They went up the stairs. The place was dark and grimly silent. Tsuzuki walked briskly, frightful of the dark. Tatsumi looked at him and gave him a reassuring nod. He will watch their back. Tsuzuki smiled lightly. Watari gestured, urging them.
The corridor was as quiet as before. Moon rays scattered in from a tall thin window at the left end. There was none of the previous forbidding dread to be felt anywhere. The moonlight spread all the way to the dim right wing, illuminating their path. Tsuzuki glanced back. Tatsumi just shook his head and gazed back affirmatively.
Watari stood at the door, “ Tsuzuki, is this the room?” He nodded. Watari went in first. 003 hooted. It seems just as ordinary as his initial view of it. He still didn’t feel anything wrong. Watari examined the room, flipping things around and peered about with a small magnifying glass, while his pet owl hovered near him. The shadows in the room warped and twisted as Tatsumi scanned the place.
“ Hey! Tatsumi! Stop doing that! It’s weird when you make the shadows jump about. Let me check it out first.” Watari protested. Tatsumi snapped back at him before he tidied whatever mess Watari made as shadows scrutinized every crook and cranny.
Tsuzuki lightly paced around, a hand under his chin.
Watari walked over and squeezed Tsuzuki’s shoulder with a hand. The worry and anxiety written on his face eased a little. 003 perched on the other shoulder, peering at him with wide concern eyes. He smiled at the little bird. His hands went into his pockets; his trademark cheerful grin reappeared. 003 flew back to its master’s shoulder, ruffling its feathers contently. Watari pat him once with an encouraging smile.
Then, Watari turned around to talk with Tatsumi. Tsuzuki turned to the ground, staring at his shoes. Although his usual smile was on his lips, the violet eyes mulled sadly. He is very distraught when Hisoka isn’t around, something he realized only when his smart-mouthed partner is gone.
Like before…the early days when he kept changing partners. Very jumbled, insecure. His mind is befuddled, fidgety. The mind, like choppy waters of the sea, is unable to settle down, only to raise steeper, reaching precarious heights. When Hisoka was around, he didn’t feel so unstable; although they squabbled and argued many times, although he really dislike his young partner’s tartness of speech, his stubbornness… he knows too well that Hisoka do worry and care for him, and actively yet silently watched for him.
He had many a time played the fool, while his industrious partner took care of things and moreover, to prevent him from getting into trouble. Hisoka is efficient and very conscientious + diligent, however he takes things much too seriously. He had passed out a number of times from fatigue. “ Tsuzuki.” He turned around immediately with inquiring violet eyes. Tatsumi shook his head and replied him,
“ No traces what-so-ever; if you are sure that he uses shadows and he retreated, hiding away. I guess he had really run away when he withdrew his shadow realm.”
Tsuzuki hung his head, looking ready to kill himself. Tatsumi gestured and let the shadows settled.
“ However,” he added. Tsuzuki’s head snapped up, eyes hopeful.
“ I roughly know what he is. I’ll ask Watari to send an urgent email with a description to Gushoushins and ask them to check it for me.” Tatsumi paused, holding his chin in deep thoughts. “ Maybe after confirming his identity, we can predict his whereabouts.”
Watari waved in the background, typing away with a laptop in his lap, 003 perched on his shoulder. He called, “Tatsumi-san! It’s done.” Both men walked over to where Watari sat. Then, he added casually, ” I sure hope they find the documents quickly.”
Violet eyes lowered, guilt and worry flashed once more. Tatsumi placed a hand on his shoulder, his blue eyes looked apologetic. Watari shut the laptop and stood up. He muttered, seemingly to himself and to them “ I have sent the email and switched on my palmto…Oh! I’ll inform you when they send over.”
As they walked out, Watari’s eyes absently followed his colleagues while his brain replayed the day’s events. Tsuzuki is so troubled and anxious. Tatsumi seems calm but under his cold composure, one knows he’s worried too.
Watari lowered his head, looking discouraged. He wished he could have helped Tsuzuki more. 003 asleep already, snapped its yellow eyes open and turned around to watch its master. It blinked sleepily a few times then peered at him, concerned. Watari cupped his dear pet in his hands, patting its head. 003 shut its eyes happily. Watari smiled. The smile didn’t linger for long. The owl slept contently in his hands. His thoughts stirred again.
They were reaching the bottom end of the stairs. Watari, who’s still patting 003, still remained thinking seriously. Hope the Gushoushins really find the necessary documents fast. He stopped patting and looked at his sleeping owl.
For it concerns the safety of Hisoka-kun…
--- - - - ---
The dim void flashed a few times. It’s so bright; he had to shield his eyes. Next it dimmed and flickered. Black and white blotches scattered and disappeared. Then everything went black.
Hisoka was knocked out unconscious.
--- - - - ---
The swirling waters took them down. Down to the deep, those obscure shadows that teemed in her mind. The dark secrets—the black hole which has destroyed his domain and depleted much of his power; the shade plunged in, pulled in by the unrelenting currents. The waters shimmered and flared, ever so intense.
There…her darkest regions, the forever mystery. Clandestine parts of her inter-linked, interlocked within, looped and bound and shrewdly constructed to form a chained puzzle. The beginning and the end unknown, lost and gone. Her maze within a major enigma, its answers only she knows yet already forgotten. For they are just too horrible to recollect.
No. I will not remember. I will not recollect them.
I must not recall.
Ever.
The waters stopped. Petrified.
They feared the black hole too. The slowly dissolving shade thought. It drifted about, exhausted. Floating like an aimless jellyfish. Strange, why she hasn’t started—begin the all-consuming terror. It veered up.
Those secrets, her black depths, loomed above. They were moving, circling sluggishly in each of their own direction, like the meticulously assembled discs in a watch. Quiet, majestic and incredible. All the time an underlying atmosphere of ultimate dread and endless sorrow enveloped him. He froze too. Mesmerized by them as the currents were appalled.
--- - - - ---
Unconscious Hisoka had twirled down into the depths along with the currents. They hadn’t meant to harm him but the drag produced affected him. A yellowish glow emanated from his body.
It is warm. This sensation surrounding him, is it the curse Muraki laid? No. It wasn’t hot, not at all scorching. This feeling…doesn’t want to harm him. Although there’s heat, it is not painful. Actually, it is quite nice though. But he feels uneasy~. Just a little uncomfortable, like someone hugging him lightly. A humane impression as though whoever held him vaguely ran its naive white hands on his skin, patting and soothing him. Like a caring child innocently using its limited kind ways to comfort a new companion.
Hisoka felt touched, deep down inside. As a child, he remembered not having a single companion. Nobody play and initiate a friendship with him, his imposing parents kept him isolated and because of his family, other kids avoid him. He also shunned from others because of his ability…
As his thoughts lingered on the topic of companions, a familiar face flashed through his mind. Dark hair and beautiful violet eyes…someone he knew very well. As customary and clear as who he hated but with a thoroughly opposite feeling. He can really get on Hisoka’s nerves at times but Hisoka can never hate this person. Warm, cheerful and never hold a grudge against him for all his harsh scolding and cold attitude. This impression he received, reminds him lightly of Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki is the only person who understands him the most and care about him just as close.
It is now delivering different but still comfortable rates of heat. A little pressure is applied on his shoulders. He thought it is nudging him. Warning him worriedly. It seems to ask him to open his eyes. Things are not what as you think. This… isn’t safe. Please open your eyes and wake up. Please.
Hisoka felt so tired and with the soothing ease of the warm, he really did not want to wake. Numb pricks aligned his shoulders and arms. He cracked an eye open slowly. All blurry. His other eye followed. Hisoka’s view cleared; crystal-clear waters surrounded him. He is floating in the midst of these gentle currents!
Hisoka was startled. He sank abruptly when he couldn’t grasp this reality. The waters supported him with care. After a while, he was used to them and recovered from his initial shock. When he was trapped in that scoundrel’s spell, he didn’t expect rescue at all. Especially under such bizarre conditions and by such an unusual ally.
The water shimmered. Seeming to show its relief. First step accomplished. Phew!
As he surveyed the environment, his wheat-blond hair swayed in the water, another surprise arrived. Pictures…images went through his eyes, flashing consecutively. Hisoka almost retaliated with his telepathic sense. He soon understood his ‘new friend’ ‘s actions. His ally made use of his psychic abilities to tell Hisoka of the previous events that took place during his ‘sleep’.
However, it was too fast for him. Just as Hisoka wondered how to communicate with his new ally, the graphic intersections that run in his mind slowed then repeated themselves at the slower speed. Each image was shown, duplicated and pressed into his mind. Hisoka learnt the real picture of that villain who caused him so much suffering, his powers and also the whole process of how he came to be here. This simple mind transaction also answered his unspoken question of the place’s identity—the perplexing mind of a person with the same special abilities as he has.
--- - - - ---
That dark shade floated, turning round and about. From its position, the clear waters faced one side and the dark regions on the opposite but the limpid currents were actually above those depths, the two elements separated in two immiscible layers like oil and water.
Those waters still remain still. They hadn’t moved; they hadn’t even shimmered. His dissolving even stopped. The dark depths carried on in their continuous motion. Both seemed to lock in an ossifying state of tension.
He knew both were her but the definitive personality (clear waters) avoided the dark…conscious? Almost like it dreads the other, even though that is, is itself. The shade has reason to fear the black depths for he has witnessed its terrifying power. But, she dreads herself. Her own self. Ha. What a joke. Who has ever been afraid of themselves? As if you will harm your own self.
Nevertheless, it is one great opportunity; he will be a fool if he let it slip from his grasp. Cerise sparks danced briefly as he gathered all his remaining strength within. Then, let loose a most intense bolt, cutting a border through both immiscible layers. He laid all his stakes in this last desperate stroke. It better not fail him.
The scarlet streak slashed across. Iridescent rays shone as a full-blown supernova erupted in this thin balance.
--- - - - ---
Tatsumi was about to step out onto the tiled pavement, when blinding light together with an explosion broke out from the top windows, rocking the whole area.
Watari and Tsuzuki were still within the inn compounds and they rushed back instantly upon that commotion. Tatsumi ran in, followed them and hurried up the stairs behind them. Overtaking Watari to reach there after Tsuzuki.
Light filled the whole corridor. All the rooms’ doors flapped continuously like crazed automatic shutters. The one exception—Room 4’s door flung wide open, blinding rays emitted out of it. Tsuzuki just fall short of the doorsill behind a magenta shield. He had cast that for protection. Tatsumi arrived beside him followed by Watari.
Just then, a loud thump issued. Its impact nearly threw them off their feet. Several crashes followed before the rays died out and the light dissolved. The shield faded away as the threat resolved. Quiescence returned and our trio treaded lightly in.
There, on the cold dark floor, laid a slumped form. They halted their steps. When there wasn’t any movement, Tsuzuki approached slowly; his upright hand glowed. It was very dark after the intense blaze and the moon had hidden behind the clouds. A curled-up body, one jacket sleeve trailed away from it. He advanced; denim jacket charred lightly, covering the head and torso, slender legs tried to tuck under in defense. Wheat-blond strands poked out from beneath the blue denim.
A sudden shudder in the far corner of the dark room caught Tatsumi’s attention. The shadows there whirled and pinned it down. Tsuzuki swooped upon the body and lifted the jacket off. Wheat-blond hair and delicate face pallid, eyes were shut with the brows knotting. Hisoka. A hesitant hand touched the pale face; he’s real. It REALLY is his partner. Tsuzuki hauled him to rest against his shoulder. Watari immediately proceeded to check unconscious Hisoka.
Tatsumi glanced back at Tsuzuki and saw that Hisoka was with him, he went forward to the spot of his captive. It should be what he thought it is. Shiny boots clapped next to the whirling black bundle.
--- | -End- | ---