Heisen's Eye

Chapter 94

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Ryu's POV
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Last time I was here, I had never managed to fully enjoy this festival. Preparing for what was coming up and the general restrictions that were placed on me, enjoying something like this was hard to do.

Of course, that didn't fully stop me and Akari. 

Three years ago today; that was when I was last in this town. It hasn't changed in the slightest. The happy atmosphere that washed away your fatigue. The loud cheering from the drunkards that littered the streets tonight. The explosions from the fireworks above.

They all brought back memories that I didn't want to forget. That was probably why I set off that firework. 

Watching it float slightly in the air, before flying off even further, then exploding into a brilliant display of silver. Even as it dissipated like all the others,my eyes stayed locked on it as memories replayed in my head.

Memories of this day three years ago. 

It wasn't all too different from today. As you walked down the street, most of the villagers were doing their part in setting up the festival decorations, while some focused on welcoming travellers that simply wanted some rest.

Akari, Archi, Freja and I raced down these streets much like the other kids I had seen today did. We swung sticks that we thought were swords. We acted as knights, heroes, demons. We laughed along with each other without a care in the world.

Then in the evening, even as we knew we'd likely never see them again, we said our goodbyes to them. As we turned to leave, they had shouted behind us, stopping us. In Archi's hand was a cylindrical shape object with a small wire sticking out one end.

He asked me to use magic to light it, and I did. Then we watched as he threw it into the air. We watched as it floated for a few seconds. We watched as it sped off high into the sky. And we watched as it exploded into a mind-capturing silver.

It was great. One of the best days I've ever experienced. And at the end of it, he taught me how to make them, as if it was his last gift.

I'm not too sure why I made one and set it off today, but I just felt that it was necessary. A way to commemorate my memory of those two and that day.  

And as I watch the last sparks of that firework disappear, I feel a gaze set on me from my side. Vice-Captain was watching me, his face plastered with a face of slight surprise. As I notice it, I push away the thoughts that fogged my mind, instead focusing on the other fireworks that were now in full swing.

They continued for another few minutes, before a small, high-pitched voice called from my left.

"Ryu?" (Akari)

It almost felt as if time had stopped.

With the fireworks exploding in the sky above us, my eyes gravitated towards the voice, and as my eyes found their way towards the origin of the voice, all other sound went muffled.

Stood around six metres away, nestled in with the crowd watching the fireworks, was a small, brown-haired girl. She stood watching me with her piercing blue eyes and the crowd jolsted around her.

"A... Akari...?" (Ryu)

"I--Is that really you? Ryu?" (Akari)

She stood still, even as tears started flooding her eyes, even as they began rolling down her cheeks.

Seeing this, my heart felt as if it had been stabbed several times, and before I knew it, my body was moving towards her.

I hadn't even realised I had moved until she was in my arms, crying into my shoulder.

She was much smaller than I remember. She used to be around the same height as me, but now, she barely reached my shoulder.

"Ry-- Ryu! Ryu! Why-- Why did it-- Take so long?" (Akari)

She cried out to me between sobs.

"I-- I'm sorry... I really am... I just couldn't-- I can't..." (Ryu)

My own words seem to drown out in Akari's sobs as she clutches onto my clothes, wetting them with her tears.

I keep one arm wrapped around her as I bring my other up on to her head, stroking it slightly as I attempt to reassure her.

We stay like this for a few minutes as a few people around us give us space after noticing what was happening.

I'm not too sure what Vice-Captain and the rest of the squad did, but they never interrupted, even as I began to lead Akari away from the crowd towards a quieter area.

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Author Notes
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I really don't like this chapter. Not because of what happened in it, or because of how I've written it. Well, it slightly is because of the latter, but it's also because I've once again delayed writing this until the day of its release.

This is a much shorter chapter. We're talking around 300 words shorter. This is only because I'm extremely tired right now, and because I have been having trouble writing these past few chapters because I feel like nothing has been happening. Hopefully this feeling stops in the later chapters, but who can tell.

Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter, sorry it is so short, and please continue reading!