I am very happy to see that you all are enjoying the story and getting into the characters so much. Thank you for your support!
***Next Section***
âYou have tainted your spirit once again. The darkness in your heart that was abandoned has now reawakened due to your inability to control your emotions. Soon the suffering will begin anew and you will herald it with the demonâs shadow that you will soon cast again upon this planet. If you wish atonement then forsake this power to the furthest recesses of your heart. For if you permit it anymore entrance, then your true self will be revealed, the self that you can only remember in nightmares. Be careful in choosing your actions, for the bane of this world rests within your soul. This burden of destruction can only be held back by dampening your true emotions to further starve the darkness of strength; a twisted fate, but it yours to uphold...â
Keiji awoke to the view of the same, familiar hospital ceiling. After heaving a long sigh he tried to recall what had led him back to the hospital. He could remember the attack, the wolves and Yurimiâs screams but after that it all went blank. He sat up, rubbing away his amnesic headache, and was met with the sight of an android ranger sitting at the foot of his bed. Her soft, white hair brushed against her shoulders as her attention was drawn to the newly awakened patient. Her amber eyes gazed long and hard at Keijiâs face, as if she was examining his identity for herself. Keiji averted his gaze, trying to avoid meeting eyes with the mystifyingly beautiful android. Between glances he took notice of her white dress, her smooth, synthetic skin and her snowy colored hair; if angels existed then this is what he would have thought they looked like.
âWhat happened to your eyes?â asked the ranger in an enchanting tone. Keijiâs expression quickly bore a look of confusion as he answered.
âMy eyes? What do you mean?â
âYour eyes are no longer stained violet with animosity. And your hair isnât the shadowy black that it used to be either. Strange...you seem completely different from the person I remember on Ragol.â Keiji was stunned with disbelief, he had no idea of what this girl was speaking of. His eyes wandered about the room as he tried to come up with some sort of response.
âYou have no knowledge of the events I speak of, do you?â She paused for a long moment as she worked out the circumstances in her head. âVery well, it seems that you possess a secret that hasnât revealed itself to you yet. I donât understand but I wish for you to let me join you.â Keiji was again caught off guard by the girlâs words.
âYou want to join me? But what reason do you have to just start following me?â
âI will tell you my honest answer.â The girl gave a deep sigh and began to tell her story.
âWhen Pioneer 2 first lost contact after the explosion many search parties were formed to investigate the disturbance. Among the numbers of WORKS soldiers, government officials and Hunters was my master, Isaku. He was a privately sanctioned bodyguard who was employed by an important official that worked under the principal. He was personally requested by his employer to go to the surface of Ragol with a specialized team since his skills with his daggers was unmatched. I begged him to let me accompany him, but he knew as well as I that my request was impossible. During his expedition I kept in contact with him via the BEE messaging system offered by the Hunterâs guild. As he described Ragol to me in his messages, I became more afraid with every detail he included about the rampant monsters and mysterious disappearances of some of his group members. After about a week a message came that truly concerned me. Listen to it yourself.â The girl then handed Keiji the message capsule housing the letter in question. Keiji clicked the activation key and listened to the ominous statement that followed.
âShira, Iâve come as far as I fear that I'll survive. The entire team has either been killed or abducted. I know not of the members that wandered off in the dead of night, but something is obviously manipulating them. As I awoke this morning I found that Reno, the engineer that accompanied us, had killed the rest of the remaining members. I tried to take revenge for the senseless murder of my teammates, but I lost Reno in the vast maze of these ruins. I now send you this message with a fear that I will not return alive, or something worse; not as myself. I realize that this probably sounds very irrational to you, but know this, I regret that I canât return to your side as I promised. I hope you can forgive me. And promise me that...argh! No let me finish! Be silent for a just a few more seconds...just enough time to say...goodbye...â
As the message faded to static Shira brought her hands to her face, shielding her sadness from Keiji. Keiji shivered with fright as he stared at the message capsule in his hand. The dying words of Shiraâs master still echoed in his head.
âShira, do you have any idea of what happened to him? Or what he meant?â Shira raised her head, removing her trembling hands from her face.
âI donât know...but I have an unshakable feeling that he is still down there. Heâs down in those ruins, alone...and I have to go and find him. Thatâs why I wish to join you. All of the other groups I had requested to help me have given up due to their own lack of strength and courage. But when I saw you in the forest yesterday, you possessed the eyes and abilities of a man who couldnât have the capacity for fear. A man that would be able to fight through the countless monsters with that cruel grin on his face, the grin of one not of this world; a demon.â Keijiâs eyes widened as Shira described events and appearances that didnât exist in his own memory. An infinite series of doubts and questions stirred inside Keijiâs thoughts as he tried to find some sort of anchor to ground his nightmares.
âThis demon you saw, youâre sure it was me?â
âI watched the whole thing. How you saved that girl force after she passed out, how you brutally killed all of the enemy beasts and I even followed you through the same telepipe. Those events led me straight to your bedside, and even though your appearance is different, I can still recognize your face and equipment. It was you.â Keiji bowed his forehead into his hands as he tried to calm himself and his thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Yurimi walking through the entrance on the far side of the room. He swiftly turned to Shira and whispered a request.
âPlease, tell no one of what you saw happen yesterday. Especially the girl force, if you do I fear that I will not be able to help you.â Shira nodded in agreement as Yurimi came to join them.
âAre you ok Keiji?â asked Yurimi with a shaky whimper in her breath.
âIâm fine. How about you?â Before Keiji could get an answer Yurimi already had embraced him in a hug.
âThank you! I know that you saved me and because of you Iâm still alive. Iâm sorry I wasnât more help, Iâm sorry if you got hurt because of me...I...I...â The rest of Yurimiâs words fell silent behind muffled cries into Keijiâs chest. Keiji hugged Yurimi tightly, offering many forgiving words to console her.
âYurimi, thereâs no need to cry anymore. Weâre both alive and safe, thatâs the important thing.â Yurimi withdrew her face from Keijiâs chest and looked up at his eyes. She lost herself in his comforting blue stare and her tears began to cease. With a friendly grin Keiji brought his hand to her face, wiping away the droplets of tears that fell slowly from her cheek.
âJust like when we met. Youâre always quick to cry when something worries you, right?â Yurimi tucked her face back in Keijiâs chest before whispering her response.
âI always cry when people feel they have to sacrifice themselves to save me...â