Sun from the Moon

09. Predictions

- Secret -

The child stayed discreetly behind the crates on the deck. He seemed to be hiding, watching the Kingdom of Science's crew in action.

Aboard the Perseus, good mood was infectious, even though they were heading into the unknown and possibly, danger. As he'd seen so many times before, the tasks were skillfully distributed and everyone did their bit under the guidance of their tireless leader, Ishigami Senku. At the moment, he wasn't in his vision field -probably in the control room or mobile lab- nor the other person so dear to his heart, Asagiri Gen.

The crew on deck noticed him though, and he heard his made-up name, echoing over the sound of the waves hitting the ship's hull. Yuzuriha gave him a warm wave. Ryusui ruffled his hair as he passed by, and François offered him a warm, tasty biscuit, which he gobbled up.

However, his mind was elsewhere.

Although he hadn't known them long, he loved them deeply, in a way he couldn't control. Yet, he still was a stranger who'd appeared in their world and lives overnight, 2 months and 7 days earlier. A stranger who'd indirectly caused their ship to burn, and why...? Why was he on board that night? He'd been trying to remember ever since, to no avail.

His mind was in a fog. But he was sure that, when he came to this stone world, his memory was intact. Two months ago, he'd known who he was and why he ended up in this... future? He wasn't sure. There was something strange about this time, where this group was struggling to unravel the petrification mystery and rebuild modern civilisation from zero. A sense of 'déjà vu', as if he'd heard about it before.

Still, he didn't know if he'd really travelled in time, or why the word 'Gen' was written on his hand. Unanswered questions flew through his mind like crows cawing, reminding him that he was hiding something serious, even to those he loved most. Because his amnesia wasn't caused by his fall down the Perseus stairs, and he knew it well.

He remembered the shrill sound that had petrified him, pinned him to the ground and knocked him unconscious. It had echoed in his ears, guts, head, scrambling his thoughts, turning them into an unreadable frequency, putting his memories out of reach, and the most scaring thing was that this wave seemed to keep asking 'why', like some kind of claim.

So, when he heard about the 'Why-man', he chose to keep it to himself. Same for the vision of a tree engraved with dates, in the middle of a fire, afraid it symbolized something bad for them. After all, if even Suika, barely a year older than him, tried not to be a burden, how could he, a stranger, afford to be? Soyuz had tried to reassure him, but Secret didn't want to take advantage of their kindness or cause any more trouble.

Fists closed, he bit his lips nervously.

Deep down, he knew his presence here had an important meaning. A matter of life and death. So, he needed to know. Was Kohaku right to be suspicious of him? Had he been attacked by the 'Why-Man' or did he have some connection to him? If so, he refused to be his instrument and hurt them, even though he knew hiding these elements could backfire.

As a result, he dreaded the moment when he would have to tell them this 'detail' that wasn't. He was afraid of their rejection, of losing their trust. He feared to disappoint Senku and Gen, but wanted to get answers first. That way, he could defend himself without involving them. That way, the magician wouldn't be sidelined again. His two special ones wouldn't drift apart once more, though his fault.

Suddenly, his worst fear returned. What if he could never remember who he was, no matter how hard he tried? After what he'd just experienced in his sleep, that thought frightened him more than anything else. He felt his heart clench and closed his eyes to shut out the world, when a soft voice pulled him out of that bottomless pit.