Fire

“In this world, to love is a crime.”

    Crackles. As the flames dance over my grey eyes, I embrace the sensation of warmth they offer.

“And I am a criminal.”

    Hahh. Love. Of course you’d have thought it’s all about love with a big L. Cut it short. If you’re here for this, spare me your presence. Close this book. That garbage… I don’t give it a fuck.

    No.

    There are so many ways to love, and still so few words to put upon these feelings. Friends, lover, family… These words cross people’s lips as an automatism. Show too much affection to someone and one of these few boxes will be yours.

    My footsteps echo along the empty corridors, welcomed by the crackling of the fire, flames licking lavishly at the classroom’s door. Beyond, the desks and chairs sit, distanced from each other with a clinical uniformity, turning to ash. Black remnants floating in the air.

“The world has become cold. Unless it has always been?”

    To think that I’d have to set my school ablaze to feel that again. That warmth. However destructive it is, at least I can feel it. It’s a sensation. It fills the night. ‘Better than its deceiving silence.

    As I climb up the stairs, behind me part of the ceiling comes off with a thud, followed by a rafter crushing the steps.

    Splinters of wood stuck in the cherry strands of hair loosely framing my face.

    I push the door, a fresh breeze brushing my irritated skin as I reach the rooftop. With the back of my hand, I rub cinders away from my cheek, staining the bandages tightly wrapped around my fingers to my wrist.

“Burn.”

    The word escapes my lips as I watch the way the flames inflate, devouring my school’s walls with insatiable appetite. It’s with an indifferent expression that I take a few steps forward, before clutching the fence.

“Burn with me.”

    A siren, crimson light flashing in the distance against the neighbouring buildings. Fragments of voices in the distance.

    I press my hand against my lips, unable to restrain a cough.

    It sure took them time before reacting. ‘Had to be expected. It’s been decades since people started avoiding the streets at dusk. Everyone prefers to stay away from the night and the monsters roaming there. Mr. Izawa has warned me as well. Not that it matters any more.

“No, but look at her.” A voice suddenly rises, scornful. “Almost seems like she’s having fun, that weirdo.”

    My eyes widening, I turn around, scanning the rooftop.

    Sat carelessly on the edge of the small penthouse, a boy. Short, scruffy platinum blond hair keeps his eyes hidden. I should be wondering how the hell he got up there, but it’s another thing which holds my attention…

“Do you think the smoke has driven her mad?”

    The boy’s lips remain sealed all along. Instead, the words seem to come out of a marionette, a white rabbit dangling in front of him from his arm. A ventriloquist? But the voice comes out effortlessly. It’s almost too natural.

“What the hell…” I mumble, frowning.

    Around us, smoke mixed with ashes reaches our position, floating until it conceals any remnant of clean air. An hallucination? Else, how would he be so unfazed despite the burning building?

“God… You have a tongue, don’t you? Use it, for fuck’s sake.” The white rabbit retorts. “Here, let’s start with an easy one. What’s your name?”

“My name?.. Hoshimori. Megumi Hoshimori.” I answer before shaking my head, annoyed. “That’s not important. You, what were you doing up there?”

    Is he another student? Did he stay after class just like I did? That thought worries me.

    But then, there are his clothes. My gaze lingers on him. A loose, thin cream pullover over a simple white shirt, grey jeans. Why wouldn’t he be wearing the uniform?

“You’re not even part of this school!”

    It isn’t my fault if he’s here, right?

“Tssk, tssk, tssk. Wrong question. Don’t ask what, but why.”

“Huhh?”

“Since we’re running out of time, though, I’ll answer anyway. We came here because of you, Megumi Hoshimori.” The marionette keeps talking while the boy finally stands up. “Because of that fire you’ve started.”

    Before I can add anything, the boy jumps off the penthouse, landing a step away from me.

    For the first time, it’s he and not the marionette who opens his mouth.

“That fire… Its cause isn’t natural. You’ve used magic, didn’t you?” A smoother voice asks, not leaving doubt as for his certainty.

    I widen my eyes.

“How did he know? Did he see me? No. No, that’s not possible.”

    The white rabbit leans in closer.

“You know it’s forbidden, don’t you?” It whispers next to my ear.

    Magic. A few decades ago, it was still part of people’s daily life. Many were the ones able to use it. But then… Its users have become more and more rare. Why?

    Because magic is a crime. It’s a crime worst than starting a fire.

“So what. What if I did? You’re going to report me?” I let out a nervous laugh. “We’re both stuck here. Fire will consume us before any firefighter finds us.”

“That’s what you want?” The rabbit asks, to my surprise. “To disappear from this world with a last, big ‘BANG’?”

“No!” I answer in a bite, clenching my fists. “You can’t understand. They don’t understand. Spending one more or one less day in this world? I don’t give it a shit! It’s a protest!!”

    For what seems like an eternity, they don’t reply. They don’t even move. Until the white rabbit leans its head back.

    A chuckle. Another. Unhinged laughter soon shakes the whole marionette while the boy keeps a perfect poker face.

“Bahahahahaha!! Nahah… Ahh… You heard that, Rubeus? A protest, it’s a protest she says! Hey!! We’re gonna have a good laugh with her.”

    Fucking brat… Even circled by flames, there’s still someone who manages to mock my life.

    Lips quivering, features stiff, I imagine all my rage concentrating into my fist. If punching him is going to be the last thing I do, then so be it.

    A blast.

    Beneath our feet, the floor begins to quake, cutting short my murderous intents.

“Ahh, see what you’re making us do, losing time like this in the middle of a fire. We’ve stayed here for too long.”

    I don’t even manage to raise my eyes at the strange boy that another blast, hungrier, follows.

“The fire must have reached the labs.”

    Windows shatter one after the other, glass splinters glistening in the night as the roaring flames reach us.

“It’s over.”

    At the same time, I feel something wrapping around my waist.

“Huhh?”

    The blond boy holds me with an arm, pushing his back against the metal fence just as it comes off, everything crumbling around.

    And then, the fall. Stars blend with flames, wind rushes past us.

    Wind… and bluish sparkles?

    Dumbfounded, I cast a side glance at his hand, the one with the rabbit. Now wrapped in bluish light.

    The following moment, we sink into a soft matter made out of that same light, while the lack of oxygen begins to cloud my mind. As we bounce back in the air, surrounded by bluish dust, I catch sight beneath us of what resembles rabbit pads.

“Magic..?”

    That’s the last thing I can think of before my vision becomes blurry, fading to black.