After a moment after speaking those words Hiruko bent his head. I could see the pain in his eyes and moved at once to comfort him. The black cat moved his head away as I came closer to him, rejecting the reassurance I offered. Hiruko had not become the cat he was today by taking the easy road.

His preference was the long and dangerous one.

He raised his head after a moment, glaring at me before cocking his head, muttering, “Come.”

I followed immediately like a dog after his master as Hiruko walked to the edge of his study.

“The back entrance.” He smiled slyly and walked in front of a bookcase. Yowling a long, trill meow, Hiruko stepped back three steps and the bookcase began to turn, opening the way into a narrow tunnel with almost no light. Hiruko purred proudly and turned back to me.

“It was only fair I had an escape plan in my office. My Division absolutely insisted on it, so don’t think that I am that vain, Aaron.” I raised an eyebrow as the creature turned and walked towards the mysterious exit. I could see the tunnel had a small candle flame at the opening and then the wall swerved violently to the left, the light disappearing into darkness. The cat turned to me once again and smiled. “Nada and Keira are already there. I am sure they will blame you for our lateness.” Hiruko grinned chiefly and hurriedly swung himself towards the tunnel. The black figure was soon swallowed up and I had no choice but to run after him.

“Come back here, you! You can’t just leave me! Where are they? Where’s ‘there’? Hiruko?!” The cave was like a maze- disorientating, frustrating and something no one in their right mind would enter without wings, something to hack your way out of or an alternative escape plan. Turning back would be easier, but there were always consequences with ‘safe’ ideas. It was most likely I’d be mocked by that sly, half-smile that sat on Hiruko’s cocked head. As I ran, dodging the endless number of walls I noticed a stray stone that sat in the shadows. Edging closer towards it, I saw a glimpse of a perfect black tail.

I smiled to myself and lent in, my hand outstretched for the cat’s limb. Inches away, I heard Hiruko’s booming voice.

“You’ve ruined my perfect game of hide-and-seek.” The tail disappeared and in an instant a pang of pain came down my neck as the damned cat dug his claws deep into my neck before pushing off and running a few metres down the tunnel.

“Hm. Let’s give you a little advantage, shall we?” Hiruko’s eyes softened and he presented his half-smile while leaning forward onto the pavement. He put out his paws, flexing his toes and bowing his head.

“As General of the 2nd Division of the Complex, I give light to lead the way, to consume the darkness and give hope for even the weariest of followers.” I could see the humour in his voice and did not give him the satisfaction of understanding it, instead rubbing my neck hard and walking towards him.

I almost expected a most brilliant light to appear out of nowhere. However, instead, , Hiruko coughed somewhat violently and spat out what appeared to be a lighter. “Use this to control the idiot inside of you.” Hiruko stepped back, about to turn. “But in pure English, don’t hit the walls!” The cat lunged forward into the darkness.

This cat loves games, apparently. Senshi muttered.

Oh, Senshi so nice to hear from you. I thought you’d died. I bent down to the lighter and flicked it, the small light only just helping as I walked clumsily around the tunnel searching for the exit.

You know, there’s only one path to follow, you wuss. Just keep going straight ahead.

I chuckled slowly. “I had noticed.”

After walking for a few moments I decided that I might as well run to the end of the tunnel.

And make a dramatic exit! Senshi added.

I did prefer the silent treatment.

Continuing around the winding paths of the tunnel, I noticed little mice creeping in and out of a small hole in the wall. I bent down quickly and peered through to find an extremely unhappy mouse peering back at me. I yelped and quickly drew myself back from the wall, tripping backwards and hitting my head against the hard bricks. I moaned with the pain that swelled through the back of my head.

Hey! Aaron!? Hey? Don’t die! Don’t sleep! Do not faint on me, you hear?! Aww, come on!

“Gosh, calm down, will you?!” Still gripping my head, I brought myself up on my knees and looked around the tunnel, temporarily disorientated. “Let’s see.” I moved closer once again to the mouse hole, peeking through the small arch in the stone. The wall was deep and the hole moved back twenty inches. The mouse had probably run out when I jumped back as the hole was now empty. At least, I was sure that the mouse had done so until a small spur of light appeared further back in the hole, allowing the mouse to escape into daylight.

“Right, we’re close.” I pushed myself back up and continued down the hallway, gripping Hiruko’s light hard in my hand, the other still supporting my painful neck.

“Sometimes it’s like everyone’s out to get me.” I muttered slowly.

The twisting and turning, sharp corners began to cease and soon I found that I could see natural light flittering through the tunnel.

Hey! Run, Aaron, run! Senshi chanted enthusiastically. I did not, however, heed his words.

I’ll look like an idiot running out of the passage way.

Well, no change there. Senshi muttered under his breath.

I held Hiruko’s light up and attempted to blow it out, but it simply fluttered with the wind of my breath. I clicked the lighter and placed it in my pocket. I calmed myself, breathing in deeply and turned the corner, to see Hiruko and Keira standing there. It was a beautiful courtyard, strewn with small flowers and the occasional boulder. This part of the Soul Tower was built on an area with an ornate fence overlooking the sea.

Huh. Strange. I thought only your part of the Complex overlooked the sea, Aaron. Senshi wasn’t wrong. This part was obviously off-limits for the public; otherwise it would be flooded day-in-and-day-out with tourists. I looked around, a light building catching my eye. It was covered with vines and small flowers popped up around it. Elaborate decorations were strewn though the vines like the pathway to Hiruko’s office, except here small fairy-lights were also added. Lanterns of all sizes and shapes were hung through the surrounding trees, with amazing patterns painted all around the outside of the lights.

The Prophecy Room.

I took a few steps out and peered around to my right. To my surprise I saw Nada standing at a similar exit to that of my own. For a second, our gazes met…

Both our heads swung towards Hiruko and Keira, scowling.

“So that was all a test?!” Nada and I chorused. “Some stupid set up?” She continued to question.

Both Keira and Hiruko nodded cautiously, peering towards each other slowly.

“We just…had to be sure.” Keira’s face lit up and she smirked for a few seconds, until Nada’s glare met her face. “We had to be sure if one of you was better than the other.” Keira rose quickly.

Hiruko padded forward with her. “Finished laughing?”

“And?” I stepped from the tunnel’s exit into the beautiful meadow.

Hiruko shrugged and said, “Equal,” however, he turned his gaze to me and I recalled him saying that Nada was more powerful due to the fact that she was still…alive.

Nada was still alive.

So…that meant that…she would return to the world of the living- until death.

How were we meant to tell her that she was still alive?

But, that also meant that…

I wouldn’t be able to see her.

Aaron. It comes at a consequence. If you do not tell her, her chances of life, with her family, will be lost. However, if you let her go, you will regret it for the rest of your life.

Love is not always a breeze. There are times when love will be painful, yet that is something you must accept for love to even begin. What I am trying to say to you, Aaron, is that one way or another you’ll get hurt- unless you let her decide.

You have to tell her, Aaron, or she’ll become a fragment of your memory and you’ll never be able to find her again- like trying to catch water.

I paused from walking to turn to Hiruko.

I don’t think I can admit it to myself…

Nada stepped out of the passage way that was probably a double escape routed for Hiruko.

“Ah!” Nada gasped as she stepped from her tunnel, peering around the field in awe. “The Prophecy Room?” She ran towards the trees, twirling around in its leaves. Nada ran from the hill. Grabbing Hiruko from behind and taking Keira’s hand she began to dance on the hillside in the blazing sun. She swung around every-so often, beckoning me with her hand to join them, Hiruko smiling with the laughing Keira.

I cocked my head and smiled (having watched Hiruko too many times) and jogged towards them on the hillside.

For a while, Keira spun around on the hill with Hiruko, I and Nada following her. It was…strange to become a child again, for a little bit.

It’s beautiful here, Aaron. Senshi whispered as I circled the hillside. Kind of perfect for getting your head into the future and confessing wildly to a certain someone, eh?

I smiled and laughed as he said this.

Perhaps.

Oh! Senshi croaked. That’s Hiruko talk, brat!

Yeah, I know, he’s gotten to me!

Nada dropped off, puffing every so often. And then something quite shocking happened.

“Hahaha!” It was an unsettling laugh, one never heard before. Nada swung around to face the creature that had made this noise.

Gasp. Senshi laughed.

“Hiruko?!” We all crowed together. He turned suddenly to face us, his face flat, with no life signs showing.

“Okay everyone, he’s dead.” Keira giggled at the look on Hiruko’s horrified face. “Heh. You don’t usually laugh.”

“Hmm… a little bit of bliss before hard-work can’t hurt, no?” He smiled his witty grin and returned to the table. “I guess a night here, after a little tour, will do little damage…?” He began to explore the undergrowth around the site, waiting for us to get settled.

“I guess he’s happy…” Nada spoke softly. “Really can’t blame him, here.”

“Yes,” Keira added, “He’s always happy near the water, as long as it doesn’t touch him.”

“And yet… yet, I still don’t understand why you made us go through something like that.”

Keira huffed slightly. “Well, you’re both changing. That’s the impact of the Katana, this burst of new life. You’re both changing to something you’ve always wanted to be, right? That little bit of perfection that you want for yourself, that little bit of love that was frozen deep inside your heart; it’s melting. You’re becoming the person you wished for by being forced to be yourself. We both saw instantly that you were both living in a lie, to hide something.”

She looked up to us; both of our faces intrigued by what Keira was saying. “But now…you’re becoming more of yourself. So that little activity was team-building, self-realising and just a tad bit of fun.” She quickly rose, turning and winking at us, a huge smile spread across her face. She turned away and ran back to Hiruko.

“We both see that they both like each other, but their personalities are completely different. And don’t you dare say ‘opposites attract’!” Nada yelled, quickly rising up and spinning around spontaneously to get to the table, where Hiruko was now chatting, probably about the way I look when I sleep.

Ah! That cat’s a dark and foul stalker.

Senshi, it was just a suggestion. I sighed as the Katana yelled in my mind.

Yeah, but I’ve seen him staring over you when you’re innocently asleep.

What?!

Ha! See, you are sensitive about it.

He’s a freakishly-sly black cat with attitude! It’s kind of hard not to. I laughed along with Senshi until we both arrived at the table where everyone was.

“I thought we could get a decent meal before we take a tour, okay?” Hiruko closed his eyes and grinned. I was taken aback, but nonetheless smiled and nodded at him. Nada was already chatting away with Keira, who looked quite anxious speaking to the girl. I sat, leaning Senshi against the chair. Keira took this opportunity to draw herself away from Nada and quickly pulled a bag from underneath her seat onto the table.

Keira drew out the objects inside and placed them on the table, carefully spreading each container out so that it was equal amongst us.

“Huh? Where’d all this food come from?” I asked, moving closer to the warm, mouth-watering scent that was practically luring me in.

Being lured, Aaron, being lured.

“It was sent from the Tower, by special request. We both thought it would be nice to have a meal together.” Keira smiled willingly at my face and I grinned.

Food. Your weakness is food. Senshi snorted quietly to himself.

Nada stood up to lean across the table, taking a plate and grabbing something from each platter in a matter of seconds before returning to her seat gracefully. Hiruko jumped to the table and grabbed two chicken wings in his jaw before returning to a plate that Keira had put out for him. He dumped the wings and leaped into the air, charmingly landing on his chair. It earned a small giggle from Keira, who in turn was given a dark glare from a certain black cat.

I stood up and took whatever was left, quite grateful to have a decent meal after many, many misfortunes at cooking myself.

Huh…you never told me you cooked. Senshi said leniently, sounding rather dazed.

That’s because you have access to my mind; I would have thought that you would have explored it.

Oh Aaron, I’m quite hurt. How could you think I could do such a thing?

I can think that quite easily, actually.

There came a sharp yell suddenly from Senshi, my ears ringing for a few seconds afterwards.

Yuck! That’s not dinner! Senshi yelled in disgust.

Huh? I asked, confused (and still disorientated from the unusually loud scream) at what Senshi was yelling at.

He calmed himself and whispered something; reminding me of an uttermost failure at cooking where I ended up on the floor covered in the complete mess of something not edible and an extremely large and irritating stomach ache where one of the Loner carers had to come and tend to me for a few days due to…food poisoning.

Yes, food poisoning from my own cooking.

It was one of the reasons I had stacks of frozen dishes stacked I the freezer.

I can’t believe you used that. You should know those ingredients are nowhere near agreeable!

It was a few days after I had died thank you. I was still in...shock of her death. And besides, that recipe was ripped to shreds and the remnants of the shreds locked away.

Senshi did not reply, if you were to excuse his small coughs of disgust and horror (and small, aggravating laughs) for the food I had prepared.

From what was there, I could see it was most probable that Hiruko had ordered the dishes, for although there were several other dishes not containing the ingredient (such as salad or other meats like chicken and beef) most of food available was some sort of…fish dish.

I took most of the chicken and beef, knowing Hiruko would be most grateful to have half of the fish dishes to himself.

I paused, thinking back to when we needed an excuse to tell Nada of why Hiruko had been staying at my home.

He really is fish obsessed, then? Senshi asked. No wonder he was so annoyed at us for using that excuse…it really is his weakness.

We ate in silence- Hiruko probably contemplating the fact that Nada would be seeing herself in the Prophecy. He was definitely annoyed with himself for not telling her about it when I had proposed it earlier.

Keira seemed to realise that she would not get away from Nada’s presence (I had seen her urge to speak to Hiruko all day) and instead embraced her company and set herself deep into chatter. It was then that Senshi decided to talk to Nada’s Katana, Osamaru.

He spoke in unnaturally (and strangely unnerving) smooth tone as though trying to court her.

I tried to block out his smooth-talk and concentrate on eating the food in front of me. Every so often, my eyes drifted from the heap of meat towards the small cottage in front of me. Something about its cream-pink coloured walls, strangely decorated window frames and the way everything sloped and reached out to it (including the warmth of the sun) seemed abnormally inviting. One would usually have been concerned for the way the trees on either side of the slope curved towards the house, or the way the vines coiled brightly up from the ground to rest upon the house was not seen as ‘normal’. But then again, define normal?

I was lost, yet happy. The beauty around the cottage felt like something I had not felt for a long time.

Home.

“Aaron.” Something about the voice’s tone chilled me and drew me from my trance-like state. For a moment, as I recovered a cold sense of loss and loneliness overwhelmed me, as though not entering that house right at this instant had caused such terrible pain. The voice was Hiruko, who now stood on the table above me. Keira and Nada, too, were standing, their faces calm, but there was a great sense of worry that underlay Nada’s eyes.

Something within me stirred and told me to leap at the sleek cat for taking away my happiness.

“Right, you’re with us?” Hiruko’s voice reminded me of some scholar, a doctor perhaps. The way they always try not to cause worry for their patients, providing them with false hope, when in fact the patients are in serious danger.

So he was providing me with hope because I had wanted to walk into a house?

He’s lost it. I whispered to Senshi, but no reply came. Was he still courting that Katana?

My hand fell to my side, expecting to land on the hilt of the sword.

I looked up to Hiruko.

“Where is he?” I jumped to my feet and looked around the table. Hiruko said nothing, his face showing no kind of hope.

It was as I feared- he was acting like a doctor.

“Where is he?” I repeated myself. He let me wander off for a bit and I searched frantically for my Katana.

Eventually, Hiruko opened his mouth to speak and I turned to him expectantly, “Senshi and Osamaru are gone. You made them go. That cottage, the Prophecy Room, it has sensed you. It knows you are part of the prophecy and, as the Two Prophecies intended it to be, have designed a test. We were hoping to avoid it.”

Hiruko lunged onto my shoulder and bent down to whisper in my ear.

“Both your and Nada’s Katana could be lost forever if you fail. Because you were lost in that state, something within the prophecy awakened and found you. It searched you. It probably already knows the future, it probably already knows who you are, but nonetheless complete whatever it asks of you or we will surely lose the battle to come.” Hiruko seemed unimpressed, and I turned my head to cat who was balancing himself on my shoulder. My eyes showed my weakness- even if we didn’t act like, Senshi and I shared both a natural bond and a bond of friendship. What was I without him?

Nada let out a gasp; a restraint of crying. Yes, I realised, yes it was the same with anyone. Hiruko never chipped his claws (for that would be chipping his sword) and Keira had not once put her Hiriki down. Hiruko was staring at me, confused, for I was looking at the grass. After a while I looked up and met his gaze.

“Your Katana, what’s it called?” Hiruko’s eyes softened.

After a moment, a smile lit up his face. “Her name is Naosu. She has a strange interest in cough medicine.” He grinned and flexed his claws, laughing occasionally.

“What’s she saying?” I asked, my voice flat with no real interest.

Hiruko looked up, rather startled. “She says that she isn’t that much of a freak and likes spicy foods more. She also says that she doesn’t like not being introduced and that… she’s sorry for your loss.” He eyed Nada and me. “All Katana usually know each other, so…she’s concerned.” He retracted his claws and padded towards the comforting cottage known as the Prophecy Room.

“Nada, Aaron. Prepare yourselves.”