GOODBYE FOR NOW

Raijin was greeted by two familiar faces as his eyes fluttered open by the light on the ceiling. He felt as if his body were tearing in the aching pain when he tried to sit. Every part of his whole was prickling and burning on the inside that he had struggled to search his surroundings. He bit his lips to endure the strain while the gazes of the two figures before him were fixated.

"What happened?" He said. His voice was hoarse and the throbbing pain of his head caused him to close his eyes for a moment, trying to regain his thoughts. He was lost for a second as everything flashed through his head; Kato, the Generals, and the battle against the god. "General Yozou!" Raijin exclaimed, his eyes widening by the sudden memory of the man.

He immediately removed the sheets covering his lower body. His bare foot touched the ground. Yet, he suddenly felt the pressing pain upon stretching that made him lose his balance. Hiro and Mitsuka rushed to his aid to assist him back to the bed, putting a pillow on his back to help him lean properly towards the headboard. The curtains on the half-opened windows dance by the short whisper of the wind outside, the fresh air coming in contact with them makes their hair sway at the moment.

But there was still silence between the three that if a needle were to fall to the ground, they would be able to hear it. No one had decided to speak as if knowing what the other was thinking. Their heads were faced in different directions, refusing to give each other a glance.

"Hiro, Mitsuka..." Raijin said. He was hesitant to break the silence and ask them a certain question. It made him nervous, but he still took the chance to face what he was about to hear about the two. "Is there something wrong?" He had known that his actions during the battle had put him in a serious situation. Which, his grandfather would give him an earful of.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Hiro glanced at him. "There was a letter from the council"

The council of Riagi serves as a group to issue commands and justice towards the people; including the soldiers. Their decisions and judgment were at all costs to adhere, that every person even of the Generals shall follow their orders. They're one of the people who govern Anshiantum. Yet, under certain circumstances, there are limitations to their ruling.

Handing out a piece of paper to the young man, Hiro continued. "It is stated that you'll be placed under confinement in an attempt to murder the 6th General, Algard Yozou. As well as...your powers that almost destroyed the land. Rai, you're speculated to be the one who caused the invasion"

There were no words that Raijin ought to say at the moment. The time he had heard Hiro, he placed the letter down the sheets, staring outside the windows. He had accepted that the decisions he had made through the battle had cost him.

But even if the world would despise him right now—to him, as long as he can wield his powers to end this war between the Anshiantiae and Nemiendlich and be able to stand in protecting the people he sought to protect, then that's more than enough.

Raijin's hand ran through his collarbone and chest. He searched for the weight of the chushin. Yet, the familiar touch of the amulet was nowhere. And that made him disappointed in himself. The only thing that his grandfather had entrusted to him was now gone. It was the regalia that symbolizes the pride and honor of the Ikazuchi and it had slipped before his hands. Was there a time when he would be able to keep things precious to him and not lose them beyond his reach?

His eyes stared at the windows, seeking the skies as if yearning for something. The sun was starting to set, filling the vast heavens with golden scenery. It reminded him that those were the same skies when he had lost his grandfather. He had wanted to escape to its warm embrace since it had only drawn him to regrets. For sunsets, had always spoken to him that way.

"Tomato head..." Mitsuka uttered hesitantly.

Raijin didn't glance at her; he was still focused on the windows. "Thank you, for believing in me. Hiro and Mitsuka. I'd still want to be with you, but I don't think I would be able to. That's why..." He paused, swallowing "Don't go missing me too much"

Finally taking a glance at them, the young man forced a short laugh and managed to smile at them. There was an aching throb inside, that he forced not to feel because he had wanted them not to worry about him.

"R-raijin! The council is mistaken, we can stand up to prove that you're innocent! Not that I care if you get imprisoned anyways but-" Mitsuka said she couldn't restrain herself anymore—puzzled and irate about how things had turned out. She didn't have a single idea why there was a need for someone to be accounted for something they had not done. She walked towards the young man, holding him by the shoulders as her eyes met his.

Raijin was surprised by her sudden act that he did not have the time to reply to her words. Let alone tell her that the bandages wrapped around his body might tear from her shaking. Mitsuka had shaken him out of his thoughts that left him to stare at her agitated expression.

"Listen tomato head. I and half cook can..." Mitsuka's eyes widened and realized what she was doing. She dropped her hands from his shoulders. But was still unable to avert from Raijin. Her eyes started to linger in wonder around his features as if observing them closely like a test subject.

"Mitsuka?" The gray eyes of the young man continued to look at her, waiting for her sentence.

"Your eyes remind me of lulu"

"Lulu? Who?"

"My dog who died three months ago"

"Wha-"

"Excuse me," Hiro cleared his throat which made the two snap back to their senses.

Mitsuka immediately stood a distance from Raijin, lowering her head as if the image of General Noguchi had suddenly emerged from the ground. Her cheeks were in a tinge of red—convincing herself that Lulu's eyes are gray, not brown, and what she just said was not an excuse.

Glancing at them, Hiro let out a sigh. He was about to continue what he was about to say when they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Soldiers dressed in military uniforms that are styled in tradition and culture on Anshiantum appeared before them. The color of their uniforms shares the same palette as the General they are under (white for the 2nd General, crimson for the 3rd, blue for the 4th, brown for the 5th, dark amethyst for the 6th, gray for the 7th, and teal green for the 8th) It was away from the customs signifying a representation of what division they belong. They all stood in a firm posture and the soldier in an all-white military uniform stepped in front.

"Ikazuchi Raijin, the council issued confinement regarding your recent activities through the invasion three days ago. We are here to take you to custody. We ask for your cooperation," Said the man.

Two nurses were crumpled behind the soldiers. And the only thing that the three youngsters could do is stay still to where they were as they listened to their statement. Hiro and Mitsuka had known that each day, the group would always take a visit to the boy's room to inspect his body's condition in preparation for arrestment after.

The nurses approached Raijin, checking the condition of his body. "He's still not-" said one of them.

"The council gave us a deadline," The soldier said.

The nurse's nameplate shone on the light from the windows, 'Marcus' was written on it. He took a deep breath glancing at his colleague. He opened his mouth to speak once again, but the officials rushed past him to approach Raijin.

They took the young man by his arm to force him to stand, restraining his movements by the use of thick chained cuffs. His upper body was covered in bandages and his head was also wrapped in white cloth, the crimson locks of his hair were protruding on the sides and top. Raijin bit his lips from the pain, preventing a cry to escape from them. He didn't protest nor let them hear any complaints because the least he could do right now is to accept the judgment laid upon him.

"Wait-" Mitsuka said. Yet, Hiro reached to her side, stopping her.

"It's no use, Mitsuka" Hiro had known that if Mitsuka intervened, she would also be dragged into the case. And that would be tough on them, for the two of them should defend Raijin on the council. But, a part of him wanted to rush over and do something about the current situation. Even if it's using his name as a Kazahana. Though it wouldn't be enough, their family wasn't one of the higher nobles and his sister would take him against it.

As soon as the soldiers had secured Raijin, the door flew open. Two soldiers walked beside the young man and the group started to take off the room. The threatening gazes that they gave Raijin made him lower his head. He didn't take a final glance at Mitsuka and Hiro. His back was turned towards the two, walking with the cuffs that bind him in front.

The sound of the door slowly closed and Raijin was gone.

For a moment, there was silence between Hiro and Mitsuka. But both of their minds wandered about an idea, and that is chasing through the door to see him one last time.

"Tomato head!" Mitsuka shouted.

His eyes widened upon hearing the call.

"Let's meet at the selection again!" Hiro said.

Right there, Raijin felt the fulfillment of having both of them. Those days where he had first met them even if he was a stranger to the land—they had accepted him. And that made him treasure the bond they had made along the way.

In a short time, he had valued them more than any other. Or perhaps, gaining friends amidst battles can still be considered a 'short time?', he had no idea. Turning his head towards them, he saw Mitsuka and Hiro standing—shouting their regards to him which made him let out a laugh.

"Yeah, thank you" His mouth curved into a smile. A genuine one that reminded Hiro and Mitsuka how long it would be to see it again.

---

Clanks of equipment and the beeping of a heart rate monitor were heard inside the room. Two guys stood in front of a hospital bed; they were operating on a patient's body.

"General, are you sure about this?"

"Errapel, it's better to try something than doing nothing at all," Hermes answered. He started to pace across the room mixing liquids and examining them in front of a device. The woman beside him assisted him in the work as they pursued generating reactions on the chemical.

"Did you start the investigation?" Errapel said. His hands scribbled through the notes as he pushed his glasses through his nose while looking at the patient.

"Not yet. Half of my division was wiped out and I don't have enough people. Sooner or later, we might find a way to start analyzing the cause of the invasion." Shaking the glass, Hermes raised it to his eye level observing the substance inside. "But there's one thing that makes me wonder, Errapel..." He said.

"What is it?" As soon as he finished writing the notes, Errapel opened a cabinet not far from him. His hands rummaged inside collecting different medicine and antidotes.

"Something is not right. The invasion wouldn't happen during the selection. Unless there might be someone who used the selection to distract us from the attack. And as far as I know, the Nemiendlich had no idea how our system works"

"You're saying that someone must have leaked information?" Said Errapel, his hands filled with tiny glass bottles.

They were the only people inside the room. Errapel, Nova, and Hermes. No one was allowed to enter unless the operation was done. They have made this order to avoid ruckus and a misleading taboo of information from their research on reviving someone from death.

"That's right. Someone who's in a position high enough to know our activities inside" Hermes approached the patient, this time his hand was holding a scalpel.

The light shone above the body of the patient that was full of burns and scars. His whole body was cold and unmoving. Errapel followed the 7th General's lead, moving to the other side of the body. The sound of gloves that were stretching beneath their hands was heard inside as they wore them.

Fixing his mask and pushing the sleeves of his lab coat, the silver-head man gave them a look. "You two look good together, why don't you just live a normal life and marry?" Errapel muttered, his mouth giving them a teasing smile—only to be frustrated in the end because Hermes and Nova were too focused on the operation that they didn't pay any attention to his words.

The two Generals glanced at him, giving a questioning look when they noticed his hands were not moving to help them in the process. Shaking his head in disappointment, Errapel gave out a heavy breath proceeding in taking a hold of his equipment.

Their hands held a sense of professionality while pursuing the procedure. One may find the task effortless because of how they had made it look easy. Yet, it took them years of careful understanding and knowledge to perform such.

As the ticking of the clock continued to fill their concentration and silence, Hermes stopped what he was doing. His eyes glinted in confusion and curiosity.

"He's not…" He uttered, eyes were rushing to check every corner of the patient's body. "How is that even possible-"

There was a thump that made their eyes divert in its direction. A yellow light emerged from the burned palms of the patient. It pulsed loudly each second as if freeing itself from inside the skin.

Hermes hurriedly made an incision on the palm. An amount of blood oozed and an object emerged from the outside. It was surrounded by the flesh that seemed to pulse against it, even if the body had died days ago.

"A crystal?" Errapel asked, his attention was now focused on the item.

Hermes took it, he still needed to carefully cut some of the flesh that surrounded it to completely separate it from the patient's palm. Nova examined it as Hermes raised it to have a clear view of the strange object.

A small monoclinic crystal that shone against the light was reflected in their eyes. It was smeared with blood. The pulsing was made by a tiny bronze stone that floated inside it.

"This is...a core?" Hermes questioned, but neither of the two had answered. He rushed towards the other side of the room, placing the crystal on a clean cloth above the table where medical equipment was laid. "Errapel-"

His sentence was cut short because of the sudden change on the heart rate monitor. Its straight flash of the line was nowhere to be seen. Their eyes widened, staring at the series of waves on the monitor that indicated a person's existence.

"General," Errapel started as he was still in shock. "Did General Yozou use that core to fake his death?"

"And why would he do that?" Said Nova.

Hermes glanced at the patient's body whose chest was now breathing at a normal pace. "If the clues of our investigation might be connected to this, then I don't need to answer your question" He wrapped the crystal with a cloth, handing it to Nova. "Let's keep this to ourselves until I can obtain proof for my...well, hypothesis"

---

There was nothing but silence on the walls of the room, secluded from the people and obscured from the land. His confinement room doesn't have a single thing aside from the window and steel door. And the small windowpane was the only thing Raijin had been looking at since being brought inside. He sat by the stone bench and the small room had made him more than miserable.

Raijin grew up away from the living of nobility, he and his grandfather would always hunt foods that were enough for the both of them. That's why he had learned not to ask for more, even if the meals that were given to him were leftovers left by the stationed soldiers that guard the confinement.

It has been more than a week since his arrest and since then he had always felt the longing for his home. If there was a chance, he would like to visit his grandfather's tomb once more—tell him about the battles he had fought or even leave on the mainland and just continue living a normal life. Yet, he can't do that. Unless he had fulfilled his goal.

The freedom of the birds from the sky had reminded him of what it was like to venture through the skies and just enjoy the feeling of the air hitting your skin. How he had wanted to be able to freely travel everywhere, without feeling the need to worry about a single thing.

Though, the thought of being punished by death had been bothering him. What if the council had decided to execute him despite his innocence? Would someone stand before him? With the question in mind, the faces of Hiro and Mitsuka flashed in his thoughts.

"I wonder what they are up to right now..." He let out a breath, thinking of the two.

Ever since he was a child, he had not experienced playing with the other Ikazuchi kids that much (for their clan had met a tragedy) nor had the time to make friends with someone after he and Hideo survived. It's just him and his grandfather in a small hut. That's why upon meeting Hiro and Mitsuka he was delighted to have finally known the feeling of having one.

His hands reached for the skies, trying to figure out how vast it is or was there also someone watching at it right now. The eyes that were filled with innocence and a sense of will and determination towards his path, were now engulfed in longingness that screams for nothing but home.