VERTEX

| 序章

I wasn't selfish.

I just did it because it's the best for us.

When I met Ryuu for the last time, he gave me something that was worth nothing. Or other words─ useless.

Yes useless.

Paradoxically, this useless thing was used by him every day in a way that he shouldn't have.

° ° ° ° °

"Take this," Ryuu muttered as he handed over a delicate, shattered orb. A plume of inky black smoke coiled inside─ yearning to be seen.

"Why should I?" He spat, his once bright and cheerful eyes now filled with nothing but hatred as they met Ryuu's gaze. The gaze, something he had longed for after many years, once playful and filled with something more than hate, now fixed upon him with nothing but scorn.

"Hey─"

"Do not."

He despised the expression that had taken hold of Ryuu's face―an expression that, in its own perverse way, held power over him in a way no one else ever could.  Leaving a mark that no other person walking the earth could ever replicate.

Ryuu sighed, the guilt written across his face. "I know you're angry, and I am sorry—"

"I fucking am."

Love, hatred, obsession, guilt, empathy─ he had heard of these emotions, acknowledged their existence in others, yet he remained strangely detached. He wondered if his feelings of hatred for Ryuu's decision to leave were genuine or if he was simply unable to let go, obsessively wanting Ryuu to stay.

Worse yet, it could be a mix of both—he could genuinely harbor hatred for Ryuu's decision to leave while simultaneously being uncontrollably obsessed on keeping Ryuu close.

In the blink of an eye, Ryuu pushed him against the wall, their faces mere inches apart. The desperation and guilt in his gaze were palpable, yet Ryuu's mouth remained sealed shut.

That was all it took to coax a smirk from his lips.

"I can now look straight into your eyes ─ without having to look up anymore," he mocked, his smirk growing wider. "You seem more pathetic with each passing day."

His fingers slid between Ryuu's, closing around the fragile orb in his palm. A scoff escaped his lips. "Stealing powers can be such a hassle, yes? Yet it seems like you've failed to steal something far more elusive ─ a woman's heart, or anyone else's for that matter."

Ryuu immediately locked eyes with him. He grins.

"Everything is fair game ─ emotions, decisions, fate, memories─ I can take it all," He paused, examining the orb in his hand, a smirk creeping across his face. "And the best part is, there's no limit to how this thing can affect people makes it even more dangerous."

Ryuu stood motionless in his spot, watching as the other walked away. Before─

"Raz!"

He paused mid-step, but made no effort to turn around, still refusing to meet his gaze. Yet despite his defiance, he had, in fact, stopped.

"I know you'd never use it for the wrong reasons..." Ryuu confessed, his voice soft and sincere. "I trust you, Raz."

And at that moment, as those words reached his ears, he turned to face Ryuu.

"You shouldn't."

°    °    °    °    °

Trust

How much do you believe in it?

How often has your trust been broken?

For trust to exist, a secret must first be kept. But if the secret becomes too heavy for one person to bear, how could you expect two or three others to keep it hidden?

We all have secrets, but the difference lies in the fact that your secret exists somewhere in someone's mind, just waiting to be revealed, whereas mine remains hidden, secret to everyone in this world.

If you truly wanted to protect your secret from being exposed, it's crucial not to reveal your deepest secret to anyone, as it can easily be used against you.

Yet, you still did.

But I understand.

We can't help but share secrets with others at times, especially if the burden of keeping them becomes too heavy to bear alone.

But that won't happen, cause to can keep a secret if one of them is dead.

But what if I prefer that this soul remains alive?

It would be quite unfortunate if someone suffered from constant amnesia and was constantly approached by individuals claiming to be their friends, yet no memories of them ever surfaced in their mind.

They'd likely questioning their own memories, thinking,

'Have I aged that much to forget everything?' 

But in reality, their memories have been stolen,

by an irresponsible individual.

Out of all the mistakes I've witnessed,

Hamizaki Ryuu,

This is the most foolish decision you've ever made.