The Gunpowder Blade

Epilogue

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(15 Years Later)

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(Kazuto)

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The wind shifted northeast, causing me to be knocked off balance. I replanted my feet and placed my eye back to the telescope, staring through the lenses, gazing at the sky. The stars stared back at me with their shining brilliance. I backed away from the telescope and began folding the tripod, bringing it back into my study. I opened the french doors leading into an average-sized, office-like room, and closed them behind me. I placed the telescope in the corner of the room next to my PC setup. I turned towards the exit and left, walking down the hallway. I unconsciously stopped in front of the double doors near the end of the hallway. I approached the room and opened the doors, revealing a rather small room with shelves across each wall. The shelves were lined with magazines on small metallic holders. I walked over and picked one up. It had a picture of a NerveGear on it. The text read: "Young Genius Takes The Gaming World By Storm." 

"Genius? Hardly." I whispered to myself, placing it down. I walked over to another one, picking it up. The text read: "25-Year-Old Kazuto Kirigaya Announces The Launch Of The NerveGear 3.0." I placed the magazine down and looked around before leaving the room. I stood outside the door thinking then went to the room across the hall. I opened the door and walked in, closing it behind me. I walked over to the machine standing approximately 8 feet tall in the corner of the room and placed my hand on it, closing my eyes. 

"Tomorrow. Tomorrow will be the day. I promise that you'll be as amazing as you were years ago." I backed away from the machine and left the room, continuing down the hall and the stairs. I continued walking towards the Kitchen, then noticed that the fridge was wide open. I crouched down and hid behind the counter. I slowly made my way to the corner between the Foyer and the Kitchen. I took a deep breath in, summoned my strength, and peeked around the corner. 

"Kenichi, what are you doing out of bed?" I stood up, turning the corner completely. Kenichi turned around in shock and rubbed the back of his neck in shame. 

"Dad! I was just getting a drink of milk," He said, holding up the two-liter carton of milk in his hand. I walked over to a cupboard and opened it, pulling down a small glass cup, and placed it on the counter, closing it after. 

"Okay, but hurry back to bed," I smiled. Kenichi dawdled over and handed me the carton. 

"I know, but I couldn't sleep!" He chimed. I took the carton and filled the cup about three-quarters of the way. I handed him the carton to return to the fridge. He walked over to the fridge, opened it, and placed the carton exactly where it was before. He shut the fridge and sauntered over to the cup on the counter. He grabbed it and took a large swig. I guess he really was thirsty.  

"Alright, now go to bed," I placed my hand on his shoulder. He downed the last bit of milk and placed the cup in the sink. He immediately turned and headed back to his room. 

"Goodnight, dad!" He called, walking back down the hall of which he came. I walked over to the fridge and opened it. I looked around the fridge and made my decision. I closed the fridge, and pressed the button on the handle, opening the door once again, revealing a secret spot for storage on the door. We use this for all the drinks and foods that Kenichi can't have. I pulled out a beer and shut the fridge. I put my hand under my shirt and set the cap of the bottle between my thumb and index finger, popping the cap off. I have a jar on the counter for all my bottle caps. Just thinking of the number of caps in that jar shrouds me in shame. I took a swig of the bitter liquid and swallowed it, feeling it drip down my esophagus, and into my stomach. I heard a door down the hall creak open, then footsteps followed, slowly approaching the Kitchen.