Revival

Chapter 2

Back at his minka, he scurries around his basement looking for any clues he could find. A memory resurfaces in Hiro's mind from years ago when his mother, Kelly, explained an ancient book about theories on time travel. Since he was still very young, he was fascinated by the idea, but as he aged, the memories of the book slowly faded. A faint memory comes to him, the book cover was plain and labeled in a foreign language.

After searching every shelf and dusting off book covers, he spots an old book at the very top of the last shelf. He brings down a stool to grab the book and brings it upstairs for a closer look. He stirs up a quick bowl of instant ICHIRAN ramen and takes it to his room. He switches his phone to mute and begins to carefully flip the book open and unfold the mysteries within.

*DING!" A ring from his front door.

Disappointingly, he makes his way to the door and checks the camera to see Airi standing outside. In a state of shock, he swings the door wide open rather than speaking through the telecom.

"What are you doing here?" he questions.

"I followed your car home because I was worried about you, you seemed to be in a frantic state." she says in a low tone, worrying about what he'll say or do next.

"It's none of your business." Hiro says in an ignorant manner and begins to shut the door.

Just as it is about to close on her, she holds her hand out to stop it and slams hard against it. "Pleaseeeeeeeee Hiro, I beg of you. I just want to help." Airi pleads.

"Fine, but I'm not taking your help, and it's not like you could anyways." Hiro hesitantly steps aside to let her in.

"I'm heading to my room, you can stay if you want, there's left-over katsu curry in the fridge or instant ramen in the pantry." Hiro responds as he makes his way over to his room before sliding the door shut. He sits back down by the table next to his futon where he takes a look at the cover and remembers he can't read Mandarin. Regardless, he flips the book open to find many of the pages ripped out. As worry grows within him, he flips through to the pages that remain. The first full page he could find read:

Renewal is an inherent ability that lies dormant within certain individuals, awakening only in the face of imminent danger or critical moments where lives are at stake. It is as if the universe itself acknowledges the presence of an impending tragedy and bestows upon a chosen few the power to rewrite history.

However, Renewal is not without its limitations and challenges. While the ability to rewind time presents a chance to rectify past mistakes, the consequences of these alterations remain uncertain. The butterfly effect is a constant concern, as even the slightest modification may ripple through time, leading to unforeseen and unintended outcomes.

Furthermore, the duration and frequency of Renewal episodes are unpredictable. Users may experience fleeting glimpses into the past, brief rewinds of mere minutes or hours, or more substantial leaps spanning days or even weeks. The reasons behind these variations remain elusive, as if the power itself possesses an agenda of its own.

Gluing to the book as his intrigue propels him to find more, his flow is severed from the loud bangs emanating from the kitchen. He picks himself up, bringing the book along and as he walks to the door to check on Airi, the door slides wide open. She's holding a steaming bowl with what seems to be reheated leftovers.

"What's that book, and why does it say–" her eyes sparkles as she reaches over to grab the book to take a closer look at "A User's Guide to Renewal?" she questions.

"You understand this?" He asks, not being able to recall her ethnicity.

"Well yeah, I'm fluent in Mandarin, here let me see if I can read anything else" as she snatches the book from Hiro's grasp

"No!" he yells, fighting and pulling to grab the book back before he rips it out her hands along with the pages inside. A pause of silence between the two as tension is seemingly building up. Hiro's heart sinks, and his disappointing glare intensifies, causing Airi to grow increasingly anxious, feeling a profound sense of guilt weighing heavily upon her.

"I think I should go," Airi whispers softly, afraid to look at Hiro.

Airi walks past Hiro and places the ripped book and food back on the table before turning around to make her way to the front door. A tense silence hangs in the air as not a single word is exchanged before she opens the door, about to step out, she hears something from Hiro, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have acted out, please, just give me some time."

A single tear streams down her face as she continues to walk out without a reply. Inside, she felt horrible for her actions as she only wants to help but she refuses to let Hiro see her. She turns around the front gate, out of Hiro's vision, and makes her way back to her car. In the corner of her eye, she notices a man inside his car just up the street with his hands on the wheel but his engine was turned off. Although her suspicions arise, she does not make much of the situation and gets in her car. She scans through the interior checking if anything else was abnormal. Not having seen anything, she starts the car and sets the GPS to home.

On the drive, she ties together the pieces and understands Hiro must be keeping the truth from her. From thinking Hiro was crazy, she's now unsure of what she believes. It comes to her, the power Hiro told her about was Renewal and that book must have all the information a user would need. Trying to withhold her urge to call Hiro back, she gives in and picks up her phone dialing Hiro's number. He picks up.

"Airi?"

"Hiro, I didn't mean to cause any trouble, I just wanted to help. I'm sorry." she blurts out.

"It's not your fault, I'm sorry too. Please come back." He says softly. Airi agrees and hangs up the phone before making her way back.

She pulls up into the same alley she had parked in earlier, as she shifts her car in park, the street light flickers above her. She notices the same car from earlier still parked, except the man was no longer there. Her body feeling uneasy, she tells herself it's nothing and steps out into the night. A mysterious figure lurking in the shadows watches her every move. As she hurries towards Hiro's place, faint footsteps echo in the dead of night. She peeks over her shoulder but nothing seems out of place, the footsteps fall silent as her own breathing fills the void. She begins marching forward. As her steps gradually pick up speed, the now obvious footsteps are growing louder and more apparent. Sweat begins forming on her upper lip as her hand shakes, reaching to ring the doorbell. Inching away from the button, she feels a tight grasp around her neck. She screams, but the noises from her stop coming out. Her cries for help disappear into the night, her voice muffling with desperation. Airi's eyes dart around, looking for anyone who could save her. Time seems to slow down as a chilling grasp crept over her. In that horrifying moment, the world around her fell into a haunting silence, only broken by her laboring breaths and the pounding of her heart. The glint of a blade slices through the air, casting a sinister shadow across her trembling figure. Her eyes grow wide in horror, pleading for mercy that would never come. The deafening silence persists as her desperate cries meet an abrupt end, gone forever.