*
They could come from anywhere.
Wherever there was shadows there would be Eclipsed and their Nightmare companions.
Nowhere was safe.
Anywhere the four turned they faced the threat of an ambush. The whole world was their enemy and with the entire area being underground, the places for danger to emerge was nearly infinite.
Yamato was aware of this when he burst into his home, tearing the door from its hinges so that the light from the street could flood in and reduce the “Emergence Zones” in the room. Orange light flooded in, illuminating everything but the far corners of the small narrow corridor but these corners would be too small for Nightmare that emerge from the darkness to be a threat.
‘Akira may already know that we’re here.’ Said Junichi as he followed Yamato to the end of the corridor.
‘I know. It’s why I didn’t risk coming back here sooner, in case I got possessed again.’ With a hard kick he brought the wall down which turned out to be a door with stairs leading down to the basement.
‘Don’t count on it.’ Ayumi said as she followed Yamato and Junichi down a long set of wooden steps. ‘Remember, I said I was the one overseeing this area.’
‘But Akira probably had eyes on you.’ Reminded Radar, at the back of the group.
‘That doesn’t mean he can do anything about it. Father is powerless to stop our movements down here. He’s stretched to his limit and so anyone he chooses to control down here is one less person he controls up there. He won’t risk undoing all of his hard work to create a monopolised world. The only thing we have to worry about are the Nightmares.’
‘Say, if Zone One – or, Shibuya is down here then how can there be people up there?’
‘Teleportation.’ Yamato replied thoughtlessly.
‘I’ve never seen a Nightmare. What do they look like?’ Asked Radar as the four touched down on the basement floor.
‘They’re the worst things you’ll ever see.’ Was all Ayumi said as the four separated.
The basement was large and surprisingly, was lit up unlike the other buildings with pits of metal and tools scattered all over the floor. A lot of the metal had already been bit into by tools such as the blowtorch perched on a wooden table. In one corner were engines of several car parts stacked on top of each other, oozing oil from their wounds and in another corner were a series of contraptions that couldn’t be identified. Junichi picked up a freshly carved, wooden ball with mechanical legs and other workings spilling out of it – an unfinished project.
At the foot of the steps was another table which Radar went to examine. On it was a series of complex-looking objects laid out with a series of scrap metal, nuts and bolts filling the space between them. When completed and assembled Radar thought it would make something very cool. He found a draw spanning the width of the table, opened it and found something both incomplete and marvellous.
Radar picked it up with both hands. It was heavy. ‘Is this a...’ Still, he examined it as best as he could, ignoring a tugging at the back of his skull that was telling him that someone was approaching, only realizing that the tug was there when the person was on top of him.‘Hey, someone’s h–’
Then everything went black.
Ayumi, Junichi and Yamato all turned around, quickly shifting into a fighting pose, eyeing a woman with light-brown dreadlocks in a sleeveless jump suit covered in all sorts of tools from more engineering equipment to rope tied around her waist. In her hand was an aluminium baseball bat.
At the sight of the three she relaxed, dropping the bat that bounced gently across the ground, rolling into a corner. ‘Holy shit.’ She breathed, placing a hand on her chest. ‘Don’t do that father.’
‘Your daughter?’ Junichi asked, looking at Yamato.
‘Yeah.’
‘It’s about time you got here! I mean there are Nightmares everywhere! I thought they had broken in here!’
‘My fault.’ Yamato held his hands up apologetically.
‘And you let this idiot mess around with my arm?’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘It’s not a toy, moron!’ She directed at an unconscious and bleeding Radar, jabbing him in the side harder than she needed to.
Ayumi and Junichi both noticed then that Rika was missing her right arm.
‘Never mind that, Rika. We need to leave.’ Yamato said, walking up to pick Radar up as he began to wake up, placing a hand on the wound so he could heal it. ‘Pack your things.’
‘Hold on! We’re not leaving mother!’
‘We have no choice! We’re coming back but we can’t bring her with us right now. We haven’t prepared.’
‘No! NO!’ Rika shook her head, walking to the middle of the room where she spun round to face her father. ‘You can leave!’ She pointed accusingly. ‘I’m staying here! Someone has to look after her!’
‘I know it’s not my place, Rika, but your mother is Eclipsed. She’s safe around her own kind.’ Junchi pointed out.
‘Do I know you!?’ Rika exclaimed, facing Junichi.
‘Well, no. But, I’m an old friend of your father’s.’
‘That’s a no then? So shut the fuck up.’ She prodded him hard in the chest.
Junchi’s eyes widened but he held his hands up in defeat, turning around to examine more of the room’s contents.
‘There’s no need to be so aggressive, Rika!’ Argued Yamato.
‘Oh yeah!? I can when some bastard I don’t know if telling me what to do! And I can when you want to take me away from my mother!’
The two stared at each other for a great deal of time.
‘Pfft. Your helmet’s broken... I’ll fix it but then you get the hell out of here. I’m not going with you.’
Yamato took his helmet off, revealing to everyone a man with a shaved head and no eyebrows with nearly transparent skin with grey veins slightly visible underneath. Dotted all over his scalp were small red ports that began to bleed. ‘Be quick.’
‘Whatever.’ Rika took it from her before opening another door and heading into the next room.
‘It’s true, you’re turning into an Eclipsed. Still, you’re just as hideous as you were before. I thought you couldn’t take the helmet off?’ Asked Junichi when he stopped pretending to look at things.
‘I can for a few minutes. It’s nice to get some fresh air. There are two components that ward off the Nightmare trying to get out; the helmet and an external pacemaker.’
‘Ah, gotcha. Your daughter’s charming.’ Junichi commented.
‘She’s been through stuff.’ Yamato looked away.
‘What kind of stuff?’
Rika re-entered the room, heavy hiking boots clapping hard against the concrete floor. ‘When the world goes to shit then people’s true nature comes out. The fuckers will do anything when they’re desperate for sex.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Junichi bowed slightly.
Rika merely shrugged. ‘Eh. I’m over it. On the plus side, I’ve got a nice collection of things now.’
‘What kind of things?’ Radar asked.
Rika grinned.
Radar’s eyes widened, his hands flying to his crotch. ‘Sorry for asking.’
‘How does your helmet work? It looks painful.’ Junichi asked.
‘It works by altering the workings of the brain.’ She handed Yamato a different helmet then placed her hand on her hip. ‘Our body secretes a hormone from the brain and it’s this hormone that allows our bodies to do what we do as Keys. It acts like a conductor for the world’s energy to pass through our bodies and every person handles this energy differently which is why there are so many different abilities out there.’ Rika pointed at her temple.
‘The reason why some people can’t become Keys is because their life energy – their ki isn’t strong enough. It can be raised but it’s difficult. Often an event that causes the body to undergo an incredible amount of stress can be enough to cause a spike in ki. But that’s another story.’
‘Wait, so that’s why Izumi started acting as she did when Akira took over.’
‘It appears so.’ Yamato nodded, putting his helmet on.
‘Anyway, when a person becomes Eclipsed, that hormone becomes corrupted and it attacks the brain and the body – like a virus and another energy passes through the body instead of the world’s own. This is why Eclipsed can communicate with Nightmares but normal Humans can’t. I’m not sure what this energy is but it’s definitely related to Nightmares.
‘It must be the Xero Xone.’ Said Yamato.
‘Xero Xone?’ Asked Rika.
‘It’s the Nightmare’s world. It has it’s own energy. My son can control it and he’s still a Key.’
‘Why haven’t you told me about this sooner!?’ Rika exclaimed, her scientific mind at work.
‘You never talk to me about your work, Rika. How should I know if there’s stuff you want to know.’
‘Right-right...’ She began to mumble to herself. ‘Xero Xone energy mixes with the world’s energy enabling a Key to control its power. If the balance isn’t right it can destroy the body or even corrupt the mind, inducing madness.’
‘Wait! What did you just say?’ Junichi placed a hand on Rika’s shoulder.
‘What?’
‘What you just said. Something about madness. I need to know, my girlfriend died because of this and my son might too!’
Rika began to pace, forgetting that danger might come at any time. ‘So our bodies can handle the world’s energy but what happens when a second source of energy is introduced? The two mix. This is what happens to a person with the Xero Xone I’m sure. There has to be a balance. Too much will upset the body and at least harm the brain on some level seeing as the brain secretes the hormone that let’s us use this energy in the first place.’
‘Madness... And who knows what the Xero Xone is. Perhaps it’s what let’s Kioshi experience life as Izumi – who also had the Xero Xone.’
‘What happens if there’s too much of the world’s energy as opposed to Xero Xone energy?’
‘I suppose the Key would have better control over the Xero Xone. That would mean raising ki to an extent that would allow people to qualify as Reapers. Maybe even beyond that.’
‘Let me get this straight.’ Ayumi cut in. ‘The only difference between Keys and Reapers is that Reapers have more ki?’
‘Yes. That’s why you can have two people with the same sort of ability but one person’s ability is at a higher Tier. Akira has such strong Mind-Control power because he has a lot of ki.’
‘That makes sense.’ Said Ayumi, leaving the conversation.
‘OK... So what would happen if the Xero Xone entered the body of someone who isn’t a Key?’ Junichi asked.
‘What would happen?’ Rika place a hand to her mouth, pondering for sometime.
‘Forget it, Rika, we need to get out of here. We’ve wasted enough time talking.’ Yamato made to leave for the other room.
‘I GOT IT!’ Rika declared, snapping her fingers. ‘This is the answer I’ve needed all along!’
‘What is it?’ Ayumi was curious.
‘I’ve had a feeling for a while that the soul is an actual part of our bodies though it’s not a physical part.’
‘Many people have thought this. What’s your point?’ Ayumi said.
‘Well, imagine that the soul wasn’t just this thing that gave us our personality but was also a plug (for lack of a better term).’
‘I don’t understand!’ Radar pitched in.
‘Stop interrupting and you will! Where was I? Yes – so the more negative thoughts we think the more our souls – our personality is affected. Our souls then shift out of place and allow the Xero Xone energy to flow out. The Xero Xone is where the Nightmares spawn from so with enough negativity I souls comes loose, is then lost in the Xero Xone with a hole in our bodies, the energy can come free. That energy mixes with our bodies, corrupts the brain and makes us Eclipsed.’
‘I think I get it...’
‘But by your logic, Keys can’t become Eclipsed.’ Radar stated. ‘You’re saying that if you’re a Key you’ll either go mad or control the Xero Xone but only Kioshi can control the Xero Xone and Key’s aren’t going mad, they’re becoming Eclipsed.’
Rika looked downhearted. ‘There’s an answer to that – I know there is...’
‘Remember what Akira said to us, Yamato? About Demons?’
Rika was suddenly interested. ‘What did he say?’
‘He said that Keys who could use the Xero Xones had a mutation. This mutation probably stops the user from becoming an Eclipsed and instead allows them to control the Xero Xone. You yourself said that stress can cause people to become Keys. Intense negative thoughts causes stress that makes people create Nightmares. Without this mutation, both Keys and Humans alike become Nightmares.’ Junichi laughed. ‘All I wanted to know was how the damn helmet works.
Rika began to walk around the room, collecting important items. ‘This helmet is infused with a hormone made from a sample of my father’s DNA before he became an Eclipsed – or rather part-Eclipsed. This hormone regularly flows into the stream of hormone generated in his body which fights off the dark force trying to take him.’
‘There is a price however.’ Yamato admitted.
‘What is it?’ Junichi asked. When neither Yamato or Rika answered he pressed again, ‘What is it?’
‘My body is breaking down.’ Yamato explained. ‘I’m dying.’
‘W-What?’ Junichi shook his head slowly in disbelief, walking up to put his hands on Yamato’s shoulders. ‘You’re immortal, you can’t die. All those years ago One gave you his power to live forever! I remember it clearly!’
‘My ability to live for ever only prevents my heart from stopping. I could be brain dead and live forever. Disease and open wounds will affect me but I won’t die – just be in a lot of pain. That’s why invulnerability goes well with immortality. But this thing killing me is supernatural in nature and my body has no way of countering it.’
‘BULLSHIT! The power of a Key stems from supernatural roots! How can something supernatural in nature not fight something else that’s supernatural!?’
‘Because, the power to utilise the world’s energy isn’t supernatural.’ Claimed Ayumi.
‘What are you talking about!? Of course it’s supernatural! Do you think Humans are supposed to be able to do these things?’ Radar stepped forward. ‘That’s why we spilt people into two groups. No, I think you’re wrong Rika. We’re not supposed to have these abilities, we’re maybe mutations and those with no abilities are the normal people.’
‘No. The girl is right.’ Rika said firmly. Radar was taller than her but Rika radiated stronger determination and will. ‘Our abilities as a Key is a natural foundation of this world. And I’ve explained why people develop their abilities at different times in their life. Or am I wrong there too?’ She accused.
Radar said nothing, knowing that he had only been a Key for a few months.
‘I thought so! It’s because our power stems from a natural force that it can’t combat a supernatural force! That’s the reason my father is dying!’
The five of them were startled by screaming elsewhere in the house. When it disappeared silence was left in its wake.
‘W-What the heck was that!?’ Radar exclaimed.
‘The scream sounded again, a long demented noise that faded into the screech of a banshee.
‘Mother...’ Rika muttered. ‘MOTHER!’ She dashed through the open door leading to another part of the basement, freezing at a locked door that was modified to have a small window. A light bulb flickered above, revealing a woman sat at the end of the room wrapped up in a duvet bound by five thick, leather belts.
Eiko’s skin was dark grey and transparent, revealing a network of black blood vessels underneath. On top was a head of hair wet with sweat that clung to her like webs. Her teeth were red where her
screeching had caused her throat to bleed so that when she coughed blood filled her mouth. Though she was probably in pain, Junichi’s old friend was smiling.
‘Mother!’ Rika cried, placing her hands either side of the large window.
‘My darling Rika!’ She exclaimed, standing up but find yet again that there were chains connected to her belts that prevented her from get far from the wall. ‘Come to say good-bye!?’
‘NO! I’m not leaving you! Mother!’ Though in her early twenties, Rika suddenly felt like a child.
‘You should leave while you still can! YOU’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!’ She laughed manically, dropping to the grow where she sat back against the wall.
‘Oh Eiko...’ Junichi shook his head.
Then the entire basement shook.
No-one moved a muscle or made a sound, believing that by doing so would trick whatever was outside that they weren’t there.
‘There’s no use. It knows you’re here.’ Eiko taunted, baring her bloody teeth.
‘What did you do mother!’ Rika asked, heartbroken. Banging on the glass madly she screamed, ‘WHAT DID YOU DO!?’
The house above them was torn clear off the ground revealing to the stunned group the biggest Nightmare any of them had ever seen.
‘I brought my baby girl a big teddy bear. I really do love you, Rika.’
DEVASTATION