Delicious aromas sweetened the air as the occasional breeze flowed in and out through the house. A raven-haired girl moved on and about as she cooked raspberry tarts, taking a tray out and sliding another in its place. She hummed a cheery tune as she bustled out of the kitchen, blowing the stray strands of hair away from her face.
Removing her mittens, she leaned against the doorframe of the dining room and smiled. Her father was sitting at the table, leafing through some papers, his eyes anxiously shifting from the papers to the door. The smile on her face moved slightly as concern appeared on her countenance.
"Father, is something wrong?" she asked, a hint of worry in her tone as she went towards and stood beside him.
He looked up startled, dropping the papers he held in his hand. He scrambled to organize the papers before meeting her eyes. As he finished, her father motioned for her to sit down. He placed the papers in front of him before gazing at his daughter with a warm smile on his lips.
" Dear child, you shouldn't sneak up on me that way. One day, you'll give your father a heart attack."
He chuckled, caressing her cheek fondly. He pulled away, examining her.
"You look so much more like your mother everyday." he said wistfully.
His daughter reached for his hands and held them gently, looking into his old grey eyes.
"Please… tell me, is everything alright? You look troubled." She pressed on, her eyes searching his own, looking for any reaction to give her a clue. His eyes instantly saddened but he kept his smile.
" Of course, my love. I'm just tired. I don't get upas muchas I used to with these ancient joints," he answered," Don't worry about me."
The raven-haired child straightened, disbelief still in her face as she stood up.
"Well, if you're sure… I was planning on collecting some more berries to finish my batch of sweets that I'm baking. I won't be long." She reassured him as she opened the main door.
Terror filled his eyes as he suddenly stood up, knocking over the table, the papers scattering to the floor.
"Wait, no!" he gasped.
The daughter's eyes widened as she stared at her father as if he had lost his mind. Doubt filled her as she looked from the door, having second thoughts.
"Maybe, I should stay here. I can see that you aren't well." She said, moving to close the door.
Her father shook his head as he sat back down, taking deep breaths. "Forgive me. It was just an overreaction. I..I was thinking of something else. Go, go now. You're needed somewhere."
When he saw his daughter's mouth opening, ready to protest, he silenced her with his hand.
"If you're worried about the oven, don't worry. I'll take the treats out when they're ready. Go."
Confusion set in her face as she reluctantly grabbed a woven basket by the door and stepped out of the house, slowly closing the door behind her. She ambled among the path, inch by inch, the straw basket bumping into her knees as she walked. She looked behind her, the house looming, as it grew smaller, obscuring the sun as it set, the faint orange colors of dawn in the sky quickly approaching.
She felt dread suddenly creeping into her heart for no reason, as she moved farther away from her home. Her instincts began to kick in and she had the prickly feeling to suddenly run, the alert of danger squeezing her body in a breathtaking grasp.
She tried to shake the feeling away, blaming it on her father's out of the blue panic attack. It did leave her a bit shaken, she thought. She had never seen her father so worked up and over what? He's been acting so strangely lately ever since he had came home very late a few nights ago.
Ever since then, he had been jumping at every noise and shadow. And what did he mean, she was needed somewhere else? The berry bushes?
She continued to walk, peace taking over her as she was lost in her thoughts. Soon, she saw a glimpse of the throng of shrubs buried to its limits in raspberries and became engrossed in the task set before her. She snatched a handful by handful, slowly filling her basket.
The dawn soon turned to dusk as night slowly crept, announcing its arrival as the sun barely now peeked over the horizon when she finally emerged. She wiped the sweat off her forehead, weary but proud at accomplishing her goal. She brushed the dirt off her worn skirt from where she was kneeling on the ground as she climbed up. Her hands hurted after all the branches she untwined to grab the clumps of succulent berries.
She smiled, despite her exhaustion as she picked up her basket and made her way back to her home. She looked up at the sky, the trace of danger pulsing in her body a hour ago long forgotten. Tranquility washed over her as she looked at the gleaming stars in the vast darkness. They winked as they twinkled in a futile attempt to beat the moon hovering over them.
Faint moonlight lit the path with its warm glow, saying its farewell to the dim rays of sun. She paused when the sound of leaves crunching reached her sensitive ears. The raven-haired girl turned around, frightened as her eyes searched the empty black void.
She could see the silhouette of trees outlined but nothing else, as she cautiously turned around and continued walking, her heart thumping crazily against her chest. A breathy whisper tickled her ear. Miss Kuramae… She spun around, the loose strands of pure black framing her face, contrasting with the fear in her green orbs.
"Who's there?" she asked the shadows, the nervousness clear in her voice. She trembled when everything remained silent and still, not a soul stirred. She turned around once more and sucked in her breath, her eyes widening as the basket slipped from her fingers, every hard-earned berry rolling carelessly to the ground, startled by what she saw.
A figure stood a few feet away from her , right in the center of the lit path, its body outlined in the moonlight. Locks of black hair barely brushed the tips of his eyelashes as those ebony eyes stared right at her intensely, the glow of the moon illuminating his haunting yet strangely feminine-like features. Every muscle strained to get away from this seemingly angel of hell, nerves twisting and curving in every inch of her body screaming at her to run as the figure quietly made his way towards her, his heated stare never leaving her. She wanted to listen to the anguish-filled scream in her head warning her of danger but she couldn't tear herself from glimpsing into those compelling eyes of his. It seemed like they beckoned to her, seducing her and luring her deeper and deeper until she could never escape but she was hopelessly drawn to them. She stood there, frozen at the spot as she watched him coming closer and closer until they were inches apart.
"Miss Kuramae…lovely night for a stroll isn't it?" he said softly. Her eyes grew in confusion as she stepped back, the spell he had cast over her broken.
"Who… who are you?" she stammered.
He smiled as if a secret hid within when he spoke. "Of course, you wouldn't remember me, would you?" he said, tilting his head slightly as he cupped her chin to meet her eyes. "You've certainly grown since then. Poor thing."
She backed up, pushing his hand away, frightened. "What are you talking about? I…I don't even know who you are. How did you know my name? What do you want from me?" she insisted, her voice quivering.
He stood rooted to the spot as if he didn't notice the space put between them. " Please, call me Akito. For now." He replied, smiling. "We, let's just say, know each other a while back. You will learn. Patience, Miss Kuramae, patience. You shall obtain the answers to your questions soon but for now… I've come to retrieve what has been taken away from me." Akito locked eyes with her the instant he said this.
Sakura stared back at him, surprised by the sudden wave of affection, sadness and longing that traveled within her at the words that escaped his lips. Yet, a cold chill quickly followed and swept her in its icy grasp.
" What was it that was taken away from you," she said quietly.
His eyes gleamed and a smirk crept up his lips as he spoke. " I'm glad you asked," he cooed.
Confusion appeared, edging her features. She immediately sensed another presence behind her but before she could turn around, the stranger's hands covered her mouth swiftly and held tightly. She screamed but the stranger's hands muffled her cries of help.
Absolute terror clutched her heart as she stared helplessly at Akito in the moonlight, as he returned the glance. He looked behind her and nodded. The stranger's soft hands gently brushed the hair away from her neck, leaving it a vulnerable target.
Akito walked toward her, pulling a shiny, pointed hypodermic needle. When she saw this, she struggled in an attempt to escape, desperate to survive.
"Please, Miss Kuramae. Don't make this harder than it is…" the voice whispered in her ear, the tone swelling with overwhelmed sorrow.
She stood still in shock, remembering hearing the familiar voice one time. Her soul screamed for her not to listen and that it was all a trap. Dazed, she looked at Akito right in front of her and gasped when she felt a painful sting in her neck.
He pricked her with a needle, inserting the dangerous liquid to flow freely in her veins like a pack of vicious hounds that were released to chase after its prey. She instantly gathered all the strength she had and broke free of the person's hold and collapsed to the floor.
She turned around to see the mysterious stranger that deep in her heart felt strongly that he had betrayed her in some way. Before she could get a good look on him, her vision began to blur, the colors swirling around her and turning him into a distorted figure in a bizarre surrounding.
She began to form a headache as the colors dissolved. She only was able to make out the pained look on his face, his eyes filled with regret as he watched her with a smiling Akito beside him before her world went black.