???
Unknown
The Sound of the First Trumpet
"Father, the Summoning Vessel is complete."
Shrouded in the darkness, a man jerked to attention at those words; words he had been waiting eight years to hear. His hair was grey, and the lines on his face made it clear that he was no newcomer to this world, that he had seen and done many things in his life.
"And the girl?"
His voice carried no emotion, but the weight behind the question was clear.
There would be no mistakes.
There would be no flaws.
Something like this was far too important to lose at the very beginning...
"She returned to her room quietly. There was no trouble."
Closing his eyes, the man nodded, his head resting on his closed hand.
"Well then, we've done all we can," standing now, the grey haired man stepped past his daughter, "There is no more need to worry... After all-"
Standing out in the garden now, the golden glow of the morning sun illuminating his features, the man smiled, looking up at someone who was surely watching over him.
"-This world was always destined to change."
--Day 0//New Aoyoma--
"An End to the Ordinary."
Koga Ran (Hero)
New Aoyoma, Memorial
Evening
Survivors of the incident had never liked this place, even after eight years had passed.
Three stone tablets, covered with the names of those who had died in the "Great Fire," and erected in the center of a neighborhood that had once been completely destroyed, were the only remaining signs of the tragedy that had never quite left your mind. The names of your parents weren't on any of the stones, in fact, none of the names of any of the exorcists were on the stones, and they never would be.
Exorcists had always lived in the darkness, and so too did they die.
Turning your gaze to the sky, the memories leave you as you close your eyes.
They were late.
While it was difficult to say if you would have ever come here of your own free will, a call from a government official, some eccentric nut who had worked with your parents in the past, had landed you yet another job as a freelancing exorcist. It wasn't a very complicated assignment; you were simply supposed to transport some items from here, to a sealing specialist at the edge of the city. Why the man felt the need to have so many people bounce the items around before reaching their destination was beyond you, but you supposed it had something to do with secrecy, of not being tracked to a certain location, or to avoid certain people showing up in places they shouldn't but...
In this line of work, it was often best not to ask questions if you wanted more jobs in the future.
Still...
It was apparently important enough that they had assigned someone else to come along with you and guard the items. A young woman, a little bit younger than you, if the photo had been anything to go by, and apparently quite powerful...
She still hadn't shown up, but you were actually pretty early, so it wasn't a matter of her being late...
"Come on, Nee-san," the voice of a young, dark-haired boy, piercing through the quiet rumbling of the reborn Aoyoma, caught your attention, "I wanna come with you!"
And the person he was talking to...
"No Akio," voice tired, the silver haired woman that was your temporary ally as an exorcist, smiled as she kept walking, "Your mother would kill me if I showed you my job... Go play with your sister for awhile, alright?"
"But-"
"No buts," waving in a final, dismissive manner, she pointed towards a young blue haired girl, who had been watching from a distance, "I'll take you with me next time, okay? After I convince your mom," the look that flashed across her face at this statement made it clear that such a task was monumental, "Both you and Hitomi, I promise."
"Fine, I guess..."
It was such an odd scene, watching someone who apparently existed as a high-ranking exorcist acting so much like a normal person, that for a brief moment you thought it was the wrong girl, but-
"...Are you Koga-san?"
She had marched over to you at a surprising speed before you could even think to check the photo again. The smile she had possessed while interacting with the boy was gone, replaced by completely serious eyes that never left your face.
...It was vaguely uncomfortable.
She gave the impression of looking straight through people...
Perhaps a straight answer would be best?
----
Suzume Oshino & Saki Ryuumonbochi (I3uster and Spinach)
New Aoyoma, 'Brewed Awakenings'
Evening
The first thing you could confirm about this place was that it was, in fact, haunted. A small coffee shop near the outskirts of New Aoyoma, it was normally not the sort of thing that would draw your attention, but certain sites, dedicated to stories of the occult, had begun to talk about this place as if it had been the real thing. Moving shadows in the bathrooms, invisible hands moving things around in the back, a foreign store owner who seemed to be the only actual employee in the store...
There were a lot of stories like this on the site, haunted railroad tracks, stories about burial grounds, or bridges haunted by the spirits of those who had thrown themselves off of their heights, so there really wasn't much there that had stood out to you.
Until, one of the older, more knowledgeable members, who went by the name of "Luna," had declared the place as a legitimate haunting ground. "Luna," who claimed to be some sort of scientist by trade (you believed she had said bio-medical engineer, but you honestly hadn't been paying much attention) had only ever posted on the forum to disprove the stories that other put forward. Her arguments were always clear, concise, and most importantly, accurate. While few people were aware of the actual mechanisms of spiritual beings, her arguments fit with what both you and Suzume knew about ghosts, and she even seemed to know about things that you didn't, speaking of shamanistic customs, as well as the proper way of handling something called a "Killing Stone," which she had apparently come into possession of recently.
Her membership to the site was apparently just a hobby for her, but when "Luna" spoke, the forum listened.
And according to the post she had made about fifteen minutes ago, this place was legit. Harmless. But legit.
You had nothing better to do, and it was something happening in your town, so you had decided to look into it, for the purpose of exorcism practice if nothing else.
But this...
"Customers?" A smile crossing her face, the young woman behind the counter seemed genuinely happy to see you, a tinge of excitement in her voice, "I was starting to think I'd only get one today..."
While her Japanese was good, there was a definite American accent behind her words. She was smiling at the both of you, a name tag reading "Liane" pinned to the front of her uniform, and while a lot of people you had met gave off false emotions, she seemed to be wearing her sincere feelings of excitement on her sleeve.
Even so...
You couldn't blame anyone for not coming here.
After all, there were more ghosts in here than there were people. Some were sitting in the chairs, staring at you silently, while others had their eyes glued to one of the many television set that had been suspended from the ceiling. Even though they couldn't see them, even spiritually unaware humans will avoid places like this one out of instinct. Other than the woman behind the counter, the only other person here was a blue haired woman on a laptop, and as she was swatting away any spirits that came near her with her left arm, you figured that she was more or less aware of what kind of place this was. Because she wasn't facing you, you could see the familiar background of the forum...
Was it Luna?
Like she had said, this was a legitimate haunted area...
And they all seemed to be E-Class... So they were more or less harmless...
In the window that allowed one to peek into the kitchen, you could see the spirits of humans casually cleaning the place with varied expressions. Some were smiling, while others looked bored or simply stoic. There was no way the owner, who as the sole employee would have to make the coffee on her own, would be unaware of the things happening in the back, so judging by her complete lack of reaction to any of it, it was pretty likely that she was some sort of psychic too...
There was something weird going on here...
-----
William Levilius (Erl)
New Aoyoma, Subway
Evening
It had been a long time since you had come to this place.
The crowds were the same, countless people moving along their own scheduled lives, repeating the same thing over and over again. For you, someone who was a newcomer in this rebuilt city, it felt like you were quite out of place.
Still, you were here to look for your brother, and being back in the place where it had all happened, or at least, being close to the place, felt like a giant step forward for you.
The promise of eight years would be fulfilled soon, you had no doubt.
Taking a step forward, you moved towards the stairs leading up to the main streets of the entertainment district, when-
"Ah, excuse me, sorry!"
Someone bumped into you, throwing you off balance, before disappearing into the crowd at a brisk pace, pushing past others in the same recklessly rushed way she had gotten past you.
You hadn't had time to stop her even if you had wanted to, and while it was a bit rude, it wasn't uncommon for people to sprint through the subway in order to make their appointments on time, so with a shrug, you put it off as just a random event, and moved to start up the stairs once more.
You were probably going to be in town for awhile, so you needed to find a place to stay, some sort of hotel. Being Tokyo, this was probably going to be a bit harder than you would like, but you were sure you would be able to find something before the day ended-
"Ah hey, you!"
Before you could even get up a single stair, someone else called out to you. He looked young, about your age, and there was a long bound item in his hands, wrapped up in some sort of fabric, like he was carrying around a poster.
"Did a girl run past here?" His voice slightly rushed, his eyes remained clear and sharp despite his obvious fatigue, "About my height, black hair, your age?"
While the last of those descriptions was a bit odd, it brought to mind the girl that had passed by a few moments ago.
But she had looked sorta rushed... Maybe she was running from someone...?
This guy?
While it was a pretty suspicious situation, whether or not to answer was up to you.
-----
Fushigi Sayara (Sei)
New Aoyoma, Entertainment District
Evening
"...And lo, the ones chosen for the ordeal return!"
Gatherings like this were getting more and more common.
While those who lived in the rebuilt Aoyoma were the type who had a certain tolerance for weird events, no one ever quite seemed able to ignore the gatherings of the group known as the Order of Eden. All dressed all in dark blue robes, with their faces shadowed by their hoods, they were a group whose motivations were hard to discern, and were inherently suspicious but for some reason or another they were starting to grow oddly popular... Or at least, popular enough that you had gotten stuck in the crowd on your way home from helping a classmate with a light haunting. It had been innocent curiosity at first, the man who was speaking now, standing behind a podium in front of the silent crowd, had possessed quite the charismatic voice, the type that all religious leaders seemed to inherit.
And in one way or another, you had somehow ended up in the middle of a crowd that had formed in seconds, a crowd that was still growing even as you stood there, non-robed stragglers, people like you who had stopped just to watch for a moment, but who were slowly getting sucked into the event.
"It has been eight long years since the time of the darkness, but the order has grown in that time! Soon, we shall become a light that pierces that same darkness! A light that will reclaim paradise!"
While the things he said were rather odd, it was easy to tell that the man was passionate about what he was saying, and the robed ones around you, who were still oddly silent, lowered their heads at the end of his every sentence.
"For tonight, as well as for the next nine days, those who have been chosen by God will gather here in Tokyo. Those marked by the trial, as well as those who believe... All are welcome to take part. Believe in the Lord, and prepare for the ordeal. Prepare for the return of the Tree of Light and the Black Beast, and that is when we shall-"
The speech was going on and on, with no signs of stopping, and you hadn't really planned on being out here that long, so you momentarily thought of just pushing your way through the crowd, but-
"And look, a child of the trial is among us!"
...A child of the trial?
It wasn't the sort of statement that would normally stop you, but-
Tell me young one, are you prepared? it will happen soon."
-You were suddenly the center of attention, the hooded figures around you having turned you way... And their leader was talking to you, the piercing feeling of his gaze resting on the back of your skull.
You had no idea what he was talking about, and a part of you wanted to leave simply because being surrounded like this seemed incredibly unsafe. But at the same time...
Ordeal.
Child of trial.
Something happening soon.
What exactly had he meant by those things?
If something like what had happened eight years ago was going to happen again...
To leave or to ask questions...
There was a definite appeal to both.
-----
Watanabe Tomoya (Morm)
New Aoyoma, 'For Pete's Sake'
Evening
You had heard and seen a lot of things in your life, but the talk of vampires was new.
Silently cleaning a glass, the usual people beginning to make their way to the bar in the orange light of the evening sun, you couldn't help but overhear the conversation taking place at a table near you.
"The vampire murders?" A young looking woman, definitely still a teenager (she had admitted to being underage right at the start) sipped at the soda in front of her, eying the man across from her with a vague look of disbelief, "Don't you think saying it's a vampire is a bit out there? It's probably just some kind of freak. No need to drag hocus pocus into things... Reality is scary enough on it's own."
"The bodies were completely drained of blood Maiya," her conversation partner, a boy around her age, seemed determined to convince her, "No blood stains at the scene. Nothing in the bathtub or the other rooms. Just a drained body, in a locked room, with no signs of forced entry. Vampire."
"Right. Definitely no leaps of logic there..."
For kids, they were discussing a pretty serious topic, playing detective, (as teens with attitude tended to do these days) but it wasn't anything you hadn't heard before in the few weeks you had been back in the city. There were rumors of all sorts of crazy things going on in the Yamanote Circle, although most of the rumors seemed to center here, in the newest section of the city.
People who could start fires with their minds, or run up walls.
Monsters living under bridges.
And now vampires were apparently the next big thing, but-
"Come on, don't be so cold," his expression one of hurt feelings, the boy said something that brought your absentminded cleaning motions to a stop, "Didn't they find a few other people that way? I know there was one at least... What was his name... Watanabe Jotaro?"
Your father's name.
The details had never been released to you, just news of his murder. Not the exact method, or the way the body had been found, nothing...
But this kid-
"Was there? I didn't hear anything about that on the news...? Did your dad tell you that?" Sounding exasperated, the girl sighed, "Is this classified information Kenji? It might be alright for you to know because you're the police chief's son, but don't tell me stuff that's gonna get me arrested alright? I really don't want to go to jail."
"They won't arrest you for it. I swear!"
This kid seemed to know something.
It could be a bluff. Lord knows the people you had already talked to had just made stuff up to make you feel better, but this kid seemed pretty convinced...
Maybe you could ask? You were already doing them a favor by letting them hang out in here, and if you explained who you were... Well, the kid couldn't be heartless.
Then again... It might be best to just let this sort of thing go.
That was it's own form of closure. Your father was already dead and buried, chasing his killer wouldn't bring him back.
-----
Amamiya Mashiro (Ziodyne)
New Aoyoma, Mashiro's House
Evening
Waking up, no matter the time, was like being reborn for someone like you.
Opening your eyes to unfamiliar surroundings, moving your body off of a bed that didn't feel like yours. Even the smell of cooking, something that brought about primal memories and urges, was something that you only recognized through a vague haze.
But this was how everyday worked for you, or at least, you got the feeling that this was how everyday worked out for you, so it wasn't something that you were particularly surprised to be experiencing. The light of the evening sun bathing the door gold, you stepped out of the room and down the stairs, passing by pictures of people you could not recall, even though they were your own flesh and blood.
For you, the concept of memory was something rare, something to be treasured.
The unfamiliar stairs opened up to an unfamiliar living room, and from there, to an unfamiliar kitchen.
The woman at the stove was vaguely familiar, some distant aunt perhaps, or a cousin, but the young man sitting at the table was someone whose name you couldn't recall, but whose profession stuck out in your mind, like a vague echo finally bouncing off the wall of eight years.
Detective.
"Good evening, Amamiya-san," his voice was smooth and emotionless, the voice of a man who remained completely detached from the world around him, "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"
This man, someone who hadn't changed at all in eight years.
Someone who was there at the time of the incident.
The detective who had appeared at the scene on that day, on the one night you could remember clearly.
"Do you remember who I am?" A small smile on his face, the man seemed nonplussed at your silence, "You were still a kid back then, and it was a shocking incident, so it's understandable if you forgot about me. But something was left at my office this morning that I believe was meant for you... Of course, I know it's a harsh topic for you, so I can dispose of it if you want?"
A blast from the past.
Something that felt clear.
A memory...
A lead?
Whether to accept it or not was up to you.
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Originally Posted by Tachibana Mayumi
