Here, Let Me See

1: How Did This Happen?

Shuichi's yellow-like grey eyes travelled across the brick and moss rubble of what was supposedly 'Hopes Peak Academy'. Quite frankly it was strange how the teenage boy and his two friends didn't get any injuries from the destroyed scene. Well... it's thanks to the sacrifice another one of his friends had done so the others would 'live'. That sacrifice being his life. His body being nowhere to be found amongst the ruins and smoke. 

"Shuichi, everything okay?" The blueberry haired boy turned around to see his two friends that survived the rubble and the 'academy'. One an assassin- the other a mage/magician. The boy planted a smile on his face, the realisation that he wasn't alone, just staring at what use to be a gym, a cafeteria, and dozen upon dozens of corridors. "Hm, yeah, everything's alright."

The sound of cracked bricks and glass crisped along the boy's steps, as he made his way over towards his friends- who'd been watching the distance and the sky. After all, it was about time they saw the outside from within a bird cage. "So, what now?" The mage asked in desperation, as she removed her hat from her head- holding it sorrowfully on her chest. Both the detective and assassin gleamed at each other, a single idea connecting their thoughts. 

"Freedom, Himiko... freedom..." Maki Harukawa (the assassin) whispered, as the sound of birds chirped from afar. Shuichi Saihara's smile grew more and more, with his hat in his hand too. But for some reason, he couldn't answer one question in his mind: "Why am I still holding on?"

This hat he had from the moment he woke up in the 'school' brought back to much memories. Good and bad. First, it was his shyly nature. The first person he became friends with was Kaede Akamatsu. She told him that the hat wasn't needed, but the detective declined her advice. It was only until after she died that he kept the hat off, for her sake. And to show his sorrows, he removed it in her lab, and placed it on top of the piano that somehow hadn't claimed dust since the pianists passing. 

And the hat stayed there, too. From the moment Rantaro Amami was murdered, and from when Kaede was executed, everything seemed to crash. Dreams... hopes...

But although all of that trauma had finally been released into the bright blue sky and its dazzling clouds, as well as the dead's souls... everything that stood in that 'school' was now free. 

The three teens were still having their long glimpse at the sky, without lines blocking their view, like it had been for what seemed to be years. Himiko Yumeno was the first to look away and face what was in front of her- whiteness. No path nor road, just a ball of white. She stared at it with confusion, but her mind and body was telling her to walk towards it, and 'take it'. The whiteness became an addiction, like a drug. The eagerness to walk closer became more and more needy. "Himiko?" The detective called out, the mage stopping in her tracks. "I wanna go home. I'm tired." Her voice seemed to be shallow and slow, more than it usually was. Maki and Shuichi then looked at the white space, the feeling of happiness grew. Their feet trembled from other parts of the rubble, but soon made it over to their other friend. 

"Alright then, sounds good to me," Maki spoke, "I could use a little freedom." Shuichi hummed and nodded in agreement. The trio again walked towards the whiteness, and only looking back once at their place of despair.

...

And then, nothing. Birds stop chirping, the smell of dust disappeared. Everything was white. No path nor road. However, another smell interfered with the detective's nose. Peaches and lavender- a weird combination. But it was sweet and lovely. The sight of white was still there, but it wasn't as blinding, as it merged with the colours of grey and a light cream. 

And then, there was something. A table, a couple of chairs, a TV, a remote. 

Shuichi's eyes opened up slowly to see better, thinking he was imagining things. But he wasn't. There was even flowers in a vase, a beautiful window view with no bird cage outside. The teenager was a fan of what he was seeing and smelling. For some reason, the first word that came to his mind was 'safety'. And looking around again, it looked safe and spacious. But although that was great, his head started to feel heavy and painful.