Left Behind

"What am I doing?" Hiroki thought to himself, "I shouldn't worry them with my own nightmares. I'm just making things harder for them."

He uprighted his posture slightly, wiping the remaining unease of his face.

"Hiroki?" This time, Yoru's piercing eyes were a little concerned when her voice broke through. "You sure you OK?"

"N-nvm," Hiroki stuttered, then quickly changed the subject, "It's just… the book rejected me."

Ayuri leaned her head slightly to the side, her face was unreadable as she tapped her chin. "Eh… well, that's not what I expected at all," she murmured intriguingly.

Hiroki kept glancing at her while lost in his thoughts. Yoru's eyes narrowed slightly, and her suspicion was still a bit intact. She couldn't tell if Ayuri was involved into this, yet the scene left her uneasy.

"Hoey, chill out man. Just don't push yourself too hard" Kenji chimed in trying to lighten the mood.

Ayuri then spoke up directly, without her usual composure "It seems that we should stop for now anyways… Hiroki, forget what you think you saw, It's probably just some illusions"

"Illusions?" he found her dismissive words strange, yet he was too tired to inquire further.

For a while, a tense silence filled the air, while Yoru, kept her eyes on Ayuri from behind, still her suspicions growing.

Hiroki scratched the back of his neck and forced a smile "A-Ah, really… It's almost time to finish anyway." His voice wavered, revealing some unease.

Indeed." Kenji grinned while stretching his arms above his head. "Plus, I am starting to starve over here."

Yoru sighed heavily, shaking her head, "So food is only what's on your mind right now Huh?"

Ayuri, however, gave a friendly nod "He's right about that, though. Hiroki, you haven't eaten much since this morning, have you?"

Hiroki struggled to reply, he didn't want to admit it. She was indeed right about that, her relaxed tone created a subtle awkwardness in Hiroki.

"Then… let's go," Ayuri said with a soft smile, her tone light, trying to shift the mood.

By time, the group went walking back together, the tension slowly was easing. Kenji casually put both hands behind his neck as he strolled.

"Ah.. you know, we should also call Miyu too," He remarked. "She's barely shown up lately."

"Indeed," Yoru replied, agreeing with his statement. "She's been diving deep into her research on the Golden Book. More intense than ever."

"Really?" Ayuri's face showed a hint of surprise as she blinked, her curiosity evident in her expression "I wonder why she has become so serious about it." Her gaze shifted upward in thought.

In the midst of all this, Hiroki too, found his mind wandering. "Really, she's been doing hard work… I wonder if she'll give her results soon" A faint smile touched his lips while gazing below.

At the same time, inside the PHG…

Miyu walked briskly, and her adrenaline surged as she entered the vast library. The warm glow of polished wood with books of different shapes surrounded her as she glanced nervously at the seemingly infinite shelves.

She glanced left and right, ensuring she was concealed. "Perfect… no one is nearby." She clutched her satchel tightly. Her research had led her to this place, where you may find hidden and forgotten knowledge 

Moving quietly, she flipped through books and titles, until her eyes landed on one: "The Kingdom of Yumix: The Forgotten Era."

Her short stature made grabbing it a challenge, yet she managed to pull it down in the end. After placing it on the table there, she gathered her thoughts, then she opened it and began flipping through these ancient pages. Each line disclosed fragments from history that she hoped it would help her to uncover the truth about the Golden Book.

She stopped at a section titled: "The Dark Period: 422 Y.C."

"So… it's been fifteen years," Miyu whispered to herself, and her eyes scanned the text voraciously, trying to piece stuff together.

The Yumix Kingdom had once been united under a powerful royal family, known as Kogane no Kazoku—the Golden Family. But during the year 422 Y.C., everything changed. The family fractured, and the kingdom descended into chaos. The youngest children of the royal family were rumored to have disappeared, lost from history.

"A lost generation," Miyu murmured with her brow furrowing. "Is this… somehow connected to the Golden Book ?"

Her head was full of questions, each one more urgent than the one before it. She was in dire need of answers, but before she could read any further, she heard a faint sound… The creak of the library doors.

Her breath caught as she froze in her place. She had been alone in this section—no one was supposed to be here. Quickly, she ducked behind a large shelf, clutching her satchel tightly to her chest. She feared being caught due to how sensitive that might raise controversy and questions.

"W- What am I supposed to do?" She pondered trembling.

Peering out cautiously, she saw no one at the doors, and the quiet was overwhelming.

"M-maybe I imagined it…"

She moved to slip away quietly, and her thoughts scattered. But… in her haste, she forgot the book she had been reading on the table. She reached the exit finally, with her heart pounding, barely breathing.

Miyu made it outside, leaning against the cold wall of the library corridor. She finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"What… what am I even doing?" She looked up, with a smile that hid her gloom. "Is what I am doing… illegal? Am I crossing a line I shouldn't?" 

She briefly closed her eyes, trying to steady herself and regain composure, but these questions only intensified in her mind. With a sigh of frustration, she shook her head. "Ahh, forget it… no one's going to notice anyway. I'll just head to the main canteen for now."

And she walked then down the hallway, pulling her satchel, with her footsteps echoing softly.

Back inside the library, a boy, white-haired, the same from the shelter, moved silently between the towering shelves. His sharp eyes glinted with faint amusement as he approached that table, where Miyu had been moments ago.

He stopped, tilting his head slightly as he noticed the open book she left behind. He turned the book over to check the title,

"The Kingdom of Yumix: The Forgotten Era."

He skimmed the pages with quick, light touches, while a smirk creeping onto his lips.

"Man… do people seriously still bother with this ancient junk?" he muttered to himself with a high tone.

He left the book as it was, and he started walking away slowly, with his footsteps echoing eerily in the stillness of the area.

But then, he stopped for a moment.

Turning his head slightly, and stared back at the table with such an unreadable look.

Without a word, he just walked back into the shadows of the tall shelves, disappearing from the eyes.

[ To Be Continued ]