Absolute Duo Vol 1 Epilogue

The crimson flames were burning everything down.

Again, this dream comes to the front of my mind.

A grey dream.

A nightmare with red as its only color.

Otoha’s death.

Those words from my best friend

“They are dead because they were weak.”

And then------with a shout overflowing with hopelessness, rage and resentment, the memories called a nightmare concluded.

“Tooru!?”

It looks like I woke her up with the shout I released, and Julie took a peek at me in worry.

“Sorry………….. I surprised you, again…………”

“Please do not mind it. ………………more importantly, are you okay Tooru?”

“Aah……….. I just…………had a bad dream………….”

My clothes were wet and sticky with cold sweat and I could only say it was unpleasant.

“…………………sorry, I’ll change my clothes and then I’ll go get a drink in the lounge so, don’t mind me and go back to sleep, Julie. I am really sorry I woke you up.”

I quickly changed my clothes before exiting the room.

“Tooru……………”

Just before I closed the door, I heard Julie’s worried voice but I did not stop.

While thinking I made her even more worried; this unpleasantness---- this squirming dark feeling in the depths of my heart and the face distorted by this feeling, I didn’t want Julie to see any of it.

Blue night----------

After coming out to the balcony from the lounge, I was waiting for a world befitting that representation.

The pale moon was shining up in the sky, and it was peaceful and kind.

But the dark feeling was still swirling inside my heart.

That moment on that summer day --------- has yet left my mind.

“Otoha…………….”

I lost everything.

My precious sister, my precious benefactor, and the people I considered the same as my family.

Ever since, I followed my best friend’s words, to seek <> and reached to this academy.

(If I had been strong, would I have not lost everything………?)

Time will not go back.

Even if I seek <> now or gain it, everything I lost will not come back.

I know there is no meaning.

But even so, I have no choice but to seek it.

In order to slam these dark feelings towards my best friend who destroyed everything; my precious daily life.

Even though 2 years pa.s.sed after that, the rage and hate did not change inside me.

It has been one month since I came to Kouryou academy---------

“Tooru…………”

Suddenly, someone called out to me from behind.

I didn’t need to turn around.

Because there is only one person that would call out to me in that tone.

“………………you didn’t sleep, Julie.”

“You hadn’t come back so…………”

“…………..sorry to make you worry. I was just cooling off……… let's go back and sleep.”

To avoid letting Julie see my face, I walked past her flank and was about to go out to the lounge------

“Tooru…………….!!”

I stopped from hearing her shout.

When I turned around, Julie was looking straight at me.

Filled with a pitiful light, she was staring right at me with her red eyes.

“I heard, what Tooru was saying during your nightmare………..”

This did not surprise me because I thought that might have been the case.

“Otoha………why………………answer me……….. I won’t forgive you……. I will definitely--------kill you”

“…………. Forget it.”

Even though it was futile, I could only say this.

“Is that…………….Tooru’s goal……..?”

“Forget it………!!”

The atmosphere shook from my shout.

But Julie slowly swung her head-------

“Me too-------“

Under the moonlight, she exposed her white skin.

“Julie…………….?”

“I am the same as Tooru.”

“Same………as me…………?”

In that instant, a gust of wind pa.s.sed by and made her  Silver hair flutter about.

My back muscle twitched.

There is a long straight scar carved into her exposed back.

Bathed in the pale blue light of the moon, these words fell from the silver girl’s mouth-----that confession.

“I am also the same as Tooru-------an <>.”