Glass Cage

Not far away from the port, the fresh, salty air still manages to reach my cheek as we walk along the line of trees. His hands leant at the back of his head, Edward walks a few steps ahead of me, his odd eyes directed at the leaves over our heads.

“If I were a Jikininki,” he begins in the worst way he could, “I would hide up there and wait for the strollers. There’s always someone silly enough to walk under the trees.”

“Like us?” I refrain from asking.

    The close, golden glow of a street light bathes the tree we bypass, its green-golden leaves waving against the black sky.

    This time paired with Edward for the patrol, almost everyone has formed pairs and gone to a different part of the city. Only Rubeus has left alone… Unless.

    I frown, thoughtful.

    Is he ever alone since he’s with Poltergeist?

“Guhhhh.”

    I run my fingers through my hair. This guy is giving me a headache. I hate him. Begone from my thoughts.

    When I refocus my attention ahead of me, I notice Edward’s gaze. He’s smiling. I don’t know why, but I already don’t like that smile.

“I knew it.” He notes, enjoying a bit too much to my taste the sight of my dishevelled hair. “You and I, we are alike.”

    Fuck.

    First Fujiko comparing me to the twins, now Edward to himself. What am I? The mirror of every soul at this corner of the world? Wait. Could be worse. So far, nobody compared me to Poltergeist. That’s a win.

“Why?” I ask, almost instantly regretting this poor word.

    Not replying at once, Edward steps closer to me, his smile taking a larger part on his face, and not in the sanest way. I wince, refraining from stepping back. He’s goddamn smaller and younger than me, have some dignity, Megumi Hoshimori.

    Edward stops a step away, leaning closer on his tiptoes to stare in my eyes. First time seeing him so close, I can do little but have a close look at his eyes. And for the first time, I realise that there’s a slight yet constant tremor going through his white eye. Asymmetrical, it’s not the kind of move induced by an emotion or whatever… It’s like a tic.

“We’re both mad.” Edward finally declares.

    I mid-close my eyes, unimpressed.

“Yes, sooo? Isn’t being mad more sane? Knowing how the not-mad behave, I would feel concerned to be considered as one of them.”

“Hoohh?”

    I think I can tell without being especially bold that Edward seems intrigued by my words. But his attention is almost at once directed away from me. His eyes seem magnetised as he averts them to glance beyond the line of trees.

“A Jikininki.”

    It takes no longer for him to start running after it. After what remains to me a shadow in the distance when I turn around to follow Edward.

“Wait? Are you sure?”

    Edward doesn’t answer. He already races in the direction of the high observation tower, glowing like a jewel in a gradient of lilac and pastel green. A high tower of steel dominating all the surrounding buildings from its 106 metres height.

    With a grunt, I force myself to run faster.

⋆༺♱༻⋆

    Tiling.

    Edward rushes out of the lift the second the doors open.

“Hey!” I frown, following his trail. “Don’t rush like this. It reached the top before us, this monster may as well be hiding by now, trying to trap us.”

    ‘Seems I just said a good joke since the boy lets out an amused chuckle. God, once back at the circus, I should suggest the director to make a clown out of me. I’ll make them rich in no time.

    While Edward snoops around, I approach the edge of the large, circular room. The glass, taller than I am, allow me to observe the lights of the city below.

“Beautiful…”

    I can’t help but utter a word, surprised by the sight. From up here, it’s like gazing at stars of multiple hues. Is this where we live? I guess forcing the access of the Marine Tower in the dead of night has its perks…

    As I approach my fingertips to the glass, I notice a move in the reflection. Drawing closer… It’s here!

    Until the last moment, I make no move, leaning forward only to let the sharp nails screech against the bay window. Turning around in a blink of an eye, I extend my hand towards the monster’s torso. The latter, lowering his head at my move has no time to react before I let mana expel him several metres before crashing against the wall at the centre of the tower.

    Clenching, unclenching my fist, I step forward in the Jikininki’s direction. It begins to feel natural using magic, all I need is to visualise it flooding through my body. The only thing… is that I have to be careful of the amount I release.

“Haah!! You found it!” Edward joins us, already joyfully scurrying over to the Jikininki.

“Don’t kill it at once.”

    His daggers already ready to be used, knelt next to the monster, Edward glances back at me as if I asked him to let his ice melt.

“Why?” He blinks.

    Hands in my hoodie’s pocket, I stop a few steps away from them.

“He’ll have to answer a few questions first.”

    A growl.

    With his middle-long black hair, three-day stubble and glasses, the Jikininki almost looks like any salaryman in his costume. If not for the unnatural coldness in his eyes, for that inhuman strength.

    I’m not afraid, I know I have no reason to fear him. He’s alone, and we’re two. Even if the monster shows too much aggressiveness, both Edward and I are able to handle it on our own. Yet… I can’t shake off that uneasy feeling in my guts. It’s something they give off.

“Can you speak?” I ask.

    No answer. Instead, it tries to suddenly reach for Edward’s head as he straightens up.

    A thud.

    Edward might not have appreciated, as he cuts the monster’s hand in a single blow, before pinning him against the wall by his throat.

“Edward!”

“What?” He answers, keeping his eyes on the Jikininki. “He doesn’t need his hand to answer you, does he?”

“Well, no… Ughh, just don’t break his throat.” I pause before deciding to try my luck with another question. “Do you know Mr. Izawa?”

    I take a step closer, kneeling not far from the monster.

“Can I hole it, now?” Edward asks, sounding bored. “I don’t remember ever hearing any of them speak.”

    Not replying, I squint my eyes, focused on the Jikininki. As much as it rebukes me, I hold his gaze. He moves his lips as if to form more than the growl escaping them. Maybe it knows something… Maybe it has the answer I need.

“Come on… Speak!” I urge.

    Edward is about to stab the Jikininki when I hear it.

“C…...rrr...oss...e..r”

    In a sharp move, I catch Edward’s wrist, forcing him to wait.

“Cr….o..ser.”

“Croser?” I repeat, frowning. “…Closer?”

    I hesitate for a while before deciding to give it a chance. After all, they’re my only lead. If the Jikininki makes any suspicious move, Edward will be more than happy to kill it anyway, so…

    I lean in closer, holding the monster’s empty gaze.

“Megumi?” Edwards glances at me, but I remain focused on the monster.

“Do you know something?”

    The monster glances over my shoulder.

“Yo….ur….ba… gghhh.”

    I frown, feeling it’s a game I’ll regret playing. Nevertheless, I reach for my bag, taking it off my shoulders.

“What? It interests you?”

    But before I can make any move back, the Jikininki’s body briefly glows blue and, in a savage blow from the back of his remaining hand, he breaks free. Kicking Edward out of his field of view, he throws himself at me, pinning me to the ground.

    I don’t even have the time to react that he throws his jaws wide open at me…

    A ripping sound.

    Instead of my head, it’s the fabric of my school bag that is getting torn in the most bestial way. The Jikininki keeps me pinned, like a meal he’s making sure won’t escape. But his focus… his focus remains on my bag.

    Why?… I need to know. Not even trying to break free with my magic, I observe the monster, his saliva dripping, as he reaches out to grab something before tossing the corpse of my bag aside.

    My eyes widen.

    What he holds in his hands is Mr. Izawa’s cap.

“Wh… errrr….”

    But before he can utter any other sound resembling a word in-between his growls, his head suddenly comes off his shoulders, sent flying against the glass like a soccer ball. Splattering the window in crimson.

    Edward lowers his leg back to the ground, a vein contracted over his forehead.

“No more speaking.” He concludes, pissed off, wiping away a trickle of blood running down his nose with the back of his sleeve.

    As I straighten up, I grab back the cap from the Jikininki’s hands, letting the headless body fall back with a thud.

“He knew something… I’m sure he knew something… He precisely took Mr. Izawa’s cap and…”

    Confused, I stand up and retrieve my ripped bag, my thoughts twirling.

“I don’t know, ask Rubeus.”

    Jaded, the boy heads to the lift, pressing the button.

“I’ll do.”

    Following Edward, I step into the lift. At least, there was only one of them tonight. Quick job.

    I’m so confused right now, I can’t even properly gather my thoughts. But it doesn’t matter. When we’re done and back to the circus I-

    A jerk shakes the whole lift, taking my breath away.

    With a yelp, Edward loses his balance. We both do. We both fall to the ground, a terrible creaking sound following.

“What’s happening?” Edward asks in a worried voice.

“I don’t fucking know.” I utter, leaning against my hands to glance around, my breath ragged.

    That’s when I notice that we stand still. We’re not going down any more.

    Clumsily, I stand up so I can press the lift’s button. But nothing happens. I press it again, but I already know it’s in vain.

“We’re stuck.” I let out in a breath. “We’re stuck…”

    Saying it once was enough, I know it, and it only makes me look more dumb, but… Holy shit. What are we going to do now?

    Of course the answer is obvious, and the moment I realise it, I reach for my phone in my pocket, hurriedly typing a message to our group discussion.

“No… Let me go down.” Edward breathes, trying to stand up only to fall back miserably, as if his legs were broken. “Let-me-out-let-me-out-let-me-out…”

    He begins to mutter in a hushed voice, making me glance at him, kinda worried by his sudden behaviour. His eyes wide open, pupils narrowed, he desperately grits the glass, like a mouse trapped in a glass cage.

“Edward… are you claustrophobic? Edward?”

    I try to get closer, but at the same moment, a jolt shakes the lift which falls for a few metres before getting stuck once more.

“Oof-”

    Rather than trying and failing to keep standing, I let myself slide against the lift’s wall, sitting next to Edward.

“It’s gonna be okay. I just checked my phone and the twins said they’re close enough, they’ll join us in no time.” I gaze at the now hyperventilating boy. “Okay, Edward? We just have to wait a little bit.”

    As he doesn’t answer, I lean back my head, taking in a deep breath… Only to open my eyes wide.

“Oh, fucking shit…”

    Over our heads, a silhouette is moving against the iron cables.