William Winsled / Morning breeze 

Mental distress and loss of autonomy, institutionalization

"A great person who contributed to the lives of many, who will forever live on in our hearts along with our cherished memories. Rest peacefully, Everett Winsled."

A boy offered up a prayer at a white gravestone in a memorial park with a view of Megacity Libra's sea. It was Everett's son, William Winsled. It was five years ago—when he was twelve years old—that William lost his father. It was only now that he got back on his feet enough to pay a visit to the memorial park where his father rested. It had taken him plenty of time and help from his friends to get to this point.

"I'll come again, Dad."

He said goodbye to his father when the gentle sea breeze suddenly brushed against his cheeks. He smiled warmly, feeling as if his father somehow heard his words. With the sweeping view of the sea here, his father could hopefully rest in peace after his unnatural death. After a final farewell, he went over to his two friends, who had been watching over him nearby as he prayed.

"All done?"

"Yeah."

"All right. That's good, Will."

It was his best friend Fred—Frederick—who said that. Next to Frederick was a girl, Matilda, who continued, "Did you get to say a lot to your father?"

"Yeah. Well, I only managed to talk about little things, like how I'm doing."

"Heh, no matter what you talk about, I'm sure you'd make your father happy."

"You think?"

"Yes, I'm positive."

"Well, even so..."

Frederick laid his thoughts bare. "I still can't believe your dad passed away. He always had this vibe like he'd come back to life on his own even if he died, or something."

"Fred... Don't say that kind of stuff in front of Will."

"I don't really mind. To be honest, I don't really feel like he's dead, either."

"What do you mean?"

William nodded back at Matilda and recounted his memories of that time as he gazed out at the ships on the horizon. That day, William snuck into Everett's research lab, got caught in the accident, and lost consciousness. When he woke up next, he was in a hospital bed, where he learned of his father's death.

"Will, your father... Did you...get to see him?"

"No. I asked the person who told me about his death to let me see him, but I wasn't allowed. His whole body was contaminated with chemicals, so he was immediately cremated. So they say it's his ashes under that grave."

"I see..."

"That's why I never got to make sure it was really him... Sorry for keeping quiet about it all this time."

Since his father died in that accident, William tried to be on his own more often. Sometimes, he would wander off aimlessly somewhere, and once was scolded for trying to enter an off-limits building. After losing both parents, there was no one to scold him, so his childhood friends Frederick and Matilda acted like his parents instead. Back then, what would have become of him without them? Thinking back on the things he thought about so many times, he turned around to face the two of them and smiled.

"I'm glad we had this chance to talk. Thanks."

"Will..."

Matilda looked at him as if she might cry at any moment. She was so caring and easily moved to tears that thinking about William losing all his relatives would make her weep as if it had happened to her. As for Frederick, he was looking at him with a somewhat admonishing gaze...

"Fred?"

"Will! Why didn't you tell us sooner!?"

"S-Sorry."

"When things get too painful, you can always call on us, okay? We're your best friends!"

"That's right! I'll do anything to help you out, too. Don't shoulder it all yourself."

"Yeah, thanks."

He felt so pathetic hearing the two of them say that. Though William thought that, he was also glad he could finally confide in them about what he had kept hidden all this time. In fact, he was about to say so when Frederick spoke at the same time.

"Hey, Will! Since we're at it, if you've got any other secrets, why not spill 'em all now? Like any weird stuff you're into, or someone you like!"

"Huh?"

"How about it, Will?"

Matilda, too, looked on with an expression of both curiosity and concern. As they pressured him, William thought for a while, then swallowed back the words on his tongue.

"I don't have any secrets."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

"Okay, I believe you."

Frederick dispelled the mood with a wide grin. His genuine smile had such a marvelous charm that one couldn't help but smile back when seeing it. William broke into a natural smile.

"Yep. In the end the best thing to do is smile like me!"

"I dunno, I think you can be a bit too carefree..."

"Ahaha, he sure can!" Matilda laughed.

"That's not it! Hold on!"

The three of them laughed together for some time, and left the memorial park.

The time was just past noon. They had until Matilda's curfew in the evening to hang out. She was already seventeen, but she had a strict curfew because of her recent hospitalization. So, to use these few hours to the fullest, they had each shared ideas about what they wanted to do.

"We did Will's suggestion, so next it's your turn, Tilly."

Matilda's idea was to play with the newly released hoverboards from Libra Dynamics. The plan this time was to ride them to their favorite diner.

"Oh yeah, we haven't heard what you want, Fred—what are you gonna do?"

"You'll have to look forward to it after we get to the diner."

It was Frederick who proposed the plan, so he probably was thinking up some kind of surprise, like always. William and his friends activated their hoverboards and raced down the street to the diner.

The diner William and his friends often visited was near the harbor district. On weekdays, it was crowded with workers from the nearby docks and warehouses, and on weekends, it was busy with Libra residents and tourists. By the time the three of them arrived, the customers were sparse, perhaps because the busiest hours had passed. After some small talk with a waitress they knew well, they ordered their usual meals and headed for a four-seater table.

William sat at the back with Matilda next to him, while Frederick plopped down opposite them. As they ate the dishes brought out to them one after another, they talked about all kinds of things: school, family, and the future. There was no shortage of things to talk about. As they continued talking, the topic eventually turned to that day five years ago.

Five years ago...

Ever since William lost Everett, he had shut himself off from the world. Instead of going to school, he spent his days seeking out high places with no one around to read books or messing around with junk at the shop his father ran. And there was one daily routine he never skipped.

"I got bread and soup at the church today."

That was to leave a record on the voice recorder he found at the shop. William remembered that his father used to use a recorder to keep his research logs, and he half-unconsciously imitated him. There was truly nothing else that made him feel closer to him. When he mimicked his father's mannerisms from when he was alive, it felt like he was getting closer to his thoughts somehow.

"That Cinder lady was badmouthing me again, so I ignored her. I feel a little better now."

Atop a workbench at the back of the shop, William finished recording what he did that day, and touched a half-repaired toy that lay on the bench. If his father was still alive, would the toy have been returned to its owner?

"He's really gone—"

Just then, there was a noise from the entrance. Then, he heard someone's voice. William quickly hid under the workbench and held his breath.

"Oh Williaaam, are you in here?"

"Please, answer us if you are."

Those voices were familiar. It was the young couple who claimed to be his guardians. They said they were Everett's relatives, but William had never heard him talk about having relatives before. They were probably con artists who heard about Everett's death on the news and come to steal whatever fortune he had. William had run into these two outside the decadent zone before.

"Hey there, you're William, aren't you?"

"No need for alarm. We're your relatives. We heard about your father's passing and thought you must be so lonely, so we came to meet you."

"So it's okay, we're not gonna harm you!"

"You know, we want to invite you to our home. Wouldn't it be nice to live somewhere with a view of the sea instead of this filthy place?"

He wasn't sure why, but William got an uneasy feeling like fingers slowly tracing over his skin. Not to mention they called this place that held memories of his father "filthy." Who could trust people like that? He had been running from them ever since. But it looked like he had finally reached his limit. Their footsteps echoed through the workroom.

"Oh my, the power is on, but no one is here."

"Nope, that means he's hiding!"

He heard excited footsteps as the man spoke.

"What are you doing?"

"Thought it might be fun to play along with the kid!"

"Hmm? Well, I'd like to leave this ghastly place as soon as possible. The lower classes might start to gather here."

"Hahaha! I'm sure!"

Clack.

The dry tapping of leather boots was getting very close.

"Now be a good boy and come on out, William."

Just as William was thinking about how to catch them off guard and escape...

"Hey, what're you doing?"

Someone's voice came from outside the room. He was speaking in a deep voice, but it was undoubtedly Frederick.

"Eeek! The lower classes!?"

"W-Who are you!?"

"I belong to the vigilante corps in this area. I beat up thieves like you. So I'll ask again, what are you doing here?"

"L-Let's go. If any more of them gather, I don't know what they'll do to us!"

"You're right, Michelle! Let's give it up!"

Their footsteps got further away. Once he couldn't hear them at all, he heard Frederick's voice instead.

"You in there, Will?"

William breathed a sigh of relief and poked his face out from under the workbench.

"You saved me, Fred."

"Heheh. Looks like they thought I was in a gang or something. You shoulda seen their scared faces, too."

"Hahaha!"

They bumped fists and laughed before leaving the shop for the church. It was just about time for dinner to begin. William already got his bread and hadn't planned to go to the church dinner, but he couldn't turn down Frederick's request for help. The pair walked swiftly along, hardly minding the poorly paved, dimly lit road.

When they were about halfway there, Frederick said, "Oh yeah, Tilly's coming today."

"She is?"

Tilly, or Matilda, was one of William's few friends, like Frederick. He met her at age six at the church run by Frederick's father. Since they were about the same age, the three of them inevitably became fast friends. However, because of her poor health, she didn't drop by the decadent zone very often. When they hung out with her, it was usually at her house or reading books at the library.

"Is she doing okay? I heard she's getting worse lately."

"You should ask her yourself, not me. But between you and me, Tilly's got a lot to talk to you about, so she's coming to the church."

"Huh... Really?"

Frederick didn't answer. It seemed he would have to ask Tilly himself. Feeling just a bit awkward, William headed for the church.

The decadent zone was full of children in similar circumstances to William's, and those who drifted there for various reasons. Some among them struggled to find tomorrow's meals, and it was for these disadvantaged people that the church run by Frederick's father was built. The church's main role was to support the decadent zone's residents with food and donations from well-off households. Additionally, it sought to deepen friendships and remove prejudices between those unfamiliar with the district.

"—Will, pass me that plate!"

"Huh? Oh, okay!"

William thought he could meet up with Matilda before going to help, but he realized at once that he was short-sighted. Not only were there vacancies among the dinner staff, today was even busier than expected. William was in charge of serving soup as Frederick told him, and he was struggling just to keep up with the rush of guests.

"Hey, can I get seconds!?"

"Could you make the seasoning a liiittle stronger?"

"That's not even close to enough. More, please."

As the orders came in nonstop and a baby cried, the children started fighting over who was in line first. It was like a battlefield. If he held back the flow, the line would turn into a chaotic train wreck. All while making sure the kids wouldn't snatch the soup ladle, William filled cup after cup, careful not to make mistakes.

Jeez... It's so busy!

Hoping to ask Frederick for help, William glanced sideways at him.

"Sorry, you'll have to bear with this much for today. Okay, next!"

"But it's not enough!"

"No complaining! Next!"

Frederick didn't waste a single movement. It was amazing that despite that, he never failed to communicate with each and every person. William tried to take on Frederick's good qualities and actively challenged himself to communicate—something he wasn't good at.

At the end of dinner, once they finished cleaning, the two were finally released from their duties.

"Siiigh... I'm beat..."

William threw himself onto a desk and talked to Frederick, who sat next to him. "How can you handle this almost every day, Fred?"

"Haha, guess it was still too hard for you. Well, you get used to it!"

"But...you've been doing all this work ever since you were little. It's amazing."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. You never thought it was tough?"

It was the same when he first met Frederick. William had been living in this area for a while, and the residents once kept their distance from him. It was always a busy place, but only William's surroundings were quiet, treated as if he didn't exist. William still remembered their cold eyes, looking at him like a monster. It was Frederick who reached out a hand to him back then. If it weren't for his friendly smile and enthusiastic persistence, he might still be alone now.

"Mm, I never thought it was tough. I mean..."

Frederick paused and stood from his seat.

"'Cause this is my dream!"

"Your dream..."

"I look up to my dad, and I'm proud of him. All I can do is help him out right now, but I'm definitely gonna follow in his footsteps!" Frederick declared resolutely. His face brimmed with confidence and he exuded an unshakeable will.

William had seen firsthand just how genuine that will was. At the same time, he felt envious. How reassuring it was to have someone to guide him so close by.

"...Sounds nice," William murmured softly.

Frederick was quick to react. "Oh, my bad! You just lost your dad and I'm saying stuff like this...!"

"No, wait. You didn't do anything wrong, Fred! That was on me!"

How could you avoid hurting someone in such a situation? William didn't have the answer. As an awkward silence fell between the two of them—

"—Good work, you two."

Matilda, who had been washing dishes in the kitchen, entered the room.

"Tilly!"

The two of them ran in perfect sync toward their unexpected goddess of salvation.

"Umm... What's going on?"

When Matilda heard the situation, she stifled a laugh at first, but eventually couldn't stand it and burst out laughing.

"Hehe, ahahahaha!"

"Hey, hey, we're having a serious conversation here," Frederick protested. "Bit harsh to laugh at it, don't you think?"

"I-It's just... Somehow it's so adorable!"

"Adorable, she says... Will, you tell her too!"

"Ah... Honestly, I'm kind of relieved," William replied.

It was total coincidence, but her arrival at that moment had completely changed the heavy atmosphere.

"Will! You're gonna betray me!?"

"I didn't betray you. And since when was that what we were talking about!?"

"Who cares!?"

"Hehe... I want to keep watching you two, but this isn't the place to be arguing," Matilda said, taking each of their hands and raising them up between the three of them, clasping their hands together. William felt Matilda's hands, cool to the touch from washing dishes, and Frederick's, still warm, at the same time.

"Will, I can't shoulder your fate myself. But I can take on a part of it. Don't forget, we're with you. When something happens to you, we'll lend a hand. If something happens to us, you'll lend your hand, won't you?"

"Yeah... Thanks, Tilly."

William was deeply grateful for the miracle of meeting these two, and to his father, Everett, for giving him the chance in the first place. Even if he didn't have any family left, as long as these two were there, he could keep on living.

"Hehe, nice, huh, Will?"

"...W-What're you grinning about?"

"Oh, nothing special. ♪"

William couldn't understand his response. He tried to ask Matilda what it meant, but she just blushed faintly and smiled.

"Seriously, what is this...?"

Sulking, William hoped to cherish this irreplaceable relationship forever. However, an incident was drawing near that would warp their relationship, as if to trample over his feelings.

After that, William enrolled in Frederick and Matilda's school with the help of Frederick's father, and found himself in a completely different environment from before. It was hard to keep up with classes at first, but with his natural diligence and the help of his friends, William made remarkable progress.

Making friends was still his only weakness. The other students came from different home environments and they didn't have any childhood hobbies in common, so every casual conversation only increased William's sense of alienation and loneliness. Though his student life wasn't all smooth sailing, William still enjoyed every day thanks to his friends.

Then, one day, when nearly three years had passed, it suddenly happened.

"Tilly collapsed?"

"Yeah. Tilly's mom just told the school."

"Was it her usual condition again?"

"We'll have to ask her..."

The condition William spoke of referred to unexplained symptoms Matilda began having at age twelve. Whenever it happened, she apparently acted unlike her usual self, as if she were a different person. People around her told her to see a professional at the hospital, but she kept refusing because her symptoms didn't last long. However, she couldn't keep doing that now that she collapsed.

"Then, let's go," William said, starting to tidy the top of his desk.

"Hold on, Will, right now?"

"We made a promise at the church. You haven't forgotten, have you, Fred?"

Frederick went wide-eyed for a moment, then grinned.

"...Yeah, we've gotta go!"

They cheerfully told the teacher who entered the classroom that they would be leaving early and headed to Matilda's house.

They arrived at Matilda's house by scooter, where they noticed an ambulance parked outside, and exchanged glances.

"Looks like she's still inside!"

"Okay, let's go!"

Frederick pushed through the onlookers watching from a distance. Suddenly, the door to the house opened. There, they saw Matilda's mother, who was on the verge of breaking down crying, paramedics communicating with her family watching from afar, and Matilda herself, being carried into the ambulance on a stretcher. She looked strange. Restraint bands were wrapped around her head, chest, waist, and knees.

""Tilly!?""

"—!"

The moment they shouted, Matilda's body jolted.

"Nooooooooo!"

She suddenly began thrashing violently, as if possessed by something awakening within her.

"!?"

"Get away! No...don't...touch...! N-Noooooo!"

Matilda raised her breaking voice and tried to move her head rapidly, as if she wanted to escape from something. But the band wrapped tightly around her head wouldn't let her. That only heightened her terror, and her screams turned to heartwrenching tears. The sorrowful scream they couldn't have imagined coming from her usual self was enough to root William and Frederick to the spot.

"Sedative! Quickly!" a paramedic shouted as he held Matilda down on the stretcher so she wouldn't fall. Right away, a paramedic on standby in the ambulance rushed out with a syringe and injected it into Matilda with a practiced motion. The medicine started to take effect, and Matilda's frantic rage finally turned quiet. The paramedic sighed with relief, motioned for her to be carried into the ambulance, then went over to William and Frederick, who stood paralyzed.

"You two! Do you understand that you put her in danger!?"

""We're sorry...!""

At their sincere apology, the paramedic cracked a small smile and spoke kindly. "Well, I can see how you feel. She's an important friend to you?"

"How could you tell?"

"I saw your bags. If you skipped school and ran here, you must care about her, yeah?"

He put a hand on each of their heads and patted gently.

"Um... Can you let us ride, too?" Frederick asked.

"No. I know you're friends, but I can't let you. We don't know what'll set her off again. And if I don't hurry back, a certain violent nurse will kick me in the ass."

"Huh?"

"Uh, forget that last part!"

Lastly, the paramedic said, "Come see her when she's stable!" and left.

----------

It was one week after Matilda collapsed. Finally permitted to see her, William and Frederick visited her at the hospital.

"C-Come in."

Matilda ushered them in with a frail voice. Her mother sat next to her as she lay in bed, looking at the boys uneasily. She must have been looking after her without breaks all this time. Her cheeks were sunken, and she looked quite aged.

William spoke with a smile, trying not to worry them. "How are you doing?"

"Yeah, I think...I'm probably fine."

"...?"

She spoke as if it was someone else's problem. William felt that something was off, but decided it would be better not to make her worry, and continued the conversation. "I see...that's good. But your voice doesn't sound back to normal yet."

"Guess you're right... Oh, I heard from Mom. You came to my house."

"W-Well—"

"This guy here skipped school to see you, Tilly," Frederick interrupted.

"Did he?"

"Fred, you promised you wouldn't say that."

"It's fine. It'll make Tilly happier, so."

If anything, Matilda's expression of embarrassment only grew stronger.

"So, what happened?" Frederick asked, then added, "If you think you can talk about it."

"I'm...sorry... I don't really understand it myself..."

Matilda paused, then timidly said, "I'm so sorry..."

Tears welled up in her eyes. Just what had happened to her? It was something she couldn't even tell her friends. If they pried any further, in the worst case scenario, they could end up hurting her even more.

"Tilly..."

"It's all right. When you're ready to talk about it, we'll always be there to listen."

"Yeah... Thanks... I'm glad I got to talk to you one last time..."

"What? What do you mean, last?"

Matilda strained out the words. "After this, I'm going to the asylum."

""Asylum!?""

The asylum—also referred to as the locked ward or psychiatric ward, was a specialized hospital where patients in unique circumstances were admitted. Because it was often criticized for its excess of hospital beds, many media outlets reported that it would be demolished, but the recent surge in patients with unexplained symptoms meant its usage had gone up.

"Tilly..."

"Don't look so sad. I'll be okay."

Matilda struck a triumphant pose with her thin arms. She put on a brave face, but it was apparent from her voice that she was forcing herself. William was about to tell her he would always be close even if they were separated, when Matilda began cowering against the bed.

"Tilly!?"

"Don't come near me!"

She screamed at the top of her lungs when William tried to help her up. Then, she made a perplexed expression as if surprised by her own voice and flatly explained her own feelings as tears rolled down her face.

"I-I... I don't know why, but...being touched...scares me..."

"Tilly..."

"I'm...sorry, Will... It's like...like I'm not 'myself' anymore..."

"Pardon me."

Suddenly, several people entered the hospital room. Most likely, they were the hospital nurse and staff from the asylum.

"It's been some time... May we?"

"Yes," Matilda replied, laying down on the stretcher the asylum staff provided.

"Tilly, you're definitely gonna be okay!"

"We'll be waiting for you!"

"Yeah, I'll come back right away."

The door closed, leaving William and Frederick standing motionless with no outlet for their anger and sorrow. The promise they made back then was powerless. The frustration was unbearable.

William grasped the empty air with his hand and thought, If I could see into Tilly's heart, I wonder if I could have helped her..

The trio's reminiscence reached an end. Thinking that it felt like a long time ago, William spoke to the other two.

"I'm glad the three of us could talk like this again."

"I hear ya."

"Yes, me too."

Matilda smiled with a hint of loneliness.

"If it stopped the trembling in my body, I would have been even happier..."

"Tilly..."

William wanted to tell her it would be okay, but he didn't know the darkness she carried, so he couldn't be careless about it. She tried hard not to show it on her face, but sometimes the panic and confusion at her body reacting to the slightest touch slipped through in her mannerisms. Silence fell, making it awkward to resume conversation. It was Frederick, the moodmaker of the three, who broke the tension.

"Waitress, bring that out, please!"

A cheerful voice replied from behind the counter. He seemed to have prepared something. This must have been the secret he was keeping.

"All right, thanks for waiting. Your special cheesecake."

A cheesecake sprinkled with white powdered sugar was set on the table.

"Whoa... Looks delicious!"

Matilda and William's eyes glistened enthusiastically.

"What's this for?"

"We're gonna serve it at the next church founding anniversary. I told the shop owner I wanted to let everyone fill up on cake, and we talked about making cheesecake. So I wanted you two to be the 'very first' to eat it, fresh from the oven," Frederick said with a grin, making air quotes for emphasis.

As ever, he was trying whatever he could to bring happiness to the less fortunate. One couldn't help but respond to his feelings. They smiled, said thanks, and stuffed their cheeks with the cheesecake at once.

"—!"

The soufflé-style cheesecake melted the moment it entered their mouths, spreading a mild sweetness.

"How is it?"

"It's delicious," Matilda replied. "I'm sure it'll make everyone happy."

"Yeah, for sure. This is the best cake in the world!"

"Aw, you're gonna make me blush...but I'm glad to hear it."

The fun times passed in the blink of an eye. Once they were finished eating the cake, there was less than one hour left before Matilda's curfew.

"—Oh, right, that's right!"

Just then, Frederick suddenly stood up and shouted.

"I totally forgot I was gonna help my dad out!"

"Huh? Didn't you say you had nothing to do today?"

"Ah, guess I did, huh? I've had so much going on lately I might have messed up my plans..."

Frederick kept talking rapidly, left the money for the meal to William, and left his seat.

"Now I leave it to the two of you! Bye!"

"Hey, Fred! ...And, he's gone."

"Hehe, he's really the same as ever."

They laughed, paid the bill, and left the diner. When they exited, the sky was starting to turn a shade of crimson. There was a chill on the sea breeze. They decided to take a cable car home instead of their hoverboards. As they headed to the cable car stop, William's gaze followed the sun as it sank beyond the horizon. It had rained last night, so this view of the sunset was even more beautiful. Just as William thought about how nice it would be for this peaceful moment to last forever—

"Hey, Will."

Matilda started to speak as she walked just behind him. William felt the solemnity in her voice and turned around.

"What is it?"

"Will...are you keeping a secret from us?"

"Huh...?"

"I couldn't ask you earlier, but I had a feeling you were hiding something."

"I-I don't have any weird stuff I'm into or someone I like—"

"Not like that!"

William was taken aback by the strong tone, unlike her usual self. When he looked at her worried expression, he knew at once that her words were no joke.

"If you tell me, I-I'll tell you my secret, too. So..."

"..."

William couldn't answer. He had almost revealed his secret back then, but if he did, he might put them in danger, too.

"I thought so. You can't say it."

Matilda smiled forlornly, unaware of William's feelings.

"...Yeah."

"So that's how it is."

Matilda said no more and turned her back to him.

"I hope someday you meet someone you can share your secrets with."

"Tilly, I—"

"Thanks for today!" she continued, cutting off his words. "You can drop me off here and I'll manage the rest!"

She finished, "Let's meet again, the three of us," then left William without looking back once.

"...I'm sorry."

He apologized once again as he watched Matilda get further away, regretting his own foolishness for putting a crack in their relationship. There was a secret he hadn't told the two of them all this time. His eyes had the power to see things others couldn't: the boomerang-headed "bad guy" involved in his father's death, paranormal phenomena at the abandoned building he made his secret base. When it came to his best friends, he couldn't talk about any of those things carelessly—even if it meant their relationship could never be the same.

Some time after that day, William Winsled would be met with an incident he could never have anticipated. A man with the same face as him. Many worlds he had never seen before. And an encounter with a superpowered girl.

Just what kind of future awaited the boy pulled by the thread of fate? That tale would soon reach the eyes of many.