Chapter Text
As darkness enveloped her vision and mind, Oguri Cap was left alone in a seemingly endless void. Sound and being felt absent in this space, a dead calm washing over her. It was odd, but it didn't feel unnatural.
That was until she felt the soft turf appear under her feet, giving her structure and being. She could feel, as a calm wind rushed over her, flooding her ears with its gentle melody. In its cacophony, the grass beneath her rustled slowly and softly. Her eyes, once closed, began to open out of sheer curiosity.
Before her was an endless, blue night sky, the stars above resembling shapes of different kinds and sizes. Not that she understood what they all were. The turf below her extended on and on, seemingly having no end in sight.
She had no memory of coming here, or falling asleep for that matter. Her memories were fuzzy; one moment, she was somewhere else, the next, she was here, in an endless expanse her heart could only dream of. Despite her memory, however, Oguri couldn't help but feel at ease, calm, and tranquil. Such a space was one she had always dreamed of in the depths of her heart. A space for her to run wherever she pleased. How she arrived here was a mystery, but–
"Welcome..."
A voice, one seemingly from nowhere. High-pitched, elderly, calm. Oguri turned in its direction, a direction she hadn't sensed anyone in before, only to be met with a most bizarre sight. Before her were two desks: one resembled her desk from class, a desk seated next to a window overlooking the academy she's come to know and love. The other was wide, ornate, and fancy. And sitting behind it, hands interconnected in intrigue, was an older man she had never seen before. His white hair reaching around, leaving a balding head, a sleek black tuxedo, bulging eyes, a wide smile, and the longest nose she had ever seen...
For some odd reason, he reminded her of Roppei.
Beside him was an uma, dressed in a jacket. Her hands were covered in black gloves, and she wore black slim jeans held firm by a black leather belt. Her shoes seemed ordinary, just as blue as the jacket adorning her. But her most defining feature was her face—long, flowing silver hair, and piercing yellow eyes.
"... to the Velvet Room."
The voice spoke once more, Oguri realizing it was coming from the man before her. She tilted her head, unsure of what he meant.
"Ah... what an intriguing guest we have," He spoke once more, his smile widening, "I was wondering who would receive our summons when I was brought into this world."
Oguri watched as he leaned slightly back into his chair, the uma beside him remaining silent and steadfast.
"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a realm that only those bound by strong desire and a contract may enter. But my..." He gazed upward, toward the endless field ahead of him, "What a most intriguing visage! To think walls would not constrain your heart's room, a first indeed."
... The words this man was saying left Oguri almost baffled. She didn't get how this was a room at all; rooms have walls and doors. The older man seemed to notice her confusion and shifted matters.
"Ah, my deepest apologies. I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance." His hands moved, gesturing to the side of him. "This before me is Merry Shell, my assistant for the time being."
Upon being introduced by him, the uma bowed before Oguri, a smile on her face. "It's a pleasure to meet you, madam."
... Oguri still felt completely lost, but something told her she should at least introduce herself in kind. "U-um... Oguri Cap... I'm, uh, not really sure what's happening at all..."
Igor chuckled, "Why, that's quite all right. I suppose it is rather early, isn't it?" His hands reconnected, staring right into Oguri, into her soul. "The world you know is changing in ways unimaginable. Only one with the heart and drive to change the world has any hope of making a difference. I do believe, when the time comes, you will require our assistance. Until then..."
In a flash, Oguri's head throbbed, her mind thrust into a fog. She stumbled, her knees falling to the turf below.
"It appears the waking world beckons. Go on, rejoin the realm you know. We shall meet again, very soon..."
The meaning of his words remained a mystery, as Oguri was once more...
...enveloped in black.
As the Ashen Beast’s senses slowly returned to her, her sight was briefly blinded by the overhead lights from above. Far different from the cozy night sky she had just accustomed herself to, Oguri found herself lying down on a green couch, wrapped in blankets. The ceiling tiles and hum of the overhead lights ran through her memories, as she quickly realized she was lying down inside one of the greenrooms in the stadium.
She heard voices, one masculine and one feminine, off in the distance, but she herself was still a bit too groggy to tell what they were saying. Although, their tone of voice was already enough for Oguri to get a clear hint as to who they were. Her suspicions were confirmed as her senses returned more fully, and the source of the feminine voice stood above her.
“O-Oguri-chan, you’re awake!”
Belno’s voice rang through the uma’s ears, as she slowly began sitting herself up. Realizing what she was doing, Belno quickly hopped in to assist her, helping her situate herself upright on the couch. Before her was the familiar sight of the green rooms she had come to know and love, along with the other elderly man who had helped her get this far.
“Roppei…”
“It’s Musaka,” Roppei responded. Tossing the Beast a bottle of water, which she caught easily, he started walking towards her slowly, his cane echoing throughout the room. “Are you feeling alright? Any kind of headaches or pain? Can you think straight?”
Opening the bottle and gulping down the water inside, Oguri took time to process Roppei’s question before responding. “... No, I don’t think so? Nothing hurts too much… I did have a weird dream, though.” She scratched the back of her head, trying to remember how she got in this situation.
“Do you remember how you fell?” Belno chimed in, her voice teeming with concern as she sat beside her friend.
How she fell…
That’s right, it was coming back to her. Mostly, anyway. She had been racing in the Nakayama Kinen just now, after taking a short break to recuperate from the Arima Kinen two months earlier.
“I,” Oguri started, her memories coming back, “... I was in first. The other racers were behind me. I had crossed the finish line and heard cheers from all around. But, when I turned to look at them… That’s all I can really remember.”
“You took us all by surprise,” Roppei spoke, sitting across from his trainee. “After crossing the finish line, you just stood silently for a few seconds before collapsing onto the ground. Paramedics came to check up on you, turns out you had just passed out from exhaustion. Though,” His gaze became downcast, as he lowered the tip of his hat, “I should have realized you weren’t feeling well before the race started. I apologize.”
Belno leaned forward. “Oh come on, it’s not anyone’s fault!” She exclaimed, before turning back to her friend. “I have to admit, though, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you collapse like that. It was scary… It’s almost hard to believe there was a race that could exhaust you so much.”
Exhaust her…
“No, that’s not right,” Oguri responded, almost on impulse, taking both Roppei and Belno off guard.
Though her memory was still somewhat hazy, the one thing Oguri could remember most about that race was the other racers. But it wasn’t because they were strong, fast, or anything like it. It was the opposite.
Silence filled the room as Roppei and Belno stayed quiet, almost as if both were waiting for Oguri to finish her line of thought. Finally, she spoke back up.
“I just came off a short break, resting after the Arima Kinen. I honestly felt better than I have in a while, and being able to move my legs again felt so freeing. But, that’s the thing–” She looked back up to her two companions, senses and thoughts fully restored. “During that race, I wasn’t pushing myself, at least not as much as I’ve had to in the past. It wasn’t nearly enough to exhaust me… but there was something I can’t forget from this race…”
“I’m not the best with words, but I couldn’t feel any of their eyes on me as I pushed through. It was almost like… I was the only one there who had a desire to win.”