Seiho nodded. “I woke up early in the morning, half confused about where I was. I kept seeing shadows in the corners and I thought we were both dead and crossed over.” He took a long breath. “I guess my time in the other side will haunt me forever. It’s always dark there, you know? It looks like a forest, but the trees are just shadows and there’s a cold, white mist floating through them.”
“Ghosts?” Nagisa whispered.
“Yeah. They never talked to me. Couldn’t approach because of the barricade and they probably saw me as an intruder since I was alive. I felt so lonely,” he said, his lips trembling.
“You won’t be alone anymore.” Nagisa rubbed the pads of his fingers over Seiho’s wrist.
“There are no words for how grateful I am to you. Thank you for returning and for saving me…”
“That goes on my list of awesome achievements.” Nagisa gave a proud thumbs up.
Seiho stared at his hand, confused. “What does that sign mean?”
“Approval. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you everything, including obscene signs.”
Seiho snickered and the gloom that had descended over them lifted up. But a single, sad thought struck Nagisa. He hadn’t seen the purple glint in Seiho’s eyes at all since they left Mount Osore and he wasn’t going to ever see it again because they were about leave this place behind for good. Nagisa would miss it, but Seiho’s safety was more important.
He couldn’t help but wonder if there were any jobs suited for Seiho’s abilities to see ghosts and cast protective spells. With a bit of research on the internet, Nagisa was sure he could find something.
After lunch they headed to the bus station, hands entwined and Nagisa explained the best he could how buses and other means of transportation worked. A plane crossed the sky as they waited in the station and Seiho looked up in awe.
“Am I allowed in one of those?” he asked.
“Once we get your papers in order, yes.”
“Papers. That will be complicated, won’t it?”
“Probably, but I’ll figure it out.”
“What direction did we come from?”
Nagisa pointed to their left. “That road leads to Mount Osore and well, to where the castle was.”
Seiho gazed in the distance and Nagisa wondered what he felt and whether he could see anything. Spirits, maybe the gates or simply his former life, a life he’d lived trapped with a monster for centuries.
The bus arrived and Nagisa gently pulled at Seiho’s hand. “Shall we?”
“Yeah,” Seiho said, turning back to him.
During the two hours trip to Aomori city, Seiho marveled at the speed of the bus and the other cars on the road. The amount of new buildings of all kinds surprised him, especially the blocks of apartments which he’d called “cramped castles.”
“Why?” Nagisa laughed.
“Because they’re tall like castles, but packed full of small rooms.”
“You’re gonna have a lot of fun in this modern world.”
“I hope so.” Seiho smiled.
When they reached Aomori city, Nagisa stopped to buy Seiho a phone.
“This is a device used for many things, but mostly to call people who are far away from you.”
“I figured. You spoke with your friends through it.”
Nagisa nodded, then pulled Seiho close and snapped a picture with the phone. He checked it and grinned, satisfied. It was clear. No distortion or white spots.
“That is very strange,” Seiho said, staring at the picture. “It’s like a painting, but a lot more detailed.”