HetaOni: Italy's Story

Chapter 13: Origins

Chapter 13: Origins

Italy's POV:

"I already told you, he's a friend."

"Yeah, but from where?! You didn't have a 'friend' like him before this mess, did you? So what the fuck, Veneziano?!" Romano sends me an irritated glare.

"It doesn't matter how we know each other. Can't you just trust me for once?" I raise an eyebrow, annoyed that he isn't letting the matter drop. He's been questioning me about Yang since we'd gotten back to the Safe Room.

"Of course I trust you, but—"

"Then take my word for once, and drop it." I glare, causing him to stiffen.

"I don't like him."

"Of course you don't." I roll my eyes. "But I don't care if you like him or not, we'll all be working together. He'll help us escape." I glance over towards Yang, who's having his injuries tended to by China. "Right now, we need to concentrate on the matter at hand; Japan is still missing."

"Right." England comes over to join us. "Any ideas? Has this sort of thing happened before?"

"No." I shake my head. "Never. In all my looping, nobody's been kidnapped like this before."

"So these Things are actually intelligent?" America blinks in surprise.

"That's odd... Perhaps they're demons after all?" Canada suggests.

"Not quite." I correct.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Romano demands, narrowing his eyes. "Do you know what these Things are?" I share a wary look with Yang, unsure if I should share what I know.

"Well, not like anything could really come of actually telling them, right?" Yang shrugs nonchalantly. I heave a heavy sigh.

"They were human, once." I turn to look out the window as the first clap of thunder shakes the windows. Sheets of rain soon follow, blanketing the surrounding woods in a misty veil.

"They were... what? But that doesn't make any sense!" Prussia argues.

"This is a place that technically exists between and outside of the laws of time and space as we know them. This place turns a nation into a full human. Is it really such a stretch to believe that it could change a human into something else?" I point out, still facing away from the room; though I can hear a few of them hum in agreement.

The rain is calming. Comforting. It helps to soothe me, and as crazy as it sounds, it's a reminder of hope. Because it was in the rain, that I first gained the ability to go back, and so the rain will forever remind me that there is always another path.

"I don't know how it happens, but if a Ryuuzu fails, they become a Thing." I state quietly, and several horrified gasps sound from behind me.

"Wh-what?!" Romano shakes his head rapidly, trying to absorb the new information.

"What constitutes as a 'failure'?" England asks, his large brows furrowing in worry.

"There are only two ways a Ryuuzu can fail." I answer, still watching the rain. "First, is if the Ryuuzu and their entire group die. Though at this point, I highly doubt he'd let me perish; I'm far too valuable to him at this point." I mutter with a dry laugh. "The second, and much more common way, is for the Ryuuzu to surrender."

"Wait, what do you mean, you 'doubt he'd let you perish'? Who's 'he'?" Canada speaks up.

"The Master of the Mansion." I state, finally turning around. "I call him Adelchi."