Falling Light 1.5: The Chaos that Crawls

Chapter Four

"Sotto-san. Sotto-san!"

My shoulder is shaken, but I didn't want to wake up at all. Probably because I wanted to get more sleep. As much as I want it, I know that Maribel is trying to wake me up. I guess it didn't take much long at all, considering that I took the bullet train to Chiyoda. I should have expected much.

I open my eyes to look at Maribel, staring out of the window. She's smiling with bright eyes, probably excited to be here. It is Chiyoda, so it makes sense. Still, I wonder if Maribel is the type that enjoys anime, manga, or light novels? I bet not since she has more important matters to deal with, but I know that she's looking for her friend.

"We're here."

"Oh, goodie. Thanks, Hearn-san."

Finally made it to Chiyoda, though. The train stops at Tokyo Station and the doors open. We walk out of the train, walking out of the train station together. The way we're walking so close together, we'd probably be mistaken for a couple. That kind of misunderstanding can pose a lot problems for me.

That was one hell of a dream. I can't believe that I remembered it. My first meeting with Yukari where she tried to eat me. It was a frightening experience to behold. Having my powers awaken at that precise moment saved my life.

I got lucky once again. I know that I'm a lucky person. Combine that with determination and it's less likely that I'm going to be killed by anyone. I ironically have either the Devil's luck, or God's blessing that saved me from death many times. There's so many situations where I should have been dead already.

"Here you go, Sotto-san. These were interesting entries that you wrote in."

They aren't that interesting. She doesn't seem fascinated, either. There's something about that tone of hers that makes me think she knows about youkais. That could just be my imagination. Maribel holds the notebook out to me and I take it back, putting it into my pocket.

"Thank you. I guess this is it, huh?"

She nods with a smile. I can sense confidence radiating from her. Looks like she's ready to find her friend. I can only pray for her. I want to help, too.

"Yes. I'm sure I'll find her. She won't be too far."

That's good to know. There's hope for her. I know that she can find her friend somewhere. It doesn't look like she needs any help, so I have nothing to worry about. Her inner power will take her far.

"Right. See you around. Before we do go our separate ways, let's take a picture."

I want to remember this. What I'm really doing is whether I should confirm Maribel's existence similar to Yukari's existence. It'll be used for evidence that I can show. Yukari knows more than I do, but I want to confirm it from her. She better not give me anything cryptic, or else I'm going to lose my mind.

"Okay!"

She seems eager. I take out my phone and turn it sideways, aiming it at myself. Maribel stands close to me. It's like I'm on a trip with a friend. Maybe more than that if I dwell on it too much.

"Three, two, one."

I take the picture of us. About two times with that before putting my phone away. I get the feeling that she and I will meet again somewhere. This won't be the last time that I see her. She's a lot more important than she looks, so I can understand the implications of how her familiarity to Yukari makes her a target to others.

"Hey, you sure that you don't need any help, Hearn-san?"

"I'll be okay, Sotto-san. I know what I'm doing."