52 Chapter 52
"Aruno.."
The soft, echoing voice startled Aruno, pulling him out of his thoughts. He turned around, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw a young boy standing a few feet away. It was him—Aruno as a child. The younger version of himself had the same striking white hair, the same intense eyes, but there was a harshness, a raw anger that radiated from him.
Yoru, walking beside Aruno, noticed the sudden change in his demeanor and followed his gaze. She too was taken aback by the sight of young Aruno. The boy stood there, his small frame silhouetted against the darkness, a scowl marring his features.
"Is that…you?" Yoru asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aruno nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving the child. "Yeah, it's me. From a past long ago."
The young Aruno took a defiant step forward, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and bitterness. "Why are you here?" he demanded, his voice sharp and accusatory.
Aruno crouched down, trying to make himself less intimidating. "I don't know," he admitted. "This place…it's strange. But we're here together now."
The boy's eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a sneer. "It's always strange," he spat. "Nothing ever makes sense. And you," he pointed accusingly, "you're just a failure."
Aruno felt a pang of sadness at the harshness in his younger self's voice. "I know it seems that way," he said gently. "But things can get better. We can get out of here."
The boy looked down at his feet, the wet ground reflecting the faint glow of the void. "Better?" he scoffed. "Look at you. Look at us. I'm such a failure."
Aruno reached out, his hand gently resting on the boy's shoulder. "I know more than you think," he said softly. "And I'm not alone. We're not alone."
Yoru stepped closer, her presence a comforting warmth in the cold, dark void. "We'll figure this out together," she said, her voice kind but firm.
The young Aruno looked up, his eyes meeting the older Aruno's gaze with a cold, defiant glare. "Will we ever get out of here?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm and doubt.
Aruno took a deep breath, his resolve strengthening. "Yes, we will. We'll find a way out. Together."
The boy's scowl deepened, a flicker of disdain in his eyes. "Together? You mean you'll drag me down just like you've dragged everyone else down?"
"Don't forget we killed our old team. At only 12 years of age we killed over 50 people."
Aruno's jaw tightened, but he kept his voice calm. "You don't have to trust me right now," he replied. "Just stay with us, and we'll figure this out."
As the three of them stood together in the void, the darkness seemed a little less oppressive, the cold a little less biting. They were still lost, still searching for a way out, but they had each other. And that, for now, was enough.
"Do you remember when we first met Ko?" Aruno asked, trying to lighten the mood.
Yoru chuckled softly. "Yeah, he was so cocky. What an asshole he was."
Aruno smiled at the memory. "And now look at him, always trying to protect us, even when he's the one who needs the most protection."
Yoru nodded. "He's come a long way. We all have."
Suddenly, a voice interrupted their conversation. "Aruno…"
They both turned, and standing there was a young boy, a mirror image of Aruno from his childhood. But this wasn't a nostalgic memory; there was a bitterness in the boy's eyes.
"What are you doing here?" the young Aruno demanded, his voice harsh and accusatory.
Aruno took a step back, stunned by the venom in the boy's tone. "I…I don't know," he stammered. "This place, it's…"
"Strange?" the boy finished, sneering. "Everything about you is strange. And look at us, I'm such a failure."
Aruno felt a pang of sadness at the words. "I know it seems that way," he said gently. "But things can get better. We can get out of here."
The boy's eyes narrowed. "Better? You think running away from the Shades makes you better?" His voice dripped with disdain. "You were The Ghost, an unstoppable killer, and now look at you. You're a coward."
Aruno's heart sank at the accusation. "I had no choice," he said softly. "They were going to kill me."
"Excuses," the young Aruno spat. "You were feared. You were powerful. And now? "Nunc umbra es, olim splendoris tui. Fallacia."
Aruno crouched down, to get to his past self's level. "I know I've made mistakes," he admitted. "But I'm trying to make things right."
The boy stepped closer, his eyes burning with anger. "You abandoned who you were. You let them break you. You let yourself become weak."
"Over 50 kills be the age of 12, now look at you. Struggled to beat Ash, struggled to push forward."
Aruno shook his head. "Strength isn't just about killing and power. It's about protecting those you care about."
"Protecting?" The boy scoffed. "You couldn't even protect yourself. You ran. You hid. And you call that strength?"
Aruno felt a tear slip down his cheek. "I'm not proud of everything I've done. But I'm trying to be better."
The young Aruno's face twisted with disgust. "Trying isn't good enough. We'll always be a failure. You'll never escape what you were."
Yoru stepped forward, her eyes filled with empathy. "He's not alone," she said firmly. "We're in this together."
The boy turned his glare to Yoru. "And you think you can save him? You think you can change what he is?"
Yoru met his gaze without flinching. "I believe in him. We all do. And that's something you'll never understand."
The young Aruno's scowl deepened, "Don't get yourselves killed, I'll leave you with that." He turned away, disappearing into the darkness, leaving Aruno and Yoru alone once more.
Aruno took a deep breath, his resolve strengthening. "We'll find a way out," he said, more to himself than to anyone else. "Together."
"Aruno are you going to be okay? That must have been tough. Seeing your former self, a ghost from the past."
He glanced at Yoru with a smile, a question lingering in his mind. "I wonder if Serenia is okay," he said aloud, his voice filled with concern.
Yoru squeezed his hand, offering him a reassuring smile. That makes sense he doesn't want to talk about it. "We'll find out soon," she said. "But for now, let's keep moving."
Ko stood watch over Yoru, his eyes scanning her sleeping form with concern. The soft glow of the Arcanum illuminated her peaceful face, casting shadows across the room. The floating screen hovered in the air beside him, the call with Serenia still active as they waited for any sign of movement from their friends.
Serenia, on the other side of the call, stood by Aruno's bedside, her expression mirroring Ko's worry. She reached out to brush a stray hair from Aruno's forehead, her fingers lingering against his skin. The faint glow of the Arcanum bathed them in a gentle light as they waited in silence.
Then, as if in response to their silent pleas, Aruno and Yoru stirred. Their eyes fluttered open, and tears welled up in their eyes as they looked around, disoriented and confused.
"Yoru…" Ko whispered, his voice thick with emotion. He reached out towards her, his hand hovering just above her cheek, relief flooding through him at the sight of her awake and aware.
Serenia's hand tightened around Aruno's, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Aruno," she breathed, her voice trembling with emotion. "You're back."
Aruno nodded, his own eyes brimming with tears. "Yeah," he choked out. "We're back."
"Ko! It was so fucking dark in there."
"You're as lively as always Yoru, even after being out of action and missing all the fun."
"Hey Ko, where is Rin? She's going to be happy Aruno and I are back!"
Is now really a good time to tell them? After all they just woke up. "Yo, Serenia! Come here and bring Aruno."
"Sure thing Ko, just give me a minute with my brother. Aruno, you can walk right? I don't want you to push yourself."
"Serenia, yes I can walk, stop being such a big sister. Let's go over to Ko and Yoru, it's not a far walk."
"Okay little brother, let's head over to them. We have something to talk about, no time for stopping."
"Aruno my man!" Ko shouted as he hugged Aruno. "How was your slumber? Dream of being surrounded by woman I bet."
"Yeah Ko, that was definitely what I was dreaming about." I stray a glance to Yoru and nod.
"So what's this you have to talk about sis. Where is Rin? Shouldn't we wait for her."
"…"
"…"
"It's about Rin."