Hikaru wasn't sure why everything around him was enveloped in darkness, or how long it had been.
It was a thick, oppressive void that seemed to swallow all light and sound.
Despite his frantic thoughts, his legs remained stubbornly still, as if entrapped by some invisible force that rendered him motionless.
It felt as though he had become a mere observer, detached from his own body, and floating in a surreal state of disconnection.
In the distance, a steady hum reverberated through the air, its source elusive and just beyond his grasp, teasing him with its distant resonance.
Suddenly, a disorienting sensation swept over him, as if he were weightless, gently adrift in the unsettling abyss.
Alarm surged within him, tightening its grip around his chest, as the realization of his helplessness began to sink in.
In the distance, he glimpsed delicate orbs of light flickering and dancing through the enveloping darkness, creating a mesmerizing display that constellated the shadowy surroundings.
The soft glow illuminated the air with a gentle luminescence, casting intricate patterns as they floated and swirled, like fireflies lost in a midnight waltz.
He just wished that he could reach out and touch those orbs.
The steady hum overhead shifted into a series of persistent beeps, each sound slicing through the quiet like a razor against his eardrums.
A wave of confusion washed over him, mingling with the rising tide of memories that assaulted his senses, fragments of the crash seeping back into his consciousness.
The image of Kasai's bloody wounds flashed vividly in his mind, a stark reminder of their desperate situation, and a sense of panic tightened around his chest like a vise.
It was then that the darkness clouding his vision shattered like glass, unleashing a rush of frantic clarity.
With a sudden jolt, his body surged upward, gasping for breath as hyperventilation took hold.
He was enveloped by a sharp, sterile aroma that was characteristic of a hospital.
His vision was still obscured, and he had to fight against the blinding glare of harsh overhead lights.
In that disoriented haze, the sound of rapid footsteps sliced through the stillness, the clicking of stilettos echoing sharply against a smooth floor.
The air buzzed with urgency, each swift click amplifying the tension as two figures rushed in, their silhouettes barely discernible through the haze of his blurred vision.
"It seems he's awake,"
A feminine voice spoke, sending Hikaru into a deep spiral of confusion.
"Who's there?" Hikaru exclaimed with a sense of urgency, his voice tinged with anxiety as he strained to rub the haze from his blurry eyes.
No matter how fiercely he attempted to lift his arms, it felt as if heavy chains were anchoring them in place, rendering them immobile.
The weight of an unseen force pressed down on him, amplifying his frustration and fear further.
As he fought to regain control over his limbs, he suddenly felt a soft, unexpected touch against his arm.
Startled, he sensed the oppressive weight lift instantly, and with a surge of adrenaline, his arm shot upwards.
In that electrifying moment, his fist collided with something solid, the impact reverberating through his bones like a thunderclap.
He heard a sound of pain that seemed to have come from a man fill the air, and he immediately rubbed at his eyes, the blurriness finally clearing.
"Ouch! You didn't tell me that this guy was a puncher, Elena! Couldn't you have informed me beforehand? That really hurt…"
Hikaru's gaze quickly fell upon a boy who seemed to be around his age, visibly wincing as he rubbed at his jaw in pain.
The boy's striking flame-colored hair glinted in the harsh overhead lights, while his vivid electric purple eyes shone with surprise.
He wore a long, white coat that billowed slightly around him, giving him an air of slight professionalism.
Suspended in the air before him was a luminous hologram, flickering with colors and shapes, and in his other hand, he deftly manipulated a sleek stylus, poised to interact with the graphic display.
"Yeah, yeah. You probably deserved it! Why would you even strap him down like that? You should've known that he'd retaliate once he woke up,"
A melodic voice danced through the air as a short girl playfully skipped into view, her laughter ringing like chimes in the gentle breeze.
To Hikaru's astonishment, she bore an uncanny resemblance to the man beside whom she appeared, their features intertwined in a blend of familiarity that sparked curiosity in his mind.
"I'll ask again. Who the hell are you, and where am I!?" Hikaru grimaced, rubbing his sore wrists where the restraints had chafed his skin.
A dull ache pulsed in his temples, intensifying his already foul mood.
If he had truly been caught by SOEP, he knew that he would have fought tooth and nail for his freedom, despite his usual tendency to dodge confrontation.
The thought of their cold, merciless methods listed in the earlier announcement sent a shiver down his spine, igniting a flicker of defiance deep within him.
"You're at one of our facilities. Before you get too angry, don't worry! We aren't with The Society of Elemental Prosecution or anything," The ginger man chuckled softly, his demeanor light and carefree, as he brushed aside the woman's biting remarks with a wave of his hand.
"Ignoring me as usual, I see," The woman shot back, exasperation seeping into her voice as she rolled her eyes.
Her expression was a blend of irritation and playful disbelief, and it was clear she was on the verge of smacking the man who bore a striking resemblance to her in so many ways.
The atmosphere was charged with a mix of camaraderie and frustration, a familiar dance between the two.
"Well! that's definitely a relief. But, either way… I have two questions,"
Hikaru replied to the man, his gaze narrowing with suspicion as he examined the two people before him.
"Firstly, are you two related? You share an uncanny resemblance that makes it hard for me to believe you're not siblings. Secondly, have you by any chance come across a very irritable man with jet black hair and brown eyes?"
The two gingers focused their attention on him curiously, before looking at each other and breaking out into simultaneous laughter.
"We're twins!"
They exclaimed in unison, and Hikaru realized that his observation was correct.
"My name is Alexei, and my sister's name is Alena. As for your second question, it's a bit of a complicated answer. We did find a black haired guy with you at the scene of the crash, but he didn't have brown eyes like you just mentioned. He was also apparently wearing makeup on his face,"
As Hikaru processed the foxy-haired man's response, a wave of confusion washed over him.
His brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the moment. "Was his name by any chance Kasai?" He ventured, his voice laced with curiosity.
The ginger-haired woman, her vibrant locks shimmering in the ambient light, nodded slightly.
A flick of her wrist summoned another hologram, its luminescent pink interface casting a soft glow across her features as she studied the options before her.
"Kasai Shiromaru, that's his name. We can't really find anything on him aside from the fact that both of his parents died in a tragic accent when he was younger, but he did have something a bit strange about his eyes,"
She replied, and she frowned slightly.
"While I'd love to explain it to you, it's probably better if you see for yourself,"
She finished her sentence with a slight gesture of her finger, "Alexei! Bring in a wheelchair for us, would ya?"
Hikaru felt his blood run cold, a chilling wave of disbelief washing over him as the weight of the revelation settled in.
Kasai had been an orphan…?
The harsh reality of those words echoed in his mind, reshaping his understanding of the young man from earlier.
Those moments when he had scoffed at Kasai's cynical outlook on life suddenly seemed naïve, as if he had been viewing the world through a lens untouched by the possibility of Kasai experiencing hardship.
Now, an unsettling clarity emerged, making Kasai's bitterness feel like a shield forged from years of solitude and struggle.
"Poor guy…" Hikaru murmured softly, actually feeling bad for him.
He had a feeling that Kasai would likely threaten to burn his flesh off if he ever admitted that he said that about him, though.
A faint smile flickered at Hikaru's lips, the fleeting thought bringing a glimmer of warmth to his otherwise weary expression.
As Alexei carefully removed the IV from his arm, Hikaru winced, a sharp sting radiating from the site where the cannula had been.
The cotton ball and bandage pressed uncomfortably against the sensitive skin around the tiny puncture, a reminder of the ordeal he had just endured.
He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt over the chaos that ensued from the earlier vehicle crash.
"You know, you're one lucky dude!"
Alexei said brightly, helping Hikaru into a wheelchair, before he rolled it out through the doors that Alena held open for him.
"That black haired guy actually ended up shielding you from most of the damage at some point. You managed to get out of it with only a few cuts and bruises. Him on the other hand… There's a scar on the side of his forehead that I doubt will ever fully go away."
Hikaru's frosty blue eyes widened in horror as the devastating words pierced through the air, sending a chill down his spine.
He gripped the cool metal arms of the wheelchair, his knuckles turning white with the effort.
As the man began to roll him, he quickly squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the overwhelming sensation of vertigo that accompanied the quick motion of the wheelchair.
Each jolt felt like a wave crashing over him, threatening to make him hurl as he fought to maintain his composure.
"Will he be okay?" Hikaru questioned softly, peeking out at the empty blue halls surrounding them.
It looked like the place was made of some sort of reinforced bulletproof material.
"So that part, I'm not sure. He seems pretty tough, but I think Alena will probably have to do another healing round on him,"
A healer?
Hikaru's brows shot up in surprise.
He knew about Elementalists, but this was the first time he was hearing about someone with an actual healing ability, outside of spell-books.
After arriving at their apparent destination, Alexei decisively pressed his palm against a sleek, metallic surface that resembled a high-tech scanner.
A gentle, electronic chime rang through the air, echoing softly as the heavy doors glided open with a smooth hiss.
Hikaru leaned forward in curiosity as his wheelchair was maneuvered into a brightly lit room beyond.
As he angled his head slightly, he caught sight of the ginger-haired man that was rolling his wheelchair, who, with a fluid motion, extended his hand in an inviting gesture.
Sat in the corner of the room was Kasai, but there was something noticeably different about him.
His once-familiar silhouette appeared altered, with shadows playing across his features, giving him an air of mystery.
The gentle flicker of a small flame he held in his palm revealed subtle changes — perhaps a new intensity in his gaze or an unfamiliar expression upon his face that hinted at untold stories?
As Hikaru's wheelchair rolled to a halt near the raven-haired man, he caught a closer glimpse and felt a shiver skitter down his spine at the sight of the bandages tucked below his bangs and around his head.
That was when, he realized…