|• 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐄𝐆𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋 •| [ꜱʜᴀʏ ᴏʙꜱɪᴅɪᴀɴ 𝐱 ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ]

|• 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 •|

[ᴀ/ɴ - ꜰᴏʀ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇ, ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴏɴ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴍᴏᴅᴇ.]

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Ashen clouds rained from the sky for days, leaving behind a desolate landscape devoid of vegetation and any signs of life. It resembled scenes from a wartime movie: shattered buildings, unrecognizable structures, and a town square reduced to rubble. The city, once a futuristic marvel, now lay in ruins, its former glory fading into distant memory.

She had visited this city several times before, in the days before the invasion and destruction. At first, she had dismissed the vivid images as mere dreams or visions. However, the surroundings felt too real to be mere figments of her imagination. It was a grim reality she couldn't deny. Tears welled up as she witnessed the transformation of the once-harmonious city into a wasteland within a single day.

She possessed an unusual ability. Her fingers twitched, her heart raced, and she suffered frequent headaches, both in her dreams and the waking world. Fear kept her from sleeping at home, sometimes enduring sleepless nights to avoid confronting the destruction that had befallen the city. She grew to despise the summoning that had brought destruction upon her city.

"How could a simple summon bring such devastation?" Her mind raced. Sleep deprivation worried her loved ones and those around her, but she remained tight-lipped about her experiences, fearing no one would believe her.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

(E/c), ashy eyes snapped open, and she gasped for breath, drenched in sweat. The recurring nightmares held her in their grip. She sat up, heart pounding, and scanned her dark surroundings. "It's still night," she noted, unsurprised; these dreams often left her awake between four and six in the morning.

She got out of bed, dressed, and brushed out her raven-blue hair. Carefully, she opened her bedroom door and found the house still shrouded in darkness, her mother yet to be awake. Exiting the house, she wandered through town, often finding herself by the harbor to watch the sunrise. It felt like déjà vu, like memories from a forgotten past were resurfacing. She wondered if it had something to do with the crashing waves against concrete and rocks.

This time, however, things felt different. An eerie sensation of being watched had haunted her since she first arrived at the harbor a week ago. She tried to call out to her unseen observer but was met with silence. Scanning the area, she saw nothing out of the ordinary—just the crashing waves and a few birds.

It was only as she walked back home that she felt a sudden pull toward the harbor, unable to explain it. Then, as if in response to her curiosity, a gasp escaped her as she was forcefully pushed into an alleyway, a firm hand on her throat.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" a voice demanded.

Opening her eyes, she came face-to-face with a young man, not much older than herself, wearing dark sunglasses and a red bandana. His blueish-black hair framed his face, with light green bangs resembling a wing partially hidden beneath other strands. He wore a blue trench coat, dark pants, and shoes.

His grip on her neck tightened when she remained silent. Fear gripped her as her breath grew labored. "My name is none of your concern," she strained to say, "I come here because of my nightmares. It helps to be here."

His narrowed eyes fixated on a pin on her jacket with the letters 'L.I.D.' "What's your connection to Duel Academy?"

Confusion and recognition washed over her. "Duel Academy?" she thought. Then it hit her. "Is he... no, it can't be. Could it?" Her mind raced, wondering if he was a survivor of the events she had witnessed. "By your expression, you must know what I'm talking about. Now answer me!"

His grip tightened further, making her gasp and struggle for air. Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to speak. "You survived... But I don't understand. Everyone I saw there was gone. How are you here?" Her voice trembled, a mix of nervousness, relief, and sadness.

His teeth grit, torn between his rage and his desire for answers. How did she know about the events that had transpired? Was she a spy for Duel Academy? "If you know so much," he demanded, "tell me where Lulu is! Tell me, or I'll treat you like the rest of them!"

Her breaths grew more labored as he tightened his grip. "I don't know anything about Lulu," she gasped. "I saw her, yes. If she's the one with dark purple hair and pink eyes, then yes. She was captured by Duel Academy. That's all I know."

It seemed like she wasn't lying, but he continued his interrogation. "Then how did you know we were attacked? No one knows about that, except his son and perhaps the Leo Institute."

Collecting herself, she replied calmly, "I have no connection to Duel Academy, but I know about what you've been through. I have this strange ability, and it's linked to my necklace. That much I know. But I also share your pain because I witnessed it, not physically, but through visions or dreams. I've had my fair share of sleepless nights, and it's made worse by my lack of memories from my past. If I had them, maybe I'd know what to do."

She had finally revealed her secret, and it felt like a weight had been lifted. "All I am is a student who attended the Leo Institute. This started happening a year and a half ago, only half of the three years my father disappeared."

His grip on her neck loosened, and she slumped to the ground, gasping for breath. She would need to conceal the bruise later to avoid questions from her family.

Initially, he felt remorse for hurting her, but his thirst for revenge took precedence. At least some of his questions had been answered. But her mention of a necklace with a connection to their dimension and events was difficult to believe. How could she know about the destruction they had witnessed? He couldn't trust her.

She stood up, facing the stranger with crossed arms. "I understand you don't trust my words," she admitted, "and I can't blame you. My story is far-fetched, and my knowledge of the events is hard to explain. But I'm willing to help in any way I can, and I assure you, everything I've said is the truth. I hope, in time, you can come to trust me."

He sighed, removing his sunglasses and scarf. Her surprise at his unmasking did not go unnoticed. "What?" he inquired.

She chuckled nervously. "I wasn't expecting you to take off your mask and glasses. By the way, I think introductions are in order now that the interrogation is over."

"I'm (Y/n) Fujiki."

"Shay Obsidian."

[ᴇᴅɪᴛᴇᴅ 1117 ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ]