Prologue 1
Drip.
Drip.
Drop.
Drip.
Endless sounds of dripping water resonated inside the dark, endless void of nothingness as she walks through the glass surface; not knowing if it will sink her. The temptation of the cold wind was enough to give her chills, greedily taking out the warmth her pale, ebony body possessed.
Never less, she kept walking and walking; satisfaction only achieved once she finds whatever source is the water coming from. It was like the element was seducing her to come closer and closer, yet her conscience tells her no. For once she was taken, there was no going back.
"You are but a shadow" a silhouette formed at her back.
And immediately the water consumed her mercilessly as she plunges into the endless void of darkness. Not that she minded anyways, as the Sixth Phantom Lady, this was her place after all.
Drip.
Drip.
Drop.
"And you are but a cruel monster." She retorts before giving into reality.
"Tetsuna…"
She had not responded to the call of her name.
"Kuroko-san"
To that she did.
"-roko?!"
Aquamarine eyes shot open before the orange ball came into her way. Out of instincts; her right arm swayed and hit it; calculating the passage of the ball towards her teammate. "Damnit Kuroko, stop daydreaming." Yelled Hyuuga Junko at her before running towards the other players.
Aida Riku, Seirin's coach, blew the whistle and called it a day. It was noon already and past practice as everyone had been depleted of their energy. Matches against the 4 Generation of Miracles came with a price after all. Everyone then soon left, leaving the teal head and ace alone in the locker room.
"Ne, Kuroko. What's distracting you lately?" says the ill-tempered Seirin ace before passing the Phantom a bottle of water and shamelessly stripping her shirt to her black sports bra. Tetsuna catches it hastily before nodding a thanks. "Nothing really." She replies, keeping her poker face on as she nonchantly removed the band, letting long teal locks flow. But of course the ace was persistent. "Nothing really to the fact this was the third time today?"
"The second." The Phantom persisted.
"Oh yeah; the first was using ignite pass kai on Hyuuga-senpai, curving the ball towards Kiyoshi-senpai's face." Kagami Taiga smacked her partner's back harshly. "It's not nothing."
Tetsuna hissed at the pain and glared at Taiga. "It's none of Kagami-san's business."
"It is my business!" Taiga slammed the locker door harshly. "Do you have any idea how you're worrying us right now?" crimson eyes narrowed. "Is it because of Rakuzan?"
Tetsuna flinched. Bingo.
"I don't know what you and your ex-captain went through but I did promise you and I'll never break it. We'll kick their asses straight!" Taiga grinned, offering a fist bump which Tetsuna reluctantly returned.
"Hai, hai. But Kagami-san, aren't you supposed to be hurrying for a date with Himuro-san?" the Phantom secretly teased and Seirin's ace cursed and rummage through her locker to change into something decent (sweaty).
Taiga then left with a huge grin on her face as she ran through the gym entrance to meet a black-haired beauty in Yosen's uniform. Tetsuna's façade then fell when the couple held hands and made their way to wherever they planned to go. She'd remember the times when her eye would have that glint and her aura would give off a glowing person in love as she'd hold the warm hands of her beloved. Could they have been like that if things were different? Tetsuna in Seirin and her beloved sacrificing time to take trips from Kyoto to Tokyo just to see her? Irritated for feeling stupid; she pushed those thoughts away.
Slowly; she packed her things to and left, leaving a certain black ribbon behind her locker.
She made her way through the gates and although the sky wasn't crying; she still kept hearing the sound of dripping water resounding, as if tempting her to go to a certain place.