It was fall season, The season where the leaves start to fall down and give the ground a beautiful orange colored curpet mixed with the rustle sound from the leaves crashing under my steps.

But just like always, i was ignoring that beautiful scenery because i was more mesmerised by the brand new game that i got into recently. Once the school is over, i head home playing it non-stop since i was close to reaching a new record in that game.

These habits of mine made me a little introverted but i was completely fine with it.

That day when i was heading home alone was a special day and not just because it was the day that i turned into eighteen, it was because my life turned upside down.

 A birthday that i hated the most.

While i was playing my game going back to home in that specific day, someone shouted my name from a far and made me distracted.

Tch.. i came all the way to this level but that little...

“hey! Genji Taio!”

That voice was from a tall guy with a short light brown colored hair that was running rushingly towards me.

in other words the person that i just called 'little' was my best friend, Minami Yuji.

“why did you leave without us?”

I sighed because I already got caught so it was best for me to just change the subject.

“calm down Yuji, you're out of breathe.”

But it looked like he didn't forget the main subject though.

“It's your birthday today, do you know how upset Sakura's gonna get once she hears you left without her?!”

I knew i couldn't change the subject anymore and tried to make an excuse with a cracked voice.

“i, i just forgot.”

And unfortunately Yuji knew me more than myself so he also knew damn well that i was making excuses.

In the middle of the passing conversation between me and Yuji, a soft voice calling my name, followed by the sound of familiar footsteps that was getting closer, was heard.

“Taio, Yuji! finally found you.”

It was from an orange haired girl with a dark blue school uniform from the all-girls-highschool near ours.

In other words, she my other best friend, Shimizu Sakura.

“Oh, she's here.” said Yuji.

Sakura was furious but it looked like she tried to hold back her anger towards me.

“But the real question is, why Taio left without us?”

Yuji placed his hand around my shoulders and countinued with a bitter tone.

“Simple, he wanted to spend his time with me!”

“I know you're lying, you jealous!”

“Did i get on your nerve?” Yuji smirked as if he was enjoying teasing Sakura.

“Shut up!”

Suddenly both of them heard a loud laughter.

 That laugh blonged to me and since i had never laughed like this, at least not in front of these two my laughter made them make fun of me or at least that was what i was thinking in that moment.

The thing is,  they were just simply happy to see me make more than the same blank expression that i had on my face all the time.

“He can laugh too?” said Yuji while trying to control his smile.

“He usually just smiles.” Sakura coveried her mouth with her hand to hide her blush.

I was looking at them and thought to myself...

They have no idea how important they are to me.

***

After talking for awhile Yuji was leaving because that was the plan from the start, to leave Sakura and me together since Sakura seemed to have secret plans for my birthday.

“Okay, i have plans for now so i need to go before it's late.” Yuji made excuses to leave us alone so that Sakura could make a surprise party with just the two of us.

They don't know i already know about it all though...

“see you later. Don't forget to come over tonight.” i replied to Yuji when he was leaving.

sometimes i go back to this one specific moment and ask myself that if this was really the last happy moment that the three of us shared...

Once Yuji left, me and Sakura changed our direction towards another location and the one leading the way was Sakura herself.

“Taio, don't you think you're missing out on something?”

I got confused by what Sakura meant then she countinued;

“i just saw your necklace hanging on the ground of the hallway in school so i thought you might've dropped it.”

 I got panicked and started to search for it all over my clothes and i already felt like something was missing because i didn't feel the chain of my necklace hanging around my neck for some time.

I didn't notice! where is it?

What if i lost it for real?!

Sakura suddenly brought something out from her bag.

“don't worry, i brought it with me.”

My eyes went blank which made me impulsively grabbing the necklace and make Sakura startle for a second then i realised my atittude towards her wasn't nice right after.

“Um, i'm sorry i might have scared you.”

I apologized with a sorry expression but Sakura appeared to be totally fine with it.

“It's okay, i know this was a memento from your parents so your reaction was understandable.”

Sakura had a kind and smiley expression while saying this.

But i couldn't stop thinking of my rudeness so i tried to explain and apologise better.

“but still i was pretty rude right now.”

Sakura used this opportunity in her favor.

“then if you're that sorry how about you invite me to a drink there?”

She then pointed at the cafe that was on the other side of the street.

I knew i was caught in some trouble.

I have a bad feeling about this, why do i feel like she planned all this beforehand?

***

The sunset was lighting up inside the cafe and was giving unwanted romantic vibes, both me and Sakura choose to sit beside the big window while facing each other.

Sakura for some reason looked excited, i in other hand had too many questions in my mind, then opened my mouth and broke the silence.

“isn't this cafe way too silent though?”

Sakura was so lost in her thoughts to even notice the fact that the cafe that she used to come often was always crowded unlike that day. she answered me in a carefree tone.

“well, who cares, as long as we celebrate your-” she suddenly cut her own words and stopped right there.

'Oops! I almost spoiled it, that was close!'

She was trying to surprise me in my birthday because i wasn't the type of person that gets excited about my birthday and rather, it was actually vice versa, i hate my birthdays and the reason was always unknown for Sakura and Yuji, aka my only friends.

and worst of all, it looked like sakura might have planned a surprise cake since she looked extra exciting.

I wanted to pretend that i wasn't aware of her feelings...up until now she's been showing it and now it's written all over her face...

But the thing is...she's not interested in me in that way and it's all a misunderstanding from her part.

she's only interested in me because she only interacted with me and Yuji since kindergarten!!!

It could have been Yuji if he didn't tease her left and right!!!

When i was in my deep thoughts, the waiter finally came, he put two cups of coffees but there was no cake in sigh.

They both thanked the waiter and Sakura thought to herself.

'Next, they should bring the cake!'

The waiter came again right after and brought a white box instead.

Yes, it wasn't the cake again.

The waiter put it on the table and whispered something.

“someone gave this to me and requested to give it to you, Mr Genji.”

Sakura was surprised.

'what?! where's the cake?'

That was all she was thinking in the moment but she realised this might have been one of Yuji's tricks to mess with her plans.

I couldn't get my eyes off of the white box because for some reason, an strange energy was pulling me towards the box as if it was hypnotizing me.

What is this box?! because for some reason...

then i pulled out the necklace and looked at it.

It's calling out for my necklace...!

It looked like my body had his own brain because i pulled the round-shapped necklace's plaque that had a black hole on it towards the box and touched the top of it subconsciously.

Suddenly the weather outside the window started to change.

That beautiful sunset was gone, and it got all dark and rainy.

“What? What's with the weather? I don't remember the news say anything about this.” sakura was worried for her ruined plans.

I was also looking outside but something more surprising than the sudden change of the weather distracted me at that moment.

where is it?!

Yes, the plaque of the necklace was also gone.

I was staring at my hand, with a shocked expression while holding an empty chain.

“Huh? The box is also gone?!”

I stood up trying to look around to make sure if i dropped them accidently.

Sakura also noticed that something was off.

“hey, what's the problem?”

Suddenly the city lights turned off.

“The lights...are gone?”

I stood up from my seat, left the cafe in a rush and forgot to even bring my school bag and uniform coat.

The only thing i brought out was my necklace's chain.

Sakura followed me, grabbing my stuff for me to the outside.

“what's with this chaotic weather all of a sudden?” said Sakura when she found me outside the door.

The weather was so windy, it looked like it also stopped raining though.

Sakura saw something strange and pointed it out to me.

“what is that? Look over there!”

I turned my head and looked at the other side of the street.

“hey, stop messing around and get up dude!”

There were two guys in strange posititions, this sentance came out from the guy that was standing while grabbing the arm of the other guy that was almost lying on the ground with some black smoke hanging around both of them.

This scene caught our attention but the other side of the street was too dark for us to see more details clearly.

Sakura couldn't focus more than a moment because her attention was stolen to something more disturbing.

“Taio? What's with your forhead? Is it bleeding?”

My forhead was bleeding but the scar causing the blood was strangely round-shaped.

I didn't even notice or even feel the pain of the scar that came out of nowhere.

Sakura reached out her hand to touch my forhead.

“Are you okay? You should go to the hospital as soon as possible.” her voice was shaky and her fingers got all bloody with just a light touch on my forhead.

I couldn't hear what Sakura was saying, her voice was unclear and my ears could no longer handle all those voices at once.

It was in that very moment, between the chaos and screams i saw it.

The big red eye in the middle of the sky turning the sky into the pretty reddish color that the sunset was giving a few minutes ago but this time, those colors appeared in the sky for different reasons that wasn't because of the susnset obviousely.

“Sakura...”

Sakura could feel it too and she was too scared to look at it and confirm it for herself but i couldn't stop myself from confirming it for her so i continued and said what i was supposed to say.

“What the hell is that thing in the sky?!”