Chapter 6 - Eiji Hoshino

  ???

  I’d been looking for remedies to insomnia, but this was not one I remember reading about.

  We stood there, our hearts practically suspended in mid-air, whilst the various electronics in and around the vicinity spurred to life. We had been welcomed into something – the ‘Hollow Night’ - meaning all of this was pnned.

  Somebody had brought us all here intentionally.

  How? Why? I looked to the massive billboard that I’d usually pass on the way to AMX for answers.

  “You may be wondering whether this is a dream or reality, though I assure you, what you experience here is no fantasy. “ They began.

  There was no clear imaging dispyed on any of the screens; our only visual aid being a dark silhouette stood before a grey, hazy backdrop.

  “While your physical bodies slumber peacefully under the covers of your beds, your spirits, if you will, are whisked away to this realm.”

  I was beginning to feel dizzy, my stomach threatening to lurch, though a bizarre, empty sensation informed me that nothing would come out. I detected a tentative hand on my right shoulder.

  “Are you okay?” asked orange-hair, genuine concern spilled out over his features. It almost masked the terror in his eyes, the shakiness in his intonation.

  I nodded, and turned my head back towards the expnations of our assumed captor.

  “I will warn you now – as you may have already come to discover, this is not the home you all know, despite appearances. In fact, you could not be further from the truth.” they cautioned, their already disquieting voice taking on what seemed to be a hard edge. ”For here, in this realm, you will fight for your very life.”

  A thick silence hung in the air, images of the previous encounter scrolling through my tired mind. My knees began to wobble.

  The enigmatic spokesperson continued.

  “You will encounter many trials and hardships here, my young warriors, but fear not. For I, Juno, will guide the worthy among you to victory and prosperity.”

  Juno? What were they saying? The nausea had now exploded into a sharp migraine. I suddenly felt a rocky, hard sensation under my knees. When had I become unable to stand?

  I managed to lift my right arm, extended, palm spread out in the direction of orange-hair, only to grab a handful of air.

  A gnce around revealed that I was not alone in my suffering; the others, from Rusuban to Junko, were all doubled over in anguish.

  It seemed we were going to die after all.

  “Time is even shorter than expected,” commented Juno, the breeziness in their voice incongruous to our agony. “Quickly – you must initiate physical contact with a fellow pyer. Your EXS will handle the rest and form the Pact. Now, children!”

  At this point I cared little about what they were saying – the pain was becoming too deep, threatening to engulf my entire being. I was fighting to keep my eyes open.

  Before long, I’d lost the battle, falling and drifting away into a sea of nothingness. It was oddly peaceful.

  That is, until I sensed the faintest brush of something thin and leathery on my fingers.

  I had been salvaged from the ocean of torment, my lungs catching up to speed before my tortured mind, gasping and begging for air.

  I felt a steady grip on my arm – warming, calming, comfortable. As orange-hair - Akio, as I recall from one memory – maintained his contact, I experienced what could only be described as rejuvenation in every part of my weary body, down to my very bones.

  “You’re good,” he exhaled desperately, likely reassuring himself as much me. “You’re fine. I don’t know what that was, but we made it.”

  The psychological effects of near-death still swimming freely in my exasperated mind, I rose to see simir recoveries occur among my peers.

  I gnced back at my presumed saviour, settling our score to one – one.

  “That was you, wasn’t it? The brush I felt.” I inquired. In reply, he nodded quickly, cheeks reddening.

  What, was he embarrassed to have touched me or something?

  “If that’s the case, why don’t you go Pact with someone else?” I muttered under my breath, annoyed, before taking a moment to realize what had just left my mouth.

  Pact. The word had rolled off of my tongue so easily despite me not even knowing what it meant.

  What did Juno mean by ‘Pact’? I was surprising myself at how seriously I had been taking this all – though given the fact that this was, by and rge, the most visceral dream I had ever experienced, I deduced it was better to be safe than sorry.

  Or worse, dead.

  As if on cue, the static image that had previously been deathly still began to animate with activity once more. “It seems humanity has become less and less adapted to wield their greatest gift over the years,” Remarked the being. “Nevertheless, in response to your wills to survive, your own EXS reached out to that of another, and formed a connection with them for support; this agreement, this promise, is your Pact.”

  Akio and I were… in a Pact? No offense to the guy, but as far as dreams go, this was turning out to be a shitty one alright.

  “Your partner will be instrumental in surmounting the obstacles to come – utilize them wisely.” Juno advised.

  …Utilize?

  My thoughts were interrupted by an inhuman, blood-curdling scream erupting from the Scramble Crossing neighbouring us, echoing menacingly through the night breeze.

  As quickly as the sound had arrived, it dispersed, carried by the wind through the empty alleyways and avenues of the ‘Hollow Night’, though my heart refused to stop racing.

  “With your partnerships formed, I believe you are now ready to begin your journey.” Juno commenced, unwavering. “As discussed, you have been brought here to fight – and fight you will – lest you face erasure. Your task each night is simple – complete the mission I provide to you, eliminating all obstacles in your path.”

  “What are we, your henchmen?” Huffed Rusuban, a surprising amount of anger seeping into his usually serene voice.

  I supressed the temptation to say Not so cool now, are you?, quickly deciding that understanding the rules of this apparent survival game was a better use of my time.

  “To propel you toward that goal, you each have been gifted unique capabilities – powers, if you will – that you can exercise across this domain. These abilities are what is known as ‘EXS’.”

  My suspicions were correct - that floaty feeling I got earlier, a sensation that made me feel as light as a feather, was more than just adrenaline pumping through my veins. These weapons… were they extensions of our ‘EXS’ ?

  “…Perhaps the best way for you to come to grips with your new abilities would be to test them on live subjects.”

  Another scream. This time I could tell it wasn’t coming from the Scramble Crossing; the volume, pitch, and tone all appeared much too thick.

  Much too close.

  Slowly, I turned around in the direction of the sound. Akio and the others were already backing away, eyes widened in horror.

  Behind us, a horde of the same disgusting bck creatures that had almost cimed one of our own were drawing near, dragging themselves across the concrete toward their next feast.

  I noticed my hammer ying ft on the empty road’s tarmac. When had I dropped it?

  I picked it up, my fingers struggling to find their way around its handle, and held onto it tight, for I knew that the next time I dropped it would likely be the st.