ONE WAY STREET, PT. 1

Destiny.

Thump.

That was the only word on the archeologist’s mind as he unearthed a treasure greater than anything he could imagine. His heart was pounding.

Thump. Thump.

Regardless of the cacophony that surrounded him at the dig site, the man remained frozen at what he saw. His wrinkled fingers ran across the coarse sandstone, feeling every single pore and depression.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Clenching the stone tablets now in his possession, he snapped his head around as he ever so carefully scanned the site before him.

It was the interior of what appeared to be an Egyptian tomb, lit by artificial wired lights. The heat was unbearable.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

His heart’s beating overpowered his thoughts. All around him his co-workers gathered close, vying for a peek at this seemingly new discovery. The man’s blood ran cold, having heard the click of a rifle.

He only had one move to make.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

A scream. Stone cried against stone as the archeologist made a break for it, the guards subsequently being ordered to stand down. Amidst the chaos, only a remnant of those stone tablets were left.

A young man donning a white suit made himself present to the bewildered researchers. His lips furled in fury, clenching his fists. Any harder, perhaps, and a deep crimson would have trickled from his palms.

Then…

“No, let him leave. We have what we need here. Fret not…” mused the young man’s patron, his hands resting on white suit’s shoulders.

They squeezed uncomfortably. The young man’s lips trembled, yet he nodded all the same.

***

“Jun-chan, hand me that wrench!” Akiyama Yuuki gasped, blindly flailing his arm from beneath the suspended motorcycle.

A young boy, around 8, broke his concentration in a panic and scrambled to the toolbox near him. His little hands dug around through the multitude of tools before handing the sleek chrome wrench to his older brother.

Giving the wrench a solid grip, the tinkerer began making the finishing touches to his beloved work of art. The young boy, Junpei, watched on intently. His eyes were glued to the sheen of the underbone motorcycle.

All that could be heard from beneath that heap of scrap were a few grunts, the clank of the wrench striking a piece of the bike, and the worried groan of the exhausted Yuuki.

Swinging open the door to the garage, a boy and girl stood by. They watched in a mix of bemusement and irritation.

Akiyama Yuuki slid back into view from underneath the motorcycle, his face caked in grime and motor oil. His hairdo and outfit were from a different time entirely, with the young man proudly rocking bell bottom jeans. The little boy Junpei clapped his hands and ran over to his older brother, tugging his shirt.

“Is it done? Is it done?” begged the rascal, to which Yuuki replied by simply running his hands through the boy's shaggy bowl cut.

“Yes, Jun-chan, I believe he’s finished. Here, Yuuki…” giggled the older girl, bending over to wipe the grime off of Yuuki’s face.

“H-Hikari! C’mon, I can clean myself off!” spat Yuuki, his younger sister embarrassing him. She raised an eyebrow, and the other boy stepped through the doorway, his hands locked on his hips.

“Clearly, it seems you can’t. How much longer with that nonsense, Yuuki? It’s like you spent weeks under that lump of junk.”

That was Masahi, Akiyama Yuuki’s younger brother. He was the polar opposite of Yuuki, sporting a clean, short cut of hair and a button up shirt.

Thwack.

That dirty rag flew right into Masahi’s face. The boy recoiled in disgust, ripping it off and fixating his eyes on his sister.

That was Hikari, Akiyama Yuuki’s younger sister. She smirked and waltzed over to Masahi, picking that rag off of his hands. Twirling it around, the girl winked at Yuuki.

Yuuki bounced up onto his feet, laying his left hand on the bike.

“Yuuki, are we gonna ride on the bike? You promised me!” quizzed the little boy, approaching the bike with pure wonder in his eyes.

Before Yuuki could say anything, Masahi gently placed a hand on Junpei’s head.

“Not before we get you a helmet, mister.”

“B-but, Yuuki promised me-”

“No buts. Helmet first, then you can ride.” said Masahi with a stern voice. His eyes softened upon gazing at the disappointed boy, before pulling him along.

“Come on, your favorite show is about to start.” Masahi chuckled, motioning to the door.

Junpei’s eyes lit up as he jumped in joy, running right into the house.

Yuuki stood by, letting out a deep sigh. It was moments like these that made him question many things. Still, he raised his voice, yelling over to the little boy.

“I promised! We’ll ride soon enough!” beamed Yuuki, turning his eyes to Masahi and Hikari. He continued, “I’m taking him on that ride, that much I promised. But right now, I have to head out to Kouren’s for racing lessons.”
“Racing?” Masahi lowered his hands from his hips, confused.

“Yeah, racing. Y’know-” Yuuki smirked, puffing his chest out. He struck a pose, winking at his siblings, exuding an air of bravado in total contrast to his younger brother. “-I’ll make it big with this baby, just you wait!”

Masahi shook his head in clear disapproval, to which Hikari graced him with an elbow to the ribs. The boy grimaced, and Yuuki let out a belly laugh.

“Make sure to come back soon, Yuuki.” Hikari said, sighing deeply. She couldn’t help but smirk at her older brother’s antics.

Yuuki only winked again, popping a lemon candy in his mouth. He spun around and jumped on the bike. With the press of a button, the garage door creaked open. Hearing this, Junpei came running back to watch his brother leave.

Igniting the engine, Yuuki turned to Junpei. The young boy struck a pose, mimicking the hero from his favorite tv-show. Yuuki smiled wide, striking the same pose in return, before putting on a helmet. The little boy cheered as Yuuki’s bike roared, speeding out of the garage.

His family remained, watching their hero ride away, oh so blissfully unaware.

***

It was truly a sight to behold.

Yuuki sped through an empty raised bridge, overlooking the wondrous cityscape lining the horizon. This was his home, the world famous Rokudou City.

It was a joint effort by Japanese and American based scientists to promote technological advancements. However, it grew beyond that, becoming what one would consider the 8th wonder of the world.

The bridges swerved and crossed each other, weaving an intricate tapestry of concrete. The sun shone bright in the sky, pouring its light over the skyscrapers.

‘Hmph… The city sure is beautiful from this distance.” Yuuki’s thoughts danced in his mind, becoming lost in the scenery. The wind blew against his face, keeping him focused as he rode and rode.

Rokudou City, in his eyes, was most beautiful blanketed beneath the darkness. When the moon made her nightly debut, the city was like something out of a fantasy- neon lights would illuminate the skies, every window visible from the distance as its own star.

“Perhaps…” Yuuki continued within himself, making a harsh turn left. His body leaned close towards the pavement as he made the recovery. “Nah, don’t be silly Yuuki. Then again… I wish Junpei were here…”

The cityscape gleamed like a jewel in Yuuki’s periphery.

As Yuuki rode, a thought dawned on him. Why was there no traffic? Rokudou City is never this quiet, even on the outskirts…

Something wasn’t right.

He felt his stomach drop. He threw his eye over to the rear-view mirrors, spotting nothing out of the ordinary. How strange…

He turned his gaze up in front of him, seeing a crowd. Wait-

SLAM.

Yuuki hit his brakes, his bike skidding across the searing pavement. The boy grit his teeth, wrestling for control over his bike, before it was toppled to the side. He screamed, being flung across the highway, his bike tumbling behind him.

He crashed against the pavement, sliding along before reaching a stop in the midst of the crowd.

The boy coughed and yelped in pain. His back burned. His body ached. The pain was unimaginable.

He was in a daze, struggling to get up. What the hell was going on?

The crowd was screaming, panicking. People ran. People fell. Some weren’t moving.

He crawled back and took off his helmet in desperation, trying to get a better vantage of the situation. A woman screeched, falling right before his feet. Her eyes were wide open, yet the light was gone.

Yuuki stumbled up to his feet, locking eyes with… it. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It let go of a struggling man, ripping out what seemed to be a flame from his chest. The man crumpled onto the pavement, falling into what seemed a deep sleep.

Yuuki took a step back. And another. The boy turned around and ran to his bike.

Before he could take another step, Yuuki gasped. He was flung far from his bike, his back hitting a concrete railing. The boy reached out, howling his lungs out. He slipped from consciousness, watching it approach ever so closer, its spider-like visage all the clearer.

And so he dangled from the guardrail.

***

He stood knee deep in scalding sand, overlooking a desert. The boy tried to take a step forward, but that sand chained him down. His vision shook from the heat, seeing a figure in the distance. He appeared on horseback, raising an arm to the heavens.

Blinking, he saw himself somewhere different. This was… his 13th birthday? He saw his father… Was that really him? He couldn’t make out his face… In fact, he couldn’t make out anybody’s face. They were shrouded in an indescribable unclarity.

He grew irate, provoked by what was unfolding before him. He grasped his head, beginning to scream. He wished to drown out the noise around him. It was growing louder and louder and louder until-

Akiyama Yuuki’s eyes shot open. He felt hot. He was burning. His gaze was still blurry as he tried to process where he was. This… wasn’t the highway. What happened?

An older man, clad in an ornate robe and kesa, bowed towards Yuuki. Confused, Yuuki could only stare.

“You’re finally awake… I can’t believe it. Yuuki, can you understand me?” approached the man, asking the most unusual of questions.

“Huh…? Where am I?” swallowed Yuuki, struggling to get up from his bed. The older man, named Kouren, helped Yuuki sit up.

“Yuuki… It’s a miracle you’re safe…” Kouren continued, paying no regard to Yuuki’s questions.

Yuuki’s eyes darted all across the room, surveying his surroundings. He tried to take a deep breath-

His eyes widened. Kouren took a step back from the boy, sighing deeply. His eyes were harboring such an indescribable sorrow. He continued speaking, as if attempting to comfort Yuuki.

Yuuki, however, placed his hands on his chest, trying to take another deep breath.

His eyes widened, clutching his chest harder. Adrenaline shot through his veins as he sat fully up, with Kouren following close and reaching out to the boy.

Yuuki stared at his chest, his lips trembling. He was in pure disbelief. He couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

Why? Why couldn’t he breathe?