Cave Entrance, Present

  "Niche!"

  Ryota was running toward them across the field outside the cave.

  "Where did you go?" Ryota panted as he reached them. "You just vanished!"

  "How did you know I was here?" Niche asked.

  "I didn't. I was just looking around and saw this cave."

  Mr. Sutori was studying Ryota carefully. "And you are?"

  "Ryota. From school."

  "Right. Ryota, did you tell Niche about this place?"

  "No, I had no idea he was here."

  Mr. Sutori's eyes moved to the cat in Niche's arms. "And the cat?"

  Niche glanced down at Raizen, who was doing an excellent impression of a normal, sleepy cat. "Oh, uh... I took him for a walk. He likes caves."

  "A walk. In a cave. With your cat,” Ryota asked unbelievingly.

  "He's... adventurous?"

  Raizen purred innocently.

  Mr. Sutori stared at them for a long moment. "Niche, we need to talk when we get home."

  "Sure, Dad."

  As they walked back toward the main road, the group fell quiet. Mr. Sutori, walking ahead, was checking his phone, probably calling off the search. Ryota was chatting to Niche about something from school.

  But Niche had gone silent, staring at the ground as they walked.

  "What's wrong, Niche? Did something happen in there?”

  “Ryota” was all that Niche responded with, not questioningly or angry, but in a state of despair, calling out for his friend for some comfort.

  Ryota takes a good look at Niche now, noticing his demeanor. “Niche? What’s going on?” Ryota replies confused and worried. “Why are you crying?"

  Niche didn't say anything, but there was a tear on his face that seemed to magically disappear when noticed by Ryota.

  "What's wrong? What happened?" Ryota pressed.

  Niche stopped walking. "Ryota. This sword I told you about…there’s another purpose for it. I’m what’s known as a sun bearer, which means I will merge with the sun eventually to stabilize the sun.”

  “What’s wrong with the sun?”

  Niche’s dad looked back at the pair. “Niche. I have to go to the station now, but I’ll talk to you at home. Ryota, nice to meet you, buddy.”

  “Sure, but try to stay safe, dad. I had a weird dream the other day, and it brought some doubts in my mind.”

  “Got it bud,” Mr. Sutori says. In another instance, he’s disappeared.

  He can just teleport? When did he start doing that? I should really start paying attention to my family.

  After the two are alone, Niche answers Ryota’s question. “You were asking about the sun? It’s unstable. I’m not sure why, but I have to merge to restabilize it. If I don’t merge, the sun will explode.”

  The interrogator didn’t tell me all of this, but this is the reasonable conclusion I’ve come to. I guess this is the first time I’m actually putting this together.“Why is the sun unstable?” Ryota asks.

  “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Every time a sun bearer merges, another bearer is chosen a few years later because the sun becomes unstable again. I know they’re not lying about the sun becoming unstable…because I can feel the sun constantly trying to pull me in. It feels like the sun’s gravity is attracting me, trying to pull me in. What I don’t believe is the narrative they’re telling me. They say they don’t know why the sun is draining, but I believe there’s a reason they’re not telling me, and I’m gonna find out who’s behind all of this and fix the sun.”

  I don’t know why Niche didn’t tell me this earlier, Ryota thought, but I trust him enough. I know he’s got a plan for this.

  “That sounds like a valiant goal, Niche. What’s the problem?” Ryota asks, maintaining his joyful demeanor.

  Niche continues. “In that cave, I unlocked the ability to harness the sun's energy. I unlocked a hidden facet of the sun: immortality. Now, I cannot die, just as the sun cannot stop burning. My energy output has vastly increased, and I am more fit to accomplish my goal now.”

  “That’s great! I thought you got lost in the cave, but you were actually becoming immortal,” Ryota chuckles. “I’m happy for you, Niche. Let’s go now. Don’t get me worried like that, okay?”

  “No, Ryota. That’s not all that happened,” Niche’s voice becomes shaky and saddened. “When I gained this power, I was taken to some mysterious place; I think it was my mind. There was a boy there, and we talked. After he touched me, I was taken back to life. In the instant that happened, memories flooded into my mind. It wasn’t like I experienced these memories, but it was as if my mind was altered to implant these memories in my mind. I feel as if I experienced this, although I do not know these people I interacted with in my memories and have no recollection of them aside from those brief moments I gained. Maybe it was memories of the last sun user. I'm not sure. From those moments, however, I was able to decipher something about these new abilities I gained."

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  "Okay..." Ryota says unsurely.

  "I have the ability to learn to control elements faster and more efficiently, immortality, enhanced regeneration... at least that's what one of the bearers was able to do. There are also these trials I can do, which allow me to train, develop, and prolong my abilities."

  "Great! This should make it easier to fix the sun. That's what you wanted, right?"

  "Yes. However, there is an ability I forgot to mention." Niche's voice got quieter. "When the user first gained his transformation - he was being suffocated under water when this happened - a sign appeared over the first person he saw. This sign came in the form of an X."

  Ryota frowned. "What does that mean?"

  "Well, the man saw was the one trying to drown him: his enemy. The man knew his fate was sealed, as he could not use the power of the sun under water, so he gave up. However, his lungs never filled up with water. He then assumed that this X meant that the one with the sign would die before him, so he stopped struggling and let the attacker tire himself out. When the attacker was tired, the man beat the attacker beyond recognition. This allowed me to decipher that the person with an X had to die before the sun bearer could. When the person with the X died, then the sun bearer was allowed death.”

  "And when the attacker died? What did the man do?"

  "He went home, where he was greeted by his wife. Suddenly, an X appeared over her head. Distraught by this, the man did all he could to protect his wife. But his best friend, a known rebel to the sun bearers named Takeshi, killed the man's wife. The man, enraged, sought out Takeshi to kill him. When he encountered Takeshi, a plus appeared over his head."

  "A plus?"

  "The man thought this was just another variation of the X, so he fought Takeshi with confidence. Soon enough, to the man’s surprise, Takeshi would not die no matter how weakened and injured he was. Takeshi eventually tired out the man and killed him. The next memory was one of Takeshi, the next bearer, who realized what the plus and the X meant."

  Ryota was quiet for a moment. "So, what do they mean?"

  "Now," Niche said, looking directly at him. "You, Ryota, have an X on your head, which means you must die before I do."

  Ryota is surprised with Niche’s bluntness, showing uncertainty - an unfamiliar look on Ryota.

  “So…” Ryota starts, unsure whether to say something or to let it be. “What does this mean will happen? Will you try to kill me? Protect me? What does this mean?”

  “I…I don’t know,” Niche replies.

  “Well, you’re immortal, right? Which means you can’t die anyways. And if I die before you, but you can’t die, then there’s no purpose to my death at all!” Ryota says, his tone intensifying to a forced excited tone. “You shouldn’t have to worry about my death because it doesn’t hinder your goal, right? I’m confused why this is a bad thing,” Ryota continues, his concern showing in his voice.

  “I-I don’t know. If I were to do what Takeshi did and try to defend you, there would be no benefit to me. Those who will inevitably come after me might not know I’m immortal. If I try to go through with my goal, those who know what’s going on with the sun will try to stop me. They will do everything in their power to stop me. I’m not so arrogant to think I can defeat them easily, as I know others before me have tried to attempt it and none have succeeded. It will be difficult, but with my immortality, im sure to win. The only problem is, those powerful people who will try to kill me - I am unable to resist the sun’s pull if I’m dead – will see you as an obstacle. They’ll think they have to get through you first before they can kill me. I’m just worried about your safety, Ryota.”

  Ryota is speechless, not out of fear but out of an inability to explain his indifference. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll keep myself safe. I could try to develop an element or something, though I’ve heard those take a while to learn,” Ryota comments, chuckling, his happy demeanor returning to his face. “Just focus on your goal, and I’ll take care of my safety. I don’t want to actually become an obstacle to you,” Ryota chuckles. “I gotta go home now, but I’ll see you later.” Ryota walks away while waving to Niche.

  Residential District Streets, Present

  Niche walks, too exhausted think about the events that just unfolded.

  He monotonously walks the path to his house, opening the front door without thinking.

  Niche’s Bathroom, Present

  The shower faucet flows onto Niche as steam fills the bathroom. He stands under the hot water, eyes closed. His clothes are piled up on the bathroom tile floor.

  A slight rustling heard outside the bathroom alerts Niche, who opens his eyes. Through the foggy glass shower, he notices the bathroom door opens. A silhouette enters. Feminine figure, moving quietly.

  Shit. Is it that the light shifter? Did I fail to kill her off back at the cave? Is she back for revenge, attacking me when I’m defenseless?!

  The outline starts undressing, its clothes piling up with Niche’s.

  Maybe it’s not her? But then who the hell is in my bathroom? I need to tell them the shower’s in use.

  "Who's—"

  The shower door slides open.

  Niche’s face looks surprised. "Maruka?! What are you doing here?”

  He immediately looks down, avoiding eye contact.

  “I tried to tell you someone was in here, but -”

  Unknown to Niche who was looking down, Maruka had walked towards him, ignoring his comment or the nature of the situation. Her face sits inches from his now, deadly serious.

  Niche, unable to look down safely anymore, looks back up and accidently meets Maruka’s gaze.

  They hold eye contact until Maruka breaks the silence. "I have to tell you something, Niche."

  Maruka leans over Niche’s flustered face towards his ear, lowering her voice to a whisper.

  After she whispers to him, she adjusts back upright, turning around and closing the foggy glass shower door, leaving Niche with the secret she went through that effort to give him and the warm water still hitting his body.

  Maruka redresses and walks out of the bathroom acting like nothing happened. On Maruka’s way down, Niche hears his mom run into her.

  “Hey, what are you doing here, Maruka?” Mrs. Sutori greets Maruka.

  “Nothing, just checking on Niche. He was in the shower, so I guess I’ll come back at a better time.”

  Niche hears Maruka switch the conversation with Mrs. Sutori to Mika, while Niche tuned out, going back to his shower. When Niche finished his shower, Maruka was already gone.

  Niche's Room, Present

  Now in fresh clothes, Niche lays down on his bed, still processing what Maruka told him, his hair still damp.

  He thinks about the cave. How convenient that those mutants were there. How Usui knew about trials that aren't in any book.

  Maruka was right to be suspicious. She was right about Usui, but her revelation came to me a little too late. Still, how could she have come to the same conclusion with the limited information she had? She didn’t know about the sun bearer powers or the cycles, and yet she also confirmed her suspicions, unlike me, who just followed my instinct. She’s a better detective than me, that’s for sure.