Side Story 2, Chapter 9: Nacht
[Side Story 2, Chapter 9: Nacht]
[Nobody's perspective]
"It's nighttime, prepare for any attacks!" Luca announced, as Sephine started to use her earth magic to build some barricades. Kasuri was the middle line of defense, and Sephine was the front line.
As the attackers charged towards the van, Sephine used magic to cut them, but one of the attackers managed to shoot a beam that badly damaged the barricades, with them barely holding up.
"Be warned, they have magic." Inazuma warned as she jumped to the roof of the car and shot the same attacker with a bow.
One of them did a high jump and punched Inazuma, but as it turned out, her skin was as hard as a rock, and the attacker's hand was hurt, resulting in it bleeding. Inazuma then striked the bow onto the attacker's head, almost breaking their skull. She then hit their head with a hammer, rendering them unconscious.
However, Chris was sent on an expedition alongside Kasuri and Yuguwa.
Yuguwa is in heavy armor, Chris only had a helmet and a vest, and Kasuri had no armor.
They were walking around, until some attackers shot a machine gun at them, but missed. Chris quickly ran to hide, but Yuguwa and Kasuri stayed. The attacker reloaded and shot again, a bullet hit Kasuri, but Kasuri subconsciously strikes back by shooting a shotgun at them with her self-protection instincts.
The place is clear from attackers, but they… They aren't just unconscious.
They are dead.
Kasuri cannot believe what she just did. She was supposed to make them unconscious.
In disbelief with herself, she walked to the attacker, trying to wake them up…
But there was no answer. Only coldness from the corpse.
In despair, she cries, begging for herself to be dead right now to pay the debt for the dead attacker.
"Kasuri, calm down!" said Yuguwa, while trying to get Kasuri back to her senses.
Yuguwa failed to comfort Kasuri, and told her to go back to the food truck, but Kasuri doubted that they'll be safe.
Now, in purely sadness, she walks back to the truck, crying.
yuguwa11: (Location Attachment)
yuguwa11: zone clear, kasuri is mentally injured
LucaLuca: Why?
yuguwa11: she killed somebody, apparently
LucaLuca: I'll tell her to stay in the van next time. You can borrow her cards.
yuguwa11: i totally forgot about that :(
Kasuri is so upset, she didn't bother reading the messages. On her way back to the van, she stayed inside, and sat down. After some minutes of her crying…
"I want to die." says Kasuri.
"You don't want to." replied Luca.
"But I killed someone… I need to pay back by dying!"
"You don't have to. The only price you need to pay is to make their loved ones happy again, so it's one of the prices that others can pay back."
[Direct Message - LucaLuca and yuguwa11]
LucaLuca: Bring the person Kasuri killed to Sephine, but don't let Kasuri see them.
yuguwa11: sure…
"Don't worry, I'll pay it back for you." Luca hugged Kasuri, but Kasuri didn't bother to hug back.
Kasuri's mind has always been engulfed with guilt, but she tries to not have any guilt, yet she feels guilty to pretend not to feel any guilt.
She doesn't like it.
Her heart is cold, yet so warm. She wants her own surroundings to be relaxing, yet so upbeat. Those were some of the only feelings she cherished.
She wanted to travel back in time, save her mother, but she knew that it wouldn't be the same in this timeline anyway.
Kasuri still does not want to submit to despair.
"Get me somewhere silent for a while…"
And Luca escorted Kasuri to somewhere silent; the apartment.
It's not like everyone in here is dead, but rather that everyone hid from the attackers and survived, so it might be a safe zone.
Kasuri used her keycard to unlock her apartment, made the curtains block all light, and turned on the lights.
She hasn't been here for a few days now, and she looks at the big bed… It's a bed that she, her mother, and Meriku used to sleep together in peace and silence.
Kasuri missed the feeling.
She wanted her mother to come back, and if she was adopted by someone, she would miss the feeling even more.
End herself, meet her mother in the afterlife. That's what she also wanted when she cried about the dead attacker.
Now calm, she looks out of the window to see the outside.
The skyscrapers aren't lit up like the old days, no street lamps, no light from the statue and the Monument of Light, not even that one kid playing with their flashlight at night.
Naiko… is sad.
Meriku is sad.
She is sad.
Even her mother is sad.
Knowing this, she picked up one of her non-burning papers and a match.
In the paper, she wrote a message.
[ Mom, I'm sad again, but thinking of you makes me happier. I hope we get to reunite again… ]
She made a paper plane with the paper, then put a lit match in it. She threw the paper plane towards the Statue of Naiko, as the only source of light visible.
It's nighttime, but lights are supposed to be open for midnight wanderers. The atmosphere with the city lights on was really good, and with lights off… It looked good as well. She could see Luca’s food truck from far away, with people fighting there.
She’s amazed by Inazuma’s durability, Sephine’s shield resistance, Ariel’s wind abilities, and Luca’s cooking to support Kang and Meriku, who’s staying in the van.
Suddenly, a door knock was heard. Kasuri quickly hid in fear, but the person said “I’m not an attacker! Let me in!”
Kasuri immediately let the boy in, while using her cards as a shield. She quickly closed the door.
“How did you know that I was in here?”
“I was hiding in the apartments all along, and I think it’s gonna be good if there’s someone with me! Gah… Those attackers…”
“I don't hear any attacke-"
"Because he's literally invisible!"
"Do you think invisible people even make sound?"
"Yea- Actually, no!"
"Get out of my room, I don't feel safe with you!"
"Wait, wait! I can expla-"
"GET OUT!" Kasuri pushes the person out of the room, and locks the door.
She then sits down on her bed, thinking.
"Did I just hurt his feelings?"
"He's suspicious anyway, and I don't want to die."
"The brain and heart think differently, said mama."
"..."
Kasuri contemplates her feelings, and her life choices.
"I don't want to be lonely, and I can't live alone anyway…"
Suddenly, she hears a gunshot. Kasuri looked outside, and was terrified.
Someone is dead.
Chris is dead. She can see it from far away.
[Kasuri's perspective]
He's dead…
[I cried.]
Chris was such a timid boy that I don't know much about, but he died too early…
I don't want to spend any more time weeping, but… Someone died, how in the Abyss can I not cry?
I don't wanna be a cruel person… Mama, just protect me, so I'm not next…
At least, someone, save me, and save Naiko.
I can't do this alone.