The door creaked open, revealing a modest living room bathed in the warm glow of the afternoon sun.
Dust motes danced in the air, and the faint scent of jasmine wafted in from the garden outside. A calm presence stepped inside, followed closely by an excited boy, bubbling with enthusiasm.
"Hey! I can't wait to see what else I can do! I've always wanted to do cool stuff!" Kiyomasa exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with joy.
A small smile appeared on the Zazm's face, though his heart felt heavy with the knowledge he carried. "Sounds awesome. It sure is great, having powers and all," he replied, trying to match the boy's enthusiasm.
As the boy rushed toward the kitchen, the Zazm's gaze drifted to the corner of the room where Kiyomasa's grandmother sat in her rocking chair, her frail figure silhouetted against the window.
The sunlight framed her, but a sinking feeling settled in the calm one's chest. He could see the truth that the boy could not.
"Grandma! I'm home!" the boy called out, his voice echoing through the small house.
Silence hung in the air, thick and suffocating. The boy paused, a frown creasing his brow. "Grandma? Are you asleep?"
Zazm remained still, his expression unreadable, but his eyes betrayed a storm of emotions. He took a step closer to the rocking chair, his heart pounding in his chest. The room felt colder, the air heavier.
"Zazm? What's wrong?" the boy asked, confusion creeping into his voice. He opened a cabinet to bring out two boxes.
Swallowing hard, Zazm felt the words catch in his throat. He wanted to say something reassuring, to ease the boy's worry, but he couldn't find the strength. He looked down at the grandmother, her chest still, her face peaceful yet hauntingly pale.
"Hey… she isn't breathing," Zazm spoke in a trembling voice. He has always seen people's threads fluctuating and he knew they die but seeing it closely for the first time....
Kiyomasa's laughter echoed through the small house, a sound that felt out of place in the growing tension. "Come on, that's not funny. You know what, Grandma loves to nap in the sun."
But Zazm didn't move, his eyes locked onto the still figure in the chair. The silence stretched, and the boy's laughter faded as he noticed the gravity of his expression.
"Zazm… you're not serious, are you?" the boy's voice dropped, fear creeping in. He looked at Zazm trying to match his gaze but Zazm didn't smiled or anything.
Nodding slowly, Zazm felt his heart ache for his friend. He wanted to reach out, to comfort him, but he felt paralyzed by the weight of the truth. "I'm so sorry…"
The boy's face paled, confusion morphing into panic. He rushed toward his grandmother, his heart racing. "Grandma! Grandma, wake up! Please!"
He shook her gently, desperation creeping into his voice. Zazm stood back, fists clenched at his sides, fighting the urge to intervene. He wanted to scream, to tell the boy to stop, to save him from this pain, but he knew he couldn't.
"Grandma! Please, don't do this! Wake up!" the boy cried, his voice breaking.
Zazm heart shattered as he watched the boy's world crumble, it was hard knowing people will die but now that he thought about it.
He saw several people who were about to die, he felt a huge amount of guilt well up inside him, he imagined all those people that died ,there families crying the same way for them.
It was a huge weight he was carrying, but today seeing it Infront if his eyes made his tremble, he wanted to cry to bash his head into something but he knew he couldnt.
The innocence and hope that had filled the boy just days ago were now replaced with the harsh reality of loss. Kiyomasa's hands trembled as he pressed against her chest, searching for a heartbeat that wasn't there.
"No, no, no! This isn't happening! Grandma, please!" the boy sobbed, his voice raw with anguish.
Zazm stepped forward, his voice low and steady, trying to anchor the boy in the storm of emotions swirling around them. "Listen to me, Kiyo."
The boy looked up, eyes wide with disbelief, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Zazm.... She.... She isn't breathing, we should call help."
Zazm shook his head, he put a hand on Kiyomasa's shoulder, he can feel his entire body trembling.
He felt the weight of the boy's anguish, the raw pain clawing at his heart. He wanted to reach out, to comfort him, but he felt like a ghost in the room, powerless to change the outcome.
"I know it hurts," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I wish I could take this pain away."
Kiyomasa fell to his knees in tears, he walked closer to the rocking chair and fell on his side still crying. Zazm looked at his eyes that seemed devoid of everything.
He stepped closer, his heart aching for the boy's pain. "I'm so sorry, Kiyo. I wish I could do something."
The boy's hands fell to his sides, his body trembling as the reality of the moment crashed over him. "No… no… this can't be real."
Zazm stood silently, his heart heavy, wishing he could shield his friend from the unbearable truth. He watched as the boy's face twisted in anguish, the innocence of youth shattered in an instant.
"Why did this happen?" the boy whispered, his voice cracking. "She was just here… just a moment ago."
He leached at Zazm's legs, "She was just here....Zazm... You saw right? She was just fine."
Zazm took a step closer, his heart aching for the boy's pain. "Sometimes… sometimes life doesn't make sense. It's not fair."
The boy's eyes filled with tears, and he turned back to his grandmother, shaking her gently once more. "Grandma! Please! I need you! I can't do this without you!" His voice rose, desperation spilling over as he clutched her hand tightly.
Zazm felt a lump in his throat, the weight of his own helplessness pressing down on him. He wanted to reach out, to comfort the boy, but he felt like a spectator in a nightmare he couldn't wake from. "Kiyo…" he started, but the words felt inadequate.
"Stop!" the boy shouted, his voice raw with emotion. "Just stop! I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear anything right now!"
Zazm. fell silent, his heart breaking for his friend. He could see the boy's world crumbling, the light in his eyes dimming with each passing second. The boy sank to the ground, tears streaming down his cheeks as he buried his face in his hands.
"Why did you leave me?" the boy sobbed, his body shaking with each breath. "I needed you! I still need you!"
Zazm knelt beside him, his own heart heavy with sorrow. "I know it hurts, Kiyo. I can't imagine what you're feeling right now, but I'm here for you. You're not alone."
The boy looked up, his eyes red and puffy, filled with a mix of anger and despair. "What good is that? You can't bring her bac--"
Kiyo suddenly stopped what he was saying and suddenly looked at Zazm, his eyes having a momentarily gaze of hope.
He quickly held Zazm by his collar which caught Zazm off guard, "Zazm, you can reverse time, can't you?"
Zazm's eyes shot open at those words, he quickly pushed Kiyomasa instinctively, "Kiyo, you don't mean...."
Zazm was extremely shocked at what Kiyomasa just said. Kiyomasa quickly got up and shouted to Zazm, his eyes red from crying and heavy, his voice carrying a weight.
"Kiyo that's not possible, it never would b--"
"WHY ISN'T? DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU WONT KNOW UNTIL YOU TRY?" Kiyomasa shouted at Zazm.
Zazm who was also feeling guilty and sad felt a sudden rage inside him, he was telling him it's not possible but Kiyo was making it feel like it was his fault and he wasn't doing anything on purpose.
"SHUT UP," Zazm pushed Kiyo back and shouted at him.
"YOU THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO'S SAD? YOU THINK I'M HAPPY STANDING HERE POWERLESS? YOU THINK I DONT WANT TO DO ANYTHING? YOU THINK I'M SOME COLD ASS BITCH THAT DOESN'T CARE IF SOMEONE LIVES OR DIES?"
Kiyomasa lowered his head in shame, he was so lost in the sorrow of his grandma's death he failed to notice anything about Zazm and crossed a line.
"See for yourself." Zazm slowly walked towards the grandma and lifted his hand. He closed his eyes and after reopening them they turned into those same black eyes with design in the center.
Kiyomasa looked at a circular black and purple thing formed Infront of Zazm's head, several threads started flowing through that disk and Kiyomasa stood there in surprise and awe.
The threads that were flowing through the disk was absolutely beautiful, the flowed through the disk and the started covering the body of Grandma.
Kiyomasa quickly stood up and looked from a distance as the wrinkles on Grandma's face started disappearing, her once loose skin and worn hair started becoming healthy again.
Before he knew it, She aged back atleast 30 years. Kiyomasa stood there in silence not knowing what to say. His grandma was definitely aging backwards but she wasn't moving.
"Look carefully, Kiyo." Zazm spoke his voice low, yet it carried a weight that Kiyo couldn't seem to understand, it was as if this voice has a purpose.
"Once the consioussness, the soul dies than there is nothing that can be done. Time can be reversed, sure but only the time of the body, it can not bring back consioussness that was once inside the body."
Kiyomasa used the side of the chair as a support not knowing what to do, once again tears started welling up in his eyes, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry...Zazm"
"I know," Zazm replied softly, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him.
Kiyomasa shoulders trembled as he fought to regain control, but the tears kept flowing. "I don't want to feel this way. I don't want to lose her!"
Zazm stood there, he didn't do anything, he didn't spoke, he didn't moved, he just let Kiyomasa cry his heart out.
---
The sodium glow of the park lamp, usually a beacon, now cast a mournful pall over the scene. Under the bench, shadows stretched like grasping hands, the darkness heavy with unspoken grief.
Zazm sat, his usual smirk absent, replaced by a subtle, almost imperceptible tightening around his lips. His black hair, usually a symbol of his effortless cool, now seemed to hang heavy, mirroring the weight in the air.
He leaned back, the posture still there, but the casualness was gone, replaced by a stillness born of sorrow. His hands, usually hidden in his pockets in a gesture of nonchalance, now gripped the fabric tightly, knuckles white.
The air, once crackling with his enigmatic energy, now thrummed with a low, almost imperceptible hum of loss. A single, withered petal from a nearby rosebush drifted down, landing silently on the pavement near his feet, a fragile symbol of the life that had just extinguished nearby.
"Is it just me or the night looks especially beautiful today?" Zazm looked up at the sky as he admired the wind around him.
A flicker of movement caught Zazm's eye. Kiyomasa, his friend, walked towards him, his steps slow and deliberate, each footfall a heavy echo in the quiet night.
Zazm's lips curved into a soft, gentle smile, a rare display of warmth in the somber atmosphere. Kiyomasa approached, his hand extending, and with a quiet thunk, a coffee can landed in Zazm's grasp.
"Nani, Kore?" Zazm asked, his voice low, a soft ripple in the stillness.
Kiyomasa settled beside him on the bench, a smile stretched across his face, but it was a fragile thing, a forced attempt at cheerfulness that couldn't quite mask the deep sadness in his eyes.
He looked at Zazm, his gaze heavy. "It's... Let's say a thanks. Thanks, For everything you did. You helped a lot today."
Zazm's brow furrowed in confusion. "Helped with what?"
Kiyomasa sighed, the sound barely audible. He turned to Zazm, the forced smile wavering. "For... for helping me around the funeral. For Grandma."
The words hung in the air, a stark reminder of the loss that had cast a pall over the night. The forced smile cracked, and for a moment, the raw grief in Kiyomasa's eyes was laid bare, a silent testament to the pain he carried.
Zazm didn't say anything he opened the can and as he took a sip, he lifted his head pointing at the moon, "Is it me or the moon looks different today." He asked still glancing at the moon his voice low.
"Zazm, is it me or you just start acting like some deep philosopher out of nowhere?" Kiyomasa asked Zazm in a soft voice though it contained a mocking edge.
Zazm's smirk widened, "Is that a compliment?"
Kiyomasa put a hand on his temples, "Ofcourse not," he spoke his voice more sharp, almost like the tip of an arrow.
"Hey now that's rude, here I'm trying to lighten the mood and you...." Zazm pointed his finger at Kiyomasa before he looked back Infront of him and took a sip of his coffee.
The atmosphere between them seemed to have settle down, the air now seemed a little less heavy as if some unspoken weight, some heavy burden was removed.
"So, I was thinking something...." Zazm started. Kiyomasa looked back towards him, "Thinking?"
Zazm nodded, "What are you going to do now?" Kiyomasa's eyes widened slightly, a single sentence, a question seemed to have bring that weight back.
Kiyomasa didn't say something for a while, he just looked down fidgeting his hands, "I don't know."
"I see," an exchange of simple sentence, a simple answer to a simple question or so it seemed that way but in reality both the question and answer contained an unimaginable weight.
The silence once again reigned down between them, none of them spoke a word they just sat there simply lost in their own worlds or perhaps trying to find the words to speak.
"You said you were going to follow me, right?" Zazm finally looked at Kiyomasa and asked him in a soft voice, his eyes reflecting something deep in them.
"Yes, I did say that but..." Kiyomasa also looked back up and was about to reply but Zazm got up before he could say anything.
"Do you have anything here?" Zazm inserted his hands deep in his pockets.
"Huh? N-No,"Kiyomasa was momentarily caught off guard by the sudden question but managed to answer it.
"Then come with me." Zazm spoke while he stood there still without a single movement, it wasn't some lie, not some way to make him feel better or anything.
"Come where?"
"We are going to find the other people with powers and afterwards we will move towards our main goal." Zazm finally finished and Kiyomasa also quickly got up beside him.
"Didn't you say it would take time or something?" Zazm didn't reply and started walking and Kiyomasa followed him from behind demanding answers.
"I've found them, there are 5 others in this entire world besides us." Kiyomasa didn't speak anything for a while as he was lost in thought.
After a while he finally spoke, "Are you sure? Only 5?"
Zazm nodded, "Yeah, only 5 and I already know where they are, we are gonna go and bring them to our side."
"I'm in... I'm coming with you," Kiyomasa quickly clenched his fists as he ran Infront of Zazm, he stopped moving for a second.
"You understand that would mean you won't get to finish highschool are you fine---"
"Yes, it's okay," Kiyomasa cut Zazm off in the middle, he knew what Zazm was about to say and answered him.
'He is serious,' Zazm knew he wasn't lying or anything he was ready for this harsh path.
'But... It was a mistake...' Zazm clenched his fists inside his pocket and his jaw tightned slightly.
He bring him hand out and tapped Kiyomasa on the back, "Alright then get ready we are leaving in 2 days..." He spoke with his signature smile.
"Wh-what? 2 days?" Kiyomasa quickly asked Zazm in confusion.
"But didn't you say you can't open a portal to other places yet?"
A frown appeared on Zazm's face, "Are you dumb? Planes exist..."
"You don't," Kiyomasa looked at Zazm who was smirking, he also slightly smiled.
"You just get ready I'll take care of everything."
Zazm started walking in to the depth of night, through the dark streets as the wind flowed through his hair and in-between them.
The atmosphere was light filled with a subtle scent of dust and rain. Zazm looked up thinking it was about to rain but he walked unaffected as if he wanted that to happen.
Kiyomasa also silently followed him behind as if lost in his thoughts. In a mere amount of 3 days his life completely flipped, so much happened and he didn't got time to sort his thoughts out. He was ready for everything, he had prepared himself for a harsh path already.
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