Chapter 310: [62.1] Cyrus POV: The Creation of Reika
[Author's note: This chapter is from Cyrus's perspective.]
[Disclaimer: This chapter includes mention of child neglect, death, suicidality, and violence.]
I opened my eyes and found myself in a strange-looking hallway. The light was oddly bright, causing me to wince. When I looked up, I was amazed to see lights attached to the ceiling as if they were floating. The only noise in the hall was a faint buzz coming from the lights. As I stepped forward, I heard my shoes click on the surface of the tile. I bent down to feel it and was surprised to feel such strange material.
It's not wood or brick…
As I appreciated the strange ground, the air suddenly thickened with smoke. I raised my head in surprise to see a grey smoke crawling down the hall towards me.
Right. I can't forget why I came here today.
I started walking down the hallway, "Reika? Reika, are you in here?"
My feet suddenly stopped when a painting suddenly appeared on the wall. I stopped to glance at it since it was the only thing in the hall. My eyes widened when I realized the painting inside was moving.
"Huh?"
Interested, I leaned forward to better see it. In the portrait was a little girl smiling. She had shoulder-length black hair and dark eyes that were nearly as black as her pupils.
I tilted my head, "What is this?"
Suddenly the girl in the painting turned to me with a sly smile. Before I could react, her hands shot out, grabbing onto me and pulling me into the painting. I didn't even have time to scream in surprise as I was dragged in.
The next time I blinked, I was standing in a strange-looking room. It was plain and boring, with books on the shelf filled with strange symbols I couldn't read.
As I stared at those books trying to make sense of them, I heard something creak behind me and spun around towards the noise. I was shocked to see a young boy sitting at the desk, writing strange symbols on paper as he muttered to himself. His back was to me so I couldn't make out who he was.
I spoke firmly, "Oi. Who are you?"
The boy didn't answer.
My eyebrow twitched in irritation, "You're ignoring me?"
I reached out to flip around the boy to force him to face me. However, as soon as I touched him, my hand passed through him as if he was made out of air.
I stared at my hand in confusion, "What is this…"
An eerie tapping came from the window, bringing me out of my confusion. Both the boy and I jumped when we saw a smooshed face of a little girl on the window.
My eyes widened in understanding, "That's the girl from the painting."
The boy let out a sigh and stood up from his desk. He went to the window and slid it open, "Reika. Don't do that. You scared me."
My head snapped to him in surprise, "R-Reika?"
Did he really just say Reika?! But she…
She doesn't look like Reika…
Could it really be-
The little girl giggled and climbed inside the window, "Good! I wanted to scare you Baobao!"
The boy called Baobao sighed, "Reika. You're supposed to be studying right now. If mom and dad find you-"
"They won't!" She interrupted quickly, "I've been observing their patterns. They only check on us on the hour every hour. I still have about… 42 minutes until they get back!"
"You really did all that work just to figure out how to avoid studying!?"
She stuck out her tongue, "I hate studying!"
The corners of my lips twitched.
Yeah. That certainly seems like something the Reika I know would do.
He continued to scold her, "Reika. Mom and Dad just want us to study for our future. They are only doing this because they care. Plus, you're not allowed to climb over to my room from the roof, it's dangerous!"
She looked up at him with puppy dog eyes, "But-But… I just want to be with you, Baobao."
He chuckled and ruffled her hair, "You're such a naughty girl!"
She grinned and hugged him, "But big brother still loves me~"
I stared at the boy with a blank expression, "Big… Brother?"
Since I am here, it must mean that Reika allowed me inside.
She's always told me she's from another world, so these must be her memories.
This little girl must be her.
I hummed to myself, "...So this is her brother?"
He seems so responsible, unlike her…
But how come I never remember her talking about him?
Reika's brother returned to his desk and went back to studying. Reika followed him and peered over his shoulder, "Oppa. Why do you keep studying? Isn't it boring?"
He answered her patiently, "Mom and Dad want me to be a doctor, so I have to work hard. Plus, I need to maintain my spot as the top student. If I relax for even a moment, I know Park is going to take my spot."
She mumbled, "Park Oppa is such a meanie. I don't understand how you're friends with him."
"It's just friendly competition."
"But Park Oppa thinks he's better than you!"
Her brother laughed, "That's how he copes with stress. Don't take it too personally, Reika. You need to understand that everyone has their own circumstances."
"Circum-sentence?"
"Circum-stan-ces."
"Big word."
"It is."
"I'm going to tell Mum and Papa I learned a new word."
"They'll certainly be proud."
Reika hummed in boredom and trotted off to her brother's bed to lie down. She kicked her feet as she sang to herself. I went over to her and stared at her closely.
Reika as a child…
She's rather cute.
Her cheeks look so squishable.
And her voice…
I closed my eyes and felt myself smiling as I listened to her soft voice sing a nursery song.
Suddenly a shout came from next door, "REIKA! WHERE DID YOU GO!?"
Reika sat up with fright, "Oh no! They diverged from their pattern! To the trees!"
Her brother sighed, "Reika…"
Reika slid open the window and hopped out on the roof. Then she slid down the tiled roof and hopped midair to a tree. From next door, I could hear a woman shout, "YOU ARE GOING TO SNAP YOUR NECK!"
I was suddenly plunged into darkness and felt my body get thrown back out of the painting. The sudden movement was so disorienting, my eyes rolled in my head from the motion. Just as I thought I would be thrown back forever, another pair of hands grabbed my shoulder.
I was pulled back into another painting.
As soon as I recovered, my ears were assaulted by dozens of people talking all around me. It was so intense, I had to cover my ears just to avoid the splitting pain. Once it became more tolerable, I finally faced the people all around me.
They were all in strange clothes as they walked through me, like phantoms in a dream. I stared ahead and saw two people standing at a booth. Each one wearing strange clothes as they stood with their back to me. The little girl, who now looked a bit older, pointed at a stuffed animal, "I want the cat! Get it Baobao!"
"Okay."
He raised a strange wood contraption and hit a button. I flinched when I noticed a pellet fly from it and hit the animal, knocking it over. I blinked in confusion, "Magic?"
Reika jumped up in the air, "You did it! You did it!"
He grabbed the stuffed animal from the worker and handed it to Reika who hugged it close to her as she giggled. He smiled helplessly at her, "Okay. We have to go back now. Mom and Dad said we could only stay for an hour."
Reika looked at him with her puppy dog eyes, "B-But… We haven't even seen the fireworks yet. Can't we stay just a little while longer?"
"I'm sorry, but no. We are lucky they let us come just for a bit. If we stay out later, then we will be grounded for a month. You won't be allowed to play outside."
Reika suddenly burst out into tears, causing the boy to grow soft. He picked her up and rubbed her back, "Reika… Please don't cry."
"I-I-I want to see fireworks!"
"...I'm sorry Reika. I want to see it too, but we can't." He reluctantly walked away from the festival filled with people. As they climbed stairs in the cramped road between two houses, lights exploded behind him.
Reika pointed, "Look Baobao. Fireworks."
I turned with her brother to stare at those explosions. My mouth opened slightly in surprise.
They look familiar…
Does that mean that this entire time…
Reika has been-
Her brother smiled, "It's pretty, isn't it?"
She giggled, "I wish that I could make fireworks from my hands. Then I would be able to show Baobao all the time!"
He laughed, "Wouldn't that be wonderful? Unfortunately, humans can't produce fireworks from their skin. You have to buy them and set the fuse on fire."
She slapped his back, "You just wait! One day I will figure out how to do it!"
"I believe you."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Nekoru
Nekoru Hello~
The following chapters are extremely long, so I have to break them up into several parts... I am working hard to make sure Reika's story is told correctly, as I want to do her character justice...
I hope you enjoy it~
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