Chapter Text
“The sun god? There’s no way he’s real. I think he’s just made up by the old ladies to scare the kids!”
Kagaya’s eyes lit up with an amused expression. “But you indeed have seen a boy from those woods, correct?”
Michikatsu is still in a state of complete denial, refusing the truth no matter how good the evidence is. He couldn’t imagine it, not even a fraction of it could he imagine Yoriichi as the sun god. Since what he saw in the forest is a mere boy. Not a god.
It was too far from it.
A boy who just loves to play is the sun god? There’s no way.
“Deny it all you want, young one, but I believe you have seen someone whom you aren’t meant to see,” Kagaya said quite confidently, and even a smile managed to plaster his face as he delivered the unfortunate news.
Michikatsu continues to ignore the raging feeling he is currently battling, opting to converse with the man before him who seems to have far more knowledge about the history of this town. “Why is it a bad thing? Why am I not allowed to see that… person?”
Kagaya leaned his back on the chair comfortably. “The stories circulating the town, forever ingrained into our minds, is already a teaching itself.” He linked his fingers together, looking like a counselor ready to educate a pupil. “Though as the stories have been passed down from generation to generation, as expected there will be different versions emerged from it. However, if you have observed, the stories always have a negative end. Do you know why?”
The young boy clenched his fist, sweat breaking out from his skin as he shakes his head, unknowledgeable of the matter.
“Well,” the man started, dipping his head slightly as if he was to say a piece of exclusive information. “That is because the sun god is the misfortune. He is a man who could burn the world with a strange power if he wanted to. A man who carried a power so destructive and powerful that we, the townsfolk, are afraid of it to the point we even deemed him as a god.”
“B-But… that doesn’t really answer my question, sir.” Michikatsu insists, scooting forward out of eagerness to know more. “Why are we not allowed to see him?” There was a question that kept nagging him in his mind, and he did not bother to hide that any longer. “Why is it that people are not allowed to enter the forest?”
What is it about the forest that we are afraid of?
However, Kagaya only sighed softly, his eyes turned soft and his calmness was enough to ease Michikatsu from his apprehension. “It has been a long time. Even now, I am no longer sure of the answer. My ancestors have written diaries and numerous letters to pass down to the future, yet as years go by, the pieces of literature my family had tried to preserve slowly diminished. Even reading it is proved difficult due to the decaying of matter no matter how many copies are available, so the information we have now has become unreliable.”
Michikatsu frowned at this grave news.
“But the one thing I learned when attempting to read the diaries my ancestor have made involved a source.”
The boy blinked in confusion. “A source?”
“Magic is alive,” Kagaya provided, his voice carrying a soothing tune that made Michikatsu want to listen to him without any disturbances. “Which makes it terrifying. A group of people who possesses magic developed an invention made for confinement. Powerful enough that it is perfect to seal an individual with a great mass of magic within them for centuries. However, even such creation needs a source. Like metal, it will rust. If it wasn’t cleaned properly, it would fall apart.”
Michikatsu knows where this is going. “S-So, what you’re trying to say is that the forest is a cage that needs to have a source for it to survive?”
Kagaya hummed, a thoughtful look passed on his face. “Hm… Not survive, per se. For others, that may be the purpose, but…” A sly look replaced the thoughtfulness. “Do you want to know what I think?”
The boy nodded in response, a bit fearful now.
“It is logical, rather, it does make sense for the forest to need a source out of survival, after all, the magic is certainly alive.” Kagaya inserted, pressing a finger to his chin as if he was being contemplative. “But I think it needs a source to strengthen it.”
“Strengthen?” Michikatsu repeats, emotions in turmoil over this man’s thoughts.
“You see… A long time ago, when the people who locked away a powerful individual are still working together, the forest was very much strong since it gets its source from them. Rumors said that the forest also gets its source from the moon, but that was only a rumor; a naive observation from one of the magical humans at that time.” Kagaya lectures, eyes flickering slightly as if trying to recall the things he has learned according to the books. “As years go by, the next generations which include us, who continue the legacy of our ancestors, have noted that the forest has aged. Because unlike before, it no longer currently has multiple sources to sustain its strength.”
Michikatsu interrupts, heart spiking at the knowledge. “Then where does it gets its source now? How did it still manage to lock up the sun god?”
Kagaya shakes his head, looking lost as well. “That, I have no answer to. Perhaps the rumor about the moon being its source could be true, for even I and along with others, wondered how it still managed to stand till now. But…” The man leaned in, pushing himself closer to Michikatsu as he eyed him with intensity. “We know that it is getting weaker and weaker…”
Michikatsu scratches his palms to silence the calling within him. “W-Why? How could you say so?”
“Because you have seen him. You’ve seen someone in the forest.” This time, a frown made its way to Kagaya’s face. He turned serious the instant he looked Michikatsu in the eye. Those pale eyes appear as if it was reading the boy’s soul. “Someone whom you aren’t meant to see.” He repeats, whispering.
However, Michikatsu is still in disbelief, unable to comprehend that the boy from the forest is the man who holds greater power than all. “But that can’t be!”
Kagaya did not remove the frown on his face, looking solemn and frightening all the same. He leaned back, shoulders sagging in resignation. “Our ancestors are powerful enough to create a wall that avoids non-magical humans to see through the forest. Before, we couldn’t see what was inside the forest. Only that it is dark and empty, and devoid of life.” Then he points at Michikatsu, not in an accusing manner but in a way that made Michikatsu feels as if he had seen a miracle. “You are proof, young one. The fact that you could see him shows that the forest is weakening, but still has enough power to imprison that sun god for eternity.”
Michikatsu licks his dry lips, gripping his pants in an attempt to hide his shivering form. “But w-what if it won’t hold much longer? What should we do then?”
Kagaya released his solemn look and gave a reassuring smile. “Let us hope that is not the case. But do not fret. Many clans, including mine, have prepared with forethought. It is up to us if the situation has become too dire for the world to handle.”
Still, Michikatsu is left with uncertainty. There was this gut-wrenching feeling that wouldn’t be shaken away despite Kagaya’s assurance. His shoulders felt like there were weights implanted in them. A hot stab of panic pierced through his heart, causing an uncontrollable beating. Whether it was the odd feeling that seemed to tear him apart within or the disturbing question that had begged for it to be asked. Michikatsu felt like throwing up as he dared to ask a question he wished could be answered properly.
“What do we need to do for it to stop weakening?” Michikatsu asked and he felt tension increasing and weighing him down.
Kagaya was unaware of the inner battle he faced. “Avoid the forest. If you see someone in the forest, do not approach, let alone talk to it.” The man warned optimistically.
Oh, dear god.
What have I done?
A sudden angry feeling invaded Michikatsu’s soul, clouding his mind with nothing but displeasure and the desire to leave. The boy couldn’t help but clutch his garment tighter. He swears his face is turning red, and more sweat was produced. There was this sudden miasma overwhelming his senses palpably that Michikatsu swears he could hear voices in his mind.
I’m crazy. What is this feeling? Make it stop.
Kagaya did not notice the turmoil occurring in front of him. How could he when Michikatsu was busy looking like a gentle person in front of a wealthy man? He does not want to embarrass himself just because he’s getting crazy.
This isn’t normal. I need to leave.
I need…
I need to see him!
“Why… Why do we need to avoid the forest?” Why shouldn’t I talk to Yoriichi? Michikatsu managed to spit out the question. He still has tons of questions left, but this strange and unknown calling is suddenly impatient like it can’t stand it anymore. It screamed at him louder this time, showing no mercy.
“Magic is alive,” Kagaya repeats once again. “It gets its source from different beings. The sun god is no exception.”
The discovery is startling for the boy.
“W-Wait… Do you… Do you mean…?”
The tone within Kagaya is now filled with warning. “The fact that you could see him is dangerous. You must avoid the forest no matter what. If the forest gets its source from the moon and possibly from us, magic and non-magical individuals, then that might be the case for the sun god as well.”
The man continued relentlessly. “After all, if the forest had once garnered its strength by feeding from the source of the people, who could wrong me if I were to say that the sun god could do that, too?”
Michikatsu suddenly stood up abruptly. His legs now moving on their own. His heart is palpitating and his arms are shaking. Michikatsu was glad he had enough brain cells to function correctly, otherwise, it would be rude. But there was no doubt about it. His whole body felt like it couldn’t stay here any longer. This wasn’t my doing.
“I-I am so sorry. I think… I think you need to leave.”
What the hell is going on!?
~~~
Kagaya left the house with a questionable look on his face. He eyed the boy as if he was searching for something strange. He did not mind getting kicked out of the house. Not when he discovered something very odd about the boy’s figure.
It looked like the atmosphere around him is circling him. A certain hazy veil was wrapped around the boy lazily. However, Kagaya’s eyes must be deceiving him. It must be his sickness that is slowly affecting his eyesight.
Since, after all, why would he see a great amount of magic swirling around the house of a non-magical person?
~~~
All the warnings and all the stories left Michikatsu the moment he saw the forest. His mind is no longer his own as he takes a step foot into the unknown but welcoming territory. Michikatsu was instantly greeted by a boy.
“Yoriichi––” He stopped when he noticed the dark look on the other boy’s face.
A look of vexation lingered on Yoriichi’s face, and instead of warmth in his eyes, it was cold and serious. A chill struck Michikatsu in the spine and the atmosphere around them dropped significantly. The wind blew harshly and the afternoon seemed to darken. Even the trees around them stopped moving, and it was there that Michikatsu noticed just how lifeless everything suddenly became.
“Why didn’t you come?”
Michikatsu released a shaky breath.
“Why did you ignore me?”
He took a step back, afraid of a boy devoid of any emotions except anger.
“I thought we were friends. Friends never leave each other.” For a moment, Michikatsu thought he heard a slight dip of tone from Yoriichi as he noticed that the youthful and childish voice dropped to a baritone, surprising Michikatsu in the process.
Michikatsu finds himself attempting to convince the boy in front of him, not knowing why he’d have to explain his circumstances and why he is suddenly so afraid. He couldn’t remember the warnings Kagaya left him. He suddenly couldn’t recall a thing about it, yet all he knows is that this isn’t normal.
And that it needs to end here. Now.
“Calm… C-Calm down, Yoriichi. I-I had a visitor back home, so I couldn’t––”
“Lies. You don’t want to play with me…” At the speed of a hat dropping to the ground, Yoriichi’s expression changed, startling Michikatsu even further, as he watched a tear trailing down Yoriichi’s cheeks. His brows furrowed and his eyes were sad as he cried. Yoriichi wiped the tear away by covering his eyes with his arm. “Y-You don’t want to play with me?”
The change of emotions overwhelmed the other boy. Michikatsu felt a heavy feeling, added with a painful plunge in the heart as it broke into pieces. All the fear he felt disappeared, replaced with sadness and guilt while he watched Yoriichi cry like a four-year-old child. He frowned as he approached him, suddenly having the urge to engulf the crying boy. And he did.
Michikatsu walks closer as he listens to the sobs of a child who just wanted a friend. He wraps his arms around his smaller form, noticing how warm Yoriichi is without any distance between them. Yoriichi did not hesitate to envelop Michikatsu with a hug as well. His crying seized yet only the sniffling remains.
Everything became warm in an instant.
“I… I’m sorry.” Michikatsu has yet to realize the death-like grip Yoriichi had when clutching his shirt.
Yoriichi’s young voice was muffled since he pressed himself tightly into the embrace. “Don’t leave me. I don’t want to be alone.”
“I know… I’m sorry.” With a sorrowful tone, Michikatsu mindfully holds Yoriichi. Michikatsu grips the fact that Yoriichi knows his intentions from the very beginning as he opts to be honest in the next following words carefully. “I guess I just… didn’t want to go back here.”
“No…” Yoriichi shakes his head, pulling Michikatsu closer. “Don’t leave. You’re mine. You and I are friends.”
Michikatsu shakes away the possessive implication from Yoriichi, with an excuse that he was just being sad and in need of comfort. He hesitantly says, “I know that. But the thing is… I don’t know who you are. What you are…” He corrects himself.
There is no denying that Michikatsu wanted answers. He wants to know what he’s getting himself into. Because everything is terrifying. He is placing himself into the unknown which he believes is more terrifying than ever. Despite being unable to remember Kagaya’s words instilled into him, he knows and recalls vividly the feelings he suddenly felt.
Feelings he seems to be very familiar with nowadays. The angry, consuming or overwhelming, and creeping feeling kept him awake at night and invaded his control. The feeling kept nagging him to go back to the forest. It was annoying and gives him a headache all the time.
He can never forget that painful feeling. It was like an unmoving force. And he wanted it gone.
The only answer he could get is from Yoriichi himself since he finds out that the forest is what kept those strange feelings at bay.
Michikatsu desperately needs some answers, and he needs them this instant.
“That’s why…” Michikatsu gulps, building up the courage, and removing the hesitancy all at once as he braces himself. “That’s why I will not hesitate to do it again if you do not answer my questions.”
Yoriichi froze.
Michikatsu continued relentlessly, fighting the fear and the sense of dread that entered unwelcomely. “I will leave you forever unless you tell me what is going on right here and now.”
The whole place was suddenly wrapped in a strong veil of mixed emotions. May it be dread, displeasure, anger, sadness, and even a tinge of possessiveness, it was all too much for Michikatsu as it throws him off the loop from the sudden onslaught of feelings. Like it had awakened inside of him once more only to appear outside of him rather than twisting internally.
“W-What is…” He couldn’t even begin formulating a sentence. His tongue tied the second he felt the arms that wrapped him tighten to the point it was bordering painful.
It should’ve been a sign. It should’ve been enough to know that Yoriichi utterly loathes their separation.
Since Yoriichi is the one with magic. It is holding his feelings for him… and magic is alive.
“It will do no good for the world if you leave me, Michikatsu.” Yoriichi’s voice turned solemn as he pulled away. His youthful eyes turned harsh and Michikatsu couldn’t look away due to an unexplained force that froze his figure.
What is happening?
Yoriichi continues, unbothered and unperturbed at the panic that bubbled wildly within Michikatsu. “We could play forever, you know. In this world, with just the two of us. Nothing but all the excitement and all the fun we could have if you just submit yourself to true freedom.”
What in the world is going on!?
Michikatsu is immensely confused and terrified as he watched all the life turn dull once more. The forest listens to its master, displaying his feelings by spreading the aura that Yoriichi seemed to omit.
“My name is Yoriichi Tsugikuni. I am the one who they call the god of the sun. But fear not,” he steps closer to the shivering Michikatsu, whose eyes were blown wide and an expression of disbelief and fear imprinted on his face. He places his hand on Michikatsu’s shoulder as a way of comfort. Though Michikatsu hardly feels comfort at this time of danger. “I do not blame you for imprisoning me since you have served as a good friend for me in the last couple of days.”
“You have given me company when I felt lonely, you have brought me happiness when I was sad, and you talked to me when I wanted a friend,” Yoriichi says, and a small smile appears on his young face. “You are treasured from the bottom of my heart, and I do not wish for you to be away from me.”
Michikatsu feels a strange ambiance floating in the air and passing through his mind. He lets out a screech when his senses are being invaded. He could feel something strange flickering brightly and he reached out to try to pull it away but was unable to do so. Even though his security has been breached, even though his senses were being controlled, he just knew that it was Yoriichi’s magic destroying him once more.
It was all too familiar to the point he recognized it before he could feel it.
“You are my friend. Mine alone…” Yoriichi’s voice is starting to fade, and Michikatsu tries to fight off this unconsciousness, knowing that if he’ll sleep, he’d forget everything that just happened. “So, I must do this, my friend. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt.”
~~~
I am Ubuyashiki Kaoru, one of the very individuals who have assisted in the making of imprisonment for a man who has the power to destroy the world.
I am writing this diary to inform future generations the knowledge I currently hold about the prisoner.
This shall be a short overview for I have little time to write the first few warnings. However, this overview shall be in a form of a list of information all should know about.
The god of the sun shall not be underestimated.
He is more powerful than every single magical individual combined.
In support of this, it shall be known that with my magic being used as it is a part of the cage, I can feel just how powerful he is. The forest is currently using me as a source to strengthen the constraints, and with that, I could feel even now that he is using his power to break out of the cage.
He is smarter than he looks. Despite his gentle and solemn face, he is not ordinary by any means.
A startling discovery. I hope this one is emphasized a hundredfold because I have discovered that he is also gaining strength as well. He learns quickly. He has to figure out a means to gain his strength. I believe he had copied the methods of the forest, as we all know that magic is certainly alive, and thus imitated the ways the forest had done to gain its energy.
I have feared that the sun god knows how to draw the power from the forest, as the forest draws power from me–– from us.
He knows. He learns. He is planning for our demise.
While the forest is gaining its power from us, the god of the sun in turn is gaining power from the forest that holds our magic.
This, I tell you, that the god of the sun must not be in contact with any people.
There must be a rule that no one should ever enter the forest. Let us put signs for people, who are unaware of the dangers, and shall not trespass for the greater good.
In time, the forest would learn to gain its power from the non-magical individuals. This will put us all in danger once the sun god learns to gain power from the non-magical individuals as well.
Because he receives sources from the people, there he’d gather strength. Just like the forest.
I cannot emphasize this enough. I will repeat my sayings over and over again if it’s the last thing I do.
I shall repeat…
NO ONE SHALL ENTER THE FOREST.
The forest gathers its strength through me and every magic user. But soon, it will learn on its own to take its source from the non-magical people. While this is a good factor to consider as this strengthens the cage, it, unfortunately, brought misfortune. Since the god of the sun is intelligent and learns quickly that he, too, could do the same.
Remember this all!
The sun god needs a source to get stronger. The forest teaches him and he, too, teaches the forest.
He is a powerful being all shall fear.
AVOID ANY CONTACT WITH THE BEING.
AVOID.
AVOID!
NO ONE SHALL ENTER THE FOREST.
NO ONE SHALL ENTER THE FOREST.
NO ONE SHALL ENTER THE FOREST.
NO ONE SHALL ENTER––––
~~~
Michikatsu sighed for the third time as he sat on his chair, listening to the babbling teacher without paying full attention. As of now, he is trying to remember that strange memory he got the day he encountered Kagaya Ubuyashiki
It was a blur after that happened. All he recalls is that Kagaya was leaving the house, then he was running to the forest and…
That was it.
For a week he’s been trying to remember, yet at the end of the day, he could only think of it as a simple daydream. But he even went so far as talking with Yoriichi about this issue, yet he is also unsure about the problem Michikatsu mysteriously found himself in.
“I do not understand, Michikatsu. Maybe you were just imagining things. Since it is so easy to forget, perhaps it was just nothing.”
Maybe Yoriichi is right. Maybe it was nothing. After all, he had forgotten about it, yet… Why does it leave a bad taste?
Classes had ended and Michikatsu rushes to the forest when that burning feeling returned. The forest welcomed him, and he, too, welcomed the warmth it brought.
“Yoriichi, where are you?”
“I am right here!”
“Woah, how did you get up there?” Michikatsu is impressed at the sight of his friend sitting calmly on a thick branch of a large tree.
“I flew up here, of course!”
Right! I keep forgetting he has magic!
“Hey, I want to be up there, too!”
Yoriichi giggled at him as he swung his legs excitedly, he then used his power to lift Michikatsu, palm twisting, and turning. “Woah!” Michikatsu is still in awe at the presence of this raw ability. He wanted one for himself so badly.
When Michikatsu realized he was suspended in the air just right in front of a smiling Yoriichi, he pouted. “Hey! Get me over that branch!”
But Yoriichi just grinned at him. His maroon eyes are expressive and brimming with delight. “I will but only if you agree to fly a kite with me.”
Michikatsu laughed out loud. “Deal!”
~~~
It’s been a month of befriending a certain forest boy. Michikatsu has no regrets about ever entering the forest that was forbidden to pass through in the first place. He doesn’t even know why it’s not allowed in the beginning when no wild creatures are roaming the grounds and being a threat to human life.
Michikatsu has been waiting for this day to finally ask a personal question now that he and Yoriichi have gotten closer. He supposed that he could ask him right now instead of sooner.
The two of them are currently sitting on the ground, playing with toys that Yoriichi created with his bare hands. So, with the courage and trust that the conversation would be well, Michikatsu goes ahead and questions his friend.
“Yoriichi, are you the god of the sun?”
The boy stops, letting the wooden toy go from his dirty palms. He slowly eyed Michikatsu with an unreadable expression before replying. “Yes, I am…”
Michikatsu was quite shocked that he didn’t find this information any surprising. It should be surprising, but it felt like this was old news to him. I wonder why…?
He shuffles closer to Yoriichi. “I heard that the god of the sun is a dangerous person… But you aren’t.”
With that, Yoriichi smiled softly, taking the toy in his hand once again. “I’m not dangerous to you, Michikatsu. Never will be.”
“But why do the stories say that you’re dangerous?”
Yoriichi shrugs as a reply. “As time passes, there are different versions of depictions about me.”
He didn’t completely answer the question, Michikatsu noticed, but he thinks it’s because Yoriichi is uncomfortable answering such a thing. He moves on instead of persisting. “You’ve been here for centuries. That means you’re so old.”
Yoriichi only chuckles at that. However, it left Michikatsu confused even more. “Yet here you are, holding the appearance of a child. Why is that? Stories say that you’re a man. Not a child.”
“I can hold different forms,” Yoriichi answers with great enthusiasm, clutching the toy in his hands playfully. “I can be a man. I can be a boy. I like this form because it’s a symbol of peace. Being a child meant true freedom.”
True freedom? Is it because he wants freedom so badly that he chose the form of a child?
“Then, how do you become free?”
The trees around them halted almost lifelessly and the gentle breeze turned windy.
Yoriichi glanced at him with a look of interest. A sly smile entered his face. “Why? Do you want to help me?”
Warning bells started ringing in Michikatsu’s mind for an unknown reason. He ignored it. “W-Well, you didn’t bring any harm to me. Unlike the way the stories depicted you, you’re very nice and friendly. You didn’t do anything wrong right now.”
“I dislike the notion of harming you.” Yoriichi’s voice turned gentle and unassuming. “I want you to be safe from the dangers of the world.”
“See? You’re not as bad as the way the stories wrote about you.” Michikatsu crosses his arms as if he made a point. “The stories are wrong about you. They think of you as some heartless monster who’d burn the world.”
“So… You think those stories are… fake?”
Something was nagging at the back of Michikatsu’s head. It was filled with reminders and warnings that Michikatsu couldn’t put a finger on it. However, it is because of his change of heart and mindset; a heavy influence from Yoriichi, that he ignored it and instead focused on what he felt now.
“I am here with you, meaning I’ve witnessed the real deal. You’re not evil. You haven’t done anything bad to me, so of course the stories are fake!”
Yoriichi is now facing him with full focus. All his attention was now centered on Michikatsu alone. The toys in their hands were completely forgotten.
“T-Then… will you help me?”
Michikatsu blinked at him owlishly. “Hm?”
“Help set me free?” Yoriichi clarifies, his eyes appearing to be glowing blood red.
The warning bells are ringing loudly now. And he is utterly confused by it.
“S-Sure!” He passionately exclaimed. “But how, though?”
“Why, it's simple!” His answer was almost direct like he expected Michikatsu would ask. “All you need to do is to play with me some more!”
What?
He voiced it out. “What?” Michikatsu doesn’t know how to think of this. “Yoriichi, I’m confused.”
Yoriichi grins at him quite playfully that it’s slightly unfamiliar. It brought an uncanny feeling from the other boy. “Oh, don’t worry. It is very easy to understand. You want to help me, right?”
This time, there was hesitance as Michikatsu nodded. He’s creepy all of the sudden.
“Then, what you can do is stay here with me for a whole day and night.”
Shocked, Michikatsu could only scoot a bit further away at the demands. “W-What!? But that’s impossible! People would know! My parents––”
Something was soothing and heavy entering his mind once again, and Michikatsu is powerless to stop it, not that he is aware from the beginning. “Listen to me, Michikatsu. Stay here with me and we can have all the fun we could get.”
In a daze, Michikatsu agrees wholeheartedly.
~~~
Kagaya Ubuyashiki never thought it’d happen unexpectedly. In this generation of peace, he’d think that everything is going to be alright. His trust in his ancestors is immense since the forest contained a powerful being for many centuries successfully. Surely, surely, he won’t be set free now.
As the sun rises once more, a sign of another day, a heavy atmosphere of uneasiness filled the air.
An old symbol that hung on the wall created by his ancestor burned to crisps, Kagaya jumped in fright from his office chair. His heart started pounding, goosebumps erupted, and sweat trickled down his skin.
A bad omen. A bad sign.
When the symbol burned, that means he was set free.
He is free.
It was happening too fast.
Kagaya’s lips started to dry, he was pouring sweat from all over his body, and the temperature increased.
“F-Father!”
His son barged in, soon his wife, then everyone else entered his office with a look of panic. Kagaya could do nothing but stare at them with wide and horrified eyes.
The youngest one whimpered. “F-Father, it’s too hot!”
His wife fell on the floor, having fainted from the heat.
“Mother!”
Everyone else rushes to her side to assist her.
Kagaya immediately darted to his table when numerous of his telephones connected to different clan compounds had rung. He couldn’t answer them one by one, yet as he reaches his table, a shadow loomed over the room, casting an eerie darkness that sent shivers down their spines.
Loud gasps echoed throughout the room, and Kagaya paled as he saw the looks on his children’s faces. All their eyes are locked on something… or rather, someone, in the window.
Kagaya looks up to see a walking nightmare.
“This is the Ubuyashiki clan, I presume?” A man with a muscular build, maroon eyes, and long spiky red hair walked deeper into the room. His face is littered with a long mark trailing down his temple. He sported a red haori with a kimono and hakama, looking like an ancient soldier with the sword stationed at his hip. The expression he holds is empty; reserved and cold, not showing a tinge of emotion at all.
Kagaya gathered enough courage to speak even though he trembles and wishes to cower in fear. “And you must be the god of the sun.”
His maroon eyes centered on him so intensely that Kagaya has to hold his desk, afraid that he’d fall due to his quivering legs.
“Ubuyashiki Kaoru along with the other clans did well in imprisoning me. Unfortunately, there were some flaws in your cage.” The man sweeps his hand over the handle of his sword, and the children squeaked in fear. “It was impressive, but it was not enough.”
He steps closer to them all, and everyone braced themselves.
“Now, I am here to tell you that it is my turn.”
The god of the sun opened his palm and created a burst of fire. Kagaya paled even further, threatening to pass out, and the children started crying.
The fire swayed gently, under control by the hands of the man who shows no sympathy in his eyes. “Through this very spell I created especially for all of you…” He started. The temperature increased. The rings of the phones grew. The sobs of the children can be heard. And Kagaya could hear his breathing shake as he watched his fate fall in front of him. “I command the fire. And through this fire, the world shall burn.”
“Your only solace is your home. Once you step outside your solace, you will burn.”
The god of the sun blew the fire, swallowing the room with darkness once more… and the spell has been done.
Kagaya wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to do anything but couldn’t.
“Y-Y-You have doomed us. You have doomed us all.”
“Indeed… As punishment for imprisoning me for many centuries.” For a man who is a master of fire, he speaks icily and his eyes were cold. “I was caged in that forest alone for years, and now I wish for you all to suffer the same thing as I… You all must know what it is like being on the same coin as I…”
“This shall last for eternity.” And with that, the god of the sun vanished at lightning speed. His magic only lingered, leaving a cruel reminder to humanity.
The punishment is cruel. If someone dares step foot outside, they will burn. If they stay here, slowly running out of food and water, with simmering heat overwhelming the world, then they die.
No matter what they do… Every path leads to death.
Kagaya falls to the floor.
~~~
Michikatsu woke up with sweat pouring from his skin. He stood up, grumbling, and was forced to stand up despite his sleepy state.
He is still in the middle of the forest and Yoriichi is nowhere to be seen.
His croaky voice echoed everywhere. “Yoriichi? Where are you?”
But no one is here with him. So after fixing himself, he trekked, leaving the forest while looking around everywhere in search of a boy. “I’m leaving the forest, do you hear me?”
Yet not one sound. No presence at all.
“I’ll be back later!” Then without hesitation, he sprinted, uncaring of the heat the sun produced. All he wanted was to get out of there and shower. It was hot for some reason, and it wasn’t even summer yet.
But as he runs to his house, he realized that no people are swarming about the area. Wait, that’s strange. At this time, people are walking by the area, going through their business, and heading off to work, but as he runs and runs, he still couldn’t find a single person in the streets.
No cars.
No animals.
No strangers rushing to work.
Is it a holiday I’m not aware of?
Michikatsu stops, eyes wide in shock at the strangely empty market in front of him. No way, there are no people in here.
He walks towards it, hoping to see anybody inside. However, a soft voice quickly stopped him.
“Michikatsu!”
The said boy yelps in fright, his heart pounding as he turns around to see a smiling boy around his age.
Michikatsu gasped aloud, realizing the gravity of the situation. “W-Wait! H-H-How did you…”
Yoriichi hops to him and wraps Michikatsu in a tight embrace. The warmth is unwelcome this time since Michikatsu is sweating like crazy. “Hey, get off! It’s too hot right now!” But Yoriichi’s hold on him is tight and stubborn. When Michikatsu attempts to remove his arm, he noticed that Yoriichi is too strong because he only seemed to hug him tightly. “What are you doing!?”
When Yoriichi pulled away, there was a big grin on his face. “Thank you, my friend. I am free now!”
Michikatsu wants to be delighted but found himself unable to do so. For some reason, he felt disturbed. Troubled heavily as if this wasn’t supposed to happen. He couldn’t cheer himself on and only managed to fake a smile. “I noticed! W-What happened? How did you… erm…”
“It’s because of you!” Yoriichi hugs him once again unexpectedly.
Michikatsu’s heart dropped, and a frown almost marred his face as he quickly replaced the negative emotion with a fake grin. He squirmed around, getting uncomfortable. “I-I didn’t think I did something. I only slept there and played with you the whole day.”
Yoriichi lets out a gleeful laugh befitting for a child his age. “That is exactly what I need you to do! That is enough for me.”
The other boy is still confused but decided to ask more about that later as more pressing concerns are currently happening. “Oh, by the way, where is everyone?”
Yoriichi holds him possessively, pressing his cheek on Michikatsu’s own as he mumbled. “I do not think that matters much.”
“Haha. Stop being clingy, Yoriichi. I’m getting worried here.” Michikatsu pushes him away more forcibly and his eyes travel everywhere to find any life aside from theirs. “Where are they? What is going on?”
He hears a loud sigh and he turns around to see a dissatisfied Yoriichi, a frown on his lips. “I want to play with you now. Stop searching for others and play with me instead.”
A similar frown was plastered on Michikatsu’s face as he eyed Yoriichi strangely, recognizing that jealous tone and glum look on his face. “I know, I know, but seriously, where is everyone?”
“Help! Help!!”
A screech echoed through the streets and Michikatsu’s heart jumped.
“H-Hello!?”
“Over here! Inside this house! Help!!” The source came from a neighboring house when Michikatsu saw people waving at him exaggeratedly at the window. More sweat broke on his skin as he rushes to them.
“What’s wrong, sir!? What’s wrong!?” Michikatsu screamed at them, observing the state of the house and the panicked looks on their frightened faces. He couldn’t help but feel stressed as well.
For some reason, they couldn’t bring the window down. They looked afraid and about to faint, which is terrifying. Michikatsu begins to shake in fear at the pressure as they eyed him with those pleading looks. “T-T-The stories–– T-The stories! It’s h-h-happening! Our f-fears came t-t-true!” The man stuttered. His eyes were red from crying, his face covered in sweat, and tears and snot were dripping everywhere.
“What? What’s happening? W-What’s going on!?”
“He’s free!” The woman screeched piercingly. Her voice sounded so haunted that made Michikatsu’s heart accelerate faster and his skin crawl. “The god of the sun! He cursed us! He burned us! W-W-We’re dead!”
What?
Michikatsu started breathing heavily. He was visibly panting and his fingers shook uncontrollably at the information.
“The moment we step outside, we will die! He’ll set us on fire! We can’t get out of the house and we’ll run out of resources. We’re good as dead!”
He didn’t look back. His body moved on its own as he ran at a top speed.
“This is his revenge! He had shown his wrath!”
Seething heat spread throughout his body. His heart pounded, his ears ringing, his legs burning, and his lungs needed oxygen.
“The stories are real. The stories are real!”
Michikatsu runs away from the boy who he first thought was his friend. All aware that those maroon eyes are drilling, scorching hot, at the back of his head.
“He is the one who’d burn the world!”
He runs and never looks back. Even when tears made their way from his eyes. Even when his legs wanted to give up. Even when his heart was heavy.
“The god of the sun will kill us all!”
He runs despite the invisible miasma wrapping his figure possessively, he runs even though he knows that he is there watching him, and he runs even though magic had claimed him whole.
“Michikatsu! Are we going to play?”
It’s always playing. He always loves to play.
“Oh, is this hide and seek? I love this game!”
“Are you going to hide?”
“Ah, don’t worry. I’ll find you… no matter where you go!”
Michikatsu knows. He knows. He knows all too late.
“So, let’s play! I love to play with my friend .”
He covers his ears in hopes to shut his voice out. However, he knew that he couldn’t. Not when his magic is singing in his veins and echoing in his mind.
“By the time I catch you, you will never leave me again!”