Yami cracked his knuckles.

“Before I start doing this, can you make sure that nothing interrupts me? I’m gonna be typing for a while, and I can’t stop no matter what.”

Rikai was cleaning the blood from the floors.

“Yeah. How long do you think that will take?”

Yami tapped his finger in anticipation on the side of the keyboard.

“I’m not sure. From what I remember, I omitted some of the details of what I’m trying to remember, but it will still take me more than four hours of typing.”

Rikai sighed.

“What are you trying to remember so much that you’d write for four hours?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. So if you’ll leave me to it…”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Yami gulped back the bad feeling in his throat and placed his right hand on his chest. Manipulating his life essence through the tips of his fingers to pour into the cracks in the marking, Yami pulled at the life essence embedded deep within his chest. After slowly feeling it crawl out of him, he looked down to see a two foot monster of blue life essence which took the shape of a single helix. Using his left hand, Yami connected the helix to his fingertips.

“Alright. I’m starting.”

“Good luck.”

In one quick motion, Yami slammed his hands back together, just as he had done to seal it within himself. Yami’s pupils dilated, and his hands immediately began to type furiously on the keyboard. The blank document that he had started with quickly began to fill itself up.

After about thirty minutes, Rikai wiped the sweat off of her forehead. Aside from the couch that Yami lay on, the rest of the house was sparkling clean. Grabbing two water bottles, Rikai walked to the couch and saw that Yami was still typing at ridiculous speeds. His eyes were beginning to go bloodshot from hardly blinking. Setting a water on the table next to the couch, Rikai unscrewed the one in her hand and drank half of its contents. She then picked up a notepad and pen from nearby and scribbled a note for Yami and sat it on the table next to the water.

Yami,

I’m heading out for a little bit to see how everyone is doing. I should be back by 5, which is when you said you’d be done. Take it easy if I’m not there when you wake up, okay?

-Rikai

With that, Rikai walked out of the door into the blizzard.

----------------------------------------

As Shitto limped out of the evacuation room with support from some staff members, he noticed that he was no longer at the school.

“This is Yami’s street, isn’t it?”

Shitto was blinded by the immense glow of ambulance and police lights. As people poured out of the room, many were captured by police or news stations for interrogation. Shitto was guided to the ambulances, who sat him in the back and inspected him.

“Looks like you’re going to need some work done on that right arm, and some stitches in some of the cuts from the glass. We’ll take you right now.”

Shitto nodded and began to climb into the back of the ambulance when he heard a familiar voice.

“Shitto!”

Shitto turned around to see Rikai running up to him.

“Rikai? Were you the one who let us out?”

“Y-Yeah, something like that. Anyways, are you alright?”

Shitto pointed at his right arm.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“They got me good, but they’d need to more than that to get me down.”

Rikai and Shitto shared a chuckle.

“Say, Rikai, do you know where Yami is?”

“Yeah, he’s at my place right now. I figured that being with the police would be the last thing he’d want to do.”

“I’m sure. With what happened, he’d probably be locked up without any medical care. Tell him I need to talk to him, though.”

“Sure. He’s doing something at the moment, but when he’s done, I’ll let him know.”

“Thanks, Rikai.”

Shitto smiled and waved as Rikai began to walk away.

“Oh, Rikai, one more thing!”

Rikai stopped and turned to see Shitto no longer smiling.

“What?”

“Try to not get involved with us, Yami and I. We’re only going to pull you down, so get away while you can.”

With that, the ambulance doors shut.

“Wait! Shitto!”

The sirens began to wail as the ambulance pulled away. Rikai was stunned.

“What the hell does Shitto mean? We’ve been friends forever, and I’m supposed to just stop? I know I don’t have any place in whatever the hell their lives are, but I’m not gonna stop just because they might pull me down!”

Rikai glanced over to a curb where she saw Shippai sitting alone, rubbing her arms for warmth. Rikai walked up to her.

“Hey, Shippai. You doing alright?”

Shippai shook her head.

“He died. Mr. Posche died. I couldn’t save him. Now everything may be lost.”

“It’s gonna be alright. He did it to protect all of us. It was his choice, and I think we should all be thankful for his sacrifice.”

“Y-Yeah.”

A police officer walked up to Shippai. It was Frank.

“Excuse me, ma’am. I’m going to need you for a few moments.”

“Okay.”

“Text me if you need to talk, Shippai.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Rikai got up from the curb and began to walk towards her house when a group of girls approached her.

“Rikai! What happened?! Are you okay!?!”

Rikai looked confused.

“Yes? Why?”

“You look like you went to the slaughter house!”

Rikai looked down at herself. She had forgotten to change, and was still wearing her bloodsoaked apparel.

“Oh, I was just talking to Shippai and Shitto over there. Must’ve gotten some off of them. Anyways, I gotta be going. The folks are worrying about me.”

“Alright. Be careful, Rikai.”

Rikai continued to walk down the sidewalk, and suddenly her head started to throb. Walking up to her house, the pain only continued.

“Yami, you done yet?”

Yami still laid on the couch typing mindlessly. His his were completely glossed over and dried. It looked as if he hadn’t slept in years. Feeling tired herself, Rikai walked up a set of stairs into a bathroom. Removing her bloody shirt and jeans. The blood had soaked into her underwear as well. Removing the last of her garments, Rikai turned on the faucet to the showerhead and held her hand underneath until she felt the temperature she desired, at which point she stepped inside. As steam began to fill the bathroom, the hot water swept away the dirt and blood from Rikai’s body, leaving a colorful mess on the floor of the shower. As she began to shampoo her hair, the throbbing sensation in her head increased tenfold, causing her to grimace in pain.

“What is happening to me?!”

Suddenly, the pain ended, and Rikai’s eyes widened.

Wearing a white labcoat, an adult Rikai handed a pile of papers to a man who clearly looked exhausted.

What is that memory? It seems too vivid to be a dream, but that place doesn’t seem familiar at all, and I don’t know that man.

----------------------------------------

After a relaxing shower, Rikai stepped out and had two towels, one wrapped around her body, and one wrapped around her hair. Walking into her room, she began to put on clothes as she heard a thud come from downstairs.

“Yami?”

Quickly sliding her sweatpants on, Rikai ran out of her room and down the staircase to find that Yami wasn’t on the couch.

“Yami?!”

Rikai ran up to the coffee table to see that Yami had typed 168 pages. Hearing rustling behind her, Rikai turned to see Yami clawing his way towards the door on the floor.

“Yami!”

Rikai ran up to Yami.

“What are you doing, Yami?”

Yami continued to crawl towards the door.

“I… have to find her…”

“Find who?”

“Alexis.”

“Yami, what are you talking about?”

“Alexis… she… can’t be… in this world….”

Yami’s tired arms gave out, causing him to lay and pant on the floor.

“Yami, what did you remember?”

Yami’s eyes began to tear up, but his face was planted in the floor, so Rikai could not see.

“I remembered too much…”

Yami began to tremble and sob on the floor. Rikai picked his face up off of the cold, hard floor and placed it on her warm, soft legs.

“Yami…”

----------------------------------------

“That’s all I know, sir.”

Frank slid everything off of the table. He and Shippai were inside of the interrogation room at the police department.

“Bullshit! My son died today, and I know that you are one of the little shits he was protecting! Now tell me where Yami is, what happened to my son, and why he died!”

Shippai looked at the floor.

“I’m sorry, sir. That’s all I know.”

Screaming, Frank turned and punched the metal wall, leaving a dent in it, but causing his knuckles to split and bleed.

“We’re not done here. You will stay here until I get everything out of you and that scumbag Shitto.”

Frank walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Shippai sat alone in the dimly lit room. She rubbed her arm.

----------------------------------------

Rikai ran her hand through Yami’s hair as he slept on her legs. His tears left his face a bright red.

“Alright, Yami. Come on.”

Rikai lifted Yami up onto one arm and guided him back to the couch where she laid him back down.

“Sleep here. I’ll be in my room. Just yell if you need anything.”

Her voice didn’t reach Yami’s conscious as he slept.

“Good night, Yami.”