Haruto frowned ever so lightly.
Tokyo was starting to be basked in darkness. Not the thick one though, it was evening. He could here the distant sound of combustion from vehicle exhausts.
Haruto truly wondered was the Branch V lair sound proof? But uhh, that didn't matter right now…right?
Apparently, it was time to check the parchments.
Hesitating slightly, he took a look at the parchments. Their titles were weird. But it didn't matter.
There was something, right above the title of each parchment. It was a blur. But, he was curious, really curious.
And then finally…
'...Yes!'
He could see it now. But,
…His vision grew dim and he was soon plunged into an abyss of obsidian.
***
Haruto frowned.
He hesitated a little, then frowned even more.
Something…something wasn't right somewhere, he couldn't quite make out what it is. But he could tell. There was serious wrongness.
It really didn't matter though, all that mattered was the parchments Mr Grey had given to him. He withdrew them both from his pockets and stared at them rather strangely.
Apparently it was time to check their content.
But… The title…
'Why did this feel so familiar? Like…like I've lived this moment before? Like I've seen it before?'
Just above the title of the books, he could see something, it was a blur. And he was curious, very curious, enough to want to know what was actually written there.
Then, realization hit him.
But, he was a moment too late.
…His vision greyed out.
'Damn ….it'
***
Suddenly sitting on the bed out of nowhere, Haruto shook his head slightly. Then, he brought out three long books from his pocket.
It was time to check the parchments, he truly cherished them so to say.
But, didn't that sound too familiar?
Dazed for a moment, he chuckled ever so lightly, withdrawing the parchments from his pockets.
'Familiar? Surely I'm not running mad am I?'
Then, he read out the titles: Chorus of a thousand steps, Astral Oracle, Thousand piercing punctures…
He frowned.
'Something just wasn't right. There's so much anomaly'
Desperately, he tried to figure what it was. But,
Damn it! No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't figure it out. It was like his memory was a blur…
Wait a minute! A blur?
Something sparked, like a miniscule light ignited in deep obsidian. He remembered something, something that old man had said.
What was it again? Whatever y'er do lad, do not try to read whatever is o'er the title.
Title? Looking back at the parchments, he could see a blur right above each one, it felt so nostalgic.
Nostalgic? Blur?
Suddenly, his eyes widened, immense terror finding solace in the depths his fragile heart.
He gasped, lurching back as he hurled the parchments away like cursed relics, his back pressed flush again the door — as though the wood could protect him from whatever he had nearly invited in.
'...Curses what is that thing?!'
Haruto shivered, frozen on place.
This had to be one of the most terrifying experience since he was born…twice. He gritted his teeth.
'...Curse that old man!!'
He genuinely wanted to make Mr Grey suffer for all he had done to him in just the span of a day. Of course the old man had warned him not to check what was above the blur. But of course…would he have checked it in the first place if he had not the knowledge that it was there? The damn blur was almost unnoticeable after all.
It couldn't be compared to the pain he had faced when he got stoned to death, or when he had been gutted by jaggd rods on the harrowing train.
But this…this was even worse. He had no doubt he would've become a zombie if that thing continued. He didn't know how many times it had wiped his memory of it's existence. But with every one, he was falling into the abyss of a time loop. He'd be caught In the moment repetitious.
Who the hell would save him from that? Captain? No, he'd rather not fall victim in the first place. Prevention they say, was better than cure.
He gritted his teeth and summoned courage to walk back to his bed, cold sweat permeating the length of his spinal cord.
But, come to think of it. There had to be a reason Mr Grey had given him…right? After one day of meeting the man, he noticed, although the man was actually mad, he never did things without absolute reason.
Originally, he felt the man was mad for naming his cylinders. However, after thinking for a while, he found it very sensible. It was infact mad, but naming the objects would help him know which one was empty, which one was filled, which one was old, which one was rusty, which one was in good condition.
But he had asked himself, why did the old man name the statues also? That was simple really. He had tried to imagine himself roaming the large expanse of the whole cave without the help of the old man. In one word…IMPOSSIBLE! He just couldn't, he'd get lost and confused. After all said and done, the old man was still human after all. And so, he would've also got lost.
But by naming the statues and recognizing them, it was easier to navigate the whole expanse of the cave and know where and where each books where.
And what about threatening him with the horror? Shivering slightly, Haruto fell into deep thought. Of course, he hadn't meant it that way. Although, he felt deep resentment towards the old man and wanted nothing but to pay him back somehow.
But, why did humans always have to do this thing? Just why? It made him feel guilty and obligated to replicate. He didn't like the feeling one bit.
Of course Mr Grey had done it for his own sake. There was an option of taking him to the horror's residence and saying.
"Hey there lad, this is a horror"
That was what any other person would've done. But, it wouldn't be the same. Not in the slightest but. The man had wanted him to feel the fear, the horror. So that it wouldn't be something new when he actually met one that wanted to eat him.
'Do they like human meat?'
He thought for a moment, and shaking the weird thought off, he sighed. Deep beneath the madness, Mr Grey was coating sincere care towards him. Yes, it had to be.
As someone who had been on the receiving side of human emotions in two worlds for a long while, he could see through that clearly.
His eyes darted. Towards where he had hurled the parchments.
'This one is no different. It had to be for a reason'
Uneasiness gnawed on his patience.
But,
…Just what was it?