The three walk silently along as the frozen dirt crunches after every step. The cold wind whistles past Hiro’s red ears. His eyes look dead as the usual sparkling brown is replaced by a dark sorrowful look. The scratched and broken armor slowly walks behind walking alongside a limping Asahi. Even with the benefits of being within one of the royal bloodlines he could still feel pain like he hadn’t before. Hiro in that state was unlike anything he had ever faced.

Asahi’s thoughts were consumed with failure, he hadn’t been able to protect Hiro or Zero but far more important to him he couldn’t protect his name. The Yoshida name carried elegance and was never to be at the end of defeat. That was the message he was taught ever since he was but a child. If Hiro hadn’t passed out it may have spelled the end of his life and yet that didn’t matter to him, only that his father couldn’t know that he lost.

Zero was hidden beneath her helmet with only the slightest cracks threatening to show her face. Even if her face was completely covered there was an air of gloom surrounding her and it grew with every glance forward at the once radiant Hiro. Hiro was clearly trying to project a happy exterior and every time he did it only pained her more. No one knew quite how much this was taking a toll on her and seeing Hiro in complete devastation and masking it with a smile pained her more than the broken bones or bruises.

Hiro didn’t seem hurt at all on the outside. His eyes were telling the story of a lost and broken boy, yet that smile remained. He walked slightly ahead of the other two as they made their way back to the capital. It would take a week or so to get back from where they were and only a couple of small villages were in their way.

Each of the three were swirling in their own heads unable to get their mind off of whatever it was they were fighting and so the walk remained silent. The clinking of armor, the odd wince of pain and every now and then Zero would try her hardest to get any words out of Hiro but was only met with a broken smile and a nod.

Days past, no laughing, no real smiles. Just silence. A small village began to appear through over the hill. Oddly silent yet it was their last stop before the capital. Asahi pointed and suggested they stay. Zero nodded and Hiro smiled.

They each stepped into the village as silence laid. A village in the middle of the day being completely silent was strange. The shoddy buildings surrounded a somewhat large lake that seemed to emanate a strange slight glow. No one thought about tit too much lost in their own worlds, but something was off.

Asahi spotted a small inn by the lakeside

“I’ll just find us a place to stay for the night, you guys just stay here”

Zero watched solemnly as Hiro slowly lumbered to the glowing lake. The snow made it a little harder to notice the strange looking water but it was definitely there. Zero took a breath and sauntered over to him, maybe she could get anything out of him.

Hiro sat in silence staring at his own reflection. An armoured figure appearing behind him. He didn’t react as he placed her hand on his shoulder. Her mouth opened like she was going to say something but she just couldn’t, she didn’t know what to say.

Asahi walked into the inn, only the creaking of the rusted floors below making any noise. He stood at the desk as no one was around.

“Hello?”

Not a single answer. He furrowed his brow wondering why this place was so empty. The place didn’t look abandoned just… empty.

He began to look around laving Hiro with Zero for now. In the distance he spotted a light, faint, but a light none the less. He made his way to the small building. It was the furthest building from the lake, you couldn’t even see it from the front door. As soon as Asahi’s foot hit the first step the light went out.

Asahi grew suspicious, before it was just weird but now there was something lingering in the back of his head that something wasn’t right. It wasn’t strange for villages to be abandoned after an attack by a rogue subject or maybe a power has affected the land but there didn’t seem to be anything amiss in terms of damage to the village or signs of being forced out.

He knocked to no answer, and again no answer.

He chuckled ever so slightly

“If you really think putting out the light is gonna make me go away then think again… open the door”

Asahi was still holding some pain from his fight with Hiro and another fight was the last thing he needed right now was another rogue subject showing up. Although he was taught even from a young age that no one disrespects the Yoshida and so if behind the rickety door was someone who’s eyes glowed, he would have to. Even to the death.

He slowly pushed on the door and walked into the dark room. The orange glow from the sunset peering through the darkened clouds shined on Asahi as he walked further in. It didn’t take him long before he spotted an older man hiding behind a table. He sighed as the man shook terribly in place.

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“Please! Don’t hurt me it wasn’t my fault they wanted it!”

Asahi raised an eyebrow.

“They? What are you talking about?”

Hiro and Zero sat by the lake in silence with only the occasional glance of concern from Zero. Hiro was quiet unlike ever before but the worst thing was that he wasn’t crying, his smile lingered on his face for far too long.

Zero looked deep into the lake. Her eyes staring into her own wishing that maybe it would be easier to help without the helmet. Just as she begun to lose herself in her own thought she saw something strange in the lake. Her eyes were staring back at her but the looked different, like they weren’t her own.

She grew closer to the water until it began to get clearer. Her eyes shot open and she reeled back in disgust shocking even Hiro.

A woman stared back at them both from the water, she didn’t even look alive and yet she stared back. Her body wasn’t moving and worst of all was the smile that was on her face. It looked unnatural. Hiro and Zero reeled back. Hiro was about to try and pull her out before Zero stopped him.

She pointed out the glow of the water. It wasn’t right. This was a rogue subject’s doing. She firmly placed her hand on his chest and told him to stay. She took trepid steps forward not knowing what it was that was in store. She stepped just out of reach from the calmy swaying water.

Hiro also took a step forward intrigued as to what it was that was drawing Zero in. until he began to hear a whisper. A voice that sounded familiar was pulling him closer.

They both walked like zombies at they reached the edge of a small pier. A boat sat by the edge unused in a long while. Zero could hear someone calling to her as could Hiro.

“Do you hear that?”

Hiro didn’t answer as tears slowly fell down his cheek. They were both so lost in the moment they couldn’t hear Asahi sprinting down the hill waving his hands.

He screamed for them to stop.

“Hiro! Zero! Step back please!”

His voice was muffled in the back of their minds as the voice was like a guiding hand etching them closer and closer. Their feet now hung over the edge of the rickety bridge ever so slightly, their toes casting shadows on the glowing water. The closer they got the more bodies they could notice but it didn’t seem to phase them. It wasn’t breaking them out of the trance they were in.

Asahi closed in on them screaming like a madman trying to stop them but they couldn’t hear, they chose not to.

They both began to step out into the water. Their feet about to fall and just as they were about to plunge in Asahi’s feet came crashing onto the pier. He shouted after them stretching his arm out to stop them but.

Crash.

The water flew up in the air the glowing intensifying as two bodies fell deeper into the water. The darkness below almost pulling them downwards.

Asahi fell to his knees at the end of the pier watching their faces grow distant. He slammed his fist against the wood below and gritted his teeth. He quickly turned staring up at the man standing atop the hill. With a furious grunt he marched his way back up.

He grabbed the man by the dirty shirt and pulled him in.

“How the hell do I get them out”

The man seemed tired. He sighed as his sunken eyes flickered with a dampened rose gold pink. Such a majestic colour dimly lighting the man’s contrasting awfully burdened face. He seemed like he was on the verge of giving up on life.

Yet Asahi didn’t give up, he shook him violently trying to get answers.

“I don’t know…”

Asahi grew angered

“Screw you what do you mean you don’t know”

Tears swelled in the mans eyes as he began apologising prompting Asahi to loosen his grip. Asahi sighs in deep frustration as he looks away from the man rubbing his forehead trying to think.

“You told me that anyone who accepts the call to your water is gone forever…”

The man nodded as he fell to the ground.

“Then why the hell is it still there. Get rid of it”

The man stood up quickly almost angered by his demand

“You don’t think I’ve tried!? My daughter and my wife fell in years ago!”

Asahi backed off slightly unable to believe he had lost the person he could ever even think to call a friend and someone who understood what it was like to be a Yoshida. Someone he could confide in.

He dropped to his knees and punched the ground.

“I just wish they would wake up I’m sorry…”

Asahi’s eyes widened

“Wake up? What do you mean wake up? They’re dead aren’t they?”

The man stuttered slightly

“N-Not exactly no…”

Asahi stood by the water as the man’s eyes began to glow that pink colour once more and all of a sudden a sea of bodies burst up into the air. The orange sun glimmered off of the droplets of water floating above them. Asahi’s eyes widened. It was strangely beautiful seeing them fly up into the air with a pinkish glow surrounding them.

He could see Hiro and Zero there too.

The man’s eyes were locked onto another pair. A young woman and her daughter. His eyes couldn’t shed anymore tears for them than he already had.

Asahi followed the path of his eyes and pointed them out

“That’s your wife and daughter?”

He nodded.

“They’ve been like this for seven years”

Asahi was taken aback. How had the Yoshida never heard of this before. He stared at Zero and Hiro’s lifeless bodies as they hung in the air.

“And we cant just pull them out?”

The man shook his head in defeat

“I tried that but they go into some kind of shock and die”

The man released his power and the bodies crashed back into the water. Asahi rubbed hs face in frustration at the little he could do for them.

He looked deeper into the water pondering.

“And you know they are still alive?”

The man nodded

“I can just feel it… and I can also feel what’s happening to them too.”

Hiro’s eyes slowly open. His eyelids heavy as the sun shines against his brown eyes. His hair seems shorter as he runs his fingers through it. He sits up as the sun forces him to bring his hand up and shield his eyes.

He feels the grass below him before looking down at a familiar sight. His village. His home that was destroyed so long ago was still standing. There didn’t seem to be anyone around but it was here. Maybe that was all just a dream.

A voice he yearned for called to him. His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked to his left at the woman smiling back at him. The black eyes of his mother were unmistakable. Her black hair with white strands fell down onto her face as her eyes softened as they met his.

“Hello… did you have a nice sleep?”