Himitsu 19 - No Longer Blind

Memory Flash: True Recollection (Hideo's POV)~ Before Daten-shi / Once Human

The chilly and wintry weather had taken over the small town of Finland. The sky was gloomy and dull, mirroring the melancholic emotions that I felt within. At that time, I was a young adult around 23 years of age, heading to the supermarket to buy groceries. My favorite meal to cook was spicy curry and rice, which I could prepare with ease and was quite good at it. However, I had a strong desire to experiment with other dishes and not limit myself to just one. As I walked along the boulevard, I crossed paths with many strangers, but I kept my eyes fixed on the ground while still paying attention to what was ahead of me. I had this strange feeling that someone was watching me, but I dismissed it as mere paranoia and tried not to worry about it. I convinced myself that it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. Soon, I came across a billboard sign advertising a famous men's fashion brand, and it reminded me of the grocery store called Fever Deals that I needed to go to. I walked into the store, where a cheerful woman employee greeted me with a warm welcome. I made my way down a random aisle, skipping the section for plant fertilizer and soil, until I reached the food department. While browsing the cereal section, I noticed a peculiar item on the third shelf. It was a black picture frame with an image of my deceased parents enclosed within it. Suddenly, a wave of terror engulfed me, and anger boiled within my soul. My face grew hot, and my body trembled slightly, as memories of my parents came flooding back to me. I couldn't understand why this particular item was here, but something inside me suggested that it wasn't a coincidence. Suddenly, a familiar voice calls out to me, "Hey, Hide!!" I turned to my left, and it's Kenji, an old friend of mine. We've known each other since we were babies, but for some reason, I can't seem to remember any of those early memories. Kenji noticed the expression on my face and asked, "Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale." He had short, white hair and piercing hazel eyes that seemed to look right through me. I looked down at the picture in my hand, and suddenly, it transformed into a cereal box. I quickly returned it to the shelf and put on a forced smile. "I'm just fine." I said, trying to sound as normal as possible. Kenji pulled out a box of cigarettes and offered me one, saying, "Need a smoke? It will take the stress away!"  

The offer didn't appeal to me, and I shook my head. I turned away and headed to another aisle, hoping he wouldn't follow me. But, of course, he does. For the past few days, Kenji has been acting strangely, and I can't help but feel uneasy around him. I pretend not to notice, but it's getting harder to ignore. "Making some curry again?" he asked, trying to strike up a conversation. "It's spicy curry, you idiot," I reply, my tone sharper than I intended. "Are you mad at me?" he asked, and I felt a sudden surge of anger towards him. "Why would I be mad at you, Kenji?" I said bitterly, wondering why I feel this way towards someone I've known for so long. As I glanced at Kenji, he continued to wear the same annoying smirk, "I might know the reason behind your parents deaths. Yours as well." The atmosphere was thick with tension as I heard those words. They stirred up an unsettling feeling within me, reminding me of the looming darkness that has always occupied the space of my mind. Despite this, I held back my anger, though the urge to lash out was strong. Instead, I crushed the side of the rice box in my hand and demanded, "What the hell are you saying? Do you think I can't punch that annoying smirk off your face?!" My supposed friend, Kenji, looked at me with a smug expression and replied, "I don't think anything. I know you wouldn't do that. We are long-life friends. Brothers even. Aren't we?" Just as I was about to respond to his absurd remarks, a sharp pain erupted from my chest and shot through my body, paralyzing me. I looked down to see a hole in my chest and blood oozing out of the wound. Kenji held up a small remote button, indicating that he had already pressed it. "You're a copy of the original Hide—a shadow puppet of some kind. The whole life you've come to know is a lie. The two of us were never friends, mere strangers...." he said, with a cruel smile on his face. As I laid on the ground, staring up at the store's ceiling, I felt a deathly coldness envelop me. 

The pain had ceased, and all that remained was a sense of despair and confusion. Kenji stood over me and threw the remote to the ground. A flashback pierced through my mind, reminding me of a similar scene that had happened before. Kenji ambushed my actual real self in this same way. He shot the real me with a silencer in the grocery store, and then Kenji pulled the gun on himself. "If I'm dead, why is it that I'm dying again? I don't get it..." I whispered, trying to cling to life. Kenji's words hit me like a cold, hard slap in the face. "I'm a bored person...a soulless creature helping an important family with experimental research," he said, his voice eerily calm. I felt a shiver run down my spine. It's clear that something sinister is going on here. As if reading my thoughts, Kenji continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "Soon, you will become like me. You won't remember any of this. Just a recycled soul spiraling and twisting into a soulless being." I tried to comprehend what he's saying, but it's like trying to grasp smoke with my bare hands. Suddenly, my eyes shut on their own accord, and my vision goes black. I'm plunged into a void of darkness that seems to stretch on forever. 

There's nothing but stillness and silence. It's like I've been cut off from the world. And then, the same thing that just happened to me happens again. And again. And again. It's like I'm trapped in a never-ending loop, a hamster on a wheel, moving but not going anywhere. I can feel my mind slipping away from me, like sand through my fingers.The worst part is, I don't know if I'm the real me anymore. Am I just a replica of who I used to be? How can I feel anything if I'm just a soulless being, a mere shell of my former self? The thought is suffocating. The moment I opened my eyes, I was hit by a wave of confusion and disorientation. I found myself standing in the middle of a strange world, unlike anything I have ever seen. Before me is an endless field of green grass that stretches out as far as the eye can see. Above me, the sky is a stunning shade of blue, with fluffy white clouds scattered across the horizon. I felt weightless, as if I were floating down from the sky, and my bare feet touched the soft grass below. As I started to run, my heart begins to beat faster and faster, and I can feel a sense of unease growing within me. Suddenly, the sky above me turns a deep shade of red, and the once-lush green grass turns yellow. Fear tried to take hold of me, but I pushed it aside and continue to run, knowing that something is chasing me. I heard a voice coming from behind me, which sounds like my own, but with a strange twist to it. "Where are you going? Don't run away?" the voice said, and I knew that I must keep going, no matter what. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally arrived at the entrance of a town, hoping to find refuge. 

Waiting for me is Kenji, a dear friend of mine, wearing a bright smile on his face. I grabbed hold of his outstretched hand, feeling relieved to see a familiar face. But as I turned around, I felt a cold hand touch my shoulder. I turned back to see a dark, shadowy figure looming over me, its breath cold and menacing. As I watched Kenji's once kind smile transform into a wicked grin, a chilling sense of fear creeps up my spine. His body begins to fade away, leaving behind nothing but a black silhouette. I can feel a darkness consuming him, and it's as if he's being sucked into a void of nothingness. Suddenly, I noticed that my own hands are turning black, and I feel a sense of panic as I realized that I, too, am being consumed by this darkness. My thoughts become twisted and distorted, and I can feel my sanity slipping away from me. Looking up at the sky, I see that it has turned a deep shade of red, as if reflecting the darkness that has engulfed me. I watch as my body turns into a black silhouette, and my vision fades to black. When my sight returns, I find myself sitting at a grand, royal-looking table, next to a face that I recognize, but can't quite place. My memories are hazy and unclear, and I'm not sure how I got here. The man sitting next to me takes a sip of red wine and says, "Hideo." His voice is smooth and calculated. I looked down at the glass in front of me and realized that I, too, have a glass of wine. I take a sip and feel a sense of satisfaction wash over me, even though the taste is bitter and unpleasant. Memories from my past start to flood back, but they feel distant and unimportant now. It's been so long since I was last human, and I can't remember what it felt like to have emotions or a conscience. All I know is that I was created to play a game, and that's what I intend to do. 

Memory Flash: True Recollection (Hideo's POV)~ Before Daten-shi / Once Human END 

Someone's POV????? FRAGMENT ERROR

As I looked towards the antique dining table, my eyes fixed on two individuals engaged in a conversation. One of them had a striking resemblance to me, but I couldn't help feeling a sense of sadness and despair deep within me. The words they exchange are inaudible, but the pain that I feel inside is tangible. I never expected this to happen, and I refuse to let it end this way. I know that I will come back stronger, and when I do, he will regret his actions. His world will never be the same once he and I become one. Despite the darkness that surrounds me, I am determined to emerge victorious in the end. Kenzo notices me and signals me to return to Tourika, the forgotten realm where his fragment resides. As I sit in a cozy cafe, my mind races with thoughts about when things will finally be set right. Suddenly, Kenzo's fragment appears, holding a glass of water. "It's been a while, stranger," he said."I could say the same to you," I replied, lost in thought.