A change of view

Winter 2023, Planet 26

The cold wind blew hardest in winter, when I was little, I always wondered why it had to be so cold. I always hated winter. The barrier between the humans and the spirits was far away, never to be reached.

Although we humans are indistinguishable between spirits, we are very different . The spirits were there to protect Planet 26 whereas, the humans just coexisted with the spirits. That all we’ve been doing coexisting with the rest of the thing on earth.

My name is Ayasaki, Yuna. I was fourteen years old when it all started.

"Ayasaki" said a voice. I woke up in the sick bay at school. I turned to see the person by my side. 

Fujiwa Minori, a friend of mine. "Ayasaki, your awake" said Fujiwa. "Fujiwa" i said "why am I here" I asked. 

"You passed out in the middle of class," said Fujiwa. This was the third time this happened this year. 

"Ayasaki" said Fujiwa "yes" I replied "did you get enough sleep" asked Fujiwa "yeah" I replied "Ayasaki you have to sleep earlier" said Fujiwa 

Fujiwa read me like a book and expressed her concern . "I'm fine" I said. "well it's almost five I have to go" said Fujiwa as she looked at her watch. 

"wait, I have to go home my brother must be waiting for me" I said as I rushed out of the school.

I went to the train station and saw my brother sitting down on the bench waiting for the train.

"Naoto" I said "Yuna" said Naoto "what happened I been waiting here for hours, are you okay" asked Naoto. "I'm fine, I just had an assignment to finish" I replied.

I didn't want my brother to worry about me, I was supposed to protect my little brother so I can never tell him things like this. 

I didn't want to worry him, I wanted him to feel safe. 

if there one thing to note about Planet 26,it is that we were never safe. We were encouraged to carry weapons with us at all times, because at anytime, a monster could attack us.

We had combat training in school and most of the time children had to be accompanied by an adult. 

My brother had big dreams, he wanted to see beyond Planet 26, he wanted to find a place where humans could live freely, where people didn't need to hide. 

I tried to tone down his enthusiasm, but he always had hope that one day we could live freely in peace. 

It was about 6 am, I had just finished cooking dinner so I called Naoto to the dining  table

The dining table was a big; an eight seater, but there are only two people in the house, me and Naoto 

My mother died in a car crash and my father worked abroad, so most of the time it was just me and Naoto. 

I tried to be there for Naoto and give him a happy childhood, but I had to deal with school and chores and that why he has to do most of his thing alone.

Naoto, is a good kid. he was very independent. He never ask for much and he always did his school work. 

A while back I was a little concerned for Naoto, he did have any friends. But now he has one friend he holds dear to him. 

I've never met her before but I saw pictures. 

It was a girl with straight blond hair and grey eyes. In every picture of her I could see her smiling. Naoto spoke highly of her. apparently her name was Suzune Sole. 

"Yuna" said Naoto "you got a letter from Koharu High" said Naoto. "What, no" I replied kinda shock how did he knew. 

Koharu High was a high school, in fact it was the best high school in planet 26. 

"stop lying Yuna" said Naoto "I know you got a scholarship" said Naoto. "fine, I did get the letter and I did get the scholarship but I don't want to go" I snapped.

"Yuna, it's the best place for you to go" said Naoto "Just take the scholarship" he exclaimed. "I just wanted to go to a normal school not Koharu high" I said.

"Yuna, please listen to me your not normal" said Naoto "What is that supposed to mean" I asked.

"Just trust me on this one, okay" said Naoto "I'll think about it" I replied.  

After dinner Naoto would usually go to the same place every day it was in the backyard. it was full of plants and had an ocean view. 

I would just sit there for a long time. A few months ago I decided to install a bench for him to sit on so he wouldn't sit on the grass.

I decided to join him today.

I sat beside him on the bench it was winter so we had our jackets on. Naoto was drinking a cup of tea. 

"Naoto" I said "yes" he replied "is there anything you would like to tell me" I asked 

"there a lot of secrets I can't tell you that I wish I could, there a lot of lies that I wish I could explain but I can't" said Naoto he began to cry. 

his tears looked genuine I almost never see Naoto cry. "Naoto, you call tell me anything I'll listen" I said 

"I can't, well not yet" said Naoto "when your ready you can tell me" I said. 

I got up from the bench and started walking back to the house when Naoto pulled my arm. "Yuna" he screamed.

He pushed me to the side as I saw a beam of light shoot at the place I was standing a second ago. 

"Run away" said Naoto I saw the look of concern on Naoto face. I looked at the thing that shot me with the beam of light. 

it was a circle of light floating in mid air. I got a small injury on my left arm when Naoto pulled me aside. 

Naoto saw the scar and put his hand over it the it started to glow and then my wound was gone. 

"Naoto what's going on" I asked "I'll explain later" said Naoto.

the circle of light took the shape of a human but I knew it was a spirit.  her hair was long wavy white, illuminating in the night. her eyes were a bright red and her skin was pale but glowing. 

I watch Naoto silver hair turn into a dark back and his sky blue eyes turn into a midnight blue. 

Then I came up with a conclusion. Naoto, was a spirit not a human but a spirit. 

"Get out of here, Yuna" screamed Naoto "Ayasaki Naoto" said the spirit. "you know your supposed to kill the spirit of the wind" said the spirit.

"Leave my sister alone" said Naoto "Naoto, what going on" I asked "I'm sorry I never told you your a spirit" said Naoto.

"Naoto you know you have to kill her" said the spirit "but if you don't kill her I will" said the spirit.

the spirit tried to kill me but Naoto fought back. he swung his sword and tried to kill the spirit. 

I saw that he was injured but there was nothing I could do about it. I just stood there dumbfounded. 

Then I saw Naoto collapse to the ground. "Naoto" I scream as I ran to his side. 

I was determined to save my brother I stood before the spirit, Then a huge gust of wind blew stronger that any wind I encountered.

But I didn't move at all. I summoned the wind to fight for me. The winds was so strong that things from the ground were levitating . 

The spirit could not fight back. then out of nowhere Naoto started talking "save humanity, Yuna" that made me snap back to reality. 

And in that moment the spirit shot my brother with a beam of light and he disappeared. all that was left was tiny bits of light floating in the sky. 

then the spirit disappeared.

Naoto was dead. 

I dropped to the ground unconscious.

I will find a place for human to live in peace

I won't let your dreams burn to ashes 

I will save every human in planet 26 

I will do it 

In memory of you