Ahem.

Due to circumstances, I’ll be taking my leave of narrating the story.

I know, I know, such a tragedy!

Unfortunately, my narrating would be counterproductive now.

Simply put, I’ve accomplished my goal earlier than expected so I can focus on other things.

Now the story will take on a more ‘first-person’ approach.

...Hm?

I guess it was already first-person since I was the one narrating it, huh?

Ha, not like it matters.

Anyways, I’m counting on you to make the right choice when the time comes.

It should be relatively easy, since you’ll have observed enough by then to make an impact.

You all.

Ah, now I’ve truly overstayed my welcome.

Goodbye for now, observers.

It’s been short, but it won’t be the last time we meet.

* * * * *

(Birdy)

I ran.

Why was I running, you ask?

Because that was all I could do, so I ran.

Pathetic, isn’t it?

I don’t have any special powers to speak of, so I couldn’t fight back when they appeared out of nowhere.

It was like they were waiting for us to pass through that alleyway, because the moment we stepped foot in it, we were already surrounded.

Isn’t that unnatural?

We didn’t even see anyone near the entrance or down the alley, yet they appeared.

Thomas said they were chosen, probably from reading their minds.

And then they jumped us.

I’m not sure what each of their powers were, but they weren’t able to touch me.

Was it because I was fast, or dumb luck?

We were in a narrow alleyway, so it had to be dumb luck.

When I turned to look back, Thomas was on the ground and Ruri was staring back at me with scared eyes, kneeling on the ground.

“Run!”

Why are you telling me to run, when you’re making such an expression?

But even if I stayed, I knew I couldn’t do anything.

Someone touched Ruri on the head, and I saw her eyes close as she collapsed.

I couldn’t win against them, no way.

And so I ran.

Pathetically.

Why was I so useless?

I know you were trying to cheer me up, Ruri, but if all I can do right now is run away, then I can’t possibly think that I’m important.

If anything, I’m the one who caused this to happen in the first place.

If I had just kept my mouth shut and let you go by yourself in the first place, then Thomas wouldn’t have come along and the situation wouldn’t be so bad.

And now that I think back on it, it wasn’t dumb luck that I escaped, was it?

I think someone pushed me out of the way before they attacked.

Ruri was kneeling on the ground, so she must have lunged forward to get me past.

If I wasn’t there, Ruri wouldn’t have had to worry about me and maybe she could have escaped.

I was wrong, I’m not worthless.

I’m a detriment.

Worse than useless.

But now that I’m the only one who can move freely, there is one thing I can do.

Run.

I ran, and ran, and ran.

I can’t let them catch me, because I’m the only one who knows what happened to them.

They were captured by the chosen.

If I get far enough and wait for Laurence and Lucy in our new home, I can tell them what happened and we can come up with a plan.

And then I leave it up to them.

If I go, it’s just guaranteed to get worse anyways.

I’m too worried about Ruri’s safety to make things worse.

So, I’ll run.

That’s all I’ll do.

……….

…..

I’ve started bumping into people.

They yelled something at me, but I didn’t stop to listen.

My legs are pretty strong, but they are starting to get tired and I can feel a burning need for more oxygen than I’m currently taking.

But I can still push myself.

I only have one job, to run, so I can’t mess it up.

If the chosen could follow me through the streets, where people have started coming onto for the day, and track me, then I’m finished.

But they won’t.

I haven’t run this fast in my entire life.

Since I’ve messed up things already, I’m not going to slow down, or think that ‘I must’ve lost them’.

I’m going to stop running only when I reach home.

………………………

…………….

……

Haaaa….

My vision is a little blurry.

Come to think of it, wasn’t it hot outside?

I thought it was just my exhausted body, but I was burning up for more than just the exercise.

Still, my goal was right ahead.

I could see the place we moved into.

My legs slowed down, but not of my own accord.

I just couldn’t run any farther.

“Birdy!”

I heard someone’s voice.

Was that Bug?

I strained my vision and sure enough, there he was, jogging towards me.

When he reached me, I finally stopped running.

“H-hey!”

“S-sorry.”

I mumbled.

My body was all sweaty from running so far, non-stop.

If this wasn’t an emergency, I might’ve been embarrassed.

“What happened?”

So Bug asked, but I needed to take some more time to breathe.

Then, after my lungs were satisfied with enough air to let me speak, I answered.

“Ruri and Thomas were captured by the chosen.”