Hinamizawa Hell

"The Truth of Fate" Arc: 3

Ch. 14: A Past Revealed: Part 1

/

"Hanyuu-chan? Where did you run off to again?"

A voice not so far off in the distance called out into the woods behind an ornate shrine. The voice of a mother, calling for her child could be heard resounding in the air; no worry at the present but some disdain for what would be a child's folly. The mother called out to her loved one, hoping that her child had not gotten into mischief once more.

Hiding out in the shadows of the nearby woods, a young child with flowing, light purple hair sat in a large bush, peering out through the branches and leaves towards the figure of her mother in the distance. She seemed worried that once again her fun would be put to an end, and that the duties to her family's small but overall important shrine would take precedence in her life. She was a child, and all she wanted to do was play with her friends and enjoy her youth. However, the requirements of her family set down by the laws of God had spoken otherwise.

This mischievous child, Hanyuu, was intentionally running off into the forest alone to avoid having to do meaningless and boring tasks of sweeping the grounds, dusting off the ornate decorations of the inner sanctum rooms and having to wash the walls and floors. Such tasks were for adults, she believed. Still, were she not able to complete these tasks, it would usually result in a scolding from her mother.

As Hanyuu hid behind the large bush, once her mother went out of the distance and back into the shrine did she stand up and continue on her follies of spending time alone in the woods. Passing swiftly through the many trees and rays of sunlight cascading down through the treetops, Hanyuu moved as fast as she could in her summer miko attire. Wearing customary colors of red and white, she had to make sure this time that she did not ruin her clothes in the mud and dirt of the forest paths. The last time that had happened, her mother scolded her and made her recite her family's sutras for hours until she promised that it would never happen again. Rolling up her sleeves and making sure her hakama did not brush the bottom of the forest path, she quickly came to the top of a large stairway leading down to the outer areas of the family estate.

Taking her time descending the stairs, Hanyuu eventually reached the bottom path and for awhile rested near one of the deity statues marking the entrance to her family's shrine. Though the day was hot and the cicadas were singing merrily around her, Hanyuu had felt exhausted from all the chores she had done earlier that morning. Life as a priestess was hard, and with no time for her friends Hanyuu had grew tiresome of the holy life. She never chose to be born into this kind of work, but sooner or later the family business would call for her leadership. Sighing again near the statues and under the shadiness of the large toori gate, Hanyuu sat down and began eating one of her favorite snacks. As it so happened to be, Hanyuu's favorite snack was a small pastry made out of bread and filled with a milky creamy goodness that only her mother could make for her. Nibbling on her only pastry, Hanyuu savored its taste before devouring it whole in one bite. Happily enjoying her time alone, Hanyuu looked up from the steps and observed her surroundings for anyone around. When the coast was clear, she smiled devilishly and reached into her small, cloth bag for some item.

"Heheh…no one will find me out here! Especially…with this!"

Holding up the item to the rays of sunlight nearby, Hanyuu became lost in her favorite and most treasured possession. What she held in her hand was, at first glance, what seemed like a common ball that children would play with at Hanyuu's age. However, upon closer inspection one could see that the ball was not made of cloth, but some strange type of crystal that glowed various auras in the sunlight. The small orb took on colors of red, but the designs held various colorful diamonds that were blue at many times and grey at others. Were one to rotate the ball in the sunlight, rainbows of colors would shine upon all around. The item, Hanyuu's personal obsession, was something she cherished and held dearly in her heart.

For this item was her very being; that which defined her position in her family as an aspect close to God.

"The Orb of Fate. It never grows dull with color. I know it's special to our family…but why is it so important?" Hanyuu spoke to herself and no one in particular. Rotating the orb in her hand, she sighed and began admiring how smooth it felt in her palms. She knew very well that this item wasn't made of glass, and at the same time was something harder than crystal. However, that never stopped the other priests and priestesses in the family shrine from giving it the utmost care.

Hanyuu frowned at the idea of again taking on the family business. She playfully tossed the ball around in her hands, letting it fall lightly in her palms with ease. Pondering on the orb itself, she was never able to really get an answer from her parents about the strange object. All that she was told was that it was her birthright to take care of the item and never lose it. Other than that, her mother would tell dark stories to her of the consequences were something to happen.

"To be cursed by God and scorned by man for a fear unknown. To live out in eternity in suffering and causing suffering to others. To be the one to indefinitely undo the Fate of mankind and bring about an uncountable millennia of death, suffering and agony. It's kind of funny…I know that phrase so well by heart…but…" Hanyuu dutifully replied those exact words over to herself; remembering how her mother had scared her when she was just a bit younger. However, in spite of all those sayings, her mother never really seemed believable when it came to the actual purpose of the Orb of Fate or the consequences of losing it. Sighing again, Hanyuu held the object to her chest and lied back, watching the sunlight cascade through the treetops.

"All those stories about the Orb of Fate…all it does is stay inside the main shrine all day and gather dust! It's just a crystal ball…why is everyone so afraid of it?" Though Hanyuu was young, even she could see the rash and childish thoughts of the adults around her at times. Despite their overall caution, Hanyuu just playfully smiled and tossed the orb into the air once more, skillfully catching it with her hands again.

"I'll be the head of the family soon! And besides, I'm the Aspect closest to God. Only I can go inside the shrine and touch the ball, so who cares if I play with what's rightfully mine for awhile, right?" Hanyuu snickered and continued to play with the ball for a good while; not having a care in the entire world except enjoying life.

But sometimes, even a child's folly could go too far…

/

When at least a couple hours passed and it was becoming evening, Hanyuu gathered her things and started to make her way back to the giant stairway towards her family's shrine. Hopefully, she would be able to place the orb back into its original resting place before meeting up with her parents and discussing the event of where she had been all day. Just thinking about that gave her a headache, but thankfully Hanyuu had an idea as to how to avoid another punishment.

"I'll just tell them I was meditating down here alone for awhile. If I'm pursuing the family business in a sort of way like that, then they won't chastise me…for…"

As Hanyuu had walked down the small dirt path coming up to the main stairway, she suddenly stopped and looked out into the nearby grass of the trees. What she had found was something she had never seen before; something that she became infatuated with the moment she had laid eyes on it. Filled with curiosity, Hanyuu dropped her bag onto the ground and slowly strode over to the object of focus; not caring for anything else at that moment.

"It's…a crimson flower? I've never seen one of this color…it's so…beautiful!" Hanyuu clasped her hands together in joy for finding such a flower. The flowers around her village were never this beautiful, and to see one of this rarity would surely be something to show to her friends.

Gently touching it with her finger, the petals of the crimson flower felt like silk; the smell of the flower almost intoxicating to take in. Lost in its wonder and life, Hanyuu became entranced in the strange lotus and for a time forgot what exactly was happening around her. She sat down in front of the lotus for a long time; just content with staring at it. Not even the strong winds around her or the fluttering of leaves could sway her focus from the flower; her eyes never blinking once.

As time passed, the foretold storm that day came to fruition and beset Hanyuu's village in time, though faster than originally thought. The winds around her became stronger; the trees swaying above more and more with each passing moment. Though Hanyuu only cared about the flower at that moment, something occurred which would change her Fate and the rest of her life as she knew it.

Unbeknownst to Hanyuu, when she dropped her bag, the opening had revealed the Orb of Fate exposed to the outside world without anyone's notice. As time had passed, the storm out in the distance turned the sky into a dark color; turning the once sunny day into a shade of grey. With the coming of the winds, slowly but surely the orb was rocked to and fro from its place, and eventually began rolling away from its original spot. As the wind picked up speed, the orb gained momentum enough to roll out down the dirt path…right into the nearby ledge of a forest cliff. Without Hanyuu's care or protection, the orb rolled off of the cliff and into a fate unknown from that point on. However, the oddest thing that happened besides a sudden crash of lightning was the feeling of a tense atmosphere all around Hanyuu and those occupants of her village. With full understanding of what these conditions were foreshadowing, the village leaders assembled and would learn soon enough that their worries were justified. The Orb of Fate was missing, as well as Hanyuu from the village grounds.

When the lightning struck the first time in the distance, Hanyuu awakened out of her trance and studied her surroundings in a different light; sensing some kind of unknown presence around her but at the same time realizing that time had passed very quickly in the short while she had been staring at the crimson flower. Shaking her head quickly and looking around the forest again, Hanyuu suddenly felt drops of rain fall upon her nose and hair. As her gaze fell onto the black clouds in the sky, Hanyuu panicked.

"Oh no! It's going to pour soon! Mother is going to…"

Looking over to her bag quickly and noticing its empty form, Hanyuu's eyes went wide with fear and utter disbelief; unable to believe what she saw before her. All she had seen was her empty bag; it's supposedly round shape not apparent that moment.

"…kill me…"

Forgetting about the crimson flower, Hanyuu immediately rushed over to her bag and poured the smaller contents out. Searching around her items, she quickly realized that the Orb of Fate was missing. Becoming fretful and scanning the area once more, Hanyuu's heart rate steadily increased in fear of what the village would do to her once they found out that the orb was gone.

"OH NO NO NO! AUAUAU! WHERE DID IT GO! WHERE! WHERE! WHERE!" Hanyuu screamed. She rushed from one area to another, as the rain fell harder from the sky and much more frequently. Hanyuu's clothes were soon soaked and caked with mud, whilst she scavenged around on the dirt and muddy floor of the area. After looking around in the bushes and in the tall ferns of the grass, try as she might Hanyuu could not find her beloved object.

Despite how long Hanyuu searched for the orb, her efforts were in vain. Pounding the ground in anger and despair, she cried and screamed in failure. No matter what she did, Hanyuu could not find the orb. Breathing heavily and feeling a heavier presence around her, Hanyuu soon found it hard to breathe; as if an aura of some unspeakable power fell over her and her surroundings. In her despair, Hanyuu slowly raised a finger to her neck; scratching somewhat nervously on impulse.

"I can't…go back to the village! Someone…will find out that I lost it…and then…then…" she stuttered, as Hanyuu slowly grasped a hold on how dire the situation was. The orb meant everything to the village and for her to have lost it meant the failure of her own duty. At this point in time, all Hanyuu could think about was how her parents would react.

That's when everything started to go to hell…

/

"There she is! We've found her!" announced someone from the nearby stairway.

"Go tell the village chief we located her…quickly!" spoke a nearby villager clad in farming clothing and wearing a white bandana. For some reason, he carried a long spear as if for protection from some unknown enemy.

"Huh…wha…" Hanyuu could only murmur as she looked around and noticed that a massive gathering of villagers suddenly appeared in her nearby surroundings. Rubbing her eyes from crying for so long, Hanyuu cringed back in fear, stammering and unable to form anything coherent. "Please…help me…I didn't…"

Without warning, the villagers nearby rushed to her side, as if to help her when she was in need, but quickly stepped back in fear and surprise. They noticed something about Hanyuu, something that marked her for her failure. Murmuring to one another, their whispers and looks of fright only increased Hanyuu's own worry and fears.

"Look…she's…"

"She's marked….the village chief was right…"

"What should we…"

"GRAB HER! Take her back immediately!"

Hanyuu didn't understand anything happening that moment. All she did was cry more, as the fretful villagers moved over to her and grabbed her arms very hard. In her struggle, she tried to break free, to run away and get to her mother for safety. This time, though, no amount of protection would shield her from her fate.

"Let me go! Please…just help me find…"

Hanyuu pleaded to the villagers she knew so dear to her, to her friends and loved ones for help. However, her pleas were never heard by them; their intentions set on something else more dire. Dragging Hanyuu as she screamed for mercy, the group set out back up the stone stairway to the village main hall. What awaited Hanyuu there, she could not fathom.

After being exhausted from her useless attempts to break free, Hanyuu was soon thrown into a large hall where the warmth of a fire burning brightly in the center of a gathering of village elders was present. Falling face first into the earth floor, Hanyuu gripped the dirt tightly between her fingers and looked up. When her focus was back, she found the village chief sitting at the forefront of the elders, whilst her family sat to the immediate left area. When Hanyuu's eyes fell over onto her mother's, who sat with a look of astonishment and fear, Hanyuu attempted to scamper into her arms for safety. As she tried, another villager held her back and pushed her hard to the ground; forcing Hanyuu to look up to receive her judgement.

"Stop! You're hurting me! Someone…help! Mother…"

Through warm and stinging tears, Hanyuu looked up to her mother again to find her crying as well, being held by her angry looking father with a look of disappointment on his face. Clothing his eyes and gritting his teeth, her father spoke directly to the village chief.

"…is…there no way…"

"Your fool of a daughter lost the Orb of Fate! You know very well of the consequences…IT WAS HER DUTY TO PROTECT IT AND KEEP IT IN THE VILLAGE! Now…NOW GOD HAS FORESAKEN US!" yelled the village elder; his mood moving from an angry to a crazed state. He yelled so hard that saliva flew out from his mouth, his eyes fierce with a look of fury and hell. Hanyuu's mother only cried harder, pleading to the other villagers to spare Hanyuu.

"SHE IS MARKED! Look! Your daughter…has become what we feared! God has cursed her and all of us!" yelled another villager. Hanyuu's father took offense to this and stood up, defiant of their opinions. Throughout all of this, Hanyuu could do nothing but watch…

"Have you no sense! SHE'S OUR DAUGHTER! A MERE CHILD! I WILL NOT SEND HER TO THE DOGS FOR THIS…THIS…!" he yelled.

"Father…" Hanyuu murmured silently.

"You idiot! Just look at her! The horns…THE HORNS PROVE IT! This isn't some fairytale…it was our village's duty by the order of God to protect the orb no matter what! The moment your daughter or anyone who was bestowed with that duty failed…our paradise…our life as we know it would become a living hell! Your daughter has cursed all of us!" yelled the village chief again. He pointed a finger towards Hanyuu accusingly, scorning her for her mistake.

Hanyuu felt time stop for a moment. Had she heard the village chief correctly? He said so himself, and as her worries were confirmed, so did her hands soon find out. Raising her fingertips to her head, Hanyuu felt two very hard, smooth tubular and curving like objects embedded into her being. Opening her mouth without so much as an utter of sound at first, Hanyuu felt like her reality had been broken.

"W…What…are…these things!" she spoke, unable to believe what happened. "WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ME!" Hanyuu's screams echoed throughout the room, the village elders looking on in fear and astonishment. Once Hanyuu's screams became nothing but murmurs, her limp body fell onto the floor again in pain and agony from this realization as the elders continued their banter at the forefront of the hall.

"What should we do then? What will happen…"

"To be cursed by God and scorned by man for a fear unknown. To live out in eternity in suffering and causing suffering to others. To be the one to indefinitely undo the Fate of mankind and bring about an uncountable millennia of death, suffering and agony. This is what will happen to the child…" The village chief began to speak, causing everyone to become silent. However, what he was about to proclaim would soon become the last chord to be severed before madness would take over the village.

"She's just a child…the orb was lost…we can't…" spoke one villager, however much so a weak voice it was. Other villagers gave him a glare, whilst others encouraged him. However, it seemed like this became the start of the separation between those who would protect Hanyuu and those who would condemn her. Silencing the hall again, the village chief stood up to make himself known to everyone present; taking a nearby spearman's weapon and beginning to make his way over to Hanyuu; his authority of the highest regard and not to be reckoned with.

"A child no matter! She has failed, and fated to bring about our undoing! SHE MUST PAY FOR HER SINS THROUGH BLOOD! THE CHILD MUST DIE!"

What Hanyuu had believed was once a sweet, caring old man, the village chief now seemed to become a demon in disguise. Rushing forward amongst the gasps of half the hall's attendance, he came straight up to Hanyuu and raised the bladed weapon on high; aiming to strike her down to prevent the woe of mankind. With a maddening look in his face, Hanyuu could only cringe in fright and shut her eyes tightly; preparing to be struck down.

"NOW DIE YOU DEMON! DIE! DIE! DI…"

Suddenly, the hall became quiet as Hanyuu was unexpectedly bathed in blood. Looking up with her slowly opening eyes, Hanyuu found the village chief's eyes turn white as they rolled back into his head. With his mouth gaped open, and his white kimono now staining thoroughly with a red substance, Hanyuu's eyes followed down to his chest to find a blade protruding out; inches away from her face. As his body fell to the ground, her father stood over the man; pulling out the katana from the village chief's backside. Standing in front of Hanyuu to shield her from what was to come, others rushed forward to join his side as the hall became an uproar.

"HE'S KILLED THE CHIEF! THE MURDERER!"

"YOU FOOLS! HE WAS GOING TO KILL THE CHILD!"

"BLASPHEMY! SHE WAS CURSED! KILL HER!"

"KILL THE CHILD! KILL THE ABOMINATION! KILL HER!"

Hanyuu watched on as those standing by her father clashed with those who took the elder's sides; dazed at the chaos that she had seemingly caused. Reaching out for him amongst all the yelling, screaming and spilling of more blood, Hanyuu felt warm arms shaking with fear surround her and pull her from the hall. Unable to do anything at that moment, all Hanyuu managed to do was scream out to her father one last time.

"Papa! PAPA!"

As her father fought in the hall and as Hanyuu watched the doors close tightly, she could see that the chaos had not only been apparent there but everywhere else in the village. The woman carrying her in her arms now, her mother, moved forward with a determined look as if to accomplish some mission. Quickly trudging through the mud, Hanyuu's gaze fell on other villagers around. Some sat rocking on the ground; itching their necks as if in extreme pain, whilst others were killing their friends and loved ones as if overtaken by some madness. Blood mixed with tears and raindrops as Hanyuu's mother carried her back to their hilltop house. Once there, Hanyuu was tossed into the room as her mother quickly shut the doors behind them; her hastiness hellbent on achieving her goal.

"M…mother…" Hanyuu murmured in pain, slowly picking herself off the floor with soaking clothes. Her mother didn't even look at her, as she ran forward into a dark room finding various items. Using only one candle to illuminate her surroundings, Hanyuu watched her mother murmur to herself and begin wrapping the collected items into a small, cloth bag.

"It…can't be this…no…this isn't happening…my…daughter…" Hanyuu's mother didn't seem to make any sense, as she tossed the bag over to Hanyuu's side and began searching for another item in the next room. Her mother's hair was in tangles, as well as her clothing ruined from the weather outside. Finding some small amount of courage, Hanyuu ran to her mother to stop her in her frantic pacing.

"M…mother…please…"

"HANYUU!" screamed her mother, her eyes wide with fear and hatred. Hanyuu fell backwards, her own eyes wide in terror. Hanyuu's mother stood over her, as she rolled over a small container to her feet. All Hanyuu could do was watch as her mother looked down on her with a maddened look; very little love found in the losing battle of her mother's mind.

"You've cursed all of us, and now you will suffer pain and agony unlike anything you have ever known…even…the pain which I will soon endure…"

At the mentioning of this, Hanyuu's mother took the container and opened it up; topping it over her head and pouring a sickly sweet smelling liquid over her body. As the liquid pooled over her kimono and onto the floor, she tossed the remaining contents over the walls of the home; soon after sending the container crashing into a nearby door. Hanyuu backed away in fear again, wishing that this nightmare would just end. However, for her, it was just beginning.

"I'm…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" Hanyuu chanted to her mother in vain. Her mother merely went up to her and slapped her clear across the face; the mark left behind most apparent. Hanyuu cried and ran into the nearby wall with her back to it; wishing for a way out. Maybe it wasn't the village chief that would kill her right then and there, but her own mother. In moments, she readdressed her daughter for one last time.

"Sorry…will never be good enough. You bear a curse…immortality and an eternity of suffering and death. You will never be forgiven for this, Hanyuu, NEVER! But…that doesn't mean I have stopped loving you…you are my only daughter, and always will be. Take this bag…go to our family's keep on the outskirts of the land…high into the hills, and remain there for the rest of eternity. You will be lonely, an outcast, but you will never need fear causing others harm or this unfortunate fate as long as you stay away from them. Your curse may fall on others, but they may not meet this same fate…a fate of madness and death. Go now, take all that I have given you, and never come near another human again. You are not human anymore…you are a demi-demon, forgotten by God and cursed to live out seeing other's suffer. If ever you meet another, do not. This is all I ask you…so that others may not know…" Throughout this time, her mother casted dark eyes on her daughter, waving to and fro in her madness and pains.

"I…don't understand…I can't…"

"YOU WILL! Your father…HE WIILL NOT DIE PROTECTING YOU IN VAIN! GO! GO AND LEAVE THIS HELL, AND NEVER FORGET! GO!"

Hanyuu sat there as her mother screamed at her, and then smiled in her madness as she laughed and walked over to the candle on the nearby chest. Turning back to her daughter, she narrowed her eyes and smiled again; burning a fear and image into Hanyuu's mind the likes of which she would never forget in her coming years of misery and sadness.

"Run…" was all her mother said.

In the next moment, her mother dropped the candle to the ground. Hanyuu sat there watching the flame ignite the pool of liquid on the floor and quickly creep up over her mother's body; the liquid revealing itself to have been some sort of oil. In seconds her mother's clothes were encompassed with fire, and she writhed in anger and pain; clawing at her throat for air. As she swirled around the far side of the room in her madness, Hanyuu's mother screamed in agony once the fire fully engulfed her. And all Hanyuu could do while watching her mother die in such a horrible fashion was ask herself one question…

*Mother…why…*

In the next remaining moments of her mother's life, a waving hand had touched the nearby oil-soaked wall and set fire. As her mother ran into the next room and fell to the ground, twitching for only a few lingering moments before the grasp of death had a hold on her, Hanyuu backed away to the main entrance; tears running down her face uncontrollably. Grabbing the bag quickly without any knowing, Hanyuu ran away into the stormy night as her home was swept up in fire and chaos. Turning back only once to look on what she thought were the gates of hell, the image of her home burning to the ground and the villagers all around killing one another or themselves was forever burned into her memory.

And all she did was run…

For some time after that, Hanyuu did just as she was told by her now deceased mother. She made her way over to the outlook of the village, trying to head away from an area soon to meet its demise, and back to her family's keep well away from this land. Along the way, though, Hanyuu met the unfortunate circumstance of finding people with their throats clawed out or dismembered body parts that were caused by the hands of others. Cries of agony and more fires erupted throughout the night as Hanyuu made her way cautiously from her once thought home. Eventually, she found the outskirts of the forest dwelling that was rarely ever needed to visit. Everything Hanyuu was doing now was by memory and shear willpower; the paths taken merely from her few trips to her family's keep. Once there, Hanyuu bent over in pain and exhaustion, trying to catch her breath.

"What…have I done? Why…God…just why….WHY!" Hanyuu fell into the mud on her knees, crying and screaming out to the sky for her savior. However, whatever prayers or pleas she made, none were heard for someone who was cursed; especially her. At this moment, she felt the farthest away from God, from the spirits of her family, and the love she had merely several hours ago.

Unable to do anything but run away from the screaming and smells of burning flesh and human blood, Hanyuu picked herself up from the muddy ground and continued on her path to her only safety. Eventually at some point, Hanyuu shielded her ears from the screams with her hands and continued to run away; from her mistakes, from her faults and from her past…

With her tears mixed with the falling drops of rain, Hanyuu ran and ran and ran until she had passed out from exhaustion. With feelings of despair and loneliness, she continued on while her mother's words continued to haunt her mind and soul.

"Sorry…will never be good enough. You bear a curse…immortality and an eternity of suffering and death. You will never be forgiven for this, Hanyuu, NEVER!"

No matter how many steps she took, no matter how much her mind was in chaos, and no matter what had led up until this point, by some time or another Hanyuu accepted her mistake and allowed it to become a part of her being. As time passed and the days became night and then days again, Hanyuu ate whatever little food she was given and strove on to make it to her family's keep. From time to time, she had thought this was just a nightmare and that at some point she would wake up from it; however, once her hands felt the horns on her head did Hanyuu remember what she had once been and now what she was.

"I'm just a demon…an ugly creature…whom no one cares about or loves…or understands…ever and forever more…" she would tell herself over and over again at moments of darkness in her life.

One day, when Hanyuu had given up on herself after so many days of arduous travel and pains, she was sitting near a tall cliff on a hillside; watching on at the wide, expansive forest below. She had been driven to such a destitute state of mind that, as her legs dangled over the cliff's side, she considered the possibility of merely ending it and falling down below to a merciful and quick death. Maybe then she would prevent anyone else from feeling her pains or sufferings, and in the grand scheme of things pay for her crime and recover God's favor. As Hanyuu neared the edge of the cliff and attempted to kill herself, her mother's words and the image of her father dying for her sake had filled her mind and prevented her from forfeiting her life. Hanyuu couldn't do it, and with whatever strength and will she had remaining, left the cliff and continued West for her new dwelling.

After two long and hellish weeks of travel, Hanyuu had found her new home on top of the tallest hill overlooking a forest below. Having traversed all the dirt and rocky paths, once collapsed underneath a giant toori gate to the entrance of her new home did Hanyuu sit there looking around; no emotion or love left in her life. Sighing and accepting her fate, Hanyuu closed her eyes and felt the mist of the mountaintop around her being; almost feeling some sense of peace again. Slowly getting up and moving to the entrance of her home, Hanyuu remembered the haunting words of her mother, and promised herself to do her best to follow through on those wishes.

"You are not human anymore…you are a demi-demon, forgotten by God and cursed to live out seeing other's suffer. If ever you meet another, do not. This is all I ask you…so that others may not know…"

Hanyuu would implant this wish into her being, making sure to follow through on her mother's dying wishes for the rest of her life. For the next 300 years Hanyuu would sadly realize just how much of a curse immortality could really be. She grew to an age of a beautiful young woman, but by age 50 did Hanyuu take note that she would never grow any older than the looks of a woman at age 25. Her skin never wrinkled, she never developed any diseases or malignity, and from time to time she would notice that certain needs such as food and warmth were never needed. Hanyuu only ate when she felt an urge to retain some form of humanity, though much of the time she never hungered or thirsted. It was true what her mother said, she was no longer human, but something else.

Hanyuu would remain in those mountains like a forgotten memory, just as the world below changed and reformed in 300 years time. Her loneliness and suffering would linger on every day of her life, and never cease to leave her…

That is, until one day in the early season of summer a man named Riku Furude happened to come across Hanyuu's dwelling whilst climbing the mountaintop in search of herbal leaves for his village. On that day, Hanyuu rediscovered the part of her humanity she had lost, and what the power of love was really capable of…

/

A fleeting dream of peace and love,

A forgotten haven of misery and pain,

A loss of family and a loss of one's past,

Become a new life, one of loneliness and Fate.

You are lost,

You are forgotten,

You are not loved,

You are cursed…

You are the Bodom of Man,

Hanyuu…

Mother…

My…Mother…

Next time on Hinamizawa Hell, Arc 3 Ch. 15: A Past Revealed: Part 2.

Are you still dreaming?