The Winners Take It All | Chishiya [English]

The omniscient eyes

The waves rippled gently at my feet, leaving a dark trail in the sand as they retreated.

It's crazy how quiet it could be here.

No games, no lasers, no people dying. Tokyo was a deserted city, there was no one to be seen far and wide. And yet they lurked in the shadows, alone or in smaller groups.

I had seen a few familiar faces from the beach every now and then as I went foraging. We just nodded at each other and then went our separate ways. That's how it was: a great utopia had been destroyed - the pack had been torn apart...

I carefully stuck the candle into the sand and then lit it with a match. Just like I had done the last few days.

A ritual I dedicated just to her.

Otherwise, I felt guilty. I still missed Sakusa very much. What would it have been like if we had both sat here on the small beach? Then at least I wouldn't have been so alone.

I watched the candle light up and then sat back to take in the scenery for a bit.

It was strange.

It was a world designed to kill you. I knew that it had no mercy on us. So why was it so quiet now? What were they hiding? I knew, no, figured we were being watched. They monitored every step we took.

There were omniscient eyes in this world - eyes that knew the truth.

A thousand questions and yet no answer. However, I also wondered if I was ready to receive an answer. It was like I had started a puzzle but only got an eighth of it together.

I got up from the sand and tried to get my pants halfway clean. I already suspected that it would hurt later because grains of sand had miraculously gotten between the fabric and the skin... Just like the last few days.

Sighing, I looked at the candle again, then at the surface of the water, where my reflection was. I looked terrible...

No wonder.

I had barely slept. Whatever the case, I had my hands full - Beach had made me completely forget how difficult it actually was to survive on my own.

All the experiences and feelings together were like a tsunami that tried to pull me in its ice-cold wave.

The games, fear... Chishiya.

I couldn't get him out of my head. I began to wonder whether I had made the wrong decision. The little devil on my shoulder had been whispering in my ear the whole time that I had been so stupid.

Why hadn't I taken his hand?

Because it wouldn't have been good for me.

I would have broken inside, I knew that. I knew myself, my body, and my soul. I knew I couldn't have endured it, but that was what made it even more painful. It made me doubt more and more whether we were even meant for each other.

Heart and head had two different opinions. What was right, what was wrong? I didn't know how to deal with it. I had told myself that I would tell him everything the next time I saw him. But now I wasn't even sure if I could pull it off.

I was really a hopeless case, wasn't I?

I carefully clipped the knife to my belt - I had found both items on a resource tour – even if I would feel safer when I had a gun with me. Although I didn't want to risk having to kill someone again, you should always be prepared.

I slowly made my way back to my hideout. How long had it been now? Five days? Or already seven? I still had a few days of visa, but the thread was still slowly becoming taut. It was like I was sitting on a hot stone.

Day in, day out.

Always the same environment.

I was getting tired of it; I finally wanted it to stop!

I was walking past the small shop where I always got my provisions when I suddenly noticed a strange thing lying on the ground.

A tourist guide with a city map.

Very interesting.

I stopped and tried to look at the booklet from a distance. When I finally felt confident, I bent down to pick it up.

Strange, these city maps were only available near Shibuya, how did he get so far? I didn't think one of the players had dragged it here - wait, what was that?

A red dot.

One point? And then made it with a felt-tip pen? This was something I couldn't ignore; my stupid curiosity had been piqued again. So, I took another closer look at this strange city map. The point was exactly on a subway route.

It's funny, who marked a small part of a tunnel?

That was exactly the question I asked myself but couldn't find an answer to. It probably didn't help; I would have to investigate.

However, I was also quite happy to finally have something else to do. At least this way I could pretend I really had something to do.

That was my plan, so I had to go through with it now.

I put the map in my hoodie pocket and took one last look around before I started running. If I hurried, it would only take me about twenty minutes. Besides, I didn't really want to explore it while the sun sets; tunnels and approaching darkness don't mix well.

My footsteps echoed; I ignored the rising suspicion.

It was scary. Like that time, I felt like someone was following me. How long had it been now? I have no idea, I had long since lost track of time. This world really seemed to rob you of everything, didn't it?

I slowed down a little to give my body the oxygen it desperately needed.

What would I expect? I didn't know but was too eager to finally find out. Who knows, maybe I got a little closer to the truth?

The entrance to the subway shaft slowly came into view. And not only that: No, there were two other people standing there.

A young man and a young woman, I knew them.

"Arisu! Usagi!" I exclaimed and ran, then I fell on the neck of first the woman and finally the man. A feeling of relief suddenly flared up in me - it made me no longer think clearly.

They looked at me a little overwhelmed, then I recognized the mistrust in their eyes. True, yes, I had hurt them.

"I-" I swallowed before bowing deeply, "I'm so sorry..." The guilt was suddenly gone, I felt no remorse. How was that possible? I tried not to let it show. Arisu was the first to say something.

"You're forgiven, Chishiya was just using you too," he said as he patted me on the back.

He didn't force me, but I allowed it anyway.

I just smiled as I took a step back. Usagi looked at me. "The new haircut suits you, Ayuna-chan," she finally said, and I thanked her before looking down the shaft.

"So: What are you doing here?" I wanted to know as I turned back to the two of them. Arisu grinned a little.

"I guess the same as you, I assume?", how right he was...