Brave Story - Miyuki Miyabe [106]
“Of course, if you don’t go, your fate will never change. It might even get worse.”
Think about it—Mitsuru’s voice said. But Mitsuru was already gone.
For a while, Wataru sat on his knees, staring at the space where the other boy had been. Then something fell with a clink on the floor.
The pendant—the Traveler’s Mark. The silver plate, only about as large as his thumbnail, was shining. Wataru’s fingers had relaxed, dropping it to the floor.
As he stared, the plate gave off a sudden rainbow-colored light. It was so bright that Wataru had to shield his eyes.
And then from somewhere, a deep voice spoke.
“You have been chosen. Walk the true path.”
Wataru picked up the pendant and stood.
The gas stove was turned on full. Wataru turned it off and opened the door to the veranda. It was a hot, soupy night outside. The air hung like a mantle over the town. Yet the sweat on Wataru’s forehead wasn’t caused by the heat.
He put the pendant around his neck, and headed toward his mother’s bedroom. When he got to her closed door, he stopped.
I’m leaving, Mom, but I’ll be back. Wait for me.
I’m going to change my fate. I’m going to make it so Dad doesn’t do what he did, so you don’t have to hear those words, so that Rikako Tanaka woman never comes into our lives.
I’m going so our family can live in peace, the three of us.
I’m going to change my fate. Then he thought, No, I’m just going to take this tangled mess and set it straight. The way it was supposed to be.
Outside, Wataru walked beneath the summer night sky, taking a direct path toward the Daimatsu building. His sneakers kicked lightly at the asphalt. When he ran, he could feel the pendant swaying at his neck.
The Daimatsu building came into view. Draped in blue tarps, its silhouette seemed somehow more mysterious than it had ever been before—a giant street sign, its meaning known by only a select few, pointing the way to another world.
He went through the tarps in the usual place, crawling under until he was inside.
It was bright. Tiny particles of light flitted about, like countless fireflies. The particles stuck to Wataru’s body, and when he waved his arms, and stomped his feet, they danced in the air around him.
At the top of the staircase to nowhere, he saw it—the gate. White light ran in bands around its ancient form. Rays spilled out into the stairwell, making the steel rail almost too bright to look at.
Wataru climbed the staircase. One step at a time, each foot placed with utmost care, not once taking his eyes from the gate.
As he walked, his hands moved of their own accord, gripping the pendant at his neck.
Wataru stood before the gate, and the white light grew stronger. A band of rainbow-colored light circled counterclockwise along the edge of the door’s frame. The pendant in Wataru’s hand shimmered, as if in reply.
Slowly, the gates opened. The light pressed upon him. Wataru squinted, lifted his chin, and spread his arms wide, bathed in the light.
And then, he stepped through the gate.
Chapter 1
The Village of the Watchers
Wataru walked through brilliant light for an indeterminate time. Then, just like that, the light faded and he found himself in a deep forest. A cool breeze brushed across his cheek.
The forest grew thick with massive trees that seemed tall enough to touch the sky. He looked up until his neck became stiff, finally spotting a patch of blue sky peeking through the canopy far above.
There, in the middle of that sky, hung a golden sun.
Fwee! Fwoo!
Wataru heard something—like somebody blowing a whistle. He looked around, and then as quickly as he could, he spun on his heel. There was nobody in sight.
Fwee! Fwoo! Fulululu!
He heard the sound again, and then a bird with brilliant orange feathers came flying out of the bushes directly in front of him. It must’ve been that bird singing.
Wataru turned his attention back to the forest. He’d never seen woods so deep and vast. The thick-growing leaves and branches intertwined above his head, making everything pleasantly cool. Oddly enough, it wasn