The Girl Who Was Always There

I knew the time would come when I would need to tell Akane as much as I could, but I wasn't ready yet. I suspected Akane had set all this up so I would be unable to run away, and she succeeded in her plotting.

I tried to gather my thoughts, slowly breathing in and out. Another long moment passed, and then, Akane gently said, "Please, Haru… Whatever it is, you know I'm here for you."

There was no more running away, so I began asking Akane a question. "You've been reading the reports about the increase in violent activity around the world, right?"

"Well, sure," Akane replied. "It's been getting more coverage for the past 6 months. I'm just glad Kolm has remained safe throughout all this."

"Yeah, I'm relieved as well Kolm hasn't been hit either. And I'm also relieved there are plenty of people in town who'll make sure it stays that way. But…"

"But what?"

"There's one person who's been tormented by all this. She's been suffering for so long. And she wants to put an end to the source of it all. To be rid of the nightmare haunting her for what must already seem like an eternity…"

"Maya…" Akane whispered. "So… what is her connection to all that's happened?"

"When Maya was seven, her parents were killed right in front of her..."

Before I could continue, I felt Akane squeeze my hand and heard her gasp in a fit of horror. After she settled down, Akane said, "Please, go on…"

"From that day, she's been hearing voices inside her head. Evil cackling, words of doubt and confusion, hints of sinister plans… As Maya grew up, she would only hear the voice more and more, and she only had her uncle to watch over her."

"… How is that even possible? … Wait a minute… don't tell me that the voice belongs to…?"

"Yes… the voice Maya's been hearing all this time is from the one who killed her parents."

"P-p-poor Maya… When I saw her that day, I sensed something was off, but I can't believe she's been shouldering such a heavy burden…"

"That's not the end of it…" I paused for a brief moment and then continued. "The dungeon today felt pretty normal to you, right?"

"Why yes… today was hardly a challenge, maybe even too easy…"

"I only had to use four arrows on the minotaur today. When Maya and I fought it, I counted 40 arrows…"

"… What are you saying?!" Akane tensed up her grasp of my hand.

Still facing the entrance to the chamber, I continued, "Maya already trained at 12 other dungeons before ours. And in all of them, the boss-level creatures were more powerful and dangerous than normal. She believes a curse was placed on her by the one who killed her parents, the same entity who would laugh maniacally at her after each boss's defeat. And what's worse, all 13 dungeons she's been in so far have only been beginner level…"

"So, she wants to defeat the one who killed her parents and placed a curse on her… But I'm guessing she's afraid of what might happen to her or anyone she's with if she moves on from beginner level?"

"She's not just afraid… even now, she blames herself for being too weak to save her parents. And she still doesn't think she's strong enough to defeat her parents' murderer or protect anyone who would even fight by her side. She's been fighting herself and this battle alone for all these years…"

"Isn't there anyone willing to listen to her?"

"She's been having a difficult time controlling herself whenever she hears that evil voice… No one dared to show concern for her, just trying to keep their distance… Everybody ignored her, except for one…"

Akane squeezed my hand again. "… You, Haru."

"Yes… When I heard her story, all her pain and suffering poured out… The girl who I thought was so composed crumpled right in front of me… All she ever wanted was just one person to listen to her, to believe what was going on inside her, to take a chance on her… And when I saw how elated she was after she revealed so much, I tried to think of some way to help her…"

"… Wait a minute… does that mean you've been thinking of leav…?"

"Yes…" I replied slowly. "I made a promise to one day start a party with Maya and to be by her side to defeat the terror plaguing this world. I don't see any way to get any stronger than I am now by staying in Kolm. So, I'm planning on leaving town in a couple of days and train around the world, so I won't be a burden to Maya."

I heard Akane gasp, but she kept a firm grip on my hand. I decided to remain quiet, and Akane remained still as well for a long time. At some point, Akane released my hand, and I swung my right arm back in front of me.

I waited for another five minutes, and I was about to turn back to face Akane, but I saw her arms wrap around my upper body and felt her chin on my right shoulder. I tried to look at her, but she quickly said, "Please don't look."

I complied with her plea and looked back towards the entrance. I put my left hand over the hands she had clasped together over me. After another minute, Akane asked, "Do you have to do this?"

"Akane, when we were little kids, I always admired how you'd help out anyone in need, no matter how great the effort. You'd charge right in and try to lighten the burden of any situation you'd put yourself in. And I wanted to follow your example. That's why I asked you to open the shop with me because I knew how happy you would be to help out so many people with their dreams."

"That's true… No matter who came to our shop, whether they asked for you or me, I felt happy for everyone that got a certificate from us, knowing that we helped them on their way to be heroes."

"Yeah… And it's because of that willingness to help that I want to be there for Maya… I know that I can still make a difference in Kolm, but I don't know if I could live with myself if I were to abandon her, to abandon the girl who put her trust in me to believe in her…"

"I see…" Akane continued to hold onto me. "If you're going to leave, how about I come with you?"

"No… I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything were to happen to you… And also, you're one of the reasons I'd return to Kolm for…"

"Ohhh… I see... you're right… Someone needs to watch over the shop, too, right?" For a moment, I thought I heard a sniffle from Akane and felt a tear or two on my shoulder. I held her hand more firmly and let the silence linger on.

I didn't know how much time passed, amidst some more sniffling from Akane. But she eventually released her hold on me and walked to the door by the entrance. I called out to her, "Akane…"

But she interrupted me and said softly, "Why don't we get out of here for now?"

"S-s-sure" was all I could say, and I followed after her. She remained in front as we made our way back to the beginning of the dungeon. Neither of us spoke a word as we walked along the paths of the cave.

We finally reached the entrance, sunlight illuminating the view outside to indicate it was the beginning of the afternoon. After Akane stepped out to the road, I closed the entrance door and reactivated the seal to the dungeon.

As I turned to face Akane, she raised her head and asked, "Do you want to get lunch at the food stall by the shop and eat at the cliffside? I figured it'd be nice to relax before you do leave town…"

"Sure, let's do that." We went down the road back to the shop, but neither of us said another word. After we arrived at the food stall and ordered our food, we continued on to the cliffside, a 10-minute stroll towards the west from the guide shop. But, like before, the journey there was silent, except for the chirping of the birds and the sounds of the wind.

After arriving, we found a lovely spot overlooking the sea and sat down to eat our lunch. Akane finally broke the silence when she said, "Do you remember when we were kids, and you tried to throw away my most cherished doll? I didn't know what a heart attack was back then, but I definitely felt it! But I was so happy when you gave me back the doll, so I wasn't mad at you."

"Yeah, I was pretty nasty as a kid. But it all turned out fine. Besides, you throw away more of my stuff anyway these days."

"I do not!" Akane pouted and puffed her cheeks at me. "You know I take care of everything that's yours… even if I might've misplaced a thing or two… or ten…"

"Hahahaha!" I felt glad Akane was with me now, continuing to give me a reason to come back to Kolm when my mission with Maya was complete. I started to even think that I could bring Maya back home to Kolm once Rellik was defeated.

I finished my meal and laid down on the grass. Akane and I kept talking, but at some point, I felt sleepy and closed my eyes. I still heard the birds chirping, but even that started to sound blurred.

I didn't remember when, but I knew I had fallen asleep. I didn't know if I was dreaming or not, but I sensed a slow breath near my lips and a lovely fragrance wafting into my nose. Was Akane leaning over me, or was Maya looking up at me? I swore I also heard the words, "You dummy," but that felt like a part of the dream too.

I wasn't sure how long I remained asleep, but I eventually felt Akane nudging my shoulder. "… Haru��� hey Haru… it's starting to get late. Maybe we should head home?"

I nodded, and we gathered up our things and started the trek back to the guide shop. By the time we reached the shop, the sun had set entirely.

As we continued towards the fountain, Akane asked, "So… there's no work for tomorrow and the day after, so what are you going to do?"

"I'm planning to visit Master Takagi tomorrow and see if he knows anyone who could further my training as an archer. Master Takagi once mentioned he knew someone more skillful than him, so I want to learn from this experienced person. And then, I'll pack for the long journey."

"Old Man Takagi, huh? I'm sure he'll love to see you again before you leave town."

"Yeah, I bet. What about you?"

"Umm… I have plans too…" Akane muttered, looking down at her feet.

"Want to share what they are?" I said, poking Akane in the arm.

"I said it before, a girl has to keep some secrets!" she pouted. "But anyway, are you going to tell your mom soon about leaving town?"

"I think she already has an idea, but I'll tell her tonight. I know it won't be easy on her, but that's also another reason I'm glad you'll still be here for her."

"Yeah… I'll definitely make sure your mom doesn't forget about you."

"Hey! I said I'd come back, and maybe I'll even stop by if I'm around the area during my journey!"

"Yeah… yeah… I know you said it!" Akane said while chuckling. But yet, was there a hint of sadness in her voice too?

We passed by the fountain in the residential district and didn't stop until we reached my house. Akane faced me and said, "Well, good luck with your mom tonight. I hope she'll be able to handle it."

"Yeah, me too. And thanks, I'll send her your well wishes."

I began to open the gate to my front yard when I heard Akane call out to me again. "Haru… wait… There's something else I want to tell you…"

I turned around and approached Akane. "Sure, what is it?"

"Umm… I, umm… I wanted to give you something for your journey, to help you remember Kolm... to help you remember… me…"

As Akane whispered that last word, she pulled out a sheathed dagger from her bag. The sheath was made of beautiful, refined leather, brown with red lining. When I pulled out the knife, I saw the sharp, pristine curved blade. Immediately, I knew where the dagger came from.

"Hold on, Akane… This dagger… I remember looking at the blade that one time when I was 10, when your father let me hold it…"

"Yes, I remember it well too… I told you before my dad was a combat thief, and my mom was a priest. I never told you this part, but the day they met, my dad used this dagger to save my mom's life. And from that point, my mom fell in love with my dad, and he never used this dagger again. He's kept it all these years, but he gave it to me a couple years ago. As you can see, I took up being a priest to follow in my mom's footsteps, so I don't need the dagger. So, I wanted to give this, as my present to you."

"But, Akane…"

"P-p-please… take it for my sake. And if you really want to return it, just another reason to come back, right?"

As I watched her smile, I didn't have it in my heart to reject her gift. "Sigh… you win, then. I'll keep it with me as a memento to return one day."

"Thank you, Haru… Well, have a good night then…"

As Akane turned around and walked away from me, I thought I saw a tear run down her face. But it was dark outside, so maybe it was just my imagination…