He opens his eyes to nothingness.
His body aches, hollow and old, as if he’s just ran a marathon of some sort; he can’t remember what it could’ve been, though. His head throbs, a little, but that’s not exactly anything new.
Ichimatsu pulls himself up into a sitting position, and it’s like someone is stabbing a knife into his temple, and he winces, a hand coming up to cup his temple. His other hand brushes the ground; it’s the pavement, somewhere outside, and it’s baking hot. He doesn’t know why. Perhaps the sun’s just set? But— no, that doesn’t make any sense. He would’ve seen the remnants of twilight. The purple hues of evening.
But Ichimatsu sees nothing but utter blackness.
(Perhaps it’s someplace he’s never been before, he tells himself. Yes— of course. Hive City was always a weird-ass place already; floating cities, the like. Something like this shouldn’t be at all worrisome.
But he feels his heart going, nonetheless, as if he’s had an espresso too many. (But Ichimatsu’s never really been a coffee drinker.) He’s blinking, rapidly, as if the sun was too bright, too sharp. (But he can’t see anything.) His throat’s dry, and he feels his phone buzz— pulls it out, and brings it before his face, even though he knows that’ll accomplish next to nothing. He feels his gaze wander, unable to focus; he sits there, for a minute, before he hears a sound next to him. Another buzz of a phone, the sound of someone awakening.
He’s relieved (but for what? Why? What reason does he have to be relieved for— from what?) to hear it’s someone familiar.
“Ch... Choromatsu-niisan?” Ichimatsu says, finally, voice charred; it’s as if he hasn’t spoken in days. He drops his phone, and tries looking in his direction, but to not much avail. He wonders if his brother is faring any better, and some part of him is glad it isn’t Todomatsu; he knows he would’ve been panicking, at this point.
Meanwhile, he feels his skin burn, as if the sun is glaring down on it, but that can’t be right. He’s never seen it so dark before. “Who... who turned off all the lights…?”