Walking In Your Fleeting World || Dazai Osamu

Chapter-1: A city that has thrown away yesterday, changes its face

Introductory arc part 1/4

"Oh oh oh! She's here! This is your chance, go!"

"Shut up!"

As my eyes flutter open, I find myself surrounded by two indistinct figures. Their forms seem to waver and distort, like glitches in reality. I squint, trying to make sense of the strange entities before me. Weren't I with Akutagawa just now? Why am I here?

"Um...?"

"Hi." One of the entities speaks, their voice echoing strangely in the space around me. To differentiate one from the other, there is only one object I can use. One of them is holding a book. It's a striking black tome, its outlines and designs carved in shimmering silver lines that seem to emit a faint glow. The cover appears sturdy, a hundred percent hardcover—something I could only dream of for 'Karma'. "Can you hear us?"

I nod, still confused. They have no mouth, at least I can't see any. So where are they speaking from? 'I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream'... oh God, I hope they are not like that story...

"Alright. Let's begin then." The entity with the book speaks, opening the book in one hand. The book seems to flip through its pages as if guided by a magical force, settling on a page near the middle. He looks at it, reading the contents out loud, "Your given name is Riki, no last name disclosed. You are currently twelve years old. You have no special gifted skill. The outfit you are wearing currently is a symbol of purity, the white lily."

"Wait!!" I scream, springing to my feet. I hold up my hands, "Just a moment!"

"Yes?" He says, looking at me.

"What- are you talking about? Who the hell is Riki?"

"That would be you~" The second entity speaks; although he has no face, I can picture him smiling gently. "Do you hate the name?"

"Ah... no? I..." I massage my face, pressing down the corners of my eyes with my fingers. "Just a moment, please. Let me process!"

"Tch." The first entity clicks his tongue, annoyed. "We don't have that much time—"

"We have plenty~ Don't be like that!"

"Whatever..."

I turn my mind blank, devoid of thoughts. After what feels like a whole minute, I draw in a quick breath, letting go of my face. My gaze shifts towards the two entities before me, their presence both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. I avert my gaze, looking around, trying to understand what place I am in currently.

The place is a massive space filled with nothing but dark nothingness. You'd think then everything around me is also dark, but no, it's brightly lit. The whole area has an eerie yet strange illumination, although there is no light source... at least I can't see it. The walls, if they can even be called that, seem to shimmer and shift, giving the illusion of movement within the stillness. It's an unsettling yet mesmerizing sight, like staring into the depths of an endless abyss. If you look at it for too long, you'll see the darkness moving, like a soft and squishy jelly; but in reality, it's the same still. You're just hallucinating. Pretty crazy stuff.

I look back at the entities. At first, they had no exact figures, right now both look and sound like males. Am I hallucinating it too, or is my interpretation of the two shaping their existence?

"Who are you?" I ask cautiously. "I... was in Yokohama just now, wasn't I? I was in Bungou Stray Dogs... most likely. I met Akutagawa, I'm sure of it. He spoke like Ono Kensho. It's possible that I mistook his face or other stuff, but Ono Kensho's voice is impossible to mistake. I cannot mistake Ono Kensho's voice, just so you know. That was Ono Kensho—"