Chapter 13 (1/2)

A dream.

Again.

–

–

There was an elm tree growing in the back garden.

A huge, majestic tree.

I loved that tree, and ██████ would get mad at me for it, but I would often climb up and play in its branches.

Even though I got scolded, I climbed because I liked the scenery from up there.

To be honest, I could see the same view from the second story of the house, but when I gazed out from that high perch all by myself, I could imagine that it belonged to me alone, and it looked even more wonderful.

The wind blew, and the foliage shook. A rustling sound. Motes of sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Far in the distance, I could see a mountain range. It would change from green, to yellow, to white, colors to match the season.

The sky was all sorts of colors too. Soaring blue, distant red, sprawling indigo.

Deep inside, I felt that I would never tire of it.

One day, ██████ came.

At first, I found ██████ hard to deal with. He might have felt the same way. The first time we met, I didn’t know how to act around a boy who was roughly the same age as me.

Nervous, but curious, I snuck peeks from behind. I didn’t know what ██████ thought of me, acting like that. ██████ would steal glances at me too, but only to look at me in bewilderment.

In the end, I inched closer little by little, and took ██████’s hand.

“██████”

I said.

██████, confused, nodded.

I was happy. Me, and ██████ too. We probably both wanted to get along, I think.

And so we became friends. Not friends. Brother and sister.

██████ was Big Brother. I was the little sister. Because I was younger.

But even so, I was glad. If I could be together with ██████, if I could call him family, I’d be happy. I loved ██████, and ██████ always pulled on my hand.

But that elm was the only exception.

I climbed the elm less frequently than before. Playing with ██████ was important to me.

Besides, ██████ wouldn’t climb the elm. No matter how many times I asked, he wouldn’t do it. So every time I gave up, helpless, and secretly climbed it by myself. But I was found out every time, and he’d look up at me and yell that it was dangerous.

Even though it would be better to climb it together. Even though I wanted to look together. Even though the view that belonged solely to me, would be even better if the two of us could share it.

And yet, ██████ wouldn’t come.

But I wanted both of us to see it someday, for sure.

That would definitely be even more wonderful. I just knew it.

–

–

“……”

Collecting my dazed consciousness, I awakened as myself.

When I opened my eyes, I could see the bed canopy.

Ah, I’m here.

Maybe it was because that weird dream, but it was a relief to find myself in the same place as yesterday.

Dream?

Was that really a dream? Aren’t dreams usually more abstract and bizarre?

Not to mention, the contents of my dreams were worrying me more and more. Even when I dug through my memories, I couldn’t find a single trace of that place or those children.

It wasn’t as if I’d never dreamed of places and people I didn’t know until now. So in that respect, there was nothing particularly mysterious about it.

That was how it should be, but these strangely vivid and not-irrational dreams gave me a sense of discomfort I couldn’t put into words. If I had to say something, I’d go with:

Mystery dreams.

…that’s it in a nutsh.e.l.l.

In conclusion, I suddenly felt foolish, and I decided not to pay too much attention to them.

“Hahh.”

“Oh, you’re awake?”

…Again?

With a slightly fed-up look on my face, I sat up in bed and turned toward the source of the voice.

There was Leon, sitting on the chair next to the wall just as he had been yesterday. When our eyes met, he raised a hand in greeting, his expression calm.

…But if there was something different from yesterday, it was the hint of dark shadows under his eyes. They were only slightly darker, but given Leon’s originally chiseled good looks, they stood out even more.

“What’s with the bags under your eyes?”

So, I asked him straight out.

Frankly speaking, I didn’t see a reason to be delicate with Leon. I mean, the guy goes into people’s rooms whenever he feels like it all the time — well, for a second time, anyway.

“…Do you remember what happened yesterday?”

Leon’s expression grew dubious.

Yesterday………–!

How could I forget?

I hurriedly checked both sides of my right hand.

Sure enough, there was nothing there.

Not on my palm, of course, nor on the back of my hand. That strange floating pattern was completely gone without a trace. I rubbed my right hand with my left to make sure, but as I thought, there was no sense of discomfort.

“What… was that?”

I was confused.

I was happy that there was nothing there, sure.

The truth is, if that glowing pattern had been floating there, I would’ve been even more confused. But its absence was unsettling too. There was no doubt in my mind that something happened yesterday.

I recalled last night.

The rock that I thought was a invocation stone was absorbed into my palm.

A merciless dizziness a.s.saulted me, the pattern appeared on the back of my hand, and lines radiated from it, running up my arm and disappearing toward my back. At the same time, a large version of the pattern imprinted itself on my vision.

…Speaking of which.

“Hey, Leon. What happened to me yesterday?”

Thinking back, at the end, Leon came flying into the room with a completely unfamiliar expression on his face. I even remembered thinking, ‘Huh, so even Leon can make a face like that.’

“Well, you see, I heard you screaming at the time so I thought something happened and rushed over. I should have knocked, but your voice didn’t sound normal.”

“No, uh, that’s not what I meant.”

The problem was what came after that.

Or rather, since I was continuing to wake up to this situation with Leon, I was surprised he could talk about knocking with a straight face.

“Then the moment I came in, and you were collapsed on the floor, holding your head? I’d like to know what happened myself.”

“…The pattern.”

“Pattern?”

“…No…”

When Leon repeated the word, looking curious, my words became muddled.

He didn’t see it?

I could see that glowing blue circle so clearly.

But maybe only I could see it.

In that case, if I started talking about it right here, right now, I’d ultimately have no choice but to reveal my secret.

I… still wasn’t mentally prepared for that. Right now, I still didn’t want to talk about it.

“…No, so many things happened, I think I was still half-asleep.”

So I made up a suitable lie instead.

Hearing that, Leon turned a bit pensive, but for now he said,

“…Is that so?”

with an expression that could be taken as either agreement or doubt.

Which one?

Well, whichever it was, I was going to have to come clean today or tomorrow.

“I understand. But the issue with your physical condition… No.”

With a rare flicker of bewilderment, Leon cut himself off.

What?

Before I had the time to wonder, his smile returned.