So quiet. Karou sipped some tea and sat, relaxing herself into meditation. It had all been so stressful. After running into that strange vampire, she had gone and saved a woman about to be raped by one of the night creatures. But in her haste to go out that night and find the swordsman tarnishing her father's good name, she had not paid attention to which sword she had picked up.
A mistake. Her father must have rolled over in his grave. In her fight to save the woman she had broken the shoddy sword, and who then had she come upon than the man she was searching for.
Karou had been prepared to fight him bare handed.
But the wanderer, who called himself Kenshin, had come to her rescue, gently chiding her for such a poor choice in attack. And Karou, woozy from blood loss, had declared her resolution to defend her father's name at any cost.
And then, it was over. So fast, so simple. This strange wandering vampire had taken care of a problem that had been agonizing her for months in a single day. And Karou was grateful.
'But Karou, my dear, letting him stay in your home? Just because he looks innocent doesn't mean he is. He is one of the night, of the Vampires, and you have invited him into your house. So dangerous.'
She'd tried to explain it to Dr. Gensai, how she could do such a thing. But Karou had been unable to put it to words. He's bound to me, in a way I can't comprehend. But how? And why? Why, Karou, do you feel so safe with this creature in your home? What is it about him? Why is he different?
It's too quiet.
Karou opened her eyes with a snap, forcing herself quickly out of meditation. This was Tokyo, there should be no silence. More to the point, this was a dojo, where was the noise of the students?
But there were no students. It was past time for her night class, and no one had shown up. Sure, she had other students, ones in classes earlier in the day, but this class was special. It was for students who knew of the things that went bump in the night, and wished to learn how to defend against them. It was a Hunter class.
But her Father's name had been cleared. Why did they not return? Karou was struck with a sudden worry that they would never come back, and be left alone to defend themselves with half truths and basic skills. Would they seek out danger and get themselves killed?
It was then that Karou realized why the silence worried her so, why she could feel the sinking of dread in her stomach and the prickling of hairs on her neck. Why the empty dojo scared her beyond the thought of students gone. There was a student that should be there, regardless.
"Yahiko!"