VAGABOND

XV: what are you so afaird of

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As Kamiwaii watched his friends exit through the translucent gate, his senses began to intensify with dread. The air felt heavier, as if the atmosphere weren't already filled with death and decay. He could almost taste the freedom that lay just beyond the barrier, yet a familiar sensation crept over him, a familiar aura paralyzing his limbs.

"Don't leave too soon; you've only just arrived, Kamiwaii!"

His heart dropped into his stomach as the familiar voice sunk in. One that had plagued his memories, his nightmares, and his every waking moment. The sinister words echoed around him, each syllable wrapping tighter around his fear, threatening to pull him back into the darkness he so desperately wanted to escape.

"Do you recall the day we first met, Kami? You were so young then, walking all alone by the train tracks."

His feet felt as though they were welded to the ground, his thoughts urging him to flee, his body too terrified to move a muscle.

"I believe the last thing you heard that day was—"

*HONK HONK*

Memories that had seemed to be a dreadful nightmare began to surround his mind. The rumbling metal, the blinding lights, the sensation of utter helplessness—all rushed back with vivid clarity, as if the past had been patiently waiting to reclaim him.

"Do you remember the request I asked of you? You nevertheless gave me a answer, Kamiwaii!" It gritted.

Trembling, Kamiwaii realized he could no longer escape the haunting truth that lurked in the depths of his memories. The day he lost everything, the day his world shattered into irreparable pieces. As he stood frozen in the present, the echoes of that fateful moment grew louder, drowning out the world around him. The voice continued, its tone now a chilling reminder of past horrors and unfinished business.

"You don't have to answer me quite yet,  you don't even have to turn around. We have plenty of time here, Kamiwaii!" It taunted, each word dripping with malevolence.

Fear clenched his heart like a vice, but a flicker of defiance sparked within him. With every ounce of courage he could muster, Kamiwaii forced himself to not only turn to face the source of his torment—but to take a step towards it as well. Whatever lay ahead, he knew he had to confront it—to finally start breaking free from the chains of his past and find the peace he had been seeking for so long.

"What do you want from me?" Kamiwaii asked, desperation in his voice.

"The key to even!" It replied.

He was puzzled. "What you mean the key to even?"

It smiled, a chilling sight, and said, "Your soul." As It spoke, Kamiwaii could feel fangs elongate then retract in his mouth, a physical manifestation of his inner darkness seeping through.

It's smile widened. "You feel that? What you crave will soon be yours," It said. "But what I crave is already mine."

In that moment, Kamiwaii realized the price of his desires. All he ever wanted was to be something, somebody, anything! The promise of fulfillment was hollow, for he had already lost what mattered most—his soul— partially taken from him—forcefully—the day he went walking alone. The maze of his mind he wandered was not just a physical space but a reflection of his inner turmoil.

"You felt it since the day we met, the intense power flowing through your bloodstream— you were nothing but a mere V RANK that day on the train tracks, hopelessly searching for validation, gratification, release—I gave that ALL to you Kamiwaii!"

All Kamiwaii ever needed at the beginning of this day was to comprehend his continuous mental lapses— the weird dreams, the audio hallucinations. His quest for more had led him to this place of emptiness and fire—The Kage Realm— now there he stood, the Kage King, demanding for the one thing Kamiwaii had left.

Kamiwaii took a deep breathe. "If what you crave is something that's already yours...why have you been talking to me for all these years?"

It smiled. "If you want any answers—real answers—just touch my hand, and say yes!"

Kamiwaii was desperate for answers, so much that he took a step forward, aggressively approaching the entity and made contact, his fingers brushing against its cold, ethereal form. The touch sent a shockwave through his body, an electric jolt of power and pain that nearly made him recoil.

"Oh!" It said surprisingly in disbelief. "Just say yes then, Kamiwaii," It whispered, its voice a seductive hiss. "All you have to do is say yes, and everything you desire will be yours."

His heart pounded in his chest, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The promise of power, of fulfillment, was tantalizingly close. All he had to do was surrender, to let go of his resistance and give in to the darkness.

But then, in a fleeting moment of clarity, he saw through the entity's deception. He saw the hollow emptiness behind its promises, the endless void that awaited him if he surrendered. The flicker of defiance within him flared into a roaring fire.

"Say YES Kami!" It's voice more menacing than before.

In an instant, the ground beneath Kamiwaii shifted. The translucent gate shimmering with an otherworldly light. Before he could react, he was snatched through it, the world around him blurring into a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes.

He tumbled through the void, the entity's enraged screams echoing in his ears. The sensation of falling seemed to last an eternity, his mind grappling with the surreal, nightmarish experience.

And then, with a jarring thud, he landed on solid ground. The world around him was different—brighter, more vivid. The oppressive darkness was gone, replaced by a landscape that seemed to be both familiar and alien at the same time.

"KAMI!"

Kamiwaii rose to his feet, his body aching from the fall. He looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

"Kami, you good vro? You're back!" Sutō reassured as they all stood in Dr Wonk's office, still gripping the back of his shirt.

Kure nervously chuckled as he approached. "Man I thought we was gonna have to go back in there and get you. Doc been freaking out ever since we came back and you didn't!"

Then it hit him—the time— how long have they all been gone?

Kamiwaii's gaze darted toward the clock, his eyes gradually widening in disbelief as he deciphered the positions of the hands on the old, battered analog timepiece...

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