Chapter 2: The Knight of Scars part 6
"Until you decide to trust us, it's okay not to get too involved. If you ever need help, of course, we'll be here for you. But until then, you'll just be an acquaintance."
Kagari extended her right hand.
"I can also offer you services at the store, but... I don't think we have many things that would interest a high school student. It's an antique shop."
In her vision, the girl sitting on the floor suddenly raised her face. She had finished reading the illustrated book, placed it on the stack beside her, and gently rose from the floor. She then stood in front of the shelf and, with awkward movements, began to search for another book.
She reached for the top shelf. Standing on her tiptoes in her decorated socks, she couldn't reach the top shelf of the tall bookcase that almost reached the ceiling.
Aoi took the book that was at the tips of the girl's fingers.
The girl followed the thick storybook that Aoi had taken with an inert gaze. When their eyes met, Aoi offered her the book.
"Here, take it."
"........"
Although still expressionless, her eyes showed a slight surprise as she looked at the book and then at Aoi.
The girl didn't move for a while, which made Aoi think that she had made a mistake in choosing the book. But eventually, the girl timidly reached out and took the book.
Hugging the thick book along with her rabbit, the girl looked down. However, she didn't seem to ignore Aoi, as she didn't move from her spot for a while, which somehow made Aoi understand that she wasn't being rejected.
It took about two minutes before the girl sat back down and opened the book.
During that time, while remaining silent in front of the girl, Aoi felt the situation becoming uncomfortable and, to cover up the awkward "silence," looked at Kagari with a concerned smile.
"Hehe... I didn't know what to do."
"Thank you. This girl also appreciates it."
With a smile, Kagari expressed her gratitude. The girl was sitting on the carpet, absorbed in the new book Aoi had given her.
Observing her, the girl's inert expression seemed more like shyness.
Sure, here's the translation from Spanish to English:
---
"Ah... Is this girl also a... <fragment bearer>...?"
"Huh? Ah... yes, of course."
Surprised by Aoi's sudden question, Kagari hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Of course, this girl is also a <fragment bearer>. The fragment she possesses is called <The Index of Grand Guignol>."
Kagari replied.
"It's a kind of prophecy. In the future, when a great <bubble catastrophe> that turns into a fairy tale appears, a prophecy will appear in a nearby book. Then, a catastrophe related to the fairy tale or legend shown in that book will inevitably occur, and people close to or related to this girl will be caught up in it."
"Fairy tale?"
Aoi frowned at the unexpected word.
"Yes, the transformation into a fairy tale... Sometimes, <bubble catastrophes> take the form of 'fairy tales.' I've told you before that <bubbles> that emerge from a person's consciousness mix with their memories, nightmares, and madness, changing shape. This means that <foam catastrophes> generally manifest in a unique way for the affected person. For example, if someone is tormented by having killed someone, the <bubble> will mix with that memory and fear, and the ghost of the victim is likely to appear. But when the <bubble> is extremely large, its individuality is diluted due to the overwhelming amount of divine nightmares, approaching the 'archetypes' of stories... or so it seems. In those cases, the phenomena caused by <bubble catastrophes> resemble episodes of 'fairy tales' or 'legends.' They can be explicit or implicit, in various forms, but together they resemble a fairy tale. This is well-known empirically, but not well understood because there are few cases and little research on it... Do you understand what an 'archetype' is?"
"......"
Seeing Aoi's puzzled expression, Kagari explained.
"Well, an 'archetype' is a term from Jungian psychology. Fairy tales, legends, and myths often have similar stories in cultures that have no contact with each other geographically or culturally. For example, in the story of 'The Three Little Pigs,' the youngest brother usually succeeds. In stories like 'The Three,' where three mysterious objects are thrown to stop pursuers, similar stories are found in myths and legends around the world. Jungian psychology suggests that 'the human consciousness has common archetypes that are independent of culture' and calls these archetypes 'archetypes.' That is, the human mind has archetypes in the collective unconscious, and these archetypes are reflected in people's ideas, regardless of their culture or race. These ancient stories, like myths and fairy tales, are considered close to the archetypes due to their antiquity. Divine nightmares are considered close to the archetypes or large conglomerates of negative archetypes. That's why phenomena similar to fairy tales occur... though explaining this is complicated." (Note: I'm not sure what this part refers to, but the only thing I found was a story called "San mai no ofuda" (三まいのおふだ)? It translates literally as "The Three Amulets" and is one of the most popular folk tales among Japanese children).
He frowned in difficulty.
"Well, in short, this girl, Yumiko, has the ability to predict with her fragment the appearance of bubble catastrophes similar to fairy tales, indicating which fairy tale it will be. It's a fragment of her nightmare, in which her parents, transformed into inhuman shapes, read her picture books in incomprehensible words. That's why her fragment is <The Index of Grand Guignol>. It points to the fairy tale that will become the 'archetype' of the next nightmare."
As he spoke, Kagari touched the picture books lined up on the shelf.
"Well... this is part of our 'activities,' so it probably won't affect you."
Kagari turned to Aoi and smiled.
"I expect more normal things from you. Like taking care of Yukino, for example."
"Ah, yes..."
Surprised by the change of topic, Aoi responded in that manner.
"She is desperately trying to maintain herself in the face of the anomalies she has encountered. But it's a difficult way to live. She has other ways to live."
"That... yes, I agree."
Aoi nodded.
"Yes, I hope you can help her. For now, put aside the <Order of the Knights>."
"Yes."
Kagari nodded at Aoi's response. Aoi sincerely thought he could cooperate in this.
"Thank you."
"Yes."
Both slightly bowed their heads.
Aoi felt relieved. At first, he didn't know what to expect, but the conclusion was relatively calm. Although he had many concerns, it was much better than the worst expectations he had had when brought here. Maybe it was just the prelude before being convinced, but for now, he wasn't being forced to join immediately.
Aoi breathed a sigh of relief.
But then.
Suddenly, the girl sitting on the floor raised her head and looked at Aoi like a cat.
And at that moment, bam!
A heavy sound, like a blow to the heart, echoed from the shelf behind Aoi, and a thick book fell to the floor.
".................................."
An ominous silence filled the room.
No one said a word. Everyone looked expressionlessly and tensely at the empty space on the shelf where a single book was missing.
From the row of perfectly aligned green fairy tales, only one had fallen. It couldn't have fallen by itself. It was placed next to the others without any anomaly.
However, it fell.
A dark space the size of a book remained open between the other books.
As if an invisible hand had pulled the book from there.
Or as if something behind the shelf had pushed that book.
".................."
The fallen fairy tale book on the floor.
And in the cold air, without even the sound of breathing, the three of them stared at that fallen book, and then, it happened.
With a faint sound, the heavy cover of the book opened without anyone touching it.
"...... !"
At the moment everyone held their breath, the pages started to turn one after another as if blown by the wind, first slowly, then faster, until the pages began to move rapidly.
The noise of the rapidly turning pages echoed in the windless room, and finally, it abruptly stopped on a specific page.
And then, Aoi saw it.
On the open page, white fingers like those of a corpse peeked out from beneath the page.
Four thin, pale fingers like those of a dead person were sticking out from under the page, stopping it.
"..............................!!"
A horrible chill ran down his skin.
The thin, white fingers slowly moved before the eyes of the three, released the page they were holding, and slipped back into the book. When the fingers completely disappeared, the page gently closed, leaving no trace of its opening.
An uncomfortable silence descended upon the room.
Kagari's usual expression tensed, and the girl hugged herself, trembling without expression.
"... I'm sorry. Shirano-kun."
Kagari said quietly.
"I'm afraid I can't leave you out of this."
On the floor, the open book displayed a single page with the title of a fairy tale in elegant letters next to an illustration.
'Cinderella.'
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