Chapter 5: Blood Tears
Beneath the bleeding sky and upon the scorched earth, they sat on tiles drowned by the rain. Loken tore a piece of his wet garment, wrapping Kyouko's bleeding hand with the silence of a remorseful man.
Kyouko sank deep into her memories, dissecting the events that had transpired, completely detached from her surroundings as if she were unconscious.
Loken called out to her: "Kyouko, can you hear me, Kyouko?"
She did not respond. He raised his voice: "Kyouko!!"
Kyouko snapped back, and upon grasping reality, she looked at her hand: "Thank you."
He asked: "What do we do now?"
She gazed at the ruined horizon, looking at peace, as if her heart had drank in pure tranquility, her eyes gleaming with hope amidst that devastation. She said:
"Loken... stay close to me. Just follow me!"
They stood up, walking steadily through the fog, advancing quietly toward the gate. Loken placed his life in Kyouko's hands—to trust completely, a choice whose price was death.
A strange object fell, crushing a building until it leveled with the ground. Kyouko continued on, indifferent. Before a shadow of doubt could cross his mind, Loken noticed her confident stride and smiled: This is Kyouko. I trust you completely.
In Kyouko's mind, a startling realization was forming:
He died in a stabbing. He died in an explosion.
He died when I was far from him. I saw him dead. This means this loop repeats with the exact same system: he dies first, and only when we separate; while I remain alive until I see him!
Then, the solution is simple...
I must stay glued to him so he doesn't die.
Loken interrupted her thoughts: "Wait, Kyouko, you are heading towards danger!"
She replied with unwavering confidence: "You will not die with me. Just stay by my side. Even if the tower collapses on us, you will not die as long as you are near me!"
Loken found comfort in her words, and they continued walking until they reached the street.
Kyouko walked through the rubble and the burning wreckage that the rain could not extinguish. The torrents dragged dust and dirt toward them. They walked through it all, as Kyouko tried to see the end of this rugged path.
She leaned on Loken's shoulder and told him:
"I don't know where all this is coming from or what its source is, but there is no living creature, not even corpses of the dead. It is unsettling, so we will head to my house."
Loken: "The cars are in their places, so no one escaped. I do not mind us being alone. Do whatever you want, and I am with you."
The silence was shattered by the whistling of a falling plane. Kyouko screamed: "Get close!!"
It exploded into the building right next to them. Kyouko raised her hand over Loken's head to protect him, straining her frail body to shield him so that no shrapnel or debris could kill him.
Nothing fell on them. Everything crashed around them, leaving them untouched!
Kyouko smiled at Loken's astonished face: "See?! I told you I would protect you. Come on, let's hurry home before we freeze!"
Loken fully grasped the situation. He replied while brushing the dust of the explosion from her clothes: "I am the one who should be protecting you!"
And they moved forward until they vanished into the fog.
---
In a dark room, the walls were hidden behind countless pictures of him. Through the window, the sound of rain tapping against the glass could be heard.
Two beds sat in opposite corners. On one of them, a girl was curled up, crying, clutching his picture, and saying, her voice breaking with grief:
"Loken... I miss you, Loken... How?!... How could you leave your twin alone?!"
It was the shattered Lynen, withdrawing into herself.
But where was she amidst all that destruction?!
---
Under the rain and through the ruins, they walked. She said: "We are almost there."
A repetitive knocking sound echoed.
At the corner of the street, Kyouko stopped abruptly. She backed away slowly, her legs trembling. She crouched cautiously, as if hiding. Loken matched her pace and crouched beside her.
He asked quietly: "What is wrong, Kyouko?"
Her voice shook: "There is someone!... He is at the door of my house!"
Loken was taken aback. The continuous knocking made Kyouko pant harder. He slowly raised his head.
What he saw sent shivers down his spine. His eyes widened as if he were looking at a monster.
Before him stood a colossal figure draped in a black cloak. Not a single feature of his face or body was visible. His head was bowed, as if contemplating the earth. In his hand, he gripped a massive cleaver, striking the wall behind him until it cracked!
As Loken stared at this bizarre entity, Kyouko yanked him down forcefully, covering her mouth with her hand to muffle the sound of her breaths.
She crawled backward, pulling Loken along, then broke into a run, with Loken following close behind. She panted: "What is that?! It will kill us!"
Loken replied: "I don't think it's even human! Let's head to my house!"
---
After an exhausting sprint—with Kyouko pressing agonizingly on her injured foot, fighting alongside Loken just to survive—Kyouko caught sight of something that made her collapse to the ground. Loken crouched, trying to help her up: "Here is the house right in front of us... come on, get up!"
When he looked into her eyes, terror crept into his chest. It was as if her soul had left her body. He looked ahead toward his front door, and his legs gave way from pure dread.
That terrifying entity was standing at the door of Loken's house, gripping its massive cleaver, staring directly at Loken without a single movement.
Kyouko whispered in sheer horror: "Stay close to me, s-s... s... it will kill you!"
Loken pulled her up, and they backed away slowly. How did it get here so fast?! When did it notice us! ... How did it see us!... that thing is not human!
The overwhelming desire to escape exploded within their exhausted bodies, and they ran.
Its statue-like stillness was terrifying, and its silence was more deafening and frightening than a lion's roar.
Loken looked up toward a nearby tower. He had found something useful!
---
A small, dilapidated room. Kyouko sat in the corner on a damp piece of sponge, while Loken tried to light a brick wood-burning stove. Kyouko looked out the broken window; rain and smoke still blocked the horizon, offering a bleak view of the destroyed buildings.
Suddenly, Loken bent down and blew. He had finally started a fire!
He brought the dry wood he had found closer, and the flames roared to life.
He quickly went to the adjacent room, which looked like a completely burnt and shattered kitchen. He reached the balcony with its crumbling railing and grabbed the large pot. He had collected enough rainwater for their needs.
It appeared they were on the third floor of a massive residential complex. The whole place seemed decaying, but it was in good condition compared to the surrounding structures.
He turned around to find Kyouko on the floor behind him. She had crawled to him!
She looked at him and said with an exhausted voice: "I told you... stay by my side!"
Loken looked at her with pity and sorrowful features: "I am sorry! ... I will stay close."
He said in his heart: She is terrified for me. I know all of this is for my sake!
They slowly returned to the room, and Loken placed the pot next to the stove.
The moment a cold breeze blew in, Kyouko jumped up, grabbing Loken and pulling him toward the balcony. Her cheeks puffed out, her face turned pale. She stuck her head out, coughing, her entire body trembling. She was vomiting!
Breathing heavily, she stuttered: "N... n-no... do not be disgusted by me, Loken! ... Stay by my side!"
Loken felt her agony as she squeezed his hand, refusing to let go!
She began to calm down. He wiped her face and said: "You are sick, and your temperature is high! You need to change out of these wet clothes!"
They re-entered the room. Immediately, Loken covered the doorway and the window with worn-out blankets until the room became warm.
He started searching around.
Kyouko called out to him: "Please rest, you have done so much."
He replied: "I am done with everything. I blocked the stairwell entrances in the building so that creature cannot get up here. We gathered wood, food, and water. All that is left are some dry clothes!"
Alone in front of the blazing fire, sitting on a dusty sponge, Kyouko lay sleeping on his lap. Her face was severely flushed from the illness. The water in the pot began to boil.
He woke her gently: "Kyouko... come on, Kyouko... it's time to wash up!"
Kyouko opened her eyes, sitting up in complete silence!
Loken stood up, brought the pot closer to her, and placed clothes and towels beside her.
She lay back down and fell asleep again from sheer exhaustion.
Loken brought a small empty basin near and woke Kyouko, saying: "I will wash your hair!"
She sat up and lowered her head over the basin. Loken scooped some water with his hands, pouring it over her head, gently massaging her hair and washing it with his hands.
Kyouko was entirely silent, as if drifting in and out of consciousness.
Loken finished, wiping her hair with a towel and wrapping it around her head.
He stood up and said: "I will stand outside... finish washing."
Loken stood in that shattered kitchen, separated from the room by a thin wall. He contemplated the starlight amidst the thick clouds. Night had fallen quickly.
He noticed Kyouko reaching her hand out from behind the blanket blocking the doorway.
Loken approached and sat exactly where her hand could reach him.
Kyouko spoke with a troubled voice: "I do not know what time it is... the moment of your death could come at any second... so... please stay by my side! ... Talk to me... so I can feel your presence near me!"
Loken replied, smiling: "I do not know how... but despite all of this... I am happy to be with you!"
---
Kyouko's wet, dirty clothes were cast aside. She sat near the stove wrapped in a thick blanket, wringing a piece of cloth into that small basin, now filled with murky water.
She soaked it and wiped her foot, which revealed a painful, purple bruise.
Loken spoke to her from behind the wall: "May I ask you a question? You do not have to answer if you don't want to. You said you are stuck in a time loop where my death repeats. I want to know... what time did I die?"
Kyouko fell silent, then answered hesitantly: "5:04 AM."
Loken uncovered his wrist to check his watch. The time was now 4:00 AM.
He looked out with a heavy heart, thinking:
Not much time left... damn it... I have grown so attached to her!
Kyouko called him to come in. He found her wearing loose-fitting sleepwear.
Loken laughed: "How baggy they are on you!"
She smiled without a word. Loken sat beside her.
The darkness was pitch black, the cold biting. The rain had stopped and the moon emerged. In the middle of a city devoid of life, inside a colossal concrete monolith, the two solitary souls sat by a fire that illuminated the gloom of the cramped room and preserved the warmth of their fragile bodies.
Kyouko rested her head on Loken's shoulder and said shyly: "I do not know... but... I think the time is drawing near! Do you have a watch?"
Loken grew anxious and thought:
She will be terrified and worried... I will not tell her if the time of my death approaches... I will just stay close to her.
He answered: "No... and our phones are broken! Do not worry about the time. Just rest now... that is the most important thing!"
She closed her eyes. That was not what she wanted to hear. What she meant was that now they were together, and 5:00 AM was approaching;
It was the time of that small promise between them.
Why is Loken doing this?! Has he forgotten the promise?
... Time passes ...
Kyouko thought: I will do it... I don't care... I have nothing left to lose!
She gathered her strength, her cheeks flushed. That warmth and that atmosphere... it was poetic, it was a gentle ambiance.
She called out to him with her tender voice: "Lo...ken... Loken! ... I...!"
She turned toward him... she opened her eyes... absolute silence descended.
Even the fire, its crackling faded until it extinguished entirely!
Her face turned deathly pale and a tear rolled down. Standing on the threshold of the apartment door... was that terrifying entity!
It had blocked the door, leaving them trapped with no way out!
Her tongue tied as she tried to articulate: "S-s-stand behind me! L-L-L... Lo... Loken!"
Loken turned around to find it right in front of him, advancing. Without thinking, he shoved Kyouko aside and backed into the corner, screaming:
"Quickly!! Run to the stairs through that opening!!"
He thought: How did we not sense him... did he come from the upper floors?!
Damn it... how... I didn't block the stairs up there!
Kyouko screamed, drowning in tears: "Just stay by my side!"
He yelled: "It's no use... I will save you... ru—"
Before he could finish, the creature raised the cleaver until it touched the ceiling and struck Loken's shoulder, bringing him to his knees—a fatal blow that nearly severed his arm!
Loken was silent, writhing in pain, stifling his voice, barely breathing. Kyouko shrieked as if she were feeling his pain.
It had sunk deep into his body. It was lodged inside Loken's shoulder, and the monster was trying to pull it out, as if Loken was holding it in place!
Barely lifting his head, spitting blood, he looked toward Kyouko. He uttered a single word:
"R...un!! Ru...un!!"
Kyouko closed her eyes, unable to bear the gruesome sight. Screaming like a madwoman in incoherent words, she crawled outside!
Loken felt relieved and his body relaxed. Suddenly, the monster grabbed him by the neck with its other hand, choking him and shoving him toward the balcony. They stood on the completely shattered edge.
It raised its foot and kicked Loken brutally in the stomach, releasing his neck.
The cleaver dislodged, ripping out of his flesh. Loken was hurled into the air, blood scattering.
The moonlight appeared to him pale, fading like an extinguishing candle.
He closed his eyes; gravity took hold of him.
---
Kyouko squeezed through a small opening to escape the building, weeping and calling his name: "Lokeeeeen! ... Loooooken!"
Her breath hitched in terror as her memories spun before her. It was his voice: "I fear it will separate us!" ... "Do not be afraid!"
"I will protect you!" ... "I will stay close!" ... "I am happy to be with you!"
She heard his body crashing down, smashing through the barricade!
The sound of the cleaver scraping against the wall intensified her terror!
She ran on her injured leg, stumbling until she tumbled down from the top of the stairs. Her arm was broken and her shoulder dislocated.
She screamed from the depths of her heart, out of dread and pain mingled with sorrow.
Its footsteps drew nearer. She tried to stand, her soul ascending from the sheer agony.
Until she reached the street. She threw herself toward the body lying there, surrounded by a pool of blood. She crawled to him with all her might, calling out his name.
She reached him and placed her hand on the wound, but it was not enough to cover it. She lifted his head into her lap, calling him as she tried to stop the bleeding.
He was completely motionless... once again... he was quiet... the quiet of death!
Kyouko lost her mind. She felt his body; his heart had stopped, his neck was cold!
She saw his wristwatch. Once again, it pointed to... 5:04 AM.
Her tears flowed onto his face. She held his head with both her hands, stained with the blood that dyed his white hair!
Sitting on the ground as the rain fell gently under the moonlight, she pulled him to her chest. She brought her head closer... her forehead touching his.
She whispered with a broken heart, with the sound of a sorrowful moan, as tears poured down:
"My Lord... he is my husband whom I never married!"
"My Lord... he is my soul that never dwelled within my body!"
"My Lord... he is like the tears of my heart when it cries!"
"... And like the illness of my soul when it complains!"
Her tears streamed down and fell upon his eyes, making it look as though he were weeping in death.
She raised her head to the heavens, calling out with an agonized voice:
"I beg of You, My Lord... I do not want to see my love die before me like this!"
"... My Lord, I do not object to Your destiny!"
"... My Lord, I do not mind if we live entirely alone upon Your earth!"
"... My Lord, make us like Adam and Eve!"
"I do not mind drowning in this loop of time... but!"
"But anyone except him... if anyone can hear me... please... anything but Loken... do not torture me with him! .... Do not torture me with him!"
She held him fiercely and kissed his cold forehead:
"My Lord... I beg of You to keep him safe for me!"
Until it arrived... with its massive shadow.... eclipsing the moonlight.
She prayed for mercy for him and for herself, until she fainted while holding him to her chest.
(To be continued...)