Crying Night

Six: Dream

When I made it the classroom door, I could hear my classmates' conversations. They were all about Taiyou and me.

"I can't wait to see the Earth's Sun melt the Icy Blade and see her true smile!"

"I can't wait for a boyfriend... even the one I love confessed to her, but no matter how many times she heard confessions, she never agreed to go out with anyone. Is there something special about Taiyou-sama?"

"Didn't you hear that they're descended from ancient nobility? The Chikara family and The Sora family are super influential in the world today!"

"I haven't heard about the ancient nobility part, but I did hear that the Chikara family mysteriously disappeared ten years ago."

"No, they didn't disappear," I interrupted their talk as I finally opened the door, "they were murdered!"

All conversations ceased as I said this bombshell of a reveal to them. Silence enveloped the room as I opened my mouth.

"I didn't see who killed my parents since I was asleep that night. However, seeing their dead bodies on the ground the next morning spurred me into action. As you said, my and Taiyou-kun's family are part of ancient nobility, but I threw all that away to find who murdered them. You guys happy now?"

In this way, I made an abridged and fabricated version of my story of that night. I couldn't tell them the truth of that night because it would let out all of my secrets. I sat down, arms crossed, and started looking out the window.

Seeming to save me from more questions, the bell rang. Every one of my classmates sat down in shock and disbelief as the teacher, Aki Yoru-sensei, came in the room.

"What's wrong, everyone?" She asked, noticing the gloomy atmosphere.

"Nothing, Aki-sensei." One of my classmates said, "We're just worried about our grades."

"Oh. Well, this is 1-A class. It's not S." Aki-sensei nodded.

Yeah, I was in the class under S. What did you expect? I had to bust off my ass to get into this school.

"You don't have to rub it in, sensei!" Another one said.

"Well, none of you failed, anyway. So, cheer up! Nobody's going to Summer School!" Aki-sensei cheered.

My classmates roared. Everyone's going to have Summer Break! Although I was betting that they were trying to cover up the gloom of my "story," I was glad the atmosphere cleared up.

Nice, Aki-sensei! I thought.

"Well, even though none of you failed, I DO need to talk to someone. Chikara-san, come to the teacher's office after school." She announced that in front of the class.

Great. You could have said that after class, not in front of it. You're so damn mean.

In the course of one line, I was praising her then went to cursing her.

I sighed as class officially began, and then found myself blacking out.

That night ten years ago played in my dream that day. Taiyou's murdering my mother and father before my very eyes, my vow for revenge, the stars falling in the sky... all of it played in my dream. However, something was different from the rest of my dreams.

During the first year after my parents' murders, I dreamt of that daily. I would just live through it. This time, I watched it on a retro TV on repeat in pitch black darkness. I sat in a chair that looked just like the one that was in the room next to the balcony, which I hadn't seen in years.

The chair was actually a throne. It looked like the ones that you would see in old kingdoms, but there was something special about it. The cushion was a very dark blue, and at night a moon would appear that was in sync with the phases of the moon in the sky. I don't know how it did that exactly, but I loved to look at it every night. I was forbidden to sit on it for some reason, but the moon's phases on the chair captivated me.

But I was sitting on it in this dream, and it seemed to fit me just right. The cushions were still clean and comfortable. But, the moon didn't show up, even though I was in darkness. As I pondered as to why it didn't, I heard booming voice around me.

"So you're sitting on the Moon Throne, Tsuki. You shouldn't have done that. Now I will come for you for sure and suck your power out of you!"

And at that, I woke up on Hoshi-onee-sama's bed.

I had no idea how I got there, but it was night already.

"Wasn't I at school...?" I asked myself as I sat up.

A towel fell from my head. I didn't even feel it on my forehead, and when I looked down, I noticed something.

I was a little skinnier than when I fell asleep. It wasn't that much to be worried about, but it seemed weird. How long does it take to lose weight?

But, despite my change in body weight, something weighed on my mind.

The voice at the end of my dream... I recognized it. But where did I hear it...?

While I was wondering where I heard it, I heard a clang. "Tsuki...? You're up...?"

Hoshi-onee-sama ran towards me, hugged me and cried.

"Onee-sama, how long was I out?" I asked a little worriedly since her reaction seemed unnatural.

"It's currently the end of August." She answered with her eyes facing the ground.

I suddenly realized why I was skinnier. I slept through summer break. How many times did the TV repeat in my dream? I thought it was only twice. '

Still. I lost the chance to enjoy summer break. And, what's more, I knew I had to go to school tomorrow without any of my work done.

"I guess I'll have to cram my summer homework..." I sighed. I already struggled with school as it is. How can I cram on the last day or few of summer break?

"Well, somehow, St. Kieli's Board of Education decided to exempt your homework due to your unnatural sleeping spell. But, Aki-sensei still wanted to speak with you when you woke up." Onee-sama assured me.

"Ah. Yeah, I fell asleep during class..." I sighed.

"Well, that couldn't be helped, so she doesn't mind. After all, I think he is creeping up on you."

"He?" I tilted my head.

She looked at me with fear in her eye as she mentioned the person who wanted me dead.

"Chikara Mizuo. Your very own father."