Into The Night
7:30 a.m, September 16, 2020...The early morning sun rose over the city of Fukuoka, casting a warm glow through the curtains of a small apartment. In the corner of the dull room, an alarm clock chimes, signaling a new day for 17 year old, Kurashi Ito. His eyes slowly open as he gradually reaches over to turn the alarm off. Kurashi slides off of his futon and shuffles towards the bathroom entrance. His gaze fixed into the mirror, his emotionless eyes and messy black hair reflecting back at him before showering. Turning on the faucet, Kurashi allowed the cold water to fall down his lean frame, lost in the sound of the water falling from above. After showering, brushing his teeth, putting on his school uniform, and grabbing his bag, it was time for him to leave for school.
The silence of the apartment was broken when the door was opened, and the outside sound of the city became prominent. Hands in his pockets, he walks down the apartment stairs to the parking lot where the bike rack was located. Kurashi pulled the bike from its resting place, and the journey to school began. The travel was accompanied by the hum of distant traffic and the occasional chatting of others. Kurashi moved through the city like a ghost, blending into the background noise of a world that seemed to rush right past him.
Arriving at the school gates, Kurashi parked his bicycle with the same practiced efficiency. He walked past his classmates, their voices a distant murmur that barely registered within his consciousness. The bell then rang, signaling the start of another school day, and Kurashi made his way to the back of the class, becoming just another name on the class roster. The classroom sparked with activity. Gossiping girls talking about their plans after school, and boys absorbed in their own conversations, laughing without a care in the world. Yet Kurashi sat in silence, his gaze fixed on the window. The world outside seemed to move with purpose, but for him, time seemed to stand still. The morning continued, and he became an observer, detached from the flow of life around him.
As the day unfolded, Kurashi continued his silent journey through the corridors of his high school. Unseen, unheard, he stepped through the lively environment of teenage existence to his last class. Clouds began to form over the city, and raindrops slowly slid down the classroom windows. The class was almost over when the subtle raindrops turned to heavy downfall not long after. The outside world was now blurred, the view from his window now distorted by the downpour. The bell then rang, signaling the end of the school day, and Kurashi rose to leave. Through the main entrance, he grabs his phone and shoes from his locker and leaves the school. In the pounding rain, Kurashi grabbed his bike and went on his way back home. The city was painted with grey. A blurry haze from the rain diluting his senses.
Home emerged from the gray curtain of rain as he parked his bike. After walking up the apartment stairs, Kurashi opens his door, escaping the storm behind him. He changed out of his damp school uniform for something more comfortable, wearing black pants, a white shirt, and a blue hoodie. After a few hours of settling down, he noticed in the corner of his apartment the cardboard shipping box he had not opened yet. He walked over, kneeled down, and ripped the top of the box open. Inside, only two things were residing, a worn-down journal and a carefully folded piece of paper. Kurashi gradually picks up the journal, undoing the strap to see what is written inside.
"Son, if you are reading this, it means that it is time that you know the truth. I can't explain it all to you, but I want you to read this closely. You have something that normal people do not, you come from a clan that holds vast power far beyond human capabilities. It's hard to believe, I know, but this is your destiny. To help you, I had someone make a map for you. Let it guide you, and just know that I will always be with you".
Kurashi looks back at the neatly folded paper in the box and switches the journal out for it. After unfolding the map, there was a vague outline of a region drawn with a small dot inside it. He got up and went to his desk, sat in the chair, and opened his laptop. After a few clicks, Kurashi found what he was looking for.
"Hida Mountains...", Kurashi said in a quiet monotone voice.
After swiftly getting up from his desk and unloading his schoolbag, Kurashi slips the empty bag over his shoulders, grabs his phone, and walks out of the door. "12:17 a.m", the phone shows as Kurashi descends the apartment stairs. The rain now dimmed down to a slight sprinkle, he made his way through the narrow streets. His silhouette blending with the shadows casted by the dim streetlights. The only sound accompanying him was the constant drumming of raindrops on his bag. For a split second, Kurashi had the instinct that someone was following him. Looking over his shoulder, there was nothing to be seen, so he continued on.
Upon reaching the convenience store, the bright neon lights reflected off the wet pavement. Kurashi entered and walked down the aisles, his mind in a haze. After picking up a few essential goods, he walked to the cashier. The store's fluorescent lights hummed overhead, the cashier looking up from the magazine she was reading to ring up his items. The bell above the door jingled as he stepped back into the rainy night, his face partially shielded by the hood. With the necessities for survival, Kurashi was now heading to the Hida Mountains.