Chapter 22 — Strange Aura

As the night wore on, Yasu finally drifted into a deep slumber, his arms wrapped tightly around his pillow, cocooned beneath the warmth of his blanket. The world outside his window faded into a distant hum as he succumbed to the gentle embrace of sleep.

The morning sun, a relentless sentinel, crept through the cracks in the curtains, casting a golden glow across Yasu's face. Its rays, like curious fingers, tickled his eyelids, coaxing him from the depths of his dreams. Yasu stirred, his body stretching languidly as he emerged from the realm of sleep. With a soft sigh, he opened his eyes, blinking away the remnants of his nightly journey, accepting of what had happened yesterday.

In that moment, as his vision adjusted to the harsh light of day, Yasu's heart skipped a beat. What greeted him was not the familiar sight of his bedroom or his mother, but something far more extraordinary. A strange, ethereal aura danced around his body, swirling and pulsing with an otherworldly energy. The colors shifted from deep purples to vibrant blues, creating a mesmerizing display that seemed to defy the laws of nature.

"W-what is this?" Yasu whispered, his voice barely audible. He tentatively reached out a hand, his fingers brushing against the shimmering mist. The aura responded, its tendrils wrapping gently around his hand, sending a tingling sensation up his arm. "Is this... real?" he wondered aloud, his mind racing with a thousand questions.

As he sat up, the aura continued to flow around him, its movements fluid and hypnotic. Yasu's heart raced, a mix of awe and confusion swirling within him. He had never experienced anything like this before, and the unfamiliar sensation left him both exhilarated and unnerved. "What does this mean?" he pondered, his gaze fixed on the mysterious light that seemed to be a part of him now.

As the morning sun streamed through the windows, Yasu's heart racing, he hurried to his parents' room, determined to find answers to his million questions, and hoping to unleash the secrets his parents were hiding. 

Rushing into the room, Yasu prayed, apologizing to his late parents for barging in the room and going through their stuff without permission, before searching every nook and cranny, his fingers searching through old drawers and checking under beds and bookshelves. 

His mind and heart were a whirlwind of questions. "There has to be an answer here somewhere," he muttered fervently, the search a frantic, almost desperate, thing. Yasu rummaged through every old item, hoping to find some kind of clue about the strange aura that was swirling around him.

As Yasu continued his frantic search of the room, a memory suddenly struck him. His mother had once mentioned something about a basement, in connection with a sword his father had gifted him. With the recollection, Yasu ceased his hurried movements, his breath shallow as he searched his mind for confirmation.

"A basement..." he whispered, the memory now vivid in his mind.

As Yasu scoured the house, hope slowly gave way to frustration. Every corner, every room, he searched, but there was no sign of a basement entrance. Storage rooms, bathrooms, every hidden crevice he could think of to investigate, all proving fruitless. Frustration started to devour him, the hope of answers fading. "There must be a basement," he muttered, his voice tinged with increasing desperation. "Where is it?"

The absence of the basement was maddening, leaving Yasu on edge. "It must be here somewhere," he muttered, his fingers tracing over every surface, searching for a hidden lever, a loose floorboard, anything that might lead to the elusive basement. "There must be a way, there must be a way," he repeated under his breath, the thought becoming a mantra as he continued his relentless search.

Yasu's frustration mounted, his fingers gripping tightly in his hair as he groaned in frustration. The basement remained elusive, a puzzle with no solution. "This is impossible," he muttered under his breath, his mind spinning with questions and growing anger at the house's secrets. "I've looked everywhere, gone through every possibility, and still... nothing." He kicked a nearby table out of frustration, the impact making a small thud. "Damn it, where is that basement?"

The air outside was cool and fresh, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere inside. As Yasu stepped out, his shoulders still tight with frustration, the outdoors provided a momentary relief, the fresh air cooling his overheated mind. With a sigh, he walked a few steps, trying to release the frustration. His fingers fidgeted anxiously at his sides, his thoughts conflicted. "This is maddening," he muttered, kicking a rock along the footpath. "I need to clear my head."

Yasu's eyes lingered on his arms, the flowing aura still dancing around him, a constant reminder of his mysterious new condition. The unanswered questions and the absence of a basement left him filled with curiosity and a sense of helplessness. He turned his attention back to the house, his mind set on continuing his search. 

With renewed determination, Yasu began to circle the house, his eyes scanning every inch of the exterior, inside the conservatory, or around it, looking for possible clues or hidden entrances.

The sight of a small door at the back of the house caught his attention. Excitement and curiosity filled Yasu as he approached it, his eyes narrowing as he took in every detail. This wasn't a door he had noticed before, and it seemed to hold untold secrets.

He moved closer, gently touching the rough surface of the door, feeling the wood grain under his fingers. "This has to be it," he murmured, his heart beating faster at the possibility of finally finding the basement he'd spent endless hours searching for.

He gripped the doorknob, twisting it slowly, the click of the lock giving way sending a wave of anticipation through him. Yasu's heart raced as he pushed the door open, hoping to find the answers he so desperately needed. 

As the door creaked open, a rush of musty air assaulted Yasu's senses, the smell of old wood and damp earth mixing in an odd, not entirely unwelcome way. A set of steep concrete stairs led downward, disappearing into the dark shadows that filled the space below.

As Yasu descended the steep stairs, the darkness of the basement quickly enveloped him, the air stale and thick, his heart beating a frantic rhythm. But as one step led to the next, a misstep sent Yasu tumbling down, his balance lost in the pitch dark confines of the basement. His body landed with a thud, his legs tangled in a heap beneath him. 

"Ow," he groaned

As the crystal light flooded the basement, the dim space suddenly came to life, the shadows of the dusty area chased away by the illumination. Yasu blinked, his eyes adjusting to the light, and saw the basement's contents fully revealed. 

He let out a soft gasp, his gaze sweeping over the various items: old clothes draped over chairs, swords and axes displayed on the wall, books and documents stacked haphazardly around the area.