Yuriko woke up to her face in a pillow, her back facing the ceiling. Strangely enough, she felt the pain in her spine fading, along with the marks in her shoulder. A soft tinging was in her ears, like wind chimes at the door. She took a deep breath, recognising the smell of her newly appointed home, and knowing her mother's thoughts in the other room. However, she could sense others, too. Tanaka, Matsuda… and there was one she couldn't place – and they were right next to her.
Just a few more moments, and I'll be all done.
Yuriko's eyes popped open, seeing someone sitting beside her. They were wearing a school uniform, but not of her own high school. A blue shirt with a grey skirt and a green bow around her neck. A small burst of panic flew into Yuriko's chest as she sat up, making the girl yelp in surprise and pull back. She turned to face her, panting, feeling the pain return. Wincing, she looked at her shoulder – the wound was there, but smaller, and it looked like it was… growing?
"Miss, you have to let me finish!" The girl said, reaching forward.
"Get away from me!" Yuriko shouted, waving her away wildly and scooting back on the bed.
The pain was worsening. Finally, Yuriko was able to get a better look at the girl. She had stark blonde hair and deep green eyes, looking a bit Russian with the way her face was shaped. However, there was a bit of Japanese in her. Yuriko looked down as she realised she was in her underwear, then back up when the door opened.
"She's awake-?" A voice said, and she immediately recognised Matsuda noticing her half naked form before he quickly closed the door again.
Then, it opened once more, Jun Lei entering. "Yuriko! Please, lay back down, she's not done healing you yet."
"Healing?" She responded, looking back at the girl. The wound was getting bad again. "Ow…"
The unknown girl climbed on the bed, holding out her hands to Yuriko. She flinched away at first, then saw a bright green light forming at the girl's palms, and the pain stopped. The wound started to close as she stared at it in awe, her mouth open. Her mother seemed to stare in a bit of shock as well, but Yuriko could tell from her mind that she already knew this would happen. A minute later, it was completely gone, all that was left being a scar of where it once was.
The girl pulled back, sighing out and smiling at Yuriko. "Feel better?" When she nodded silently, she held out her hand. "Sorry for strange introductions. I'm Akari Volkovka."
Yuriko didn't take her hand, simply looking back down at herself. "Where are my clothes?"
"Your mother helped me undress you so I could fix your wounds," The teenage girl answered. "I hope you don't mind… Here, I'll leave so you can get dressed again."
Akari stood up from the bed, walking towards the door. Yuriko watched her leave, closing the entrance behind her. Jun Lei watched her go, then looked back at Yuriko. A small smile appeared on her face before she grabbed some clothes and handed them to her. Then she also left the room. Yuriko sat silently for a moment, thinking, trying to block out the invading thoughts before she put on the white button up and black leggings. Feet bare, she exited the room and came out to see the girl Akari, Matsuda, Tanaka, and her mother.
"How do you feel?" Matsuda asked.
"Fine," Yuriko answered, glancing at the girl. "I didn't know you had another student with abilities."
"She is from a different school," He explained. "She can heal physical injuries, but it takes a lot of energy. I called her in when Tanaka called me."
"I tried to call all contacts on your phone in hopes someone was available to help," Tanaka spoke up. "Because I knew you wouldn't want to go to a hospital. Only Matsuda answered."
Yuriko messed with her sleeves. "Jayce didn't?" She asked.
Heading over to the table where her phone sat, she picked it up. Calling Jayce's number, she found it went immediately to voicemail. She frowned, staring at the device silently. Shaking her head, she realised he must have been busy trying to figure out if Mystic was alright. Alas, she already knew… She wasn't. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the teacher.
"How much did you tell my mother?" Yuriko asked.
"Everything," Matsuda answered. "She had a lot of questions. I couldn't answer them all."
"Good," She nodded, brushing her chin and looking down thoughtfully. "I need to find them…"
Alas, before she knew it, she found herself light headed. Stumbling backwards, she sat down roughly in one of the dining room chairs. Where the random feeling came from, she had no idea, but her vision was blurry. It took all she had in her not to pass out again right then and there, holding her head.
"Eh, sorry," The teenage girl, Akari, said. "The healing takes up energy from you, too. You should eat something."
"No…" Yuriko panted, trying to stand up again. "This is not the time. I need to find them before they throw out another video or something and more people are killed."
Unfortunately, she found herself unable to stand. "Romanov," Tanaka spoke up. "You don't have to do this. Every force in Japan is searching for those two. I even gave descriptions of them."
"That won't help," She breathed. "They have twins – other halves. They look exactly like them, and they will be arrested. Tanaka," She looked up at him. "I have to do this myself."
"You were torn apart by them!" Jun Lei shouted. "I saw you! You were in horrible condition – you could have died!"
"Then I'll do better!" Yuriko yelled back, seeing her mother step back. "No one can handle these two except for me. They are targeting me. They killed Naomi… Jiichan… They could have killed everyone at the festival, too." She looked up at Tanaka, glaring. "If you want to help, then you can find their twins for me. They look exactly like them, but they have black hair. The boy is named Vinhatri Einarsson, and the girl goes by Petal."
He seemed to hesitate, then nodded, pulling out a phone. "I'll be back," He said, before leaving the apartment.
"Matsuda," She looked at him. "Take him to the dimension of the island. They might be there." He followed the police officer silently. "Mother," Yuriko turned to her, breathing heavily. "Do you remember how to make Tempura Udon?" The woman nodded. "Please make some. Akari, help her out, if you can."
With that, everyone was given a task. They all played out their part marvellously, while Yuriko laid her head down in her arms and stayed silent, tired. She sighed, closing her eyes. She had to stop the growing mess… the disaster she found herself in. If she could not, she would be in guilt for the rest of her life. That was, if she even got the chance to live the rest of her measly life, being that they may kill her first.