The Medium (Chapter 2/4)
30/7/15 12:48![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
24iza_runTitle: The Medium
Rating: G (For this chapter)
Genre: AU, friendship, horror, angst
Characters: Sakurai, Aiba (Mentioned of Ninomiya and Matsumoto in this chapter)
Disclaimer: Slightly inspired from Fatal Frame. Only the plot is Mine. Not Arashi!
Summary: 10 years ago Sho was saved from a haunted spirit by the town's medium, Aiba. The two of them become best-friends-forever and always stick to each other after that until one day Sho was forced to stop from seeing his only friend. What Sho doesn't expect though is to find out that he might lose Aiba in the most saddening way. Now it's all up to him to let the Final Ritual to be performed, or save Aiba and drag their town into its calamity.
Warning: Supernatural stuff and mentioned of human sacrifice
“Today I want you to come home straight after school. I need you to help me clean up the expired stock at the store. Your father was complaining about it.”
Sho abruptly stops eating at this. His sharp glare goes immediately to his mother who is eating her food calmly, but he restrains himself from saying anything. Instead he brings his dish to the sink and washes it quietly.
“You know that you are our only son, right? You should start to learn how to manage a business from your father starting now. Our neighbors are so excited to see your performance after your previous exam result. It will be wasteful if you don’t use your brain and talent to improve our family business.”
“I’m not interested to work yet. Let me plan my future myself.”
“But Sho we already let you to do anything you want until now. Just listen to me for this time. Come home early today and ask for your father’s guidance-”
“I need to stay back at school today-”
“Quit answering me and listen! Don’t you dare to stop anywhere else! Come home straight after school!!!”
Sho closes the water tap immediately. He hasn’t turned to his mother behind yet, but he is more than sure that her face must look really red now with her murdering eyes on him. That realization though somehow doesn’t frighten him the least. Quite on the opposite he just smiles cynically to himself by how right he was for thinking that his mother is saying that only because she doesn’t want him to get closer with Masaki anymore, but too coward to say it directly. Not to forget that he knows her real intention is not actually because she wants to prevent him from grieving over his best friend like she has said too, but so he will start to really ‘socialize’ with the neighborhood like the boys around his age does in order to avoid other people from side eyeing their family for having a son who never participating any festival or social events – if underage drinking and nonsense talk can be called as ‘socializing’ for him. He prefers a lot time more spending his free time to hang out with his friend who have to stand by 24 hours in order to maintain the ‘harmony’ of their so beloved hometown than snorting endlessly by how naive people in that town thinking. Clenching his hands tight by the thought, Sho tries to keep his tone stable as he speaks.
“My homeroom teacher needs my help to fix the proposal for the final year students’ vacation. I might return home late like last night.”
He grits his teeth hard when hear his mother heaves a relief sigh out.
“Then it’s fine. You have to go home straightaway after that, you got it Sho?”
Sho feels like the vein on his hands will rip out of his skin for any further word from his mother. Muttering his leaving, Sho grabs for his school bag from the chair immediately and storm out of the house. Somehow then he still manage to stop at the front of the gate to spare his hateful glare on their family old business sign there before stomping away while gripping on his bag strap. Later when he reaches an abandon route with tall grasses on the left and side, he inspects carefully his surroundings for the last time to make sure that there is nobody around and quickly walk into it to change into the casual clothes that he already wore under his uniform earlier at home. He prepares himself in no time before he begins his long journey to the direction where his friend has been brought to. The fact that he has to walk through a thick forest to avoid from get caught by anyone doesn’t bother him the slightest as he just determinedly step forward despite his bandaged ankle.
Minutes change into hours. During the entire time Sho would never take a break longer than 5 minutes to drink or massage his sprain. If possible he doesn’t even want to stop at all since he has no idea how far the priests have taken Masaki to, but his injury limiting his movement much to his frustration. Not to forget that even though he is used to walkthrough a forest since he was small, at that time it will definitely be Masaki who always lead their way. Masaki’s sense of navigation is really good since the latter once has mentioned that he has a really good term with nature which Sho doesn’t find it questionable at all considering Masaki’s reputation as a Medium. He even feels so grateful that his friend have that ability since it always help the two of them to explore the nature as both are quite adventurous themselves. His parents also never have anything against it as long as Masaki is with him, proving just how influential his friend among the people who know his true ability. After all, the entire town has been entitled as Sacred Land by some people and communities for a very long time already thanks to the Mediums’ presence.
Their surrounding was now pitched black as they continued to walk deeper into the woods. Sho was leading the way with a flashlight while Masaki just mutely followed his friend behind. Judging from Sho’s harsh and hasty steps, the Medium knew that his friend was still angry by what his parents had said about his incapability to become a doctor when he grows up again. Both of them were only 16 years old at that time and were trailing woods close to Sho’s house to search for the good spot to watch fireflies.
“AH!”
Masaki startled and rushed forward when found Sho was now whining painfully on the ground. He helped his friend to sit on the ground before directing the light to Sho’s feet to check if there was any injury or sprain. After making sure that his friend was not hurt anywhere, he helped him to get up and sighed.
“Let me walk first this time. You might trip on the root again if you’re walking with this mood.”
Sho hissed furiously, but didn’t say anything in return when Masaki already started to walk. He might act like a little child for ignoring Masaki’s further words, but he was too angry to react. His parents’ sarcastic comments still rang annoyingly in his ears that it killed his excitement for this long awaiting adventure with his best friend straightaway even before they left the house. That irritation though didn’t stay for long once he heard a long howl suddenly came from somewhere.
“What is that?”
Sho abruptly stopped, alarmed. His eyes moved everywhere worriedly when heard another long howl erupted in the dark forest. His face turned to pale by instant once realized that the tree not afar was then shaking without any warning. The previously angry teenager now felt butterflies in his stomach as he stuck on the same spot due to fear.
“It’s a dog. That sounds comes from outside of this forest so it is fine.”
Sho immediately looked at his friends who started to walk again. Weird, cold wind then somehow suddenly hit him when he tried to take a step forward to follow Masaki’s trail. This was when he started to tremble in terrified just like when he had been chased by the suicide soul with a long rope around its neck, shrieking eerily about dying-
“Relax, Sho-chan. I’m here.”
The scared teenager soon felt a warm hand was holding his. He turned to his friend at this and found that the other one was now looking at him, smiling.
“You’re not on your own now, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
The reassuring look that Masaki gave left him stunned for a while. Only when he was dragged to continue his walk, he finally couldn’t help but chuckled in amused.
“Isn’t it weird to hold hands like this at this age?”
Though giggled by it, Masaki still didn’t let go of his hand. Sho himself didn’t oppose it and let his best friend to lead him for every step. Before he realized it both his anger and fear already disappeared solely by the warmth and sense of secureness that Masaki made him felt. As expected he always can depend on the other one when he was getting to absorb by his temper and fear.
Some several minutes later they finally found a river that they were looking for. Realizing that Masaki has released his hand to do something with the flashlight, Sho immediately turned to his friend curiously. He watched Masaki playing with the light quietly for a while before he gasped by the view of numbers of sparkling small lights on the trees around them, resembling the Christmas trees though these ones were more to the nature version ones. The two of them were gaping in awe by the sight as countless of fireflies were now coming out from all over there before settling themselves on the ground to enjoy the view till the fullest. For a while they just sat in comfortable silence until Masaki suddenly spoke.
“You know, I think it is better if we don’t hang out together anymore.”
Sho looked at his friend immediately, shocked. His eyes widened in confusion as he watched Masaki hugged his own knees tight to his chest. Looking by the expressionless face Masaki had, Sho knew he was not going to like with where their conversation was heading to.
“What? Why?”
“I just met a priest from Kyoto Shrine yesterday. He told me that a Medium is not supposed to get attached with anyone. One day I might lose control and try to hurt people that I’m attached with the most, so I should learn to be on my own from now on.”
“Masaki, you’re not supposed to listen to everything they told you. For them as long as you can function as a perfect Medium, nothing else matter. I don’t want to lose my best friend just because he is afraid to hurt me. Even if you did, you know that I will always know you didn’t mean it, right?”
“But what if one day it is fated for me to die during the ritual? The one who will hurt the most is you, Sho-chan.”
Sho turned to speechless by his friend’s sudden boldness. Probably noticing this Masaki looked at him determinedly.
“I guess this is the reason why my parents always avoid from spoiling me since I was young. They often spend more time with my brother. They must be realizing the possibility of losing me from the first place so they put a distance earlier to avoid from grieving over my death one day. Watching a person to dies by the ritual or its post-effects is too painful after all and…what more if that person is someone that you are close with.”
For a while only the sound of chirping crickets can be heard there. The wonderful view of the blinking fireflies was no longer able to grab the attention of both teenagers as they already lost in their own thought. Masaki was positive that Sho must be considering his words until the latter suddenly spoke.
“If…If our time is really that short then we are supposed to spend time together more. Not the otherwise. Everyone is going to die anytime anyway and we don’t even have an idea if it will be me who might ‘leave’ first though I have never involved with the exorcism. Everything is destined. We are only human after all. There is no reason to feel depress over something that you can’t change.”
This time it was Masaki’s turn to be speechless. When Sho threw him his serious gaze the Medium can feel his eyes started to become watery.
“In all honesty, yes, I feel sad and frustrated for being so useless every time I see you are suffering after the ritual. I feel so devastated for unable to be any kind of help when I see you in pain though I have read so many medical books. But please never blame yourself for making me to feel that way. We are friends. We are attached by our trust and years of closeness. I even see you as my own brother since we’re young. If you’re still so afraid to hurt me then let me care about you. Let me worry about you because it’s countless times better than have to put an end to our friendship.”
Sho just smiled when notices his friend’s lips were now trembling under the dim light, touched by his words. He could see Masaki was trying hard to avoid from letting the dam of tears in his eyes broke as he muttered his worry to him.
“B-But after I’m gone… What about you? You will be all alone, right? It’s unfair to leave you behind though you have accompanied me for long. You have done a lot for me while I…haven’t done anything for you at all.”
“You’re wrong, Masaki. It’s me who never return any favor to you. You have saved my life. You are patience with my temper and stubbornness. You’ve never questioned my dream and make fun of it. If there’s a person who should be ashamed for too depending on other, it should be me. You didn’t notice it, but for all this time you’re actually always can stand on your own and even relied by others while I still need you to even get a permission from my parents to go here. And about the accompanying thingy…it’s simple. We need each other so we won’t be lonely. Well, we are the best buddies ever existed after all, right?”
Masaki already cried like a little child by his words. Sho chuckled at this reaction as he brought his arm to the other one’s shoulder and pulled him closer to his side. He stroked and patted Masaki’s head as both of them returned to watch the blinking scenery before them, their friendship was somehow growing stronger than ever from that night since Masaki’s insecurities had been wiped away completely. That was the mark of their last trip together before Masaki had to quit school a few months later.
It is getting darker in the forest before Sho realizes it. Fear now begins to suffocate him as his eyes move to every inch of his surroundings worriedly. This, undoubtedly, is the situation that he scared the most when he decides to go and save his friend on his own last night. No matter how enthusiastic he feels to save Masaki, there is still nothing he can do with his greatest fear toward anything that related to scary stuff, especially in the middle of the thick forest like now. He can feel shiver run down on his spine by the sound of cracking branch and hooting owl for every heavy step he takes forward. Cold sweat as well already trickles down on his pale face as he tries hard to even his breath. The trembling teenager really thought he almost get a heart attack when hear a creaking door sound from somewhere that make him to move his shaking fingers clumsily to a nearby tree for support. His eyes though open wide once realize there is a wooden cabin not far from his standing place with a man standing in front of it.
‘That clothes…a priest?’
His eyes follow the priest’s every move quietly until the man disappears from there after closing the cabin door. As soon as he is sure enough that the pries has moved far away from the area, he quickly approaches it. His eyes open wide in disbelieve by the realization of such an old building is actually exists in this kind of creepy forest before he eventually gather his courage to peek inside from the only window there. The fact that the cabin has been lighten up by an oil lamp make him alert that the priest might come back anytime soon, but at least it helps him to make sure that it is unoccupied.
‘Why they have to build a cabin in the middle of this forest? Something fishy is going on here…’
After taking a deep breath to calm his nervous down, Sho carefully moves to open the cabin door. His heart thump hardly against his chest when the door opens wider, revealing a high stack of papers and several very old books on the table. Bookcases are cramping almost every part of the wall there with old diaries and journals which already tied by white rope and amulet paper filling every space of it. This make Sho to feel even more hesitate to move further until he notices a familiar green journal next to the only oil lamp there.
‘… Masaki’s?’
Frowning, Sho immediately opens the book. He surprises when his assumption turn out to be correct as Masaki’s handwriting come to his view. He clearly remembers that the book was a present from him for Masaki’s 15th birthday and Masaki treasured it so much that the latter used it to write down whatever stories he have told him about the world outside their hometown and what they have planned to do together once arrive there. To think that Masaki will give a very important thing of his easily to the priest somehow doesn’t make any sense to him at all.
For a while he just silently flips the pages one by one, sometimes smiling when encounter Masaki’s childish choice of word. He giggles every time he catches his typical wrong kanji character usage here and there until he reaches the last page where his smile instantly drops by a single sentence Masaki wrote there. His attention then quickly goes to a worn out letter between the pages.
Dear Ninomiya-sama,
I heard from the mighty priests that you are a close friend of Matsumoto-sama who is also the recent Medium of our beloved sacred hometown. I am sure that you must be well-informed that the Medium is a very important middle person to protect our beloved hometown from the demons and evil spirits’ intrusion since more than hundred years ago. Their existence brings a very long peaceful life to us and our ancestors until now. Their scarification and dedication for us - the commoners, was so heartwarming and pure that makes even the evilest spirit existed can find peace in the other world.
I am afraid now however, that your friendship with Matsumoto-sama might force the fate to punish the entire sacred town in return. You might not know, but emotion can kill the Medium and the person who is too attached with him in the most horrifying way. Because that was what happened when my son tried to stop his friend from went through The Final Ritual. He provoked the priests and made the situation worst. He lost his life in the hands of his own friend. As a mother of a commoner you have no idea how broken I felt when the priests told me that my son died because he disturbed the priests from performing The Final Ritual. His presence at the scene made the Medium’s emotion unstable and he died because he was strangled to death by the possessed Medium who at that time failed to take control of his body. In the end instead of sacrificing only one soul, another innocent soul lost his bound with the world as well that night. This is why as the mother of the innocent soul, I beg you to cut your relationship with Matsumoto-sama. A Medium is destined to be the pacifier between the living and the dead of our hometown. You have fulfilled your responsibility as a Medium’s friend until this moment and I believe this is the right time you should end it. I am sure that Matsumoto-sama will understand this situation as well.
A faraway voice put Sho’s reading on halt. Though still experiencing emotions swirling by what he just encountered, Sho somehow manages to get a grip of himself and make sure that everything there look exactly like before he intrudes in. Right when he steps outside to close the door he turns to panic when see the former young priest is coming to his direction with an old priest. Thankfully the two men seem so immersed with their conversation and haven’t noticed his hurried movement to hide behind the closest tree.
“May I ask something, Sensei?”
Sho can’t hear any reply, but judging from the asking priest’s ‘Thank you’ he concludes the ‘Sensei’ grants the request.
“If we force those spirits into the Medium body this time…the Medium will definitely die, isn’t he? His body is too weak to even hold one neutral spirit now.”
What the younger priest just said sends Sho into a shock state. Die? What he meant by die? As far as he knows Masaki’s body was so strong until there was a period the latter could hold 5 strong spirits at a same time.
“What I meant Sensei…those spirits that we try to destroy this time will have possibility to escape the Medium’s body before The Final Ritual is completed if we choose to proceed, isn’t it? The Medium seems already too weak to function already. If that happens…though I really don’t want to of course, what should we do?”
“We will stab the Medium on heart to avoid calamity from happening. Remember the Sacred Blade we just prayed for at the Shrine before? We are going to stab the Medium with it so the spirits will remain in the Medium’s body forever.”
Sho can’t believe what he just heard. In fact, the tone that the elder priest used was so calm that it makes him hesitant if he interprets his words wrong.
“Sensei, did you mean…we are going to kill the Medium?”
Sho feels like his entire world collapse by the simple ‘Yes’ that leaves the elder’s mouth. His heart thumps harder against his chest as he watches the young priest who is now staring at his Sensei seriously.
“But isn’t that mean the Medium will unable to reach the afterlife? His soul is not going to rest in peace and have to live in torment together with the spirits that we trapped in his body forever. He…will become a wandering soul for eternity, isn’t he?”
The long silence that fills the heavy, darkening atmosphere in the forest is killing Sho from inside. His breath and hands are trembling due to fear with his best friend’s awaiting fate. Why? Why after everything Masaki had done for their town the priest can’t even at least allow him to rest peacefully after he died? Isn’t his friend already sacrifices his own freedom and almost his life when he is still alive just for the sake of their good life? Just how cruel these people can be actually?
“This is his responsibility as the Medium. He is the connector between the living and the dead world. In other words, to through the pain and torment, and the suffering and the sadness of those restless spirits are also one of his destined ‘tasks’ when he was born into this world. Our responsibility as the priests is only to make sure that he will complete it properly – which is to send the spirits to the right place. Nothing else matter.”
The horrifying truth makes Sho speechless. For a while he even forgets to breath. His disbelieve, wide open eyes just stuck at the two priests who now stop in front of the cabin door. When he caught the younger priest bow down and apologize for his boldness instead of fighting back the cruel facts that elder once had said, Sho feels his heart like suddenly stops beating. Impossible. Freaking impossible. Are the people who are standing before his eyes are people who everyone in his town respect so much? Are the people who just said those cruel things are the same people who have been receiving all the credits for these entire pasts time though the Mediums are actually the one who put their life on the line?
Yet, the fact that the letter he had read on Masaki’s journal before mentioning the priests as ‘mighty’ just make him realize that the way of thinking already spread not only among the priests themselves, but also ‘the commoners’ in the town. Means, from the first place, his friend is actually not only had to fight the evil spirits or whatever they call it. His friend also has to face the ignorance and discrimination of people in their town regarding his right to live as well. The life as a Medium is meaningless. Masaki’s life in all truth is nothing for them in the first place.
Completely shock by the realization, Sho runs his hand on his hair due to frustration. He cringes by his own slowness. Only later he is startled by the sound of hurried footsteps which are coming toward the two priests’ place. A pale, skinny priest comes to his sight immediately as the man later clumsily stops next to the Sensei.
“The sealed spirit just arrived, Sensei! Two of the amulet papers on the sealing box already broken!”
The skinny priest then tries his best to catch his breath while the other young priest turns to their Sensei, worried. Instead of panicking the Sensei unexpectedly just nods his head calmly. Before he takes his leave from there, he suddenly turns to the two young priests.
“This town is known as a Sacred Land among the priests from the other region and communities in our nation. Everyone will definitely turn into panic if any ‘impurities’ emerge and destroy the harmony of this town. This is why a Medium exists. They are our living sacrifice in return of this ‘Sacred Land’ residents’ happiness. We have to liven up to the reputation and expectation. Always remember that.”
Once the elder priest start to walk away from there the two young priests bow down immediately to show their gratitude for the advice before tailing their Sensei from behind. That just triggers Sho’s anger even higher, what more when remembering the priest’s previous shameless statement. Despite nearly surrender to his bad temper after all those things, Sho though somehow still manage to hold himself back. He reminds himself to wait for the 3 men to disappear further ahead before he finally comes out of his hiding place, glaring hatefully at the 3 figures in front as he follows them cautiously. The pain from his twisted ankle is no longer bothering him at this point since both anger and despise grow strongly in him for each second toward everyone who takes his friend’s scarification lightly all this time. There is no doubt anymore that those people are sick for being able to live happily over someone else’s misery.
Nevertheless, for now he is more concerned with Masaki’s condition. Judging from their previous talk is seems it will only be a matter of time before The Final Ritual will be held. He prays desperately that he won’t be too late and Masaki will still be fine from any horrible things that the priests might come up with later.
Everything in the forest is already too dark for his eyes as he waits for the priests to finally come out of a cave after disappearing inside it for almost an hour. At some points Sho begins to feel worried if the priests already performing The Final Ritual on Masaki, but since the ‘sealed box’ that the previous chubby priest was talking about still hasn’t make it appearance anywhere near the cave, Sho is positive that his friend is still fine. Later when he sees the priests eventually leave into the woods with an oil lamp, he quickly come out of his hiding place and run toward the cave. Fear engulfs him once again when realize how dark the cave is with only some dim candles brighten his way.
“M-Masaki…?”
Though he doesn’t intended to, his voice comes out more as a mumble. His negative thought seems has successfully takes over his mind to feel afraid even with his own footsteps. When he can’t longer breath normally due to excessive fear, Sho hurriedly grab for his flashlight. He randomly moves it to anywhere in front of him as he steps further until his flashlight meets a lying figure on the cave floor a few meters ahead.
“Masaki?”
Seeing there is no response from the other one, Sho gathers his courage to move closer. The skinny person is lying on his back and looks so messy with his dirty clothes and disarranges hair. This makes Sho almost one hundred percent sure that the person is not the one he is looking for until he calls out for his friend’s name again, this time a bit louder.
“…Sho-chan?”
The familiar husky, yet hoarser voice than ever send Sho still immediately. When the skinny figure slowly push himself up from the rough, dirty cave floor to sit on it instead, Sho feel his eyes turn to glassy by instant. His heart break by the sight of his friend is looking at him from behind his messy bang, eyes widening in shock though he still can see the familiar softness there.
“S-Sho-chan? What are you doing here?”
Sho drops his flashlight immediately and run toward his friend. He hears Masaki’s surprise gasp when suddenly being pulled into his arms, but he just tightens his embrace instead, letting his tears of remorse fall from his eyes at the same time. He knows he is supposed to be relieved. He knows he has to be grateful to find his friend is still alive after everything that has happened to him, but never in his worst dream to imagine his friend will be left in this horrible condition. He cringes in sadness when he feels Masaki’s visible bone against his body as if the other one hasn’t been feed for a very long time. Even the clothes he wears fail to hide his trembling body due to the humidity in there. They are too cruel. They are too cruel for treating Masaki this way.
“Sho-chan? Why are you here?”
Clutching on his friend’s back, Sho then takes one deep breath to calm his nerves. As he pulls away and wipes his tears hastily, he swallows the big clump in his throat to avoid himself from breaking down again. Yes. This is not the right time to cry. He has to bring Masaki to somewhere safe first.
“We must leave now. Can you move?”
He quickly help his friend to get up which gains a painful whimper from Masaki who fall back immediately instead. Worried, Sho kneels down and apologize if he was too harsh. This is when he notices the cuff on Masaki’s left wrist which is attached with the metal chain that connected to the cave wall. At once, his blood boils with rage.
“For God’s sake! Did they think you’re a wild animal or something?!”
Masaki hushes his friend quickly, worried.
“Sho, you have to leave. The priests won’t like it if they find you here.”
“No. Not without you. They are going too far now. They never treasure you as a human being like others. And I’m not going to let them to manipulate you as much as they want like before again!”
“Remember, Sho. This is my destiny as a Medium. Changing it will bring danger to our town.”
“Not by sacrificing a life! You have done more than you should and yet they didn’t even treat you like a person now! I’m not going to stand aside and see you die, Masaki!”
Right at this very moment the two of them heard the priests’ chanting prayers are coming from somewhere. It is so obvious that the priests are approaching the cave in a large number judging from the echoes which makes Masaki instantly turn to panic. Hastily he reaches for his angry friend’s hands and holds it tight.
“Listen to me. You have to leave. The priests will not tolerate with anyone who try to intrude the ritual. Even if they won’t hurt you, I probably will. I don’t want to-”
“-kill me like the previous Medium has done to his friend?”
Masaki freezes upon the remark. Sho on the other hand returns his friend’s surprise look with a determine one, ignoring the several footsteps which are getting clearer outside.
“Looking from the letter’s condition and the writer’s way of writing I bet it has been passed down for a very long time. The priests must be using it to warn the Medium especially for those who have a close relationship with ‘the commoners’.”
“Then why are you still stubborn here? You must leave. A long life is waiting for you ahead. You have a future.”
“So does you. The priests-no, the entire town just decided that you should be the one who is responsible in return of their good life. They’re just plainly ignorant. And I’m not going to become a part of them. I won’t betray you, Masaki. Never.”
Masaki clearly want to oppose it, but Sho’s reassuring smile and tight hold on his hands make him speechless. This makes the Medium chews his trembling lower lip as he tries to surpass the tears that now threatening to leave his eyes. Despite realizing the crucial situation they are in from the echoing chanting prayers and footsteps that now already reach the cave entrance, Sho unexpectedly still manage to let out his chuckle as he pat his crybaby friend’s head. He only return into his angry self when he hears a sudden sharp ‘STOP’ order from the entrance later as he hides his friend behind him. The angry teenager can feel a sudden rush of rage flow in every vein of his body that make him more than ready to beat all the priests who are now blocking their only way out from there, their eyes full with despise and anger.
-to be continued-
>Comments, critics for improvement, and opinions are much appreciated!
Rating: G (For this chapter)
Genre: AU, friendship, horror, angst
Characters: Sakurai, Aiba (Mentioned of Ninomiya and Matsumoto in this chapter)
Disclaimer: Slightly inspired from Fatal Frame. Only the plot is Mine. Not Arashi!
Summary: 10 years ago Sho was saved from a haunted spirit by the town's medium, Aiba. The two of them become best-friends-forever and always stick to each other after that until one day Sho was forced to stop from seeing his only friend. What Sho doesn't expect though is to find out that he might lose Aiba in the most saddening way. Now it's all up to him to let the Final Ritual to be performed, or save Aiba and drag their town into its calamity.
Warning: Supernatural stuff and mentioned of human sacrifice
Chapter 2
On the next morning Sho have his breakfast like usual with his parents. He just eats his meal quietly for the entire time while his passionate father proudly telling them about the history of their family business for already like the hundred times on the very same dining table. He fully aware it is another indirect signal from his father to ‘open’ his eyes about how precious their shop again, but he just ignores it and let the elder to talk as much he wants until he satisfied. Later when his father finally leaves the house, his mother suddenly speaks.“Today I want you to come home straight after school. I need you to help me clean up the expired stock at the store. Your father was complaining about it.”
Sho abruptly stops eating at this. His sharp glare goes immediately to his mother who is eating her food calmly, but he restrains himself from saying anything. Instead he brings his dish to the sink and washes it quietly.
“You know that you are our only son, right? You should start to learn how to manage a business from your father starting now. Our neighbors are so excited to see your performance after your previous exam result. It will be wasteful if you don’t use your brain and talent to improve our family business.”
“I’m not interested to work yet. Let me plan my future myself.”
“But Sho we already let you to do anything you want until now. Just listen to me for this time. Come home early today and ask for your father’s guidance-”
“I need to stay back at school today-”
“Quit answering me and listen! Don’t you dare to stop anywhere else! Come home straight after school!!!”
Sho closes the water tap immediately. He hasn’t turned to his mother behind yet, but he is more than sure that her face must look really red now with her murdering eyes on him. That realization though somehow doesn’t frighten him the least. Quite on the opposite he just smiles cynically to himself by how right he was for thinking that his mother is saying that only because she doesn’t want him to get closer with Masaki anymore, but too coward to say it directly. Not to forget that he knows her real intention is not actually because she wants to prevent him from grieving over his best friend like she has said too, but so he will start to really ‘socialize’ with the neighborhood like the boys around his age does in order to avoid other people from side eyeing their family for having a son who never participating any festival or social events – if underage drinking and nonsense talk can be called as ‘socializing’ for him. He prefers a lot time more spending his free time to hang out with his friend who have to stand by 24 hours in order to maintain the ‘harmony’ of their so beloved hometown than snorting endlessly by how naive people in that town thinking. Clenching his hands tight by the thought, Sho tries to keep his tone stable as he speaks.
“My homeroom teacher needs my help to fix the proposal for the final year students’ vacation. I might return home late like last night.”
He grits his teeth hard when hear his mother heaves a relief sigh out.
“Then it’s fine. You have to go home straightaway after that, you got it Sho?”
Sho feels like the vein on his hands will rip out of his skin for any further word from his mother. Muttering his leaving, Sho grabs for his school bag from the chair immediately and storm out of the house. Somehow then he still manage to stop at the front of the gate to spare his hateful glare on their family old business sign there before stomping away while gripping on his bag strap. Later when he reaches an abandon route with tall grasses on the left and side, he inspects carefully his surroundings for the last time to make sure that there is nobody around and quickly walk into it to change into the casual clothes that he already wore under his uniform earlier at home. He prepares himself in no time before he begins his long journey to the direction where his friend has been brought to. The fact that he has to walk through a thick forest to avoid from get caught by anyone doesn’t bother him the slightest as he just determinedly step forward despite his bandaged ankle.
Minutes change into hours. During the entire time Sho would never take a break longer than 5 minutes to drink or massage his sprain. If possible he doesn’t even want to stop at all since he has no idea how far the priests have taken Masaki to, but his injury limiting his movement much to his frustration. Not to forget that even though he is used to walkthrough a forest since he was small, at that time it will definitely be Masaki who always lead their way. Masaki’s sense of navigation is really good since the latter once has mentioned that he has a really good term with nature which Sho doesn’t find it questionable at all considering Masaki’s reputation as a Medium. He even feels so grateful that his friend have that ability since it always help the two of them to explore the nature as both are quite adventurous themselves. His parents also never have anything against it as long as Masaki is with him, proving just how influential his friend among the people who know his true ability. After all, the entire town has been entitled as Sacred Land by some people and communities for a very long time already thanks to the Mediums’ presence.
Their surrounding was now pitched black as they continued to walk deeper into the woods. Sho was leading the way with a flashlight while Masaki just mutely followed his friend behind. Judging from Sho’s harsh and hasty steps, the Medium knew that his friend was still angry by what his parents had said about his incapability to become a doctor when he grows up again. Both of them were only 16 years old at that time and were trailing woods close to Sho’s house to search for the good spot to watch fireflies.
“AH!”
Masaki startled and rushed forward when found Sho was now whining painfully on the ground. He helped his friend to sit on the ground before directing the light to Sho’s feet to check if there was any injury or sprain. After making sure that his friend was not hurt anywhere, he helped him to get up and sighed.
“Let me walk first this time. You might trip on the root again if you’re walking with this mood.”
Sho hissed furiously, but didn’t say anything in return when Masaki already started to walk. He might act like a little child for ignoring Masaki’s further words, but he was too angry to react. His parents’ sarcastic comments still rang annoyingly in his ears that it killed his excitement for this long awaiting adventure with his best friend straightaway even before they left the house. That irritation though didn’t stay for long once he heard a long howl suddenly came from somewhere.
“What is that?”
Sho abruptly stopped, alarmed. His eyes moved everywhere worriedly when heard another long howl erupted in the dark forest. His face turned to pale by instant once realized that the tree not afar was then shaking without any warning. The previously angry teenager now felt butterflies in his stomach as he stuck on the same spot due to fear.
“It’s a dog. That sounds comes from outside of this forest so it is fine.”
Sho immediately looked at his friends who started to walk again. Weird, cold wind then somehow suddenly hit him when he tried to take a step forward to follow Masaki’s trail. This was when he started to tremble in terrified just like when he had been chased by the suicide soul with a long rope around its neck, shrieking eerily about dying-
“Relax, Sho-chan. I’m here.”
The scared teenager soon felt a warm hand was holding his. He turned to his friend at this and found that the other one was now looking at him, smiling.
“You’re not on your own now, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
The reassuring look that Masaki gave left him stunned for a while. Only when he was dragged to continue his walk, he finally couldn’t help but chuckled in amused.
“Isn’t it weird to hold hands like this at this age?”
Though giggled by it, Masaki still didn’t let go of his hand. Sho himself didn’t oppose it and let his best friend to lead him for every step. Before he realized it both his anger and fear already disappeared solely by the warmth and sense of secureness that Masaki made him felt. As expected he always can depend on the other one when he was getting to absorb by his temper and fear.
Some several minutes later they finally found a river that they were looking for. Realizing that Masaki has released his hand to do something with the flashlight, Sho immediately turned to his friend curiously. He watched Masaki playing with the light quietly for a while before he gasped by the view of numbers of sparkling small lights on the trees around them, resembling the Christmas trees though these ones were more to the nature version ones. The two of them were gaping in awe by the sight as countless of fireflies were now coming out from all over there before settling themselves on the ground to enjoy the view till the fullest. For a while they just sat in comfortable silence until Masaki suddenly spoke.
“You know, I think it is better if we don’t hang out together anymore.”
Sho looked at his friend immediately, shocked. His eyes widened in confusion as he watched Masaki hugged his own knees tight to his chest. Looking by the expressionless face Masaki had, Sho knew he was not going to like with where their conversation was heading to.
“What? Why?”
“I just met a priest from Kyoto Shrine yesterday. He told me that a Medium is not supposed to get attached with anyone. One day I might lose control and try to hurt people that I’m attached with the most, so I should learn to be on my own from now on.”
“Masaki, you’re not supposed to listen to everything they told you. For them as long as you can function as a perfect Medium, nothing else matter. I don’t want to lose my best friend just because he is afraid to hurt me. Even if you did, you know that I will always know you didn’t mean it, right?”
“But what if one day it is fated for me to die during the ritual? The one who will hurt the most is you, Sho-chan.”
Sho turned to speechless by his friend’s sudden boldness. Probably noticing this Masaki looked at him determinedly.
“I guess this is the reason why my parents always avoid from spoiling me since I was young. They often spend more time with my brother. They must be realizing the possibility of losing me from the first place so they put a distance earlier to avoid from grieving over my death one day. Watching a person to dies by the ritual or its post-effects is too painful after all and…what more if that person is someone that you are close with.”
For a while only the sound of chirping crickets can be heard there. The wonderful view of the blinking fireflies was no longer able to grab the attention of both teenagers as they already lost in their own thought. Masaki was positive that Sho must be considering his words until the latter suddenly spoke.
“If…If our time is really that short then we are supposed to spend time together more. Not the otherwise. Everyone is going to die anytime anyway and we don’t even have an idea if it will be me who might ‘leave’ first though I have never involved with the exorcism. Everything is destined. We are only human after all. There is no reason to feel depress over something that you can’t change.”
This time it was Masaki’s turn to be speechless. When Sho threw him his serious gaze the Medium can feel his eyes started to become watery.
“In all honesty, yes, I feel sad and frustrated for being so useless every time I see you are suffering after the ritual. I feel so devastated for unable to be any kind of help when I see you in pain though I have read so many medical books. But please never blame yourself for making me to feel that way. We are friends. We are attached by our trust and years of closeness. I even see you as my own brother since we’re young. If you’re still so afraid to hurt me then let me care about you. Let me worry about you because it’s countless times better than have to put an end to our friendship.”
Sho just smiled when notices his friend’s lips were now trembling under the dim light, touched by his words. He could see Masaki was trying hard to avoid from letting the dam of tears in his eyes broke as he muttered his worry to him.
“B-But after I’m gone… What about you? You will be all alone, right? It’s unfair to leave you behind though you have accompanied me for long. You have done a lot for me while I…haven’t done anything for you at all.”
“You’re wrong, Masaki. It’s me who never return any favor to you. You have saved my life. You are patience with my temper and stubbornness. You’ve never questioned my dream and make fun of it. If there’s a person who should be ashamed for too depending on other, it should be me. You didn’t notice it, but for all this time you’re actually always can stand on your own and even relied by others while I still need you to even get a permission from my parents to go here. And about the accompanying thingy…it’s simple. We need each other so we won’t be lonely. Well, we are the best buddies ever existed after all, right?”
Masaki already cried like a little child by his words. Sho chuckled at this reaction as he brought his arm to the other one’s shoulder and pulled him closer to his side. He stroked and patted Masaki’s head as both of them returned to watch the blinking scenery before them, their friendship was somehow growing stronger than ever from that night since Masaki’s insecurities had been wiped away completely. That was the mark of their last trip together before Masaki had to quit school a few months later.
It is getting darker in the forest before Sho realizes it. Fear now begins to suffocate him as his eyes move to every inch of his surroundings worriedly. This, undoubtedly, is the situation that he scared the most when he decides to go and save his friend on his own last night. No matter how enthusiastic he feels to save Masaki, there is still nothing he can do with his greatest fear toward anything that related to scary stuff, especially in the middle of the thick forest like now. He can feel shiver run down on his spine by the sound of cracking branch and hooting owl for every heavy step he takes forward. Cold sweat as well already trickles down on his pale face as he tries hard to even his breath. The trembling teenager really thought he almost get a heart attack when hear a creaking door sound from somewhere that make him to move his shaking fingers clumsily to a nearby tree for support. His eyes though open wide once realize there is a wooden cabin not far from his standing place with a man standing in front of it.
‘That clothes…a priest?’
His eyes follow the priest’s every move quietly until the man disappears from there after closing the cabin door. As soon as he is sure enough that the pries has moved far away from the area, he quickly approaches it. His eyes open wide in disbelieve by the realization of such an old building is actually exists in this kind of creepy forest before he eventually gather his courage to peek inside from the only window there. The fact that the cabin has been lighten up by an oil lamp make him alert that the priest might come back anytime soon, but at least it helps him to make sure that it is unoccupied.
‘Why they have to build a cabin in the middle of this forest? Something fishy is going on here…’
After taking a deep breath to calm his nervous down, Sho carefully moves to open the cabin door. His heart thump hardly against his chest when the door opens wider, revealing a high stack of papers and several very old books on the table. Bookcases are cramping almost every part of the wall there with old diaries and journals which already tied by white rope and amulet paper filling every space of it. This make Sho to feel even more hesitate to move further until he notices a familiar green journal next to the only oil lamp there.
‘… Masaki’s?’
Frowning, Sho immediately opens the book. He surprises when his assumption turn out to be correct as Masaki’s handwriting come to his view. He clearly remembers that the book was a present from him for Masaki’s 15th birthday and Masaki treasured it so much that the latter used it to write down whatever stories he have told him about the world outside their hometown and what they have planned to do together once arrive there. To think that Masaki will give a very important thing of his easily to the priest somehow doesn’t make any sense to him at all.
For a while he just silently flips the pages one by one, sometimes smiling when encounter Masaki’s childish choice of word. He giggles every time he catches his typical wrong kanji character usage here and there until he reaches the last page where his smile instantly drops by a single sentence Masaki wrote there. His attention then quickly goes to a worn out letter between the pages.
Dear Ninomiya-sama,
I heard from the mighty priests that you are a close friend of Matsumoto-sama who is also the recent Medium of our beloved sacred hometown. I am sure that you must be well-informed that the Medium is a very important middle person to protect our beloved hometown from the demons and evil spirits’ intrusion since more than hundred years ago. Their existence brings a very long peaceful life to us and our ancestors until now. Their scarification and dedication for us - the commoners, was so heartwarming and pure that makes even the evilest spirit existed can find peace in the other world.
I am afraid now however, that your friendship with Matsumoto-sama might force the fate to punish the entire sacred town in return. You might not know, but emotion can kill the Medium and the person who is too attached with him in the most horrifying way. Because that was what happened when my son tried to stop his friend from went through The Final Ritual. He provoked the priests and made the situation worst. He lost his life in the hands of his own friend. As a mother of a commoner you have no idea how broken I felt when the priests told me that my son died because he disturbed the priests from performing The Final Ritual. His presence at the scene made the Medium’s emotion unstable and he died because he was strangled to death by the possessed Medium who at that time failed to take control of his body. In the end instead of sacrificing only one soul, another innocent soul lost his bound with the world as well that night. This is why as the mother of the innocent soul, I beg you to cut your relationship with Matsumoto-sama. A Medium is destined to be the pacifier between the living and the dead of our hometown. You have fulfilled your responsibility as a Medium’s friend until this moment and I believe this is the right time you should end it. I am sure that Matsumoto-sama will understand this situation as well.
A faraway voice put Sho’s reading on halt. Though still experiencing emotions swirling by what he just encountered, Sho somehow manages to get a grip of himself and make sure that everything there look exactly like before he intrudes in. Right when he steps outside to close the door he turns to panic when see the former young priest is coming to his direction with an old priest. Thankfully the two men seem so immersed with their conversation and haven’t noticed his hurried movement to hide behind the closest tree.
“May I ask something, Sensei?”
Sho can’t hear any reply, but judging from the asking priest’s ‘Thank you’ he concludes the ‘Sensei’ grants the request.
“If we force those spirits into the Medium body this time…the Medium will definitely die, isn’t he? His body is too weak to even hold one neutral spirit now.”
What the younger priest just said sends Sho into a shock state. Die? What he meant by die? As far as he knows Masaki’s body was so strong until there was a period the latter could hold 5 strong spirits at a same time.
“What I meant Sensei…those spirits that we try to destroy this time will have possibility to escape the Medium’s body before The Final Ritual is completed if we choose to proceed, isn’t it? The Medium seems already too weak to function already. If that happens…though I really don’t want to of course, what should we do?”
“We will stab the Medium on heart to avoid calamity from happening. Remember the Sacred Blade we just prayed for at the Shrine before? We are going to stab the Medium with it so the spirits will remain in the Medium’s body forever.”
Sho can’t believe what he just heard. In fact, the tone that the elder priest used was so calm that it makes him hesitant if he interprets his words wrong.
“Sensei, did you mean…we are going to kill the Medium?”
Sho feels like his entire world collapse by the simple ‘Yes’ that leaves the elder’s mouth. His heart thumps harder against his chest as he watches the young priest who is now staring at his Sensei seriously.
“But isn’t that mean the Medium will unable to reach the afterlife? His soul is not going to rest in peace and have to live in torment together with the spirits that we trapped in his body forever. He…will become a wandering soul for eternity, isn’t he?”
The long silence that fills the heavy, darkening atmosphere in the forest is killing Sho from inside. His breath and hands are trembling due to fear with his best friend’s awaiting fate. Why? Why after everything Masaki had done for their town the priest can’t even at least allow him to rest peacefully after he died? Isn’t his friend already sacrifices his own freedom and almost his life when he is still alive just for the sake of their good life? Just how cruel these people can be actually?
“This is his responsibility as the Medium. He is the connector between the living and the dead world. In other words, to through the pain and torment, and the suffering and the sadness of those restless spirits are also one of his destined ‘tasks’ when he was born into this world. Our responsibility as the priests is only to make sure that he will complete it properly – which is to send the spirits to the right place. Nothing else matter.”
The horrifying truth makes Sho speechless. For a while he even forgets to breath. His disbelieve, wide open eyes just stuck at the two priests who now stop in front of the cabin door. When he caught the younger priest bow down and apologize for his boldness instead of fighting back the cruel facts that elder once had said, Sho feels his heart like suddenly stops beating. Impossible. Freaking impossible. Are the people who are standing before his eyes are people who everyone in his town respect so much? Are the people who just said those cruel things are the same people who have been receiving all the credits for these entire pasts time though the Mediums are actually the one who put their life on the line?
Yet, the fact that the letter he had read on Masaki’s journal before mentioning the priests as ‘mighty’ just make him realize that the way of thinking already spread not only among the priests themselves, but also ‘the commoners’ in the town. Means, from the first place, his friend is actually not only had to fight the evil spirits or whatever they call it. His friend also has to face the ignorance and discrimination of people in their town regarding his right to live as well. The life as a Medium is meaningless. Masaki’s life in all truth is nothing for them in the first place.
Completely shock by the realization, Sho runs his hand on his hair due to frustration. He cringes by his own slowness. Only later he is startled by the sound of hurried footsteps which are coming toward the two priests’ place. A pale, skinny priest comes to his sight immediately as the man later clumsily stops next to the Sensei.
“The sealed spirit just arrived, Sensei! Two of the amulet papers on the sealing box already broken!”
The skinny priest then tries his best to catch his breath while the other young priest turns to their Sensei, worried. Instead of panicking the Sensei unexpectedly just nods his head calmly. Before he takes his leave from there, he suddenly turns to the two young priests.
“This town is known as a Sacred Land among the priests from the other region and communities in our nation. Everyone will definitely turn into panic if any ‘impurities’ emerge and destroy the harmony of this town. This is why a Medium exists. They are our living sacrifice in return of this ‘Sacred Land’ residents’ happiness. We have to liven up to the reputation and expectation. Always remember that.”
Once the elder priest start to walk away from there the two young priests bow down immediately to show their gratitude for the advice before tailing their Sensei from behind. That just triggers Sho’s anger even higher, what more when remembering the priest’s previous shameless statement. Despite nearly surrender to his bad temper after all those things, Sho though somehow still manage to hold himself back. He reminds himself to wait for the 3 men to disappear further ahead before he finally comes out of his hiding place, glaring hatefully at the 3 figures in front as he follows them cautiously. The pain from his twisted ankle is no longer bothering him at this point since both anger and despise grow strongly in him for each second toward everyone who takes his friend’s scarification lightly all this time. There is no doubt anymore that those people are sick for being able to live happily over someone else’s misery.
Nevertheless, for now he is more concerned with Masaki’s condition. Judging from their previous talk is seems it will only be a matter of time before The Final Ritual will be held. He prays desperately that he won’t be too late and Masaki will still be fine from any horrible things that the priests might come up with later.
XXX
Everything in the forest is already too dark for his eyes as he waits for the priests to finally come out of a cave after disappearing inside it for almost an hour. At some points Sho begins to feel worried if the priests already performing The Final Ritual on Masaki, but since the ‘sealed box’ that the previous chubby priest was talking about still hasn’t make it appearance anywhere near the cave, Sho is positive that his friend is still fine. Later when he sees the priests eventually leave into the woods with an oil lamp, he quickly come out of his hiding place and run toward the cave. Fear engulfs him once again when realize how dark the cave is with only some dim candles brighten his way.
“M-Masaki…?”
Though he doesn’t intended to, his voice comes out more as a mumble. His negative thought seems has successfully takes over his mind to feel afraid even with his own footsteps. When he can’t longer breath normally due to excessive fear, Sho hurriedly grab for his flashlight. He randomly moves it to anywhere in front of him as he steps further until his flashlight meets a lying figure on the cave floor a few meters ahead.
“Masaki?”
Seeing there is no response from the other one, Sho gathers his courage to move closer. The skinny person is lying on his back and looks so messy with his dirty clothes and disarranges hair. This makes Sho almost one hundred percent sure that the person is not the one he is looking for until he calls out for his friend’s name again, this time a bit louder.
“…Sho-chan?”
The familiar husky, yet hoarser voice than ever send Sho still immediately. When the skinny figure slowly push himself up from the rough, dirty cave floor to sit on it instead, Sho feel his eyes turn to glassy by instant. His heart break by the sight of his friend is looking at him from behind his messy bang, eyes widening in shock though he still can see the familiar softness there.
“S-Sho-chan? What are you doing here?”
Sho drops his flashlight immediately and run toward his friend. He hears Masaki’s surprise gasp when suddenly being pulled into his arms, but he just tightens his embrace instead, letting his tears of remorse fall from his eyes at the same time. He knows he is supposed to be relieved. He knows he has to be grateful to find his friend is still alive after everything that has happened to him, but never in his worst dream to imagine his friend will be left in this horrible condition. He cringes in sadness when he feels Masaki’s visible bone against his body as if the other one hasn’t been feed for a very long time. Even the clothes he wears fail to hide his trembling body due to the humidity in there. They are too cruel. They are too cruel for treating Masaki this way.
“Sho-chan? Why are you here?”
Clutching on his friend’s back, Sho then takes one deep breath to calm his nerves. As he pulls away and wipes his tears hastily, he swallows the big clump in his throat to avoid himself from breaking down again. Yes. This is not the right time to cry. He has to bring Masaki to somewhere safe first.
“We must leave now. Can you move?”
He quickly help his friend to get up which gains a painful whimper from Masaki who fall back immediately instead. Worried, Sho kneels down and apologize if he was too harsh. This is when he notices the cuff on Masaki’s left wrist which is attached with the metal chain that connected to the cave wall. At once, his blood boils with rage.
“For God’s sake! Did they think you’re a wild animal or something?!”
Masaki hushes his friend quickly, worried.
“Sho, you have to leave. The priests won’t like it if they find you here.”
“No. Not without you. They are going too far now. They never treasure you as a human being like others. And I’m not going to let them to manipulate you as much as they want like before again!”
“Remember, Sho. This is my destiny as a Medium. Changing it will bring danger to our town.”
“Not by sacrificing a life! You have done more than you should and yet they didn’t even treat you like a person now! I’m not going to stand aside and see you die, Masaki!”
Right at this very moment the two of them heard the priests’ chanting prayers are coming from somewhere. It is so obvious that the priests are approaching the cave in a large number judging from the echoes which makes Masaki instantly turn to panic. Hastily he reaches for his angry friend’s hands and holds it tight.
“Listen to me. You have to leave. The priests will not tolerate with anyone who try to intrude the ritual. Even if they won’t hurt you, I probably will. I don’t want to-”
“-kill me like the previous Medium has done to his friend?”
Masaki freezes upon the remark. Sho on the other hand returns his friend’s surprise look with a determine one, ignoring the several footsteps which are getting clearer outside.
“Looking from the letter’s condition and the writer’s way of writing I bet it has been passed down for a very long time. The priests must be using it to warn the Medium especially for those who have a close relationship with ‘the commoners’.”
“Then why are you still stubborn here? You must leave. A long life is waiting for you ahead. You have a future.”
“So does you. The priests-no, the entire town just decided that you should be the one who is responsible in return of their good life. They’re just plainly ignorant. And I’m not going to become a part of them. I won’t betray you, Masaki. Never.”
Masaki clearly want to oppose it, but Sho’s reassuring smile and tight hold on his hands make him speechless. This makes the Medium chews his trembling lower lip as he tries to surpass the tears that now threatening to leave his eyes. Despite realizing the crucial situation they are in from the echoing chanting prayers and footsteps that now already reach the cave entrance, Sho unexpectedly still manage to let out his chuckle as he pat his crybaby friend’s head. He only return into his angry self when he hears a sudden sharp ‘STOP’ order from the entrance later as he hides his friend behind him. The angry teenager can feel a sudden rush of rage flow in every vein of his body that make him more than ready to beat all the priests who are now blocking their only way out from there, their eyes full with despise and anger.
-to be continued-
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
30/7/15 06:35 (UTC)thank you for update!!I'll be wait for next!:D
(no subject)
6/8/15 16:07 (UTC)Just updated! Thank You SO much for reading dear! :D
(no subject)
30/7/15 14:23 (UTC)I don't know how to say. But honestly, this one... really make me angry and sad at the same time. How strong Sho's feel about his friend and destiny about the medium for Masaki, that's make me feel that. Hope they can be strong when together or even being a part. （＞＜。）
I relieve the real medium in reality doesn't need to do that.
I really looking forward for the next chapters. Hope you can make my heart break a piece like this one. ^ ^
(no subject)
6/8/15 16:14 (UTC)Just updated it! And I think...it might break your heart just like you wish... Thank You SO much for reading!
(no subject)
30/7/15 16:06 (UTC)(no subject)
6/8/15 16:16 (UTC)Just updated it ^^ Thank You SO much for reading!
(no subject)
31/7/15 06:28 (UTC)(no subject)
6/8/15 16:18 (UTC)I'm glad you feel that way ^^ I just updated a new one! Thank You SO much for reading!
(no subject)
31/7/15 20:08 (UTC)He sacrificed his life for other people happiness..
I know you fated to born as a medium ..
But ..I want him to be happy with his bestie ..
(╥_╥)
(no subject)
6/8/15 16:20 (UTC)Just updated it *hug* Thank You SO much for reading!