Third Person

~

A boy, hair white as freshly fallen snow and soul bright with the Universe’s blessing. He’s taken from the streets by a figure in dark lavender robes with promises of a brighter future and an opportunity to be part of greater things. This boy, a no-one, with neither past nor future until that fateful day, is named Mochizuki Ryoichi by his new Master, Demona, and hidden far away in the forests of a remote mountain town to train.

Another boy, hair dark as starless night, is rescued from being sacrificed by a figure whose face is cloaked in mist and shadow. This boy doesn’t have the Universe’s blessing but his Magic Energy has the potential to do great things, and that kind of potential is what Nightmares has being searching for.

‘Stay here, train, help these people and be wary of anyone you come across.’

‘The world may have seen no use for you but I have many plans.’

Surely, their paths crossing can only bring misery.

One Year Prior...

“The way down definitely isn’t pleasant, take my word for it, and my hand maybe,” the cheerful voice is followed by smug laughter.

Shiro Akane glances up from the descending steep side of the cliff edge he’s hanging from. Above him on the leftover ledge that had broken under his feet is a boy that looks about his age or maybe a bit younger, seventeen, he chances. Snowy hair the same color as his brightly entrancing aura frames his face which is twisted up in a confused look. Shiro is almost convinced he’s found what his master sent to until he remembers being taught that the Keepers’ Pure of heart aura vanishes once the Seal is inherited.

That and he can also recall the current Keeper is a woman despite her youngish appearance.

This person staring at him like he’s lost his mind is very much a boy.

He sighs; dreading the fact that he possibly still has more work to do.

“I just want a nap,” he grumbles quietly, forgetting his current predicament for a brief second until a warm hand warps around the wrist of the arm he’s holding on for dear life with.

He flinches, glaring into the silver eyes look unimpressed down at him, “Let go,” he growls from behind the mask hiding the lower half of his face.

“If all you do is keep talking to yourself you’ll definitely fall! If you want to die do it where I won’t have to see you and feel guilty!”

“You could have just walked away, I can handle myself!” He pulls his wrist free from the stranger’s hold, realizing his mistake far too late as he starts to fall. He considers just letting it happen, the fall most definitely wouldn’t kill him, unfortunately, and though it’d hurt a while it’d give a good excuse to delay his mission for some time. The foliage of the forest below would also provide him cover to escape this person he definitely should have sensed around.

He figures he should run as fast as possible to escape and probably be more careful from now on. He really hadn’t expected magic users this far from civilization.

He’s pulled from his thoughts by flashes of movement from above and before he can register the fact that the idiot has jumped after him, he’s being pulled into a hug, and the world turns a blinding white as a strange ribbon like material wraps a protective bubble around them on the way down.

Sometime later, Shiro would ask the stranger he’ll come to know as Mochizuki Ryoichi why the other boy saved him.

“I want to impress someone who loves saving others so it’s only right I save others too.”

Shiro had pondered on that answer for a long time, it could have meant anything but there was that gut feeling, that if he stays, he’d get what he needs to accomplish his mission, at what cost though, he isn’t sure yet.

The long days start to melt into each other soon enough, and Shiro finds himself taking frequent trips to the forest below in order to find Ryoichi’s hiding place. His search as always is fruitless until he ends up meeting the boy while wondering around. He’s tailed back up the mountain, having his ear talked off about topics that slowly but surely help him piece together some of the puzzle.

It's not like he finds the boy interesting, he's simply gathering information.

Ryoichi lives alone in some part of the forest. His unnamed ‘Master’ leaves for long trips and comes back every now and then. He gets frequent visits from an Akane-san who is his hands-on teacher but also very strict and mean. He spends most of his days training or doing odd jobs in the village not too far off.

And possibly the most interesting, Shiro is the only other magic user he’s encountered outside his Master and teacher.

“It gets pretty frustrating, I have all this power but no one to spar with until Amanai-san comes by and even then, all she does is beat me up and call me names!” There’s an irritation to his tone that Shiro has come to find amusing over the time they’ve spent together. Time spent bantering, sparring and, often like this, lazing at the mouth of one of the caves on the mountainside while Ryoichi’s magic swirls around them in lovely ribbon-like tendrils, shielding them from detection of any sort. Shiro is silently jealous of such an Ability.

“I can’t blame her, your ego needs to be taken down a peg,” he murmurs from his laying position on the ground, he opens his eyes to see Ryoichi glaring down at him, no longer mooning over the sunset which he loves to say reminds him of his master.

His savior.

Shiro had scoffed inwardly at that.

Ryoichi was surprisingly far from stupid even for how quickly he stuck to Shiro’s side. He had guessed the white-haired boy was either a kind of naïve or just that confident in the strength of his powers.

Confident that he could take his new acquaintance on should it come to light Shiro isn’t who he claimed he was (an unaffiliated exorcist searching for rare artifacts for his own Master, a lie but something very common in the world they live.)

All in all, Ryoichi simply didn’t give much away. His ability prevented Shiro from being able to tail him after their meet-ups and he didn’t talk much about his master aside from how he owed her his life and was eager to follow her footsteps.

The unwitting boy was simply another victim, and maybe that was why Shiro felt so drawn to him.

Even if Ryoichi had failed to realize it yet, Shiro had come to understand the truth of their similar situation long before their encounter. They were merely toys to be discarded at the whims of those who had adopted them.

‘We’re only worth what we can be used for, why don’t you see that?’

Ryoichi’s gaze has turned questioning now, quietly wondering where his new friend’s mind is off to now. He’s grown used to Shiro’s tense contemplative silences. At least with this kind of quiet, he could sense he wasn’t alone. For how much longer though, he wasn’t sure. Any day or so now, Shiro would have to move on once he’s found what he’s looking for and Ryoichi would be left to his own devices once again.

He huffs, sitting back down and letting his eyes drift once again to the sunset, its vibrant mix of orange and purples blending masterfully into the horizon. Somewhere out there, his Master was saving lives; he only wishes he had made her confident enough to take him along with her.

He glances over at Shiro whose eyes are back to being shut in feigned sleep, ‘Guess every situation has its upsides,’ his smiles tightly, gaze moving down to the cloth mask covering the lower half of his companion’s face. Built up curiosity gets the best of him, he reaches out swiftly but Shiro’s is grabbing his wrist just as fingers brush the mask.

“Hands off.”

“C’mon, just a little peek, Aka-chan,” He pleads with watery eyes, “I promise I’ll only laugh this much is you’re ugly.” He makes a gesture with his fingers that Shiro only rolls his eyes at.

“Don’t call me that.”

“A-KA-CHAN~” Ryoichi sings out reaching for the mask again, “Five weeks and I still don’t know what you look like, not fair.”

The darker haired boy smacks his hand away, “If it means that much, let’s make a deal, my face for you taking me to your place.”

“Take a guy out to dinner first Aka-chan,” he teases, “Sadly I can’t agree, Amanai-san’s been looking for a reason to skin me alive recently, your ugly mug isn’t worth dying before Hik…Sensei.”

Shiro smirks inwardly at the near slip; the other is slowly letting his guard down. There’s the sound of rustling fabric and before he opens his eyes, he knows Ryoichi is kneeling above him. He’s looking into piercing silver eyes reflecting flecks of the auburn sunset.

“Was it some accident or something?”

The words spill out before he can stop himself, “A curse from when I got my ability.”

Ryoichi’s face lights up with unabashed interest; he always gets like this when magic Abilities are brought up, “Your Shape-shifting? Awesome…no wait, you got cursed so that’s bad, right? What does it have to do with-”

“I have to…consume a piece of what…or who, I want become,” Shiro looks past the other to the cave ceiling, he’s waiting for the disgust he usually gets as response to his reveal but Ryoichi is simply studying him, almost no change in his expression as if waiting for more. “My teeth aren’t exactly normal and if I’m going to travel, it’s better to blend in. Now you know.”

“Now I want to see even more!”

That surely isn’t the reaction he was expecting, “You heard what I said? I have to…” he rails off, the frustration and self loathing that usually come with using or speaking about his ability have begun to set in. Like bile crawling up his throat, it burns, it’s bitter, and when he grits his teeth to push I back down, he’s reminded just how much of a monster he’s become.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

He wants to turn away but he figures he must have some sort of tell as Ryoichi already has his face held I place, hands bracketing his cheeks so firm his head feels about to be caved in.

The other’s tone is anything but playful though.

“It’s definitely weird but I’m not going to judge you, Amanai-san, she told me no one picks the Demon that responds to a summon,” He huffs as he moves back so Shiro can sit up, “You’re not a bad person because you’ve got a weird magic Ability, it only matters what you use for don’t be so uptight.”

The last part is supposed to be scolding but all Shiro hears is fondness. He’s not being seen as a monster, or a weapon, or a pawn but as something he hasn’t been in a long time,

A person.

He doesn’t know for how long he’s wanted it, but the warmth that fills his chest is more than enough of a warning, he shouldn’t let it get to his head.

He shoves Ryoichi off roughly, “Always talking like you know everything.”

Ryoichi shoves back once he regains his balance, putting more force to it in revenge, “Why do you always have to resort to violence?!”

“Why do you have to get into other’s space, moron?!”

“I was trying to make you feel better!”

They’re still shoving and kicking at each other’s shins all the way down the mountain. Shiro only follows him that far in hopes of catching Ryoichi slip-up one day. But the shorter boy is careful as ever, waving good bye to Shiro in the fading light of day as his ability activates. He disappears beyond the trees and Shiro can’t even sense him anymore.

Shiro watches, staring at the darkness beyond the foliage as he contemplates his next action. It’s clearly futile trying to track Ryoichi on his own. He should just make a report telling his superior that he’s sure The Keeper is here, they’d tell Nightmare and it’ll be their problem. Shiro would simply be sent on another assignment.

Another assignment that’ll snatch away the one or two fragments of his self-worth that being with Ryoichi has given back.

It’s meant to be that way because he wants to live.

And to live he has to serve Nightmare.

‘I don’t want to die.’

Those words he had spoken to Nightmare on that bloody altar from which he was rescued, had bound him and now, there was no returning. He thought he had made his peace with that.

Staring after the first person to treat him like…a person, in a long time, he’s no longer so sure.

The side of his mouth, marked with Nightmare’s skull sigil burns, a sign that either his Master or one of his supervisors is reaching out to ask for a report. He makes his way back up the mountain to find where he can make a long distance communication circle in peace, all he can think about is what he’s going to say and hoping it’s not Ahlai of Despair as she happens to ask for too many questions.

***

“Still no true signs of the Keeper yet but locals have mentioned a recurring strange visitor, I’ll continue investigation.”

***

The days that pass are uneventful, but Shiro doesn’t mind. He in fact dreads when they’ll stop, grinding to screeching halt with all the force and grace of a train wreck and startling Shiro awake to the cold reality that this idyllic sort of peace isn’t for him.

He doesn’t deserve it, not after all he’s done for Nightmare.

All he’s done that Ryoichi doesn’t know about.

But walking along the other’s side on the village streets, where he’s pulled from one odd job to the other, he wants to forget it for a brief while. There’s going to be a sort of festival so they spend most of the day helping some random strangers and old folk. Ryoichi doing most of the actual work while Shiro snuck off to find napping spots, he succeeds only to dragged back to work by Ryoichi mere seconds after laying down.

The night is spent visiting several stalls, watching little performances and stuffing their faces until it’s hard for both of them move. It so surreal Shiro doesn’t realize how swiftly time flies by.

“There’ll be fireworks at midnight I think!” Ryoichi beams above the loud din of noise around them, they’re both bathed in colourful lamplight where they’re seated, the colors reflect eyes as always, “I probably won’t stay after that, Amanai-san will be coming tomorrow so I have to be up early.”

Midnight.

Shiro freezes, it’s been another two weeks so a report is due. It’s already dark, possibly an hour or so past the stated time, Stranger still, his mark hasn’t throbbed in reminder. His nerves shrivel up with the incoming unease that something is wrong. He springs to his feet off the bench, jolting Ryoichi who’s head was on his shoulder in a sort of sleepy haze from tiredness. They had worked the whole day and Shiro had discovered a while ago Ryoichi couldn’t stay up late to save his own life.

“Aka-chan?”

“What’s the time?” he asks gruffly.

Ryoichi pulls up the sleeve of his white happi to check his watch, “Ten thirty, what wrong?”

“It’s getting late, I’m getting tired too, so let’s call it a night.”

“I’m not tired yet!”

Shiro gives a disbelieving look that has Ryoichi pouting before yawning to disprove his own point. He crumbles only slightly.

“But I wanted us to watch the fireworks together before you go.”

The disappointment in his voice has Shiro’s chest tight with conflicting emotions, but he doesn’t have time for that now, he has to make sure he won’t have to worry about the next day, if he’ll be alive to see it.

Once again, the words come out before he can stop them, it’s been happening far too often around this companion he doesn’t want to leave, not yet, “Stop looking like it’s the end of the world, we can always see it next year.”

“You’ll come back?”

The implication of his words dawn on him too late, leaving him to falter dumbly for a second before forcing a hasty nod.

Ryoichi’s mood shifts from gloominess to placated soon enough, he sighs, eyes closed while dismissing Shiro with a hand wave, “Whatever, I think I’ll stay back for a bit.” His gaze shifts up to the night sky littered with stars, “Let’s see tomorrow okay, Akane?”

Shiro takes in the contented smile on the other’s face, there’s something wrong but a spark of optimism, from Ryoichi’s tone washes away the creeping anxiety looming. He flicks the white-haired boy’s forehead playfully before leaving, “Who else would I be seeing, moron?”

Shiro doesn’t get as far up the mountain as he'd usually prefer but several meters into the air already he retreats into the nearest cave structure. It’s dark, cold and cramped, hidden from view but with enough space for what he needs it for.

He gets out a small knife and carves the spell circle he’s been taught into the ground. It connects to wherever their main base has been moved to no matter how far. Usually the lackey watching over the communication room chamber would appear then call his supervisor to come speak. Ryoichi has never been late before so he doesn’t know what to expect as he pours his magic into the carved symbol in the ground.

Red lights flare and dim around him before condensing into an almost solid mirror rapidly coming into focus.

The sight that greets him almost makes him stop the spell before it completely establishes connection. He wants to run but he’s glued to the spot, instinct takes over, holding fast to his training, to be as perfect as he’s meant to be when in front of Him.

He completes the spell, willing away the cold sweat of fear and trepidation from his brow to no avail.

“Shiro-kun, it’s been so long since we’ve spoken directly.”

“Nightmare-sama…why…” his voices falters on seeing his master’s expression.

The lower half of Nightmare’s face, uncovered by the foggy Mask hiding his identity from view, is split in a wide grin that should e comforting.

All Shiro feels is chills.

He remembers that grin isn’t far from the one he’s seen his Master wear when torturing others, be they stubborn Demons, or humans that had transgressed in some way, subordinate or other, none of that mattered when Nightmare took his vengeance

“I wanted to hear first hand from you since it seems you’re the omly one with any sort of progress, everyone else says there’s no sign of her. Frankly, I’m getting tired,” The man drawls. By build alone, Shiro would guess they weren’t that far in age but Nightmare has looked the exact same since they’ve known each other.

Seven years since he was rescued at ten.

And this true monster has never grown or changed, only become more dangerous in other ways.

“Ahlai says you’ve been different,” Nightmare continues, “Should I take that as good or bad news?”

Shiro swallows roughly, heart thudding loud in his chest as the feeling of bile crawling up his throat intensifies. He opens his mouth, all as to do is speak with some sliver of confidence, some truths, some omissions…some lies.

“I’m not sure yet, but I think I’ve found her apprentice.”

There’s short pause, one in which he thinks he has a chance, he’ll say some rubbish then on next report day he’ll call it a mistake. He might be called back or sent somewhere else but at least Ryoichi would be-

“I’m guessing that must be the person outside then?”

There’s a violent lurch in his chest, like he’s been dropped into frozen water. He doesn’t look back, he can’t, he’s being tested, “Wha- what are you-”

“You didn’t notice, well I guess it’s because you’re much weaker, but for someone like me, such impressive but ultimately feeble shielding magic can’t evade my detection. So why doesn’t our Pure of Heart guest show themselves already?”

Footsteps scrape along the cave floor at the entrance, Shiro’s heart plummets with each one, he doesn’t turn around, he hopes though it’s futile, that it’s anyone else.

Not him.

“Aka-chan…”

No.

“Akane…”

Stop.

“Tell me it’s a lie!”

The anger and betrayal in his voice rings through the silent space, echoing off the walls and pouring into the dark caverns of Shiro’s mind. Anger that Ryoichi should never have to feel, anger that shouldn’t be directed at him because Ryoichi is meant to understand him.

Nightmare’s dark chuckle fills the quiet, startling them both, “So you know each other already? That should make things easier.”

Shiro flinches, looking up to see Nightmare’s gaze fixed on the entrance to the cave where Ryoichi is possibly standing, “Master, he’s not…”

“If you want to lie to me again Shiro-kun, watch what you say as I’m not in a very patient mood.”

“Neither am I!” Ryoichi hisses, the cave instantly fills with silvery light, Shiro turns around to see him readying a large energy sphere.

“Come now little one, you can’t honestly think that’ll hurt me, I’ll just leave the communication spell and you’d maim Shiro at best, think wisely,” Nightmare's laugh is mocking, “And once you’re tired out, I’ll come by to pay you and your Master a visit.”

Shiro can see the gears turning in Ryoichi’s eyes, the glare of light brightens before vanishing. He lowers his hand from shielding his eyes to see Ryoichi is gone. Relief floods his chest, he’s running, smart.

“You’re just going to let him leave?”

He whirls around to face Nightmare, eyes wide, “I didn’t -”

“Bring him back, dead or alive, and redeem yourself,” Nightmare says easily enough, fangs show beneath his manic smile, “Or you’ll be considered a traitor, and you know how I like to handle traitors Shiro-kun.”

Shiro’s legs shake unsteadily beneath him, memories unbidden begin clouding his mind with blood, gore and anguished screams. He swallows, turning to the cave entrance from where the winds billow in.

He doesn’t mind pain, in fact a swift death he has no idea about doesn’t bother him all that much, but Nightmare’s deaths are never swift.

‘I don’t want to die.’

He’s not so sure anymore, the sting of Ryoichi’s pained expression still burns in his chest. He wants it gone but Nightmare’s threat looms overhead, just as deadly, maybe even more. His body moves on its own once more, carry out orders first, think later, obey Master Nightmare till death.

He jumps out the cave, the crisp night air colliding with his face as he starts to descend.

‘I don’t want to die.’

But more than anything else...

“I don’t want him to kill me.”