Missing Threads

Consciousness eluded Itsuki; it weaved in and out of his mind between darkness like waves on the shore, like he was floating in the sea of his own mind. Memories and his sense of self surrounded him fragmented on the surface.

Grey eyes, warmth, and everything else from his former and current life bobbed around him in the water. It was like a living photobook had been dumped around him, with uncertainty waiting for him across the horizon.

As he stared, golden threads began to weave upward into the sky and around him, linking him to other souls within the sea. He couldn’t quite make out who they were, but eventually, the entire sea became lit. Each new wave beneath him brought wholeness, piecing together context to form a grand picture.

But something was missing. It wasn’t right. There was a gap that took up a huge void.

He tried to grasp one of the threads that shone brightest and slot it into place. Yet no matter how hard he tried, it was always just out of reach, brushing his fingers.

Eventually, even his attempts faded to darkness. The waves, memories, and light returned to the void. The world came to instead, rising up to meet him, and then…

***

Itsuki groaned as his eyes lifted open.

There was a tense silence in the air, and the large room he was in was mostly dark. Stone walls stretched high around him, banners of the triumvirate lining them and a large stained-glass window to what looked to be the early night sky.

He felt the soft give of a mattress beneath him, and a breeze across his skin as he shifted on his back, though the sounds of muted battle and magic drifted in alongside it. There was other movement too, though he couldn't quite see yet.

What'd happened? He tried to move his limbs, stirring them from stiffness.

Most of his clothes looked to have been shed save for his pants, piled to the side of him haphazardly and threadbare from battle. His chest was half-exposed to the air besides some bandages still soaked in fresh red.

He looked upward as the grogginess faded, trying to remember.

Several fragments slowly came from the effort: saving sisters, the dukedom's forces, defying death, the Diluvian cult, and their flight from Reathe. They sorted into place as he forced himself to sit up. What happened last still felt foggy to him though—once they'd made it to the cathedral. He remembered chains and a lot of pain, but the rest eluded him.

"Worldwalker Kisaragi?! Ah, he's awake!"

"!" Hearing his name so suddenly caught him off guard, spiking pain as he jolted up in surprise.

"ACK!"

"S-sorry! My most sincerest apologies!" someone he couldn't quite place exclaimed. They leaned in to steady him as he winced, still blurred in his vision. "I was just a little excited. Are you okay? Do you need more healing? You've been out for a few minutes!"

Several other voices whispered amongst themselves that Itsuki could just barely make out. It seemed there were a fair amount of people here beside him.

"Mr. Hero!" two voices called out in unison, hurrying over to where he was.

And Refi and Eflam were as well. That was a pleasant surprise.

It took Itsuki a little, but he tried reassuring their anxiousness with a smile, even if the end result might've been more gritted teeth than his intended expression.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hero," Eflam started with a sniffle. "Because of me… because of me you and Mrs. Hero got hurt. Then the bad guys came, a-and everything happened."

She looked about to say more, but he shook his head at her before she could continue.

"H-hey there, don’t cry, alright? It's fine. I'm just… glad you two are alright."

He steadied his breath as he straightened his posture, then looked over once he'd settled and rubbed the blur from his eyes. A vaguely familiar guy came into focus alongside the two sisters, kneeling on the floor beside him amongst a crowd of townfolk.

He was perhaps half a head shorter than Itsuki, with half-rounded, half-pointed ears and glasses that glinted beneath short light-blue hair. He wore the white raiment of a priest, though there were a few tears and scuffs along the fabric.

Wasn't this guy he’d seen in front of the church during the raid? The one that'd shouted to get inside the barrier?

Sweat beaded from his brow as he looked at Itsuki. "Cirumstances aside, it's nice to meet you, Worldwalker Kisaragi! My name is Githl, Head-Ward of the Lerwood cathedral. I am a humble servant of the triumvirate at your service."

He gave a reverent bow despite being flustered, exuding an earnest aura one could probably feel from a kilometer away. It was… something. Almost reminded Itsuki of those cosplayers at comiket Kaede had taken him along to all those years ago. It was specifically the way they'd act whenever they met someone they looked up to. Almost falling head over heels just seeing them.

Itsuki slowly nodded as he took stock of the guy, still trying to piece things together. He seemed friendly enough if a bit nervous. The fact that he'd called him 'worldwalker' though…

He paused when he remembered the pulse of light that had gone throughout the town and the public declaration from the Diluvian.

Ah… guess it was safe to say that their secret wasn't so secret anymore.

"It's uh, a pleasure to meet you too, Githl," he said as warmly as he could despite the pain. "So I'm in the cathedral then?"

He looked around after the greeting, able to see a little better now. A few rows of pews were up against the walls, thousands of people crowded the floor, and his mace was to his left just within reach alongside the rest of his stuff.

Something felt wrong though, and he squeezed his hand by instinct, the bracelet on his wrist shifting position. He didn’t know why, but it felt strangely empty. Like something had been torn from him.

Just as his brain tried comprehending it, other fragments of his memory floated up into place: the chain's hold on him, his life picked apart, Sayaka and the golden glow as she reached out.

Heat rose to Itsuki's face. A lot of it was still foggy to him like the specifics. But to think that she'd gone through so much to try and save him…

Did he really deserve that? After what he'd felt and nearly succumbed to? After even he doubted his own intentions?

"Are you okay, Worldwalker Kisaragi?" Githl suddenly asked. "You look a little red."

"Y-yes. I'm just remembering what happened before this, that's all." Itsuki sighed to calm himself. "Sorry. So um, where is Usami? I wanted to thank her, but I'm guessing she's in another room?"

"Um, about that…" Githl started, interrupting Itsuki's thoughts. He trailed off as his blue eyes unfocused slightly. "I deeply apologize, Worldwalker Kisaragi, but about Worldwalker Usami—"

Pain jabbed Itsuki's heart before Githl could finish. His body flinched his back violently.

Crap. Why did his chest hurt this much?!

"M-Mr. Hero?!" Refi exclaimed wide-eyed as blood blossomed anew from Itsuki's front. "A-are you okay? Please don't die!"

He tried to grunt a yes but fell short, a wheeze coming out instead.

"Hold on, let me try something." The head-ward raised his hand in a glow to heal him. Its white light began to soak in.

"…" However, it wasn't working well. It only numbed the pain slightly.

"By the triumvirate. My pas magic isn't up to par for healing something like this." The young man pushed up his glasses as he thought out loud in a panic. "I tried healing you before, but it seems it wasn't enough. No surprise considering you had a chainstake through your heart. H-hold on, let me try and see if I can find someone—"

Itsuki raised his hand to stop the guy from rambling, wincing in pain. He didn't want to panic anyone, especially not with the sisters around.

"Wait. I can just heal myself. Just… give me a moment to do that."

Itsuki breath shook as his hand rose to grip his chest, and he braced for regeneration. He still didn't know exactly what had happened to the town yet, nor Usami, Velena, or Kiaki, but he didn’t want to interrupt things, especially if the Diluvian raid was still going on.

However, something different happened than expected when his hand clenched.

Nothing.

Well, it wouldn't be fully correct to say that. There was something going on. Heat sputtered like a dying flame in him, like half its source had been snuffed out.

"How is it?" Githl asked, noticing him still sitting there in pain. "Is it working?"

He tried responding to the young man and the sisters eyeing him in concern, but it trailed off unintelligible, and he began to wobble.

He focused on his power like before to see if that would help, but while it forced something out, it wasn't enough. Blood still seeped with the warmth, and his head grew lighter.

That wasn't good. At this rate, he would pass out.

"Worldwalker Kisaragi?" His shoulder shook. "Worldwalker Kisaragi?! Answer me!"

The head-ward looked properly panicked now alongside a few others in the room, his eyes scanning over him unsure of what to do.

"We'll get help!" Refi yelled, tugging Eflam along. "Hold on, Mr. Hero! Maybe there's another ward that can heal."

Both sisters ran toward the entry past a few other townsfolk as his breathing grew fainter.

"Triumvirate save us. First I couldn't pull your partner to safety, and now we stand to lose you as well?!" Githl tried to force Itsuki to lie back down with a firm hand. "Please, just stay still for a moment. Let me try to heal you properly."

Itsuki's eyes widened, clarity briefly sharpening at what he'd heard.

"Githl… what did you just say about Usami?"