Author's note: Hello all! If you've made it this far into the story, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Every second of your time is invariably precious and spending it on my novel means so endlessly much to me. Ten chapter of The Space Between have been released, and many more are in development. This story has only just begun, and has so many twists and turns in store for you. If you've made it this far, leave a comment and tell me that you're here, and if you want, let me know what you think of the novel thus far. Thank you all for 10
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As Sakido headed to the fireworks show taking place within the Mitzi gardens, a staple of the city of Tokyo, he observed his surroundings acutely. Arriving closer to the area, he entered the merchant area, where their were shops, food vendors, and street games. He, as he never had before, took in these sights in a surreal fashion. The sight of smiling children, happy mothers gifting their children sweet treats, happy couples walking together and holding hands without a care in the world, business owners writhing in the happy futility of their life. Sakido thought to himself how lucky it would be to be so mundane, so rudimentary, yet, he also thought of how sickening that existence would be as well.
Was that to be all that life is? An infinitesimal game where the outcome is left invariable? Where the endings are all the same, regardless of the effort put in? He witnessed a street vendor hand a small girl an ice cream cone, the girl in response, dancing and clapping in anticipation. These individuals had no bounty on their head, no irrational thoughts in mind, they could embrace themselves in their environment, and to that, came the thought of bliss.
Within himself, he felt a mounting jealousy, and continued down the winding path. He passed the wonderfully kept gardens that the rural area of tokyo was known for. Breathtaking Cherry Blossoms had bloomed from one side of the gardens to the other. Their bright pink and red just seemed to invoke a warmness and latent desire within him. He knew that these flowers were Ichika's favorite, he hated to think of her and what she loves after what had happened within his mind only a night ago. As much as he attempted to push these thoughts away, they crept into his mind and haunted the catacombs of his mind. Every thought made the fire burning in his brain to grow much more intensely. He put his hands to his head and rubbed his temples, along with these actions he let out a frustrated sigh and took in the view of the people within the gardens. Every little instance that he saw somehow triggered his mind, every small detail could make a mental paper trail spanning to some malicious phenomenon that has happened either recently or within the past. If this wasn't enough, he was plagued by the thought that it was his parent's assassin that has saved him. What purpose could an assassin that took their throne by force be desiring with him? He didn't take any second for granted and knew that just because she let him live once doesn't mean that luck would favor him a second time.
The cacophonous sound of all of the show participants flooded his ears, he proceeded to look towards the ground, lost in thought for a moment. To think how his life would proceed deeply unsettled him, and simultaneously turned his stomach. He knew deep inside that he had pulled roped into something of which he had no choice, and also had no idea of how large it could possibly be. Even being in a place like this, which housed so much innocence and joy, he couldn't begin to find even the slightest solace within it.
As a stone ripples the surface of water upon contact, Sakido felt a sudden jolt of pain to the back of his head. He turned around to spot Izumi behind him. Her position hinted towards the possibility that she flicked him, as she was lowering her hand as he turned around.
"What the hell, Izumi?" Sakido asked immediately, inflamed with a moderate frustration.
"You're just standing there aimlessly, I might as well make use of you somehow." izumi responded with a slight grin across her face.
"By flicking me, really? You couldn't have just said something?" Sakido reproached to her.
"Well now, where would have been the fun in that?" She said, with an even larger smile this time. She looked down slightly and pushed her glasses up. Sakido glanced at her and saw her dressed in much more casual clothing than he was used to seeing her in. He was used to her professional teaching attire. Even when she took care of him, he didn't see her in casual clothing so much, so it was certainly an occurrence to see it so suddenly.
"What the hell are you looking at? Pervert." Izumi said with her eyebrows lowered.
"Wha-? Jesus Izumi I'm not looking at you like that." Sakido protested.
"Coulda fooled me." Izumi said while rolling her eyes.
"Where's Ichika?" Sakido asked.
Izumi looked past him and said "Over there up that hill, just on the cliff face."
Sakido looked behind him and spotted the location izumi was referencing.
As Izumi began walking past him, Sakido ran behind her and said laboriously "Um, Izumi, actually, I have to talk with you about something. Something I couldn't do earlier."
She peered at him with a concerning look hin her eyes that was visible even through the glint on the lenses of her glasses. "Does it have to be now?" She asked reluctantly.
"Yes, now." Sakido insisted.
"Okay then, but we'll walk and talk. What do you want?" Izumi responded, clearly not interested in Sakido's antics.
"Izumi, before I woke up earlier today, I had some sort of dream... I mean, not really a dream, but a vision." Sakido explained, hardly able to formulate his words.
Izumi scoffed and spoke "I could tell, about 30 minutes before you woke up, you started showing odd signs. You were sweating at first, I could hear faint noises coming from our mouth. Eventually, I saw tears come flowing from your closed eyes, and you were speaking to me."
"Speaking, what did I say?!" Sakido immediately demanded to know.
"It wasn't in English, it was in German. It's odd, because you don't know German. What makes it even more odd, is that it was the speaking language of Kurotsuchi. Well, to the residents of that dimension, it's referred to as 'Vorne'. And the human realm is known as the Menschlichten."
Sakido took in the information as he looked into Izumi's stern eyes, and then asked "You know German, you lived in Kurotsuchi...or...Vorne, what did I say?"
She stopped while walking to put her hand on his shoulder and face him towards her. "I said that it was, not that it is. The language is now English, just as it is here in Japan. But, I did go to school in Vorne, and a part of the curriculum was German, so I do know the language. In fact, Menschlichten actually received the German and Japanese language from ones who came from Menschlichten in order to organize trades."
Sakido nodded his head in understanding, he proceeded with "I see, so, can you tell me what I said?"
Izumi looked upwards before recounting her story. "Let's see... ah yes. After you had already been crying, sweating, and having bodily convulsions, then you started speaking. You said 'It will come to ruin, they will be one. (Es wird alles zugrunde gehen, und sie werden eins sein)'"
"What else did I say?" Sakido pleaded to her.
"That was all that you said, but the strange thing was that you repeated that phrase many times. With repetition, the aggression in your voice grew, and the greater your convulsions continued, it continued to a point to where Korihime and I had to hold you down. You just kept convulsing harder and harder, Korihime and I began to fear for your life, but just as we were about to get medical assistance, we saw you waking up. I quickly told her to keep quiet about this in order to not tax your mind, at least until you were recovered and could handle the burden of that information. That's why Korihime was so shaken after you had awakened, she was beyond overjoyed to see that you were alive, and as was I."
Sakido had faint tears in his eyes as he peered upwards at Izumi "Izumi...I'm...I'm scared. I don't know what to do, and I don't know how to handle all of this. For most of my life since that night, it had all been silent, but now, everything is falling apart. I can't stand fighting, I hate that feeling that one wrong move will be my death, but I have to face it, if I don't, it puts everyone else at risk. I'm starting to think to myself that this danger would pass over if I just weren't alive."
After he spoke these words, he saw Izumi draw her right arm back and he felt a sharp pain cascade over his face as she slapped him, with force that sent him to the ground.
"Don't you ever say something like that, you damn idiot! Where does a mindset like that get you? Actually dead! There's so much control that you have, there's such a reason to fight, there's so much to improve upon and make of yourself, and you seriously consider suicide? That's absolutely moronic, go ahead Sakido, and prove Darwin right, what cowardice."
He stared up at her with tears in his eyes and some flowing down his face. He gritted his teeth and contemplated to himself the validity of her words. They had caused quite a scene, Izumi had recognized this and saw how a crowd of people surrounded her. She seemed to look each of the members of the crowd in their eyes and spoke the words "What the hell are you all looking at? Move along, before I make an example of you." And, as intended, the words managed to clear the crowd.
Sakido noticed a difference in her eyes as she looked back down to him, he could see a softness and somehow an empathy in her eyes. She gently held her hand to him, and he took it to lift himself back upwards. She led him to a tree range just outside of the merchant stall area they were in.
Before Izumi could speak, Sakido started with "Izumi, I can't take this anticipation anymore. I'm being teased with these pieces of what has been and what will be. I just want it to end, however it is that will be!"
Izumi's look changed quite drastically. For as playful as she was, she amassed quite maturity and knew when to handle matters with more caution. She appeared to have much more sternness and a sense of austerity within her eyes and cadence. "Sakido, you shouldn't be worried about what's to come. Look at what you have here. There's people who love you, who respect you, and there's ones who you love as well. There is but one decision to be made. To be stoic or to be open. You have chosen both options with multiple people. Now, you play the game you've chosen. Nobody chooses what they're born into, but they choose in what direction that takes them. I am not aware of what awaits you as well, but the ones in Vorne want you, and you need to be equipped to fight them off. ...I can teach you. If you'd want to learn. If not, it's less for me to do."
Immediately, Sakido jumped at this chance. "Of course I want to learn! If that's what it takes to keep...Ichika safe...then I'll do it."
"Don't only do this for Ichika, Sakido, while that is a noble cause, you must do it for yourself as well."
Sakido then replied "I'm aware, I'll do it for myself, for Ichika, for you, and for anyone else whom I put into danger."
Izumi changed her stance to one leg bent slightly and crossed her arms. "Hmph, I see. If all remains as is, meet me tomorrow at dusk on Tenzen street, where the old gymnasium used to be. Well start there."
"Very well, thank you, Izumi." To these words she grinned a sly grin and nodded in acceptance. "However, I wanted to ask you about what I saw in that dream." He said with an almost stertorous voice.
"That was what I wanted to ask you about. It must have been...tumultuous, to say the least, please elaborate." Izumi said, in a surprisingly soft manner.
"Okay, but isn't Ichika waiting, I mean, the show starts in 15 minutes."
"True, but we can just tell her you were late right?" She said with a wink. "I mean, after all, you have made a habit of it before." She said with a saccharine look on her face.
Sakido rolled his eyes and said under his voice "Yeah yeah."
"Anyway, I mean, if it was anything other than what it was, I wouldn't mention it. I have very many dreams, Izumi, but this was no dream. It was anything but...a dream. It was real, the pain, the pleasure, everything. You are versed in knowledge of the Ronin."
Izumi quickly intervened with "Sakido, please, from here on out, we will use the Vorne terminology. They are Ritter."
Sakido nodded his head and continued "You are versed in knowledge of these Ritter, so since I apparently retain their power, you may assist me with what I've seen, it may not be just me. Let me begin."
Sakido proceeded to recapitulate the vision, but could not find the heart to continue. He had reached the point of explaining his emesis and halted the story there. He couldn't continue telling her everything, he only told her that's as much as he could recall, even though he could recount every detail.
Izumi only stared at Sakido for a few moments before speaking. After a seemingly dramatic pause, she began with "I see, this place you have seen perhaps is metaphorical. I have not a clue of what this means. It's simply gory with such astute details, various meanings could be concluded. It's not uncommon for a Ritter to receive visions, but ones like this are quite uncommon. This is something for me to think about. If anymore occur, let me know immediately."
Sakido was barely able to nod his head "Yes...Izumi."
She nodded her head in return and a faint smile began to return to her face.
"Izumi, there's something that is constantly worrying me."
"What, dear?" Izumi asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
Sakido then explained with a disconcerted voice. "I hate having to keep Ichika so in the dark about all of this. Ever since I first met her, it's felt wrong, feel like she's always had a right to know, but I just can't bring myself to tell her. I have no doubt that she'd stay with me, but I can't imagine the trouble she may be roped into. Izumi, should I tell her?
Izumi, upon hearing his inquisition, walked a step towards him, and as they were nearly the same height, leaned in towards him so that he could feel her hair touching his cheeks. "Sakido, that decision is completely up to you. I'm here to assist you in this life and support you in whatever you desire, I'm not here to make your decisions for you. If you're to be this protector that you imagine yourself being, you'll have to make decisions that can hurt people, decisions that can kill. It's not an easy burden that you carry, but you must soon make the imperative choice. For, I do hope that you know, Sakido, she can't stay in the dark forever, she'll find out someday. Just remember that it's how she finds this information out, and how eloquently you explain this to her that will determine the severity of her reaction. You know how sensitive that girl is, news like that is practically to put her one foot in the grave, but you most approach it with utmost caution and care. As much as I love that girl, as much as I'd sacrifice my life tenfold for her, I must admit that she is becoming a lady, and I need to release my grip. I trust you with her, Sakido, even with as hard headed and contumacious you can be. Despite the annoying things, you're a genuinely caring boy in that heart." As she said those last words, she poked his chest in the area where his heart is. "I can't say you're the best pick, but you're who she wants, and I respect my little Ichika's decision. She loves you, Sakido, more than you know, treat her well, and make the right decision. Expose the truth to her or continue the veil of lies, each of these paths presents it's own deadly opportunities."
Sakido clenched his fist as he briefly contemplated his options "Regardless of whatever I choose, I need to know how to fight. So, what I'll focus on the most for now is amplifying and exploring what power I have."
"A wise decision." Izumi snarked towards him.
"Come, let's head to Ichika, the show is starting, wouldn't want to be late for your little date." As she said this, she playfully tickled Sakido's side, making him draw back in sensation.
Sakido laughed and repeated the action to her, causing a playful feud between them as they sauntered towards the cliff of the gardens.
Somewhere near Sakido's location:
A masked figure languidly strolls down an empty street with its head down. The immense darkness of the night hides all evidence of clothing or stature.
It looks up to see the soaring fireworks ebulliently and explode into luminescent fumes that rained down as a pouring storm. The brown eyes concealed within the black mask observe as a cascade of lights illuminate the Mitzi cliff face. The show was the largest in all of Tokyo, a spectacle for anyone, it could be viewed across nearly the whole city.
The figure darted it's eyes around the celebration area and remained just outside the premises, choosing to lean against a solitary cell phone pole. As the figure peers up yet again, his eye grows as he sees his target walking towards him.
In a sharp voice he exclaims. "Sakido!"