I open my eyes unhurriedly. When they open, I find myself in what seems to be a courtroom.
"It appears the deceased one has awakened. Now, let us start Hieda no Etsuko's trial," I heard a high and forceful voice boom.
"Hieda no Etsuko…? Hieda no Etsuko… Hieda no Etsuko… Hey… That's… me," I think to myself. Why would a trial be held for me?
I notice I'm hunched over in a wooden chair. Hurriedly, I straighten my back up.
"Hieda no Etsuko's defendants are: Yukari Yakumo, Keine Kamishirasawa, Kosuzu Motoori… That's it. Now, without further ado, let us commence the lifeless one's trial!"
My attention focuses on the figure seated in front of me. She holds what appears to be the Rod Of Remorse from what I've heard. She has blue eyes and green hair that is longer on my left. A hat that has a balanced design with a gold emblem dividing the pattern is placed on her head. Even with an official look, she seems like a kid to me. After examining the figure, I drive my awareness towards another subject. Where am I and why am I here?
"As usual, we shall begin judging the dead one with a look into her death. We shall observe in the Cleansed Crystal Mirror," the what I've declared to be the judge of this trial states. She holds out the mirror and flips it over so the audience can see its projection. On the projection, a kneeling girl with long, purple locks is holding a paintbrush covered in black ink in her right hand. She writes words on a scroll swiftly, not taking her attention away from what's in front of her… a murder.
"What… the hell…?" I think. The girl still kneels writing, witnessing the death, almost as if she's writing down every move the murderer makes, fearlessly. Out of the blue, the murderer spins around to find her. She notices. As if he was blissfully unaware she was kneeling right behind him, he lets out a surprised grunt. He then makes his way towards her, and… he stabs her just like the previous victim. Blood drenches the tatami floors. Then… the mirror stops projecting.
"'The deceased one'? 'The dead one'? Is she… referring to me?" I think to myself. "That's not possible… I mean, I'm alive, aren't I? Unless… that was my very own death?" I feel my eyes broaden as a clamp my left hand over my mouth in awe. "No way… That can't be…"