Chapter 11 - Chapter 9; “Dreams that Never Die”

(Written while listening to: "The Nights" by Avicii on YouTube)

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"It feels like it was hundreds of years ago, when after my mum's death, my second father, Tomio said to me with somber face, : "...Son, no matter what, live a life you will be proud off, as one day we all will this world behind too...- and it has to be one you will remember..." In retrospective...- it feels kinda funny...- how wrong he was."

- Of Yogami Laito's recounts on his second childhood's memories.

<<<>>>

Laito looked at the now fidgeting girl, while looking completely unimpressed with the entire situation.

She was half a head taller than him, slightly skinny. Her most "striking" features were furiously red hair, poorly tied into short twin-tails.

Her face was just as red, but that's because it was covered entirely with countless freckles. She also had unusually big front teeth.

She was also wearing the same clothing as him. A simple cloth pants and shirt covered by a gray robe made in medieval clerk style.

His were dirty now though.

–

–

"Now what?" He asked, getting slightly impatient.

The girl was nervously pacing back and forth through the chamber, seemingly lost in thought.

"Shut it! I'm thinking!" She snapped at him.

"Oh, bad idea. You could hurt yourself with that." He said sarcastically.

"I said shut it. Didn't I?" She groaned back.

"Meh." He shrugged his shoulders and waited, while "admiring" the surroundings.

They were inside some kind of a stone underground burial chamber. It had two exits and from the looks of it, it was a part of some larger catacombs as beyond both exits were dark, bone filled corridors.

–

–

"" Might as well try it…-

–

'Status' He focused on himself in his mind.

And lo and behold: a shimmering runes started to materialize in front of him.

He squinted at them.

'Yea, it's "Shadow Slave" allright. It's fucking over.'

'But at least lets see what we got here.' he decided and read through the runes.

***

Name: Soot

True Name —

Rank: Aspirant.

Soul Core: Dormant.

Memories: [Gatekeeper's key - basic access]

Echoes: —

Attributes: [Divinity of Light], [Keen Sight], [Stamina Recovery]

Aspect: [Gatekeeper's Apprentice]

Aspect Description: [A poor orphan, randomly chosen as apprentice of an old gatekeeper to inherit his seemingly endless vigil]

'Huh?…- The heck is going on with that "Soot"?' Laito wondered.

'Gatekeeper? Great, so I am working security again? It's been few years…- And I wasn't particularly missing it.'

'And why the hell do I have a memory already, that shouldn't be possible.'

'Gotta check out those attributes real quick'

He decided as he glanced at the girl. Now she looked like she's on the verge of hysteria, seemingly losing herself in her "visions of impending doom".

He looked back at the runes.

[Divinity of Light] Attribute Description: "It is not your soul that burns with flame of divinity, but it is the divinity itself, that is trying to mimic your Light"

–

'Well…- that sounds awesome not gonna lie. No practical use though right now.'

'Next.'

[Keen Sight] Attribute Description: "A good eyesight and keen mind are Gatekeeper's best tools and you have better than most."

'Wait…- I don't have to use glasses! Quite the opposite, I can SEE so much detail now. Sweet.'

'Next.'

[Stamina Recovery] Attribute Description: "You have an impressive stamina recovery"

'This one is pretty straightforward.'

'But now that I think of this abilities of mine I feel like something is missing…-'

And precisely when he thought that, all of the runes suddenly shifted.

At that moment the spell whispered:

[WARNING!]

[A damaged, independent, partially unsealed Innate Ability detected within the Soul Sea.]

[Would you like to devour?]

–

–

"~What…-?~" he whispered back at the spell, surprised.

'Yes?' he thought hesitatingly.

And then his entire being was filled with pain.

An unimaginable pain.

A soul crushing pain right at his core, that spread through his entire body and mind.

His vision lost his focus as he had fallen to the ground and started convulsing while instinctively trying to keep his mouth shut.

But he couldn't tell.

The pain was blinding.

And as suddenly as it appeared…- 

It stopped.

"" As soon as pain went away Laito regained his consciousness and was desperately gasping for air, feeling a rivers of sweat flowing down on his skin.

–

After a few seconds he calmed and glanced at a corner of the chamber.

The red haired girl pressed her back into that corner and looked at him with a horrified look. She seemingly retreated there because of his "performance".

"Yeaaa…- Sorry bout that. I guess I am not feeling really good right now…-" he said with a small forced smile.

–

"R-right…- Never m-mind. I-i was thinking if we might somehow trick the master into t-thinking that's everything's fine with you, but I guess the idea is out of the window." she responded while slightly stammering.

"We have to get you to him. Right. Now."

"Can you walk?" She asked with a worried look.

"Ahh…- Yes I feel oddly fine…- all things considered." Laito said and stood up and dusted off his clothes…- again.

"Great, now let's back to the surface." The girl decided.

"Sure thing. Gladly." He confirmed as he followed her.

She turned towards one of the exits.

But then she froze.

And slowly turned back towards Laito.

–

–

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"Which way, was the exit again?" She asked him.

–

–

–

"Oh, you must be fucking kidding me." Laito deadpanned at her.

–

"Nope. It's you who remembers the way out." she said.

–

"Aha." He acknowledged her claim with complete incredulity.

–

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"Sooooo~?" She tried once more.

–

–

"Holy shit…- You do remember, that this entire conversation started with me remembering not a single thing, right?" Laito reminded her, while he got increasingly annoyed with the girl.

–

–

–

–

"We are fucked. Throughly." She declared.

[Some unspecified amount of time later]

"RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN!"

The duo of a boy and girl were running through the underground catacomb maze-like corridors, hand by hand, with the boy practically dragging the girl on top of his back, while she held onto a rusted lantern, their only source of light.

And as for the reason why they were running.

"WHO THE FUCK LET KIDS INTO A UNDEAD INFESTED CATACOMBS!" Laito complained on top of his lungs.

"No--body we sneaked in here, remember?"

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF…- NO! I! DON'T! FUCKING! REMEMBER!" He answered. Calmly.

But this time, she didn't have any retort, or maybe she'd rather not waste her breath as she'd rather focus on running to save her life.

Behind them, they heard an orchestra of clattering bones as a large number of pissed-off, half-rotten skeletons was chasing them to the best of their abilities.

"There! Upstairs! I think it's an exit!" Laito noticed something.

" YESH! " She said mid-heaving.

And as soon as they reached the door…- 

They slammed open from the outside!

In the door-frame they saw a silhouette of a stupidly beautiful woman clad in silver armor[1] with a coat of arm showcasing a golden unicorn, engraved on her pauldron, and a focused expression.

She just glanced at the entire situation and pointed her sword in the direction of the skeletons.

"Begone." She commanded and a wave of golden light shot out from her blade.

Harmlessly passing the children.

And eradicating from existence all of the skeletons, with a single move.

–

Silence descended.

–

–

The female knight raised a single eyebrow looking at the kids with stern expression while sheathing her weapon.

–

""S-saint Tirabeth! Lady Justicar…- " The redhead somehow managed to stammer out, despite desperately gasping for air.

–

–

"You kids have some serious explanations to do. And they better be good. But either way, you have gotten yourselves in serious trouble now." The woman said with her arms crossed, completely unimpressed with them.

–

–

–

'It is so unfair. I didn't do anything wrong!...- Yet.' Laito complained internally.

<<<>>>

[5 years left until MHA plot beginning]

[Chapter End] The story is not over yet

[1] Pic in the comments