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  Chapter 11: Detective

  Yuto walked ahead, occasionally throwing quick, assessing glances at Nagi.

  — Where are you taking me? — Nagi asked again, not speeding up.

  — You’ll see. A surprise is meant to stay a mystery, — Yuto replied calmly.

  (His calmness is annoying! Why is he so attached to me? And why am I even following him… what if he’s another “god,” like that dark entity?)

  Nagi suddenly stopped. Fear twisted his face, though his eyes were still hidden in the shadow of his hood.

  — Why should I trust you? I don’t even know you.

  Yuto stepped closer and lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper.

  — I’m conducting a very important investigation. Please, trust me. I’m not who you think I am.

  They passed through city blocks and began climbing a tall cliff from which the metropolis spread out like a sea of lights below. Against the glow, Yuto was nothing more than a silhouette.

  — What do you want from me? — Nagi asked, staring at the scattered lights beneath them.

  Yuto dropped onto the grass and pulled a crumpled photograph from his pocket.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  — This fell out of your pocket when you were heading into the café. Where is this from? There aren’t any villages marked on our maps within hundreds of kilometers.

  He handed the photo to Nagi. On it were his real family: his father, mother, and little Hina — still so small.

  (It’s them… My real family. The ones who are already dead in this world.)

  — Just answer me. Your honest answer will shed light on a lot of my questions, — Yuto said, hands in his pockets, waiting.

  — It’s an old photo, — Nagi lied, trying to keep his voice steady. — That’s my grandmother and grandfather.

  — They look awfully young to be grandparents, — Yuto narrowed his eyes. — You’re lying to me, aren’t you?

  Nagi snatched the photo back and shoved it into his pocket.

  — Why do you care?! Why are you so obsessed with this picture?!

  Yuto didn’t answer. He tilted his head back, watching the cold shimmer of the stars.

  — One night, in an empty alley, I saw a strange black entity. It stood completely still, and in its hand floated a large black sheet covered in strange symbols. After that, the world started changing. Things became… different.

  (He’s talking about HIM? So Yuto noticed the system “bugs” too?)

  — Him? I saw him too. It wasn’t a hallucination, — Nagi admitted before he could stop himself.

  Yuto suddenly jumped to his feet. His eyes burned with feverish excitement. He grabbed Nagi by the shoulders and shook him.

  — Finally! Someone who doesn’t think I’m insane!

  (He still doesn’t understand what he’s gotten himself into… But how could the Creator be careless enough to let himself be seen?)

  Yuto pulled out a scrap of paper with a phone number scribbled on it.

  — Let’s meet later. We need to talk about everything. Seriously talk.

  Nagi nodded and took the paper.

  (Maybe… maybe we really can defeat Him together?)

  Nagi waved goodbye and ran toward home. Yuto watched him for a long moment and sighed heavily.

  (If this isn’t just my brain making things up, then what is it? A monster? An alien?) — Yuto quickly jotted down a note in his notebook.

  Nagi carefully opened the door to his apartment. On the couch sat Hina — the older version from this timeline — lazily stroking a cat.

  — You were gone for a while, Nagi. Where were you? — she asked without looking up.

  — You wouldn’t understand anyway, — Nagi muttered as he walked past.

  He locked himself in his room and collapsed onto the bed. Sleep claimed him instantly.

  {His parents were on the night shift again, so the apartment was filled with an uneasy silence.}

  The Creator sat in his observatory, sipping tea from a thin porcelain cup. The stars beyond the glass shone unnaturally bright.

  — A wonderful night. I didn’t think this panel could render such PERFECT constellations, — he said into the emptiness.

  He summoned the file titled “Logs” and began typing quickly:

  |Today, no deviations. All objects are following their assigned algorithms. Even Object No. 43 has calmed down and is behaving properly. I assume his previous words were merely coincidence or a minor lie. The weather is flawless. I like these stars. It seems nature, under my hand, turns out far more perfect than people.|

  He shut off the panel, but in the darkness of the observatory, his white eyes continued to glow.

  — But I’m still not completely sure about you, Forty-Three…