PROMISE

Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock…

The rhythmic thumping of rain was the only compliment to the lone, ever-ticking clock. It was of an old lantern design, with ornate bronze decorating its helm.

A tall figure stood by an open shoji, overlooking the rain. His black leather outfit contrasted with the sleek green armor embedded in his body. Gripping the doorframe, the figure gently bowed his head.

Those crimson eyes, lost in the maze of rain droplets, glowed faintly in the darkness.

A clink was heard, disrupting the rain’s serenity. An elderly man placed a cup on the chabudai, holding back a myriad of words.

Finally, he made sense of his thoughts.

"You do understand how long you’ve been absent, yes?" Kouren ran his fingers across the dark cedar finish. The man slowly turned his head to face the priest, giving a full view of his face.

It was green with gold rimming, a single peridot jewel embedded in the center. Breaking the green was the gray mouth of a scarab beetle.

He simply nodded. That grip on the shoji loosened as his hand slid down the frame before resting at his side.

"I understand. I… know. Way too long." The figure turned his gaze out to the rain yet again, trying to find comfort in it. "I can’t let them see me like this. There is no way in hell I’m letting that happen."

Kouren closed his eyes, reaching out to the cup once more. He protested.

"But Yuuki, your family is worried—they need to know where you’ve been and I- " Kouren’s words trailed into silence as he looked at Yuuki’s form.

Whatever stood before him was his responsibility now. He understood this, as painful as it was to come to terms with.

Akiyama Yuuki stepped out of the lodging and into the rain, feeling its cool embrace upon his new skin. He stood firm in his decision and much to his relief, Kouren nodded.

"Kouren, I want you to get my bike. I need to get going." Yuuki’s crimson scarf blew in the windy rain. "… I have places to be."

The old man stood up as Yuuki pleaded with him. Waving his hand into the air, the priest laid his blessing upon the newborn before him.

He said nothing as he got up from his seat and left the lodging, stopping only to place his weathered hand on Yuuki’s shoulders. He locked eyes with the boy, looking deep into them.

"I will do all I can to help you, my boy. Leave it to me. The bike is out by the side of the temple, you know where that is." Kouren gestured over to the temple courtyard, where Yuuki spotted his motorcycle ready for use.

The armor-clad Yuuki marched through the rain. He wasn’t in any rush, despite his urgent pleas.

He knew exactly where he needed to be.

Putting his hand on his motorcycle, he caressed its frame before taking a seat. Throwing back the kickstand, Yuuki revved his motorcycle back to life. Its low hum comforted him, offering him that sense of normalcy he so desperately craved.

Kouren stood by the cover of the lodging, observing Yuuki. His pockets shook as he pulled out a flip phone, answering it with some hesitation.

Yuuki stared back at him, having heard the buzz of the phone many feet away.

Kouren, silent, had his eyes fall on the trail Yuuki left. Every footprint was frozen over, ice crystals dancing in the rain upon every droplet’s impact.

"… No, he isn’t here. I haven’t seen him at all." That was all the elderly man could say, clasping the phone shut.

Yuuki stood silent at this gesture, bowing his head. He rode away, ice crystals mingling with the rain in his absence.

***

Masahi stood in complete disbelief, staring blankly into his phone. Those few seconds felt like eternity as Hikari cut in.

"Well? Did Kouren say anything?" Hikari approached her brother, placing her hands on the kitchen island.

"No, like I was expecting- Nothing! He hasn’t seen him." Masahi clenched his hands, the phone nearly cracking under the strain he was putting it under. "What did I tell you?"

"Don’t you dare start with that. I told you he'd call-"

"When? When will he? It’s been FIVE DAYS, Hikari. Do you not get the gravity of it all?" Masahi leaned over the counter, raising his voice at his sister as daggers from his eyes pierced into her skin.

"I told you… he’ll call. Trust me, please. He always… did." protested the girl, inching away from the table.

"No, I’m calling the police."

"What?!"

The boy raised his phone in the air, showing Hikari that she had no power over this decision. Masahi began dialing and turned around, placing the phone to his ear. He sighed, getting ahold of the Rokudou City police department.

"Hello, Rokudou City Police Department, what is your emergency?" answered an exhausted voice.

Masahi furled his eyebrows and continued, "Hi, yes… I’m here to re- "

Smack.

The phone flew out of Masahi’s hand, striking the wall. It landed flat on the tailed floors, the battery scattered a few feet away and underneath the dining table.

Hikari nested herself in front of her brother, defiant.

"Masahi… Need I remind you that we’re not in the position to get involved with the police?" The girl pressed on.

Masahi was silent.

"One more day, please… Believe me." She bent over, picking up the phone and battery. Masahi relented, grabbing both.

"One day. That’s all I’m giving." Masahi spat, swiping his phone out of her hands.

Startling the two, a half-asleep Junpei walked into the kitchen, holding a little plush moth.

"What’s going on…?" Slurred the sleepy boy, Hikari rushing over to him. She held his hand and guided him back up to his bed, with Masahi staying behind, holding his head in frustration.

***

The mighty roar of a motorcycle’s engine bellowed, a crimson streak flying across asphalt.

It was a rush.

Akiyama Yuuki bobbed and weaved between every car he ran up against. That chrome muffler cried as he revved his motorcycle to its limits, pushing it beyond what it was ever intended for.

He blitzed past a sensor, an alarm sounding. Nearby officers leapt into motion, kicking their cars into overdrive as they chased after a crimson blur.

Long gone, the speedometer read an impressive "289 km/h".

Yuuki glanced over to his mirrors and his eyes dimmed, the police activating their sirens. He could hear everything.

"We have a 10-43 in progress. Unidentified motorcyclist exceeded the speed limit, over."

The crackle of the radio burned into his ears. Yuuki swerved right and slid through the gap between two cars, soaring through. Burning rubber in pursuit, the cop’s brute forced the bystanders out of the way, a slight incline sending their cars leaping.

Night had almost set, and the stars were beginning to shine brightly. Their twinkles lit the path for Yuuki to follow.

Seeing no other option, Yuuki slammed his brakes. Smoke flew in the air as a deafening screech echoed throughout the night sky. He drifted off to the side, the chrome muffler on his bike roaring back to life as he sped and jumped over the concrete railing.

The police, mystified, stopped dead in their tracks to observe the scene. All they saw were those crimson eyes, streaking through the night sky like a comet, flying into the unknown.

Yuuki landed with a grunt, his bike’s suspension taking most of the impact as he began riding along the bridge below.

And for all but the hum of his machine, there was silence…

For thirty minutes, Yuuki felt true tranquility. His scarf fluttered in the wind as he rode down the straight raised bridge, overlooking the Rokudou cityscape. The stars shone brighter than ever before, populating the heavens in a way he never deemed possible.

Were they always this present, this beautiful…?

He turned his head to the cityscape, getting lost in it. It was mesmerizing.

Rokudou City’s five sectors sparkled like jewels. Those immeasurably high skyscrapers were beacons, each light a person- each light, a dream.

The night sky was filled with beams of multicolored lights from the city, swinging around the air. Fireworks were going off, as usual.

Those displays he often found so overdone, but now… it was nice. Rokudou City wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it was moments like these that made him believe in a city that could exist…

A trail of crimson was traced along the bridge before fading into the dead of night.

***

The motorcycle’s roar lowered to a hum as Yuuki stood in front of his home, basking under the light of the full moon. He stood at an impossibly far distance, observing the single lit window on the second floor.

All around him were similar homes, all relatively poor construction. Some were run down, others had overgrown lawns, etc.

A woman’s silhouette broke through that lit window, and Yuuki held his breath. She was looking out the window.

Did she see him…?

No. She didn’t. The woman eventually shut the blinds and the lights went off.

Shutting off his bike, Yuuki crept over to his house and looked down at his feet. Bending his knees, he leapt into the air, easily jumping the distance, and landing like a feather on the roof.

He peered through the window and into the bedroom before him. It was his old room…

Was?

Was…

Slowly, the boy grabbed a hold of the window and shimmied it in just the right way to open it up despite it being locked. It was a trick only he knew.

He hopped right into his room, the moonlight pouring in and illuminating his figure. Yuuki was overwhelmed with emotion. He gazed all about, taking in his room for one last time…

It was a small thing. All around it were shelves filled with old, retro computer hardware and other ‘out of date’ trinkets. Posters dotted the walls. Many featured a moth themed superhero.

He paced over to his closet, sliding the door open. As he was about to grab what he was looking for, he heard a whimper behind him.

"Yuuki…" Junpei whispered, ailed by a restless sleep.

Yuuki knelt beside the bed and placed his gloved hand over Junpei’s, giving it a gentle squeeze. His warmth reached the boy through his dreams, and he calmed, returning to a peaceful rest.

Yuuki bowed his head in shame, struggling to shed even a single tear.

"Was even that taken from me…?" was what raced through his mind.

Yuuki stood up and pulled the covers over his younger brother, placing a little moth plush beside him. On instinct, Junpei held it close and squeezed.

"I promise… One day, I’ll be back. We’ll go on that ride you asked for, okay…? Just the two of us." Yuuki whispered, turning his back to Junpei.

He reached into his open closet and grabbed a long black trench coat, sliding the door shut. He stepped out of the window and took one last look at the sleeping boy. Steeling himself, Yuuki walked through and shut the window.

He leapt through the air, slipping on his trench coat. It flew behind him like a cape, and he landed on top of his bike.

Kicking it free, Yuuki revved and sped away to Rokudou City, leaving his family only a trail of dust to dance in the cold night air.

He would ride, unsure of where the stars would lead him.

In the sky, the fireworks continued to shower the darkness, many shapes taking form. One of them was a yellow moth, exploding in a beautiful glitter before fading away, giving way to others.