In The Crosshairs

That afternoon, I once again walked through the glass corridors of the residential floor where my room was located.

Who would have thought I’d ever miss this room, of all places…

Still somewhat unsettled by my new reality, I scanned my hand and entered my room.

“I’m back,” I announced as I stepped into the bright space.

“Oh, welcome back, Isayama Tore,” responded Hana, the sapphire-eyed twin. “Rin is showering in her room.”

She spoke as she brushed Katy’s hair. My partner, her gaze distant, didn’t even look at me as I entered.

“I see. Katy, how are you?” I approached her, trying to hide my concern.

I had only been away for a couple of days, but she was noticeably thinner.

Slowly, she raised her eyes, I soon found myself staring into the dimmed jewels of her gaze.

“Things have only gotten worse. Today she didn’t even have the strength to walk around the block,” her friend added.

“I see… Katy, are you okay?” I took her cold hand.

Her entire body trembled slightly. She hesitated to pull away, but the warmth of my hands seemed to comfort her.

“She’s calmer now, but every day is torture…”

“Who are you?” Her voice, soft as strands of velvet.

“It’s me, Isayama.” I smiled. “I’m back from visiting my father. He was delighted you sent him regards.”

“Isayama.” Her eyes widened. “How are you, Isayama?”

“I’m fine, and you?” I grinned again, in stark contrast to Hana, who still couldn’t accept the future that awaited her childhood friend. “Are you eating well?”

I caressed her delicate cheek, now thinner than ever.

“Me? I think so,” she replied. Her friend nodded in confirmation.

“Tell me, Katy, do you still love me?”

“Huh? I-I suppose so…” Confused, she also brushed my face with her hand, her touch barely perceptible.

“Can you feel the warmth of my face?”

“A little bit…”

“Are you sure you’re okay, Isayama?” asked Hana, fully aware that S-Flu had brought me to the brink of death.

“I’m feeling better than ever…”

…

I need to piece together the document with the scraps of information from Touji…

The next morning, I woke up earlier than the sun to continue my investigation. Armed with my mentor’s notebook, a holographic document now over thirty pages long, and a freshly brewed coffee, I began analyzing everything I’d learned so far…

Katy, frail, was still asleep.

“Huh?”

So soon?

I stared at the cup in my hand, gripped by a terrible shiver.

It trembled. Badly.

But I just left the hospital yesterday…

The image of that drone in the plaza the day before flashed through my mind.

It’s as if my body isn’t even aware of the shaking…

Scared, I set the cup down on the table and focused entirely on the hologram.

If the symptoms have already started, today might be the clearest day I have left. I have to organize everything I know…

I typed furiously.

Biological weapon… Attacks on people with implants… Surveillance drones tailing me and Yamaguchi-sensei… Touji knew about the virus… Wait.

I glanced away from the virtual page and grabbed the wrist hologram and sheets of paper.

I have a bad feeling…

I walked hesitantly toward the door.

With every step I took, the paranoia grew stronger.

How do I know how far the symptoms have progressed? What if I’ve already forgotten something important? Shit…

My hand trembled as I reached for the doorknob.

I have to document everything I know. My mind probably isn’t a safe place anymore…

I ran to the elevator, only to find an insurmountable wall.

I froze in front of the floor buttons, unable to answer my own doubts.

It was an overwhelmingly strange sensation, like reliving a bad dream.

“W-what floor was the report recording room? Was it the same as the office?”

Fuck, fuck, fuck…

I clung desperately to Yamaguchi-sensei’s notebook.

“What are you doing just standing there?” came a female voice from behind me.

Hunched over, I turned toward her hesitantly.

“Isayama, are you sure you’re okay?” Leaning against the elevator doorframe, she observed my trembling movements.

“R-Rin, thank goodness you’re here.”

Her expression was steeped in pity and exhaustion. The days of watching her friend wither away had worn down her spirit, and the worst thing she could have encountered was her friend’s soulmate exhibiting the same fragility.

Before long, those ruby eyes approached me, and she extended a hand.

“Isayama…”

“Rin, by any chance, do you remember what floor the report recording room is on?” I pulled a pen from my pocket.

With her help, I made it to the camera’s room. My goal was clear: if my mind was no longer reliable, I just had to record all my memories…

Not only did I record details about the case, but I also ensured I captured every anecdote and memory I had of Katy. I’d always thought I could bring them back to her, but if I were the one to forget, they’d be lost forever.

“Remember this, Isayama Tore. Anytime you feel lost, remember that you’re in love with a girl named Katy. She has golden eyes, and she’s gorgeous—I still don’t know how you managed to win her over… No matter what happens, no matter how much you forget or how strange this recording seems, protect her and love her. Even if you lose all your memories, fall in love with her again. That’s an order.”

In addition to recording memories, notes, hypotheses, and instructions for my future self, I also jotted down more basic things—on paper and even on my arm. My state turned those notes into barely legible scribbles.

Mundane details I couldn’t forget, like Katy’s name and surname, my room’s floor, the office floor, and the recording room floor…

I had to ensure that, no matter the scenario, the Isayama consumed by BlackBrain could keep moving forward.

…

“I’m back. Katy, how was your day?” I called as I opened the door.

“Isayama.”

“What are you doing there?”

She looked at me, hidden under the blankets, trembling.

“Where were you?” she asked as I approached the bed.

“I went to ask our coworkers something,” I said, stroking her hair as I sat beside her.

“Where are we, Isayama?” Her tone was a mixture of doubt and panic.

“What do you mean, where are we?” Her face bore traces of tears.

“I’m scared…”

“You’re in my room. It’s okay.” I smiled.

“Huh? H-how could I forget something like that?” She buried her face in my back.

Both her hands and mine, resting on the mattress, were trembling.

“It’s okay…”

“What if I forget you too?”

I took a few seconds to answer—moments spent trying to process the fear I felt.

On the desk, I found my mentor’s notebook.

The clock won’t stop ticking…

“Everything will be alright…”

It was a battle against a biological weapon I didn’t understand.

A race against Katy’s illness.

A fight against my own memory.

“Hana and Rin will come by this afternoon. I have to head to the office…”