The Past's Awakening

"Rise and shine, you two!"

The sound of Jean's booming voice instantly woke Yuta and I from our deep slumber. We shot up from our sleeping positions and looked at Jean with puzzled expressions. "Five more minutes..." I mumbled, leaning back to rest my head on the comfortable sofa again. Unfortunately, I was unable to do so due to the forceful tug Jean gave me to bring me abruptly to my feet. The sudden amount of pressure placed on my wounded leg caused me to cry out in pain, and I collapsed face-first into the ground. To my surprise, Jean immediately fell to his knees and helped me up again, this time paying close attention to the bandages wrapped around my calf. He gave me an apologetic look as he carefully sat me back down on the sofa.

"Sorry about that, Morgan," he said. "I actually have crutches somewhere in my storage closet. You want them?

"N-no, I'm fine," I insisted. "A lot of weight was put onto my leg at one time, that's all. I should be okay as long as I'm careful."

"If you say so..." Jean turned to look at Yuta, who was currently rubbing her tired eyes with the backs of her wrists. "What about you, Yuta? Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," she replied as she gradually stood up. Her posture was all sorts of crazy now, and not to mention she had a total bed-head. I couldn't help but laugh as she began frantically trying to fix her hair using nothing but her fingers. "Just give me a minute," she groaned. "I swear, Morgan, I'm going to have to slap you again once we find Niall."

"What did I do!?" I yelled back.

"For goodness sake, quit bickering like an old married couple already!" Jean shouted. "Do you two want to find your friend or not?!"

Yuta and I simultaneously turned our heads away in shame. "We're sorry..."

+++

The intensity in the atmosphere had died down considerably since last night. There wasn't a single living creature to be seen in the forest, other than a couple of squirrels or small birds. I was still cautious as to where I stepped, both because of my wounded leg and the sudden feeling of anxiety I was experiencing. Jean claimed to know his way around these parts better than anyone, but even still, I had my doubts...

"There's a clearing up ahead," Jean announced about ten minutes into our walk. "When we get there, be sure to watch your step. There are some creatures who tend to come out of hiding when they spot intruders."

"I feel uneasy..."

This unexpected comment came from none other than Seraph, who was still tucked away in my pocket. I wondered at first why neither Jean nor Yuta had reacted to Seraph's statement. Did they just not hear it? Did they simply ignore it, thinking it was me who had spoken? I wanted to take out my phone to ask Seraph what made him feel uneasy, but I soon began to feel the same uneasiness, and my hands froze at my sides.

Soon enough we reached the clearing, widespread, flat land surrounded by trees and other various plants. And just as it was like in woods, not a single living thing to be seen. Not a ferocious creature, not Reiha-although I suppose she would qualify as a ferocious creature-not Niall...no one. However, that didn't put a stop to the ill feeling inside of me.

"Doesn't appear to be anybody here," said Jean. "Guess we should turn around and check somewhere else."

"No..." I whispered, placing a hand on Jean's shoulder to stop him in his tracks. "I sense something here. Something strange and...rather discomforting..."

Jean shot me a funny look. "Are you sure you're not just feeling sick or something?"

I shook my head. "That's not it. I'm serious, Jean, there's something around here that's worth checking out. Do you mind if we-"

"Go ahead," Jean interrupted, releasing a slightly irritated sigh. "Knock yourselves out. But I'm staying right where I am."

I didn't hesitate to follow my instincts all the way over to the other side of the clearing. I then swiftly took out my phone and waited impatiently for Seraph to show his face. "You feel something's off about this place, too," I said, noticing the wary look on his face. "What should we do now? How the heck are we supposed to find Reiha and Niall?"

"I don't think you need to worry about that," Seraph said, his voice low and completely drained of energy. "Reiha will come...and she'll bring Niall. That's...that's what I'm dreading. Especially now...because Jean's here. Niall once had a strong attachment to that boy, and I'm sure that he still does. Reiha will no doubt...use Jean to unleash Niall's true form..."

"True form?"

Seraph nodded solemnly. "Yes. You see, Niall isn't all that he appears to be. Sure, he is a kindhearted man defying the nature of most demons, but he's much more than that. He just loves to keep secrets to himself...secrets he think will end up hurting other people. He's a very selfless man, but at the same time he is inconsiderate. Even if you could held him, he would insist a hundred times over that he's alright. I can't count how many times I've seen him smile when he didn't mean it..."

"You seem to know him quite well," I noted.

"We were good friends," said Seraph. "At least, I'd like to believe that. I could never really understand what was going through that man's head. I was sure of one thing, however, and that was that Niall valued Jean and Hanako more than any two individuals in the entire world. That's why I wanted him to find Hanako, too...before it was too late. But I can sense now...Reiha and Niall are nearby...meaning...meaning..."

It was then that I heard Yuta cry out, "Morgan! Guess who I found!!" Judging by her cheerful tone, it was safe to say she hadn't just bumped into Reiha.

I stared at Seraph one last time with a look that was simply begging for help, but my hoodie-wearing pal turned his head away and hid himself from me. I released a heavy sigh and slipped the phone back into my pocket, then proceeded to make my way over to Yuta. She was currently standing amidst a cluster of trees, and once I had gotten closer to her, I noticed that Niall was leaning against one of the trees with a sorrowful look on his face. I wanted to say 'it's good to see you,' or 'I'm glad you're alright.' But I knew that if I said either of those things, it would almost be considered lying.

"Did Reiha harm you?" Yuta asked him.

Niall shook his head. "I haven't actually seen Reiha since she kidnapped me from the cafe. It's kind of got me worried, though. It's hard to explain, but I almost feel like there's a piece of her inside my head. I feel strange, and I-..."

"Niall?" Yuta shot him a puzzled look. Niall had stopped mid-sentence and began staring off at something in the distance. Yuta called out Niall's name several times again, but our blue-haired friend didn't respond. "Niall, what are you-"

"Why is he here?"

It didn't take long for us to realize he was talking about Jean, who was currently distracted by a butterfly resting on a small rock. I was just about to call out to him when suddenly Niall slapped his hand over my mouth, shutting me up immediately.

"No!" Niall snapped, fear now engulfing his expression. "Jean can't know I'm here! If he sees me, then he'll remember me!"

Yuta and I looked at each other, no doubt both immensely worried by how frightened Niall appeared. It didn't make any sense to me...why did he not want Jean to remember him? He claimed that the two of them were best friends, yet now he seemed terrified by thought of the two of them reuniting. I wanted Jean to turn to us...I wanted him to see us talking to Niall. I wanted to see Niall genuinely happy for once. Was that too much to ask?

"Hey! Did you two find something?"

It was Jean. Niall's body immediately tensed up the moment Jean began walking in our direction, and he slapped his hands on my shoulders an began shaking me violently. "I can't let him see me!" He cried.

I looked Niall dead in the eye an drew in a deep breath. "And why not?" I asked sternly. "He's your best friend, isn't he? Why don't you want him to remember you?"

"Jean is childish," said Niall. "He's persistent. It's true, Jean was once my best friend, but he has a good life now. He's safe. He isn't haunted by the memories of all the times I've made him suffer. If he even takes one look into my eyes, Jean will-"

"Did you guys find your friend?"

Niall quickly darted behind a tree to hide his presence from Jean, but neither Yuta nor I was letting him get away with it that easy. As I reached for Niall's collar to yank him back, Yuta gave Jean a bright, reassuring smile and said, "As a matter of fact, we did. And he's right here."

I gently tossed Niall out in front of Jean and waited with my arms crossed for him to speak up. But Niall didn't do so much as to lift his head. He covered his face with his hands and began sobbing softly, earning him a very confused look from Jean. "Is he okay?" Jean asked.

"How about you ask him yourself," I told him. "Come on, Niall. Don't be shy. Say hello to Jean."

"Cruel..." He muttered in response, still hiding his face. "You are a cruel man..."

"And you're a coward," I said back. "Niall, don't you think it's about time you face him? Don't you think it's about time you stop running?"

Niall didn't speak up this time. He stood a still as a statue, completely frozen by fear of the decision he was about to make. I started to wonder if he'd ever reveal his face, but once he did, I was glad. His eyes were the last things to be uncovered. And those, of course, were the things that had the largest impact...

"Niall...?"

Niall's eyes filled with tears as he gazed up at Jean's alarmed face. "You've...gotten taller," he laughed softly. "I didn't think that would ever happen. Ah, n-no offense, of course. I only meant that-...I..."

"Shut up, you idiot," said Jean, seizing Niall's arm and pulling him in for a hug. No doubt Niall was shocked by the sudden gesture, but he soon began to grow accustomed to the feeling of being held by someone. A crooked smile appeared on his face as he tried his hardest to stop crying. Jean was on the verge of tears, too, but he somehow managed to hold them back.

That was the case at first, anyways...

"You're one sick and twisted demon, you know that?" said Jean, just as a single tear fell from his eye. "Inconsiderate. Disgusting. Cruel. Unforgiving. Not once did you come to say hello to me. Not once. Just how much do you despise me, Niall?"

Startled by Jean's accusation, Niall jumped back and stared at Jean with a look of sincerity in his expression. "I don't hate you. How could you even say that, Jean?"

"I'm 25, Niall!" Jean shouted, anger ablaze in his eyes. "Twenty-five years, and you never even showed your face to me. Why?"

I looked at Niall. The poor guy was having immense difficulty just speaking to Jean, let alone looking at him. "I wanted you...to be safe," he whispered. "All I wanted... was for you to live a normal, happy life away from anything that may harm you. Me, in particular. I am very sorry, Jean. I really am. I would completely understand if you started developing a resentment towards me. I mean, it's only natural..."

"I'd never," said Jean. "You should know I would never do that, Niall. I may still stubborn, but I'm not a child anymore. I can protect myself. But you, Niall...you..." Jean paused for a moment, his eyes now staring into space, looking as though he was dazed by a frightening thought. All of a sudden he took a step back from Niall and shot him a fearful glance. "How can you even be here? You...you died. There was this woman...I-I don't remember her name, or what she looked like...but I know she killed you. So how...how can you be standing here in front of me?"

"Ah, would you look at this!" A voice cried from somewhere afar off. "Such a sweet reunion of old friends. It warms my heart, truly..."

Yuta, Niall, Jean and I all turned our heads in the direction of the voice and soon discovered that it was none other than Reiha herself who had called out to us. I guessed that just by seeing her face, something was triggered in Jean's mind, causing him to gasp suddenly and point a trembling finger at the scarlet-haired demon that had just entered the clearing. "It was you!" He exclaimed. "You were the one who killed Niall!"

Reiha smirked and clapped her hands. "Yes, and you are the boy who betrayed Hanako, enabling me to be brought back to life, thus making it possible for me to kill Niall in the first place. Ironic, isn't it?" Reiha cackled to herself as she began to walk steadily towards us. "No matter. That's all in the past, am I right? Let's talk about what's happening now. Niall? How do you feel, dear brother?"

Niall seemed puzzled, but he replied anyway with a simple, "I'm fine." However, not a second after these words were spoken, Niall let out a cry of agony and fell to his knees, forcefully pressing his hands to his ears as if to block out a bloodcurdling sound that only he could hear.

Jean dropped down beside Niall and tried to figure out what was wrong, but Niall only continued to scream in pain. "What have you done to him?!" Jean demanded, glaring daggers at Reiha.

"Oh, nothing really," she replied. "Niall is simply listening to his inner voice sing. Isn't it beautiful, Niall?"

"It hurts!" Niall shouted. "Make it stop, I beg of you!!"

"Not until the song is over."

"Let him go!" Yuta demanded, stepping out in front of Niall to make herself more noticeable to Reiha. "I don't know what your reason is for doing this, but you need to stop. Isn't he your brother? Why would you do this to your own brother? Don't you love him?"

"I do," said Reiha, smiling innocently. "I love Niall the most. I want to stay by his side forever, but he always runs away from me. He is just a silly little boy, so he needs to be taught a lesson every now and then. You, my dear Yuta, also appear to be in need of a lesson in respecting your elders. I may look younger than you, but keep in mind that I am thousands of years old. Now step aside, foolish girl."

"And if I refuse...?"

Reiha narrowed her eyes threateningly at Yuta, then spoke with a dark voice, "Then I'll make Niall target you first."

Yuta flinched, her eyes growing wide in fear. "W-what do you mean 'target'...?"

All eyes fell on Niall as the blue-haired demon ceased his screams of pain. His hands fell limp at his side as he slowly got to his feet, a blank expression now on his face. He didn't appear to be suffering anymore, but I knew I wasn't the only one who knew something was wrong.

"Song of the Caged Spirit...."

Niall's voice was low, almost sounding like he was hypnotized. And as he began walking in rhythmic steps, I was even more convinced that Reiha was somehow controlling him.

"Trapped souls," Niall whispered. "My...true form...hidden. Awaken. Awaken..."

All of a sudden the ground began to shake. It was merely a gentle quake at first, but it eventually grew into a tremendous earthquake that nearly knocked me off my feet. Yuta grabbed onto my arm to keep her balance, and Jean scrambled over to a nearby tree to hold on to. Reiha remained firm where she was standing, smirking as she watched Niall with intent. The shaking gradually began to lessen, but as it did, cracks started to appear around the patch of land Niall was standing on. And out of those very cracks came what appeared to be thin clouds of darkness, which wrapped themselves around Niall's body, swallowing him up entirely.

"Niall!!" Jean darted towards Niall at top speed, but something along the way prevented him from reaching his friend. "Niall!"

"He can't hear you," laughed Reiha. "Niall's true form is taking over his body. Once that has happened, he'll be ready to enter the final stage..."

Jean stared at Niall with eyes full of fear and uncertainty. I honestly felt bad for him...a reunion with his best friend in over 20 years, and this was how it turned out?

"Frighten...the ones who claim...to know me..." If I wasn't mistaken, I could've sworn I heard him laugh under his breath. "I'll destroy the humans who claim to know where my loyalties lie. I'll burn down this entire forest if I need to."

Reiha clapped her hands and began chuckling delightedly, seeming to grow more excited the more Niall spoke. "That's what I'm talking about!" She exclaimed. "I thought you'd never wake up from the lie you've been living. Congratulations!"

The black mist surrounding Niall's head disappeared, revealing a face that I almost didn't recognize.

He looks like he came straight from the crazy house...looks like Reiha really did do something to his brain.

+++

"Niall, snap out of it!" Yuta pleaded, finally releasing her grip on my arm. "This isn't you! Wake up already!!"

Nothing. No matter how many times we called out to him, Niall completely ignored each one of us. However, that didn't stop us. We continued to shout in desperation, hoping that one of these times, he would respond. Even if it was just in the slightest way, that's all we needed. We just wanted to know that he was still in there...that he could even recognize our voices.

"You all...should run..." Niall's body twitched as he spoke, his gaze gradually shifting until it fell on Jean. "Jean...I want you to run...before I break. There isn't much time left...but I want you...to get as far away from me...as possible. Hurry, Jean. Save yourself..."

"I...I'm not letting you leave my sight!" Jean shouted. "I don't trust you to be anywhere near Reiha. If you die again, I'll never forgive myself!"

"If you stay here, you'll be the one to die, and I'll be the one who will have to live with the burden of your death on my shoulders!" With each second that passed, the dark clouds around Niall began to swallow up his head again, crawling up his face like the legs of a spider. "Please..." Niall pleaded, tears resting on the edge of his eyes as he stared at Jean with an apologetic expression. "Just...run..."

Before Jean even had the chance to reply, his attention was averted by the sound of loudly rustling leaves from behind. I turned to the source of the noise and kept my eyes fixed on the treetops, anticipating something to appear. Surely enough, just moments later, a certain blonde, eyepatch-wearing demon emerged from her once hidden spot in the forest trees, now fully revealing herself to us in the wide open area of the clearing.

"Connie?!" Yuta and I exclaimed in surprise, firing demanding looks at the woman.

"I apologize!" Connie said breathlessly, however not bothering to look us in the eye. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm sorry it took so long for me to get here, but now that I'm finally here, I can take care of this mess before it gets too out of hand."

"You're Connie?" said Jean, a look of utter confusion washing over him as he stared at her. "There's no way...you don't look even remotely like how I remember you..."

"That's not important," said Connie. "What is important is that you three get out of here as fast as you can while I can take care of Niall. Understand? Good, now go."

"I'm not leaving."

Connie glared at Jean over her shoulder and scowled angrily at him. "Now is not the time, my boy," she said harshly. "Niall will kill you. Niall will kill all of you. Whether or not you're his friends doesn't matter. The beast inside him is like a nightmare in the shape of a man. It has no mercy. You won't have a second chance. So go..." After she finished giving her orders, Connie drew her sword from the sheathe she had strapped around her waist. Holding it steady, she outstretched her arm and pointed the tip of the sword at Niall's head. "I'll do us all a favor...and slay that beast..."

"No!!" Jean lunged forward and seized Connie's arm, tugging at it furiously as if using force would change her mind. "You can't kill him! Find some other way, I beg of you!"

"Demons are not kind," Connie spoke in a quiet voice, yanking her arm away from Jean. "Some of us may seem to be friendly, but there isn't a single demon alive that doesn't have a dark side to him. Niall is just the same, I'm afraid. In fact, he's one of the worst. I've seen what this side of him can do...just once before. If that crisis hadn't been so narrowly averted, it would have resulted in the deaths of millions. I don't care how close you two were in the past, but that's all over now. It's about time you face the facts, Jean Ortega. Niall is a monster. A split-personality demon whose mind is teetering on the thin line between sanity and insanity." Connie took a deep breath and softened her gaze before speaking again. "However, I want you to remember that Niall is strong. There is but a slight possibility that he'll break through this. That being said, if you ever want to see your precious friend again, I hope you're ready to run for your life."

Jean took one last look at Connie as he stepped back, staring into her eye with a look of gratitude. "Thank you," he whispered, right before he spun around and began running in the other direction. Yuta and I quickly followed him into the forest, not bothering to look back or give the choice a second thought. I knew that none of us wanted to leave Niall, but at the same time, we all feared for our lives. But that didn't matter now. What mattered was that we were all putting our faith in Niall. We wanted him to survive...no matter what the cost.