Hello everyone! Short update this time. I split this from the previous chapter because I wanted this scene to be by itself. Thank you so very much for reading up to this point! I really means a lot to me and I do hope you like the story so far~

A guest asked me if this will have any pairings. I don't really know how to respond so I'll do it here: No, Bound by Embers will not have any romance. There is a reason for this, and I'll talk about it more once the story is over. But, if I do write more and include a pairing, who would you like to see with Sachiko? Rin or Bon or another character? I'm looking forward to your response xoxo


Sachiko refused to talk to anyone for the remainder of the day, and night steadily approached. Yukio had spoken to a number of the residents privately, but all of them had refused to offer any kind of assistance. It seemed there was no way into the temple without breaking down the front door. Rin debated telling him about the key he had, but eventually decided to wait. If nothing happened by morning, he would hand it over to Yukio and they would sneak in through the back.

Rin went to bed with the others, exhausted from his stressful day. Unfortunately, he didn't stay asleep for long.

He awoke in the middle of the night to a quiet room, faint moonlight peeking in through a crack in the curtains. He rolled over with a sigh and let his mind wander idly for a moment, hoping sleep would take him back. But, after what felt like an eternity, he found himself fully awake and alert. There was too much going on in his mind for him to relax.

He sat up and stretched. Maybe a short walk through the chilly night air would clear his head.

It was then Rin noticed a folded sheet of paper beside his pillow. He opened it, and his heart sank when he recognized the handwriting.

Rin,
I truly can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. These past few weeks have been the happiest time of my life and I promise you I will never forget them.
I realize what I am doing is no way to repay you for your friendship, but I can't see you get hurt. I have to do this. Alone. For Huang. And for you, too.
By the time you read this, I will have already been sealed in the chamber.
Please don't come after me. I need to know that you're alive. I need to know you've continued to live your life and make other people happy. So please, please, if you care about me at all, you'll leave and never come back.
I'm sorry I did this to you. Have a good life.
Sachiko

Rin cursed under his breath. In the back of his mind, he knew something like this was bound to happen. Damn it, why hadn't he done more to stop her?

But now wasn't the time—he had to get to Sachiko before she did something stupid.

Without a second thought, he snatched his sword from its resting spot beside his bag and left, leaving the door wide open behind him. He flew up the temple stairs, taking them two at a time, (and somehow managed not to trip over the large cracks.) The front doors were strangely unguarded, but he decided to ignore them and ran around to the side.

The temple was nestled tightly in the shadow of the mountain, the back of it disappearing into a natural opening in the rock. Uninterested in any details, he turned his attention to the trees, glancing at each as he struggled to find the maple the priest had mentioned. He found it rather quickly, its gnarled roots leaning against the abrupt curve of the mountain.

With deft movements, he pulled the key out of the cloth case's pocket, tossed it aside, and began prodding the building's boards with his sword. Each failed attempt made him more frantic until he was practically hammering the sheathe against the wood. Soon enough, one of the boards wiggled unnaturally as it was poked. He pulled it off its rusted nails and peeked in. The space was just big enough for him to fit.

Rin shoved his sword inside first and crawled in after it. Another tight squeeze through a loose panel in the wall, and he found himself in a small, yet spacious room.

The first thing he noticed was that the ceiling was too low, (he banged his head on it trying to stand.) The room was surprisingly dark, the only source of light a small, barred window above the panel he had broken. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness. When they finally did, he noticed there was only one real piece of furniture: a tiny table that was only a few inches from the floor. It was covered with half-burned candles and a collection of books and newspapers. Off to the side was a messy pile of blankets that he assumed was a bed, and in the nearby corner sat a large group of cleaning supplies.

The door was short, barely half the height of a regular door, and was decorated with an ornate, silver lock in the center. He fumbled with the key and shoved it into the lock. It clicked approvingly.

Rin pushed the door, grateful for a reprieve from his awkward, half-crouched position, but it wouldn't move. He used both hands, but still the hinges refused. "Damn it, c'mon!" He balanced unsteadily on his knees, took a breath to prepare himself, and then bashed the small door with his shoulder.

Immediately, something shocked him, sending him stumbling back into the room with a pained yelp. He cursed and sat upright, cradling his throbbing shoulder. Of course they had sealed the door—this entire place was going to be covered with seals from floor to ceiling.

He wasn't about to let that stop him.

Rin crawled out of the room and drew his sword. The corridor, already faintly lit by candles lining the walls, brightened as his blue flames flickered to life. It was a stupid thing to do—if any of the priests saw him it would most likely start a riot in the village—but the extra power he received would be more than enough to burn away any weak seals. Besides, he needed to save his energy for the demon.

Recalling the young priest's directions, Rin followed the candles down a curved hallway. He moved cautiously, pausing every time he heard something that sounded human. Thankfully, the temple seemed empty, and soon he found himself descending into a natural cave system. The ceiling here was criss-crossed by sacred rope with paper talismans hanging from them. They burned quickly as he passed, becoming nothing more than flecks of ash on the ground behind him.

He tried not to think about what would happen to the village if the demon got out and these seals weren't here to stop it.

The narrow hall eventually opened up to a massive, man-made chamber. Two viewing platforms were carved into the rock at different levels, surrounding a deep pit on three sides. Across from him, at the very bottom of the pit, was a single door almost as tall as the lowest viewing platform. Candles and paper lanterns lined the walls, bathing the cavern in an eerie, yellow glow.

Rin walked to the edge and looked down. Even from here, he could feel the demon's presence on the other side of the door. Its anger reverberated heavily in his chest, hot and animalistic. It knew he was there, and it knew what he meant to do. Just like the Basilisk King, it would do anything to protect itself. This was a warning—if he came any closer, it would attack.

Rin's ears popped as he slid down the ladders on the sides of the platforms. He stopped in front of the door, boldly ignoring the demon's increasing agitation. It was covered with layer after layer of old, burned talismans; previous attempts to stop the demon. He pressed a palm to the door, burning away the newest layer. The ink was still wet, and his hand was stained when he pulled back.

The stone door was ridiculously heavy. Even with his demonic strength, Rin could only open it enough for him to squeeze through. His flames flooded the inner chamber with blue light.

"Sachiko?"

The chamber was bigger than he expected, but not by much. It was completely empty: no candles, no seals, no furniture, nothing. The only source of light came from a pair of slightly ajar doors on the other side of the room. Red light peeked through the gap, shifting slightly, almost like fire. Rin brightened his own flames and stepped forward.

Sachiko was hung up by three chains in front of the double doors. A chain looped around each of her arms, disappearing into perfectly cut holes on either side of the door. The last was wrapped around her midsection and vanished into the middle where the doors parted. This one was pull taut, squeezing her lungs and just barely giving her enough slack to breathe without too much difficulty. Under her thin, traditional attire, her entire body was covered with glowing marks—seals the priest had etched into her skin before she was hanged. He had never seen them before until now, but her feet and ankles were bird-like, with three forward-facing toes and clipped talons.

This is what the head priest had meant when he said Sachiko was a permanent solution. And with her regenerative abilities... She was a living seal that couldn't die.

She didn't seem surprised to see him and smiled sadly as he approached. "I told you not to come here. I didn't want you to see me like this..."

Rin couldn't respond, stunned speechless by the sight.

Seeing her there, expression solemn and distant, reminded him too much of when the other exwires had first discovered his flames. The shame and regret he had felt back then knowing he had betrayed their trust was almost more than he could handle. And now he was facing it again—how he failed to free Sachiko from the Basilisk King, how he failed to tell her immediately of Huang's death, and how he failed to stop her from ending up here.

Could he do anything right?

He swallowed the lump in his throat, but it did nothing to alleviate the pain constricting his chest. He wanted to scream.

Before he could recollect his thoughts and chastise her for keeping secrets, the demon roared angrily, throwing its weight against the doors. The chain around her torso went limp, but the ones on her arms snapped back. The two doors struggled to open, but Sachiko's body blocked them. The edges slammed into her shoulder blades, pushing her forward, while the chains on her arms pulled her apart. Rin could see black fur covered in some kind of metal through the narrow crack. He assumed the chains on Sachiko's body were attached to the demon.

She let out a cry of pain, and then pressed her lips together. She didn't want to show weakness in front of Rin. Blood started trickling down from a rip in her arm. But she was strong, and her body held against the onslaught.

Eventually, the demon gave up, exhausted by the seals covering her. Bloodied and bruised, Sachiko did what she did best. Orange flames flared to life around her, lighting the chamber and reducing her body to a warm pile of ash. Almost instantly, her regenerative powers kicked in, and she stood fully formed from the lingering embers. Her seals reappeared and the chains coiled around her again.

She laughed bitterly. "I was always better at this than Huang."

"This isn't funny!" She looked down at him, surprised by his tone. For the first time, Rin glared at her with outright anger. His hands were balled into tight fists at his sides and he was trembling. He was genuinely terrified for her. "I'm going to get you down from there!"

"Stop!" He hesitated. "Rin, listen to me. I was born for this purpose. My parents were specifically chosen to create someone like me. My only duty in life is to keep this door closed. So...please," her pleading tone tore at his heart. "Please don't take this away from me." As badly as Sachiko wanted him to save her, she couldn't let it happen. She had already made her decision. She wasn't going to run away anymore. She needed to do this, to feel useful, to know that her life up until this point had not been a waste.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" His voice cracked with emotion—sadness, frustration, guilt, regret. "You weren't born to hang here and die everyday!"

"Rin, please understand! My parents—"

"No, I don't understand! Your parents don't get to decide who you are!" There were tears in his eyes. "You're Sachiko! You're my friend! You're the only person who knows what its like being half demon! You're not Haren! You're not a monster! You're not a laundry servant! You're not—" he gesticulated angrily at her, "this! I'm getting you down from there! We're going back to True Cross together and I don't care what anyone says!"

Sachiko sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth, visibly flinching at the bittersweet memories True Cross brought her. Her expression faltered, softened, and Rin thought he saw a ghost of a genuine smile. "You're so kind, Rin. But what's done is done. I can't go back."

"Like hell you can't!" Rin tossed his sword aside and reached up to remove the chain around her chest. Even with his flames lit, the seals on Sachiko started burning his skin. He gritted his teeth against the pain and struggled to get a good grip. After a few unsuccessful attempts, he tried the chain on her arm. This one was even worse—the harder he pulled the tighter it became. He cursed loudly and picked up his sword.

"No, don't!" But he ignored her.

Rin brought the kurikara down hard on the chain around her arm. The blade slipped off easily, not even scratching a link.

The demon roared deeply, furious that someone had tried to touch its chain. It slammed against the door repeatedly, tearing Sachiko's back open. She waited until it was calm before regenerating.

Rin stepped back, frustrated and helpless. He didn't know what to do.

"Just leave."

"N-no!" He didn't want to believe it. There had to be something—anything—he could do. "There has to... I can... I...!"

"I am bound to this door," she explained carefully. "In order to reach it, you have to remove me. Do you understand, Rin? I have to die for you to get to the demon. You can't kill it. There's nothing you can do. So, please, just leave." She was desperate. She didn't want to see him risk his life for her. She wasn't worth it.

"Sachiko... I can't leave you like this..."

"It's what I want. Please. I'm begging you." He slowly sheathed his sword, extinguishing his flames. She felt a piercing ache deep in her chest as she watched him. "Thank you for everything, Rin. I will never forget you." She smiled.

Rin turned and ran out of the chamber, leaving Sachiko alone with the demon. She hoped she would never see him again; but hope, as luck would have it, was a fickle thing.