Yamato sat there staring blankly for a long while. His eyes were shaking and, bit by bit, he started breathing heavy. 

"Yamato?" I whispered. He didn't respond. "Yamato!"

He finally snapped back and looked at me, eyes looking in confusion, "Yeah?"

"What the hell was that?" I asked.

"What was what?"

"You never fall asleep in class, what happened?"

"I'm just tired and bored," he said. "Besides, I already finished studying all of this a month ago."

"So, did you have a nightmare?"

"Why do you ask? Is it because of my face?" He asked, jokingly. "No I just took a moment to remember where I am."

I snickered at the thought of Yamato feeling lost. "Alright, fine, but what do you think of this?" I showed him my doodle of the war we're learning about.

"Oh, that looks really good," he said.

"Thanks" I put it back down.

I was sure now. He was lying. I didn't know why, but he was hiding something. I didn't know what either.

I kept my eyes on him all class, while occasionally taking notes of important parts in the lesson. Nothing else peculiar happened, but he seemed downcast in a way. 

The bell rang, and we all started packing our things. "For your homework, read pages 32 and 33 in Historical Japan," Our teacher told us. I finished packing my bag and was ready to leave, when I noticed that Yamato hadn't packed a single thing.

He was just sitting there, staring blankly at his desk. 

"Yamato?" I called out. He didn't respond.

I put my hand on his shoulder and called out again, "Hey, Yamato!"

He blinked, and turned to me, "Yeah?"

He spoke so innocently as if he didn't feel anything was weird with what was happening. He had me doubting if anything was wrong. 

"Nevermind..."

He started packing and seemed to be deep in thought, placing the items by just muscle memory. We walked in the hallway until we got to our shoe lockers. "So, you gon' tell me what's up?" I asked as I scanned my student ID for access. He looked at me with a confused look.

Feeling frustrated, I said, "Don't play dumb, you already knew I figured something was up."

He looked at me for a moment, and sighed.

"It has to do with the mask, right?" He nodded. "Did you have another dream?"

"Yeah, but this one was..." He paused. "Different."

"How so?"

"I met them,"

"Met who?"

"The ghosts living inside the mask."

"Ghosts!?" I asked, flabbergasted. "I feel like I'm missing something here, mind running that back?"

He scratched his head with all his fingers like he had lice in them, and then answered, "Well..."

YAMATO HAMAYUMI

"W-wha.." I sputtered out. My eyes kept darting from face to face around me, trying to make sense of it all. My body just felt frozen in place.

I didn't know what to do or how to react. This must be a dream, I thought. I've just had too little sleep last night and the stress is having an effect on me now. I just need to close my eyes and I'll be back in class again. 

"No, dear. We're not figments of your imagination," the woman in front of me said. I just sat there in shock. "Yes, I read your thoughts."

"B-bu-"

"This pal sure got lots'a questions, dun' he?" A man behind her spoke. He spoke in English but somehow I could understand his words just fine. 

"Is this really the one we have to rely on now?" Another lady in a blue gown spoke. She looked like she came straight out of a fantasy novel.

The chatter grew louder and they spoke different languages, but I knew what each word meant. It felt overwhelming to be able to understand and hear every word. My mind felt like a computer running multiple programs at once.

I covered my ears and curled up into a ball, hoping I could block out the noise. I felt my mind go blank and tears run down my cheeks. I felt the eyes of the first woman on me, and then she yelled out, "Alright, that's enough, you're hurting the kid!"

The voices died out almost immediately, with only a few ushers here and there until it went quiet. I started floating down to ground slowly, and softly landed, still curled up. 

I slowly opened my eyes when the tears stopped forming. The woman in front me of kneeled down in front of me, and took my face in her hands. "You poor little thing," she said while wiping my 

tears with her thumbs. "So young and burdened already."

Now that I took a closer look at her, her attire was odd. She wore what seemed to be a short red dress, with a longitudinal half of a black hoodie sewn into it on her right side. She had a belt with a long, dark brown garment that covered her legs down to her knees. She wore long boots with heels that covered the rest of her leg.

She wore black arm sleeves to go with the black theme. The only thing that didn't fit the mix was her short, blonde hair that stuck out from under her hood. She looked no older than twenty.

"Rude, my outfit isn't that odd," she pouted. "But I'll let it slide for the 20 years part."

Everything was beyond common sense, I would've never believed if I didn't experience it myself.

"Judging by your previous breakdown, injecting my memories into your mind would do more harm than good," she continued, "So, we'll do this the old fashioned way,-" She extended her hand. "-I'm Reyna. Reyna Johnson. What's your name, cutie?"

I was about to open my mouth but the next thing I knew I was carried over her shoulder. "Leukós, what on earth are you doing!?" she yelled out. 

I no longer felt everyone's eyes on me. Instead, I felt a single pair of eyes that felt much more dangerous. I tried fidgeting to be put down, and felt bile rise up my throat. 

Thankfully, Reyna put me down, making it my cue to gag and throw 

up. I don't recall ever getting motion sickness easily. I gagged but nothing ever came out. 

My head was spinning and I couldn't see straight. I had a cut on my arm. I tried looking back, and the moment my eyes landed on him, I felt my body being squeezed and I couldn't breathe. 

"Move." the man spoke in a weird language. He wore ancient Greek clothes, brandishing a spear that seemed to glow a radiant white. He seemed to be covered.. 

"In pure white.. " I involuntarily whispered. But it couldn't be..? 

"I won't repeat myself, Reyna," his voice rang out infinitely. "Get out of my way or suffer the same fate."

"Hell nah, man." 

"Fine, then." he decided. He stretched out his empty hand towards us, and nothing seemed to happen for a second. Then-

"Begone from my sight." 

With a swift flick of his wrist, Reyna was thrown aside with such terrifying speed. His eyes locked with mine, and he disappeared from sight, only to appear right in front of me. His azure eyes were filled with a familiar bloodlust.

Only difference this time was the weapon. If it wasn't for the fear freezing me in place, I would've laughed at the nonsensical feeling of deja vu from his glare.

The spear rose into the air, glowing brighter as if it were a sun. I couldn't move or struggle. Just a dreadful feeling of powerlessness. 

Then, for a second, I could've sworn I heard a whisper. "You can't stay longer, time to wake up," it said.

Before I could open my mouth, multiple things happened at once. His spear struck towards me, but it was pushed aside, leaving a cut on my arm. Reyna stood in its place, her back facing me. She looked back at me, and waved with a smile.

I woke up. I didn't know if it was a dream or reality, but the fear I still felt even though I was awake was definitely real.

Mr. Raichi was still explaining in class. Everything was fine. Everything except for me. There was no injury, but my arm itched like crazy where the injury was before I awoke.

I had a feeling my life would either go all the way up or all the way down from here.

*****

"But that's crazy!" Tomoya exclaimed.

"I know," I said. "I wouldn't believe me either, but it's the truth."

"But are you sure it was Leukós?" He asked. "The very same one from that book you always read?"

"Yes, and not just that. I'm pretty sure it was the same name on the label under the mask."

"Geez, I don't know what to say.."

"Me neither, I just wonder what that whisper was. I'd say Reyna given the circumstances but it was a male voice."

"Maybe," he said gloomily. "She's a trap?"

"Ew" I said with a straight face.

"Well, just think about it later then, you have enough time"

"Yeah, that's true" I sighed. However, my mind couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened.  

We arrived at the building door and were ready to head out, when we saw Kosuki walk towards us. 

"What were you guys talking about for so long?" He questioned. "We've been waiting for ages."

"Yeah yeah shut it," Tomoya rolled his eyes.

"Let's go"

We walked together, Kosuki a bit ahead where we couldn't see his face. Which brought a question to me. 

"How did you know we were specifically talking, Kosuki?" I asked.

"What?" He shouted. "I just said whatever came to mind, it's normal."

"Yeah, normal," I agreed. "For everyone but you. The normal thing you do is make a joke about it."

"What're you saying now, did the sleep in class get to your head?" Tomoya asked.

"I'm saying Kosuki heard the whole conversation we had."

"No I didn't." He said too quickly. "Why would I listen to you talk about some stupid dream?"

"How did you know we were talking about a dream?"

"I- I," he stammered. Bingo.

"You little-" Tomoya fumed. "Why are you so annoying, hah?"

"Don't try flipping this on me," he argued back. "You're the ones who have been acting off since we came back from the museum!"

"That still gives you no reason to listen in on our conversations!"

"Yes it does!" A voice said from behind a nearby locker. Realising its mistake, it went, "oops."

"Haruno, you too?" I asked, surprised.

"Can you blame me?" He walked from behind the locker. "Tomoya’s my brother, I can't let him wander off and get caught in something dangerous"

"I can't believe you guys," Tomoya raised his voice.

"Neither can we you, brother. I can't make sense of anything you guys said" 

Tomoya looked at me for permission, I shrugged. They were going to find out one way or another anyway, we're bad at keeping our secrets.

"Let's talk on the way back," I said. They agreed, and we headed for building's doors. As I was about to leave, I felt a sharp pain in my head that made me gasp loudly.

"Yamato? Yamato!" I heard Tomoya yell as I fell to the ground. I didn't know if it was my body shaking or my vision, maybe both. I felt a burning ache in the middle bone of my ribcage. My breathing ragged as I felt my friends gather around me, trying to pull me up.

"..fine. ..'m fine," I said weakly. "..home." I leaned on Tomoya and tried my best to walk. I could tell they wanted to call a nurse or something, but I just wanted to leave and go home. 

I don't remember much after that except for getting on the bus, and feeling like my body is burning up. I probably passed out. Though, I could've sworn I heard Reyna's voice again, shouting something incomprehensible.

REYNA JOHNSON

I sat on the ground, out of breath. That damn Greek dude, first ruining our lives, and now throwing a tantrum. Just for preventing him from killing a kid. A total nutcase.

"You 'kay there?" I looked behind to see a fellow Apostle at the edge of the crater I lay breathless in.

"Meh, been better," I groaned. 

He jumped down, his cowboy hat separating from his head for just a second. His poncho rose against the wind resistance and almost slapped his face. I'd have laughed if laughing didn't hurt.

He landed beside me, pulled me up, and jumped back up the crater. He let out a deep breath as we rose up, "Dunno what lad's thinkin', doin' this much damage to a soul mind," he said.

I look back at the crater now that I was out of it. "I just hope the kid's okay. That must've been a great shock," I wished.

"Nun' ta worry 'bout," he said. "While big baby was throwin' the tantrum of the century, the Apostle Selection done got completed."

"Wish I could see his face right now," I snickered. "He'd be so pissed."

I giggled as I sat down, then I realised what he meant in the first place, "Wait, so that guy's-"

"Yep," he smiled. "Yer charmin' baby died and arrived here"

My face darkened. It was stupid, I knew that. After all, no two Apostles can live at the same time. Now since that Yamato became the new Apostle, it was only a matter of time.

"Where is he?" I asked

"Over there," he pointed to the other side of the crater. It was so huge the people on the other side seemed like ants. That's when I noticed the restorative and telekinetic arts at work. 

My insides squirmed as the truth sank in. He really died. He died and now he had to suffer here with us, all because I told him to take care of some stupid mask.

As the crater slowly filled up, I walked to him, the distance seeming longer than it already was. When I arrived, he was laughing with the other Apostles. He should've never had to be here.

"Arnold," I said. He turned to me, his face calm. He looked so young, barely twenty one. His short brown hair waved slightly in the breeze, and his hazel eyes spoke lengths. "I'm so-"

"I missed you, mom"

His words caught me off guard, as I fell to my knees in tears. He knelt down and embraced me. My son, who's soul was just as old as mine, hugged me as tight as a little child would hug his old mother.

No words were spoken, but the thoughts and feelings were conveyed. I couldn't undo what I've done. I could only hope that the new Apostle would be the last one in this horrible cycle

YAMATO HAMAYUMI

I woke up on the bus, just as we took the turn into my street. The moment I opened my eyes I was met with a slap on the back of my 

head.

"DON'T WORRY US LIKE THAT AGAIN, DAMMIT," Tomoya cried with tears in his eyes. Haruno put his hand on his brother's shoulder, and looked at me questioningly. 

"I don't know either," I rubbed the back of my head. "But I'm really sorry for worrying you."

As I finished talking, the bus came to a halt. We were in front of my house, and I had to get off. 

"We'll talk about this tomorrow, just take care for now," Haruno smiled.

"Okay," I said sheepishly. I waved the others goodbye and walked into the house. I was surprised to see dad already here.

"Hey, buddy," he welcomed me with open arms. "Beat you today, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did"

"Well, go get changed and join us at the table, son"

I nodded and ran to my room. I quickly changed and sat at the table, where my dad had the TV news on. 

"...a car accident took place today near the National Museum. The only casualty was 67-year-old Arnold Smith, who worked as a guide at the National Museum..."

As a picture of the victim appeared on the screen, I felt my insides squirm.

It was the old man who was with us the day before.

I could only sit in silence as I lost my appetite, and felt disconnected from the reality around me. Death was very real, and it happens every day, and this was my reminder. A bit cruel of this world to remind a ten year old of that, but that's how it was.

We prayed together for him to rest peacefully, but part of me felt an irrational guilt eating at my heart.