Complete Summary: Behind these rotting wooden walls and corroded and warped ceilings lay individuals who are tortured and tormented down to their very souls. Inescapable fates went unabashed, unhealable scars and wounds that ran so deep marred once beautifully creamy skin. Blemishes of the earth, nay- lower than the dirt they walked on and scorned for their association, they await an ultimatum, for an absolution that they all knew would one day come. It was all a matter of when.

NOTES:
This is a DARK fic. It will more than likely have controversial topics and extensive dark scenes. This is a challenging fic for me and written for personal reasons.
Please, if you are underage or too immature to handle dark themes and adult situations, please leave.

WARNING: Bystander death(s).

She stared out of the small window of her room. She didn't make a sound as the man behind her touched her without consequence. She thought quietly to herself as this man grabbed his fill- but she would never spread her legs for him. In that regard, her innocence remained. His unwanted caress started at her shoulders, making his way to the dip of her back. It was almost as if she were undergoing inspection- though in a way, she supposed she was.

He brought his face close to her hair with a deep intake of air. He wrapped his hand around her throat- silently threatening her. She made no moves as he pushed her hair aside with his free hand and began whispering in her ear. "You will do this for me," he commanded.

"Yes," she instantly replied. Her demeanor was passive, neutral almost. There was no stiffness in her form, yet she stood straight and calm. Her shoulders were lax- she no longer wished to fight them. She would be their tool, but no more and for no less. Her mind felt foggy and body cold. She had grown accustomed to the ways of this man's order.

"You are ready," he said as he groped her breasts.

Again, she would not fight him. She would never know the feel of a man's love, and she would be forever marked as "used" if she gave him what he truly wanted. She couldn't bring herself to lower herself to those standards. Perhaps, this was why she would never understand or feel the carnal pleasures of the body.

But she did wonder.

"A settlement was raised… in the West," he told her, finally releasing her. She heard his footsteps behind her, walking away from her. "I hear it is where you are from." She made no remarks nor did she give him any indication of any sort of reaction. "I want you to go there. Alone. And I want you to burn it to the ground."

Kagome nodded her head and turned to him then. Her eyes were cold- near soulless. In this instance, she reminded herself of Kikyou, more so now than ever before. "When shall I leave?"

"Immediately," he told her before he left the room.

She had somehow managed to gain the skill of killing. Of murder. She no longer hesitated when needing to dispatch a target. The last time she did that, she received a whipping that had her head spinning for nearly a week. She had finally begun growing accustomed to her newfound freedom. She was allowed a maximum of a week to carry out her plans. Usually. This time, however, she would be given two because of the distance.

She didn't dawdle, so she was out of the compound within minutes, carrying her bare necessities. She knew the terrain was not going to be easy to traverse- after all, she had survived everything getting to the compound the first time. But she also knew that if she didn't make haste and get back on time, the trust she worked so hard for - just to feel free - would be for naught.

The compound she was located at had been fairly big before but had grown exponentially over the course of three years. The camps that had once been scattered about the main courtyard were now spaced evenly and upgraded to small huts here there. Rubble had been cleared, pathways were implemented, and there were busybodies scuffling everywhere. The compound - now the beginnings of an extraordinarily small village - was brimming with energy. The only thing missing was the mirth a true village should be brimming with.

People stared at her as she passed, though most paid her no mind. Just another Miko sent to do their bidding and strengthen their rule. Her feet were true, her path was set, and with no further thoughts… she left.

She felt lifeless. The quaint little village she had visited was in flames… but she felt nothing. She wondered briefly when it was that she had become this way. Uncaring. No- void of life. The thoughts didn't linger, however.

She watched as a family of three vacated their home. A father with two daughters. She had met them earlier during her night stay at the village. They had welcomed her to their own home and had allowed her to remain with them for a night. They had been gracious hosts and she… well, she played her part.

It had taken her the better part of a morning to scour the small village before setting up the devastation that was now before her. Igniting the gunpowder from a ways away had been no easy feat but she had managed. She was amazed that the security around the village had been so lax in the first place, considering. Then again, it was the feudal era- not many families could afford to even fork over tax to protect their homes from any unforseen tragedies anyway.

Her eyes flittered to the rest of the town. People had run from their homes, some on fire and dying where they had stood. Others had been killed in the blasts. She allowed her eyes to fall on the father with the two girls again. One was already dead- half of her body charred and indistinguishable. The other in his arms was close to death- perhaps from smoke inhalation.

It was only when the girl went limp and most of the screams had died that she lifted her bow and grabbed an arrow from her quiver. She made eye contact with that man- the father. His eyes looked forlorn and she knew in his mind he was as good as dead anyway. She allowed her arrow to fly, planting the arrow right at the center of his forehead. At least he'd be with his family.

A few stragglers attempting to save others caught in their homes were met with similar fates. She took a few steps forward, her intent clear. She would take a stroll through the village and put everyone out of their misery. And she did just that.

The heat was blazing and black smoke filled the air. A man, wheezing and already half-dead, grabbed at her ankle as she passed. "Help us…" he rasped, but she paid him no mind. Instead, she plunged an arrow into the man's head, ending his life instantly.

She was only satisfied when there couldn't be anything else heard aside from the roars of the fires all around her. The crops and animals that had belonged to the village had managed to be set afire as well. She knew it could be decades before anything grew back on the scorched earth again.

She turned back and walked back to where she'd come from.

And her eyes met amber.

See you guys in the next chapter!