Kajji-Tarra

Chapter 12: Irony

Nharro's POV

I was watching a movie with Tari under a pillow fort designed by yours truly.

I was enjoying the movie. Unfortunately, Tari acted the opposite. She was quiet and staring blankly into space.

Breaking the silence between us, I acknowledged her unusual quietness.

For a while, she kept denying that nothing was wrong. Funny that she would think I don't know her well enough.

"I'm just a little in shock from that situation in the kitchen," she finally confessed.

I knew it wasn't the whole truth, but I don't want to push the conversation beyond her comfort.

I didn't say anything after. I just responded with a hug.

The best idea I had right now was to sleep off the whole situation.

Strangely, Tari refused and claimed that the bracelets would trap us in a dream for three days.

Can a bracelet actually do that?

Well, we couldn't stay awake for the rest of our lives.

I took off both our bracelets, and we each put them in our own pockets.

Then Tari immediately dozed off to sleep.

Looking at my window, I asked myself, "Why didn't we just abandon these bracelets?"

Maybe because it held too much value between us.

Are we really just going to let these bracelets endanger our lives?

I almost lost Tari today because of a cursed bracelet.

What would've happened if Tari wasn't able to defend herself?

I could have been living these moments right now without her.

That is something painfully unimaginable for me.

I spent almost every day of my life with her since third grade. I guess I can't remember what my life was like without her.

I don't want to lose her.

My thoughts kept going on and on like it had no end, but three questions echoed in my head nonstop.

What if this bracelet kills us?

What if this bracelet, this symbolism of our bond, ironically becomes the one thing that tears us apart?

Why couldn't we just throw it away for good?

Eventually, I fell asleep in pursuit of trying to answer these questions.

Then, I felt something gently hover over the side of my neck, hearing a man's voice speak shortly after.

It sounded like pure randomness to me, but something in my head told me otherwise.

"It looks just like Zei Kana's mark. Could they be connected somehow? The kid's memory has gone full wipe. Your memory is a blank slate too. Where are you both from?"

I heard the same man stand up.

"I know you're awake. Your breathing change isn't fooling anyone," the man said.

Finally, I got up and looked at the source of the voice.

A young teen stood before me with blond hair braided on one side of his head.

Strange. Is this one of our new trends now?

I was about to lose faith in humanity completely, but he spoke the same mumbo jumbo again that translated to, "Do you know a girl of light brown hair with white streak?"