Chapter 32: Near
Your POV
"Beyond! No! There are so many children here, don't do it!" I screamed desperately, trying to get him to abandon his plan of burning Wammy's to the ground while I tried to free myself from the ropes he had tied my hands with.
"Kya ha ha ha ha ha ha! Reaaalllyyy? Are you dumb (Y/N)-san? Of course I won't care about anyone dying here at all! Do you think you can really try to get me abandon a plan that I've thought about for days? Nope! Nopety nope!" He responded, smiling widely. Beyond gave the place one last look before throwing the lighter to the gasoline-soaked orphanage.
The place sparked up and the fire had spread immediately. The image of this orphanage, burning and burning and burning... it was stuck to my memory forever.
I slowly began tearing up as realization hit me. Everyone was in there.
NO! NOT THEM! NOT HIM! NEAR!
I screamed in horror as I saw the figure of everyone burning and hear them wail out in pain. Near, his once pale skin was charred and was slowly turning to ash. Mello, his already scarred face burned as he tried to decipher what was happening, then Matt, his red hair had bursted into flames. A, X, Y, Z, Linda, Aphra. Everyone... Everyone I knew in Wammy's, was slowly burning to their deaths.
I couldn't do anything about it. Beyond dragged me to his car as I did nothing to struggle once I realized there were no screams coming from Wammy's anymore.
I sat on the back, wide-eyed as tears dripped every now and then. Beyond long since removed the ropes while my hands stayed at my side. No movements.
What had happened?
Did they really... die?
No.
No!
NO!
THEY'RE NOT DEAD! THIS HAS TO BE A DREAM OF SOME SORT! I- They- They can't be!
My vision was red, I had accidentally activated my Shinigami Eyes and as my sight drifted to the car's front mirror, I saw the numbers.
I can see it floating above his head. Upwards, downards, up, down, up and down. I can never take my eyes of the numbers' movements, it feels like they were all staring back even if they're just numbers.
Just numbers, eh? No. They are what makes up a person's life span. More importantly, Beyond Birthday's life span.
Any minute now.
Headlights.
Sirens.
Screams.
Silence.
It was all too familiar. The breaking of glass, the broken car, the screaming of people around. The bloody bodies of people who were affected by the crash.
I slowly crawled away from the car. Beyond's bleeding body was crushed underneath a pile of debris.
He's dead.
Everyone's dead. My family, the SPK, Matt, Mello, Roger, The Wammy's. L. Near.
Even my captor was dead.
I didn't die. I was kept alive, it wasn't luck. It was meant to be.
Someone had planned this to happen from the start.
Who can? Who can kill everyone off and leave someone to die with their designated life-span? Who can see everyone's names? Who has the power to see everything that's going on?
A Shinigami.
A new Shinigami King reigns. And he made me suffer.
Are you asking why would he do that?
I am too, but it is clear to me now. That Shinigami King, was Light Yagami. And he wanted revenge. Revenge on me, specifically.
Why me? Why now at all times? I've finally regained peace.
There was no denying it. Light Yagami, Kira, Fake L. The new shinigami king. He still dwells on the past. Although there's one thing I can't find out no matter how hard I try. Why - in all people that tried to capture and kill him - did he choose to torture me?
Loud chanting.
There were hundreds- no, millions of people chanting and screaming.
"ALL HAIL KIRA! ALL HAIL KIRA! ALL HAIL KIRA!"
And this one certain scream was what made chills come running down my spine.
"I AM KIRA. GOD OF THE NEW WORLD!"
It echoed. Over and over again as the chanting of everyone around me grew louder. It was so unbearable and it feels like I'm about to go deaf.
"YOU WILL BOW DOWN BEFORE ME. I WILL BE YOUR RULER, YOUR JUSTICE. I WILL BRING JUDGEMENT UPON EVIL!"
All I can hear was screaming. Lots and lots of screaming.
I am truly and utterly terrified.
I gasped and sit straight up. Another nightmare. This time, a more horrifying one, and who in the world are Linda, A, X, Y, and Z? Who were these people?
My heartbeat was beating loudly and quickly as if it was about to burst out of my chest at any moment.
Light Yagami... that's not possible. He was sent to nothingness. And I was told, by Dan himself that humans who have used the Death Note can never become a Shinigami. There's not even 0.0001 percent it could happen. No, it's completely 0%.
That one, I was sure is a product of my imagination. Although for Beyond, I wouldn't be sure.
"Oh! (Y/N)! You're already up! Come on, get ready. Mr. Roger had the event start today since it's also Near's birthday." Halle said from the door as I looked around.
"Oka- Wait. It's Near's birthday?" I asked in surprise.
"Yeah! Mr. Roger had just mentioned it too. Get up (Y/N)-chan! It's your boyfriend's special day!" Halle teased. I pouted and gave her a glare. "He's not my boyfriend Halle. Really."
"Pffft! You're just in denial. I'll leave you to get ready now." She replied and closed the door. I sighed, lazily dragging myself out of the bed.
I silently opened the closet where I put the dress I was supposed to use. I threw the outfit to the bed and brought out a pair of shoes to go with it.
(Important Side A/N: I have no idea what kind of dress goes with your taste, so I'm going to let you pick or imagine it since what I may have placed in the description wouldn't go to your liking.)
Eventually, I took a long shower using my playlist as the only time teller.
**Timeskip brought to you by Near's smile. No, I'm not talking about the psycho-smile.**
I fixed myself and sighed as I finished. My hair was styled differently and everything is set out. Hold on, why am I doing this again? I don't put this much effort in my appearance. Huh, strange.
My feet stumbled outside the door as I walked gracefully-not. I had reached the Wammy's Main room, and bloody hell -I didn't know it was THIS large.
Almost everybody looked at me and I don't even know why. Crap, did I do my make-up wrong? Does my dress look like utter trash? WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME DAMMIT.
"KYAAA! You look so beautiful (Y/n)-san!" Aphra squealed out of nowhere, running up to me and hugging me. I smiled at her whilst we both ignored the confused and sharp looks people gave.
She let go and when my eyes landed on Halle and Gevanni, I smirked in which I totally looked like I've eaten garbage. I didn't give a crap or two though, I ship 'GevAlle' hardcore and them having matching clothes brings light at the end of the tunnel for me.
Halle glared at me as I giggled, walking to the large double doors of the orphanage. It was a ice weather out. Not too cold and not too sunny, just the perfect one for a dull and numb mood. Ever since that dream occurred earlier, it filled me with numbing emotions. So I'm basically Near now.
Someone tapped my shoulder, there I saw, someone I've never expected.
He was alive. He was breathing. The wind blew his hair as I stared wide eyed at the figure in front of me.
"Mello!" I exclaimed with surprise. Huh, so much for a numb mood.
"Yo. Nice to see you."
I punched him.
Oops.
"Ow! What was that for?" He asked.
"Damn you Mello! I thought you were dead! WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING SO RECKLESS?! You dragged Matt into this. AND NOW HE'S DEAD!" Tears already formed in my eyes. I missed him but I seriously want to slap him right now.
"I know that. I know I got him killed, it was all me. From the last moment we separated ways, I knew one of us are going to die- if we're unfortunate, maybe even both, but I had to do it. I had to make sure of Kira's downfall. For L's death or even mine, I need to make sure he loses this war." Mello replied. There was no sign of chocolates this time, and that means he is in pain.
"I was there the moment he died on the warehouse. I saw him die as he clutched his heart. I saw you, and believe it or not. I saw L, hovering above him. They're both dead. Two men who brought huge change to the world. Our mentor and his nemesis. It's like a tragic story with no determined main characters, since all people has their own stories."
I sighed sadly, wiping away the forming tears and wrapping my arms around my best friend. Such a reckless shit he is.
"I missed you Mels."
"Same with you, Shortcake."
I huffed, I'm not even short. (It's either you're denying your short height or you're just originally tall.)
"Yeah whatever mafia-Armin. Go and eat your beloved chocolates before you go all 'I will Keehl you' on me." I retorted, rolling my eyes.
"I'M NOT A MAFIA-ARMIN!"
"Geez! Calm down! You need anger management!" "Eherm- Do you have a crisis on your life right now? Do you want to feel light and free? Pay 999 dollars now for free advises!" I joked and the chocolate loving mafia-Armin actually smiled.
"How is that even free, you idiot?"
"Pfft, don't ask me. Ask those ads that always stops me from enjoying Youtube videos."
***
I smiled as mine and Mello's conversation ended. He also had to get inside and catch up with Roger and his fellow Wammy acquaintances or friends. I walked behind the orphanage, appreciating the peaceful silence that accompanied me.
My aimless walking lead to a flight of stairs that seemed to lead at the top of Wammy's. I stepped upwards slowly, occasionally hearing the click of my shoes touching the ground.
Breezy, cool wind hit my frame once I reached the top. It was a quite vast space and it looked stunning. (Just like the picture above. If any Potterhead's wondering, yes it's the Astronomy tower from Harry Potter)
The view was peaceful, seeing the blue, clear sky with white fluffy clouds accompanying it. The thick clouds covered the bright rays of the sun. Breezy, cool wind blew my hair side-wards and it annoyed me to no end.
"Damn it. Why can't my hair just flow perfectly like those in the movies or something."
Other than that, I enjoyed the scenery. It was calming.
I heard light, almost silent footsteps from below, almost reaching me.
"Hey Near."
"Greetings, (Y/n)." He greeted back, aloof.
I faced him, greeting him with a huge smile. It wasn't fake, I was certainly happy. "Happy Birthday Near!" I cheerily said, giving him a hug.
He tensed. For a few moments, he did not do anything. But he learned to cope with it. He learned to hug another individual. His arms wrapped around me and I sighed in relief. As usual, he was cold yet warm. An odd combination.
"You were the only one who stayed and play with me, the only one who tried to make me smile even though it deemed as impossible, the only one who openly hugged me. Are you not embarrassed to be seen with a person such as me? I am known as L's successor on the Wammy's World, Near in the detective world, and a very odd person in the public. Over all, I'm the weird one in this society. It confuses me to find someone like you, to bother interacting with me."
"Someone like me, eh? What am I? If society has classifications, where do I belong? Near... I'm not exactly human."
I took me a few seconds to realize what I just blurted out and my eyes widened. I pulled away from the hug quickly.
How will he see me now? A freak? A monster?
_________________________________________________
Oml, did I take too long?
-CryPanda