"Reflections of a Distorted Reality" | BSD | FYOYAZAI♧Fanfiction

Chapter 2: The Breaking of Memories

The fire crackled softly in the background, casting flickering shadows on the wooden walls. Fyodor's eyes never left Chuuya, studying him like a predator observing its prey. Chuuya's grip on Dazai's hand tightened momentarily, then slackened as if some unseen force was pulling him under.

"You don't have to fight it, Chuuya," Fyodor whispered, his voice smooth and beguiling. "You already know the truth... You just need to remember."

Chuuya's eyes glazed over slightly, the confusion from earlier replaced by something deeper, more troubling. He leaned back into the cushions of the couch, head tilted as if he were listening to something no one else could hear. Fyodor stepped closer, his fingers tracing along Chuuya's jawline with a gentleness that belied the sharpness in his gaze.

"What... truth?" Chuuya muttered, blinking as if he were waking from a long sleep.

"The truth of us, of what we mean to each other," Fyodor replied, his voice dropping to an intimate whisper. "You, me, Dazai... We're bound together, Chuuya. We always have been. You've just... forgotten. But I can help you remember."

Chuuya frowned, a flicker of doubt crossing his features. "I... don't remember that."

Fyodor's lips curved into a knowing smile as he moved closer. "No? Then let me show you."

Before Chuuya could respond, Fyodor produced a small, pristine white book from the folds of his coat-the Stray Dog, with a cover so bright it almost seemed to glow in the dim room. The surface was smooth and cold, almost ethereal. He opened it with a deliberate slowness, as though unveiling something sacred.

"This book," Fyodor explained softly, "can unlock memories. False or real... does it really matter? In the end, it's the memory that defines who we are."

Dazai, who had been silent until now, narrowed his eyes, recognizing the book immediately. The Stray Dog... so it really exists, he thought, his mind flashing through countless fragmented rumors and possibilities. Of course, Fyodor would be the one to find it.

His head began to spin, a strange haze threatening to overtake him again. The memories aren't real, he reminded himself, trying to hold on to the sliver of clarity he still had. But... why does it feel so familiar? Why does it feel like something I should remember?

For a moment, Dazai hesitated, his body heavy, as though the reality around him was shifting. It's an illusion. It's Fyodor's trickery, nothing more. But deep down, a whisper lingered-What if this is how things were always meant to be?

Dazai's thoughts wavered. I've always manipulated others, bent reality to my will... His chest tightened as he cast a glance at Chuuya. But what if, just this once, the manipulation was never mine? What if everything really did slip through my hands?

But then, amidst the fog, something clicked. No. Fyodor's power lies in deception, in twisting the truth until you can't see straight. I know better. I always do.

His breath steadied, and his eyes sharpened. It's time to break free.

Fyodor's honeyed voice snapped him back to the present. "Shh, Dazai. This is for him."

Chuuya's gaze was drawn to the book as if he couldn't help but look at it. His breathing slowed, his pupils dilating slightly as Fyodor began to flip through the pages. The air in the room grew heavier, thick with something unseen but undeniably present.

"Look," Fyodor urged, his voice like silk. "Look, Chuuya. Remember."

And then, the world shifted.

Chuuya's eyes widened as images flooded his mind-scenes of him and Fyodor together, walking through snowy streets, laughing, leaning into each other under the warm lights of some unknown town. There were whispers of shared nights, stolen kisses, moments of intimacy he had no recollection of, but they felt so vivid, so real. And Dazai was always there, lingering at the edges, part of their world, their connection.

Chuuya staggered back, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "I... I remember..." he whispered, though he wasn't sure how much of it was true. But the warmth, the closeness of Fyodor, felt too real to deny.

Dazai stood abruptly, his eyes sharpening. He could see the trap closing in around them, the way Fyodor had dug his claws deep into Chuuya's mind. But even more disturbing was how easily Chuuya had succumbed. "Chuuya, no! It's a lie. He's manipulating you-"

But Chuuya's gaze had already shifted, locked onto Dazai with an eerie sense of calm. "No... no, Dazai. It's you who doesn't remember." His voice was soft, almost sympathetic. "Fyodor saved us. You just can't see it yet."

Fyodor smiled approvingly, stepping back as Chuuya rose to his feet. "That's right, Chuuya. You've finally remembered the bond we share."

Dazai's jaw clenched, his mind racing. He could see the trap closing in around them, the way Fyodor had dug his claws deep into Chuuya's mind. But even more disturbing was how easily Chuuya had succumbed. "Chuuya, no! It's a lie. He's manipulating you-"

"Am I not?" Chuuya shot back, his voice hardening as he stepped toward Dazai. "Or is it you who refuses to accept the truth?"

Before Dazai could react, Chuuya grabbed him, using his enhanced strength to pin him against the wall. The impact knocked the wind out of Dazai, but what shocked him more was the cold, determined look in Chuuya's eyes. It was as if the Chuuya he knew was slipping away, replaced by something darker, something Fyodor had crafted.

"I won't let you ruin this, Dazai," Chuuya said, his voice low, filled with a strange conviction. "We belong together. Me, you, and Fyodor."

Dazai struggled, his usual smirk nowhere to be found. "Chuuya... this isn't you. This is his doing."

Fyodor watched from the side, his smile widening as the scene unfolded. "It's beautiful, isn't it, Dazai? How easily the mind can be molded. How easily the strongest can fall."

Dazai's eyes flicked toward Fyodor, then back to Chuuya, his mind working quickly despite the pressure on his chest. "Chuuya, think about it. Why would you believe him? Why would you trust Fyodor of all people?"

Chuuya hesitated for a split second, his grip on Dazai loosening ever so slightly. But Fyodor was quick to intervene, his voice smooth as silk. "Because I've always been there for him, Dazai. When you abandoned him, when you left him behind, I was the one who picked up the pieces."

Dazai's breath caught. He could feel it-the web Fyodor had spun around Chuuya's mind, so tight, so calculated. But there was something more. Something didn't add up.

And then it hit him.

Dazai's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing in them. "Fyodor... you're not controlling him. Not really, are you?"

Fyodor's smile faltered, just for a moment, but it was enough for Dazai to see through the cracks. "You've already fallen under the Book's influence, haven't you?"

Chuuya's grip tightened, but Dazai ignored the pain, his focus entirely on Fyodor now. "You made a mistake. You tried to control us, but in doing so, you trapped yourself. These memories... they aren't just ours, are they? They're yours too."

Fyodor's eyes darkened, his smirk fading into something more sinister. "You're clever, Dazai. But it's too late. Chuuya's already mine."

Dazai let out a breathless laugh, despite the weight pressing against him. "You're not as invincible as you think, Fyodor. You've lost control."

Chuuya looked between them, confusion clouding his expression. The memories, the feelings... they felt so real. But Dazai's words gnawed at the edges of his mind.

"Chuuya," Dazai said, his voice softer now. "Don't let him use you. Fight it. You're stronger than him. We are stronger than him."

For a moment, Chuuya hesitated again, his mind battling between the false memories Fyodor had planted and the reality Dazai was urging him to see. Fyodor's hand reached out, as if to reassert his control, but Dazai's next words were a sharp dagger.

"The Book made you its first victim, Fyodor. You've been lying to yourself this whole time."

The room fell into silence, the weight of Dazai's revelation hanging heavy in the air. Fyodor's expression darkened further, his grip on the situation slipping just as he realized the depths of his error.

And Chuuya, standing in the center of it all, was left at the crossroads between illusion and reality.