The Winged One

Everything after that was a blur.

Fumi tried to shove my wings back inside my body, obviously to no avail. We trod back to my house, where we met Kaname-san. The woman suddenly shoved me into a van, blindfolded, and took me away from Tateyama.

When they removed my blindfolds, I saw that I was in a hospital ward that was not meant for humans.

I went through numerous check-ups, then got locked in a room where visitors were not allowed. One week later, my family was allowed to visit.

Dad was the first one to enter the room.

“...Yuuya.”

Silence fell. I clenched my hands and said nothing. My wings folded involuntarily, as if trying to hide from dad’s gaze.

“Bring me along if you do decide to practice flying.”

I choked on my saliva.

“Dad, seriously? You haven’t seen me for one week, and that’s the first thing you want to tell me?”

“Oh, I wish you could see the look on your face! You look like some insect just bit your ass. What was I supposed to say?” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“I’m confused. What’s going on? They told me nothing.”

Dad sighed.

“You’ve awakened, so PUPA put you on surveillance for safety reasons. We have no idea what you can do and how far your power can reach.”

“I think I killed someone last week.”

“That was Onizaki Shiina.” That was the name of the monster that tried to kill me and Fumi. “Kana-chan said that he or she used to work for PUPA.”

“What?” I almost sprang up from my seat.

“PUPA cut all ties with them after they joined a Night Parade…”

“A Night Parade? Does this have anything to do with…”

“No.” Dad stopped me. “Kuuga has nothing to do with this, I’m absolutely certain. We… She’s gone. There are many Night Parades in existence, and I don’t know why PUPA insisted on connecting her with whatever this whole deal is.”

Something caught in my throat.

Mom was the only one who knew what I was, or am about to become, but she’s gone, and I’m stuck in a hospital for those who are not human.

I didn’t think much this past week. Just stuff like school, how to sleep or sit without hurting my wings, how to take care of my feathers when they get wet, should I soap them, what do I do with my wardrobe, do I have to make slits in all my shirts, all that dumb shit. I hit my wings on the furniture several times and knocked stuff over on numerous occasions.

The doctors and nurses acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. Of course, I’m just a name in their long list of extraordinary patients.

I dearly miss Shou and Tsutomu. What would they think when they see me now? Would they call me a monster?

I’m now part of a world that I didn’t know existed. I now stand on the dark side of the moon, in a world governed by PUPA.

Now that dad’s here, I suddenly fear what’s coming.

“Dad, what should I do now?”

Kazakiri Daiya clenched his fists. He seemed ten years older than the last time I saw him.

“I just wanted to see you graduate, get a job, marry a nice girl, and have a bunch of kids,” he whispered, “but I know that one day, it’ll come to this, no matter how much I try to slow it down.”

“You’ve known ever since you married mom?”

“Yeah. I was naive. I told Kuuga that everything will be alright. Kuuga knew and believed that I would make you happy despite all that.”

“What if…what if I don’t have these wings anymore? I don’t have to deal with PUPA and all this youkai power struggle shit.”

“Will you cut them off, Yuuya?”

I thought back to mom’s words.

“I’ll be with you until your day of flight.”

“...Probably not. It’s painful to even imagine it.” I got up and opened the curtains. I could only see another dull building with all their windows curtained. “PUPA would figure something out. I’m dangerous, and they don’t want my powers as much as I don’t want them.”

Suddenly, a knock. Someone muttered an ‘excuse me’ and slid open the door.

“Izayoi? And…Hyakuya-san?”

“It has been a while, Kazakiri-san.” Hyakuya-san smiled. Izayoi led him into the room by the hand, and closed the door.

“It took a lot of effort for me to get through the securities, but I am a Saint. I will not stand idle when my nakama is in need.” Shou declared.

“Yeah, I need social services.”

“You do. I’m worried about how you would integrate back into society with a pair of wings on your back.” She went straight to the point, and the cat got my tongue. “Goodness, your complexion is terrible. Have you been eating well?”

“Alright, let us settle down. I need to see Kazakiri-san for a reason.” Hyakuya Lain patted Shou on the shoulder. He came from a race that could see the future, so he might know something. “I heard from Kawaguchi-san that you can summon flames. I think that your mother has something to do with fire and ashes.”

“Fire and ashes… Dad, ring a bell?”

“Not really. Kazakiri is a surname unrelated to fire. Kuuga’s name is written in katakana, so I don’t know what her name means exactly, but I can guess that the ‘kuu’ in her name is written with the character for ‘air (空)’. Oh, and that reminds me… Kuuga is scared of fires.”

I knew that as well.

“So…?”

“I don’t know, Hyakuya-san doesn’t know, so I think that truth died along with Kuuga. Her relatives might still be around, but I don’t think they want us to find them.”