Chapter 166, The Whispering Voice of the Storm

Ugh... I can hear a voice calling out to me. I hear gunfire, something loud, like a tree falling down. I can hear the sounds of the wind howling and rain against the earth. I can hear the sound of waves, but all I see is a blurry image of a dark sky. I can feel mud intertwined with leaves and twigs and grass. What is this?

As my vision begins to clear I see my hand, caked in blood and mud, strands of golden hair and what appears to be a knife and a peace of feather. I can hear shouting, I get up but I'm too scared to look around. Like I know something bad is about to happen. Just as I'm on my knees, my body struggling to move, a lone figure stood before me.

A golden haired, white skinned young man stood. I couldn't see his face but I could hear his voice. It was nostalgic, I felt as though I'd heard it before.

"Grotesque Fairy..." Is all he says before I snap awake, completely scared of what I saw.

I seek out Will's warmth only to find cold empty space. I get up, thinking he might be outside and realize that the calm sky was now a raging storm. My head aches, and a similar scene plays out in my mind. Memories...?

I feel like I've forgotten something. This place, that dream, why do I feel as if I'd seen it all before? I head outside, I didn't find anyone outside my door nor around the halls I walked past. As I reached the staircase, I finally found the others. Sitting around a long table, as a man told them some kind of story. I'm about to call out the other's name when I hear the man talking about a story. About some blond-haired child and blck haired young man, something urks me about the story. Something inside seems to be resonating with that story, and before I know it, I've reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Arata, you're awake! Thank goodness!" Rachel hugs me tightly.

"...Yeah." I answered a bit unsure.

"Come on over, let's have some breakfast." Mao drags me to the table and we have breakfast.

"Oh yeah, guess what we learned!" Zhen told me the story of the blonde boy and black haired young man. "I wonder where they went."

"Ugh..." I feel a bit woozy.

"What's wrong?" Ethan asked.

"A black haired... young man... and... a blond... boy? Ugh!!!" My heads feels like it won't stop spinning. I grip the table to stop myself from falling over.

"Arata!" I hear a voice call my name.

"Julian?" A name comes out of my mouth.

"Who?" Reinhardt asked.

I shook my head but for some reason Will looked like he saw a ghost. Before I could ask him what was wrong, the sound of thunder outside makes me freeze in fear.

"Arata. Arata." A voice keeps calling me.

I find myself walking towards the door, as if compelled by something or someone. I can hear a voice calling out to me. It's coming from beyond the storm. It's calling me, I can hear it, despite the sound of the storm, I can hear it so clearly. I'm just about to step outside the door when Will pulls me back in.

"Arata!" He hugs me tightly.

"Will...?" I call his name and feel his embrace. "Will!"

"I'm right here." He answered, tightening his embrace, reassuring me.

"Arata! What were you thinking?!" Pres. Mayumi exclaimed.

"Something is calling me. Beyond the storm." I answered. "Whatever it is, I know one thing. This storm won't stop, not until I silence whatever is calling my name."

"Arata can you explain things first?" Ethan asked and I nodded.

We sit in a large circle, they ask about what happened when I fainted so I tell them. I tell them about the voice, the constant headache, the dream, everything. All the while, Will's face grew grimmer and grimmer with each information I shared.

"So, this voice is calling out to you?" Touya asked.

"Could it be that Spriggan is really here?" Zander asked and a series of emotions shoots through me. "Arata? Are you alright?"

"Spriggan..." For some reason, I recall something about that name. "Julian..."

"Arata, who is this Julian you keep talking about? When you passed out, aside from Will, he was the only other name that came out of your mouth." Liam said..

"I don't know but it feels so familiar." I answered.

"Perhaps you know, William." Lucas says and our gazes turn to Will who had an expression I'd never seen before. "Will?"

"Will, are you alright?" I asked as I held his hand.

Suddenly something flashes before my eyes. A blonde boy and a black haired man, a blue bird, a red eyed creature in the forest.

"Arata, are you alright?" Ethan asked as he shook my shoulder.

"Ahhhh!!" My head hurts, like it's being split open.

"Arata! Listen to me!" I hear Will's voice, I can feel his arms as they embrace me. "Calm down! Don't let the Storm overtake you!!"

As warmth begins to fill me, the headache disappears, slowly, as I'm lulled into security by Will's embrace.

Once I'm calmed down, Will finally lets me go. I stand up, and feeling a bit dizzy, cling to his side.

"Will, what do you know, about all of this?" I asked him.

"I'll tell, so calm down first."

As we sat down, I found myself clinging to his side. A nostalgic feeling, an embrace I don't want to let go of. I find myself trying to get even closer. Will sets me on his lap, I cling to him, like a baby to its mother, and a baby brother to his older brother.

"Everything started seven years ago, when Arata and I first came to this lake." Will stated.

He told the whole story about the blond haired child, the black haired young man and the guardian of treasures.