A girl with short hair walked by the other side of a window.

Asai Kei whipped his head in her direction, thinking the girl to be Souma Sumire. But she didn’t look anything like Souma. Even from behind, her height, the shape of her ears, the way she walked, everything was different. The only similar factor was her haircut.

It was mid-September, and summer was finally coming to an end. The girl Kei ended up watching had a jovial bounce in her step as she headed down the street corner. Something good must have happened to her. Kei ruminated on what that might have been as he drank his coffee. The hot coffee he had ordered was still somewhat out of season.

“I’ll cut to the chase.”

Kei turned his attention back into the coffee shop towards the hushed, feminine voice. A woman in a black suit sat across from him. She looked to be around her late twenties, and wore minimal makeup with no jewelry. Her actions all looked carefully coordinated, as if she was trying her hardest to remain out of the public eye.

She was The Index. Of course, that wasn’t her real name. Kei didn’t know her real name. What he did know was that she was a member of the Administration Bureau, and the sole person responsible for managing the vast libraries of information on Sakurada’s abilities.

The Index continued, sounding as stiff and clean as an automated voice message. “The Administration Bureau has accepted your request. You will be allowed to officially investigate her abilities utilizing your role as a member of the Service Club.”

Kei stared intently into The Index’s eyes. He almost thought he could see a hint of confusion in them, but perhaps that was just his own reflection looking back at him.

I didn’t expect getting permission to be that easy.

Asai Kei had reached out to The Index a mere three days prior. He made contact because he wanted to try and get some information on a particular woman’s ability. The Index’s response at the time wasn’t particularly positive. She said she would ask the higher-ups about it, but her tone indicated that getting what he wanted wasn’t likely. He was already planning a secondary strategy to get his information, but then The Index contacted him, and just like that, he had permission.

Things turned out so well it was actually somewhat unsettling. Kei hadn’t the slightest idea what the Bureau was up to, but he certainly had nothing to complain about, so he lightly bowed his head. “Thank you very much for granting my selfish request.”

The Index shook her head. “This was not done for your sake. The Administration Bureau has been searching for a way to investigate her ability regardless. Your ability just so happens to be perfect for spotting the differences.”

Kei repeated The Index’s words. “Spotting the differences…”

Considering the ability in question, the phrasing was quite appropriate.

There was a woman in Sakurada who remained in an everlasting sleep. She had been having a singular extended dream. Her ability allowed her to freely craft her dream, even to the point of allowing others inside. It had been described to Kei as “creating a virtual reality within her dream.”

In short, the woman had created a one-to-one replica of the real world from within her dream.

“You are going to reset, and then enter into her dream. From there, you will live out the following days exactly as you had in the real world. You will look into what parts are the same, and what parts are different. Upon finding any differences, you are to investigate why those differences exist.”

So, he was playing spot the difference. But this game took place over two entire worlds.

Kei nodded. “Understood. Will we be starting immediately?”

“No. Her hospital room is special, so it will take some time to work through the formalities. We have received approval from the department, but still need to pay attention to the proceedings.”

Once again, Kei repeated The Index’s words back to her. “The proceedings?”

Kei found that repetition allowed for extremely efficient conversations. Most of the time he avoided efficiency in conversation, but as a high schooler, he was better off keeping things brief with the Administration Bureau.

The Index lowered her gaze, annoyance flashing in her eyes. “To put it another way, we need to create a list of precautions for possible issues as well as a guide for countermeasures. Your investigation will be taking place from next Saturday into Sunday.”

“Understood. I have no further questions.” Kei took another sip of his coffee, smiling. “I must say, this was a bit outside of my expectations.”

“Receiving approval?”

“That, too, but I’m mostly referring to a one-on-one meeting with you.”

“There are other employees keeping an eye on our meeting, as you might expect.”

“That aside, I didn’t expect you to come by personally just to deliver a simple message.” Especially given how Kei had gone to war over extracting information from her two years prior.

The Index offered a particularly strange smile in which her eyebrows simultaneously knit in disapproval. “Well, I asked for this meeting myself.”

“Hmm. And why would you do that?”

“I want to ask you a personal question.”

Kei had never expected to hear that from a rank-and-file Bureau employee.

The Index let out a light breath, not quite heavy enough to categorize as a sigh. Kei didn’t think such an action was possible from a representative of the Bureau. “Why exactly do you want to go into the dream world?”

The dream world. An entire reality created by one woman’s ability. Kei had been looking for a place that was constructed to be exactly like reality without actually being real.

Kei gently closed his eyes. The heat from his coffee still lingered on his tongue.

His desire stemmed from the events of the previous month, on August 28th. The day that a girl who had died two years ago was brought back to life.

Souma Sumire. He had met with her once more atop the tetrapods.

✽

The lower sections of the sky were beginning to bleed red, offset by concrete tetrapods jutting into the horizon. The whole scene was like a recreation of the time where he had first met Souma Sumire two years before on April 8th.

But it’s not two years ago anymore, Asai Kei sighed internally.

Things weren’t the same as they had been. He couldn’t go back. The relationship between Asai Kei and Souma Sumire, much like the relationship between Asai Kei and Haruki Misora, had changed drastically.

But when Souma Sumire smiled, her appearance and demeanor were an exact replica of two years prior. She was just as he remembered, calm and steady, carried by a great confidence from within.

Kei looked into her eyes, taking care to keep a steady gaze. “So what’s the plan here?”

Souma Sumire had died two years ago. Using a variety of abilities, Kei had managed to snatch her from the world of a photograph, restoring her to the real world. Whether that counted as her coming back to life or not, he couldn’t say.

He continued, “As far as all your friends and family know, you’re dead. Your bones are buried in a grave. A death certificate was filed in your name. All the laws and rules of the world have labeled you as deceased. I don’t think it’s possible for you to live a regular life.”

“Yeah. You’re right.”

“So what exactly will you be doing from here on out?”

She shrugged lightly, a smile still on her face. As if it wasn’t a problem. As if everything happening around her was insignificant. Kei doubted any other second-year middle schooler could pull off that kind of look. “I’ll figure it out. I can take care of myself.”

Kei almost nodded reactively. He didn’t even need a reason to believe what Souma Sumire said. But he knew it was time to be more methodical, and make sure that everything was in order. “Could you please tell me any more specifics?”

“If I didn’t know any better, I might think you were worried about me.”

“Of course I am, Souma. I’m responsible for bringing you back to life, and you’re very important to me, not to mention you’re still just a 14-year-old girl. Should I go on?”

She giggled, very quietly. She looked a bit happy, or like she felt ticklish. “Oh, now that I think about it, you’re two years older than me. You’ll be 16 in October, right?”

Kei just had to smile back. “You always were quick to go off on rabbit trails.”

“Well, you’ve always liked those kinds of conversations, haven’t you? Acting like a migratory fish, swimming around and around in circles instead of getting to just one point.”

She was right. But this was one conversation Kei knew he had to talk straight in.

The evening sun continued to run away from them. It was already chasing away into the western horizon as night approached from the east. Time continued forward without stopping.

“All I want,” Kei began, “is for you to live a normal life. I want you to go back and live with your parents, and keep attending school.”

“Do you really think something like that would be possible?”

“If it was in the Administration Bureau’s best interest, they could even erase death from the past. I know they could. I don’t even exist outside of Sakurada anymore.”

Kei first stepped foot into Sakurada four years prior. His entire life up to that point had been completely erased by the Bureau. But as long as he stayed in Sakurada, he was just another normal first-year high schooler.

She shook her head. “I can’t. The Bureau can’t know about me yet.”

“Because you don’t want to be captured like the Witch?”

“Yes. I don’t want to become a part of their system yet.”

The Witch. A woman who possessed the ability to know the future, just like Souma. She had spent the last 30 years of her life under the Bureau’s strict supervision, losing even her name.

When it came to abilities, future sight was in a category far above the rest. The value of that one ability was worth depriving a woman of her personhood, merging her into a system where she was used for her one and only function.

“Do you think you could make me a normal girl while keeping me under the Bureau’s radar?” Souma Sumire asked, flashing a suggestive smile.

Kei didn’t have the slightest confidence that he could, but he nodded anyway. “There’s something I’ve been thinking about recently.”

He wasn’t sure if it was viable, but it was all he had. It was the only way that Kei could imagine making a girl like Souma Sumire, who died two years ago and was brought back to life, become just like any other girl.

“Souma… what if… you and your family went to live outside of Sakurada?”

Anyone who stepped foot outside of Sakurada would lose their memories of abilities. Any memories including abilities would be filled in with simple and convenient replacements. Souma Sumire’s death and rebirth only happened because of abilities. But of course, in a world without abilities, reviving the dead would be impossible, so even those memories would be replaced. Every memory regarding Souma’s death would be changed.

“Your death could disappear just from you leaving Sakurada. At the very least, it should be gone from your memories.”

It was the best way Kei could think of to turn Souma Sumire back into a normal girl.

She tilted her head ever so slightly. “You really think that’ll just work out? For starters, what kinds of memories do you think will replace just my death?”

Kei knew that the plan had all sorts of holes in it. Not to mention he felt far too uneasy about just letting her go off into the world after she had so recently been brought back to life. It was a gamble at best “But, Souma… if anyone knows whether it would work or not, it’s you.”

In all reality, the entire conversation was unnecessary. As someone with future sight, Souma Sumire would already have known the feasibility of Kei’s plan before he even came up with it.

“You have to tell me. If you left Sakurada, would you become a normal girl?”

If it could work, then every problem surrounding Souma’s rebirth would be solved. If it couldn’t work, then he would have to come up with another plan. Those were the only two options.

Or at least, they were supposed to be.

“Can’t tell,” she replied.

Kei sighed inwardly. “C’mon, Souma. I’m being serious here.”

“So am I. The only serious and sincere answer I can give you is that I can’t tell you.”

“Why?”

“It’s the conclusion I drew from seeing the future. If I want to reach the future I desire, then the best thing to do is not tell you anything.”

In Kei’s opinion, she was basically cheating. It wasn’t like there was anything he could do when she played the “future seer” card. “Fine. In that case, I’ll just find it out for myself.”

What would happen to Souma Sumire if she left Sakurada? First, Kei needed a way to simulate it, similar to knowing the future.

Souma let out a small, dry chuckle, sounding concerned. “You really… don’t have to pay me any mind.”

Kei shook his head. “Of course I do. I brought you back into this world.” That made it his responsibility to bring her peace.

“No,” Souma denied strongly. “I used you to be brought back of my own accord. You don’t have to take any responsibility.”

“I don’t care what your plans were or what you had thought out. It was my decision. If you ever regret coming back to life, it would be my fault.”

Her head tilted ever so slightly. It made her look actually somewhat childish. Like a younger girl. The way she tilted her head and smiled made her finally look like a 14-year-old. “If that’s how you see it, then fine. I think it’s my responsibility. You think it’s your responsibility. I suppose that puts us in the perfect position to protect each other.”

Her tone was bright and happy. Souma Sumire was just as difficult to understand as she always had been. She was like a gift-wrapped present. You couldn’t tell what was inside just by looking, but if you wanted to find out, you would have to rip off the lovely wrapping paper.

Digging into the wrapping paper with his nails, Kei remarked, “If you think you’re responsible, then I want you to promise me something.”

“What’s that?”

“Please don’t go and die on me again.” Kei wanted her to live a happy and fulfilling life, to the greatest degree possible.

“What makes you think I’m going to die again?”

“I don’t care how good you are, you can’t just be alive again without other people noticing.” More than that, how could anyone live a decent life as long as they were dead in the private and public eye? It didn’t seem very likely. “It feels like you came back only to accomplish a singular goal, and after that’s done, you’ll just go off and die again. I don’t like how impermanent this all feels.”

Kei turned his eyes back to the sky. The sun was sinking into the horizon as the rest of the city became blanketed in blue. The evening had just flown on by, there one moment and gone the next, like the stroke of the wind against his cheek.

“No need to get caught up in conspiracies. I finally got to see you again. Dying another time isn’t supposed to be part of the plan.”

Her answer was a lot like the sunset. Captivatingly beautiful, but disappearing without a trace.

✽

All he wanted was to make Souma Sumire a normal girl. Someone who could live a fulfilling life in peace.

To that end, Asai Kei sought to find out what would happen if he took Souma Sumire out of Sakurada. In the best case scenario, she could lose all memories of abilities, which should even include her death. It would leave her as just another second-year middle school girl. As for the worst case scenario… Kei had no idea. He couldn’t even imagine what the plan backfiring would look like.

With that in mind, he needed to be able to investigate his theory in a safe environment. He looked far and wide for some sort of way to conduct accurate and rigorous simulations. His search led him to an entire world created by an ability.

It was a dream world, one constructed to replicate the real while being entirely fabricated. With that false world, and ideally the cooperation of the ability user, Kei planned to conduct an experiment that would lead him towards creating a peaceful life for Souma.

The red light of the sunset seemed to still glow from behind Kei’s eyelids as he slowly opened them. In front of him sat The Index, looking pointedly at his face.

Why exactly do you want to go into the dream world?

Kei knew she deserved an answer. He carefully began speaking. “It’s really got my interest. The idea of someone who can create an entire world, even if it’s only within a dream, is fascinating.”

“Why?”

“Well, it’s like something that a god would do. I’ve always been attracted to gods.” His response wasn’t a blatant lie. Of course, neither was it the entire truth. He couldn’t exactly afford to name drop Souma Sumire.

The Index probably caught onto the fact that he was hiding something, but she didn’t touch on it. Instead, she said, “What do you think of when you hear the word, ‘transcription’?”

Transcription? The abrupt question caught Kei off guard. “Well, nothing in particular. Maybe something like… the Bible?”

As far as Kei knew, most religious texts stemmed from an abundance of handwritten manuscripts, which defined a transcription. He assumed that was because such texts were the most likely to be copied, and would have so many simply due to their age.

The Index stared intently at Kei for a while before finally nodding. “I see. Very well, that is all.” She stood up, though she had only finished half of her coffee. She pushed in her chair, then raised her gaze, saying, “A final word of advice.”

“What’s that?”

“My superior has taken an interest in you. We are, of course, well aware of your involvement with the Witch last month. Were it not at his behest, you would have never received permission to be a part of this case.”

Interest. Something Kei didn’t want attached to him. He didn’t know if said interest was positive or negative, but he was clearly on somebody’s radar. Of course, he was simply reaping his due reward, but being noticed by the Administration Bureau was a bothersome outcome.

“What’s your point?” he asked.

“You’re being watched. Don’t think you can pull the same kind of stunt you did two years ago. That is the point.”

Kei took care to smile lightly. “Oh, I wouldn’t think anything of the sort. Thank you very much for the advice.”

“Now, then. I’ll be in touch with you regarding the investigation schedule.” She turned and walked away. Kei watched her go.

The Index. A woman with complete administrative access to the Administration Bureau’s information on abilities.

That said, I don’t really know the power hierarchy of the Bureau.

If she had a superior, that suggested even more power at play. Kei had every reason to avoid mingling with the Bureau’s people in power.

As if Souma isn’t already giving me enough to deal with, he grumbled, taking care that not a single word of it was out loud.

He certainly couldn’t afford for anyone to have heard something like that.