Yumix; Unveiled

CHAPTER 2

Hiroki jolted awake, a sense of unease clinging to him. His eyes flickered open, disoriented. He blinked hard, trying to focus.

In the aftermath of his disturbing dreams, Hiroki woke up abruptly. For a moment, he felt a surge of panic. He blinked hard, trying to focus. He realized he was in a comfortable bed, and that the pain he had felt earlier was gone, which eased his panic.

The room around him felt ancient. Walls were made of strong planks, wooden beams, candle-lit chandelier, as if it was from a distant past. He tried to sit up, but his body felt weak, and his thoughts were muddled.

He groaned and forced himself to stand despite his tired legs.

"Why am I here? What was I doing?.. Why is my memory so foggy?"

Until a voice cut through his confusion.

"You finally awake, huh? You have been sleeping for a while."

Hiroki turned to see a woman standing in the doorway, watching him. She looked young, maybe mid-twenties, with a bit mix of concern and relief in her gaze.

"W-Who are you?" he said, and continued, "Was it you who brought me here?"

She smirked slightly. "I'm the one who brought you to this room."

Hiroki blinked, trying to make sense of it. "W-Why? What happened?"

"You don’t remember?". Nao crossed her arms, her tone casual but also laced with curiosity. "You were in pretty bad shape when we found you. It wasn’t easy getting you here alive."

"I... don’t remember this much," he admitted, his voice showing some frustration. "Just... bits."

"Makes sense," the woman replied, then resumed, "While you were asleep, you looked like you were really struggling. Some nightmares?"

"Nightmares...?" He was confused by her words. "That’s... odd."

She raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his calmness. "You don't seem embarrassed.. Interesting. Anyway, you should be good now hopefully. What’s your name, boy?"

"My name? It's... uh..." Hiroki hesitated, his thoughts in disarray.

“Oh, can’t I remember my name too? There are so many things missing from my head, my name… haven’t I ever heard someone call me… H-Hiroki?”

He responded to her. "I think... It’s Hiroki... Hiroki Kurogane."

"You think?" she pressed. "Anything else? Your family? Where did you come from?"

Hiroki's body language revealed his uncertainty and lack of information.

The woman noticed his unease and softened her tone. "Hey, don’t focus too much about it. For now, just rest. We’ll sort it out once things settle down."

"But... what happened? What’s going on exactly?" Hiroki pressed her after he felt something was off.

Her expressions darkened, her tone growing serious. "Well, a lot of things happened. We heard a big explosion sound from outside... It tore through the area near the village. We called local guards and rushed to help, but... by the time we got there, it was chaos. People were hurt badly. There are numerous critical injuries. And... Nineteen people did not survive."

"Nineteen?!" Hiroki was terrified; his voice was trembling. "W-What on earth led to this?"

"No one knows. Those who survived barely remember what happened. A few only... who saw something, but they're not talking. Some even went mad after trying to recall it."

Sensing his frustration, she stepped closer. "Just don't worry, you're in a safe place now, and we'll proceed with our responsibilities for this."

Hiroki lowered his head, trying to settle this mess swirling in his mind. "By the way... where am I? What's the name of the village?" He asked.

The woman glanced at him surprised. "You don’t know? This is Jiika. It’s on the borders of Yumix."

As soon as he heard these words, Hiroki froze. That name hit him like a shockwave. "Yumix...? Didn't I hear these words before? But where exactly? Why does it sound so familiar...? This is definitely significant!"

She noticed the change in his expression and narrowed her eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I’m fine. Just... a bit tired, I guess." He said, shaking the unease away.

She didn’t seem convinced but nodded slowly. "I see.. You should get some rest. You’ve been through enough for now."

"Yeah, maybe you’re right." he forced a smile. He lay back, his body exhausted, but his mind refused to settle.

While he was walking towards the bed, he stopped for a moment,

"Wait," he called out, turning back to the woman who was about to leave the room. "Uh.. May I know your name?"

She paused at the door, glancing over her shoulder with a faint smile. "Oh, me? I'm Nao Yamamoto. You can just call me Nao."

Without another word, she slipped out of the room. Hiroki stood there for a moment, processing everything about Yumix and the explosion...

Finally, he sat on the edge of the bed, resting his hand on his face, his fingers tracing his forehead.

"From what I can gather now, it seems like there was a reason behind everything happening. I still haven’t figured out what caused the explosion, but… why can’t I remember? Anyway, I think I’ll find some answers tomorrow… or so I hope."

He stretched out on the bed to ease his thoughts for now...