（ＡＲＣ １）Chapter 4- Closure and Peace.

Wind SFX, faint aura humming of Cathy's DivinityThe realization kicked in as we stood over the deceased groom, even Cathy had seen what had happened and had calmed down, she hovered close to us as all of the debris in the air fell down—Somehow not hitting us.The weight of the moment finally crashed down on us as we stood over Keito Nakamura's lifeless body. My hand trembled, holding the white rose I'd picked earlier from him, now crumpled and buried in my pocket for the moment. My gaze shifted from Cathy to Keito. Tears blurred my vision, and my throat tightened.James Karawei: "We killed someone... Cathy, I..."She hovered closer, her anger dissipating like mist, leaving only a cold, neutral expression. Her arm hovered above my right shoulder, uncertain—like she didn't know how to comfort me, yet tried anyway.(A/N* Imagine she had an actual violet gravity aura/forcefield around her skin and clothes, sorry for the bad ai pics... :P)Cathy Ariston: "We didn't have a choice. It's not your fault, James. We have to leave. Anywhere but here."The distant sound of police sirens pierced through the air, and a gust of wind swept across the wreckage of our school. My mind struggled to process it all, and the tears came harder. I hadn't cried like this since... never.A sudden crack appeared in the air before us, glowing red. It felt like reality itself was splitting apart. A man in a red business suit stepped through, his presence sending a cold shiver down my spine. His voice, though calm, made my stomach churn.???: "Matte Kudasai..."He chuckled, almost leisurely, as the crack in the air sealed itself shut. With eerie ease, he hoisted Keito's body over his shoulder, his smile wide and unsettling.James Karawei: "Who are you?! Let him go!"I reacted on instinct, swinging the pipe I still gripped, hoping for some miracle. A rainbow bubble shot from it, hitting the stranger square in the chest.He didn't even flinch.His hand barely moved, but the pressure was enough to cause the pipe to explode in my grip, leaving only the twisted, jagged end. He didn't seem to care, simply holding his hand out and letting it strike him.???: "You don't get to keep my employees, James. Maybe if you behave, I'll hire you one day..."His voice carried a cruel humor as he turned toward Jasmine, still standing in shock. Before I could even react, he reached out for her.But Cathy was faster.With a death glare, she thrust her hand out, violet energy crackling around her like a forcefield.Cathy Ariston: "He doesn't work for you, and neither does she, so get a move on, you fucking weirdo!"The man wagged his finger, his smirk turning condescending.???: "My dear, you'll never, ever lay a hand on me. Nobody will."

He stretched his arms out as Cathy charged forward. But before she could make contact, she vanished in a sudden burst of red mist. It was as though the air around us had turned into liquid, bending reality itself. Cathy found herself hovering right behind me, her expression one of confusion.

(A/N* please ignore the goofy buildings, i legit couldn't get rid of them, imagine him in a destroyed school-yard fr fr)???:"Matte Kudasai..."Cathy suddenly found herself behind me, she looked around in confusion before her gaze fell on the man.The man, now holding Jasmine by the wrist, turned to me. His masked face was grinning, something dark in his eyes.???: "James, we will meet again... after you've brought down 'The Great Dragon, Ryuusei Kajima.' Until then... don't get caught."Before we could do anything, the red crack reappeared, swallowing him and Jasmine into its depths, leaving behind a void that seemed to ripple in time and space.The air fell eerily quiet.Cathy Ariston: "UGH! I'm sick of all this! Stupid Syndicate... Hmph... Where's Jack?"She scoffed, frustrated, and turned her gaze toward me.I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and started walking, leading us toward the courtyard without saying a word. We had to get moving.Cathy Ariston: "Look, James... This is a terrible situation we've found ourselves in, but you don't have to suffer in silence. If... if you want to talk, I could listen. Maybe."Her voice was softer now, and she reached out again, but the faint forcefield around her repelled her touch before she could make contact. I kept walking, the bloody pipe and white rose still in my grip.James Karawei: "I'm fine... I uh... We'll talk later. Let's go help Jack."The two of us walked in silence, Cathy hovering slightly above the ground as we made our way to where Jack was. He was practicing martial arts moves near the back of the school, his left arm seemingly healed, the blood completely gone.Jack Daniels: "Oi! You two! What the hell happened? Is... is that a bloody pipe?! Did you bonk that weird wedding soap guy on the head with it? What the hell did you guys do—"Before Cathy could snap back, she playfully hit him on the head with her right arm.Cathy Ariston: "Sure is, gov'nor! Maybe later we can have a bloody tea party... You damn moron, don't make fun of my accent or else you're next."Jack put his hands up in a placating gesture.Jack Daniels: "Look, I don't know what happened, but you don't have to get your panties in a twist about it."Cathy's eye twitched, and she started reaching for a rock to throw at him. But I stepped in, putting the pipe between them to stop it.James Karawei: "We have to get out of here. We'll go to my house... It's safe there. I live near the Redwoods, on the outskirts of town. Cathy, do you mind flying us over there?"Cathy Ariston: "Yeah, I DO mind... People will look up and see us, dumbass... We'll just go through the backstreets. I know how to get there."I stared at her, completely caught off guard. She knew where I lived? How could she know the route there, especially when we had barely talked outside of school?Jack Daniels: "Ooo... A sleepover, huh? Just like old times!"He laughed and grabbed his arm, grinning. Cathy led us away from the approaching police cars and into the shadows of the alleyways. Jack, ever the fool, slapped me on the back as we walked.Jack Daniels: "I'm not really sure what happened, but you two did a great job! Phew... hey, James, you got any coco-cola at home?"James Karawei: "Yeah, I do... but what do you mean 'like old times'? We've never really talked much before... But now we have a LOT to talk about. Oh, and yeah, I do have coco-cola in the fridge."Scene cuts to us walking up to my house, literally.We finally walked down the gravel path to my house. It was basically like a farm on the outskirts of town, near a forest with red trees—yeah, even the bark was red. It had a strangely peaceful vibe to it, but right now, it felt like a distant memory from a time before everything had turned upside down.Cathy Ariston: "This is actually kind of nostalgic... Don't you remember how we used to hang out as kids when we were in primary school? Heck, we hung out even in kindergarten! Do you... James, do you really not remember any of that? We've always been friendly to you."She looked at me, her eyes full of something between hope and frustration. But there was a distance in my heart. I could barely remember the faces from my childhood, let alone the details.We went inside the house, and without a word, headed straight for my room.James Karawei: "Yeah, I do remember, but— Look, we can talk inside, come on."Cathy opened her mouth to retort, but paused, probably sensing the weight of the situation. Instead of arguing, she just sighed and let me lead the way. Jack finally straightened his clothes and put down his sleeve, looking kind of dumb as he stood there, seemingly oblivious to the fact that we were all clearly on edge.James Karawei: "I live alone, so we don't have to worry about any troublesome onlookers here. After all... Cathy, you're a spectacle to behold."I chuckled nervously, unsure of what to do or say next. I didn't know if it was better to laugh or keep quiet. Cathy didn't respond immediately, but there was a hint of a smirk on her face.She scoffed and barged into my room, opening the door with the flick of her wrist. Without missing a beat, she hovered above the bed in a starfish position. Her face was an odd mix of anger and calm. It was strange, just like life nowadays.Cathy Ariston: "I just told you we hung out in the past, before your parents... Hmph! Whatever... Be that way, idiot."I scratched my head sheepishly, then watched as she turned toward the window, her back to us, clearly fuming but holding it in.James Karawei: "Make yourselves at home, and um... I'll just do something in the backyard— Keito deserves a memorial, no?"I walked toward the door but felt Cathy's grip on my leg. The sudden weight of her new power startled me.Cathy Ariston: "Wow... That worked better than I thought. Look, James, if you ever need a 'trauma buddy'... we can talk, I guess. This is affecting you as much as me, right? J-just don't make a big deal out of it and go crying again! Life is about dying; that's just how things are..."I gave her a quick nod. She wasn't wrong. Life was brutal, but sometimes, you had to push through.James Karawei: "I promise. Now let's go."I stepped out of the room, heading down the hallway. I could hear Jack coming over, clumsily holding a dozen cans of Coco-Cola—"The Pop! That makes you coco!" Ugh, I always hated that slogan, too cheesy... Bleh.Jack Daniels: "Yo bro, where ya going? We were gonna talk, nah?"James Karawei: "I'm going to pay my respects to Keito Nakamura. You tagging along? Right?"Cathy popped out of the doorway just as Jack was about to respond, snatching the cans from his hands. Without hesitation, she floated them into my room and threw them onto the floor. They didn't even "pop" or anything. Stupid slogan...Cathy Ariston: "I'm coming too. May the groom rest in peace or whatever... Stupid bastard. He was mind-controlled, right? He had to have been! I mean, he had glowing red eyes, and half his skull was cracked, and he was STILL fighting me! Maybe that weird insurance salesman did something to Keito. Either way... What WE did was necessary, so don't beat yourself up about it, James, okay? Promise?"I reached out and shook her hand. For the first time in years, I smiled genuinely.James Karawei: "I promise. Now let's go."Jack Daniels pouted but followed us outside. Cathy floated alongside, lounging like a cat on a comfy bed—except her bed was the air.Jack Daniels: "Man, she took my funky coco-cans..."We stepped outside into the beautiful backyard. It overlooked a golden wheat field, the wind carrying the earthy scent of the crops and the distant whisper of the Redwoods.James Karawei: "My parents used to be morticians, so they always had spare gravestones from work and whatnot. I didn't really look into it much, plus we just used them as Halloween decorations."I walked over to a shed near the big oak tree in the backyard. The tree had a makeshift tire swing, swinging gently in the breeze. A sense of nostalgia washed over me, but I pushed it aside for now. I cracked open a chest in the shed and pulled out a heavy, medium-sized tombstone—about 2.5 feet tall, made of stone, perfect for a memorial.Cathy instinctively reached out and floated the tombstone into the backyard, setting it down carefully.Jack Daniels: "So, let me get this straight. You two actually KILLED that weirdo? Man, that's messed up... WAIT! We're wanted criminals now! Damn it... How will I ever get a job now?!"Cathy hovered dangerously close to Jack, poking him with her pointer finger. Her forcefield was doing most of the work, of course.Cathy Ariston: "Seriously? That's what you're worried about? A man DIED today because of us, even if he had troubled intentions. You stupid idiot! Moron! Ugly! You can't even get a job if you're such a moron all the time. Geez! Why did we EVER become friends?"She set up the tombstone with her powers, firmly embedding it into the ground.James Karawei: "Thank you, Cathy. This is for all the poor souls who died today and for Keito Nakamura..."I knelt in front of the tombstone, placing the white rose I had kept from earlier in front of it. I used the broken part of the pipe to carve Keito's initials into the stone, the jagged edge nearly cutting my finger.Cathy turned away and floated back into the house. I didn't realize it at the time, but I would later learn she was crying—crying hard. Me and Jack stayed outside, sitting in front of the tombstone. Cathy threw a Coco-Cola can through the back door, and it rolled outside, landing near us. We were stupid kids back then, throwing cans at each other just for fun.But now... now it felt different.Jack didn't say anything. He cracked open his can, trying to act like everything was fine, but I could tell he was holding back. He smiled gently, looking calm, but I knew he was just as affected as I was. He took a sip, then handed me the can. I did the same, pouring the rest of it onto the tombstone. We tossed the empty cans into a random bush, sitting in silence.As the sunset stretched across the sky, painting the world in hues of orange and pink, the scent of the forest filled the air, the soft chirping of birds drifting on the breeze.I bowed my head, making a vow.James Karawei: "I vow to never let The Boss do this to anyone ever again."(A/N* something like this but imagine the Redwoods in the background and um... the funny tire swing actually being attached to the tree and not looking weird)

The sun dipped lower in the sky, the world growing quieter, calmer. A new emotion began to rise within me... Peace.

________________________________________________________________________________Author's Note:

Thanks for making it through another DIVINE! chapter, will they ever end? Maybe... i plan on making at least 200-250 chapters or so.

FUN FACTS!

Fun Fact: "The White Rabbit" in the second chapter refers to both Jasmine Olson AND the white rabbit attack at the beginning of the chapter which was made by Keito Nakamura, and has the same attack name. Jasmine got the title "White Rabbit" due to her bubbly, energetic and social personality— but mostly it's because she likes to skip around, like a rabbit. In fact she likes it more than running!Fun Fact #2: "The Black Rose" would have been Keito's wife if she had not died, either way at the time when she left with 'that blonde stranger' she was being mind controlled by him, there's surprisingly not that many characters that can mind control in the series...Fun Fact #3: Jack Daniels really really really loves coco-cola, which is this universes equivalent to... I'm not sure if i can say the brand on here, but ya know.

Fun Fact #4: These novel covers do actually have a meaning you know... each of the symbols representing the four main characters! James Karawei being the sword of course... and the fourth character will probably appear at the end of the second arc.

Fun Fact #5: James Karawei is 15, Cathy Ariston is 16 and Jack Daniels is 14 years old, and they all committed manslaughter, yikes...Anyway, i guess that's all then, huh... Cya!________________________________________________________________________________