Alice In Borderland: Riptide (Season 2)

EPISODE FOUR: (CHOTA) OUTSIDE

It's been weeks. I miss my friends—Arisu, Karube—and that strange yet oddly captivating little elfin creature who brought all those people together and saved me and Asuka by getting us across the boundary in time.

I haven't heard from Kuina in a few days. She said the boss—she called them Aijin, strange—had planned a little party for everyone, to ease tensions. Told me it would be a two or three day event and not to worry.

So I'm trying not to worry. Really I am. But Asuka and I can't help staring out at the dome around Tokyo, every night. We watch, and we wait. I tell her stories about growing up with Karube and Arisu. How Karube always protected me, how Arisu always let me cheat off of his homework and peek at his tests at school. She was sad and worried at first, but now she smiles. I even got a giggle out of her the other day. There hasn't been any change in the dome from here—the news station I'm working at has nothing, either. Although about a week and a half ago, something weird happened. Something looked like it scanned the exterior—the entire thing glowed orange, starting at the bottom and working its way up. There was a long, loud alarm, just a singular droning tone, that vanished less than a minute later. When I spoke to Kuina via text that evening, she said that Niragi, Karube, and Arisu had "taken care of" someone named Mira, who apparently was a Game Master.

It's all very confusing. How could the death of one person cause such a huge reaction?

"Chota? Oh, good, you're still here!" Asuka comes out of the kitchen with a lunch bag for me, handing it to me shyly. She's very sweet, and cute—but so young. I can't help but give her a fond smile and a quick kiss on the forehead. Maybe I can just—wait for her. After all, she'll be eighteen in a little over a year—and my virginity isn't going anywhere.

"Thanks, Asuka-chan," I say, meaning it. She beams so happily, from ear to ear—and I suddenly want to ditch work and stay here in the apartment with her. But then we couldn't afford the apartment.

"Have a good day at work, Chota-san," she says with a tiny bow. I've told her not to do that—it makes me feel old.

"Asuka—you don't have to use honorifics with me. It's okay."

She pouts and crosses her arms. "Then quit calling me "Asuka-chan". I'm not a child."

I sigh and smile before pulling her to me for a hug. "Okay. I agree—you aren't a child. Happy?" She nods at me and smiles brightly. "Good. Now I need to get to work—I'll be back by dinner, as always."

She nods and disappears, presumably to work on her education. Her school, after all, is now inside that dome and unreachable.

...*...

Later that evening I return from work as promised, and sit down to remove my shoes when there's a deafening sound all around, like metal peeling from a roof while electricity hums through rotting power lines.

Asuka runs in, hands over her ears and face scrunched, as I'm covering my own with a likely similar look.

"What is it?" She screams as it just grows louder.

I shake my head and stumble to the window, looking toward Tokyo. In shock, I lower my hands. My mouth drops open.

An armored exoskeleton is rolling up the dome, piece by piece, closing off the green glow and all of the 0s and 1s behind a metal shield.

After at least ten minutes, the world around Tokyo is completely dark and silent, mass of blackness more of a blemish than the endless light had been.

"What... what does it mean?" Asuka asks, wrapping her hands around my arm. I reach up and pat her arm, still gazing out at the dome. I slowly shake my head.

"I don't know," I reply. "I'll have to contact Kuina tomorrow—hopefully the signal can still pass through that monstrosity."

I can feel Asuka staring at me, but can't bring myself to look at her—I don't need to see my own sadness and fear reflected in her face.

...*...