"You know, our kids have gotten pretty big. Want to come meet them?"
Aqua's breath caught in his throat.
The voice coming through the phone was unmistakable. It was Ai Hoshino—his mother.
He stood frozen in the middle of the street, phone pressed to his ear, unable to speak.
From the other side, Ai continued speaking, her tone light and teasing. She was standing in a phone booth, completely unaware of who she was really talking to.
"No, I'm not trying to get back together or anything like that," she said with a soft chuckle.
Aqua's eyes were wide, his body trembling.
Just hearing her voice again after everything—it felt like a knife through his heart.
"I overheard the kids talking," Ai said, her voice dropping to a gentler tone. "They were curious about their dad."
Her words sent a fresh pang through Aqua's chest.
"Our kids are super smart—I'm sure they'll understand our situation."
Aqua's thoughts raced.
Is she… talking to Hikaru?
Ai took a breath. "Our address is…"
"Aa… Ai…" Aqua whispered softly, unable to stop himself.
There was a pause.
"...Who's this?" she asked, her voice cautious.
"I… I am…" he began, but the words didn't come.
"Oh my… I've called the wrong number. My apologies."
She hung up.
Inside the phone booth, Ai looked at the payphone, confused. "I'm sure I dialed the correct number…" she mumbled.
"Anyways."
She inserted another coin and began dialing again.
Back in the present, Aqua stood motionless.
She's trying to contact Hikaru and tell him the address…
He'll pass it on to Ryosuke. That's what starts everything—the disaster we all suffered.
Just then, his phone buzzed again.
Mem-Cho:
"Are you busy or something?"
Aqua glanced at the message but ignored it, too overwhelmed to reply.
But… if I can stop her this time…
A voice whispered in his mind.
"I am sure you have understood at this point."
"...Tsukuyomi?"
He clenched his phone tightly.
"Was that really Ai? Or an illusion you created?"
"Everything that's happening around you is real," Tsukuyomi's voice echoed in his mind. "You can call any person—and even yourself—in the past. From now on, you just have to change the timer of your device to the date and time you want to call that person."
Aqua's eyes narrowed, still staring at the screen.
"Thank you. I was able to hear Ai's voice after so long…"
But in his mind, doubt still lingered.
Still… I can't fully trust her. I don't know why she's doing this… or what her true goal is.
"Don't thank me," Tsukuyomi said calmly. "This is just a test."
"A test?" Aqua muttered. "What do you mean?"
"You will understand when the time comes. Your decisions will lead to the future that awaits you."
The voice faded.
Aqua stood alone on the empty street, the sky dim with twilight, phone still in hand.
He could call the past. Change it. Rewrite everything.
But every decision would have consequences.
To Be Continued...
Next Chapter: "The Voice That Haunts the Future"