Domino Effect (Yukio)

4. Return

Various colors swirled around the two of us at amazing speeds. We were travelling through a really long sort of passageway. It was like falling through mid air but at the same time floating in place.

Then, the feeling changed, as if we were slowing down. A bright light made me close my eyes and I raised a hand to shield them. I felt my feet suddenly land on solid ground, making me stumble a little before I regained my balance.

Blinking a few times, I had to adjust my vision to the stark difference.

"Ugh, I don't think I'll ever get used to that feeling. Same with the constant changes in the time of day." I asked, squinting until I got used to the bright sun.

"Sorry, I know what you mean." Yuri said, holding a hand up to cover her eyes from the rays. "I generally know where we're going, but it's not like I memorized the time of day."

Finally able to open my eyes, I looked around my surrounding area. Everything was new, nothing like the darkened cemetery from before.

To say that I was caught off guard was an understatement. Just to be standing here at all was something I didn't expect to so soon.

"W- Why are we back here? I thought you said we wouldn't be returning for a while... Could you be any more confusing?" I asked Yuri but had mumbled the last part to myself.

"When did I say that?" Yuri asked, tapping her chin a few times to feign ignorance.

"You know what, never mind." I said with a short sigh, knowing she was doing that on purpose.

She scanned the surrounding area carefully, wearing a concentrated expression of thinking to herself as she looked around.

To me, this place was all too familiar: From the very sight, from the sounds of the wind rustling the leaves of the trees, to the same constant yet gentle whistling of the birds... Nothing has changed since I last stood at this spot. The environment was exactly as I last saw it.

Recalling the first time I set foot on this property with my father nine years ago, it felt like so long ago. I was feeling super excited to be here. I remember it all so clearly.

It was at that time where everything began, when I started training to be an exorcist for the Vatican.

Here I was, the living legacy. I was proof that Shiro Fujimoto lived, as his student... And as his son.

I was back. At True Cross Academy's campus.

'Dad, a lot has happened, and I wish I could talk to you now. You left me with too many questions... Why did you raise us? Why did you train me? Why after everything I worked so hard for, things still ended up like this?... Why?'

"Yukio?" Yuri said, taking me out of my thoughts when she noticed that I was spaced out. "I know what you must be thinking, and you're close, but... You see, this isn't exactly the place you know."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Yes you're back here, but at the same time you aren't. Well, to explain it better, let me put it this way... Where you are now, things are similar to what you know in except... There's a bit of a difference because you weren't here to live in it, if that makes sense?" She tried to put it into words but it only confused me more.

"I can't say that I exactly follow." I answered.

"A lot of things aren't going to be the same as you remember it, keep that in mind when you see this world."

"So keep an open mind to everything. Got it." I said, understanding what she was trying to tell me. "But I've gotta say, it's kind of intimidating that you know so much about me and I know next to nothing. You're more of an enigma than anything, and I'm just not used to, well, not being in control and not knowing." I admitted.