Sobs bled into the air, mingling with the hollow sound of a heartbeat. She felt it—an invisible dagger piercing her chest, a phantom pain that brought her to her knees. Her fingers, trembling like autumn leaves, clawed at the cold floor until they found her phone. She dialed Lynen. The line clicked open instantly.
Lynen: (Haughty) "What is it at this ungodly hour?!"
Kyouko: (Panting, struggling to catch her breath) "Loken… Loken!"
Lynen: "What do you want from my brother now?!"
Tears streamed down her face… She bit her lip, choking on the pain…
Kyouko: "He's… Loken… Loken has been stabbed! He's in the hospital!"
The line clicked shut immediately. No response. Nothing.
Kyouko: (Agitated) "What is wrong with her!! What do I do? What do I do?"
She scrambled to her feet, grabbing something from her drawer before vanishing into the night.
Her little sister Kyoury watched from the doorway, her small hand pressed against her chest, about to cry: "I've never seen her cry with such terrifying fervor… I hope everything will be alright."
---
5:04 AM
Dark, desolate streets… lashed by heavy rain; the silence was shattered by the sound of a girl running, gasping for air; she stumbled… fell, her beautiful dress soaking in the mud… she screamed in pain, helpless and weak.
She closed her eyes… and remembered Loken's promise… In the quiet university garden… It was spring, warm and alive. The handsome young man with silver eyes sat there… the warm sunlight tracing shadows on his face. And in front of him sat Kyouko.
He raised his head… and said: "The evening of September thirteenth… Remember this day… I will come to your house alone and tell you something; remember it well… It will come soon."
Her face flushed, her breath quickened… Loken sensed it, he met her gaze to promise her: "This is our little secret, this is my promise to you alone… So wait for me!"
Lying on the cold pavement… The rain washed away her warmth and her tears… She whispered to him: "My feet hurt… My head hurts… My heart hurts; help me… What can I do for you, Loken! Just give me strength… I am coming to you… for you will not break your promise!"
---
As soon as she entered the hospital, a nurse noticed her; she found a drenched, distressed, and exhausted girl in front of her… She went to her to take her hand and told her: "Is that you!?… Come with me!"
Kyouko: "Please… tell me what happened?!… Is he alright?!!"
They ran through the corridors… The Nurse: "The ambulance brought him in quickly… His clothes are strange and he's wearing them incorrectly!"
Kyouko, shocked, found nothing to say… And he was delirious, as if he was losing consciousness… repeating one sentence the whole time: "I want my wife Kyouko… Where is my wife Kyouko?"
They arrived at the intensive care unit; to find the doctor in charge in the hallway. Kyouko rushed and grabbed the doctor's hand… She took something out and placed it in his palm, saying with a trembling voice: "This is the most precious thing I own… My mother's necklace; please… I beg you with everything I have!! Take any part of my body… Give him my eyes to see with! I am the reason… It's all my fault!! Just don't let him suffer anymore… Save him, no matter the cost!!"
The doctor placed his hand on Kyouko's head with a gentle voice: "You are the most loyal soul I have ever seen in my life, but… I'm sorry, my daughter…" He returned the necklace; her heart pounded fiercely, she felt a hand squeezing her heart… "Your husband Loken is—" Before he could finish, Kyouko collapsed and fainted… She couldn't bear it all!
---
It is said that the police quickly discovered the perpetrator due to the numerous fingerprints on Loken's body and clothes; as soon as they raided his house, they found him dead, his body professionally mutilated; his killer is currently unknown; all they know is that he dealt with the culprit precisely and left no clear trace.
...That night was unforgettable… whether it was a dream or reality…
---
A phone rang… its annoying sound… that loud alarm clock.
Kyouko opened her eyes in terror… she sat up nervously to find herself on her bed… she touched her pillow… it was damp with tears… again!
She murmured: "Loken!… What happened?… What happened to you?!"
She held her head and retrieved her memory… She cried… yes, she cried intensely… that young man, swaying on the thin line between life and death, yet he kept his promise…
Kyouko moaned: "My wife! My wife!… You wanted me to be your wife… So that was your promise to me… Your message has reached me… I don't know whether to be happy or cry for you!"
My tears have dried… and nothing more remains.
My chest could not contain… the anguish of profound sorrow.
Indeed, the grief of my heart… is a wound with a lasting scar.
And the thirst of my eyes… for your sight intensifies.
So do not be like my blood… flowing through my veins.
My soul has died… at your mention, as you never wished.
She turned her face to the phone… she saw something strange… she opened her eyes wide… a strange feeling possessed her…
Kyouko asked in a hesitant voice: "How?… What happened… How is this happening?!!"
Her phone displayed: <
Kyouko trembled: "A mistake!… How… Wasn't this yesterday!!"
She jumped out of bed… entered her sister Kyoury's room… she wasn't there?!
She wondered: "How did she go to school without me preparing her breakfast!!"
She got ready… rushed to the university… ran quickly to the center of the square where the clock stood;
Even there… the clock showed: <<13_9 7:54 AM>> .
---
As she was engrossed in what had happened, her concentration was broken by the sound of footsteps behind her… slow, confident steps… they stopped… she felt his breath… It was a young man… calling her name in a calm voice… a familiar voice!
She turned her head in fear, and her features froze;
In the crowded university courtyard, that face smiled before her… her tears flowed and her voice faded… Is it Loken?!
Her tongue tied… words no longer came out.
Kyouko: (Crying like a child) "You… L..o..k.. Loken… Are you… alright?… They st… stabbed you… Are you really alright?!…"
She lost her balance… and before she fell to the ground… Loken caught her!… Kyouko lost her mind!!
"How?!… You… Weren't you…?"
He looked into her eyes… said in his tender voice:
Loken: (With a captivating smile) "I'm fine… Everything is fine!"
Kyouko raised her hand toward him, but he caught it before she could touch him!
Kyouko was stunned… she said hesitantly: "H-h-how?!"
Loken replied, gazing at her and laughing: "You are more beautiful than I ever imagined!!"
Kyouko cried… she burst into tears: "You're alive!!… Loken… You've shattered my heart… How can I trust my mind—you're standing before me… and what's more, you can see me… This is my happiness!"
How did he regain his sight?!
---
Suddenly… silence falls. They feel as though they can hear no one but each other. Kyouko smiles… but then she turns her head; this silence is not beautiful—it is haunting. It is terrifying. They look around… they are alone!
Everyone had vanished in the blink of an eye… as if they were an illusion… Kyouko couldn't grasp exactly when everyone disappeared; the accumulation of events had numbed her senses.
The noise of traffic… the cats playing in the garden… the ants scattered in the corners of the road… all gone!
An absolute, crushing silence.
Kyouko: "Where are the students?!… Where is the crowd they were in?!!"
She turned to him… he was silent, his silver eyes staring into the void. He seemed to know something she didn't!
What's happening?!
To be continued...