The Red Hand

 

A few days later, Kana had just gotten off school and headed into the house to speak to her sister. Yumi told her she was in one of the side dens, so Kana decided to pop in. As she walked down the hallway and neared the room Akagi was in, she could hear Akagi seemingly speaking to herself.

"It looks like everything is working as intended." (Akagi)

"Yeah, though, still its kinda freaky." (Akagi)

"Definitely something I'd ever expected to see." (Akagi)

"Should we try more?" (Akagi)

"Nah, I think this is the most we can do at the moment." (Akagi)

"Yeah, I figured." (Akagi)

Kana was confused about this conversation and decided to open the door. When she did, she was greeted by two Akagi's sitting across from one another at a small floor table.

"Hey Kana" (Akagi 1)

"How was school?" (Akagi 2)

"Uh.... what?" Kana looked back and forth between the two Akagi's with confusion. "Why are there two of you?

"There's not two of me." (Akagi 2)

"Yeah, I can't copy myself." (Akagi 1)

Kana was understandably confused, and the two Akagi's knew this.

"I guess having 180 IQ doesn't make her a know it all." Akagi 2 chuckled.

"Now, now. Don't pick on her just because she's a bit slow." Akagi 1 snickered.

"I don't need this." Kana sat down at the table and put her head in her hands. "Please just tell me what you're doing." Seeing she was dejected, both Akagi's began to pat her head.

"There, there." (Akagi 2)

"Do you remember how during my fight with Hishya I created those other bodies?" Akagi 1 asked.

"Yeah, you made two, I think," Kana said with her head on the table.

"Those copies were just extensions of me since I can create bodies made out of shadow to use." Akagi 2 smiled.

"And that's what this is?" Kana asked.

"Not quite." Akagi 1 said. "In the case of the bodies you saw before, they were really inefficient and were kinda hard to control. They were useful, don't get me wrong. But it was wonky and little more than a gimmick."

"However." Akagi 2 chimed in. "This time, with the extra power I unlocked, I managed to create two identical bodies with no issues. Each contains 100% of my consciousness, and I am in full control of each. To the point that I am both here and there simultaneously." She smiled. It was tricky to get it right, but Akagi had succeeded on of her little pet projects.

"So, you're just controlling two bodies instead of one?" Kana sat up. "That sounds like it shouldn't work."

"For a human like you, it wouldn't since you can't exactly split yourself into a bunch of different parts." Akagi 2 answered. "But since my real body is effectively a living mass of energy, controlling two vessels instead of one is possible. Though it takes quite a bit of energy to do so." Akagi's existence was a strange one, Mizumi originally thought this wouldn't work and was surprised when it did.

"How does that even feel?" Kana asked. "You have two different sets of information coming in from those bodies. How are you even able to concentrate enough to do anything?"

"The technical stuff goes above me." Akagi 1 admitted. "However, it feels normal."

"Yeah, it's really hard to explain." Akagi 2 scrunched her face in thought. "The best way I can describe it is like I'm controlling two puppets with their own feedback." 

Kana didn't think this was a good enough explanation, but Akagi really couldn't explain it in a way she would understand.

"Sorry, but it's not something you can explain to a mortal or at least a being that lacks the ability to split consciousness." Akagi 2 sighed. "But I can say this, it's not like I'm getting bombarded with information or experiencing overlapping vision or other senses. Since each body has my full consciousness, it simply feels like I'm in this body while also being in that one." She shrugged. "My advice, just don't think about it. Even you would probably get a headache trying to wrap your head around it."

"Feels kind of nice to say I can understand something Kana doesn't!" Akagi 1 laughed.

Kana just rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess the explanation doesn't matter." Kana decided to drop the subject. "So my next question is why? Why did you do something like this? Please tell me it will be normal to see two of you around. I know that will only mean twice the torment coming at me." Kana really didn't want that.

"Nah," Akagi 1 said. "This is more just something to goof around with. Using it full time is kinda pointless." At first she thought perhaps this would allow her to sleep and do work, but she quickly realized that wouldn't work. In order to sleep she'd need to go into her semi-conscious state which didn't allow for another body to keep working. She could just have one body lay in bed and pretend to sleep. But Akagi didn't like that. "But don't worry, I don't need more bodies to increase the torment I inflict upon you." She winked.

{Great...} Kana sighed.

"As for why." Akagi 2 continued. "I just wanted to try it out, I guess?" She shrugged. "I haven't really just kind of played with my powers since I got back from FWO, so I wanted to mess with them a bit. I figured seeing if I could run two bodies at once would be kinda cool. I once saw an anime where the MC had two bodies and thought it would be neat to try it out for myself."

 

"I guess that makes sense," Kana said. "I mean, with your abilities, I imagine you can do all sorts of things." Kana actually didn't know the full depth of Akagi's abilities, but at this point little could truly surprise her.

"Staying like this full time would be a unique experience." Akagi 1 said. "But I think, for now, I'll reserve this for playtime."

Kana chatted for a bit more with the (two?) Akagi's before they moved on and wanted to try something else out.

"Hmmm." Akagi 1 mused. "What should we do next?"

"Well..... "Akagi 2 thought for a moment, before pulling the other Akagi over to her and whispered something into her ear.

"Oh, yeah, we should probably deal with that." Akagi 1 agreed with whatever Akagi 2 said.

"What was the point in whispering in your ear? You're the same person!" Kana was exasperated.

"Because I wanted to." Akagi 2 shrugged. "I just thought it would be funny." Akagi 2 snapped her fingers, and Akagi 1 disappeared into a black puff of smoke.

"Now then, if you have a moment. I have something to show and discuss with you." Akagi stood up and looked at Kana.

"Yeah, that's fine." Kana stood up with a worried look on her face. "Every time you want to talk, it's never something good though." She sighed.

"Yeah, well, sorry." Akagi scratched her cheek in embarrassment. "But, I decided to be a bit more open with you about things, and well....."

"It's fine," Kana said. "I said you don't need to hide things from me, and I'm glad you feel comfortable sharing with me." Kana gave a small smile, which caused Akagi to do the same.

"Alright then." Akagi stuck out her hand, and a black swirling portal appeared. "Shall we?" Akagi grabbed her sister's arm and pulled her inside along with her.

"Wait! Where are we... going...." Kana didn't even have a chance to resist before she was pulled inside. "Where are we?" She said, annoyed. Around her was nothing but swirling darkness in all directions. It was disorienting at first, but Kana noticed that a light source seemed to be behind her as she was casting a long shadow. Akagi let her go and motioned for her to turn around, and what she saw shocked and confused her. Floating in the air several hundred feet in front of her was a giant glowing white ball with numerous dark cracks running its length. It shone brightly and was seemingly the only source of light in the dark abyss Akagi had brought her.

"Ok. I'll ask again." Kana took a deep breath. "Where are we? And what is that?!?" She pointed at the white orb while looking at her sister.

"That," Akagi pointed at it. "Would be me." Akagi gave a wry smile. "What you are seeing is my soul."

"Y-your soul?!?" Kana was taken aback. "That's your soul! Why can I even see it, and again where are we!" She really wanted the answer to that.

"I took you inside of me." Akagi looked at Kana, whose face told her that wasn't a great answer. "Recall that I said I can take people into my shadow. Well, that's what I just did. We are currently within my body." 

Kana's eyelids drooped slightly as if she wanted to say something, but chose to hold her tongue. "Anyway, if we're inside you, then how are you standing in front of me?" It was a reasonable question.

"The same reason you can see me in the outside world." Akagi replied. "I'm projecting an image here for you to interact with. See." Akagi allowed her form to dissipate before Kana's eyes, and her voice came from the very darkness itself. "I don't actually need to have that body to talk with you. But I figured speaking to the literal void wouldn't really make you happy." Akagi reformed in front of her sister a few moments later.

"Yeah, I would appreciate it if you didn't do that. Its already strange speaking to you when your a shadow blob, but hearing your voice come from nowhere is even more creepy." Kana's arms had goosebumps. "That's like some horror movie-level stuff."

"And that's why I'm still using a body, and part of the reason I use one in the outside world. People tend to not like when the darkness itself speaks to them." Akagi had freaked enough people out with her antics and figured Kana and her friends wouldn't take it well. "Though it does make for good pranks."

"Ok, so why did you bring me in here? Why are you showing me your soul? And what are those cracks on it?" Kana had many questions.

"Because I want you to see me." Akagi said as turned towards her soul.

"See you?" Kana tilted her head, not understanding Akagi's words.

"Look at those cracks, Kana." Akagi pointed to them. "Look inside them for just a moment, and tell me what you see."

Kana did as she was asked. At first, she saw nothing. However, after nearly a minute of straining her eyes, she caught a glimpse of something moving within the crack. Refocusing her eyes, she caught sight of an orange eye in the darkness beyond the white light. The eye resembled Akagi's left eye. It stared back at her for a moment before a second eye appeared from the darkness. Kana felt a chill run down her spine, and her hair stood on end. She was so scared that she took half a step backward away from Akagi's soul.

"Wha-wha-what is that?!?" Kana asked her sister in a panic. "It-it stared at me. It-it wanted to-"

"Eat you." Akagi finished for her. "Yes, it would seem I do. And I can see why." She chuckled.

"What?" Kana was confused. "What do you mean? What's going on? What is that thing? What do you mean you want to eat me????" Kana fired off questions quickly as her body was high on adrenaline. She pulled Akagi by the collar and yelled while shaking her. "Answer me!"

"What you saw, what stared back at you. Was me, Kana." Akagi said with a serious expression.

"What do you mean! You're in front of me, or around me, or whatever." Kana couldn't be bothered to get the technicals correct. "How could that thing be you?!?"

"Please don't call me a thing, Kana." Akagi looked genuinely upset at that word. Kana for her part, calmed down when she saw Akagi's sad face, and she let her go.

"Sorry, I let myself get carried away." Kana apologized and let her go. "But please explain what's going on."

"It's understandable." Akagi turned away from her sister. "I'm not human, it's natural you'd be afraid of me." She continued. "Where to start." Akagi thought for a moment. "That white glowing part, the part giving off all that light. That is not actually my soul. It's the seal that's keeping me contained."

"Con-contained?" Kana repeated. "Is that what you mean when you said the real you was restrained? That you felt like there was another mask you were being forced to wear?" Kana recalled her sister's words from their prior conversations on the subject. "I didn't think you meant that literally."

"Yes," Akagi answered without looking at her. "And neither did I, at least until recently."

Kana looked back a the glowing white orb. The black cracks ran across its entire surface, and some sections had chunks taken out of them, like an egg that was partially cracked. The twin orange eyes still peered out, staring at her.

{In that vision, Onee-chan said mom had let her out. Is this what she meant? But why was Onee-chan sealed? Who did it? Why? And will the world be destroyed if she's let out?} Kana thought deeply about what Akagi said to her in the past as well as what she'd seen in that vision.

"You're sealed away because the real you is dangerous. Is that right?" Kana supposed. It made sense based on the vision and what she knew about her sister. "Because if you got out, then the world I saw in that vision would happen?" Kana looked at her sister's back. "Those cracks are because you're trying to get out, isn't it? Because you want to be free."

"Those cracks were made because the seal around my soul is weakening," Akagi said. "When I nearly killed you, the first real damage to them was done. Mizumi said the only reason they didn't fully break was because my subconscious desire to stay human won out and is now acting as a seal."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Kana figured her sister's retention of her humanity was something to be celebrated. "Even if you weren't born human, that means you still want to stay human, at least in mind right? So, everything good!" This should have been a happy thing. Right?

Akagi didn't immediately answer her sister's question. After a few moments, Akagi turned around, her face filled with tears. "No Kana. No, I don't want to be human anymore. I want to be whole."