CHAPTER 27
When Stars don’t align, the past might converge
The day was bright and sunny, and a handful of university students took advantage of the weather to be outside. Down by the shore, a light breeze wafted from the lake, giving a refreshing chill to the warmth of the sun.
Despite blue skies for everyone else, there was a dark little cloud hanging over Pike’s head (though fortunately, not one formed of chaos). He sat with his knees drawn up to his chest, and he stared at nothing in particular. The breeze toyed with his hair as he tried to make sense of what his aunt had proposed the day before.
“Hear me out, kiddo, because I’ll need your help with this. When a luminescent-turned-Shade is destroyed, they leave behind a rift of chaotic energy. Where do you think that rift goes? A Shade’s entire existence is erased from the world. But if my theory is correct, the soul isn’t actually destroyed. Instead, it lives on—and needs to end up somewhere. I have a feeling that particular somewhere is the chaotic realm.
“If I’m correct, we can use an occult ritual to pull a soul back into the real world and then purge their chaos with our luminescence, returning them to their former state. That’s how we will bring back Soren. We’ll do this tomorrow night.”
It was an insane plan. Deep down, Pike knew that this wasn’t something that they should follow through with. But at the same time, this was Aunt Sheila he was questioning. When it came to the fields of luminescence and chaos, her credentials were second to none.
He took a moment to think it through. The chaotic realm was something that had been speculated among the Stars, but no one really talked about it seriously. Even Sheila barely mentioned it in Lumi 101. She merely cited the textbook’s explanation that modern theory suggested the so-called rifts left behind by destroyed Shades were just masses of chaotic energy in a dormant state. And as such, a Star needed to do away with it to prevent additional trouble—a process they deemed sealing. Likely a misnomer that took root a long time ago.
As far as anyone was concerned, the chaotic realm was an urban legend. Among the times he had heard it brought up, only Professor Belle had seemed willing to drop the jokes about its intrigue.
But the realm could still exist. And if that were true…
His thoughts were becoming a whirl. Maybe she saw something he didn’t? Was her crazy plan not so crazy after all? Thinking about it only made his dark little cloud darker, causing a fog with the blur of thoughts running about his head. Trying to think this through wasn’t making him feel any better at all.
“Hey Pike.”
Pike looked up to see who was taking a seat next to him, then turned his face forward again. “Hey Minz.”
Mindie folded her legs to the side, right knee over her left as she settled in. “I got your message. What’s up?”
It took a moment for Pike to put his thoughts in order again. Leaving out all the needless speculation, he summarized what happened after Mindie had left High Tower. Those emerald green eyes went wide with horror as he got to the part about occult rituals, and they transitioned to full-on leering by the time he was done.
“That’s absolutely insane!”
“I think so too…” Pike hesitated, his hands fidgeting a bit as he stretched his legs out in front of him. “But maybe it’ll work? Tita Sheila has been studying and researching luminescent and chaotic energy for years. If she says so, then maybe it’s possible.”
Mindie wasn’t convinced. “Pike, you can’t be serious. Not to knock on her work in the field, but you’d think that in the generations upon generations of people using luminescence, someone would’ve figured out how to do that way before your aunt.”
“Even so!” he retorted reflexively. But without a cohesive thought to follow it.
Even so, what? Even so, he believed what she was doing was right? He wanted to help her with an idea that he and Mindie both thought was crazy? No matter how he justified it to himself, Pike couldn’t bring himself to be fully onboard with something as suspicious as what Sheila herself dubbed an occult ritual. He could feel Mindie’s eyes probing him for an answer, expecting him to refuse his aunt’s proposal.
“Even so,” he said slowly, clutching his hands together in his lap. “Tita She is going to go through with it. And I’d… I’d rather be there than have her try this crazy idea by herself.”
Mindie simply continued to stare at him in disbelief, but Pike had said his peace. Though saying it out loud didn’t make him feel any better about the situation he found himself in. Inhaling deeply, he pushed himself up off the ground and stood up, wiping the grass stains on his jeans.
“Anyway, sorry to dump that on you.” He shot a resigned smile at his partner, who was also rising to her feet. “Thanks for hearing me out. It’s not like I’m expecting you to accompany me, and well… I don’t blame you either.”
“Don’t be a butthead. You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.” Her tone was blunt and clear, and Pike felt his guilt creep in at the assurance.
She turned to face him. “Anyway. If that’s what she’s planning to do, we should probably tell my mom—”
“NO!”
Mindie recoiled in shock. “Why not?!”
“Just…” The memory of another of Sheila’s requests rushed back through his mind.
“I’d rather you didn’t tell Mindie about this unless you’re sure she’d want to help. But you absolutely can’t tell her mom. She’ll only get in the way.”
He couldn’t piece together a reason or excuse. The nature of Sheila’s occult ritual plan was skeptical at best. It made complete, undeniable sense for someone of equal luminescent caliber to the former Superstar to be present. And because she was both the current top-ranked Superstar and knew Sheila on a personal level, Chiaki Tachibana-Callahan was a no-brainer. If anything went wrong, and Sheila was too occupied to deal with it, he doubted the combined force of two base-level luminescents would overcome the issue.
But Pike couldn’t get himself to agree. If Chiaki’s presence inhibited the plan, and the plan was something his aunt knew would work… If the result was saving a luminescent soul from the chaotic realm…
“It’s just, well…”
Mindie waited for a complete answer, but no other words would follow. When that became apparent, she let out a sigh and scowled.
“…Fine. But I’m telling you now, I don’t like this one bit.”
Pike shrank away from her slightly, his eyes unable to meet hers. “…I’m sorry.”
Before her partner could fall into a complete state of woe, Mindie took him by the hand and gave him a small tug. “C’mon, let’s go to Lucky’s. I could use an iced tea. And I’ll let my sister know I won’t be home for dinner tonight.”
As they walked away from the lakeshore, Pike could feel his distress morph into frustration. How could art so easily imitate life? He had seen this exact scene so many times in anime and manga. A simple issue between two characters could have been avoided if one had just said something. It could have prevented a misunderstanding. It could have avoided dragging the plot for another few episodes. He had always hated the use of that storytelling method. What was so hard to say? Lousy characters.
Now, he was that lousy character. Whoever was writing his story could’ve used a lesson in storytelling. He didn’t approve of the thoughts that had been written into his mind that prevented him from speaking up.
He wanted Mindie to think this was the right course of action, but of course, she wouldn’t.
He didn’t want to lose his aunt in any way. Neither to the ritual going wrong, nor to the Luminescence Department detaining her on chaotic suspicion.
He was seeking closure for the past. And maybe a solution for the future.
All these thoughts that tumbled around in his head never found their way to his tongue. But he was used to internal battles like these. Most of the time it didn’t matter, and making a big deal out of it wasn’t worth anyone’s time. He believed taking on emotional burdens made him stronger in ways no one else could see. His personal problems were just that—personal. And he could weather them, for the most part, alone.
He didn’t expect Mindie to actually get involved. He just wanted to confide in her before taking on Sheila’s request for help. But he underestimated her trust in him. Now he felt guilty, as if he were somehow abusing that trust.
Indeed, in this case, he couldn’t help thinking this was the start of an issue that could’ve been avoided if he’d just said something.
=-=-=
Ciara used a taste-testing dish to scoop up a small portion of soup and drain it through the small opening between her lips. It wasn’t her favorite thing to cook, but miso soup was the first thing that came to mind when her father said he’d be working late again. This was also the easy-make version of it, so at least it wouldn’t take too long.
She heard the front door open and close. And a moment later, Chiaki was in the kitchen too. “Tadaima~ (I’m home~)”
“Okaeri nasai (Welcome back), Mama.” Both daughters had a tendency to adopt an accent when speaking their mother’s mother language. There was no way Ciara would call her mom Mama all cutesy-like when she spoke normally.
Chiaki craned her neck around her daughter’s shoulder and had a look at the pot. “Just miso tonight?”
“Yup. Dad said he’s working late at the office again and to go ahead without him. And Mindie said she and Pike are doing something tonight, so she’ll probably grab dinner elsewhere.”
“Is it a date?” Chiaki totally shipped it.
“No way in hell.” Ciara totally didn’t. The thought prompted an immediate scowl. Or maybe it was the miso’s aftertaste. Easy-make soup had its shortcomings. “She said Pike asked her to keep him company at High Tower. It sounds like Professor DeSanto is doing something that he thinks he can help her with.”
The bright smile on her mom’s face immediately darkened, but she didn’t see it. She just continued to stir the pot of soup, focusing her attention on her own annoyance. Ciara clicked her tongue in displeasure.
“Seriously, what’s up with that guy? Can’t he do anything by himself—” When she turned, Chiaki wasn’t there anymore. She blinked and looked around. “Mom?”
=-=-=
There were two picture frames on Chiaki’s desk in the bedroom. The first one was of her family—her husband, her, and her two daughters. It was a family picture during their vacation to a beach resort back in the East. Ciara was just starting to grow into womanhood, and Mindie was still very much a child. Sean hadn’t realized his body wasn’t the same one he had in university, or maybe he just didn’t care.
It was something Chiaki found comforting. She could look up from whatever work she took home and see the people most important in her life there beside her.
The other picture was the one she picked up—one of her, Sheila, and Soren in their prime as Superstars. Their formal dress was juxtaposed by their playful banter. As she recalled, just before the camera shuttered, she decided to throw an elbow around Soren in a headlock, which made Sheila recoil in shock. That was the moment captured by the camera. It was the day Soren became Chair of the Luminescence Department.
Her mind replayed the scene that so often haunted her sleep—facing off an enormous Shade with glowing purple eyes in the middle of Halo Ridge. Even now, she could recall his face so clearly.
Tormented. Furious. Unable to stop himself.
