Tomoya woke me up as we approached my house, "Hey, c’mon we're here."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm up." I sat up. My cheekbone hurt where I leant on Tomoya's shoulder. We must've hit a lot of speed bumps. 

I straightened my bag and waved my friends goodbye. I hopped off the bus, and watched it race away. That crazy driver could be the end of us someday with that driving speed.

I opened the door with the key mom gave me, and walked in. The house seemed quiet except for the sound of oil on the frying pan in the kitchen. The delicious aroma filled the house, making me forget about today's events momentarily. I heard my stomach grumble loudly.

"My my, if you were from a royal family, they'd probably beat your stomach with a stick" a sweet, threatening voice from behind me giggled.

"Welcome back, Mitsur-" I welcomed, getting cut off by my sister's arm wrapping around my neck and grabbing me. "ACK- LEMME GO!"

"NEVERRR"

I bit her arm, and she let me go with a sharp yelp. "Agh, you little rascal!"

I fell the small distance I was lifted, and landed on her foot, forcing 

another groan of pain out of her. I ran to the kitchen door, and took the time to turn around and stick my tongue out. 

"Come back here!"

I ran and stopped myself by holding onto mom's apron, shielding myself with her. Mitsuri ran into the kitchen, and stopped when she saw who I was hiding behind. She gritted her teeth, and gave me a look that told me she wasn't done.

"Come on now, play nice with each other." My mother let out. "The food should be ready soon, why don't you both go take a bath?"

"Alright, ma." my sister sighed in defeat. I love being the youngest son.

I waited until Mitsuri had left for her room, and ran up the stairs. As soon as I reached the top, she slapped the back of my head. "Now we're even." She stuck out her tongue, and entered her room.

I entered mine, rubbing where she hit. My room was the same as always, with the mess of piled up clothes at the edge of my bed, and books and pens all over my desk. 

But something felt... off. It wasn't that I didn't remember what my room looked like, but it felt more like deja vu than a normal memory. Like it was something from long ago.

I put my bag down beside my desk, and got a change of clothes from my wardrobe. Hanging the clothes on my shoulder, I closed it again. That's when I noticed myself on the door's mirror.

It was me, I was sure of it. The same medium, midnight-blue hair covered my head, and my blue eyes were no different than the day before. But then why did I look like a new stranger?

I tried looking closer, but I felt a sharp pain in my right eye, and everything was blurry. I rubbed my eyes, and my vision was normal again.

What is happening today?

I shook the thought away, deciding to ponder about it later, and headed to take a bath.

The day was barely halfway done, but I felt tired and numb. As if I've been awake for days on end, and nothing felt as good as sleep. ...I still couldn't believe I'm a superhero.

During lunch, we ate as I told them about my day, obviously omitting the part about the mask and the superpowers. However, something must've shown on my face, because my sister kept looking at me the whole time.

After I had finished my plate, I excused myself and washed up, heading to bed. As I was in front of my door, I was hugged from behind. I relaxed instantly when I realised it was Mitsuri behind me.

"You know you can talk to me about what's bothering you, right?" She comforted.

I hugged back at her arms, and answered. "Yeah, I just need time to think about it myself."

I guess these are the perks of having a sister seven years older than you are. It felt good to be this comfortable, and have someone to lean on. I know not everyone is blessed with such a sister, so I try my best to treasure and take care of her.

"Well, at least you know." She rubbed my head, letting me go. "Well, good night then."

"Good night."

I landed on my bed in my pyjamas soon after, and laid on my back. It took too much energy to keep my eyes open, so I let myself drift off into sleep. 

"..ooks weak"

"..not always by physical.."

Voices rang all around me, from all directions, at the same time. I was asleep, I was sure of that. But everything around me was pitch black. I saw no one, and unless they had some kind of night vision implant, no one saw me.

"..blue hair is pretty th.."

"..n't it black?.."

"..dyed it?.."

Then why did it sound like they were talking about me?

I tried opening my eyes, but I couldn't. It felt like my body was 

there, but I couldn't move a single limb. I tried making a sound.

All I managed was a little grunt, but apparently that was enough for them to notice I'm awake. I felt them all silence at once, and look at me. Felt?

Their looks felt curious, searching, judging.. and then all of them turned at once, and one that wasn't there before glared at me instead. That's when it all clicked together.

Eyes looking at me. Feeling them so threatening..

These are the same people who looked at me through the mask. But what are they? Ghosts? Some kind of vengeful spirit?

Each breath gradually became heavy and tiring. I tried clawing at my throat, but my arms wouldn't budge. Just as the sense of drowning was taking hold, I woke up with a jolt. I took deep breathes like I've been underwater for an hour, which might've been the case with how drenched in sweat I was.

What was that? It felt like I was back at the museum with the mask inside the glass case. It was suffocating to a fatal degree. I rubbed my eyes, and tried looking around. My right eye felt blurry, probably because I rubbed it too hard. As soon as I realised everything was fine and that I was in my room, I went back to sleep.

I woke up the next day with a bad headache. I didn't recall anything about the previous night. I felt lost and and unbalanced as I got off my bed. It took me until I was out of my room to remember yesterday's events. What a way to start the day.

After I washed my face, I glanced it in the mirror. I didn't get the same feeling of unfamiliarity I got like last time. I supposed it might've just been the stress from all that happened. I was half tempted to go to my room and put it back on, just to make sure what happened yesterday wasn't a dream.

I got dressed and headed down to the living room, where my mom was making our school lunch. My sister was already in her high school uniform and eating a buttered piece of toast while scrolling on her tablet. 

"Good morning," I greeted while picking up a piece of toast to make a sandwich.

"Hey, sweetie," my mom kissed my forehead. She took a closer look at me and her smile faded in worry. "Did you sleep last night? You look pale."

"If it wasn't for your loud snoring as proof, I'd have thought you spent last night hunting ghosts," Mitsuri teased. 

"Ha ha," I sarcastically mouthed to her. To mom, I said, "Yeah, don't worry. Yesterday's trip was tiring, I'm probably just a bit tired."

She searched my face while I tried to keep eye contact. She sighed, "Alright." She didn't look convinced, but I felt too scared to tell her the truth.

I resumed making my sandwich and my mind spaced out thinking about everything that happened so far. It seemed like something straight out of a fantasy book. Just as I was about to take the first 

bite, we heard the bus engine outside.

"Oh, they've arrived," my mom exclaimed. "Go on now, and be safe "

"Will do, ma!"

Mitsuri pressed a button on her tablet and it compressed into a small phone the size of my palm. She noticed my look of envy and chortled, "You’re five years too young to even think about having something like this."

"Oh you just wait," I retorted, frustration building up in me because my shoes were a hard fit. "In ten years' time, you'll be lying to reporters saying you were a lovely sister to the inventor of the latest technolo-"

My words were cut off by her suitcase slamming my head upwards, almost making me bite my tongue. My sister laughed as she ran out of the house. "HEY!"

As I was about to turn the knob, I heard and felt the door lock. She locked me in the house and I heard her cackle outside. 

"Evil witch," I mumbled, unlocking the door with my own key. "I'm heading out now," I called out to my mom before shutting the door behind me. 

I ran to my sister's figure just as the bus stopped in front of her. We got on, and I sat in one of the middle seats beside Tomoya. He saw my pout and held back a grin. "Mitsuri-san do something again?"

"Yes," I groaned. We sat and talked about random school topics, as 

if nothing had ever happened. 

The bus slowed and came to a stop, and Kosuki walked in. I waved him hello, and he waved back. Next second he and Tomoya were glaring each other down until he sat next to Haruno. I belatedly realised I didn't greet him, and waved him a hello. He smiled back and started talking with Kosuki beside him.

I leaned back against my chair, and noticed Tomoya had a look of thought on his face. "What's up?"

"Nothing, I'm just remembering yesterday," he replied in a monotone voice. "Haruno tried getting me to talk and I threw around some random words. Even if they don't know what happened, they're onto us now."

"Why not tell him, though?" I asked. "He's your brother."

"Did you tell Mitsuri?"

"Fair point," I surrendered.

I fidgeted around for a bit with my hands, and then decided. "I had a dream last night,"

"Yeah, that's what happens when you sleep"

Honestly I almost shut my mouth at that and talked no further. I cleared my throat.

"Yesterday, when we were in the museum and you were about to touch the glass case of the mask-"

"Oh yeah, did you bring it?" He interrupted again. I looked him in the eye and pulled his hair. "OWOWOWOW STOP IT!"

I sighed and let him go, "And to answer your question," I continued. "Yes, I did. Can I continue now?"

"Go ahead," he said, patting his hair.

I told him about the suffocating feeling and the dream I had, and how I guessed they were the same spirit-like things in both situations. He listened until the end and spoke, "But that's weird, though." 

"Why?"

"I didn't feel suffocated, I think a more accurate word would be.. welcomed?"

"Huh?"

It was natural for me to question this, he had just sent my entire theory about them being vengeful spirits like those in urban legends down the drain.

"I don't know either," he continued. "But it was like it was calling for me."

I turned the wheels in my head for answers for a few minutes, but to no avail. "We'll need more evidence."

"What," he mocked. "Are we some kind detective duo now?"

"Oh, shut up," I pushed him away.

A few minutes passed and we talked about normal topics. We had arrived at our school. Students wearing maroon uniforms like ours were walking in or chatting outside.

It was weird to see everyone spend their day normally while I dealt with the supernatural. Ironically, we went on with our day without any event. So much that I forgot that anything had happened.

At least, until the last session of the day.

"By the turn of the 17th century, most of the major fighting between the samurai stopped and relative peace was maintained until the 1860s. The reunification of Japan caused influential samurai to take on more bureaucratic roles and administrative positions within government. Furthermore..."

It was another boring History class where Mr. Raichi rambled on and on like usual. If you guessed that something out of the ordinary happened, well, you're right.

Halfway through the session, I dozed off. That, for starters, is something out of the ordinary. However, something even more abnormal happened after it.

When I drifted off, the usual darkness you see when you close your eyes felt like it was hiding something. Then a light shone in the distance, and started approaching rapidly. That's when the sensation of falling hit me.

I would lie and say I stayed calm and landed gracefully, but it was far from that. I hated heights.

I yelled all the way and my body flew around. What I thought was light turned out to be a hole leading to an endless white space. I didn't know where the ground was, and closed my eyes in fear.

I belatedly realised my body was losing speed, and then came to a stop. I didn't feel a ground and it felt like I was floating in the air by a string.

I opened my eyes, and goosebumps filled my entire body. 

A face of a woman was inches away from mine. She noticed my surprise and smiled. Behind her, I could see a huge crowd of people of different age and race.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Yamato," she sang. I instinctively knew who these people were.

They were the ones who talked in my dreams. The ones who filled my with fear whenever I looked at the mask.

They were the spirits haunting the mask of Leukós.

TOMOYA ABAKIRI

I listened to Mr. Raichi explain our history while doodling a scene he described in my notebook. It was all stick figures with helmets and swords

"Psst, Yamato," I whispered. He didn't reply. "Hey, Yamato!" I hissed.

Weird, Yamato usually responds to even the slightest of sounds. I looked to my side at him and was met with a surprising view. Yamato was asleep. In the middle of class. My jaw dropped and I couldn't close it.

Was he dead? Was I dead? Were these hours just dreams of how I wanted to live?

I pinched myself real good, and found out the hard way it wasn't a dream. Then what the hell... I poked him with my pencil multiple times, but he didn't budge. I started sweating profusely and comically just stared at the teacher explaining at the front of the class.

He didn't seem to notice Yamato being most likely out cold, and explained the lesson. Honestly I didn't know why I was so worried. Yamato is usually awake most of the time, it's only normal that he'll fall asleep every once in a while.

Yeah, that was it. He probably stayed up late last night because of that dream he had. Honestly it was terrifying just to think about.

I felt kind of envious at first because he took superpowers that were supposed to be mine, but now I felt bad. He never meant to take it from me.

He just did what he saw best. If it wasn't for him, I'd probably be dead. Yes, I said the word. Just because I'm ten doesn't mean I'm that much of a child.

My thoughts were interrupted by a ball of paper thrown at me from 

my other side. It hit my head and fell to my feet. I looked and saw Kosuki giggling cheekily.

I picked up the paper and threw it at his face. It hit him square in the nose and bounced off. Someone behind us snickered at the sight, catching the attention of Mr. Raichi. 

"Kento, stop disturbing the class," he warned.

I stuck my tongue out once more to Kosuki before I looked back at Yamato. To my surprise, he had woken up. However, his eyes were wide open and he looked scared.

He looked as if he'd seen a ghost.