Before "Goodbye"

A/N. The picture up above is how I'm trying to imagine the café Yuki works at.

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"You saw it didn't you?"

The voice brought inexplicable chills -he was greatly startled by the sound. He shook his head, trying to ignore the eerie voice that was almost paradisical.

"Who's tha-?"

He cut off his sentence, trying to analyze all possible origins of the voice. He knew not to answer, the cryptid-like shadow resurfacing in the boy's abyss.

"Did any of you talk to me?" He asked the children, his face in utter perplexity.

"No." The children answered in unison.

Down here.

Confusion ebbed in his tiny mind, slowly trickling outside of his abyss. As he probed the area underneath him, he caught a glimpse of the cat staring directly at him.

Nothing's there.

And so the non-existent expounded his thoughts as bewilderment to his tiny complex mind; Yuki simply thought he was going bonkers.

Unless.

You're right.

It was me.

Yuki internally gasped, the oddity of it all must've taken its toll on the young boy. He refused, all those times that he thought of a world beyond him, something beyond his minuscule existence-now it was all happening before him, the talking feline at least. Yet, the boy refused, he refused to believe something so far-fetched.

I know a talking cat.

Technically, I can't talk but I can tweak the neural impulses that travel to your brain. So, basically, it's telepathy.

The boy fell in a pit, a one so deep that it was almost impossible for the latter to climb back up. He tried to scuffle his way out, but it was to no avail. Not until this very moment, when all were inexplicable. Every essence of it made no sense, it was just irrational.

And all of this would result in him shooting himself outside of the pit.

*

"No!" Yuki had intended to shut the doors and, somehow, the cryptid's image came circling back in his tiny mind-but, the option, it was rather late. Instead, he thought of getting the youngsters to safety, he knew he had to stall whatever that monster was-in his heart he was scared, yet he understood, that there was more to life, more to the children's lives rather than his own.

So, he had to stay to save them.

The boy was reckless beyond compare.

There are many instances where people were conned by a seemingly talking voice in their heads-though, this boy knew better, and he inferred that those did not end well.

You still don't believe me?

Every inch of his body was shaking, this sensation, this fear, it was familiar to the boy.

You're scared?

It was only a shadow, not a monster.

He couldn't grasp the situation-he never almost immediately comprehends any circumstance. But that isn't all bad, ain't it?

Not this one, inevitably.

The boy tilted his head in confusion. The kitty had scratched his leg. Shiro cried out in pain due to the lacerated wound, it was a fruitless attempt on trying to get the boy's attention.

You're afraid of a mere cat?

He slowly picked the cat off of the cold floor-the hairs on its back involuntarily rose. The cat tried resisting but it was all but futile, the wounds hampered its actions.

"But, you're a-" talking cat. It wasn't familiar, he always viewed cats as hateful and spiteful to people, especially to him, but now he's talking to one.

Weird.

A what? I'm a normal cat.

"You talk!" He backed brilliantly.

No, I don't. As I've said it's like ESP, get it?

"I don't get anythi-" processing its very existence was rather an insufferable task.

Anyhow, I haven't formally introduced myself.

I am Shiro, your cat. And I have no idea how I got these injuries. Said the cat rather abruptly.

You are Yukiora Auli? I can't be mistaken.

"Yeah, nope. I believe you've got the wrong person, Mister." Yuki with a shake of his head tried to decline, he was inescapably losing sanity with every passing second.

And as if on cue.

"Yukiora Auli! Who are you talking to? We wouldn't want our dear guest to be waiting." The youngest of them all, Enri, spoke in such a menacing tone. He was scared of many things, but this Enri was just petrifying.

He had no choice but to obey.

Yuki looked at the feline, he could not ponder in this moment forever, and he knew the only way his life would be moving forward was blind acceptance. Thus, he tried to swallow it whole, not overseeing what could happen later to him mentally and emotionally.

It was a gamble.

"Is everybody ok? I'll go grab my bag so we can leave." Yuki announced.

"Yeah, we're ok why wouldn't we be?" Sett answered.

"Ok as I'll ever be." Niña following along, and the rest nodded to assure Don.

I'm ok if I too was included in that question.

"You... you shouldn't talk while we're at the café. I wouldn't want to upset our guest." His voice resulted in a muffled whisper. The nervousness apparent as daylight.

Yuki, without hesitation, took the backpack that beforehand had been filled with everything he had possessed, and of course a pack of chocolate-filled bread which was his favorite.

A slight preparation before what was to come.

Leaving his home was a gamble in itself, but he was used to this. After all, his life was a gamble.

A gamble that would maybe change his future, and maybe even him.

And just for a split second, a thought crossed his mind. And a mind-boggling one at that.

Was this a gamble worth taking?

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"Shiro is so heavy!" Niña exclaimed.

I am not.

The cat protested.

But they couldn't hear it. An undertaking that was in vain.

"Yuki, why do you look so wary?" Sett asked out of the blue, but it was a question that the boy knew was coming.

"Yay! We're finally in the café." Enri interrupted.

Yuki was thankful, thankful that he wasn't entitled to answer that question anymore-it scared him, he was frightened that if he said, that if he told them he'll sound like a demented human, unable to put sense into his words.

And so he settled with the only rational conclusion, which was silence.

It was volatility-each passing moment was dreadful, the boy's chest tightened with the pressure, the tightness deliberately constricting his heart into a downfall.

Beating fast and hard, it fought, that heart of his, it fought. It gnawed and tore the cage, the freedom it had always wanted was within reach. The pain it caused was overwhelming, every time he would try to plop his eye onto the problem it would constantly hurt, literally.

Yuki's left eye, it was a problem. To the extent that he would scour for pain killers. Sometimes, his left eye would turn red, blood-shot almost. And as quickly as it occurs, it also ceases. To him, it was a phantasm, a ghastly illusion. He hated the pain that came with it.

Right now, that was the problem. His left eye, the dainty eye, would cause him unparalleled mental distress.

The boy prayed hard, he wanted the pain to subside; everything felt so heavy, the pain, it was so much more than he could withstand.

As quickly as it emerged, it ceased.

Just like smoke, it was gone.

*

In the vast cosmos, a sleeping heart laid bare, it waits for the star to awaken its deep slumber. A star that was lost, Yuki's lost star. The boy had awaited for the faithful day that his star would return, though all he had was hope, and the latter did hope.

But until when does that hope last?

"Yuki, are you ok?" An unfamiliar voice spoke, the clarity of concern tucked within his tone. The boy tried to assure the man-however, he strived to convince the man, he himself though did not believe.

"Hello. I'm sorry for frightening you like that." A half-hearted smile came out. His hands clenching voluntarily along with the reoccurring pain.

"Mister, how do you know my name?" The Japanese man grinned cheerfully, his face painted of another world, a realm past our own. His grey spheres pierced right through Yuki's soul, it's as if he knew the boy-which was the cause of him being appalled by the sheepish situation.

Encounters like these made the boy uneasy. He was fairly awkward around new people, he hated it, he hated this. It was a trait that he wanted to revoke.

Before the man abruptly intruded.

"I have yet to inaugurate myself. I am Moru Hanatabi, and I will be your personal chaperone to Axiom." The man bowed a deep and in a long manner, which Yuki had no idea as to why.

The bow made the boy fluster-culture made the people so much more diverse, and it was a concept Yuki struggled to comprehend. The boy waved off his hands promptly, trying to dismiss what he thought was unnecessary.

After all, in his mind he was not someone special.

Yuki bowed deeper than Moru had, trying to return the gesture to an even greater extent, this instantly brought laughter from the man. "You seem to be struggling, Yuki? Anyways, I have a package for you it's under the table." Moru notified while wiping the tears off of his face, joy was such a fickle thing.

"Please, open it. And know Axiom is not a school you choose, it chooses you. You are very lucky, Yukiora Auli."

Yuki pathed along the box, Moru's words caused his heart to rattle-the fervent buzzing was no longer uncontainable. A neatly wrapped package fastened with lavish-looking ribbons covered its exterior. His heartbeat of a monotonous tone, the boy gently opened revealing a leather-made bag.

"Tom Ford, Buckley Leather Duffle Bag," Moru informed.

Don nodded, a fake affirmation, this boy was clueless. The boy had no idea what the bag was, and the last time Don checked he didn't seem interested in its value aside from its actual purpose.

"It costs $3460." The boy's eyes widened, he was sure that he heard that wrong. And so he asked again.

"Pardon, Mister."

"$3460, and yes you heard that right."

He wasn't the only one that was astonished, all the people at the café were now looking directly at them. Yuki despised this, he hated being the center of attention, he pleaded for all of those eyes to quit looking at him.

"I'm sorry, Mister. I think you've got the wrong person, I don't want to be offensive but I'm not in need of your charity work." Moru was taken aback, to say the least. This boy piqued his interest, something he hasn't felt in a very long time.

"Don't worry kiddo, consider it as a gift from me. Now open the rest of it."

The first thing he saw was a set of clothes, uniforms, a badge that resembled an eye.

Underneath it a letter laid untouched. He grabbed the piece of paper, fishing out everything, he scanned it in silence. It was a letter, a letter directed to him.

For he did not really know Yukiora Auli, was this truly for him?

Axiom University Mata Rites

The words slipped right out of his mouth, it rolled off of the tip of his tongue in an exotic manner. Yet, he found himself repeating the foreign words. It rang a pleasant bell, a sound that made him realize, it felt like it naturally belonged, he felt like he belonged for once.

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AXIOM UNIVERSITY MATA RITES

Dear Auli,

I, the university Dean, am delighted to inform you that you have passed the series of entrance examinations, not only passed but also with top marks. Therefore, you will be granted a place in our prestigious university.

Assuming that you have opened the package, for your convenience we will recap its quantities. A set of uniforms, an Axiomata badge, and finally this letter.

Your chaperone will be in charge of briefing you to ensure that there would be no further issues. A private plane is awaiting both of your arrival at Bennyson Grand Airport.

Rites are to be held 25th of September.

The Spegel awaits.

Lastly, our motto, I am of Axiom and I have opened my eyes.

Yours sincerely,

Ebony Blue

University Chancellor

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The boy just stood;

They listened, those spiteful eyes.

A thousand predicaments swam through his profound mind. He wasn't the only one to have wavered in the gazes. After all, it was aggressive.

"Non-Mata students like you? Trash, Axiom's slowly losing its prestige."

It was a hierarchy, and unknowingly the boy found himself at the very bottom.