[Serialized Novel] "Lute of the North Wind" Episode 27

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Episode 27: Scattered Anomalies (3)
[June 2nd, Kagami-hara / Nagoya]
The day after Bosch, the Border Collie, died, the intercom rang despite it being Sunday morning. The sky was overcast, as if it were weeping.
Bosch, who was to be cremated tomorrow, had been packed with dry ice and placed in Rei's room.
"Rei-chan, Tenma-san has come all the way from Tsukuba."
I think that's what my mother said while knocking. Rei had kept reality shut down since yesterday. When I noticed, Ryuto was pressing his hands together in prayer before Bosch's coffin.
"Tokuyama from N University sent me some concerning images."
Look at this, Ryuto said, holding his smartphone screen up in front of my eyes.
Three microorganisms were lined up. What does this have to do with anything?
"So, we're going to Tokuyama's place now," Ryuto said, pulling Rei's hand firmly. Rei didn't even resist. I don't even remember how I went down the stairs.
My father and mother were standing at the entrance.
"Rei-chan, are you okay?" My father had his hand on my mother's shoulder as she worried.
While tying his sneakers, Ryuto told my father, "Please secure as many oxygen cylinders and oxygen cans as you can." He was saying incomprehensible things again.
Rei was watching the scene from above her own head, with the eyes of a third party.
Is that me over there? Is this a dream?
I must just be dreaming that Bosch died.

I don't even remember getting on the train.
My consciousness was in a haze, and my head felt heavy and suffocating. I rested my cheek against the window frame of the two-seater and closed my eyes. The vibrations of the train echoed in my head as if punishing me. Eventually, we entered a tunnel and were pulled into the darkness.
When I realized it, I was standing under a bright sky. In the dazzling sunlight, fish swimming leisurely brushed against my cheeks. The sunlight filtering through the green of the street trees and the shadows of the leaves painted projection mapping on the sidewalk. The light flickered and played.
Around this time last year, Kagami-hara had a sky just like this.
A world that should have existed. A world that is now out of reach.
Am I walking in a dream?
There is asphalt under my feet, but I have no sensation of stepping on it.
A full day after Bosch died, Rei's distinction between dream and reality was mottled, and the clock had stopped since yesterday morning. Once the tears started flowing, I couldn't control them, and even the swaying of the wind made my eyes blur.
Passing through the zelkova trees, I went up to the third floor of the building marked Science Building B. My hand was held by Ryuto so tightly it hurt, and that pain was my only connection to reality. The early summer sun pouring in from the large glass window danced on the landing.
The laboratory was as cluttered as ever, but the top of the experimental table was neatly cleared.
Recognizing Tokuyama in his white coat, with his hair tied at the nape of his neck and wearing round glasses, Rei finally realized where she was.
"Hey, I've been waiting."
Tokuyama rattled on about how surprised he was after conducting the experiment under the conditions Ryuto had instructed.
When the temperature of the test tube containing the |Worm| was raised to create a nutrient-rich state, the transparent Worm mutated into a red color. Tokuyama uploaded images to the computer monitor one after another. Ryuto stared at them intently. Rei also widened her hazy eyes at the images of them swelling like balloons and turning red.
"Alright, with this, we can prove that the red microorganisms are mutants of the Worm."
Ryuto was grinning.
"That's not all," Tokuyama said, handing Ryuto a paper output from the printer.
"The results from the analysis are in. The red Worms are toxic. Though it's a toxin that doesn't affect the human body."
"Toxin, huh?" Ryuto checked the analysis results in detail with a look that said he expected as much.
"Toxin?"
Rei whispered in a voice so quiet it couldn't be heard, letting her gaze drift into the void.
Are the fish in the sky decreasing in number because of the red Worm's toxin?
Was Bosch also killed by that toxin?
Questions swirled in Rei's brain.

To be continued