn’t that creepy? You would think they’d smell something coming from a “hidden” room. But I guess if it’s not even attached to the house, how are they to know?”
“A hidden room… Too weird. I don’t know why these things keep happening around me. What did I ever do to deserve this.”
“Well, it is only a rumor. It’s too damn freaky to be true. But really, watch out for that girl, ok? I’ve gotta run. Bran’s gonna be pissed if I don’t make it to class on time. He’s like my trainer, isn’t that silly? The guy’s got all the muscles but no brains. Haha. Catch ya later, Hisoka! Great seein’ ya, too!”
Without another word, Frenier parted the people in front of him like Moses parting the great seas, then he slipped behind them and out of Hisoka’s sight.
Too many strange things. Far too many strange things have been happening. Just today four countable occurrences popped out in his mind: the steamy arm, the meeting with Nanami, meeting Frenier, and then the voices of the demon from the last “vision” as Frenier accounted the accident at Mt. Sakuba. The being within Hisoka’s soul must have had some sort of connection to the accident, maybe it even played a role in it. There was no other way to explain it or even begin to put reason to any of it. Even so, the beast wanted to make itself known now and every other time the accident is brought up. How much more of this constant bombardment could he take? Hisoka just wanted to end it all, and after school, Kaori might just know of a way to do it.
*********
By fourth hour, after a grueling three hours of class with his mind completely on something else, a something he really wished he could forget, Hisoka sat in the back of the room, gazing out the side windows at the fountain near the front entrance of the school. He could still remember the day when the school had the fountain installed. Before the area was completely over grown with weeds and shrubs, but once they installed the fountain and maintained the lawn regularly, the entire school campus seemed to be enhanced by it and the sound of flowing water. There was something relaxing about it, the sound of water. It had a mysterious power to calm any wild heart, but with the windows closed, those effects didn’t help Hisoka much.
This day just felt like it was dragging on, like it would never end. Each hour seemed like a year, and as hard as he tried to concentrate on what his teachers were saying, he could not retain a clear school related thought for too long. It was the anticipation. The anticipation of finding the truth when the day was done. Why did he have to wait until the end of the day, why couldn’t he just say that he had an appointment and leave school early? No, that would be all too easy, wouldn’t it? No matter what it was, Hisoka always had to take the more difficult path, even when it was not of his choosing. It was fate.
But when the day was over and Hisoka met with Kaori, what could she possibly find out? That he was switched from birth? That he was some alien from another planet? That he was some long lost sorcerer from another point in time? Or that he was just some sort of freak of nature, not meant to exist at all? How could anyone deal with those questions bearing down on him? Hisoka tried not to think about it too much, but he couldn’t help it. He felt like he would find out the reason for his pitiful existence today and he wanted to know now. But Kaori wasn’t that sort of psychic. Her gift only comes and goes, but when it was there, she was down right scary. Hisoka had never known a person like that, with such a gift. Even though Hisoka’s mind was entirely ruled by dark thoughts, Kaori always knew how to cheer him up, even in the slightest. If just for that, he was looking forward to seeing her.
Forth hour completed. Two more to go...
On the way to fifth hour, winding here and there through the crowded hallways, a familiar face passed Hisoka by then suddenly the figure smacked his shoulder as if to start a confrontation. Hisoka twirled around with an angry glare in his eyes, then when he saw and remembered exactly who that person was, his look of anger twisted along with a bombshell.
“Stay away from Sakura. And stay away from Frenier. He’s one of us,” Kataki said very matter-of-factly. With that said, he continued on his way down the hall, limping on his bad leg like a cripple. Who was he to threaten Hisoka? He couldn’t do anything even if he tried. Hisoka laughed to himself and went on his way to his next class without another thought about his rival.
The whole next hour and part of 6th hour passed by without a thought. Hisoka sat in his seat, still gazing out the windows at the fountain, only from a slightly different perspective as before. It gave him something to concentrate on now, at least. And even that he couldn’t do very well. He ended up simply sitting silently in his seat and staring out the window as if he was shocked by a stun ray or something. Luckily, none of his teachers called upon him all day long.
Finally, the bell rang to end 6th hour. He was free. Suddenly snapping out of it, he picked up his book bag and started to walk out of class without saying a word to any of his acquaintances. Walking down the packed hallway to the main doors, where the rows upon rows of people piled up to get into school this morning, Hisoka felt as if someone was watching him. He looked around and saw no one that he knew in the swarm of students but still the feeling did not go away. Nothing more left to do but ignore the odd sensation, he continued on his way out the doors.
Back within the school hallways, Nanami stood with Streeten and Gaiger behind her. She wore a stupid looking grin on her face, as if she knew what lay in store for Hisoka only minutes from now.
“Is he out there now?” she asked, turning to Gaiger with the purplish-blue hair.
Grinning like a savage beast, Gaiger answered, “He is. He got out of his last class a little early just for this moment.”
“It will be a grand show,” Streeten with the bluish-purple hair added.
“Then let’s be sure to get front row seats, boys...”
**********
Sitting at her messy desk like every other day, Kaori flipped through various ancient type books as she nibbled on a few potato chips. She was still trying to find clues about the so called Springbrook incident over 300 years ago, but there hardly was anything on paper that could possibly survive that long and the books that were legible did not seem to have anything to do with Springbrook at all. What she was able to find out, from the last book she found, was that the mayor of the town, called the “elder” back then, was a man named Daos. Portions of the book were perfectly preserved and others, towards the later sections of the book, were either rubbed out or entire pages were missing. The whole feeling Kaori got from this book scared her in some way. She didn’t know quite what it was, but it frightened her.
As she read through chapters of the book, she suddenly felt an odd vibration wave through her body like a chill wind passing through the building. It was enough to take her eyes off the book and look out the window.
“That was odd.” She stood, leaning against the window sill. It was a beautiful sunny day with only a few clouds in the sky. She couldn’t imagine what that feeling was or what it was all about, but she knew it wasn’t for nothing, either. Something, something dire to this world, was about to happen. But all she could do was sit back and read some more, waiting for whatever to happen.
**********
What a strange day it has been! Another strange day to add to the rest. Walking through the halls to the main exit, Hisoka couldn’t help but laugh at his misfortune. Would he ever have a normal day when nothing out of the ordinary befalls him? Maybe it was fate, maybe it was god’s way of testing his will and strength to move forward through all sorts of trials in life. But still, this was not a normal life. No one else in school suffered in the same way he had been in the past few months. No one could really understand his pain, his loneliness. Even though he had people beside him like his mother, Kaori, and maybe even Sakura, he was still alone, alone to deal with his problems, by himself. He was tired of it all. Someday there has to be an end.
As he walked out of the building, he looked up to the deep blue sky with the bright golden sun shining high above. How simple yet complex the universe was. The sun rose and set every day, and yet the sky is never blue day in and day out. Clouds of black blow in with the winds from over the seas, storms build, dump their fury upon the land, then they go away. What is always left over from the massive thunderstorms and blizzards is always the blue sky. Even though it may be covered up and hidden most of the time, it is always there; it is the true meaning to the word “sky.” That is the way Hisoka felt as he looked up into the clear sky with the solitary globe hanging above. He felt like he didn’t know who he was with each passing day even though he never really changed at all. His mind was a mix of emotions and memories, like a puzzle left on the floor in pieces. Who will come around to pick up the remaining pieces and make a whole picture from the rubble?
What rubbish. Who the hell cared what was really going on. Hisoka was tired of it, tired of it all. He suddenly didn’t want to go see Kaori to find the “truth.” He just wanted to go home and rest, take a short nap. The thought of sleep was glorious at first, but as he thought on it more as he walked down the sidewalk in front of school, he recalled the feeling of not wanting to sleep for fear of encountering the demon again. How could he ever get an hour’s worth of sleep with that banshee bumbling around? Either way he was screwed. No matter which way he chose, he would always end up three steps behind where he started. At this point, Hisoka would not mind disappearing from the face of the earth. He wouldn’t kill himself, he’d just disappear, leave. That would solve most of his problems, but he would still have his inner conflict to battle with. How could he do that alone, without anyone backing him up? Stopping next to the fountain in front of school, he sighed and made up his mind. He would go see Kaori and see what she had to say. Then after that, he could see where he wanted to go from there.
But before he had a chance to leave the school setting, a great big guy with shaggy brown hair and a sturdy lower jaw walked up to him. The young man was like a solid wall moving towards him, his muscles bulging out of his moss green T-shirt like expanding balloons. For a moment Hisoka envisioned the man’s arms really were made out of balloons and how funny it would be to puncture them with a small pin, watching them explode. Would he have any arms left after that? Hisoka began laughing out loud as the man approached him. He could tell that the man wanted Hisoka to be frightened of his size, but instead, he was making fun of him. He did not like being made fun of.
“I don’t like your tone,” the student said.
Hisoka scowled. “And I don’t like your stench. So why don’t you go take a walk over to the school showers, eh? Air pollution is not good for anybody.”
“My name is Bran. I’m as hard as a stone. Look at these muscles!” Showing his arms off like a professional body builder, Bran grinned as little balls of sweat poured down your face.
“Look, I didn’t ask for your name or your occupation. But I’d be glad to turn your resume into the local nut farm for ya.”
Like a provoked animal, Bran grabbed Hisoka’s right arm in his watermelon sized hand and squeezed tightly like a blood pressure sleeve. Hisoka struggled to break free, growing more and more agitated, but there was no way he could pry Bran’s grasp open. He felt the heat radiate from his left arm but what could he do?
“You listen here. I ain’t got no patience for arrogance. You may be smarter that me, but I be a zillion times greater than you. You are like a bug to me, a bug that goes squish under my boots. Now just hold still and enjoy the ride.”
Coming from behind, an unknown figure took a walking cane and wacked it against Hisoka’s head. He would have fallen flat on the ground from such a blow if it were not for Bran’s firm hold on him. The attack from behind hurt like hell, but he was still conscious and able to think clearly, almost too clearly. He could see that from the eyes of Bran in front of him. From the look of it, the big man was shocked that Hisoka hung onto consciousness so easily after a blow to the head. But then after the look of astonishment came a look of annoyance.
Whispering to him, Bran spoke as quietly as he could in his deep voice, “It’s for your own good if you just play along, ok? Just pretend you’re out, huh?”
The heat was growing stronger each second the big man held him captive. How dare someone attack him so cowardly, from behind! He should at least see his assailant’s face! Glaring devilishly into Bran’s eyes, Hisoka growled, “Let me go.”
“Didn’t ya hear me?” Bran whispered again.
“I said, let me go!” Angered as far as he could get from the situation, Hisoka raised his left hand to the big man’s face, scouring Bran’s face at the touch. Bran instinctively released his hold on Hisoka’s right arm as he screamed in pain from the burn. After a few seconds, Bran regained his sight and ran away from the two opposing forces in order to seek help with his burned face.
Once Hisoka regained his freedom from the man, he wobbled on his feet shortly until the fuzz faded from his eyes. He raised a hand to the back of his head to feel where he had been attacked, then looking at his hand, he found that the wound was bleeding slightly. It wasn’t anything serious, but damn it still hurt! Turning around, he finally saw how his attacker on school grounds was.
“Yes, it is I, you’re worst enemy and foe. My name, you know, is Kataki Ijiwaru,” he said, looking as calm as ever, even after Hisoka’s personal counterattack to the mammoth.
Rolling his eyes callously at his crippled old “friend,” Hisoka whined, “Oh, c’mon! Kataki, what the hell is wrong with you?”
Glowering darkly as always, Kataki shot a look of hatred right through Hisoka’s heart, but the stare did not effect him in the slightest. “You have ruined every good thing in my life, and now you’re setting sights on my sister. We cannot have that. You will stop this thing you have with my sister now and for good. Do I make myself clear?”
What? What’s this about Sakura? Hisoka hadn’t even seen Sakura today. The last time he had seen her was... Last night! That must have been it. Kataki must have seen him walk her home. He had to have known how quickly she ran out of the house and then to see him with her later that evening... Oooh, bad bad! But still, it was about time Kataki learned that he could not have absolute control over his sister’s life.
“Wait a minute,” Hisoka said. “What’s this about Sakura? I haven’t even seen her today.”
“I am not referring to today, nor am I referring to last night. I am talking about tomorrow and the next day; the future, if you will. You are nothing but bad luck. I will not have you injure my sister by encompassing your black cloud over her!”
Raising his hand to the wound on his head, Hisoka replied, “And this is your idea of doing it? You’re tactics are all wrong, man.”
Kataki glared at Hisoka again, then smiled calmly. “And you suppose I use this tactic?”
From out of no where, a flying dart whizzed past Hisoka’s face and another one followed it, grazing his right upper arm just enough for Hisoka to flinch and draw back slightly. He looked all around to see where the shots might have come from, but no one was around. Only a few other students continued walking past the scene, not wanting to get involved in an odd little skirmish.
Holding a hand to the cut on his arm, Hisoka looked back at Kataki, anger burning within him. He could feel the heat pouring out of his left hand and into his shoulder, but he ignored it. His sights were focused on Kataki and his next cleaver move.
Kataki grinned as he looked at Hisoka’s injury. “Are you ready to listen to me now?”
Hisoka didn’t respond. He felt too overheated to really think clearly. But he managed to shift his gaze to his shoulder. Taking his left hand away from the wound, he saw that part of his shirt was burnt away and the cut was gone. Kataki saw this also and glared back at him even more.
“You are a demon!”
That was it! He couldn’t hold it back any more. His vision suddenly tinted red, Kataki’s form billowed in front of him like a rippling shadow. The beautiful sound of the water seemed as if a higher force muted the whole world around him. He could see his target perfectly in the altered state of reality, but what he could not see was the girl behind him. With nothing more than a swift uppercut to Kataki’s chin, the crippled student went flying into the water fountain, nearly missing the tower in the center. Then it was all over. The world’s normal coloring returned to his eyes and the sound of the fountain reached his ears again. He saw Kataki wading in the water before him and knew how he got there. The feel of his chin against his fist felt so much better than he could have imagined.
“I am not a demon,” Hisoka replied finally. Then turning around to leave the area, Hisoka saw Sakura standing there behind him. Did she see the whole thing? Right from the beginning or did she only see him attack Kataki? By the ghastly look on her face, almost frozen with disbelief, it appeared as if the later was true. Her eyes bobbed here and there trying to piece together what had happened, and then finally her eyes came back to Hisoka. Under her breath she voiced, “Who are you?”
I am you, Hisoka,
and you are me. If you say I am a
demon, then so are you.