Kurai woke up to total darkness. He couldn't see anything, and when he tried to move his hands, something blocked his way. The same happened with his feet. Panic set in.
"What the hell? What is this supposed to mean?" Kurai shouted into the void. "I really don't like tight places. I am claustrophobic, and this place is not funny at all."
He struggled more, but it was in vein. Desperation took hold as he screamed for help, but no one answered. His breathing grew rapid as anxiety overwhelmed him. he punched and kicked the confined space with all his might, but to no avail. His movements became frantic, like a fish out of water, until exhaustion silenced him.
A voice echoed in the darkness "Hey! HEY!! HEYYY!"
Kurai, disoriented, mumbled "Heh? HEH..?"
"Are you lost in the stars or what? I am here." said a familiar voice.
It was Nao.
Kurai, looking down into nothingness, responded. "Oh...yeah... I am sorry... I think I just had a nightmare for a moment."
"Are you okay?" Nao asked, her voice tinged with worry and sadness. "You didn't look very good during the whole film. Did you have a nightmare there too? Do you think I am not enough?
In Kurai's head, a nagging thought persisted: Why am I even here?
"Heh...? Yeah. Yeah. All's good. The film was good too. Don't worry, everything is fine." Kurai reassured her, though his mind was elsewhere.
Nao looked skeptical but tried to stay positive. "Hmmm, OKEE. As long as you liked it, it's all right."
She blushed as they left the cinema.
As they walked, Nao tripped, spilling her soda all over Kurai. "Awww...I AM SO SORRY, KURAIII! Let me clean you up." she said, reaching for a napkin.
"Oh, no no, don't worry it's just...why does it look like piss?... Why does it smell so weird?...
Nao stepped back, a sly smile playing on her lips. "You see, Kurai... That's not soda... You are a good boyfriend but..."
'Wait, this smell... THAT'S COMBUSTIBLE! '
"I've never liked you." Nao said coldly, pulling a lighter from her pocket.
"Don;t do it!" Kurai screamed, realizing the impending danger.
The lighter sparked, igniting the gas. Flames engulfed Kurai, burning his skin. He screamed for help, his body ablaze. No one was around, only Nao watching with sadistic smile. Kurai trashed around, burning flesh, falling tot he ground and finally going still.
Everything went black.
Suddenly, Kurai felt a push and opened his eyes. He was on top of a very high building, and it seemed like summer.
"So, you want some icy juice?" Kebe voice cut through the silence.
Kurai turned slowly, confused and shocked.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is that a no? If you don't answer I will take it as a no. More for me then." Kebe said, holding out a drink.
Kurai checked his body for flames. There was nothing unusual. He looked around at everything, even Kebe, for any sign of strangeness.
"Are you on heat or why are you looking everywhere like a mad cow?" Kebe asked.
"Kebe, when is my birthday?"
"What a weird question to ask. 25th of May, right?"
"That...was not even close." Kurai said, feeling a sinking realization.
"But you know I can't remember birthdays. Why are you doing this to me??" Kebe whined.
"Kebe, did you feel anything unusual in the past few days?
"What do you mean by that? I...don't think so? If my constipation counts, then yes."
"What? No, of course not!"
"Then nothing unusual for me."
'That can't be possible. Everything that I felt was very real. I still feel some things even now. Even the Youkuma incident was not real? ' Kurai hovering his hand over his left eye, the one that had Purple Hazard on it.
"I think you are a little delusional from this heat outside. I suggest we get inside." Kebe said.
'No way that's all in my head. No way I'm that delusional.'
"Ok, then. You look like you don't want to come inside. Let's talk about your 'PROBLEMS'. Come here." Kebe said, leaning on the fence of the rooftop.
Kurai joined him, taking the offered juice. "So what's the problem? Women or what?"
Kurai blushed. "NO, OF COURSE NOT."
"Ehh...? What then?"
"I feel like the world is against me." Kurai admitted.
"Everyone gets in this phase one day. You will get over it. Remember the in life, you make your future. Even if the whole planet is against you, you still have a chance of doing what you like or want. Only if you deeply trust yourself." Kebe said, his words surprisingly wise.
"Would this whole thing actually be a phase?" Kurai wondered aloud.
"Yeah. All teenagers get there at one point, even full-grown adults." he assured him.
"Still, I really feel like fate's not on my side. Only bad things have happened." Kurai felt a bit more open.
"I will always be there for you, brotha. Don't worry, this is a big world. You will get over it." Kebe placing a reassuring hand on Kurai's shoulder.
'Wow, I actually never thought that Kebe would say something intelligent in his whole life, but that actually helped me. Maybe I was actually delusional.'
"Now let's get inside, cause my head hurts. This sun is a bitch." Kebe said, creating a portal to their home.
"After you, champ." Kebe gestured.
'Kurai stepped towards the portal, but as he placed one foot in, he remembered something. How did I get on this building in the first place? Wasn't there a way? Last time I asked Kebe about my birthday, he tattooed it on his wrist. He should have known it.'
But it was too late. Kurai stepped outside the portal, falling on the other side, which was actually the edge of the building. He grabbed onto the portal at the last moment and cried out.
"Was this all a joke? Everything was fake. EVERYTHING. How was I so dumb? You...you betrayed me. You and Nao too. YOU TRAITORS!" Tears streamed down his face.
Kebe looked down at Kurai for a last moment and said. "Pleasant fall." before closing the portal, cause Kurai to plummet from the skyscraper onto a car parked below.
Kurak jolted awake, gasping for air. He was in a hospital-like room. 'What happened? Didn't Kebe kill me?' still feeling Rapscallion's hand around his neck.
The room was unfamiliar, but the view from the window was beautiful. For a moment, he thought he was in a dream, a beautiful one. He forgot everything that had happened until this moment, lost in the view.
Knock, Knock
Seiko entered the room and saw Kurai awake. She dropped her glass of water, just as she had dropped her flowers the first time Kurai woke up in a hospital. She rushed to him and hugged him tightly. The moment Kurai felt Seiko in his arms, memories of their first meeting flooded back. He started crying, telling her about everything he had been through and how much he missed her.
"Don't worry, Kurai. I am here for you." Seiko whispered.
"Thank you so much, Seiko." Kurai sobbed.
Stab
"Sei...ko...?" Kurai gasped.
Seiko, with a manacing smile, said "Yes, Kurai~?"
Kurai, shocked, stared into nothingness. "Don't leave me, it's so cold...Never wanna be so cold."
Seiko replied "It's okay, cutie. Just relax. I will take care of you."
A spirit that looked like Aghanashini emerged from Kurai's back, fury in its eyes, and slashed Seiko in two.
Everything went black.
Kurai found himself in a place that felt like the one he was in after being nearly killed by Nazrat, but more painful.
'I lost my trust in everything... I even lost my trust in myself.'
For about ten days, Kurai endured loneliness in pure darkness. No one was around, and he felt every type of pain imaginable, constantly. There was no space, no light, no peace from the relentless torment.
After a while, Kurai began to get used to the pain. Then he sense an earthquake-like tremor that came with a migraine.
'This hell will never end... I never thought the pain could grow."
Kurai passes out from exhaustion.
A calm feminine voice:
There's darkness in the unknown, I know it's hard to stay afloat,
When every bridge around you has lost its way.
But I believe if you search within your heart,
You'll find the courage for a brighter day.
*Kurai wakes up in the middle of the song*
It's alright to suffer but don't die in the dark way,
Cause there's no surefire way to find the light of the day.
Even when your fire starts to fade in the night
Just hold on to the faith inside you deep inside
And don't you ever forget, you'll rise and be alright.
"Where does this song come from? Is there someone here? Can someone hear me?"
A path of light appeared in front of him.
Kurai tried to touch it, but his body goes right through it.
The feminine voice echoed "To be able to touch the light, you need to clear the darkness in your heart."
"And how am I supposed to do that?"
"You have to accept everything that happened until now and get over it. You lost your will to live.
"Everything that happened here was made by you. Pain is what you make. Everything was in your mind. Your friends could never betray you. These were all you subconscious fears, your biggest fears in one dream."
"How could I be such a fool? These were all the consequences of my own actions, and all I was doing was blaming everything on this world and how fate is against me." Kurai realized.
As he spoke, the pressure and pain upon him began to fade away, and the path of light grew brighter.
"Thank you, for clearing my mind. Everything makes sense now. Can I know your name before leaving?"
"The time will come, don't speed up the line."
The light brightened, and Kurai put his foot on the path of light.
"Come here, I think I found something."
"Who could that be? Is he still alive?"
Kurai was found under a ton of metal and dirt almost covered all then way up.