AN: Ok, since some people are still not sure who the Shichinin-tai are, I might as well give a little introduction, as requested. Though there are equally as many people who do know who they are. ^_^ You don't have to know them particularly well for this story, but it might be nice to get an idea to who they are.
There are 7 members all together (seeing as 'Shichinin' means 'seven men'. 'Tai' means it's a group.) Seven villains are just too many for me so I'm only using four of the band.
Bankotsu – The leader with the massive sword called Banryuu. (I think it's WAY bigger than even Tessaiga). He's about as old as Miroku, I'd say. He can't read or write particularly well (bless). He was probably the hardest member of the band to be killed in the end. Name translates as barbarian bones.
Jakotsu – quite chipper most of the time, can't do numbers though. Roughly the same age as Bankotsu. He's gay, absolutely hates women and wields a rather tricky sword called Jakotsutou. He's probably most memorable for crushing on both Miroku and Inuyasha… and even more so for once almost taking advantage of human Inuyasha. Naturally that was the same day he died. Name means snake bones/skeleton.
Suikotsu – has split-personality disorder, or something like that. He is both a gentle, mild-mannered doctor (who, in the manga, worked with Kikyo for a short time) and an almost Youkai-like alter-ego who belongs to the Shichinin-tai. Basically, he's a nasty piece of work when he's evil. Seems to be a few years older than the previous two members. He didn't live long after he turned evil though. Weapon of choice is the clawed glove. Name means sleeping bones.
Renkotsu – looks like a Buddhist priest, a higher level than Miroku I think. Shaved head and calm, collected disposition. Still, a little more conniving than the others, and a bit back-stabbing. Through this, he managed to live second longest to Bankotsu. Older than Jakotsu and Bankotsu I reckon. He seems more mature. His weapon of choice would be a net of fire. Name means refine bones – refine as in refining of metals.
Ginkotsu – composed mostly of metal parts and armour. When he was destroyed by Inuyasha, he was rebuilt by the other members of the Shichinin-tai into a tank @_@. I didn't want to ask… But surprisingly he lived… until he was blown up again. Name means silver bones.
Mukotsu – short and ugly. For some reason reminded me of Genma Soatome… Anyway, used poisonous smoke that really only worked on humans. Was killed by Sesshomaru fairly early on in the Shichinin-tai arc. A bit self-conscious of his looks if you ask me. Let's just say Sesshomaru did the world good to get rid of him. Name means something like mist bones.
Kyoukotsu – first one to die, by Kouga's hand. Name means something like evil/bad luck bones. Absolutely huge by human standards. Kouga was to him, what a barbie doll is to a little girl. Not really a valid member of the group, he was more like an introduction to the story line. He died too quickly for there to be a real understanding of his character.
Life Exchange
Chapter 4
My Dream Man
She wasn't being chased this time… there was no sense of urgency to find where she was going… other than the urgency that she just wanted out of the palace. Kagome padded through the halls and corridors, looking around for some clue to figure out where she was, or some clue to where the exit might be.
At some point she found a staircase leading to a lower floor… but it looked even darker down there and her instincts told her to avoid it. It seemed to be the most pointless dream ever… she knew she was dreaming… she was aware as she explored the palace that she was actually somewhere else in reality. She was actually in a bed, fast asleep, but she couldn't feel her real body. This was reality for her now.
A soft fluttering noise caught her attention and she stopped her wondering to peer at a door to her left. The fluttering noise sounded again and she edged closer to the door. She slowly opened it a crack to peer inside, cautious for all the nightmares contained in the dream.
She gasped at what she saw and threw the door open back all the way. At once a maelstrom of small paper thin wings blasted around her. Butterflies… beautiful and almost surreal as their wings caught the light and glittered around her. It wasn't curiosity that steered her further into the room… just a sense of wonder. She reached the centre of the barren room and raised her arms, smiling and laughing as she felt their wings graze her skin. The little insects swirled around her in a lazy sort of tornado.
This wasn't a nightmare… it was too pleasant to be a nightmare.
That was up until she felt a jab of pain on the back of her hand. At once she snatched her arms back and stared at the paper thin cut that was beginning to well up with blood. A butterfly brushed past her left forearm, raking a small gash where it's razor sharp wing connected with her.
Kagome gasped and backed away. Looking around, she realised she wasn't witnessing a beautiful phenomenon. What she'd thought were beautiful wings were little picks of metal supported on little black moth bodies. Metal wings with shearing edges.
She ran for the door at once, but the insects only warmed after her like locusts.
"Stop it!" She screamed as she felt their wings nick at her exposed skin and cut clips off her hair. "Leave me alone!"
She threw herself around the corner of the hall and slammed straight into a much firmer and larger body than her own. She gasped for air as she started to fall back, winded. But two strong arms wrapped around her and crushed her to his chest. The butterflies dispersed at once, their wings clinking together like clinking chains.
Kagome struggled to break free, but he only held her stronger, running his hands almost soothingly along her back. "Don't worry, I'll always protect you." He whispered into her ear as a lover might.
She couldn't see his face, she didn't recognise his voice. All she could see of him was his crudely cut hair and strong physique. She didn't know anyone with these combined features. "Who are you?!" she raged, struggling with all her might to twist out of his grip.
He suddenly drew back and locked eyes with her squarely. Her breath hitched as her eyes widened in realisation.
"Inuyasha…"
He smiled gently and touched his nose to hers, even while his hands slowly trailed towards her neck, bracing to snap her neck. "What does this-"
Kagome forcibly tore herself awake with a strangled cry. She'd found her anchor to the real world and ripped herself from the dream before he'd completed the signature statement. She just sat there, breathing hard and staring off into space.
"What does it mean?!" she asked her room urgently. Surprisingly she didn't get an answer as she put her head in her hands and sighed.
That was the third night in a row she'd had the same recurring dream. Revealing a little more each time. A mad man in an empty palace… but now she knew that mad boy was Inuyasha.
"This is ridiculous." She forced herself to laugh at her own silliness. Inuyasha trying to kill her? Absolutely preposterous! Kagome ran a hand through her hair and slipped out of bed to get dressed and washed up. But she couldn't shake the bad feeling…
^_^
Inuyasha folded his arms as he shifted his weight to one leg, his gaze sweeping the lines of spies before him… all citizens of the Northern Kingdom, but all working for him. Well they were pretty much useless now seeing as they'd all been discovered.
"Well?" Inuyasha barked, making a few of the younger men flinch. "What the hell happened over there?"
They seemed reluctant to start talking. Bankotsu took the initiative and stepped forward, putting a hand on one spy's shoulder. "You tell us what happened. Why were you all discovered?"
"A demon…" the man mumbled, not daring to raise his eyes. "He arrived from no where, he forced the throne from Sesshomaru… somehow he knew which men were spies and had half of us executed and the other half cast out of the palace."
"Sesshomaru was overturned?" Inuyasha's arms slipped to his sides.
"How did the new guy know which men were spies?" Bankotsu interrupted, earning a glare from Inuyasha.
"We… we don't know…" the man answered helplessly. "One minute I was cleaning the kitchen floors, the next, three guards came along and told me a new King had taken power and I was too be ejected as I was a spy… I don't know how he knew this…"
"Sesshomaru… was dethroned?" Inuyasha said again. The men nodded. "Impossible!"
"It's true…" the spy bowed his head again. Inuyasha resumed pacing the space before the throne whilst Bankotsu contained his smug grin.
For a long time nothing was said as Inuyasha absorbed this information. He stopped pacing and looked at the knelt men. "Are their no spies left in his palace?"
"None."
'He's lying…'
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the man. "How can we be sure that one of you didn't sell out your comrades so you could escape with your life?"
The men exchanged looks. "Sire… we knew nothing of the overturned throne until we were cast out… we only just learnt that our comrades weren't as fortunate as us…" the man who'd been speaking for the spies said humbly.
'Spies lie… he sold out his friends…'
Inuyasha raised a hand briefly to his brow and closed his eyes as he concentrated a moment on trying to silence the foreign words that forced their way into his mind. He was not going crazy…
"My Lord?" Bankotsu stepped forward warily when Inuyasha lapsed into silence. "Is something wrong?"
Inuyasha dropped his hand from his brow and sighed calmly. "You can all go back home. Your services to the kingdom are no longer useful."
He turned to sit back down on his throne as the spies got up, blinking in surprise. They started to turn towards the main doorway, heading out whilst still in shock that they'd lost their jobs so quickly after losing their comrades. Naturally, at least one was quick enough to grow angry.
"This is just perfect…" one man muttered to his friend as they trudged towards the exit. "We lay down our lives for him and then he casts us aside into the gutter because we're no longer useful. He never has to worry about being unemployed when he's here whoring it up with that human bitch…"
Inuyasha's ears twitched, and before anyone was quick enough to register what was happening, he was across the room and had thrown the mouthy spy to the floor.
"Don't underestimate my hearing because I'm a Hanyou!" he snarled, whilst everyone still tried to figure out what was going on. He all but straddled the spy and fisted his hand in the mans shirt as he pulled him up to begin beating him repeatedly around the head. "Don't – ever – call – her – a – bitch!" he punctuated each word with an unrestrained punch.
"Lord Inuyasha!" Bankotsu was the first to react and ran to try and grab Inuyasha's shoulder to drag him off the man. But the young King only threw him off and carried on thrashing the spy without any inhibitions.
Spies raced forward and grappled with him, managing with a collective effort, to overpower the young lord and drag him off the beaten soldier. Even then Inuyasha managed to rip free of their hold and stood on his own, shoving away their hands. "Don't touch me!" he snapped, not noticing the concerned stares he was receiving. He glared down at the bloodied spy he'd beaten and clicked his tongue. "That'll make you think twice in future…"
He turned and stormed out the doors, throwing one last thing over his shoulder. "I'll be in my rooms."
^_^
Kagome stood at the back of the throne room, clutching a hand in shock over her heart. Her eyes were wide as she watched Inuyasha storm out of the throne room, after haplessly beating that poor man nearly to death. What on earth was he playing at…? That wasn't like Inuyasha at all?
Sure he was violent, aggressive, jerkish and sometimes oppressive… but…?
She watched Bankotsu move over to the fallen man. The spy groaned, moving his head from side to side before lapsing slowly into unconsciousness. The tension remaining in the room was incredible… suffice it to say, everyone was a little bewildered and bemused.
"Take him to the healer." Bankotsu ordered one of the spies. He turned to the other now unemployed men who were hanging around. "I don't care what the King says, you've served your kingdom well in our name. It would be a shame to lose you all. I suggest you all take up stations around the palace as soldiers. I won't have you unemployed and useless."
The men bowed quickly, the relief evident in their body language. "Thank you, Captain Bankotsu." They all muttered more or less together and left the throne room, trailing after the spy carrying the unconscious man to the healer.
When they were gone, Bankotsu was the only man remaining, along with a few guards around the doorways. He turned and locked gazes with Kagome, whose heart nearly stopped. She didn't want to be caught witnessing that spectacle…
"Lady Kagome…" Bankotsu moved towards her. "How much did you see?"
"All of it…" she stammered uneasily. "Well… sort of… came in when he fired those men…" she shook her head in disbelief. "Why on earth did he flip out and attack that poor guy?"
The startling clarity of her nightmares came back to her. Inuyasha didn't act particularly normal in those dreams either…
"I don't know." Bankotsu sighed. "My best guess is the strain of leadership is getting to him. We have a new opponent in the North. Inuyasha's brother has been defeated and cast out of the island… we don't know who the new threat is…"
"Oh…" Kagome pressed a hand to her mouth in surprise. "Someone defeated Sesshomaru… he must have been strong…"
"We have yet to discover who he is." Bankotsu gave her a smile and a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, it's probably just annoyed his majesty. If we leave him to calm down he should be all right soon. I suggest you steer clear of him anyway."
"Thanks." Kagome sent him weak smile that tried to cover the uncertainty she felt in her heart. As she left the throne room through the back door that the servants used more than anyone else, she could help but chew her lips nervously and ring her hands.
It was almost as if her dreams were coming true. "What does this mean…?"
^_^
"Suikotsu succeeded I presume?" Renkotsu asked, looking up past Jakotsu who turned expectantly.
Bankotsu grinned knowingly as he approached his two comrades that were sat on his favourite boulder, in the middle of playing a gambling game with dice. "Effortlessly I might add." He pulled himself up beside them and clapped them both on the shoulders. "See, I told you he would be trustworthy, didn't I, Renkotsu?"
"Mm." The monk shrugged with a vague 'whatever' kind of expression.
"So the Northern territory is ours now?" Jakotsu smiled happily. "Can we go hang out there now? It's getting boring around this beach… no offence or anything, Renkotsu."
"None taken."
"No, I want you both to stay here." Bankotsu smiled as she shook his head. "Taking over the north was the easy part. Those people up there would accept a new King easily enough. There's no chance of revolt or mutiny up there. They want the strongest leader they can find, so if Suikotsu beat Sesshomaru, then they'd accept him hands down. They have accepted him hands down."
"So now we can concentrate our efforts in defeating Inuyasha?" Jakotsu asked.
"Unfortunately the people of this kingdom aren't as fickle as the Inu Youkai with the stripes." Bankotsu smirked as he folded his arms. "Simply obtaining the throne by killing Inuyasha will not secure my position as ruler. The people would hate me and undoubtedly try and get rid of me."
"Then how do you propose we obtain the Southern Kingdom for ourselves?" Renkotsu asked with narrowed eyes.
"I'm already working on it." Bankotsu grinned again, sitting back and stretching whilst cracking his knuckles. "If somehow the people lose faith in Inuyasha, then if he mysteriously disappears, they'll accept a new leader without qualm. Being that he is unmarried and without an heir, then the throne goes to the second in command of the kingdom – the captain of the guard."
"And then we kill that guy?" Jakotsu asked.
"No – because I'm the captain of the guard." Bankotsu reminded him. "If the throne is taken by force then the people will hate me. So all I have to do is gain favour with them, and then bump Inuyasha off. If I earn the position that way then no one will argue."
"And how do you think you'll gain favour over their King? You're human remember, and new to the island." Renkotsu pointed out.
"Inuyasha seems to be losing favour very well on his own. I don't need to do anything. Just get rid of him at the right moment and then the whole island will be ours."
"Fine. Just kill him before he marries or produces an heir." Renkotsu folded his arms primly. "Killing a wife or a child so soon after killing the King would look a little too suspicious."
"That won't happen for a while, I assure you. I don't have that much patience."
^_^
Naturally, once Bankotsu had warned her to stay away from Inuyasha, Kagome hadn't been able to keep herself away. She'd been on her way to go see Sango and talk to her about her strange dreams, and Inuyasha's strange behaviour…
But when she'd reached her friend's door, she'd walked straight past, knowing that she was walking to Inuyasha's rooms instead. She confided too many of her problems in Sango anywhere… at one time or another she was going to have to buck up and deal with her problems on her own.
Her problem was Inuyasha. So best go deal with him as soon as possible. After all, why put off something tomorrow that you could do today?
But as she reached his door she hesitated and another more logical part of her brain asked, why do something today that you could put off till tomorrow? And better yet – why bother doing something today that you could just not do altogether?
No… that was cowardly Kagome talking, she needed to see what was troubling Inuyasha. He hadn't been acting like himself for a while now…
She was about to knock on the door when she heard the sound of muffled laughter from within the room. And… was that singing…? The melody sounded oddly familiar. She went ahead and knocked anyway. "Inuyasha? You in there?"
"No." Came the blunt reply.
Without invitation, Kagome pulled back the door and stepped inside, looking around the large empty bedroom to find him. "Where are you?"
"Out here." She glanced towards the window and saw him on the balcony walkway outside. She froze when she saw him, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open.
Kagome didn't often get to see a shirtless Inuyasha. Maybe a few times when they'd gone swimming in the lake with Miroku and Sango… but not often. She nearly swooned when he turned back to face her, but managed to catch herself and maintain a schooled expression.
"Hot day, huh?" he stepped back through the open window and grabbed an ornate fan that was hung on the wall to start fanning himself. He gave her a quizzical look. "What is it?"
"Uh… well…" Kagome had to avert her eyes before the 'heat' got to her. She sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, fanning her face with her hand. "I came… to see if you were ok… you seem a little on edge today…"
"Do I?" he came to stand beside her. "You look flushed. Maybe you should take the yukata off."
Kagome snapped her eyes up to meet his and blushed quickly, fanning her face faster. "Can't. Not wearing much else under this."
"Really?" she could have sworn she'd seen a sparkle of interest in his eyes, but he snorted and turned to face the window before she could be certain. "Nothing I haven't seen before."
"If it's all the same I'd like to stay clothed." She stared at his back, unconsciously licking her lips and beginning to reach out towards the smooth planes of his back and the dipping line of his spine.
Suddenly he turned and she pulled her hand back, pretending to brush her hair back. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he snapped the fan before her face and offered it to her with a quirking smile on his lips. She tried to get her heart beat under control as she smiled weakly and accepted it… fanning herself to try and cool her burning cheeks. Her heat had nothing to do with the warm weather.
"Why did you come again?" he asked, turning so he could sit on the cool floor with his back against the bed, a few feet to her right.
"Uh… to see if you were ok…" She paused fanning her face. "You are ok, right?"
"Never better." He replied, by all appearances looking as content as a cat after a meal of cream.
"I heard what happened in the throne room." She said quietly.
"What happened in the throne room?" he asked absently.
Didn't he remember? Kagome frowned and laid the fan in her lap. "You beat one of the spies senseless…"
"Oh yeah… he always got on my nerves that one…" he shrugged, bringing a hand up to play with a forelock of hair that lay on his shoulder.
"That wasn't very nice of you, Inuyasha." She said seriously. "He's in the infirmary, unconscious, thanks to you."
He snorted, obviously not too concerned. "Goes to show that maybe Hanyou's aren't that weak compared to the real Youkai, eh?" he chuckled. "He should have watched his mouth anyway."
"What did he say?" Kagome leaned forward to see him better.
"He insulted you. So I kicked the shit out of him." Inuyasha nodded. "And you say I don't defend your honour."
Great… now Kagome felt guilty. That man was beaten because of her? She bit her lip, determined to find out what was really going on. Why Inuyasha seemed so… different than before…? She edged along the bed towards him until she was pretty close. "I heard about Sesshomaru too."
"Yeah, that was funny, wasn't it?" he smirked. "Sess finally knocked of his high horse. I would have loved to see his face. Do you think he's dead?"
"Um… I don't want to think about that." Kagome muttered quietly. "He's your brother… aren't you concerned?"
"Kagome, he may be my brother but did you ever feel the flow of sibling love between us?" he gave a caustic laugh. "Like hell."
Kagome stared at him a moment, with his eyes closed and looking completely relaxed and carefree. A little more so than should be considered normal or appropriate. The new King in charge of the north was a real threat now… but he didn't seem too worried…
He'd beaten his own subject and he wasn't too worried about that either…
She reached out and ran the tips of her fingers through his hair lightly. "Your hair's a mess." She told him softly.
"I haven't brushed it in a while." He didn't move besides opening his eyes a crack.
"Pass me that brush." She told him, pointing to the comb on the floor a little to his side. He picked it up without protest and handed it to her. She sat herself down behind him, a leg on either side of his shoulders so she could have better access.
They did this from time to time… it seemed to relax him and make him more talkative. That's how Kagome wanted him… talkative… maybe she could get answers that way. But he seemed to know her intentions and kept very tight-lipped as she ran the brush through his hair, careful not to snag on knots.
"I love your hair…" she told him, to get the conversation ball rolling. "It's so soft."
"I hate it."
"What?" Kagome's hand froze, mid-brush.
He shrugged, eyes still closed as he relaxed under her ministrations. "I hate it. It gets in the way all the time. I was thinking maybe I should cut it off soon."
The Inuyasha from her nightmare… the one with the dark clothes and careless shoulder length hair… the image of self-hate.
"Don't." she said, her chest constricting slightly in fear of the boy between her legs (how often did she get to say that?!). "It's fine how it is."
"Maybe." He grunted with a shrug.
Kagome forced her shaking hand to set the brush down on the bed beside her. She opened her mouth… but hesitated before speaking. "I love you the way you are…"
"I know you do." Was his casual reply. He acknowledged her love… but did nothing to return it. She swallowed hard and picked up the brush to hold before his nose.
"All done." She told him with forced lightness. "Now you're all beautified."
He stared at her hand for a moment before almost lazily reaching to hold her wrist while his other hand eased the brush from her fingers. She began to pull back, but his grip on her wrist tightened.
It was amazing how such a small gesture sent her heart beat racing so quickly. "Inuyasha…" she said quietly, a hint of warning in her voice. What was he up to?
"You've got dirt under your nails." He observed. "Have you been gardening again?"
"Yes…" she watched the back of his head warily, wondering why he wasn't releasing her hand. "I thought I washed all the dirt off."
He grunted as his thumb absently stroked the smooth underside of her thumb. She watched in stunned surprise as he brought her hand to his lips and gave her a lingering kiss below the knuckle of her index finger.
Her breath hitched in her throat and she shifted nervously. "What are you doing?"
He dropped her hand and turned to her, on his knees, so he was more or less eye level with her. She didn't recognise the expression on his face. Confident… but something else as well… something akin to eagerness or interest. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"
She stared at him in shock. "No… you've never said anything like that."
"I should have." His hands were rested on her knees, having knocked aside the material of her Yukata. Upon seeing this, distant alarm bells rung in her head.
"What are you doing?"
"Why do you always ask the same question?" he gave her an irritated look, hooking his fingers behind her knees to drag her forward. She squeaked and would have slipped off the bed completely if his body hadn't blocked her.
"Inuyasha!" she tried to shift back, away from him, pushing against his chest. "What do you think you're do-"
"Oh, cut the act Kagome. This is what you want isn't it?" his hand cupped her jaw, bringing her face mere millimetres from his. His other hand had travelled from her knee, disappearing beneath her yukata to slowly massage the soft length of her thigh.
She looked him in the eye. This wasn't what she wanted… she wanted his love… not his lust. There was a difference. Besides, there was something just not right about him right then. He was acting impulsively recently… she didn't know when he would turn around and smile, or turn around and hit someone. That was dangerous, and it made her wary of how she worded her refusal.
"Inuyasha… I don't think I'm ready…" she muttered, acutely aware of the trail of fire burning on her thigh in the wake of his hand. She was also acutely aware that if either of them tilted their heads slightly, their lips would collide.
"Of course you are. You're older than Sango was when her first son was born."
That was no excuse, she felt like biting out. Instead she tried for a more reasonable answer. "I'm not Sango… I'm only sixteen…"
"Nineteen." He corrected.
"Sixteen."
"Nineteen!"
"Sixteen!" The romantic atmosphere was about to deteriorate.
"Nineteen!" he ground out, his claws pricking her thigh slightly. "You were sixteen when you arrived, that was three years ago. You're nineteen now."
"I was sixteen when I made that deal with Naraku that guaranteed me long life and youth. I'm still sixteen in my body and my mind." She told him a little shortly. "I know how old I feel inside. I'm sixteen."
"Then are you saying you will never be ready, for forever?" his eyes flashed dangerously. She was half afraid to argue with him.
"I'm growing up… just slowly…"
"What's there to be afraid of? It's only natural…" he squeezed her thigh gently, making her tremble slightly. She had to resist… this wasn't him… there was something wrong with him. "You and me… male and female… man and woman… ish…"
"Is that all it would be for?" she looked him in the eye, letting him see the hurt.
"What else would it be for?" he frowned.
How about love? she wanted to bite out again. "Look – I only came to see if you were ok – I don't want this!"
"Yes you do." He told her.
"No I don't!"
"They say you do."
"Who say that?" she scowled, watching the closed expression that settled over his face. Almost like he'd been touching acid, he pulled away from her. Startled at his change in attitude she recoiled slightly as he stood up and glared down at her.
"I'm fine. There is nothing wrong with me! Why do you always say the same things – 'are you ok?', 'are you feeling all right?'." He clenched his fists. "It's so fucking annoying!"
"I'm worried about you!" she cried defensively. "You're not acting like yourself."
"You're not worried – you're just nosy!"
"You're just paranoid!"
"I am not!" he snapped, retreating away from her in fear that his fists would act out against her. "Get out!"
"But Inuyasha-!"
"You make me so fucking angry these days I think I might just hurt myself over you!" he spat, fighting down the urge to raise his hand to her.
Kagome fell silent, looking down with hooded eyes. "Fine." She mumbled, getting up quietly and walking out of his room in an unhurried manner closing the door quietly behind her.
Why hadn't she slammed it? Her calmness irritated him to no end and he struggled to find another way to vent his anger. He caught sight of his reflection in a full length mirror a short distance away. He watched his reflection glare back at him a moment… before the face he saw slowly wiped of all expression.
That wasn't his face… he wasn't the person he saw in the mirror… was he? What was happening to him…? Was he really… going insane?
After a few silent beats had passed he picked up the ink pot on his desk and lobbed it at the mirror, smirking in satisfaction when it shattered.
Was he going mad? He just stopped caring.
AN: Next chapter – 'Reasons for Revenge'