Sorry for not updating last week like I said. I scratched the ending of this chapter and rewrote it. So it was late due to that and college classes and shit.

GAME OVER

Chapter 31 [Yu]

~~~~~

The moment Adam felt his fingers graze the hilt he scrunched his eyes shut tightly, waiting for something to happen. He was expecting for a memory to flood his mind like it had all the times before.

“Is anything supposed to happen?” Ross questioned. Adam squeezed his eyes tight, but nothing felt different.

Adam opened his eyes.

“Yous see anythings?”

“Hold on...let me try again,” Adam closed his eyes and let out a breath before tightening his hold on the hilt. Please, please do something, show me something.

There was silence as his friends watched. Jin spoke up, “Adam, I don’t think whatever it is you are trying to do will work. Just give it back, alright, we’ll try something else.”

Adam opened his eyes, Jin was reaching for the hilt, “W-wait, I know I can do it. It has happened before, I will see it. I just need to uh...um hold it differently. Ha...ha.”

Adam flipped the hilt around and tried to hold it in his other hand. Anything to make a vision or whatever appear. But nothing came to him. He furrowed his brow, strained his brain to think, maybe the other times something else happened to make those visions appear. What was it?

“Adam, please, I’d like to put it away now...This was a bad idea, please, I need to wrap it up.”

Jin began to plead.

“W-wait, please I promise it has happened before. I’ve seen memories that aren’t mine--”

“Adam, just give it back,” Jin leaned forward and reached for the hilt. Adam moved away. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he panicked. He needed more time.

Out of every moment, he’s never wanted to see those freaky visions more until now. Before they were frightening, to see something that wasn’t his. It was like prying into a diary that was locked with twenty locks, and yet he opened them. He didn’t know why he saw anything. They never really happened before, until he came to the AHD.

“Adam! Give it back!” Jin yelled, he scooted over and reached for the hilt. Adam tried to pull away.

“Whoas! Guys, stops!”

“Hey, calm down!” Ross yelled.

Adam fell backwards as Jin reached for the hilt. Adam felt Jin’s hand graze his hand as they touched the hilt.

~~~~~

“Jin! Jin” Adam blinked, he was outside. The sun was high into the sky and he stood in a forest of birch, the sound of a child yelling a name came to him. He looked around his surroundings and saw a young man run through the trees. Adam felt drawn to the man and followed him. The man was lean and had short, very short, black hair.

Adam ran to catch up with the man.

Ahead of them was a clearing, the grass stood tall, but through it all Adam saw a boy hidden among the grass, his blonde-brown hair the key feature in spotting him, the boy was crouched and hugged themselves tight. The boy suppressed a giggle as the man approached.

Adam glanced at the man, a smile plastered on his face, “I wonder where Jin could be. Not in the grass I bet, that would be cheating.”

A moment later the child jumped up, “What! You never said that!” the little boy ran to the man.

The man laughed, “Found you!”

It took the child a moment to realize what had happened, but when he did the child exclaimed, “That’s not fair! That’s cheating!”

The man shrugged and smiled at the little boy, “Why don’t we head home Jin?”

The child frowned, “Ok…”

It was at this time Adam realized that without a doubt this child could be no one else but Jin. Many years younger and his hair was much darker, but the hazel eyes gave it clear away. As for the man, upon deeper inspection, the man also had hazel eyes. Just a darker shade than Jin’s.

The two walked side by side through the forest as the sun beamed through the gaps of the leaves. The man hummed and walked with a skip in his step. Adam watched as the little Jin looked up at the man quietly and said to him, “Are you coming home today?”

The man looked down at Jin and smiled, “Sorry Jin, I have more work to do if I want to get in DROP. But I promise we’ll play some more, besides I’m sure mom would want me to work hard!”

Jin frowned, “Why does mom and dad never invite you home for holidays?”

“Because I told them I have to work extra hard to get into DROP and I told them I should spend most of my time training until I make it.”

“But you play with me,” Jin said.

The man smiled, “That’s because you’re my favorite little brother,” the man ruffled Jin’s hair making Jin giggle.

They followed a path out of the forest and walked to a town.

“You know the way from here, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Good, head straight home!”

Jin smiled and ran ahead. He took a moment to stop and wave. The man waved back.

~~~~~

The world around Adam changed. The sky was not lit by the rays of the sun, but instead filled with the glow of the moon and the shimmer of the stars. There was a gentle breeze and Adam saw the same man standing in a clearing in what Adam assumed was the same birch forest.

A sword appeared in the man’s hand, a sword with a hilt that was oddly familiar. Adam watched as the man swung his sword at the air, lunging, striking, blocking, all sorts of moves.

Had Adam never taken lessons from Tyler, or heck, joined the AHD, he'd probably be slightly amazed by what he saw.

Except, because he had lessons, and experienced fighting for himself…. he could see how bad this guy really was. The man stumbled often and lost his balance, his swings were sloppy and he wasted too much energy.

This guy had no skill, and was probably worse than himself.

But as Adam watched the man work the night away, he began to recognize something in this man that was in himself.

A desire to be recognized.

~~~~~

“Yu!” Adam found himself in the town from before. He saw Jin running to the man. Jin was probably several years older now.

“Jin!” the man crouched and let Jin run into his arms and gave him a big hug.

Jin laughed, in the distance Adam saw two adults with arms crossed. They looked to be Jin’s parents.

“Jin, come along, you have an important test today,” his mother called to Jin.

Jin frowned and looked up to Yu, “Will you come and watch? Mom says that I’m the best in class.”

Yu smiled, “I’m sorry Jin, I don’t want to intrude--”

“Please! I’m really nervous, but if you were there I’m sure I could win!”

Yu looked at Jin and hugged his little brother, “Of course I’ll be there. I’d never miss it,” Jin beamed.

“You promise?”

“I promise,” Jin smiled and ran to his parents as Yu let go.

“Don’t break your promise!” Jin yelled and waved, Yu waved sadly. He knew that he was not welcome, and Jin being the youngest of four did not understand why. Had it been up to their parents, Jin and Yu would never meet, but unlike Yu, Jin was a golden child. A child with great skill and potential. Jin had what Yu did not.

Jin had talent. He mastered basic swordplay at 6 and went on to master the basics of several other weapons. Jin was what Yu could never be, but he wasn’t the sort to be jealous about someone like that. Jin was young and innocent and had a heart of gold, and despite the fact Yu was excluded from his family, he loved Jin the moment he had a chance to meet him.

Yu watched his little brother run off with their parents and almost, almost wished he had that same love.

Yu knew he couldn’t fight, he knew no matter how hard he tried he could never learn even the basics. He would never get into DROP, he would never live up to their family name. A name that carried generation after generation of heroes. Even his other two siblings were living the successful life he wanted.

Adam felt all these feelings radiate from Yu and almost teared up. Adam never knew Jin had three older siblings. He never knew that there was someone like Yu in the family either. Adam realized the hilt he touched must’ve belonged to Yu.

Adam watched as the world change around him. Now they were standing in a crowd watching Jin.

Adam noticed Jin defend against an opponent that looked older than him, he was amazed by the skill Jin showed as a child and understood why he was so strong at the AHD.

Adam glanced over at Yu who smiled proudly from the sidelines.

Yu caught the eyes of his parents and faltered as they walked over to him.

“H-Hello,” he stuttered. He was never on good terms with them.

Neither of them returned a greeting, “Have you given up?” his father asked

Yu stayed silent.

“How can you carry the family name as a disgrace like yourself? Why even come here?”

“I just want to watch Jin, he’s my little brother after all.”

His mother scowled, “Don’t rub off on your younger brother. Unlike you he has talent. Your father and I would rather you stay away from him to avoid any unnecessary conflict.”

“But I have a right to see my brother. He’s my brother--”

“He’s our son, and you are not. Not anymore, you are 222 years old. Give up on DROP, and stay away from our children Yu.”

Yu felt as if his heart was being crushed. Regardless of how his parents viewed him, Jin was his little brother and he loved him immensely. Yu cast a glance at the tournament, he watched Jin duck past his opponent and disarm him, winning the match. Jin jumped and glanced in Yu’s direction, and Yu offered him a pleasant smile before looking to his parents once more. They gave him stern stares.

Yu sighed, “Alright, I’ll go. But will you tell Jin congratulations for me when he wins?”

They didn’t answer and Yu glumly left the crowd.

~~~~~

Adam blinked, he was staring up at the ceiling of his friends’ dorm room. He was dazed and confused.

“Adams? Yous alrights?”

Adam sat up and placed his hand on his head, he tried to collect his thoughts while he nodded to Barney, “Y-yeah, I just.”

Adam noticed Jin wrapping up the sword hilt and carefully placing it back where he had hidden it.

Jin didn’t turn to face Adam, “I’m sorry,” he began, “I don’t even know why I did that. I shouldn’t have brought the hilt out, it’s just junk anyways…”

“Don’t say that,” Adam said, “It’ important to you, otherwise you wouldn’t have tried to hard to get it back and I should’ve realized that.”

“Still that doesn’t mean I should’ve tackled you to get it, are you hurt?” Jin turned around with a guilty expression.

“Nah,” Adam said.

Adam faltered as he tried to bring up what he saw,” Jin, um… well.”

“Yeah Adam?”

Adam looked at Ross and Barney as the sat waiting for Adam to speak, he didn’t know if he should ask right in front of them or if it was just too personal a question.

“Well...I just wanted to uh…”

He trailed off again.

“Spit it out already,” Ross grumbled, “Quit stalling, we have more pressing matters to talk about.”

That was right, Adam sighed and blurted, “What happened to Yu!” He gasped at how loud and sudden his question was.

Ross and Barney gave him confused looks, but Jin...Jin’s eyes were wide and filled with surprise.

“Th...how do you…” Jin cast a look back at where he’d put the sword hilt, “You really can see the past…”

“Yeah...I guess I can,” Adam nodded, “Sorry for such a forward question, you just never mentioned him and I just asked without meaning too.”

“It’s fine, I’m the one who didn’t think you’d actually be able to see the past.”

“Guys, whats happened tos Jin?”

“Barney, I think you was actually a name, not a question about Jin’s wellbeing,” Ross pointed.

“Ohs, thens whos Yous?”

Jin sighed, “Yu was my older brother, but he died trying to play hero.”

“He died because I was cruel to him and he saved me anyways...did you see?” Jin looked at Adam and asked.

“No,” he shook his head, “the last thing I saw was him leaving a tournament of yours.”

Jin nodded, “That was the day...I’d won my first tournament and could officially advance to more intermediate lessons. But when I looked around to tell Yu, who had promised to be there, he was gone.

“I don’t blame my parents for this, I love them, and I know they were looking out for me and never imagined it would turn out this way but...when I asked them where he had gone, they told me he didn’t want to see me.

Adam had a feeling he knew where this was going as Jin continued, “Later that night I snuck out of my home to go look for him. I guess at the time I was angry, dumb little kid things...you know. I was angry that he was there, but didn't even bother to stay to congratulate me…”

Jin faltered; he looked away.

Adam sensed guilt and pain radiating from Jin and spoke up, “You don't need to tell us now or ever if you aren't comfortable.”

After a moment Jin nodded, “Ye-yeah, I'm sorry…. Adam,” Jin looked up at Adam, “Sorry if I was doubtful…”

“Its fine.”

“Technically speaking, we should have all been doubtful. I can't even fathom how it is possible for you to do what you do, you're a Human Rank. No offense,” Ross said.

Adam shrugged.

“Sos…. what's thes plan?”

“We steal Ty’s belongings.”

~~~~~

Idk when the next chapter will come out. I'm working on the next Sweet Desire chapter right now and school starts on August 17th.

Ugh, I'm going to be a senior in high school, omg this is weird.

Juicy stuff to come in both GAME OVER and Sweet Desire!!! :D