A large and blank place. At the center, a majestic and giant tree that ascended to the unbounded ceiling. A curious girl beheld the tree in the distance.
Naomi walked toward the mast of nature. Leaning against it was a lonely eight-year-old crimson-haired child.
âHey... why are you alone?â Naomi asked.
The boy didnât answer back as if she wasnât there, in body and spirit.
âAh, sorry. Itâs obvious. You... have no one but yourself... just like me...â
A gentle breeze stirred the ladâs hair. He lifted his head and ran wild to the horizon of nothingness.
âWhere... are you going...?â
A meaningless question. Not even he knew where he was going... or to where he should go. He was... running away. Running away from the loneliness, just like her...
The wind blew stronger, the leaves of the tree fluttered with a single gust as Naomi closed her eyes. She reopened them, her eyebrows raised. The child kept running against loneliness and sadness, against everything and everyone. Without hesitation. Always moving forward.
A female ran alongside the chap. A male joined them soon after. Slowly, throughout his growth, more and more people gathered around him. He... wasnât alone anymore.
Naomi smiled, happy for the manâs deed, once a goldfinch that wouldnât fly. However, he came to a halt, such as a broken machine. The folk that followed him went out of sight. The last person to leave, the woman, even tried to tell him something, but she gave upâ¦
Naomi was next to the lad, now in his twenties, hoping to see the very same smile that allowed him to overcome all the past hardships. Nevertheless, despair won over hope.
...
âThis time was a different dreamâ Naomi woke up.
Lately these weird dreams have been happening more often. Wonder why?
In case I havenât introduced myself yet, my name is Naomi Setsuko, Iâm 16 years old and I study at a local school in this huge asian island called Ganeden.
Iâm not a brilliant student, although my mom always said I could do more and better. About my parents, today makes 3 years since my mother passed away from a chronic disease. As for my father, I never got to meet him because he died when I was little.
That said, I always had the support of my closest relatives and my friends never made me feel alone. Well, this last part is a lie.
Though I might look super cheerful, the truth is that each day for me goes by so slowly. I donât have suicidal thoughts, notwithstanding I wish for a change in my life. At least Iâd like to meet someone who could end this displeasureâ¦
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Naomi sighed and rolled over in bed. Right, howâs Lied doing...?
...
At the local police station, two detectives talked freely. They were part-timer Susumu Shinichi and Tatsuo Shinichi, son and father.
âSusumu, howâs school?â Tatsuo, seated, asked.
âGoodâ Susumu, standing, replied without looking away from the docs.
âIf youâre having a hard time balancing both jobs, you can take some time off...â
âThanks, but you donât have to worry, Dad.â
Susumu picked a recent report from his fatherâs deskâ¦
âThis is...?â
âAh, the accident of four days ago. Two people thought to be dead, although their bodies weren't found. The sole survivor, their son, is still missing.â
âAccident, huh...?â
âInterested?â
âWell... maybe a bitâ Susumu gazed at Liedâs picture.
...
Late afternoon. Classes were over for today. Naomi left together with classmates as she wore her half-ass smile. Susumu waited at the entrance gate.
âSo this is his school⦠what a coincidence.â
The girls swooned over the handsome detective, some even recognized him. Susumu questioned the students whether they knew the boy in the picture.
âHeâs not very popular, huh... better ask the teachers.â
âHum... Iâm Naomi and I know that boyâ Naomi approached Susumu.
âSusumu Shinichi, a detective who also happens to be a student at this school. I donât know if youâve heard, but heâs been missing since last week. His parents are dead and no living relatives are known. Thatâs why I wanted to talk with any friends or classmates who might have a clue to his whereabouts.â
Naomi listened, cagey. After everything Lied went through, she wasnât at ease to tell himâ¦
âSorry, but I donât know anything.â
âI see. Call me if you find something out in the meantime, pleaseâ Susumu cursed his bad luck and handed her a card with his phone number.
The detective moved off without trying to question more people.
...
Naomi only thought about getting home and resting her mind. The lass glimpsed a familiar face as she walked.
âYouâre...!â
A 12-year-old red-headed kid stared for a moment at Naomi and then fled.
âWait!â
...
Lied has no idea how many days he slept. He felt kind of dizzy, perhaps exactly due to sleeping too much. Lied sat on the bed of an unknown small room. Was that white hooded the one who brought him there?
Lied saw an apple on the nightstand, probably left by him. The irony!
Lied remembered the golden apple from the dreams and other chronologically linked memories: the face-off with the killer; the meeting with the âmysterious womanâ; the white hooded and his questionâ¦
âIâ¦â
The answer on the tip of the tongue, he set out to face his destiny.
...
Susumu didnât overlook Naomiâs irresolute expression. She most certainly hid information from him. Susumu had to ask her later. After paying a visit to school, there was just one place remainingâ¦
âDO NOT CROSSâ all over Liedâs house. The site was already reviewed by the police.
âI'll have to do it this wayâ Susumu closed his eyes and touched the outer wall.
The burning house. Lied lifted up in the air before a long black-haired male. Lied fainted and the man smiled.
âThis⦠isâ¦?â he said while watching the flashback.
âA second person wasnât expectedâ a voice spoke from the detectiveâs back.
When Susumu turned around, he was no longer there. The teenager rushed inside and drew the gun his father gave him for emergencies.
The 20-year-old suspect, light lilac eyes and curly black hair, wore an overcoat in the same color pattern as the killerâ¦
âWho are you?!â Susumu asked.
âYouâre finally hereâ the male said while he sat on the house steps.
âWhat?!â Susumu blurted out.
The shadow of a third person in the area lurked at the doorwayâ¦
âLooks like Zechariah was right. âHe will definitely return... to the place where it all beganââ the man quoted.
Susumu lowered his pistol and eyed surprised to his right side.
âThat âZechariahâ... is the other guy?â Lied related.
âWho knowsâ the man replied.