Chapter 9

Chapter 9

YEAR 2040

[Ryu Mitsukai - 14 years old]

“Where are you going?”

Knapp freezes at the voice of his younger brother, stopping completely with packing. Sighing lightly, he turns to him with a calm look on his face. “I was hoping that you would not find out… Well, I’m leaving, Ryu.”

“What? Why?”

“You heard Mom. So, I’m moving out.” Knapp looks away from him, trying to avoid any eye contact.  

“But Father is leaving today for South Korea. Don’t you want to say bye to him? And, what are we supposed to do without you? What would Mother think if she finds out that you’re gone?!” Ryu cries, fresh tears streaming down his red face.

“I’m sorry,” Knapp says softly. “I have to go.”

“Why?!”

“I…” Knapp says hesitantly. “It’s none of your business.”

“Why not?!”

“Ryu,” The older Mitsukai brother grabs the younger one’s shoulders firmly. “You will understand when you’re older. I will come back in a few years. Until then, please take care of Mom.”

“What if Father dies before you come back?!”

Knapp smiles sadly at him and says again, “I’m sorry.”

~*~

“Knapp!” Ryu cries as he shoots himself from the ground, panting heavily. Just as fast as he opens his eyes, he closes them quickly at the brightness.

He rubs his eyes, blinking and trying to get a clear vision. He shakes his head furiously when he remembers his dream about his brother. 

Out of all the time, why now?

He finally opens his eyes widely only to discover himself in the bright nothingness. Not even a dark drip anywhere.

“Where… Where am I?” He asks himself. “What am I doing here… What did I… Oh…” He sighs lightly when he remembers the last thing before he woke up here. “I got shot, didn’t I?”

“Yes, Ryu, you died.”

The first thing Ryu does is to take out his pistol after he hears the unfamiliar voice. Unfortunately, his weapon is not with him anymore. In fact, he is only wearing white shirt and pants.

“Wow, you reacted so fast. Are you really going to kill me without a second thought?” 

Ryu looks around, trying to find where the voice comes from. There are no places or objects to use for hiding anywhere. This place is completely empty. So, how is it even possible that he cannot see the stranger?

Due to his heightened senses, all thanks to the Army’s special force training, he just follows the stranger’s presence somehow.

“Sorry, Ryu! I was a little too late to save you… but luckily, the chains have not gotten to your soul… not yet.”

Ryu finally spots a male figure in the far distance, so he begins running as fast as he can toward the voice.

But no matter how long he has been running, the figure is not getting any closer. Not even a little bit.

“So, Knapp, eh?”

Ryu stops running as soon as he hears his older brother’s name. He frowns in suspicion, “How do you know his name?”

“I heard you crying his name when you woke up -- Ah, you haven’t heard anything? He’s quite famous throughout the universe!”

“Fa-famous? Wh-what do you mean? Did you see him?!”

“Yes, but for now, you need to know something else… which is very important.”

“No, my brother is more important!” Ryu exclaims in both anxiety and happiness. “He is alive? I… I can’t believe it! Wait… How do you know he is still alive? Who… who are you?”

Before he knows it, the figure is completely gone from his sight. Instead, he feels a gentle breeze from behind. He is not even sure if he should turn around or not.

“I choose you, Ryu Mitsukai, the grandson of the great Gotsu Mitsukai.”

Gotsu Mitsukai. Ryu heard his name all the time whenever his father was home. His grandfather was an accountant until one day he decided to drop everything and disappeared. That was over 30 years ago. Just like Knapp Mitsukai did.

“Your heart is made of light and order-- No...” the hand starts to pull Ryu’s left shoulder a little bit, as if he is daring him to turn around. Then, he lets him go almost as if he flinches away. “Ryu, what is happening to you?”

Ryu shakes his head furiously, as his fists clench tightly. He is trying to forget his older brother Knapp, but thanks to the mention of his grandfather, the memory of him leaving is coming back once again.

Little does he realize, the darkness begins to spread out all over the place, leaving only the light spot under Ryu.

“This shouldn’t be happening.”

Ryu collapses to his knees, his sweatdrops sliding down his pale face. “What… What is happening to me?”

“Your heart has been tainted with darkness. It shouldn't be happening. You’re… You’re a Mitsukai, for pete’s sake!”

“Who the fuck are you?!”

“It’s Double God you’re speaking to,” This time, the second voice is completely different… yet so familiar to Ryu.

“Wha…?” Ryu asks weakly, completely surprised by the fact that he had been speaking to Double God for the entire time. So, is he back after a thousand years? Why now?

“Hey! What is the meaning of this? Even though the Fifth lets you in here, you have no right to interrupt.” Double God says, slightly annoyed.

“Please allow me to help him. If light and darkness are out of balance, then the Fifth can die for sure. If he dies, then we die with him as well. I thought that you, out of all people, would understand that.”

“Tch!”

As Double God leaps back into the darkness, Ryu keeps his eyes on the black floor only to catch brand new light spots being formed under each of the approaching stranger’s feet. Why does it feel so familiar?

“Ryu, please look at me,” the stranger says softly, as he calmly sits down on the floor, creating another light spot underneath.

Ryu remains speechless.

“Earth is dying. As long as it remains to be chained, it won’t recover ever again… not without the Breakers,” The stranger places his hand on Ryu’s trembling shoulder. “I wanted to come back, but… I can’t. I still have something to do, but… Double God needs your help.”

“No… I can’t do it. I’m only following the orders...” Ryu covers his face with his hands as if he is trying to hold back his tears.

“Ryu, please listen to me. I’m so sorry that I made you this way… You hate me, don’t you? Only if I told the truth six years ago…”

At last, Ryu looks up. It is indeed him who he grew up with until six years ago. “Knapp?” He asks softly in surprise.

“Yes,” Knapp gives him an awkward smile. He nervously scratches the back of his head.

“You… you look different,” Ryu takes a moment to look up and down at his older brother. He looks much older than last time they saw each other. His usual short black hair is now longer, at his shoulder. His now wise dark eyes seem to have already seen so many things, much more than the entire population of Earth has.

Knapp was wearing a simple white shirt and jeans when he left. Now, he is wearing a slightly more wild white and black outfit, which consists of white scarf, white shirt, black jacket, white belt, black baggy pants, and white combat boots.

“Where… did you go?” The younger Mitsukai brother asks hesitantly, as if he does not want to know.

“I received the request from…” Knapp is trying to find the correct words. “The Fifth.”

“Fifth?”

“It’s hard to explain, but let’s just say… I left Earth to gather my comrades who are powerful enough to protect the universe,” the older brother explains lamely as he shrugs his shoulders. 

“I don’t understand…”

Knapp licks his dry lips before he tries again, “I am the Universe Warrior. I received my powers from the Fifth Universe.”

Ryu is just staring at him in disbelief. He shakes his head. “I am really dead. This can’t be real…”

“Ryu, please listen to me. We are running out of time. Earth is in serious trouble, you hear me? You have to stop the leaders of Earth from locking up your own people.”

“What were we supposed to do? Allow the enemy to claim their victory? We are on a mission to find out who fired the missile at our country.”

“No. It was your own country that fired themselves.”

Ryu frowned in both confusion and anger at his older brother. “Don’t be absurd! We fired ourselves? Do you have any proof?”

“Your own country started the war for no reason. You Americans did not have any proof to begin with.”

“It was Japan. The nuclear missile was fired from the west --”

“It just came down from the sky. Did you seriously believe them? Why did they send you to China and France, not Japan?”

“That’s…” Ryu grits his teeth in frustration.

“My little stupid brother…” Knapp sighs lightly as he scratches the back of his head. He is watching the light spot grow smaller and smaller under Ryu. “You have to face reality. Please understand this - the United States has no solid evidence.”

“Shut up! Father served in the same squad --”

“He was killed by one of his own.”

Ryu almost stammers, “Wh...what?”

“He found out about the truth, but before he could say anything, he was killed. He tried to stop the war. When the Fifth Universe told me who the real enemy was, I had to leave. Otherwise, I would have been drafted into the military. The Fifth saved my life. Now, it’s my turn to save yours.”

“No.”

“Hm?” Knapp blinks in surprise.

“This…” Ryu closes his eyes tightly. There is no light underneath him. “I refuse to believe you.”

“You have to. Earth is the sole balance of the Fifth Universe. It is holding the sole string to connect every single planet in the universe. Without it, we all die. The countdown started twenty years ago. Sooner or later, it will fall apart.”

Ryu is completely speechless at every single unbelievable word that came out of his older brother’s mouth.

“Now’s the best time to wake up. Open your eyes to the real truth. Open your heart to the light!” the Universe Warrior nods his head at Double God who had been standing behind Ryu.

“Well, if you say so!” Double God says almost cheerfully. He slams his hand on Ryu’s back hard without any warning.

Ryu yelps in pain as he falls onto his face to the black floor, which turns bright white everywhere instantly.

Pain grows worse and worse in his wide dark eyes, which are almost screaming. It feels as if his burning eyes are melting into nothingness.