Merciless Loop

CHAPTER 07 - Connection

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Connection

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Her eyes are covered by the back of her palm, slender back resting on the soft comfort of the bed inside the unlit room. Only the peaking weak rays of the full moon can help allow the naked eyes to see the figure that is silently releasing juices of sadness from her heart. It was a solemn night. Only thoughts of the past and her taken paths argue inside the walls of her agitated mind.

“What the hell is happening…” words of confusion with little strength exits from her mouth. “What is he?”

“Haruchan?” a call from outside the room echoes along with a feint knocking sound on the room’s wooden door. “Can I come in?” the voice continues.

She quickly wiped away her tears and grabbed the nearest pillow on her right, giving it a tight squeeze with her arms. “It’s okay.”

Squeaking sound of the door was heard after the knob turns clockwise. The light from outside the room unintentionally blinds the figure inside making her intuitively raise her hand to cover her eyes. Like many of the other times, the person who intrudes the dark space chose to not lit the room as she knows her sister wouldn’t want it as well, especially at this moment. Light footsteps were heard as she approaches the girl hugging a pillow on her bed.

“Is he the same man?” she uttered gently as she sat on the cushion that holds her sister.

“He’s not.” Haruna replied and brings herself up to sit. “He’s different.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

It took her a while to answer. She gathers balloon of breath and let out a sigh. “It could be. But…” her eyes shifts from the nowhere to her sister’s. “…he saw my wings.”

Shocked as expected, her sister’s eyes widened and a frown appears on her forehead. “That can’t be… only non-humans can see our wings.” Her eyes rolls downwards and bit her lips to thinking. “Do you know what he is?”

“I… I have no idea.” She buried her face onto the pillow. “I hope he’s not one of them… Not now.”

Keiko can’t help but feel a lot more worried for her sister, that her arms reaches for the girl’s body and wrapped her on an embrace. “Whatever that was, we always got your back.”

“I’m… I’m actually afraid oneechan.” Haruna quaked, tightening her arms on the lifeless pillow, leaning her body closer to her sister.

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Her feet slow down as she nears the said room, captivated by the sound of skilfully pressed keys of a grand instrument. Her back leaned against the wall beside the entrance door of a room that she visited for the first time ever since she was admitted to that school. How she gets there is thanks to a friend from the club room of someone she holds dear, as she was pointed that the person she’s looking for was here.

The sound of the piano travels gracefully from the said room onto Yuko’s ears, hearing every note was like a needle that pins her heart. Clutching her chest as the rhythm of every key brings tears to her eyes; it was as if those are words that were only meant for her. Every note of every step, every pause in its wielded melody makes her want to cry out for a reason she herself can’t figure out what.

As the song near its end, feint sobbing harmonizes with these combinations of notes like it was composed with it. Captivated by the song and worried of the heard gasping of breath, the girl who’s been listening outside was slowly dragged by her own feet to enter the room. She walked slowly and set her eyes to the person who’s beautifully pressing the monochrome keys with passion and feelings.