Chapter Text
“Coincidence?” His laugh is sharp and bitter. “You really think any of this is accidental?” The shift in his tone entirely catches you off guard.
You recalled this conversation… last night. Megumi had spoken the exact words at your door in the school. Only this time, you found yourself in the stairwell of a cool building, a few steps away from an exit door. Megumi’s breath formed into an icy mist, his eyes true and hopeful.
“Megumi? Where are we? What is this?” you breathed back. A dreadful swirl of deja vu coursed down your spine, settling in the depths of your stomach. Why did this moment feel so eerily familiar?
…and who was Megumi looking at?
You had just noticed, but Megumi wasn’t looking at you. He was looking behind you. Looking at–
You spin around.
You?
Staring back at you–no, staring back at Megumi–is your own face. Neither Megumi nor your clone seemed to notice you at all, almost as if you were out of sight. What is this?
The emergency exit bursts open ahead, allowing the entry of blinding sunlight to cast itself on your faces. He shoves your replica through the door first, following behind with his hand securely placed on the other you’s shoulder. You follow them out prior to the door easing shut, realizing your footsteps had no sound to them.
Outside, the empty Tokyo streets feel wrong, as if another being was lurking. Megumi turns to set his other hand on your duplicate’s remaining shoulder, gripping both with an intense look in his eyes.
“Well, the truth is…”
Something caught your eye regarding Megumi. In place of the dread you always tend to notice in his expression, was a sense of truth and desperation. This Megumi seemed more… heartened? In a way? The Megumi you were attuned to certainly had more gloom to him.
His nose scrunched up as his head hung low in front of the other you, who was watching intently. With a sigh he continued, “I’m not sure how to put this–if you’ll even believe me, but–this.. We’ve met before.” A long pause followed.
This is most definitely not how you remember having this conversation with him last night; was this a different reality?
“What? I don’t remember you.”
Your replica’s voice was almost unrecognizable, so cold it caught you off guard. Was this the future? The future where you had finally come to your wit’s end? The sharp tone had most likely caught Megumi off balance as well. He stuttered in his response.
“Stop. Just listen. Your memories are being… reshaped–or something. I don’t entirely know. But I promise we know each other–!”
At this point, listening to this conversation was just.. sad. With every word Megumi’s voice grew frustratingly desperate. Were his eyes glossing up too? Your focus snaps back to the two once “your” voice sounds again.
“Months–what? You’re trying to tell me I’ve somehow met you before in the past? Megumi–this..” you watched as your duplicate drew a sharp, exasperated breath, “..this is crazy?! What the hell is going on–”
Your clone and Megumi had begun to take off towards some place else, snaking through alleyways. You felt yourself drawn to them by a force, having no choice but to listen further.
“Where are we going? No–where are you taking me???” your own voice grew more frantic as the scene developed. “Are you really Megumi Fushiguro?–Is this all a dream?--Why are you just now telling me all of this? Did you wait to trap me in your world before telling me?”
The questions went on and on and on, continuing endlessly until your words started blurring together.
Megumi came to an abrupt halt in the center of the abandoned road, facing away. You decided to walk around, attempting to catch a glimpse of his face, which the other ‘you’ couldn’t see.
Wet streaks softly coated his cheeks, so subtle you almost wouldn’t have noticed. Right now, more than anything, the sole thing you wanted to do was help him–comfort him–do anything in your power. But that was among the many things impossible for you right now.
“Listen,” he began, voice painfully raw–a tone you had never witnessed from him before. “You’ve dreamed of me before, haven’t you? Moments that felt familiar?? Deja vu???”
Both you and your clone tensed, watching carefully. His jaw clenched.
“Those aren’t dreams… that’s…”
He slowly twisted, head low to the ground. He held your clones wrist as he proclaimed his next words,
“They’re your memories.”
But… this time he wasn’t looking at ‘you’. He was looking at you. Not your replica, YOU.
And not only him, but your clone too. You can feel the breath in your lungs turning to ice. …No,
No she can’t see you,
This is a dream–
A memory?
They ever so slightly lean towards you, as if they’re listening to your breath. Your pulse is thundering in your ears, and she takes a step closer.. to you.
“The room is still there.”
The words are barely above a whisper.
Megumi stands as if nothing happened–avoidant of any reaction. Like the words aren’t meant for him.
Your eyes dart back to the other you, and you draw a shaky breath.
“What room?” you breathe.
No sound comes out at first, and your stomach lurches.
“Don’t let him stop you.”
✧ ✧ ✧
Your eyes fly open to the familiar sight of rotting school walls. You could still feel your heart pounding against your chest as the aftermath of your dream, and one question lingered.
Was this a memory?
You steadily sit up in horror.
Something is clenched in your fist.
You do not remember falling asleep holding it.
✧ ✧ ✧