Episode XI - The Day I Became Anchorless

Hanako’s Poetic Monologue

2,300 ward buildings. 20k people, all destroyed—because I cracked under pressure. That was the day the crow screamed, and the final straw that hinted to my powers’ ever-growing potential— before I sealed them in silence. I was given extreme intelligence, so I never had to worry about school or college. I was omniscient. Even now.

It’s all thanks to an echo first felt in the timestreams of Episode 4. Multiple different realities, but not a single Hanako Reina in one of them. I never graduated. But I’ve dissected more hearts than any surgeon alive.

That’s what happens when you're born to hold the universe together.

The Spirit of the Quiet Crow manifested into me when I was in the womb, and before I was even born, I knew my existence. I could hear people’s thoughts from my mother’s womb, both dirty, intelligent, and book-smart.

I chose to filter those out, except for smartness (it turned me into a nerd lol).

part.i of xi – Passive Powers──⊰

Though much of what I wield brings danger, I have passive ones that I love using, even if it was to cause mischief or fun.

Freezing Touch or Air Chill is deeply linked to Love and Healing. Remember that moment when I manifested snow for Ruruka’s Birthday? Or when I healed her wound in the previous episode? Yeah, that’s the symbolism behind Freezing Touch. Love might feel warm, but to me, it still is—but in the form of coolness.

Prolific Eyes is linked to curiosity. They emit a low dark red color, and it helps me senses people’s “emotional noise” like echoes; helps me avoid danger, find people (e.g., Ruruka), or react without looking. It works like Telepathy and Mind Reading combined—I get to know the full history of a person, including who they are, what they do, and what they like. However, I will never use this to invalidate someone’s opinion, because they are entitled to their own bias.

Flying as a bird, I call that freedom and tranquility. Like that one time I carried Ruruka on my back and flew to some of the seven world attractions, in just minutes or even zeptoseconds. High speed sky traversal. When we landed in Paris, near the Eiffel Tower, I had used an ability to become invisible—so we wouldn’t attract attention.

Its called Crow Cloak. There’s also Double Perception, which makes cameras take pictures of us even when I’m invisible with another person. However, it takes a toll on me when I apply it to other people or objects, ten minutes at max. It usually depends on the device. This connects to emotions like silence or guardedness.

When it comes to reading minds based on empathy, I call that Telempathy, which is just empathetic telepathy, which can only understand what the person is thinking. Kind of like how I peered into Ruruka’s mind after I confessed to her, where I couldn’t even respond at all. That moment hurt me, but I’m way past it now.

I can endure a lot of physical pain, even if it’s sickness. I call this Warmth Manipulation, which is linked to tenacity. I remember I got a fever after going to the zoo as a date. Even though I didn’t use this power, I just manifested a snow-like medical jacket on me which helped me do the trick. I can do anything with my passive abilities, I get to choose when, where, and how.

part.ii of xi – Suppressed Abilities (Danger)──⊰

I remember when I first broke through time. It was because of grief and regret. I called this Temporal Collapse, and I remember vividly, as always. From being put under intensity at different wards, my emotions detonated within me, each episode of anxiety and quiet implosions. Even the moon, a cradle of silence—offered no solace.

I drowned in an ocean of sorrow, unable to resurface no matter how far I fled. Intense emotions like this would push my soul into alternate universes. That’s how I discovered why I was the only one.

And those anxiety attacks I get? No matter how highly induced they are? It’s called Ionic Fracture. It’s very potent. An uncontrollable cascade of ionic pulses triggered by overwhelming anxiety.

This creates invisible implosions: crushing air pressure, electronic meltdowns, and microbursts in space. I subconsciously isolate this emotion into silence.

Rage. It is a powerful emotion that makes me go berserk. This is called Black Halo, or Crow Storm. Black feathers manifest from my back, and they become a whirlwind of dark energy, like a halo of ruin.

I was about to go ballistic when I saw Ruruka bleeding in my arms. I wanted to exact vengeance, but, Haruhi, she stopped me from destroying myself further. Thanks, Haruhi…!!

When I was eighteen, I had a lot of stress. I flew to a neighboring solar system to let out my emotions, but I couldn’t. I was flying above the sun, which was the heart of that system, because I wanted to end my life there, but I didn’t have the guts to. I tried to shed a tear, but only one dropped, and it crystallized into a snow-drop tear.

It didn’t melt, but it fell into the sun…..and—boom. The entire system collapsed inwards into itself, the sun turned into a black hole and pulled everything inside. However, even with that hole there, inside, it birthed new stars and systems. These crystalized tears were the yin and yang. This power is called Agonizing Tears, and it’s connected to being doleful.

I’ve never had a god complex, because I don’t view myself as one. Although it can be use as an adjective to describe my powers, I allow it because it’s similar to saying, “what are you, a goddess?!” For a mythical being like me, I always long for longing—yearning.

Being nostalgic for once. This is one of my most dangerous powers, and it is called Feather Memory. But why is it potent? Despite nostalgia being a good emotion…? It’s because I can walk into dreams and memories.

I can view other people’s memories of me. But if I ever see myself hurt in one of them, I can remove my presence from that memory. It’s a quiet form of self-harm. And the families of those who were caught in my destruction? I had to find them and erase my presence from their memory. All by walking into their dreams.

However, I don’t really use this dangerous power anymore, not with Ruruka and Haruhi in my life. I don’t want to erase my presence from them. I want to be with them—forever. They showed me how to be grounded, to be strong. Rooted into the earth with humanity.

They showed me what it means to love and be loved. And I want to return that feeling. However, even with these dangerous abilities comes at a cost: cryostasis mode—for a day.

part.iii of xi – The Anchor──⊰

Ruruka asked me what my beliefs were when we were geeking out playing games and reading manga. I told her of my belief of the multiverse—that it’s real. When I went outside time using Temporal Collapse when I was ten, not only I was scared—I was stunned and surprised about the vast infinite possibilities.

I tried to find versions of me from those realities, and after countless observations, I wasn’t in one of them. That’s when I realized that I was alone. The only one across the entire multiverse. I wasn’t alone by circumstance, it was by design.

I don’t know who or what made these mythic origins of The Quiet Crow, considering that it came from Reinishi Karasu. But the only conclusion I can come with is that I became the anchor of Shizukana no Karasu to Ninja. If I died or lost control, this story would unravel into abyssal torment, and I don’t want that.

part.iv of xi – Neutral Abilities──⊰

I also have one more ability that I don’t consider dangerous, but extremely potent. I can change the structure of my abilities, the strength, the input and output, and its limitations. It’s called Mythic Rewrite, and this power is linked to being selfless (or have selflessness).

I don’t really use this as much because I don’t want to rewrite my abilities, or myself out of existence or into something else. That’s not who I am. But, I will act selfless for others, including my girlfriend.

We suffered together and grew, all because I was patient with her. And for Haruhi? Let’s just say she gave me the ability to believe in myself again. However, there is ONE thing I want to rewrite. My status as The Anchor of the universe. You might be thinking, why?

It might contradict the status of this story, but it will not. I have control over Mythic Rewrite, and I can do what I want with it. However, despite this power being super powerful, it can still trigger cryostasis, only for ten whole minutes.

Am I being selfish? Maybe. But it’s for a reason. Every story out there—every universe—deserves a version of me that is full of life and stories. A new rebirth across the multiverse. Let’s do that. Let’s rewrite this story, but with me in every universe.

“I just want to be myself, and who I am.”

“I don’t want to be bound to this story anymore.”

“I want to be in every single story,”

“I want there to be laughter and sadness, joy and anger.”

“I want there to be healing and love.”

“I want my other selves to discover what being loved means,”

“To be loved, held, listened, and acknowledged.”

“That’s what it means to have selflessness.”

“I wish to be with others and prioritize their needs rather than mine.”

“And that starts with accepting me and my powers wholly.”

A noble act of Mythic Rewrite, I can feel the status of being an anchor with a heavy burden lift from me. I’m no longer tethered to this universe. I can freely be myself wherever, whenever. This feeling of connection started to come back.

I can feel the birth of other me’s in other universes and realities. This time? I feel nothing but solace and connection. I can see them crying, being happy, being held.

Am I still called a god? Sure, I can be. But I can’t be everywhere at once. Do I know everything?—Yes. Am I powerful? Obviously. I did come from a line of Demi-Wizards, a lineage known as Shifters.

Do I have powers that can topple stronger entities, like dragonkin or gods? Of course. One wrong move and—**boom—**they could be gone all because of one specific emotion. Emotions are the core standard of my powers, and they make me who I am. I’m a Demi-Shifter, a person who chose humanity rather than being an explosive volcano.

I’m the beginning of everything.

And Full Connection?—has just been achieved.

part.v of xi – Anchorless──⊰

I threw myself awake, a little drowsy from that sentient dream. I can feel the echoes, the timelines, all converging and changing. It wasn’t noisy. It was quiet—peaceful—even.

All this time, in the back of my brain, I could hear noise, static like events that play behind me. But now…? It became empty, for once in a lifetime.

“Hmm…?” I heard Ruruka get up as I was sitting up in my sleep.

“Bad dream…?” she comes in to give me a hug.

(っ˕ -｡)ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

I look at her drowsy and yawned, wiping tears away from my eyes.

“Nnnng….n-nah…,” my mouth mumbles sleep. I lean back down with her in my arms, cuddling her as my sleep catches up.

“Good Night, Ruruka <3”

I’m no longer alone. Not Anymore.

Today was the day I became anchorless. The day I was no longer the anchor of the universe. It was as of the the universe hugged me back….

Like a blanket.