You and me

The moment Lila placed the stone in his hand, a bright burst of light surrounded him. No several beams of light came from all directions as the small stone floated in the air. Lila's image was fading from him startling him and he panicked.

But he hears her faint voice saying it is okay. In the next second it felt like something was pulling his body, and when he next opened his eyes. He was in a different space entirely.

What stood out to him was the large tree in the center. More like there was nothing in this place other than that tree. Haruka felt drawn towards it and gradually made his way over. But the moment he saw somebody there, no he saw himself?

"Hey, took you long enough."

"Your me?" Haruka mumbled confused. It was like he was looking at a mirror image of himself and he did not know how to react.

At those words the person in front of him sighed. "Your slow, bt I guess she likes this kind of thing too. Hey, you haven't been bullying her have you?"

"Her?"

"Our wife."

"No I haven't. Lila smiles a lot."

She smiles a lot but she gets that distant look on her face. "I think she misses you."

He hears laughter and Haruka looked confused. Why is he laughing?

"The last time we talked, we fought. I left like hundreds of creepy voice mail messages." The other him trailed off. "I know she misses me. But I probably miss her more."

"Are we two different people?" Haruka had to ask.

"No, we are the same. But due to the interference our personalities were split in half. Our father sealed you when he realized the extent of your powers. He did not remain in contact afterward because he did not want to break the seal by mistake. When my mother eventually left me too and I was abandoned, I formed this current version of myself. But, we are still the same."

So it is exactly like what Lila said.

"I have to ask though, since you should already know. I dislike this current version of myself very much. I have done all sorts of despicable things. The reason why the state of the world is like this is me. If I just communicated with lila, if I just went to her and told her everything things would not have ended up this way."

Haruka could not miss the regret in his tone.

"I don't think she blames you."

"I know that too. Sometimes I think it would be better if Lila blamed me. Back when we were children, back when I was still you we were a lot happier. Maybe it was because we did not have to deal with anything complicated. It was just enough to stay by her side, and to see her smile. If that incident didn't happen, this me probably would not have existed." He turned to the large tree. "I will leave the choice to you."

"The choice?"

"Since you are the original personality, you can erase me as you wish."

Haruka's eyes widened when he heard those words. He felt his body tremble at the thought. How could he possibly do that? This person, this him in front of him is the one she gave his heart too.

'There were many painful memories yes, but there was just as many happy ones. I do not regret falling in love with you Haruka.'

He looked at the man in front of him. They are the same, but the thing that made them different was the look in his eyes. This person must have suffered so much anguish and pain.

'I like the current version of you.' Austin Kiryu told him when he agreed to take him out of the mansion.

But even this current version of him did not lead to him getting along with everyone in the mansion. There was still a wall he could not cross, hi,m not having any memories made it worse.

"Originally, I was frightened that this version of me would disappear if I regained my memories. But after this talk my remaining doubt has cleared. The one she made memories with, the one she fell in love with deeply is you." Haruka extended his hand out towards the tree and placed his hand in the center.

At this action of his, large white vines from the tree wrapped around his arm and the other him too.

"But I am filthy. Those people, when they captured me-"

"You have to face it, what those people did to you. Just like how I accepted my fate before."

All of it was gradually coming back to him. That incident, what happened back then and how he accepted this situation. 'I hope the new version of me will grow to love and treasure her just like how I did. One day, our two personalities will merge and become one. That will be the day he truly gives her his heart.'

To think he forgot about that all this time.

'I shouldn't underestimate that old man- no father.' Even if he behaved terribly at the start, it seems they did not abadon him after all at the end of the day.

"Accept it." Haruka's gaze softened as he looked at the man in front of him.

They are the same person, but how can this version of him lack so much confidence?

He hears a frustrated sounding sigh. "Your starting to sound like her."

Haruka laughed. "She did say she found my honest behaviour weird, but she liked that we could talk more openly about topics that we could not before."

"Won't I get an interrogation the moment I return?"

"That is something you should deal with."

"Is this fine with you? If our two personalities merge and become one, even if you do not disappear. This me will take over like before and I won't have the same emotions as you do. The things that damaged me will still take control over the pleasant memories."

'It will certainly be a struggle.' Haruka knew that one of the reasons Lila did not want him to have his memories was this. Recalling that pain and torture will certainly cause this him to distance himself from her. However, it would be naive of him to erase this personality.

'I could tell when I saw those photos and videos, how much they love and care for each other.'

The large stone in the center appeared right in the middle and immediately went towards the other him. Haruka felt his body gradually fade and heard the other one call out.

This is fine, he is not truly disappearing. When he wakes up, they will be one already. Lila, we can finally return to you. When she realizes their personalities have merged, how brightly will she smile? He wants to see that as soon as he possibly can.