Project Nodachi

tavern secrets

*Present day*

*Nodachi POV*

My eyes opened slowly for what seemed like the first time in ages. My body felt heavy, it took everything in me to rise up and survey the unfamiliar scenery. I was in a cold, dark cave. I couldn't see anything, but I could hear faint footsteps moving around in the darkness.

"Zero?" I called out. The footsteps stopped suddenly.

"Noda? Finally you're awake." Zero said.

"Finally? How long have I been out?!" I asked.

"2 days." He said.

I had been out for 2 days?! I started to panic. I laid here unconscious for all this time while Kaori's out there all alone. Not to mention what came of Max and Pakuyo! I winced as I tried to jump quickly off the ground, looking for my phone. Back in the alleyway I had exerted more than 100% of what my body was capable of, so it made sense that I couldn't move freely. The power I felt was amazing, my body practically moved on its own in a flash. I began to rummage around frantically in search of my cellphone but was interrupted by a warm hand on my arm.

"Don't panic. What do you need?" Zero asked. His voice was monotone as usual but he sounded as if he was actually concerned about me. I couldn't see him through the darkness so I looked up at what I assumed was his face.

"M-my phone." I said.

He leaned down closely, close enough that I could feel his long hair tickling my shoulder. He reached around me and grabbed something lodged under my thigh and freed it with a firm tug. He placed the cold object in my hands before stepping back finally.

"You're sitting on it."

"T-thanks." I said weirdly. "Not everyone can see through the darkness you know."

I typed in my passcode quickly, it was my sister's birthday so I could never forget it. My notification tab was full of missed calls from Kaori. Relief filled my body, causing me to fall back suddenly against the cave wall. She was okay, my little genius could survive anything.

"Of course she's okay Noda."  Wisteria chimed into my head.

"Wis! You're okay too!" I said out loud earning a weird look from Zero whose face I could finally see from the faint glow of my phone screen.

"Wis? Have you decided to change my name?"  She asked.

"No!" I sighed. "It's a nickname."

"A nick..name?"

"We'll talk later!" I exclaimed.

I opened my favorite contacts and scrolled past Max and Pakuyo-san's numbers to find Kaori. The phone rang for what felt like forever.

Riiiing. Riiiing. Riiiing. Click!

"Noda! Are you okay? I've been calling you!" Kaori screamed as the call connected causing me to pull the phone away from my ear. I could visualize the small frown on her face as she finished.

"I'm fine, Kaori how are you?! Where's Max?"

"I'm okay... but Max..." She paused. My chest started to feel tight as it usually did when I was going to cry.

"Kaori. Where Max?" I said shakily.

"H-he protected me Noda! And they took him away for it!" Kaori was full on sobbing at this point. I tried my hardest to keep it together for her sake, but I couldn't keep my breathing from accelerating at the news. Tears began to stream from my eyes against my strongest will.