The time reaches 8 p.m. They stand out on the corner of the shop, waiting for it to close down. A couple of stragglers remain as they walk out. They see the ice cream man head out the back door.

“There he is, guys. You ready?” Usagi confirms with everyone before they all head to the back. He notices them, locking the door to his establishment and tucking the key away in his pocket. He gestures them to follow with his hand, saying nothing as he trots down the alleyway. It’s dark, damp, and entirely private, away from any noisy spotters. He leans against the wall, yanks out a packet of cigarettes from his uniform, and lights one.

“Hey, is that a healthy thing to do? And under your uniform too, what if a kid saw you with it!” Keiko is baffled to see it. She hates the act of smoking. She’s all right with people who do it; they’re not bad to her, but she hates seeing the plums of smoke lift from his tobacco wrap.

“You’re all still in high school, yeah? Third years, I’m guessing. Yeah, you don’t know about this yet, but once you’re thrust into that real world out here, you’ll understand.” He huffs another plume. “Anyway, I have seen those necklaces you got there or whatever. Where you get ‘em?” he asks.

“Well. It’s hard to say exactly where we got them, sir.” Takei says respectfully.

“Don’t you worry about it, I know those aren’t some cheap knockoffs. What you got on all of you is the real deal. I just want to know how you got em.” Nobody says anything. Eyes greet one another, both uneasy and unsure.

“How do you know they’re real exactly?” Usagi interrogates his knowledge.

“I know you, little ma’am. You worked with them too, yeah?”

Her heart thumps beyond her chest. “Yes. I did. What of it? Are you one of them? A cultist?”

“No, nothing like that. What I am is someone who worked a little closer with Remnants. Say, I was in the ranks as an unofficial member. Otherwise, I helped set up their rallies and speeches at the start, so I have seen plenty of those fancy things up close.” He is brutally honest.

“Hey, wait, what are you saying!? You’re saying you’re one of the people who helped set them up to take over the world!” Keiko immediately jumps at his throat, not grabbing it but close to doing so.

“K-Keiko… Excuse her, that’s not something she would normally do.” Ishimoto taps her shoulder. Her head swings back to him, scrunched with hate. “Keiko. Stand down. There’s no benefit for hurting him.” Her teeth are gritting, and she entirely wishes to tie her hands around his neck at this moment, Ishimoto knows why, but he chooses to take an oath of silence.

“F-fine. I can’t say I like you, though.” Her affinity for people who help get the Remnants off the ground is especially sour in her mouth. Being around him now feels almost insulting to her. She has never been this close to one of the founders.

“So. You’re one of the reasons why they’re so popular, huh?” she asks.

“You can say that, yes. It’s an unfortunate thing, but I don’t want any of you to get the wrong idea. I was in a similar situation to all who get used by the Remnants to further their agenda. I was in debt, and they offered me a way out I couldn’t say no to. Even if I did, they wouldn’t let me. They had their eyes out for me.”

“Their eyes out for you?” Ishimoto infers.

“Yes. They specifically picked me out for my, how you say… ability to make convincing speeches. Everything you have heard before, hell, even now, has traces of my involvement in it. Before doing this job, I used to write for politicians, you know? Now, I can’t do that. Too risky. Have to stay on the down low, or I will get my head rolling down an alleyway just like this one.” He throws his smoke on the ground, stomping it out and letting out a deep breath.

“Anyway, I saw what you were doing earlier with your cards. You were trying to activate your Remnant ability, right? You weren’t doing it right.”

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

“What did you say!?”

“Keiko…” Ishimoto says firmly. Her guard going back down, but she’s not happy about it, pouting her cheeks.

“It’ll be all right, Keks. I know how you feel wanting to be mad about it. I don’t disagree with you at all, but if he knows any way to help us out, it’s worth listening.” Usagi plants a hand on her head, ruffling her hair. Keiko seems to still reject him, but she can feel herself coming down enough to stop completely. Her demeanor changes, and she leans against the opposite wall.

“All right, go on then. Tell us everything you know.”

He sighs. “Right. So, first off, you weren’t able to do it because you weren’t channeling it correctly. Remnants can only channel it correctly through proper communication to it. They don’t come from thin air. You have to align yourself properly. The reason you’re not able to is you were stressed. I imagine you all didn’t have a hard time starting, right? That’s because you were all awakened to the new power prior to any outside influence.” He points his finger up, then down again, and they all follow, confused.

“Think of it as a connection to the void. Nobody knows what it is, but you can feel it, can’t you? A connecting force binding you together, not only from the void itself but from one another.”

“One another?” Takei grasps at the charm of her collar. She remembers that strange sensation last night at Shoji’s. Could that be what he’s talking about?

“All Remnants have a special connection that regular people don’t have. Whether it be the collar or the call from the void itself, nobody knows for certain, but what is certain is the connection you all share, like a network or web thing keeping you all together. With some, it’s strong; others, weak, but every one of you has it.” He steps forward, staring down, and taller than a good majority of them besides Ishimoto and Okazaki. “You are all part of that now. Yes, you’re even connected to the dread Mr. Nuke Happy, though I highly doubt that connection is anything more than a morsel seeing your distaste for him.”

“For his sake, I hope he’s as far away from us as possible. Bastard.” Usagi spits on his name with her statement.

“Aren’t you a confident one? Your charm is a bunny? Interesting. Bunnies are known as docile creatures, but they don’t seem to fit you. However, not every charm is perfected for their person. As far as I know. However, I will admit it is odd since Remnants are given to people born of it, not by mere randomness. So I find yours most intriguing.”

Usagi thumps the ground with her heel. “Oi, don’t you dare be calling me soft.” Her fire builds up before she subsides at will, not seeking the same path of anger as Keiko.

“Maybe it has something to do with her name?” Okazaki steps forth. “I mean, her name means that in a sort, yeah, so maybe it was simply for that reason.” He answers with gusto.

“No,” the man says. “Names don’t effect the outcome in any way. That’s a human thing to do, giving names to other people, things, concepts. The void doesn’t adapt to the same rules as us; it always makes the right choice when it comes to handing out gifts. It’s why I find it so intriguing how unfitting it seems to you. All of you… mmm… well, I don’t know you all personally, but I’m guessing you’re the hard ass, so yours fits. So the majority of you must share similarities to your charm.”

“Yeah, I guess you can say that. This dagger fits me hella well, badass, just like me. Only thing is I only know how to make knives.”

“As a meathead would.” Ishimoto smirks, getting him back for earlier.

“Quite. That’s definitely not the only thing you can do. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to tell you exactly what you can do. Some will take self-discovery, but I’ll give you all ideas and, most importantly, how to actually conjure it up effortlessly.” He points to the charm of Takei. “You, you first.”

Takei shoots her eyes up. “Me first?”

“Yes. Yours is a bird feather. What is your ability?” he asks.

“My ability?” She hesitates. “Healing.”

“Healing?” He raises an eyebrow. “A healing bird? That is highly unusual, but all right. Prove it to me.” He rolls back the helm of his sleeve until it reaches his elbow. A small cut is present. “Got this one from the ice cream machine earlier. Heal it.” She hadn’t expected to be put on the spot like this.

“I- I’ll try. I can’t guarantee tha—”

“No,” he interrupts. “You have to know you can do it. 100 percent, no doubts, ifs, or buts about it. It’s how you gain experience and carve your path to your full potential. It’s the only way. Do not say you can’t. Say that you will.” Everyone watches. Takei peers down at the charm. Her head is filled with thoughts ranging from the mundane to how to best go about this. Slowly, it all starts to fade as she concentrates harder and harder. The voice in her head fades to the background, and she hovers her hand over his wound.

“I can do it.” A brilliant light shines through, brighter than before. She closes her eyes, and a melody plays in her head. “I can do it. I know I can. I can heal the world from its turmoil.” Her voice drifts off into a singing one. The world around her melts like sweet caramel. “Sweet, sweet, tree of the forest, come and bloom your wonderful bounty. Blossoms falling on down, and bring back spring for love to be profound.” The man is confused but intrigued. His wound seals up. Not even a scar is left or a sign that anything has occurred. He lets his sleeve fall back.