Chapter Text
Kakyoin had never felt like he fit in with other kids. For a long time, he thought he was weird, that something was wrong with him, that he was insane. The doubts about his ability to make friends got worse over time, and he eventually stopped trying completely. He knew his mom was worried, and he was afraid of even opening up to her with the assumption that she wouldn’t understand either. Nothing ever hindered his skills in school, however. If anything, the fact that he didn’t have to worry about his relationships with other people helped. It gave him more time to focus on everything else. He would wake up, go to school, study, come home, do things he enjoyed doing, study a little more, and go to bed. It was a cycle that felt never-ending, unchanging to Kakyoin. Things would always be like this for him, and he liked to think he was content with that.
Kakyoin’s parents had decided to try to get their son to open up a little more and relax by taking him on vacation to Egypt. They knew he worked hard to get good grades, to not make them worry more about his closed-off demeanor, but it simply made them more concerned about his well-being. The boy did nothing but study and play video games. He’d dabble in painting every now and then, but he never thought his skills were good enough for it to be something he should be proud of. He simply did it as a distraction.
Egypt was a different scene from what Kakyoin was used to, but he couldn’t deny the feeling of excitement he got from being somewhere other than his cramped room, surrounded by things he’s tried to use to make himself feel useful or special. It was definitely a nice change to his boring life.
For a couple of days, at least.
Whenever Kakyoin would go look around the city either by himself or with his parents, he always felt like he was being watched by a sharp pair of eyes. He’d brush it off, telling himself that it was just the anxiety of being far away from home, the anxiety of being in public in a new place like this. Yet no matter how much he tried to convince himself, he couldn’t shake off the feeling of being a prey.
Going out at night after not being able to get any sleep, Kakyoin wandered the streets of Cairo, hoping to find some peace and get tired enough to go to sleep later once he decides to return to the hotel he and his parents were staying at. That feeling of being watched never went away, and Kakyoin had started to accept it, not wanting to assume the worst out of anything. Being led by curiosity into an ominous alleyway, Kakyoin found himself in a trance of fear, staring up at a shadowy figure. Not being able to think, he had stayed in place, not running no matter how much his mind was telling him to do so.
That night was one of the worst nights Kakyoin had never thought he would have to endure.
His parents knew something was up. They never found out he had gone out that night, never found out anything about what happened. Even when they asked, Kakyoin would simply smile like usual and say everything was okay, to not worry about him so much.
He was doing alright.
The next couple of months were a haze. Everything Kakyoin did felt automatic. He would do things that felt out of character for him, things he thought were morally wrong. He didn’t feel like himself at all, his body feeling out of his own control. Time seemed to pass by faster than it should, a minute feeling like two seconds. Some days would feel like nothing at all, like certain days didn’t even happen.
The day Kakyoin regains full consciousness and control of his body is the day he feels the most out of it, strangely enough. He felt dizzy and sick to his stomach. He doesn’t recognize his surroundings, nor does he recognize the faces staring at him with wide eyes. The floor below him is uncomfortable, his body feels weaker than ever before, and he feels like his head is splitting open from a headache. He sits up the best he can, watching as someone with a dark coat - some sort of modified school uniform - walks away from him with their hands in their pockets. Even if he can’t remember much, he knows that whoever this person is had helped in some way.
…
Kakyoin learns about the man named Dio, him apparently having been the one to control Kakyoin through a flesh bud of sorts that had connected straight to his brain. Kakyoin also learns that the imaginary friend he’d had since childhood wasn’t imaginary at all, and learned how to control it properly with the help of his new companions. Hierophant Green is the name it had been given through tarot cards, something Avdol, his new friend, was quite fond of. Kakyoin had heard him talking about going to Egypt to get rid of Dio earlier that morning, and with a newfound anger and passion, he had decided to come along on the trip to hopefully get revenge for the months he’d lost.
Even if his life was on the line, he didn’t care.
He felt like he’d lost enough already. Pride and dignity.
He won’t let fear consume him again, and instead, he’ll face it head on and push through.