Maple City, Jake's House

Normal Realm

7:00PM

Colt and Yuri stood outside of Jake's house, which appeared to be a standard house someone would move into during their college years. No more than two floors, lively sections of grass out in the front yard, leading to the sidewalk.

College students crowded the front yard, throwing themselves around as they drank and danced to their hearts' content. Party lights flashed everywhere, people were shouting, and the large speakers shook the streets with the party music.

"Oh man...This is already getting me hype!" Colt breathed in the vibrant air, letting the festive aura surge within him.

"Remember that we're here on a mission Colt." muttered Yuri.

"I know.. I just love parties..."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"For real. The energy just...electrifies me." He turned to face her with a warm smile, "You know, I'd like to go to a party with you someday. Not on a mission, just to have fun."

A light blush appeared on her face as she averted her gaze, "Wh-What?"

"I mean it. It'd be a ton of fun! Don't you think so?"

She took a deep breath and looked back into his sparkling eyes. As if she were falling into gravitational pull of the party, a smile found its way onto her face as well. "Fine. If we get through this mission, I'll take you up on that offer."

"Bet!" He pulled out his phone and went to the camera app, "Can we take a picture?"

"Why?" Her smile instantly faded.

"Because...It's our first mission together! Years later, we'll be able to look back on this!" He clasped his hands together, "Come on..."

"Fine." She covered her eyes, bracing herself for the photo.

"Don't be like that." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, with the sudden gesture lowering her guard, freeing him to capture the moment forever.

"Got it!" He scrolled through his gallery, finding the new image. Even within the small frame of time he had to take the picture, Yuri still found a way to look enchanting. "You-"

"Now get off me!" She jerked away from him, "Don't forget to call me if anything happens."

"Osu!"

With that, they both went their separate ways. Yuri disappeared somewhere upstairs, while Colt stuck to surveying the first floor.

As if the front yard wasn't crowded enough, the interior was worse. As with all parties, immense heat congested the already limited move. He was forced to squeeze through different hordes of people until he reached the kitchen.

If he were being honest with himself, it was really hard to search in these conditions. His primal instincts were telling him to party, but he kept himself focused. Yuri served as his guiding light, keeping him on track.

"Hey!"

He turned around to see a girl with short brown hair tugging on his jacket, "Me?"

"Yeah you, silly!" She giggled, "I haven't seen you around here before! Did you just move into the dorms?"

"Actually, I did."

Lie

He carried on, "The name's Colt. What's yours?"

"Marie." She moved closer to him, pressing her body into his. "You're pretty cute. You wanna dance together?"

What the hell? Just like that?

He took another look around the kitchen, and Mitsuba was nowhere in sight.

Maybe I could chill for just a bit...

"I'm down."

"Good! It's not like you had a choice anyways." She giggled and started grinding up against him.

This chaotic atmosphere really brought him back. Late high school times were the best.

He'd go partying almost every weekend, ditching classes since he had managed to keep good grades, doing who knows what after drinking and smoking. He had a few run ins with the police, but none of these encounters ever amounted to anything...thankfully.

If he could do it all over again, he wouldn't change a thing.

What the fuck? Why am I thinking this? What am I doing? I kept living like this...Having fun, rolling down the fastlane. Right up until I crashed into that wall...

Marie pulled out a small packet and poured some white powder onto her tongue, "Say ahh..."

And here I am again...With a chance to change myself, and I'm getting ready to throw it all away...

"Wait-" He held her back by her shoulders, "I need to go to the bathroom."

"Okay, I'll come with you."

"R-Really?"

She winked his way, "Hell yeah. We're partners for tonight."

She's persistent...I need a way to get away from her! Do it for Yuri!

He scratched the back of his head, taking another look around the room. Locating a bathroom in a packed house, with nothing but the flashing lights to navigate creates nothing but confusion.

"Do you know where the bathroom is?" asked Colt.

"It could be in an empty room in a water bottle if you want..." She smirked and swallowed the strange substance that was on her tongue.

A wave of concern fell over him as he drew himself back, "L-Let's look around."

"Come on...I get trying to make me wait for it, but this is too much..."

"Wait for it?"

"Yeah." She frowned, "Don't tell me you came here just to party..."

Finally!

"I don't really have an objective in mind," he said, "I just came here to have a good time."

She scoffed and back away, "What a waste...See ya, loser."

"Enjoy the remainder of your life," He shook his head and stepped away from her, "I hope you overdose on that white shit you just ate..."

I wasted a ton of time, but it was better than having her chase me around the entire night.

"Now...Let's get this bread..."

With his head back in the game, he moved further back into the room. Within the cascade of flashing lights, a shade of deep, mossy green luminated in the darkness. Compared to the neon lights, this darker tone drew him in like a moth to a flame.

The source of this green came from the head of a young woman.

Wait...

He stepped forward, but the rotating lights moved away from the young woman.

As he moved closer, his heart began to sink.

"M-Mitsuba?"

He could have mistaken someone else for her, but that was impossible. No one else knew her like he did, and the same was true vice versa. There was just no way he would mistake someone else for her. Even if his eyes were playing tricks on him, the aching in his heart told him the same.

No one had pale skin like hers, no one's green hair reached down their back like hers, no one's soft expression matched hers.

"Mitsuba..."

"My bad bro."

He snapped back to reality as he realized he had bumped into a guy passing through the crowd.

"Nah, you're good." He suddenly remembered that he was moving through a crowd of people again and had to concentrate on avoiding them. In doing this, he lost sight of the young woman.

He shot back upstairs, desperately searching for any traces of that mirage. "Shit!"

I should have just shouted out for her! What the hell!

Should I call Yuri? This is something important!

Ignoring the trembling of his extremities, he kept moving on with his independent search/ While having Yuri back him up would make things easier, this case hit too close to home. He needed to find her himself, is she was even out there.

I'm sorry Yuri, I know I'm being selfish...

He sped out of the house in an attempt to collect himself. With more and more people heading in than out, the tight space only grew tighter. At this point in the search, a blackout was the worst outcome to reach.

With a clear mind, he basked in the comforting summer air of the night sky. Not too hot, but not really cool either. It lied somewhere along the grey line dividing the two. It was hard to stay distressed with the invigorating scent of alcohol wafting through the space.

Besides, he was leaning more on the side of being annoyed, with the cicadas singing their near endless song.

Damn...Did they get louder? How in the hell can I hear them over the music?

Seeking to ignore the pests, he composed himself with another deep breath.

Now...Whoever that girl was, she couldn't have left that fast...Even if it wasn't Mitsuba, I'd be better off with an answer than nothing.

Even in the streets, students crowded around like sardines packed in a tight can. This was the result of the cars that were parked at both ends of the street. Worsening the congestion, discarded bottles and food containers plagued the streets.

"Dude!" A large guy with blonde hair slapped Colt in the back.

"Uh...What's up?" asked Colt.

"Why are you just standing around? Come inside with the babes!"

"Oh...I was just getting a breath of fresh air..."

"Is that so? Well...Here!" He handed Colt a vape pen, "That one's on the house. A little host gift..."

Host gift?

"Wait, Are you Jake?"

"The one and only!"

"Look...have you seen a girl with long green hair, and pale skin?"

"Uh..." he furrowed his eyebrows, "Anything else to go off of?"

Nearly stumbling over his words, he pushed his mind to think of something else. "She has this small birthmark on her neck, and..."

"Oh wait! You're talking about that new chick? I've seen her!" Jack chuckled, "You tryin' to smash her or something?"

No chains on this guy, huh?

"Uh...It's complicated..."

"Don't worry, I won't knock your hustle. I saw her walking down the street...That way." He pointed past the two trucks at the end of the block.

"Ok thanks!"

"No problemo!"

Colt turned down the street and dashed off as fast as he could, reaching the trucks in record time thanks to his enhanced speed. The sensation of the wind blowing through your hair from simply running was still quite foreign to him.

Turning the corner, no one was there, prompting him to continue his search.

"Did I miss her?"

Unlike the Seishin Realm, the apartment buildings stretching out were bustling with lively energy. Neatly cut trees, well decorated front yards, and even a movie theater at the end of the block. The normally tranquilizing sounds of cicadas singing grew even louder, now being a nuisance.

"Shut the hell up!"

I've lost it...I'm screaming at bugs...

Arriving at the parking lot of the movie theater, he still found no traces of the young woman. The entrance door to the movie theater opened up, and the singing grew louder.

A wave of fear washed over Colt as the source of the singing showed its face. It wasn't a swarm of them, or even one cicada, it was a singular entity.

However, this entity wasn't bug-like at all.

It was a large bipedal creature, with some features resembling that of a cicada. Large, bucking red eyes, large wings spreading far from beyond its back, truly an abnormal sight. The worst of the creature was found with its oddly humanoid arms, bearing hands and fingers.

"What the fuck?" Colt took a defensive stance, "Are you some kind of man-bug?"

"Colt West, am I correct?"

Its voice was surprisingly deep, yet raspy at the same time.

"What are y-"

Before he could speak, the beast's rough hand latched onto his face, slamming his head straight through the ground beneath them. His vision faded in between waves of excruciating pain.

"Shall we begin, Colt West?"

Am I dead?