A Stroke Past Midnight

By Kaoru Wolf

Prologue

The dim illumination from the moon reflected off of the dusty mirror, casting weak beams of light across the room and encouraging the spectral shadows to dance more viciously than ever. The room the mirror was located in was rather expansive and had probably once been very elegant, but had fallen into a state of complete dilapidation.

The furniture was covered with white sheets and the windows and the glass surface of the mirror were cloudy and streaked with grime.

The dusty bookshelves were covered with tiny glass figurines, all shaped into the mischievous forms of kitsune who leered from the shadows.

The room was normally pointedly avoided by its occasional inhabitants, as most guests complained of an eerie, ominous atmosphere that was capable of striking chills into one's very bones.

The metal door handle jiggled slightly, and the door to the forgotten room silently slid inwards and the intruder slipped inside, closing the door behind them.

It was a young girl, dressed in light sleeping robes and carrying a single lit candle, sending the shadows frantically flickering into obscure shapes. Her hair was disheveled and her yukata was rumpled from sleep. She seemed to be only half awake, having been drawn to this mysterious room as if she had been summoned.

The girl padded softly towards the mirror, situated on a low wooden table with strange engravings on its surface.

She knelt in front of the mirror, placing the candle carefully on the wooden table and gazing deep into the glass. The reflection was oddly distorted, causing a shiver to run down her spine. There was a distant rumbling of thunder, hardly audible.

Not one to be easily shaken, the girl reached out a hand to gently trace the engravings along the metal frame in a trance-like state. Somewhere, a clock struck one past midnight but she didn't register a sound.

Her reflection flickered and then transformed altogether, the temperature of the room growing even colder. Her eyes widened in recognition, and she lifted a shaky hand to gently caress the image in the mirror. She shut her eyes tightly, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Please…

There was a flash of light and a deafening roar, the lightening having struck nearby. The vibration could be felt through the wooden floor, and the candle was extinguished immediately. The mirror suddenly cracked, and a very similar flash of sapphire engulfed the room. The girl opened her mouth to scream but no sound escaped her as the world momentarily blanked out and she was engulfed in a searing blue light.

A second later, the girl was left breathing heavily in near-darkness, clutching the wooden table for support. After a few moments, the pain slowly ebbed away but her forehead still radiated heat. Dread and confusion caused a heaviness to gather in the pit of her stomach, barely-suppressed memories threatening to surge forth as the last of the warmth began to fade.

With a shaky breath, the young woman hurriedly pulled herself to her feet and turned to slip back out of the room when she suddenly halted, freezing in place. Her eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat and her chest constricting painfully.

Just a few feet in front of her was a young man, clad in ancient Chinese garb, sprawled unconscious on the floor.

He groaned and shifted slightly, forcing his eyes open. As his gaze met hers, his own eyes widened and he immediately sat up, disbelief shimmering in his amber-colored eyes.
His pale lips parted and he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Yui-sama…"

TBC…

AN:  Short but sweet.  I hope that some of you enjoyed it.  Expect the next chapter delayed, I've begun it but I'm having trouble with a particular scene.