Himitsu 21 - Clashing Souls

Hidden rage from within Jun sprouts, yet he contains it, suddenly letting out a dry laugh, "I forgot. You're practically not human. Just a fake...." "What's the matter, Jun? We shouldn't be acting like this...." Atsuko whispers sadly, using both hands to hold Jun's hand, "Leonarda is helping us. Even if she isn't a real person, she's still your sister. Just a fragment of how long she lived before you know....." The brunette doesn't say the whole word, feeling sad and even on the verge of tears. Jun calms down and stares at Atsuko and then at Leonarda, "I.....I'm sorry." Leonarda smiles a bit, "It's okay. You're right about everything, but even so, the real reason why I can't tell you how I died is that if I reveal such information, then that will corrupt my programming....." "I understand...." Jun tears up. 

As Leonarda glances at her two teary-eyed companions, she tries to lift their spirits, "Cheer up, please. Or else!" she exclaims, flashing a smile. Atsuko, wiping away her tears, sniffles and nods silently. Meanwhile, Jun is trembling, and Atsuko gives him a gentle yet firm hug, sensing his emotional exhaustion. The red sky above them is a sickening sight, and the gravity of their situation threatens to push Jun over the edge. When Atsuko suddenly plants a kiss on Jun's lips, he snaps back into reality and kisses her back. Leonarda, feeling embarrassed, quickly averts her gaze and stares off into the distance. "Just keep going," Atsuko smiles, pulling away from the kiss. "We can't let despair win." Jun nods in agreement, still blushing. Leonarda leads the way once more, and the three continue to walk deeper into the forest. As they move forward, every tree looks identical to the next, and the white door they seek seems almost impossible to find. Up ahead, in the distance, they spot an old and abandoned building that looks eerily similar to the Somnus Facility headquarters, covered in thick vines. Jun recognizes the place and a sense of unease washes over Atsuko. "I never saw that here before..." Leonarda mutters, eyeing the building warily. As the three of them walk through the dense forest, a twig snaps from a few meters away, causing them to abruptly halt. Leonarda looks around, trying to sense a presence, but her efforts seem to be in vain. However, something feels off. Suddenly, something sharp and pointy is shot from somewhere, aimed directly at Atsuko. 

Without wasting a single second, Jun manages to catch it with ease. But to his surprise, he ends up holding not just one but multiple sharp objects. As they stand there in silence, multiple black shadows begin to surround them. Each shadow gives off a familiar presence, and Leonarda mutters, "Kenzo..." with a deep sense of frustration. She knows exactly what Kenzo is planning, and she doesn't want to put Jun and Atsuko in harm's way. "You two should go ahead." she insists, creating a force field of protection over Jun and Atsuko. "Leonarda!" Jun yells, realizing that she's outnumbered and can't possibly fight alone. "I will be fine. I'm not real, so leave me!" Leonarda looks away and turns into a bright white light, preparing to fight the dark shadows. Meanwhile, Jun and Atsuko run as fast as they can. The forest trees begin to grow thin in number, and they soon find themselves standing on a concrete ground that's the color of gray. Instead of an open field of grass with a white door, they find themselves in an entirely different location than where they started. As Atsuko and Jun make their way down the seemingly endless concrete path, hopelessness etches itself onto Atsuko's face. She looks around, searching for a door that seems to be nowhere in sight. But Jun remains resolute, holding her hand and guiding her forward as they walk towards a place of possibility. As they continue, the sky above them transforms from a fiery red to a serene blue. The chirping of digital birds fills the air, their movements carefree and burdenless. It's a surreal scene that seems to exist in some sort of digital simulation, where time and space are malleable and the boundary between reality and imagination is blurred. But amidst all the beauty lies a haunting truth - real lives are at stake in this strange world, and spiritual beings of either light or dark are fighting for dominance. It's a world where digital crime is a real threat, and memories are fragile and fleeting. Yet, despite all the uncertainty, Atsuko and Jun press on, driven by a deep sense of purpose. With each step they take, memories that were once lost begin to resurface, and they move ever closer to their goal - freedom.

Memory Flash 01: True Recollection (Jun's POV) ~ No Rain but Tears 

Memory Flash 01: True Recollection (Jun's POV) ~ No Rain but Tears END

Memory Flash 02: True Recollection (Atsuko's POV) ~ The Orphanage

As Seiko and I stand in the second-floor hallway, she suddenly exclaims, "Atsuko! Atsuko! Check this out!" She points outside the window, and I eagerly follow her gaze. There, at the entrance, stands a mysterious-looking guy in a lab coat with short blonde hair and round glasses that give him an intelligent look. However, my excitement quickly fades as I wonder why he's here. "This isn't interesting! Why is this guy here?" I ask, my smile turning into a pout. "He's our new doctor." Seiko explains. "New doctor?!" Seiko nods, "Mhm." Our previous doctor was an older lady who had recently passed away. She was always sweet and would give us candy after our regular checkups. "Seiko, we should have a sword fight!" I suggest, which earns us a few shhhhhs from two older girls passing by. As they walk away, I stick my tongue out at them, and Seiko snickers. "You're always so loud, Atsuko." 

"You are, too." I giggle and begin to run. I turn right down the hallway, wanting to go downstairs and outside. "Wait up!" Seiko exclaims as she follows behind me. As I rush downstairs and turn left, I bump into someone, but before I can fall, the person grabs my arm to keep me steady. "Little miss, please be careful." He insists. "Yes, sir." I reply, pulling my arm away, "My apologies, mister." Talking with the guy is one of the staff, a young lady with blonde hair and teal-colored eyes. Her name is Melissa. Seiko joins in on the conversation, "Hello! Melissa! Who is this guy?" She asks. Melissa smiles, "This guy is Dr. Alistair Crane. He's our new doctor; he will be replacing Ms. Charlotte." I can't help but express my disappointment. "I want Ms. Charlotte!" I exclaim, pouting. As I glance up at Dr. Alistair, I can tell that he's not offended, but there's still something about him that makes me feel uneasy. I look away and stare at the ground. Seiko pulls me away from the two adults, and we head outside to play. As we play, I can't help but wonder if the rumor I heard about Melissa seeing someone is true. Could it be the new and strange Dr. Alistair Crane?

Memory Flash  02: True Recollection (Atsuko's POV) ~ The Orphanage END

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As Atsuko and Jun walk along the concrete path, their journey feels like an eternity. They are weighed down not just by their physical exhaustion, but also by the burden of old memories, both good and bad, from their time with Dr. Alistair, under whose intense experiments they had suffered. Suddenly, Atsuko collapses, her hand slipping out of Jun's grasp. Jun doesn't utter a word; he swiftly picks up Atsuko in his arms and continues on. The atmosphere around them may seem peaceful and quiet, but it's far from the truth. Jun breaks the silence, "Atsuko, are you okay?" he asks, determined to push through until they reach their destination. Atsuko slowly opens her eyes, "I'm okay, just feeling extremely tired...." Just then, Remiel's voice crackles through Jun's watch, "Hey, you two. The white door is just a little further. This long path has never been here before. It wasn't my doing." Jun responds dryly, "It's fine, Remiel...." The plan is for Remiel and Seiko to be waiting on the sidelines, ready to act whenever necessary to save Jun and Atsuko from their impending doom.  As the two approach the white door ahead, their hopes of reaching it are soon dashed when Kenzo appears before them. His figure is more menacing than ever before, with his eyes as dark as the night, his tall and slim frame towering over them, and his teeth sharp and jagged. With a snap of his fingers, the entire scenery begins to shift and transform before their very eyes.