First Love: With Your Past | HanaNene Fanfic

Chapter 1: Fading of Grief

I was only six years old when my world began to crumble. The soft, golden light of the afternoon sun streamed through the window of our small apartment, illuminating the scattered toys and brightly colored drawings that filled my room. It was a time when laughter echoed in the halls, and my father's love wrapped around me like a warm blanket. But that warmth faded quickly, replaced by a chilling emptiness that seeped into every corner of my life.

I can still remember the last day I saw my father. It was a day like any other, filled with giggles and the sweet scent of my mother's cooking wafting through the air. He smiled down at me, his face lighting up with pride as I showed him a drawing of a princess in a flowing gown, surrounded by flowers. "This is beautiful, Nene," he said, his voice rich with affection. "You have an incredible talent." I beamed up at him, my heart swelling with joy.

But then came the day when the laughter turned to silence. I had been playing with my dolls in my room when my mother's voice called to me, trembling and urgent. "Nene, sweetheart, come here."

When I rushed into the living room, I found my father slumped against the wall, pale and gasping for breath. Panic surged through my small frame as my mother knelt beside him, her hands shaking as she dialed for help. The blaring sirens seemed to echo in my ears, an ominous sound that foreshadowed the unraveling of my childhood.

Days turned into weeks, and soon we were living in the Red House, an old, creaky building that towered over the others like a forgotten giant. My mother hoped it would be a fresh start after the tragedy, but for me, the shadows in the corners of the house only served as a reminder of what I had lost. My father's laughter had been replaced by a haunting silence, and in my young heart, grief settled like a heavy stone.

As I wandered through the vast, empty rooms of the Red House, I could feel the sorrow imprinted in the walls. On my first night there, as the wind howled outside, I lay in bed, unable to sleep. It was then that I felt something shift in the air around me—a presence, gentle yet profound, calling to me in a way I couldn't quite understand.

In the quiet darkness, memories washed over me like waves. I saw flashes of my father, playing hide-and-seek with me in the backyard, his laughter ringing in my ears. Then the memories grew darker, filled with the sounds of coughing and the sterile smell of hospitals. I clutched my stuffed bunny tightly, tears streaming down my cheeks as I tried to fight off the memories of that terrible day.

But as I closed my eyes, something unexpected happened. I was pulled into a vision, a swirling landscape of colors and shadows. It felt surreal, as if I was both a part of it and an observer.

In this vision, I saw a boy—Amane Yugi. He stood in a room that looked strikingly similar to mine, bathed in soft moonlight. His hair was dark, and his eyes shone with a sadness that resonated deeply with me. As I focused on him, the scene shifted. Suddenly, I saw Amane standing at a window, watching something in the distance, a look of longing etched across his face.

My heart raced as I watched him reach out toward the darkness beyond, as if he could touch something just out of reach. I felt a connection to this boy, an inexplicable bond that tugged at my heartstrings. I had never met him, yet I felt as though he understood my pain.

But then the vision took a darker turn. I saw flashes of violence—Amane's expression shifting from longing to despair as he faced his twin brother, Tsukasa. The shadows danced around them, and my breath caught in my throat as I witnessed Amane's anguish, the desperation in his eyes as he struggled with something unseen.

And then, just as quickly as it had begun, the vision faded, leaving me gasping in the dark. I was back in my room, surrounded by the familiar scent of my toys and the creaking sounds of the old house. The warmth of the day had long since vanished, replaced by an unsettling chill that crept into my bones.

"Who are you?" I whispered into the darkness, my heart racing. "Amane Yugi?"

But the silence answered me with an ominous finality, echoing through the empty rooms of the Red House, leaving me with a sense of unease that I couldn't shake. I was just a little girl, lost in a world filled with ghosts—of my father, of the boy in my visions, and of the memories that haunted me. The past was not done with me yet, and the shadows were closing in.

When I woke up in my mother's bed, the soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow around the room. I remembered choosing to sleep with her that night; her presence always brought me comfort. As I lay there, I felt a familiar pull to explore the house, to seek out the visions of Amane Yugi that had become so integral to my existence.

Quietly, I slipped out of the covers, careful not to disturb my mother, and tiptoed through the dimly lit hallway. The creaky floorboards beneath my feet seemed to whisper secrets of the past as I made my way to the room my mother had said would be mine now. The door creaked open, and I stepped inside, a thrill of anticipation coursing through me.

The room was filled with remnants of Amane's life, a time long before my own. The air felt thick with memories, and as I looked around, I caught sight of him as a small boy, maybe my age, lying in a futon. The vision struck me like a bolt of lightning, and I felt an immediate connection. There was something about his frail figure and the sadness in his eyes that reminded me of my father during his last days. It was in that moment, as I watched him, that I realized I had fallen in love with him—this boy who had endured so much pain yet seemed to radiate warmth and kindness.

Amane's memories flooded my mind, showcasing his deep love for his brother, Tsukasa. I could see their interactions, the way he encouraged Tsukasa, always pushing him to be strong, to persevere. Those memories brought me comfort, an escape from my own grief. On days when I was lucky, I could glimpse Tsukasa's memories too, providing me with fleeting moments of understanding about their bond.

But then, one day, everything changed. I stumbled upon a dark memory of Tsukasa making a deal with a demon beneath this house, a chilling moment that sent shivers down my spine. After that, the visions stopped. I was left in silence, clinging to the remnants of Amane's spirit that lingered in the walls, the warmth of his aura now just a whisper.

As the weeks passed, I hung on to the essence of Amane, desperately trying to summon his memories. I yearned for his comforting presence, yet the house felt emptier than ever. It wasn't until just a month ago, on my fifteenth birthday, that everything spiraled into chaos.

The vision struck me like a nightmare I couldn't wake from. I saw Amane again, but this time, he was engulfed in darkness, his expression twisted in despair. I watched helplessly as he killed Tsukasa, the love I had admired now marred by violence. My heart shattered as I saw him take his own life immediately after, the pain in his eyes too much for me to bear.

This horrific revelation left me reeling, and I threw myself into research, desperate to understand. What had led him to such a tragic end? My weeks of studies revealed something that sent a chill down my spine: I would be attending the same high school as Amane had fifty years prior, Kamome Academy. The thought filled me with both excitement and dread. Would I find answers there? Or was I destined to repeat the cycle of pain and loss that haunted his memories?

With each passing day, the weight of the past bore down on me more heavily. I decided that Amane probably had a good reason to kill Tsukasa. After all, the never had a bad relationship. Thinking back to it. The last Tsukasa memory I had was more like him than the others. I know that some memories can be out of order, but who was the Tsukasa i was seeing? I decided to forget about it and read manga all night, but then my mom snatched the book away from me. "Mom!" I said desperately. Finally getting to the good part of my manga. "Nene, it's a school night remember?" She responded in a scolding tone. Oh yeah thats right. 

I go to Kamome Academy Tomorrow...