Rememberance

Chapter 7:

Atsushi woke up in his room, with the headmaster and a couple doctors sitting beside him. He felt a small stitch on the side of his head, and his whole body felt numb. He sat up slightly and looked around, dumbfounded.

"W-what happened...? Where am I?"

"You got shot in the head...do you remember anything that happened before that?" a tall skinny doctor asked beside him.

"I...I don't..." Atsushi mumbled, looking down at his hands.

What happened? I can't seem to remember anything...

I hope that emptiness fills up, with something swee-

What!? Who said that!? What's happening... ? Have I gone crazy!?

"He was attacked by a military member, and he seems to have forgotten his memories," another doctor explained. Atsushi looked down. He wasn't sure how to feel. Confusion was all that clouded his mind.

"May we have some time alone, please?" the headmaster requested. The doctors all nodded silently and quickly exited the room.

"W-where am I? How did I get here...?" Atsushi asked fearfully.

"Your parents abandoned you, so you've been living here all your life..."

"So...I'm...all alone...?"

"Yes. No one is here for you..."

Atsushi looked down again, still unsure. He didn't believe this. He really couldn't remember anything, and still had no idea why or how he ended up here...but...it felt as if...someone was always there...

Who...who was it!? What was their name!?

***

Akutagawa didn't know how long they had been wandering in the cold, dark world. All he felt was emptiness. Fear. Regret. And all he could think about was Atsushi.

I need to find him again. I can't just forget about him...

"Akutagawa..." Gin stopped in her tracks frozen.

"W-what's wrong, Gin-" Akutagawa felt his heart stop when they found themselves surrounded by men in black suits, all aiming a rifle at them.

"Freeze! You are in the presence of the Black Lizard. Do you not realize that you have crossed the Mafia's borders and are forbidden to continue down this path?"

"P-please...we're sorry! We don't have anywhere to go and-"

"Silence. It is our job to eradicate trespassers,"
The guards all attacked at once and Akutagawa grabbed Gin and began running. They dodged a few shots until one guard grabbed Gin by her long hair and pinned her to the ground, keeping his shoe on her face.

"Akutagawa, ru-"

Stomp.

"STOP IT!" Akutagawa screamed as the man brutally kicked Gin in the face.

"Unless you want this girl to die, you'll have to come with-"

"RASHOMON!"

Akutagawa brutally ripped out the veins of the man who kicked Gin, shocking the other guards.

"He's gifted...FIRE!" another guard screamed, to which they all immediately fired. Gin watched, terrified as Akutagawa's eyes became an empty gray, no longer innocent and black. Eventually, Akutagawa killed nearly all the guards, until one of them tackled him, preventing Rashomon from attacking. Gin felt tears streaming down her face as the man punched Akutagawa in the mouth, drawing blood from it. Her hand was gripped tightly on a knife she concealed in her pocket.

"DAMN IT! LET GO OF ME!"

"NO! I MUST KILL-"

The final guard was stabbed in the torso and he froze, wide-eyed and bleeding as Gin stood behind and looked at him with great hatred.

"Don't touch my brother," she said, her voice cold like ice, bitterness dripping with every word. Akutagawa's eyes widened. This wasn't the sweet harmless little Gin he had known.

The guard collapsed and Gin stared down at his body until she dropped the knife, fell onto her knees, and began to cry. Akutagawa sat beside her and hugged her tightly, tears also in his eyes.

"Not bad," a smooth voice sounded from a few feet away. Akutagawa slowly looked up and saw a young man sitting on a rock, smirking at them. He had a black trench coat that reached under his knees. There were bandages all over his arms, as well as a bandage over his right eye.

"W-who are you...?" Akutagawa muttered, wiping away his tears.

"Well, you can call me Dazai. What's your name?"

"A-Akutagawa...and this is my sister Gin,"

"Well, then, Akutagawa...how did you end up here?"

***

Akutagawa explained the whole story. He felt his heart break just describing the traumatic

events, but he did not dare cry. Just looking into Dazai's eyes...it gave him....some sort of strength he had never felt before.

"I see...well, you certainly have traveled far from your orphanage..."

"Yeah...I don't even know how we survived this hell. I don't even know why I'm still living..." Akutagawa whispered, looking down slightly.

"So you're looking for a reason to keep living?"

Akutagawa looked up at Dazai and nodded. At this, Dazai chuckled and reached out his hand.

"Come. I'll give you one,"