Chapter 14 - Bitter Truth
The year 2020
Black Storm Day
The Chemical Plant stood gloriously at the center of Tokyo, made of cleans irons and pipes, the tip evaporated black smokes into the bright blue skies and then mixed with orange and them it came up in an explosion into the skies, of flames and smoke it ascended in an intense storm enormously, it then dropped down in a great wave, leveling half of Tokyo.
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'The very extinction of humanity cause by a single explosion...'
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Half of Tokyo in great destruction, black smoke poof up into the skies.
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'Alongside a virus...'
*Wailing Sirens*
Higa Shino slowly opened his eyes, revealing his light hazel eyes, his dim white hair consist of dirt against the ash ground, his face against the ground in a pile of sand. He tried to move his body but he was unable to, agonizing pain shock throughout his body in shocking ways. Destruction and flames around him, the air embodied with black dot dews.
"Mi...Mi...Michi" he drawled. He raised his head slowly, his body shocking in tremendous pain, he felt heavy and weak. Suddenly his eyes bleed, along with his ears, nose, and mouth. He held his throat like he was choking, black veins creep up on all parts of his body. Groaning he tried to crawl but his body didn't let him, he coughed painfully, blood gushing out his mouth, his vision started fading away.
"Michi," Shino said weakly as tears filled his eyes. Something like a cocoon formed around his body, it was red with blue veins around.
His eyes grow heavy, his body giving out slowly. Something amid the flames was present, dominant, something he couldn't make sense of, but he knew without a doubt it was on all fours, the cocoon shut him in
Everything went blank.
***
The year 2023
Tokyo Underground Base
'Two years have passed since that day...'
Shino and the rest of the kids watch the footage shown to them on the screen, with trembling eyes.
'Our loved ones are gone...'
"This footage was recorded right before all communication went down. At least now you see it for yourself" Prime Minister Kiyoshi said with a stern look, observing their dark horror expressions.
'100 kids said to be survivors of a deadly virus...'
The footage showed the explosion from a bird's view, half of Tokyo was destroyed and then the rest of the civilians being evacuated by the military forces, it showed repeatedly. No further information or view.
"There isn't much footage to display, we lost all visual with the outside world, as of this moment the surface is considered lost to us"
Solemn silence was everywhere, bewildered facial expressions on all their faces as they watch the footage with widening eyes.
***
Hiro kept crying, his body trembling, his fist clenched tightly, hearing everything from Yuki was a knife to his heart.
"You can't cry forever Hiro, and we can't change what happened, stop being a crybaby!"
Hiro sobs, slowly going up on his knees, using the black of his hand to wipe his tears away.
"Don't you feel anything?!"
"Your voice" he adds facing her.
"No pain or anger, didn't you have anyone?!"
"I lost my parents just like you". Her words were short and simple
Hiro shakes his head negatively.
"I don't believe any of it, I don't believe my parents are gone, they were right there, it just seems like yesterday"
"You can't tell me they are gone, and it's been 2 years! I don't get any of it, things just don't disappear like that" he hissed, clenching his teeth tightly, his body trembling more.
"It does! One minute you have the world and then", Yuki squat beside him.
"It disappears!"
"STOP IT!"
*Shoes on Iron*
The rest of the kids came forth, they passed them, all lost in their head with dark expressions, they followed the path back to their room, in solemn silence.
Shino paused for a moment, seeing Hiro on the ground, Yuki beside him. His eyes averted away, walking past them silently.
"Hiro" Ten said halting in front of them.
"It's Ten! Judging by your expression you know".
"I don't believe it!"
"Up to an extent I don't too, but theoretically... If a virus did spread as they said, then the world may have ended".
"Are you saying your family is gone too?" Hiro hissed.
"I don't wanna believe it. That my mum, my little sister... Kaiyo, gone too, I don't want to" Ten said shaking his head negatively, the picture of their faces appearing in his head.
"We were told it's been 2 years," Kaname said approaching them.
"They kept us in a cryonics state, more like froze us for 2 years and it seems like only yesterday the freaking explosion happened!"
'They froze us?' Hiro thought with trembling eyes.
"I know for a fact the explosion did happen but this is so messed up. Us being infected by a virus?! Having our cellular structure altered?! I just don't get any of this!"
Hiro faced downwards. 'We were infected by a virus?! Our cellular structure altered?' He thought confused.
"All this is bullshit!" Kaname cursed walking away.
Ten sighs, his eyes averting to Yuki, whose eyes were fixed on Hiro.
"And you are?!" Ten asked politely. She faced him, blinking.
"Nagami Yuki"
"I'm Ten. Saito Ten" he said walking close.
"Here I will help you back to the room," Ten said, his hand reaching for Hiro.
"Just leave me alone!"
Ten stiffen, his expression changed.
"Seriously... You are not the only one feeling loss here, so stop being annoying!" Ten hissed.
"WELL I'M BLIND!"
"I'm blind", his voice broke. He broke into tears once more.
"I can't see anything, and you don't know how that feels like!"
"Just go away, both of you, just leave me alone!" he adds miserably.
"You're so repulsive," Ten said darkly.
"Being blind doesn't mean you should push everyone away", he storms off.
Yuki rises to her feet as she walked away too.
Hiro's fist tightens, the tears dripping onto the metal floor, he cried feebly in pain and anger. His fist clenched on his lap, feasting against his pants white material in a tight hold, everything was dark and void to him, and he hated it, he wished he wasn't cursed with this fate, he wished he could see, his sight was taken away from him like it was nothing, what did he do to deserve such a cruel fate. Ha... Maybe it was because he was always rude and stubborn to his parents, not seeing eye to eye with them, not understanding why his dad wasn't always home, for worrying about his feelings only, maybe this was it, this was his penalty for being such a pain in his ass to his parents. 'Maybe this is my punishment'. Hiro thought trying to get up but he felt light-headed, he held his head unsteady. 'My body feels funny'. He thought weakly, he leaned his shoulder on the wall taking harsh breaths, he must have pushed his body too hard with his constant moving around and falling. Right now he was alone in the corridor with no one to help, maybe he did push everyone away.
***
'Don't leave him!'
Yuki halts hearing a voice in her head, she stood silent for a second, her eyes averting around the corridor but no one, maybe the voice did come from her head, she took a step forward.
'Don't leave him please!'
Her brain sparks, Yuki gave out a short cry as she held her head in pain.
"Stop it!" she said hissed faintly. 'Why?' She thought with trembling eyes, something stream down her nose, she wiped it off with her finger and saw blood. Her looks darken, she turned towards the path leading to Hiro.
"Wh...Who...who's there?!" Hiro asked hearing approaching footsteps, his face averted back and forth.
"Who's there?"
"It's Yuki!"
Hiro stiffens hearing her cold voice, having no vibe of life or humor in it.
"Why are you still here? I said leave me alone!" As much as he hated saying that right now, he just did, he did need help to get back to the room hall but he didn't want to show it, he hated being helpless with every fiber of bone.
"Just go". Hiro moved unsteady, his body giving out. 'Dammit'. He thought cursing in his head, knowing soon he will hit the metal floor but fell on Yuki's arms instead.
"Don't you listen?" Hiro said weakly.
Yuki silently grab his arm, placing it against her shoulder, Hiro knew he weight more than Yuki because of him being a guy, but Yuki wasn't bothered by it, she steadied him steadfastly. Yuki turned with Hiro walking back to the path that leads to the room hall, he was about to protest more but he felt it was futile.. His body wasn't even responding well to him, waking up and his constant crying took a toll on his body.