"A Darkened Domain"

"You and I are a like," Her face swam in front of me as I floated in darkness.

She reached out, her ghostly white hand taking mine and pulling me towards her, closing the space between us in seconds. I could feel her warmth in the cold that surrounded us as her eyes looking into mine, eyes I hadn't seen in at least a year.

"I missed seeing you Train-kun," She smiled that smile that made me feel different somehow-made me feel like a better person just by seeing it. "I missed looking at the moon on the roof with you."

I looked back at her, the words that would normally have tumbled out of my mouth now tangled up in my throat in a painful knot. I reached out and took her other hand in mine, watching as her smile grew, her head cocking to the side.

"You missed me too, right?" She asked, knowing all along what the answer was. "But we got to see the fireworks and that's what matters."

I felt a tear slide down my cold cheek as I felt her fingers intertwine with mine and her body growing closer to mine. She leaned forward, her eyes slowly shutting the closer she came, before I felt her lips brush against mine, her hands separating from mine as her arms wrapped around my neck.

I opened my eyes slowly; leaving what I knew all too well was a dream behind.

"Saya," I whispered as a felt a tear-the same one from the dream-slide down my cheek and soak into the soft surface beneath my head.

I stared up above me to see a deep red canopy of fabric draped across four golden posts. As I lowered my eyes I saw that I was lying in an ornate bed, the wood a deep brown, with a burgundy comforter and cream sheets.

I turned my head slowly, the pain in my neck slowly subsiding as I felt the soft pillow beneath my face. I closed my eyes again and lay there for several minutes, breathing deeply and feeling every ache in my body.

I opened my eyes again as the sound of a door opening interrupted the silence. What looked like a maid came into the room, her hands clasped around a bundle of fabric and her eyes towards the ground as she made her way towards me.

She set the pile of fabric down on the chair beside the bed before turning abruptly and leaving the room, the door latching quietly behind her.

I cast a long glance over at what I now realized were clothes-clothes black as night. With a tired sigh I turned my attention to the other side of the room. A bay seat and window rested within the far wall, pillows piled up on the seat along with several books and, to my surprise, Hades, its metal shell glinting in the sunlight coming in through the window.

With a wince of pain I pushed myself into a sitting position, leaning back against the headboard and breathing slowly as the pain dissipated. I shoved the covers back and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, standing slowly and carefully.

Once I had regained my balance I slowly made my way over to the window. The warm sunlight washed over my face as I pressed my hands against the glass, looking down to see a bright blue current of ocean waves crashing against the rocky cliff below. Seagulls cried out in the cloudless sky before swerving off and disappearing into the horizon.

"Do you like what you see?" A voice came from behind me.