A/N: Oh, oh~ I should probably give credit to Arakeru for being my little beta reader~ And of course, a supportive boyfriend! Thank you a lot~
My body is burning. Not literally, but I feel like I've just been set ablaze. I wish this gray smoke wasn't so thick so I can actually see where I'm going. The most I can do is squint, anxiously navigating down these painfully endless corridors. I would've thought that I knew this place like the back of my hand. But no, it's as if this is the first time I've been here. My little mental map of this place has been reduced to a fine blur. Do I turn right or left? Am I going in circles? Where is the nearest exit?! I would just blast my way through the walls like I usually do during my fabulous, sudden getaways, but I don't have time to spare in order to do that. Even if I did, I probably still would not be able to do it. My hakkero needs a break. I've used it so much in just 45 minutes that it's angrily pulsating while it's attached to the belt tightly fastened around my waist. If I try to touch it now, my hand will burn. I don't need any more parts of my body being burned. The bottom trim of my skirt and the tip of my hat has already been singed off! Soon, it will be flesh! I can't imagine that cooked human flesh sounds appetizing, even to tengu or some other wild, uncivilized youkai. Back on topic about my hakkero, it'll be like tossing around a really hot potato. I'd fumble around with it and then drop it, unable to pick it up because for one, I'm running at speeds I didn't think I could reach even in the most adrenaline-filled moments; and two, if I cease my running even for a moment, it just might cost me my life. Even more so since I'm doing this all on foot, my speed slightly accelerated by the use of some minor magic I mustered up on impulse. At this point though, my legs are about to give out! My broom more or less got.. sent away. Had it stayed, it would've been obliterated. Anyway, time is running out. I can't run forever, and by the look of things, my legitimate fear isn't showing any signs of easing up. I refuse to look back. Not until I see and enter the safe haven awaiting me on the outside; the one place I know that she can't enter. Sunlight.
I can still hear explosions. Lots of them. None other than blasts of powerful danmaku colliding and exploding upon contact with the narrow corridors' walls and stirring up dust, they only pose a disadvantage for me. Unlike her, I rely on my vision to guide me. Not only that, however. I'm forced to inhale that dust, further irritating my aching lungs and attempting to clog up my throat. My coughing causes my movements to stagger. I approach yet another intersection of corridors, picking one of two directions without putting much thought into it. At first glance, it seems no different than the other 4 or 5 corridors I've fled down. However, my eyes flick to capture a glimpse of what was down the opposite direction to see an identical sight. That's what I thought, at least. As I already know, it's not that easy to tell what I can see in the distance in this poorly lighted mansion. Even with that minor setback, in a normal setting I could still stealthily get around by listening around for distinct sounds which signal that I'm nearing a place where someone is present. Sadly, using such a thing right now in my favor was long out of the question. My eardrums are already numb from the shrill sounds of the explosions. But, that isn't the only thing that's filling my ears. In comparison, this other sound makes the explosions seem like a whisper, and it effectively fills my mind with a sort of terror. It's a sound I'm used to, but not to such a degree. That sound is laughter. Not just your normal kind of laughter that you hear when you tell a little funny joke. On the contrary, in fact. It's a reveling kind of laughter. I can notice traces of excitement and insanity twisted into each of her giggles. It's maniacal, really. I feel foolish for not stopping myself and making her this... enthusiastic. Back then, it completely left my mind to make sure my actions were in moderation. This is what I get for having fun, isn't it? Or perhaps I asked for fun in the wrong place? At any rate, I'm paying for the consequences. It's not that this has never happened before, though. Usually, I have at least some help. That help can be that I somehow escaped without a scratch, or my progress is halted by some other outside force. The inhabitants of this mansion very well know of my games and trickery. I've always managed to squeeze into the safe zone with each of the previous occurrences. But this time, I got carried away. Earlier, when things got out of hand, a small part of the mansion was left in shambles. Keeping that in mind, I come to realize that both the head maid and that older vampire will have me beheaded for this. Now isn't the time to worry about this, though. I have a more important matter to deal with; getting out of this tight situation alive. I can worry about the lesser things later. When I first started running, my pursuer's voice was faint with a slightly noticeable echo. Now the volume of it is rapidly increasing, which means one of two things: I'm slowing down; or she's speeding up. Or even both. This is frustrating to think about because I'm not entirely sure where her location is. She could be right behind me within a foot's length and I wouldn't realize it. But, I'm also aware that echos can make the source of a sound seem closer than they actually are. Is she right behind me? Is it worth turning my head to check? I decide to take chances. I turn my head, shifting my attention from what's ahead of me and my proper footwork to see the danger that may lie within that space. And with that glimpse, my suspicions are proven true. I manage to see those very familiar crystals whose colors are reminiscent of the rainbow glittering in the distance. She's much closer than I anticipated. This is bad. Very bad. Quickly, I focus my attention back in front of me. It's still dark, but I can see something ahead. It's bright. Could it be light? Yes, it has to be light. But in the middle of the corridor?
..That's it. It's a window! There's no other reason a random source of light would appear here, unless there are some glowing fairy maids I haven't heard about. This sight is incredibly relieving. I can finally escape! Just when I was starting to lose hope, too. I won't have time to make my exit without a trace. Instead, I'll have to bust through the glass. I use the last bits of strength that's left in the muscles of my legs to pick up the speed a considerable bit. However, my legs are still exhausted and are at the point of ceasing to cooperate with me. I'll trip and fall if I don't hurry this up. I'm not sure if my pursuer notices the incoming light which should slow her down, but that's not entirely my concern at the moment. If I try my hardest and luck is on my side, then I'll survive. The light is only some 10 or 20 steps away, and I can almost taste the freedom beyond that window. I quickly review exactly what I'm going to do to pull this off in my head. I'll prepare to brace myself for proper impact by turning my shoulder outward before I actually reach the window. I'll immediately slow almost to a stop, sharply turning my heels in a 90 degree angle. That's when I'll jump toward the window, breaking through it and reaching long awaited safety! This is a foolproof plan, I'm sure. Unless that vampire suddenly catches me, there's nothing that can go wrong.
The moment approaches, I start to slow down once the tip of my shoe reaches the light's reach on the floor. I turn my body to the left, bending my knees and making a giant leap at the window. I try to lean myself slightly forward so that my hat covers the top half of my face and I don't get any shattered glass on it. My shoulder hits the cold glass, causing it to instantly crack and shatter. My body passes through the window like paper. It was much easier than I imagined. I thought that the glass was much thicker. But, that could be because I applied so much force on it just now. I fall and tumble on the sandy ground as broken glass is littered all over the place. Now if only I had the strength to get back on my feet. It makes me glad that that vampire at least knows her boundaries. I lie still on the ground, coughing and gasping to clear the remnants of the dust out of my throat. I also stare up at the sky which was still a clear blue. A bright yellow sun is also seen in the distance. That thing is my lifesaver today.
It takes some minutes to catch my breath. It's not until I relax that I realize how much pain I'm in right now. All of my muscles, both my arms and legs, need to regain all their lost strength. They're basically screaming. Actually, I wouldn't mind uttering an exhausted scream myself right now. It hurts to move. I can't even sit up, yet. What do I do now? It's going to be a long time before I can muster up the ability to stand up, even longer to walk all the way back home. It takes some thinking for me to remember that my broom is still tucked away and hidden somewhere. I have just enough energy to summon it to my side and fly me back to the house. I sharply whisper and then I wait. After a few seconds, my trusty broom pops into sight and hovers above me. I'm going to have to put in some effort to mount myself on it. Taking a deep breath, I painfully lift my body off the ground, gripping the broom and pulling myself over it and lying face down. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to, so I immediately hover higher off the ground, getting ready to take off. Before I can leave though, a voice reaches my ear. It's soft, but I can still make out some of the words. It's her. But, her voice is much calmer. In fact, it sounds curious.
"Marisa..? Don't leave.."
After all that, she still wants to keep me here?! Well, by the sound of her voice I can't help but at least feel some pity for her. I would've liked to continue our little fun time. But really, I don't even think she realizes that she would've killed me through her lack of self control. I don't really hold that against her, though. I know she can't really help it. It's my fault, after all. I'll be a tad more careful next time, or else Sakuya will be forced to clean up my bloody corpse. No one finds that fun. I heave a sigh and take off, flying over the gate and silently watching the mansion fade out of sight.