The Fear of what is Promised - A Short Story For ShuYuka Week Day 6

Day 6

January 1st, 2010.

On New Year's Day, a celebration had begun. A celebration of new beginnings. A celebration of new hope. But for Minato Arisato, the day felt empty. Hopeless. A looming sense of dread hung in the air, for the previous night he had been faced with a truth he did not wish to accept.

"Is facing Nyx really the best decision?"

Ryoji's words echoed through the young man's head. The toll of a bell, one which never stopped ringing, no matter how much he begged for it to stop. A shadow of doubt, cast upon his soul. He told Ryoji no. He told Ryoji that he did not wish to kill him. Even if the world could die if he didn't, he would not kill that boy. He made a promise to fight Nyx when he made that decision. But only now he was starting to question that.

Minato was notorious for his outwardly apathetic attitude, especially in public. But in his head, and behind closed doors, that facade was fully discarded, revealing a very sensitive, very caring man. He cared about his team more than anything. Everyone in S.E.E.S. meant something to him, and each and every one of them would be going up against Nyx. To fight Nyx was to fight death. To fight death is futile. If S.E.E.S. were to fight Nyx, would that not be futile as well? The thought terrified him. That they'd all fall victim to Nyx's wrath. He could have stopped that, right? If he accepted Ryoji's offer, he could have stopped that, right? Right?!

Minato took a deep breath. He knew he couldn't just lay in bed all day long. A new year sprawled out ahead of him, and in one month, the promised day would arrive. Knowing Nyx's arrival was promised then, he made his own promise. A promise to himself. A promise to live this month to the very fullest, as if it were the last he'd ever see, because as far as he knew, it very well could be.

He climbed out of bed and began his day.

"Happy new year, Senpai!"

Those were the first words Ken spoke to Minato that day. Those words would be repeated again and again and again, each time from a different mouth than the last. But no matter how much he heard it as he was dragged about a festival by his friends, the new year never became happy to him. He was trapped in a cage, a cage of his own thoughts. No matter how many jokes Junpei cracked, no matter how much food Kotone shared throughout the team, nothing kept his mind off of the impending doom he knew would come. He was so distracted by his thoughts, in fact, that he had not even realized how late it had gotten until a certain Junpei Iori spoke up.

"Helloooo? Earth to Minato, this is Junpei speaking!"

Minato snapped out of his thoughts immediately as Junpei spoke to him.

"H-Huh? Oh, um, what is it?"

"You alright, man? You've been out of it all freakin' day."

"All day?"

He thought on that statement. Was it really all day? Surely he wasn't spacing out for that long.

"What time is it...?" Minato asked, a tad cautiously.

Junpei let out a hefty sigh.

"It's goin' on 11 PM! The group is headin' back to the dorm."

That got Minato's attention. 11:00 PM. Already a day in and he'd forgotten his promise. He was worrying too much to notice.

"Oh, uh, go on without me." Minato exclaimed, his words both blunt and empty at the same time. "I... just need a moment."

"Alright, alright. But get back to the dorm before the Dark Hour starts, okay? We don't need you injured 'cause you're too busy brooding and lose track of time."