Chapter 5

“The mental landscape,” Minami said, questioning. “You mean that particularly weird dream like world I experienced with Kaede?”

“That’s precisely it,” Takara said with a smile, as the facets of the real world started to melt away and they started to witness a change in scenery that blazed with the hottest of hellfire. “It may be sweltering hot here, though this is only the mental landscape. As long as you concentrate your mind and not give into the mental suggestions that the mental landscape provides, then you should be fine.”

“So this is…Suzume’s mental landscape?” Hotaru asked as she stared around the Netherworld dimension with widened eyes.

“Yes,” Takara said, and Kaede noted something.

“Look!”

In the center of the bubbling lava emerged a beautiful creature that resembled Suzume, though it was her full demonic form. Her white hair rippled behind her and she wore a seductive outfit, bedecked as a succubus, an alluring enchanting demon that drew teh carnal senses of anyone who were attracted to her wild. Tsubasa covered his eyes, not wishing to see his sister in a state of near undress.

“So Tsubasa even has his weaknesses, huh?” Minami said with a slight smirk, before saying. “I didn’t know that Tsubasa was such a devoted and avid sis-con.”

“Shut up, you,” Tsubasa said as sweat started to drench him. “You see, this is why I couldn’t handle this on my own. I couldn’t dare touch my beloved sister and harm her in any way…and she’s in that…unseemly state. I can’t bear to look at my sister, who is as modest as she is beautiful.”

Takara whistled. “You’re rather old fashioned, Tsubasa, but yes…this demonic aura doesn’t suit our sweet angel Suzume.”

Demon Suzume blew a kiss towards Tsubasa and Takara, with Tsubasa averting his gaze away from the Succubus’s body and Takara seeming to be amused. Her tail snaked around Takara’s waist and she brought Takara closer to herself, laughing with a sultry tone.

Minami wanted to shout at Demon Suzume for taking Takara and trying to seduce him! She wouldn’t let him happen!

“Takara! You’re stronger than that hussy!” Minami said.

Takara turned to Minami and she thought that he winked at her. He then turned to Suzume, before saying, “Trust me, my dear, you don’t want to touch me…”

“Your hands…” Suzume cooed as kissed his fingertips, before looking at him with a sultry smirk. “I want to feel your hands…”

“That’s also out of the question, I’m afraid,” Takara said, before he said. “Kaede! It looks like we have to delve deeper into the psychological realm of Suzume!”

Kaede nodded and suddenly they were transported into another dimension where a galaxy was spiraling all around them. Ripples lie water flowed from underneath their feet on an invisible platform that let them see a vast ocean of supernovas and stars and planets just underneath their feet. Then, in the middle of the universe was Suzume crucified to a cross, her eyes closed and twined with vines across her supple naked body.

She looks towards them sadly, noticing their arrival.

“Will you save this poor sinner?” the girl who was Suzume yet not Suzume at the same time. “Will you be her salvation?”

Tsubasa clenched his hands into fists and closing his eyes tightly. “I’m going to save my sister no matter what.”

The replica of Suzume looked sad. “Will you peer into a memory from a long time ago?”

Tsubasa paled, then remained silent. He shook and trembled, and tears streamed down his face. “Not that one…not that one…”

Takara put a hand on Tsubasa’s shoulder, before proceeding. “We shall proceed. We’re going to save our dear friend Suzume after all.”

“Very well…” the replica said, and the galaxy changed into rippling water beneath their feet that reflected a pastel like sky in the background, before the image shimmered into something else. A memory.

They saw Suzume in a solitary room with a blindfold around her eyes. She had been sobbing, and her throat was hoarse from screaming. She muttered to herself over and over again, before ceasing her lamentations. She heard the sound of footsteps. A man approached her, talking to her in a cruel hard voice. “Take on the possession of the dead girl…see how she was murdered. Then we will see how this case will b e solved.”

“I don’t want to,” Suzume sobbed. “Father, please…I can’t handle this anymore…”

“You have to solve the case, or the murderer will walk free! Do you understand? Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the greater good. You understand that, don’t you, Suzume?”

“Don’t make her do this!” Tsubasa cried out, clenching his hands into fists and trembling with anger. “You’re making her go through hell over and over again for your own selfish purpose…”

“Be quiet, Tsubasa. Now, Suzume. Try to remember that girl’s death. Feel it. Embrace it. Tell us who the killer is in vivid detail; the alst thing that you see.”

Suzume let out a gasp, then shuddered; and a scream wailed from her lips as her tears became rivulets of blood tracking down her face…

Minami snapped out of the memory, entranced by the scene before her. Suzume’s memory left a terrible imprint on Minami’s heart

Takara then took a deep shuddering breath and wiped his eyes. Takara stood calm, before speaking to the Suzume replica.

“Suzume, your past is a traumatizing one. You experienced death, several times over, ni order to capture a killer for your father. However, Suzume…it is a memory that you own. It does not control you. You have control over it. I know that you’re strong, princess. All of your friends are here with you…to share the pain…the grief…the fear…”

Suzume smiled at them with dead eyes. “I will never be right again. Everything has changed from that moment on…I’m just barely holding together.”

“You are strong,” Takara said with a smile. “And we’re always here to support you. Go on now…look at your memory directly. Try to minmize the volume on the voices like you would on a television. Hear your screams grow fainter until you can’t hear them at all. As for the sensation of death; remember that you’re alive now. You still have thoughts, yes? Even terrible thoughts mean that you’re still thinking, that you’re still living on. Hold onto that hope. And let that memory serve as your strength, not your weakness. You survived a lot; and you will survive more. You always will.”

Suzume let out a breathy sigh, before the vines restricting her against the cross starting to unravel and relinquish her from its grip. Tsubasa ran down underneath the cross and caught the naked replica of his sister, averting his gaze.

“I’m sorry, Suzume,” Tsubasa said. “I tried to save you back then when you needed me it most, and failed.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Tsubasa…” Suzume said, before a slight smile appeared on her lips. “I’m going to be fine. Really.”

She put a hand to his cheek tenderly, before she disappeared in a flurry of bubbles and all of them floated and rose to the surface of the water to a white shining light that embraced them all.

—x--

Suzume woke up, and they were back in the physical world once more, Minami witnessed for herself what these guys did for a living, and found herself marveling at Takara even more. They really did perform miracles, and Minami helped contribute to that. Suzume resumed drinking her tea, feeling a bit shaky from the mental landscape adventures, her hands trembling slightly.

“I’m especially sorry for causing trouble to you all,” Suzume said as she drank the tea to calm her nerves. “I usually never become possessed by the spirit hosts that I harbor inside my body.”

“It’s not your fault,” Tsubasa said while he put a hand upon Suzume’s shoulder. “I didn’t do a good job dispelling the demon. I’m sorry for failing you, Suzume.”

“You’re not to blame either, Tsubasa,” Takara said kindly. “You needed an intervention. That’s why PsiCo is here to help.”

“Tch, to think that I needed to rely on you guys…” Tsubasa said while shaking his head, though he didn’t seem to be as resentful as he had before towards them. “You’ve really chosen a good team, Takara.”

“Ah, but this is only the beginning, my friends!” Takara said. “Now that we have the old gang together plus some new members, I’m sure that we will finally be able to catch him.”

“Who are you talking about?” Minami asked. “The guy who brainwashes people? Am I to assume that he is an esper too?”

“As long as there are people who are given power, there is likely those who will abuse it. Imagine my surprise when you showed up at PsiCo’s doorstep, Minami!”

“Hm?” Minami said, to which Takara hummed a little as though contemplating to tell her something, though he decided against it.

“Well, for now, let’s focus our efforts on helping the victims of this guy’s brainwashing That’s the best that we can do, right?”

“Now that you see how these work, we will help rehabilitate teh victims of this guy’s brainwashing together!” Takara said to Minami and Hotaru. “I want you guy to go home and rest up. The cognitive world can be very disorienting, but I’m sure you’ll be used to it with more experience and it won’t put as much strain on your minds. Until next time!”

—x--

Minami dreamed that night. She dreamed of something frightening in the depths of her subconscious, where savage things grow in the primordial soup of neurons and neurotransmitters and synapses, before she fluttered awake, stifling a scream. She didn’t want to recall the dream, though it remained starkly vivid in her mind while sweat filmed over her body.

It wasn’t real, she told herself over and over again. It wasn’t real. Not real. Just the adrenaline high after experiencing something as surreal as the mental landscape I’ve been in.

Yet Minami couldn’t stop thinking about it. She turned on her lamp in her room, where the light chased away the shadows lurking in her room. She looked at the dark corners and anywhere where the light couldn’t reach, as though something could pounce upon her and tear out her throat with its teeth. Satisfied that she didn’t find anything, Minami then went back to her bed and started to read to calm her nerves.

“What would Takara say,” Minami murmured to herself while she glanced unseeing at the words on the page that resembled indecipherable hieroglyphics more than anything else. “There is nothing to fear but fear itself, huh? Well, he always seems to be so brave and keeps on smiling no matter how dire the situation gets. Why am I thinking about him so much, honestly? He is charismatic, though he probably is some kind of playboy. He’s got some kind of flaw, right? There’s no way that he’s so…handsome…smart…perfect…”

Minami clasped her hands against her mouth.Did she honestly say that aloud? She didn’t…she couldn’t possibly.

He doesn’t look at you that way, Minami’s mind told herself. You probably made a very bad first impression on him, too. How are you going to amend that?

Minami wondered about it for a while, before shaking her head. She shouldn’t change herself for someone else; besides that, she wasn’t in love with him anyway. She convinced herself that she wasn’t. After all, if she loved him, she would choose him first above all else, right? Was that how love worked? What kind of relationship would they have? What would hse have to contribute that he didn’t already have?

You gotta have more confidence yourself, girl, Minami thought. Sure, maybe you’re abrasive to other people at times, but it’s better to be brutally honest rather than a chronic liar, right? Anyway, if you really want to try it out, then invite him to the amusement park. You can ride on the Ferris Wheel, hold hands maybe, or maybe even…

Minami closed her eyes tight and shook her head. She would not have sappy romantic longings over Takara Yukimura! That was for other girls, wasn’t it? The kind that had nothing but vapid notions in their head about love and relationships and boys. Was she becoming soft? More importantly, was she becoming stupid?

“I’m going to ask him,” Minami muttered to herself whiel hugging her pillow to her chest. “I’m going to ask him to the amusement park so that I can get these stupid thoughts after all. There’s gotta be some flaw about him, right? Once I find that flaw, the romance will wear thin, and then I can be content to be by myself and pursuing my studies.”

That’s what Minami thought. She didn’t actually fall in love with him. He’s too perfect to be true. And she will find out his secret and she wont’ have this stupid crush or romance or whatever on him anymore. It will wear off, she suspected. She just needed to find out his secrets.

—x--

Minami waited for Takara at the entrance to the amusement park. She dressed up in her finest clothes and brushed her reddish pink hair to sleek perfection. She was a knockout, she knew, and maybe even Takara wouldn’t be able to resist her. Though some self doubt nibbled at the edge of her mind, telling her that she looked ridiculous in the dress, that shorts and jeans suited her far better than any girly clothes would. Minami then slapped her cheeks, before convincing herself that she made the right choice. She looked good, she knew it, and so did the other onlookers that passed on by.

She left a note for him in his locker, since she didn’t have his cell phone number. Yet. But eventually she would be able to figure that out, wouldn’t she? She would take him on a breathtking experience through the musement park,they’re going to have a wonderful time, she knew it…

Then, when Takara finally showed up, he wasn’t alone.

Minami blinked.

The PsiCo company arrived, along with Hotaru, who waved at Minami merrily. Minami gritted her teeth. This was supposed to be her special time with Takara! What gives?”

“I got your message, Minami,” Takara said with a smile. “And this was exactly the place that I wanted to investigate! You’re sharp as ever, Minami! You knew a paranormal sighting before we did! I’m very impressed.”

Minami stopped for a moment, before sweating a little. She didn’t intend for them to go on another paranormal mission, though if Takara thought that of her, then maybe that would score points in her favor? “Uh, sure.”

Kaede put a hand on Minami’s shoulder, before whispering in her ear. “I’m sorry, Minami-chan. He’s very insistent on going on paranormal missions. I know what your intentions were, but maybe some other time you’ll be able to get some alone time with him.”

Minami looked startled, before Kaede waved her hand placatingly.

“Oh! Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. Though there must be a few things you must know…”

“All right!” Takara said, clapping his hands to gather their attention. “This is the spot for paranormal activity. We will split up into separate groups to investigate. Let’s see…we’ve got an odd number of people here, so that means one pair will have to deal with an extra person. So…Kaede, Hotaru, Yukiko, you are all together. Tsubasa and Suzume are another. Minami and I will be together.”

Minami attempted to not show her flustered state. Her face must be blushing red like mad now! It was almost like they were a couple! He even arranged it so that they were alone together! He really could be teh romantic charmer after all, wasn’t he? Surely the mastermind saw through her note and realized it was a love letter in disguise, right? As much s she tried to be sbutle, maybe he saw right thorugh her and brought along the group so that he wasn’t alone. He’s got to be as nervous as she was, right? Right?

Once the others departed to search for teh paranormal incident, Takara took Minami’s hand and guided her through the crowds. Minami’s heart fluttered. His gloved hand felt good against her own, though she had to wonder; why did he wear the gloves? She always saw him with a pair of skintight leather gloves that clung to his slender hands, and Minami thought it a little unusual. Was there some kind of reason behind it? Minami thought that, how, she would like to feel his skin against her own when it came to holding hands.

“Takara,” Minami said while flushing the slighest bit, trying to hide her flustered state from Takara. “Why do you always wear gloves?”

“That’s an excellent observation, Minami,” Takara said, before he turned to look at her and said. “There is a reason why I wear these gloves. I plead with you to never ask me to take them off.”

Minami nodded, wondering about the sudden seriousness in his eyes. They were just gloves, right? Though then agani, she decided it might have to do with Takara’s powers all right. Minami suddenly realized that she didn’t know what Takara’s powers were. She knew that Kaede was a telepath/empath, that Yukiko was a cliarvaoynt, Tsubasa an exorcist and Suzume a medium.But what was Takara’s psychic powers?

I wonder what my psychic powers are, Minami thought to herself. I guess I just got to wait and find out.