"Anaki." He opens his eyes sober. "Where am I?"

"Don't move too much." He looks at the woman helping him, his old class teacher, Miss. Yaryu. She was the coach and handled arts with a slim figure and pixie cut hair despite her shy personality.

"Miss Yaryu?" The sight of those warm hazel colours made his heart melt, the last time he had seen her was during the virus outbreak, when the Infected roamed about spreading the incurable disease. It had been a hot summer day, the school had taken the local children to the beach for the annual summer festival this year around. He shakes his head, soaking wet. That time was when he had almost drowned, that was when his misfortunes began to take a turn for the worst.

"Are you okay?" Miss Yaryu asks again, her voice softer than milk.

"Where am I? I thought I died." He feels his throbbing head. His eyes dilate at the sight of students surrounding them, they were all mere children in grade school. What? He blinks looking again at the vast clear and crystalline sea washing ashore the shoreline. "When is today?"

"Yes, silly. You almost drowned." She waves at the children, "he's fine now. Everyone, return to the hut."

"Are you alright Anaki?" He never thought her hand was this gentle, with a nod she dismisses him to his own room. One he shared with two classmates he witnesses their deaths first hand. They will die naively because they will rush into the hoard to save the others. He remembers everything clearly since at midnight the clock will strike and Heavens Wrath will befall humanity. Not a single day will go by without him forgetting the tragedies.

But how did he end up here?

"Are you feeling better Anaki?" He looks up at the first roommate, Orion, he is your typical quiet boy with a cold personality to strangers but an older brother to friends. Orion was taller and older than him by three years, he is an upperclassman who usually tags along because he is Miss Yaryu's nephew.

"Let him rest more." Eli hand signals, he was a mute and almost deaf but can lip read effortlessly. An upperclassman and from the neighbourhood, since this is a joint school activity. He stood out more than Orion because of his vibrant blonde hair and green jewel eyes. But then again, Orion had shiny sapphire eyes despite his charcoal hair so he didn't stay much hidden in the shadows either. They were among the most popular upperclassmen and because of their fame Anaki was well known to be the third wheel. Not a nickname he was proud of.

In fact, it is because these two would always hang around him that Anaki could fit in without going through much torment. After losing his confiders, outsiders always used his weakness against him. Only his sister vainly protected him, for the next eight years of pain. But is the past repeating, is this an illusion or his life flashing before his eyes?

"I just wanted to check on him." Orion lets out a small exhale, he always acted like an adult probably because he grew up within a large family and he was the eldest.

"Just let him rest." Eli intervened, he smiles warmly at Anaki, "sleep more, you couldn't last night because of the storm."

"Storm?" He remembers it, as a child he had many fears which grew worse as he grew up. He wondered why he managed to live when these two couldn't grow into proper adults (though, he did die before growing into an adult, too). Anaki rubs his eyes, he can't believe they are alive, even if this isn't reality.

"Look! You made him cry." Eli frowns at Orion.

"What? No, I-" Orion, glances from Anaki's teary face to Eli's displeased expression, "I didn't..."

It was refreshing to see Orion flustered since he often only showed his stoic expression of the 'reliable' older brother. Anaki lets out an exhale, although he wishes he could rest, there is somethings he has to do before hand. The apocalypse is tonight and there are many lives in danger. What ever the reason for his return, if this is real then until it is confirmed he should try to save as many lives as he can.

"Eli, Orion, do you want to play a game?" His words surprised them both.

"That's new, you often push us away." Orion had a close relationship to Eli so the only reason he was close to Anaki was because of his best friend. Eli bursts into tears, he found it comfortable to be with Anaki because he was one of the few that bothered to learn sign language, "let him be! I wanna play! Such a rare occasion must not be left out!"

"Eli is right." Anaki looks up from under his dark bangs, "lets call all the other children, we'll play together."

"This sounds weird, did you hit your head when you drowned?" Eli stabs Orion's waist, he drops to the ground wheezing in pain. "That hurt."

"Let's go call everyone!"

"W-what? Oi, wait!" Orion hops struggling to catch Eli's speed with half their body tightly clenched together.

Once alone in the room, Anaki set his thoughts into process, there is a lot he knows but what he can do as a seven year old is limited. He needs help and trust, "the Black Raven, we have to get to them." He nods determined, "they are close by thankfully, if we go to them we can survive until the next wave."

"Anaki!" Eli pulls him downstairs, "lets go, everyone is here."

Normally Anaki would be approached with anxiety and embarrassment to face a large number of people. Especially after he experienced the cruelty of adults but the company before him are children yet to be tainted by the corruption of the world, of course he can trust them-that is, only during the first wave after that even five year old's could be serial murderers. He shakes the dark feeling, and began the rescue mission.

"I had a premonition." His sentence made some of the children laugh but the others were intrigued and confused, he continued, "I got a call from my sister last night Sukiyaki-sama will be in the North station next week."

His words made the children ram into him in excitement, they want to know more. Why wouldn't they? Sukiyaki-sama was a figure to be worshipped by children their age back-when, even Anaki had a collection of at least fifteen of his toys. He clears his throat, feeling warm by their innocence, "but we can't meet him since we are here."

"Ugh, I can't believe this." One of the little complained.

"Well, you need the ticket to see him, so it doesn't matter." Orion adds, clearly also disappointed.

"No. You don't, I can get you the tickets. Just believe me, you will meet Sukiyaki-sama there." Anaki's eyes were filled with a determination none could defy, they knew he wasn't lying.

"He's lying."

"Impossible, we all know the famed rumour that Anaki is a pushover incapable of telling a single lie. He's a coward." That was Ross speaking, his childhood tyrant and someone he never figured out what had happened to him. He was the eldest in the room, capable of graduating but failed twice because of his rebellious phase. But no one would dare defy him and his authority because he was at the same time their guardian against the older classmen.

He sneers at Anaki, "he definitely has the tickets."

In many ways, Anaki is grateful for the blind trust between innocent children but it will be best to keep the deception to a minimum.

"But how are we going to go there?" Eli asks excited, it was relieving to see him in high spirits since his tragic household is a famed story in Anaki's past. "As long as I am here, you will get what you want." Anaki pulls out a map, it seemed complicated to the children so he places a white paper on top and drew a big blue sea then half the paper away a tower and finally at the other end the symbol for Sukiyaki-sama, the Onigiri.

"We are here," he points at the ocean, "if we can get here, we will be given a private ride to Sukiyaki-sama's base." He taps the tower, though it is only a few fingers close on the page in reality it might take them around a week to get there and with the outbreak it will be a Naomicle if they survive.

"You are pulling our leg." As much as Orion wanted to believe, it all sounded too alien. Anaki nodded, "well, the mission said that only heroes are allowed, I was going to help you all but I don't know if you are up to it."

"No! We are!" Eli was the first to display his interest, his gentle and curios personality always warmed everyone.

"If Eli is in then count me, too." Orion nods at his friend.

"Ha! Obviously I am a hero." Ross bluntly makes his statement, prouder than any soul in the group. The other children slowly began to give in one by one. Once they were all in, Anaki explained to them how they were going to get there. "Remember, the adults are going to be bad guys, you can't get caught. If you do Sukiyaki-sama will not meet you."

"Will we really meet him?" A second girls asks excitement oozing out her cheeks, "I really want to see him."

"Don't worry, you'll see him, I promise." Anaki smiles, I promise, I will help you all.

"Anaki." He looks back at Orion, there was a stern gaze, all too familiar with him.

"I know you it's hard to believe but it's the truth-"

"I know your family is poor, how can you afford everyone meeting him?"

"It's not like I can hide it from everyone. Follow me." Anaki smiles leaving the room, Eli was by the entrance waiting, "what is it you want to show us?"

"Why I am doing this?" He waves at Miss Yaryu making her way to them, "we will see it together. The proof."

Orion didn't like the eerie feeling, he crosses his arms observing silently, his eyes trying to study this strange situation. His aunt joins their little group, more concerned than excited, "Anaki, I am glad you wanted to spend tonight with me and your friends but you almost drowned earlier the day. You should be resting."

"But I wanted to show you something important." He takes them to the rooftop, they could see the vast town and most of its flickering lanterns. Though their hearts were engulfed by the glimmering stars splattered over the black canvas.

"Whoa," Orion felt his cheeks heat up, "This is nice."

"It is." Anaki stares at the moonless sky, tonight is the night half the population of the world will be cursed. He shuts his eyes, "the reason I asked you to come out is because there will be a disaster."

"Is this another one of your stories?" Miss Yaryu remembered it well, how these three would help Eli with his writing journey. But Anaki shakes his head, a grim expression neither had ever seen on his pale face before. "Heaven's Wrath is going to befall us tonight; there will be a virus spreading. Many lives will be lost."

"Did you watch something weird again?" Orion sighs, "seriously, Eli is going to have nightmares if you go on about this-"

"It isn't a joke, Miss Yaryu, Orion, Eli, I need you to trust me and stay calm. What happens after midnight will determine our fates. We must remain calm and get everyone to the base as fast and safely as possible."

Miss Yaryu exhales relieved, "so this is what's it about. That silly game, all the children even packed up because of you. We are not going anywhere, you better stop fooling around, Anaki."

"But I am not." Anaki looks up at the sky with a hurt expression, she kneels holding his shoulder gently, "it's okay, I am not angry at you."

"Miss Yaryu..." Anaki didn't budge his eyes from the sky, there was a terrifying silence that sent chills to the children and her. "It's begun."