The Beast Within (Shinkai/Kaishin)

To Break and To Heal

Sapphire eyes opened slowly and Shinichi touched immediately his head, letting out a quiet groan. He had a murderous headache and the surface was cold and uncomfortable. His senses alarmed him immediately into sitting up but the detective froze as he couldn't.
Something kept him on the ground. But what was that? Why could he move around, just not get up? He didn't feel any bindings on himself.

Shinichi shifted his gaze around, coming face to face with Kaitou KID, just a few meters further. He opened his mouth to ask but shut himself up with an audible click. KID... his eyes looked so empty, so lifeless, almost... almost doll alike. What had happened to him? What was wrong now again?! Shinichi wanted to cry out but no voice left his throat.
A blinding glow emitted from the ground below the detective and Shinichi had to shield his eyes as the magic circle he had been trapped in vanished. The internal panic became only worse as Shinichi scrambled to get back onto his wobbly legs and stumbled over to KID who didn't twitch a single muscle.
"KID?! KID what's wrong?! KID can you hear me?!"
A hypnotist?! What on earth was going on here?! Shinichi waved in front of KID's eyes, lacking any reaction from the white phantom. His eyes were still glued onto the place Shinichi had been trapped on. The detective wanted to cry. He had no idea what was happening, had no idea what had happened and had no idea what was going to happen.

Shinichi took a deep breath to calm down and let slowly go of KID's shoulders he had been shaking the last two minutes and took another look around. A laboratory? No... far from it. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he recognized candles, a kettle and a wardrobe filled with suspicious objects he did not want to get a closer look at and old books. This honestly looked like a witch's chamber. A demonic cult who believed in magic? Why were they here?
And suddenly, the stench of blood came to his attention. Shinichi whirled around to stare at the corpse of a woman his age, dressed in a ceremonial gown, a creepy looking dagger stuck in her chest. Shinichi swallowed as he took this view in. KID? Did KID kill her? Who did she use to be?
The detective didn't have to check. Her eyes were open, a mischievous yet painful smile settled on her lips... she was pretty, extraordinary pretty, and obviously not alive anymore. Yet she wasn't stiff... a sign it hasn't been too long since her murder. Shinichi didn't bother to secure any fingerprints, it was just as obvious who killed her.

Shinichi sighed quietly, his racing heart slowly settling down. Maybe he would find a few clues if he searched through this chamber. Deep in thought, Shinichi let himself fall into his usual routine.

"Meitantei? Meitantei, what are you doing here?"
Shinichi froze and began to tremble. Joy overcame him as he turned to face KID, now... with a few meters more distance to him?
"KID! Oh god you're okay. Y-you have no idea how much you freaked me out."
Shinichi awaited KID to approach him, tell him he was fine, smother his concerns with his sweet and gentle voice, yet no such thing happened. KID remained with a careful distance to him on the edge of the stairs, ready to bolt at one wrong move of his Meitantei.
"...KID? Is anything wrong...?"
Shinichi hesitated. Was he mad at him? But KID was never mad at him, no matter what happened.

KID's eyes wandered over to the dead body and his eyes grew wide, in a second he was over her and examined her.
"I-is she-?! She... she is dead."
His voice was dry, almost as if he was holding back tears. The detective drank this clue in like water.
"...KID w-what are you talking about? You killed her, right?"
KID turned back towards Shinichi, a pokerface slamming onto his face.
"I don't kill people, Meitantei. It pains me you believe that~ However, I must excuse myself now... until the next moonlit light, farewell~"
A tiny explosion was audible and KID disappeares within a cloud of blue fog, leaving behind a bewildered Shinichi.
"KID WAIT!! W-where are you going?! Aren't we going home t-together?! Hey!!"

Shinichi stared at the spot KID had stood upon mere seconds ago, flabbergasted. Where did he go? Why did he leave?
"KID!" he yelled again, gathering his last bravery to rush towards the stairs and upwards, nearly stumbling over his own feet. Arriving at the secret door, a voice from below held him back.

"Broken detective, broken thief. One will splitter, one will heal."

Shinichi froze, the tiny hairs at his nape standing up in horror. There was someone with him.
As quiet and careful as possible, the detective moved back downstairs again, trying to spot anything amiss.

"Childish innocence, hurtful knowledge."

The voice came from a crystal ball seated on a cushioned pillow. Shinichi couldn't believe his eyes. Was there a speaker?
"Who is there?! Show yourself!"

"Akako-sama knew what was happening. Akako-sama healed and splittered."

Sapphire eyes darted towards the bloody woman on the floor.
"...her name... was Akako? Why...? Why is KID acting so weird?"
Shinichi felt the urge to drill further, whoever or whatever this was, it knew what was going on.

"To heal, one must be broken. To remember, one must forget."

Realization dawned upon Shinichi, his eyes began to water. A storm of emotions came over him, he felt like drowning any second.
KID remembered who he was. KID received Kuroba Kaito. KID became Kuroba Kaito. But the price... Shinichi tried to suppress his tears but it was no use, one after another escaped until they streamed down his cheeks.
"KID forgot... us... right...? Our memories, our time, the entire months together in my house? He doesn't remember any of it? Nothing...?"

"To heal, one must be broken. To remember, one must forget. The decision was made by the fated who would forget. He chose to break and to heal, thus Akako-sama broke and healed."

Shinichi's vision went white.