May 1st, 2000

California, LA

A haze of smoke filled her senses, the smell suffocating, and she turned in her bed restlessly, perspiration accumulating her brow. Something beneath her fingertips burned, a flame so hot, she felt it emanating from her core.

Cries and shrieks resounded loudly in her ears, but only darkness encompassed her. Drums tapped somewhere close, followed after by a strange noise which sounded awfully similar to chains scraping and clattering against the other.

What was happening?

Trembling, she uttered a pained gasp, her hand clasping onto her chest; it burned, it burned so hot; somehow, it felt like she'd been pierced through, and within the darkness, she collapsed to her knees.

Tremors shot through her and gasping in fright, Janis awoke with a start, her hands clenched tightly upon her silken sheets. Sitting up, she surveyed her surroundings, one hand clasped securely against her chest, her heart beating rapidly.

No longer surrounded by a dreadful and tormenting darkness, she was in her room, the morning sun peering through her closed window beside her bed. Releasing a heavy sigh, she dropped her hands upon her lap, her eyes staring questionably at her palms.

It happened again. The dream.

"I just don't understand…"

Aqua blue eyes shifted towards the vanity beside her bed, her eyes falling upon a single photo album. A happy family of three were perched upon a large cream sofa, their golden retriever staring curiously. Janis's eyes fell upon an older woman, her short brown hair swept over her shoulders and her smile wide and eyes sparkling.

About a month ago, there had been an accident, a head on collision by a motorist near her mother's office. It had happened so quickly, even the paramedics could not revive her. The news had devastated the family, and was incredibly difficult to bear. The funeral had been costly and although many friends and family sent their condolences, Janis could not bear to see anyone; instead, she'd shut herself in her room days after.

The unexpected loss threw her father further into his work, and it wasn't long before his schedule became too tiresome to avoid. On most days, Janis barely saw him, and he often didn't return from his long hours until well into the evening, but even then, they barely spoke a word to each other.

Sighing, she stood up from the bed, fixing her sheets until they rested neatly against her bed and pillows. Approaching her vanity, she took a seat on a soft velvet cushioned stool and reached for her wide hairbrush. Tangles greeted her reflection, and with a blank face, she ran the bristles against her golden tresses until they fell softly over her shoulders and along her back.

There was a soft rapping upon her door, and without looking, she heard the knob jiggle, but with little luck, the door remained affixed. Likely, it was the young maid they'd hired only recently, and she often woke her in the early mornings.

A feminine voice drifted from the other side, somewhat muffled but enough that she heard. "Miss … your father has called for you in the living quarters."

Janis didn't answer, and hesitantly, she stood up, crossing her room until she stood before a large closet. Sliding the double doors open, she peered within; an assortment of dresses, skirts, pants and casual wear greeted her. Since it was a Sunday and there were no classes, she opted for something simple, a beige shirt, the sleeves long with black slacks, with matching flats. Reaching for a hairband, she pulled her long tresses until they hung low at her back.

Satisfied with her appearance and too lazy to wash her face, she stepped out of the room, the maid servant no longer outside her door. Following an intricately blue carpet through a narrow corridor, she arrived before a large staircase and descended them with ease.

Before long, her surroundings transitioned. What were once stark gray walls were now flamboyantly loud colors of reds and orange, with various paintings adorning nearly every inch of the space and vases of interesting styles and shapes adorning every corner of the room with tall fake trees nestled within. The carpet she crossed was entirely white and pristine and the large windows sparkling amidst the sea of velvet red curtains.

Turning down a hall, she soon entered into another room, the destination she'd been instructed to follow. Two large cream sofas were positioned near the middle of the room, an oval red rug beneath a sparkling clear-glass countertop where various paperwork was stacked messily.

Christopher, her golden retriever, who was nearly three years old, greeted her near the entrance of the living quarters. Smiling at his show of greeting, his paw upon her knee and his tail swaying from side to side, Janis bent down and patted him gently upon the head, scratching just behind his ears. Besides his overall joy seeing her first thing in the morning, only silence sifted through the air, her father sitting stiffly, his back turned to her on the couch.

"Good morning, father."

He turned at her voice and raised a single hand, his fingers beckoning her over. "So, you're up? Good. There's something I need to discuss with you Janis. Have a seat."

Feeling as though he was about to spring a business proposition upon her, she approached the sofas and took a seat across from him, her gaze shifting upon the numerous papers upon the counter in front of her. Somehow, she wasn't sure she would like what her father had in mind.

"This is most troubling to admit, but I've been relocated overseas, Janis. We'll soon be moving to Japan for a period of time."

Again? How many times did this make in the past few years? As much as she wanted to reveal her animosity towards such an unexpected and rash decision, she also knew it was beneficial for the family. In short, she nodded in understanding, her expression strained, hidden beneath her mask of indifference.

"It would mean leaving your school and your friends; I know this is hard on you. It's been rough, especially after your mother's passing, but I'm sure this move will take your mind off things here. It was a long time ago, but we used to live in Japan; you were just a small child then. Perhaps, it would be nice to see it again. What do you say, Janis?"

For any other person, this may have come as a surprise to them, to leave their school and their friends to travel overseas in a foreign country, but for Janis, she merely accepted it. The normalcy of her life centered around constant traveling, so it came as no surprise when her father mentioned it, especially since it involved his work. Besides, it wasn't as if Janis had that many friends to begin with, just a small few in number, which she was certain she could remain in contact with, despite the distance. "Yes. That's fine. When do we leave?"

Pleased with her understanding, he nodded, intertwining his hands upon his lap. "We'll leave in three days to the airport. Since there's no estimation of how long we'll be staying, I've looked into the housing in Tokyo; there's no reason to spend luxuriously on a place if it's only temporary, so I've already purchased a small house for us," He explained. "Where we're going, there's no reason for the chefs or maids to follow, and I'll soon relieve them of their duties until further notice; in fact, I'll be selling this house," He clarified, suddenly leaning back against the sofa.

"I see…"

"Though, I've been informed that the movers who will be transferring our furniture will be delayed since our flight was earlier than intended," He began. "I'm not sure how long the delay would be, but it could be from three days to a week," He informed, his expression slightly stressed, but he waved off his daughter's concern. "There's no need to worry, however; I've contacted one of our relatives who lives in Tokyo, and since our house isn't far from the location, she's offered to let us stay until our furniture arrives."

"Relative? Who is that?"

Upon hearing her confusion, he sat up, his eyes widening, before smiling as if recalling a faint memory. "Ah, yes, you were just a young one since we last visited," He began. "Do you remember my brother Daniel?"

"Sort of," Janis replied. "Wasn't he a detective or someone who worked for the police?"

"That's right. He moved to Tokyo long ago and eventually settled down for a period of time. You, me and your mother would often take trips to visit him and his wife Kumiko. Do you remember her?"

Janis mused. Kumiko? Somehow, she couldn't seem to recall the name or face, and merely shook her head from side to side. "Not really, other than the photos we have around the house."

"Well, you were young, so it's understandable. They had a daughter about your age; I remember you and the little girl would often play together. You two were practically inseparable."

"Really?" Why didn't she remember? "Your brother passed away, didn't he?" She asked, her eyes suddenly shifting towards the fireplace, a collection of photo albums on display above its shelf. There was a particular photo of a young man with short dark hair and blue eyes, dressed in a police uniform; it was a photo of her father's brother, Daniel. "What exactly happened to him?"

At this, he paused, his expression suddenly faltering. "A car collision during his line of duty," He explained, as if recalling the incident. "It was the main reason why we stopped visiting."

She nodded at this. Had she spent more time with him growing up, perhaps she would have felt more sympathy for his passing, but she only recalled ever seeing the photos of him and the family around the house. "I see…"

"It's shameful," He suddenly replied, his expression uncomfortable as he shook his head. "After that incident, I couldn't bring myself to go back there. Thinking about it, I have often regretted that decision. It wasn't fair to his family either, especially you, Janis."

"Will it be alright, staying with his wife and daughter?" Janis soon asked. "Won't it be uncomfortable for all of us?"

"Perhaps, but, after all this time, I think it would be good if we could all reconnect again. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Since we leave in three days, we should get everything ready for the move."

Ψ

May 4th

The estimated flight from California to Japan was roughly eleven hours and twenty-eight minutes, according to her father, however, the duration of her time spent waiting to board took nearly an hour, and the extended line of pedestrians also boarding the same flight exceeded far larger than she anticipated.

It was no surprise the plane was crowded, and if anything, she despised the cramped seating given to her and her father; she despised it just as much as the baby crying incessantly four rows adjacent from her, and her music did little to muffle the noise. Rebelliously, she upped the volume on her black Diamond Rio. So much for traveling first class.

Since Christopher was also accompanying them on this long flight, Janis had insisted their Golden Retriever remain in the cabin of the plane with them, rather than in the stuffy and uncomfortable hold. Although the flight attendants were first against the very notion, with a short conversation with her father, they were soon granted permission, especially when they learned the hold was overly occupied by several animal companions already.

Although Janis clearly found disdain with the unorganized flight attendants and the stained carpeting from all angles, Christopher seemed quite content in his carrier near her feet. His large brown eyes were looking just right of her and her father, watching the two children seated across from them playing together with their toys while the mother silently read a large tome. Unlike other dogs, he was more of the silent type and quite observant, though in his younger years, he was quite a mischievous goof.

After hours of endless traveling, the plane finally landed, and after listening to a brief voice of instruction from one of the flight attendants on a loud speaker, they were soon granted permission to leave their seats and reclaim their possessions off the plane. Pleased they'd finally touched ground, Janis removed her earbuds, wrapping the cords around her small music device before shoving it into her pocket. Standing up, she assisted her father with their personal luggage stored neatly above their seats in a small rectangular compartment.

After reclaiming their suitcases, Janis removed the leash from her luggage and opened the door to the small crate Christopher laid. After clasping the leash to his collar, Christopher immediately stepped out, stretching his front paws and back legs, a small growl sounding from his throat.

With one hand holding the leash and the other pulling her luggage, Janis followed her father off the plane, and they were immediately greeted by the warm air of Tokyo. It was an unfamiliar setting to Janis, although her father assured her, she'd once lived here when she was younger, but she didn't recall those past memories.

After allowing Christopher to do his business, cleaning up the mess shortly after in a small patch of grass outside the airport, her father soon joined her, accompanied by two strangers. Politely, Janis greeted them, bowing to them in the respected Japanese manner, her father's face cracking into a please smile as he conversated with the older woman and who Janis assumed was her daughter.

"It's great to finally see you, Janis. It's been so long since I last saw you," The older woman exclaimed, her motherly affection touching Janis briefly.

"And, to you as well," Janis returned, smiling just as politely.

"You probably don't remember, but you were just this small when I last saw you," She revealed, leveling her hand to show her that she used to be just below the knees in height, but Janis still couldn't remember. "You and Kagome would always play together at the park. You were practically glued to each other. Kagome, you remember Janis?"

"Kind of, but it has been a long time," The girl known as Kagome replied, soon extending her hand to her, her smile unexpectedly easing Janis's anxiety. "Let's get along well, okay?"

Nodding, she took her hand into her own and they shook firmly before releasing, her eyes accessing the mother and daughter curiously. The mother, Kumiko Higurashi, was dressed in a modest knee-length pale yellow and orange floral dress with comfortable white flats, her dark brown hair styled short just behind her ears.

As for Kagome, she was adorned in black-leggings and a thigh-length white and blue blouse with short sleeves, her black wavy tresses falling just to her waist; the biggest difference between the two were most notably the eyes; Kagome's were blue, a color mainly seen in those overseas; perhaps, her father was American?

"Thank you again for letting us stay with you," Her father began, bowing apologetically to Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome. "I'm sorry we've been out of touch for so long."

"It's alright," She informed, smiling forgivingly. "It's completely understandable. But now that you and your daughter have moved to Tokyo, you'll have to make up for the time we've each missed," She explained. "From here on out, I'll expect you to visit more often."

Seemingly relieved, he smiled. "Of course."

While there were many questions piling over several more, Janis soon followed the two towards the parking lot, and after roughly a short distance of travel, they arrived before a dark blue Toyota Camry, a 1996 model in fact, and after unlocking the door, Mrs. Higurashi soon unlocked the remaining three doors for them, as well as the trunk where Janis assisted her father with their luggage and crate.

With Christopher seated in-between her and Kagome, his tongue hanging out as he affectionately greeted the raven-haired girl, it wasn't long before Mrs. Higurashi started the engine and the airport behind them faded from view.

Ψ

Author Notice:

I apologize that this has taken so long to finally update, but here you are.

Back in 2015-2017, I started writing this fanfiction, Secret of the Divine Jewel: A Love for the Past, which I took down sometime last year; my reasons for that was simply because I was working on too many fanfictions at once, that and I was also alone while working on this story, not to mention I was following too closely to the game itself.

MyWorldMyImagination has offered to help me with this story, and for that, I am extremely grateful; with her assistance, this is sure to be a worthwhile read one day. Expect this story to be around 40-60 chapters long, each chapter ranging 8-15 pages in length.

There will be eventual romance in the story, but it will mainly focus on plot. The pairing will be between Janis and Monk Sen. I plan to change up Monk Sen's character quite a bit, and so far, we've already got interesting plans for him in future chapters as with the plot itself. :D I will not entirely follow the game, so we hope you are excited for this new adventure.