School, Last Period, Present

  The ending school bell rings. Finally beating the echo rooms, Maruka and Ryota head down from their last period classroom.

  “Hey,” Ryota asks Maruka. “You haven’t seen Niche today, right?”

  “No. I don’t think he’s at school today. He would’ve been in history if he was here.”

  As they reach the bottom of the stairs, Ryota does a weird shuffle, skipping to land on his right foot.

  "Why do you always do that?" Maruka asks.

  "Do what?"

  "The foot thing. You skip a step just to land right footed."

  Ryota shrugs, walking to the exit. "My left foot's stronger. So if there's something wrong with the floor I can't see, I keep my balance better."

  "That's backwards logic."

  "Also..." He grabs his bag. "Someone I knew always used his left foot on the top floor. Brought bad luck."

  "That's just superstition."

  "Yeah, I guess." His voice is flat.

  At the exit, they meet with Usui, Ryota’s girlfriend, and walk out of the school as a group.

  "Can't believe that actually worked," Maruka says. "Changing the room numbers? Genius."

  "It was a team effort," Ryota says, but he’s smiling.

  They spot Niche ahead, walking alone as usual.

  "Niche? What are you doing at school today? Wait up."

  Niche turns his head around, aware of his friends who were walking behind him.

  "Thanks for yesterday," Ryota says, loud enough for everyone to hear, jogging up to Niche. Ryota’s smile is bright. "That thing with Chigan? Incredible."

  Maruka and Yuko exchange glances. "What thing with Chigan?"

  "You didn't hear?" Ryota turns to them, eyes wide with fake innocence. "Niche got Chigan to lend me his car keys. Just asked him to be nicer, and suddenly the guy's treating everyone different."

  "Chigan? Being nice?" Maruka's skeptical. "Since when?"

  "Since yesterday. Right after his mom..." Ryota pauses, as if just remembering. "Oh shit, you didn't hear? His mom died in a car accident."

  The group goes quiet.

  "That's horrible," Yuko whispers.

  "Yeah." Ryota's voice is perfectly sympathetic. "But even before he knew, Niche somehow convinced him to change. It was incredible."

  He turns back to Niche with what appears to be genuine admiration. "How did you know that would work? I mean, you just told me to ask him for something, said he'd do it, and he actually did."

  "I have my ways," Niche replies.

  "That's... incredible. I've never seen Chigan listen to anyone before." Ryota shakes his head, playing up the amazement. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

  "Whatever you're doing, count me in." Ryota continues, fully playing into this oblivious role. His words taste like ash, but his tone is perfect. "This is way more interesting than anything else happening around here."

  Usui watches this performance from a distance, detached from the group, taking mental notes.

  "Actually," Niche says, addressing the group now. "Since you're all here, I need to discuss something."

  Niche leads them away, to a quiet spot that is usually empty: the gym.

  School Gym, After School, Present

  Once they're alone, Niche explains about the sun's depleting power and his theory about it being drained unnaturally.

  "Based on my research, I have seven days to figure this out." He pulls out Raizen. "This is Raizen. He has knowledge about the natural processes of this world that we'll need."

  Raizen twitches, unable to keep completely still with this large audience.

  "Did that sword just... move?" Yuko steps closer to Ryota.

  "He's conscious," Niche confirms. "Which makes him valuable. Too valuable to keep in one place. Occasionally, I will delegate the duty of protecting him to you all.”

  "Smart thinking," Ryota says. "A conscious sword would be worth a fortune to the wrong people."

  Niche disbands the meeting and redirects the group back to the school entrance, maneuvering the group in an inconspicuous way as to not raises suspicions.

  School Entrance/Exit, After School, Present

  As the group is walking away, coincidentally walking together while each trying to go home, Yuko squeezes Ryota's hand. "Are you okay?” she asks. “You seem... different today."

  "Just excited. Finally something interesting happening." He smiles at her, perfectly normal.

  Disregarding Yuko’s worried glance, Ryota breaks off from the group, going home, and Usui is already gone. Of the three remaining group members, Niche is leading ahead, and Yuko is walking behind. Maruka, in the back, is behind Yuko, so she jogs to catch up to her. Niche takes a different route home, cutting through the industrial district. Raizen's weight feels heavier than usual on his back.

  Maruka pulls the girl off to the side after the meeting is over, now walking home with her.

  “So how have things been with Ryota?" Maruka asks, her voice perfectly sweet.

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  “It’s been pretty good,” Yuko replies.

  The conversation grows into an awkward silence until suddenly, they hear an explosion in the distance.

  "What's that?" Yuko asks.

  "They're testing a new weapon. It's supposed to be really powerful and rival even the power of the sun," Maruka replies. Maruka's hand moves to her knife almost unconsciously. "You know, Yuko..." Her grip tightens. "Raizen mentioned something interesting about you the other day when I was at Niche’s place." For just a split second, Maruka’s mask slips, revealing pure hatred across her face before the caring friend expression returns. "He says you're not who you seem."

  "I am Yuko! Don't you remember me, Maruka?”

  “I don’t,” she says, fully blood lusted now. “I remember Yuko, but not you. You might look like her, but you’re not Yuko.”

  “Ok. Ok,” Yuko replies anxiously. “If you truly do not believe me, I will tell you something only I, Yuko, would know.”

  “I’m listening,” Maruka says with a grin on her face.“It has to do with Chigan. I’m sure you know him."

  "Yeah, that one popular upperclassman." Maruka's smile never wavers, even as rage builds inside her.

  "Yes. Before he grew popular, he liked me. I did not feel the same. But one day, he went too far. He tried to talk and advance onto me. I rejected him because I thought I would be fine because we were in school. But, when I went to the bathroom, he...followed. After the scandal, he used money and his family’s power to clean his name. This is something I have never told Ryota, through all our years. I hope this secret is safe with you."

  Maruka's expression doesn't change, but the knife appears at Yuko's throat. Her voice stays perfectly calm. "Did you forget something, Yuko? About our promise?”What? Yuko thinks. No, I know this is what happened. I’m sure of it. How did she see through my lie?“You don’t remember?” Maruka starts. “We agreed.”

  Blood seeps from Yuko's throat as Maruka's hand remains steady. "Actually,” Maruka continues. “Do you even remember what happened to Yuko after? When she tried to expose Chigan? She told me what was gonna happen to her. I know, because I was there in the bathroom with her. I wasn’t there with you.”

  The fake Yuko stands there, shocked and unresponsive.Maruka continues. “You don’t know what happened to her because you’re a fraud.”Maruka scoffs, lowering her hand down for a second, but pausing and quickly reraising it.

  “You know what?” Maruka starts. “I think you should break up with Ryota. Go back where you came from. And if you ever show your face around here again..." The sweet smile never leaves her face. "I'll finish what I started with you. Demon."

  "I see," Yuko says.

  Residential District Streets, Present

  Niche and Raizen walk away from the meeting place, Raizen now taking the form of the cat. The sword hangs at Niche's side, but it feels more like an object to him than actually Raizen. There is no conversation between the two, but the moment isn’t awkward.

  "Niche," Raizen says, breaking the calm silence. "You know what anosognosia is?"

  "No. Should I?"

  "It’s something I’ve learned from all my years.”

  “Like a wise philosopher, huh?” Niche says sarcastically.

  “It’s more like a hobby I’ve taken a liking to.”

  “Alright, sure. What’s this concept?”

  “Imagine being born blind. Your brain doesn't even have the parts that process sight. So you don't know you're blind. Can't even understand the concept."

  "That's... unsettling."

  "Mm. Humans have it already, in a way. You can't see ultraviolet. Can't hear ultrasonic frequencies. But at least you know those things exist." Raizen pauses. "Now imagine that, but with consciousness."

  "What do you mean?"

  "People who think they're conscious but aren't. No inner experience, no real thoughts. Just... responses. Like sophisticated robots who are completely convinced they're human."

  "You're being philosophical today." Niche glances around at the people passing by. "Why bring this up?"

  "Curious what you think. Is it wrong to create such beings?"

  "How would you even make something like that?"

  "Unnatural birth. Cloning. Certain types of..." Raizen's tone is too casual. "The mind forms wrong. Looks right from the outside, but inside? Nothing."

  "These actually exist?"

  Silence.

  "Wait." Niche stops walking. "Are you saying the people around me might not be real? That you're controlling them?"

  "I'm saying," Raizen's voice carries amusement, "that you'd never know the difference. Neither would they."

  "So everyone else could basically be brain-dead, and I'm the only real human, and you control everyone else like puppets."

  "Possible. Would it matter?"

  "Of course it would matter."

  "Why? They don't know. Can't suffer what they can't experience."

  They continue walking. Niche looks up; theyre at a construction site now. Niche can't stop looking at the workers they pass, wondering.

  "Why do they keep building underground?" Niche asks, noticing another "Subway Extension" sign.

  A worker overhears. "Hah, subway. That's what they tell us to say. Been digging these tunnels for years, never seen a single train track installed."

  "So what are they for?" Niche asks, confused.

  The worker looks around nervously. "Above my pay grade, kid. But sometimes we hit these... old spaces. Like someone was digging before us. Ancient stuff."

  Raizen speaks up, "Perhaps we should investigate these 'old spaces.'"

  "You want to go into random tunnels?" Niche asks.

  "I'm curious about what they're trying to reach. Aren't you?"

  “I mean where do you even find those ancient -”

  "We're being followed," Raizen interrupts quietly.

  "I know. Since we left the school."

  Two figures step out ahead of him.

  Subordinates. Should be easy.

  "You shouldn’t be here,” one says.

  The shorter one raises his hand, element crackling. Lightning type. The taller one manifests water, forming it into spears.

  Niche glances around. They’re now in an abandoned warehouse, the roof broken and wide open, letting in sunlight that illuminates the area. No civilians, but also no cover.

  The lightning user strikes first. Niche dodges left, pulling out a shard of mirror from the car accident. He angles it to catch the setting sun's light, directing the beam straight into the lightning user's eyes.

  "Fuck!" The man staggers, hands covering his face.

  Niche's already moving, flame erupting from his palm. The fireball hits the water user center mass, steam exploding where water meets fire.

  Both subordinates are down in under ten seconds, and Niche is absent from the scene in five more seconds.

  "Efficient," Raizen comments, his cat paws running as fast as they can. "Though they seemed inexperienced."

  When the duo is far away enough, they slow down to a jog and eventually start walking again.

  Niche and Raizen looked up at the jagged ceiling above them.

  Cave, Sunset, Present

  "Where are we? A cave? We should go back,” Niche suggests.

  "No, let us continue,” Raizen advises.

  "Why? Is it necessary for the plan?"

  "Not exactly. The reason I wish to continue is mainly because we don't know where the exit is. If we keep changing direction, we might start going in circles."

  “You got me there. Can’t argue with that.”

  Igniting a flame from his palm, Niche used his power as a light source. Eventually, they get to a portion of the cave that was extremely well lit by natural light flowing in through crevices in the cave ceiling, so Niche stopped wasting his energy on the flame. Raizen starts walks ahead, significantly outpacing Niche.

  As Niche starts trailing back and slowing down, Raizen calls back, "Hurry up." The cat thinks to himself with a smirk, No one can compete with my immense stamina.

  “I’m trying, but flames take a lot of energy, you know? I had to be our guide for the past hour. That takes a bit of energy.”

  “You young people. Always so slow and tired. You’re young, yet I’m faster than you.”

  Raizen turns back and sees Niche basically frozen in time.

  “Come on,” Raizen continues, “You can at least walk, right?”

  Silence.

  “Niche?” Raizen asks, almost worried.

  Suddenly, Niche get attacked by something. A projectile pierces his side.

  Damn it. What was that? I felt a piercing feeling on my torso but…I couldn't see anything. Was it too fast? Invisible, maybe?

  A shifter walks out from the only dark spot in the cave: deeper into it.

  Damn it. She must have frozen me in time. No, that can’t be it. I can still think and talk, I just physically can’t move.