Demonic Hollow: A Mask of Courage - Season One: War

Episode Two - Relativity

"What happened, Ryu?" Headmaster asked, Ryu was sobbing, laying down in his bed, right before bedtime. "What happened? He picked on me, and my eyes, and my ears! H-He had no right!"

Ryu sat up, an an alarm wakes him. He sighs, looking over to his bookbag. He stands, approaching it, picking it up, putting his mask on, leaving the room, leaving money for the keymaster.

"What did he say?" Headmaster asked. "He...he said I was a freak, I wasn't like him, and the other boys."

Ryu slowly walks down the road, his approach to the bread stand was a thoughtful one. Something inside propelled him, like an otherworldly desire for self-preservation. He needed the money from the job, even if he had things he wanted to do.

"Ryu, you aren't like anyone else. That is something you need to cherish. So many people are replicas of other people, originality is something that is gone in days such as these," he replied, putting a hand on his back.

Ryu sighs, cracking his neck, then rubbing the nape afterwards. It was a very calm day, very empty. He looks around, realizing this. He reaches the stand, seeing it was empty as well.

He turns around, a cold wind gusts past, his hair flowing in the wind. He looks around for a clock, but with no dice, he decides to walk away.

No more than seconds later, the owner of the stand calls to him, "quitting already?"

Ryu flinches, turning quickly around, "s-sir! I didn't see that you were there, and I thought-"

The owner approaches Ryu, smiling earnestly, "don't worry about it. The shop's closed today. It's Sunday. Go on and head home, I'll see you tomorrow." Ryu takes a moment to think before smiling slightly in return, walking away.

He thought back to that moment often, where Headmaster gave him that lifelesson. Something about it seemed...hypocritical now that he was banished from the group. It seemed more relevant, now that he was cast from his one responsibility.

He was hurt, but it was nothing short of having nothing else to do for the rest of the day. He head back home, to the motel, and entered, seeing the cleaning service fix his sheets.

It was an older lady who seemed tired, both physically, and of the job she worked. She politely bows at him, "my apologies, I am just finishing up." She swiftly batting the sheets down, scurrying past him. He watches her leave the lot, and into the admission desk.

He turns back, entering his room fully, seeing the sheets changed and washed. He closes the door behind him, setting his bag next to the door, almost instinctively. He walks to his bed and sits down.

He looks at the clock, "10:45." It had only been fourty-five minutes. Such little time was gone, and it had felt like he walked a million miles. He was impatient, he needed something to do, or else he would drive himself crazy. Work wasn't until Monday.

He had a routine going ever since Friday, which is when he started work the first day. It seemed like no time had passed since then until now, because Ryu was focused entirely on his job. Yuki, he remembers suddenly. Where was she? Could he go see her?

Those two questions bounced in his head as he sprung from his bed and to his bag, which he grabs swiftly, and just as fast, he left the room.

The streets were still unpopulated. The eerie calm didn't relax Ryu, it only unnerved him. He remembers back to Friday night, that man who was stalking him. Was he stalking him? Was he...trying to go talk to him? Before he called him a freak?

He sighs, brushing any idea of reconciliation away. He ventures around town, seeing it's entirely empty area. It was strange, but he knew the significance of Sunday to many cultures. Headmaster taught him well.