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Chapter 11
We Are Watching
The morning rays of light crept over the dark cityscape as Apricot raced along the sidewalk, her backpack bouncing with each stride. The damp breeze fluttered her skirt, while the early traffic zipped past her. Breathless, she halted in front of a towering apartment building. She took a moment to catch her breath before ascending the concrete steps toward a pair of double glass doors. When she found them locked, she spotted a large white box on the wall, its panel cluttered with room numbers. Navigating to 15E, she pressed the white square with her finger. A beep accompanied her announcement, “Bon Bon! Hey, Bon Bon, it’s Apricot. Buzz me in.”
A few seconds ticked by before the intercom crackled to life. “Api, what the heck are you doing here so early?” Bonni’s groggy voice replied.
“Bonni!” Apricot shouted, her voice a mix of impatience and excitement. “Just let me in.” Another pause ensued. “Is she not going to let me in?” Apricot pondered, her eyebrows furrowing.
“Fine,” Bonni sighed, and the front door’s automatic latch clicked open. “Come on up.”
The apartment complex’s interior was drab and uninspiring. The brown carpeting and out-of-date wall paint reminded Apricot more of a cheap motel than a residential building. She wrinkled her nose at the immediate scent of cigarette smoke. “Bonni, what are you doing here?” The thought echoed in her mind as she stepped into the elevator.
Upstairs, the hallway exuded the same musty atmosphere. Apricot made her way to 15E, and once there, she knocked. Bonni’s muffled voice replied from behind the heavily painted door, “It’s open.” Apricot turned the brass doorknob, revealing a much more pleasant sight: black coal ceilings adorned with studio lamps, a polished faux stone floor, and clean white walls. Bonni’s unique style permeated the space. “Good morning!” Apricot greeted Bonni, who was swathed in a fluffy pink bathrobe.
Her eyes half-shut and her hair disheveled, Bonni managed a weary smile. “You’re awfully spry already. Going to school?” she inquired.
“Sure am. Hey, I had a question to ask you.” Apricot’s smile broadened as Bonni rolled her eyes.
Not yet willing to entertain the question, Bonni ambled toward her noisy coffee maker. “Not yet, girl. Look, I was sleeping. Do you need a ride to school or something?”
“No, no!” Apricot protested, waving her hands. “Nothing like that.”
Bonni took a sip from her black coffee cup. She swallowed and inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly. “Well, what is it then?”
“How many of those Paranormal Monthly’s do you still have?”
“You mean Eerie Truth’s Monthly?” Bonni chuckled. Her demeanor brightened, and she poked Apricot in the chest as she approached her. “I knew you’d get hooked!” She chirped. “You want to borrow some of my past editions?”
Apricot shook her head. “Yeah, if you could, as many of them as you have. I got the latest one, and I couldn’t stop reading it. Did you read the one about the vampire club?” she asked Bonni.
“Yeah, I did. What a bizarre group of people. You know, I think I met those people once! I was auditioning for a movie.” Bonni’s voice trailed off as she left the room. Apricot glanced around the apartment. It wouldn’t take much to make the minimalist space look messy.
A few papers rested on the coffee table, and Apricot couldn’t resist taking a peek. She spotted a script for a play or movie, some bills, and a sci-fi book titled Robicon. As she glanced out the twin-pane windows, she marveled at the stunning view of the city. The reason behind Bonni’s choice of residence became apparent; despite the dreary building, the apartment itself was quite charming.
“Here we are,” Bonni announced, reappearing with a stack of magazines. “I’ve got more, but I figured this is plenty enough to keep you busy.” Apricot’s face broke into a wide grin.
She removed her backpack, placing it on the floor before carefully sliding each magazine inside and zipping it up. “You’re a lifesaver, Bonni,” Apricot declared, hoisting the now-heavy backpack onto her shoulders. She momentarily lost her balance before regaining her posture.
“Well, you know, I like to help,” Bonni replied nonchalantly. “So, you’re heading off to school?”
“Yeah, sadly I’ve got to,” Apricot informed Bonni, who nodded with a knowing smirk. “Have a good day, Bon Bon.”
Bonni embraced Apricot in a parting hug. “You too. We can talk later about the stories!” Apricot nodded in agreement before stepping out the door, ready to face the day and dive into her newfound fascination with the paranormal.
As Apricot sat in class, her attention waned from Miss Akagi’s lecture. Her thoughts instead wandered to the Kinjo noble, whose actions seemed far from arbitrary. She surmised that if he believed the crisis was tied to these mysterious creatures, then perhaps all the nobles were aware of this connection. Their desperate attempts to conceal it began to make sense, but that only spawned more questions. If Chino Tokuma’s information was accurate, she needed to consider who this Urias character was and why he’d resort to eating people. She suddenly recalled Solenne mentioning something about that at the arcade the other day.
Apricot wondered what the nobles were capable of if they had knowingly designed the city as a sacrificial offering for some ritual. What did they have planned for the future? She concluded that her best course of action was to investigate the phantoms and continue as if that was her sole objective. Staying open-minded, yet focused, she reasoned that reducing the number of phantoms could stabilize her situation.
“Apricot,” Miss Akagi’s voice boomed, interrupting her thoughts. “What are the four tenets of journalism?”
“Seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable,” Apricot recited. Miss Akagi, seemingly impressed, gave a slow nod before resuming her lecture. A warm satisfaction washed over Apricot as she reveled in her small victory over her teacher. However, it felt almost trivial given the larger mysteries she faced.
The reaper weighed heavily on her mind. How would she find and communicate with him? What role did he play in all this, and how did she fit into the picture? His involvement seemed even more enigmatic than the Okabe’s. Apricot hoped for a chance encounter with the reaper on his terms, but for now, she had only fragments of information to follow. From this point forward, Eerie Truth’s Monthly would be her guide on the path to an uncertain end. An end that she hoped would be better than the limbo she currently found herself in.
After class, Apricot detoured towards the gym. Upon entering, she was greeted by familiar faces whose names she couldn’t quite recall. A friendly smile and wave seemed to suffice as a response. Heading to the aerobic equipment, she performed the stretches she’d learned in primary school. It had been a while since her competitive gymnastics and fencing days, but she felt it was best to be as prepared as possible for the dangerous journey ahead. Apricot spent several hours at the gym before gathering her belongings and making her way home, her resolve strengthened.
Tsungdung Street bustled with activity. The stretch of road, lined with markets, filled the air with the enticing aromas of various cuisines, making anyone’s mouth water. Deep in thought, Apricot glanced beside her to see a polished midnight cruiser gliding alongside her. The mirrored glass window rolled down, revealing a man in a black suit and sunglasses.
“Ma’am, I need you to step into the car,” the man ordered.
Apricot’s mind raced. Were these guys connected to Ji Li or Shiori? Regardless, she had no intention of getting into that car today. “I’m not,” she replied firmly.
“This is not a request,” the man said, producing a badge that read “Okabi Special Investigative Force #2044.” Apricot felt her chest tighten and a cold sweat forming. Reluctantly, she followed the man, who had stepped out of the car, into the back seat.
The leather seat seemed to envelop her as the door closed, and the cruiser continued to coast. Squished between two burly men, Apricot felt like a sardine in a can. The front passenger turned to her, addressing her by name. “I understand you were involved in the Ichigari Grocery incident.”
“Yes,” Apricot replied cautiously, aware that keeping a low profile was crucial.
The man continued his questioning, probing her about the biologicals, any strange visions, and whether her behavior had changed. Apricot lied, denying any anomalies. The man’s insincere tone and raised eyebrows indicated that he was searching for something more. He leaned in, asking if she had seen anything unusual on Ikijoji Street. His dark brown eyes bore into hers as he lowered his sunglasses.
Apricot tried to keep her composure as she mentioned her fall a few weeks ago. “Nothing other than that,” she said.
The man seemed unsatisfied. “Nothing out of the ordinary? You didn’t see any monsters, right?”
“Monsters? What do you mean by monsters?” Apricot felt her palms sweat as she mentioned the murders. “I saw nothing,” she added.
The atmosphere in the car grew tense. The man questioned her recent purchase of the Erie Truth’s Monthly and her attempt to buy a gun at Bullseye’s. Apricot realized that these men knew everything about her, and her breath grew shallow, her throat threatening to close up in fear.
As the interrogation continued, the man brought up her past hostage experience and Chino Tokuma’s visit. He warned her to stop her investigation, emphasizing that they were watching her every move. The gravity of the situation left Apricot feeling numb.
One moment she was in the back of an anonymous government car, and the next, she found herself standing on the bustling Tsungdung Street, her surroundings a blur. The familiar smells and sounds faded as she held her phone to her ear.
“Hello,” a gruff male voice answered.
“Arjun, are you off duty?” Apricot’s voice quivered.
“Apricot?” Arjun’s concern was evident in his trembling voice.
“Come get me now, please,” she sniffled, feeling more vulnerable than ever.
Lady Kyo gazed from the private balcony of the crowded theater, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. “Isn’t it beautiful?” she exclaimed, cradling the red Azoth in her hand as it stared back at her with its crimson eye, rolling from side to side. “My baby… a new world will be born for you,” she whispered tenderly.
Seated across from her, an elderly gentleman dressed in expensive fatigues watched her with a guarded expression. Several people in black suits surrounded the two, their arms folded protectively.
Kyo’s thoughts were consumed by the Azoth, drowning out the melodious voice of an opera singer below. She showed the jewel to the man beside her. “I believe you are now the master of the Okabe family. Given these circumstances, I doubt anyone would object to your ascendancy. Tell me, what have you planned for your newly acquired position?”
Her attention remained fixed on the jewel, ignoring the man’s questions. “Tell me, Hegia, how long have our ancestors been seeking this? How do you interpret it? Take a look around you. We are the privileged few who can truly appreciate it. A sense of calm. Observe her down there.” Kyo shifted her attention to the opera singer. “Young, brilliant, and beautiful. What does her talent mean to you?”
Hegia smirked, a glint of arrogance in his eyes. “I suppose you will tell me?”
“No. Not at all. It doesn’t matter. All things considered, it won’t save her.” Kyo glanced at Hegia, her eyes cold and calculating. “To answer your question, does it matter if I tell you? It won’t make a difference to you anyway.”
Hegia stiffened, raising a hand to adjust his collar. “Lady Kyo?”
“The new world needs none of us. It only needs a mother, and she too can die in labor.” Kyo’s voice was laced with a chilling certainty. Hegia’s discomfort was evident in his shifting posture and the nervous swallowing that followed. “All the people in this room are already dead. They just aren’t aware of it yet. The coming age will sacrifice all of us. Just like the previous worlds did. What power do I have then?”
“You envision a new world left to be decided by chance? Who will guide this new world if the nobility is absent?” Hegia challenged.
Lady Kyo chuckled. “You disappoint me, Hegia. There is always order out of chaos.”
“The hidden hand guides in that chaos,” Hegia retorted.
“Foolish Hegia, the hidden hand has never been the nobility. We simply serve at his pleasure.” As the singer’s song concluded, the audience erupted into applause. In that moment, Hegia felt a burning sting across his neck and looked up to see an agent holding a bloody knife. “Goodbye, Hegia.” Kyo stood, and an agent draped a black fur cloak around her shoulders.
As the applause died down, Lady Kyo glanced at Hegia, his body giving its final shudders. “You are not a worthy sacrifice. We both know what you were after. Hegia, you were the last traitor. You planned to kill me tonight. It wouldn’t be right to throw me off the balcony to save the world. Regardless, the world would be doomed. You have benefited from our work for centuries. Hegia, how old are you? How many lives have prolonged yours? Sadly, the praetorian guard has been slain with you. As you spend your last moments, please appreciate this.” With those final words, she watched as Hegia closed his eyes for the last time.
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