Summary: As Hitomi questions her terrible vision, she becomes aware of another presence - an unwelcome addition to Queen Millerna's banquet...and the results are more than anyone bargained forÉ
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The servants had attended to Hitomi's every need, including ones she hadn't known she had. They had given her a selection of beautiful dresses to wear that evening, but she was drawn to none of them, too disturbed by her earlier vision to even consider preparing herself for the banquet. She sat on the edge of the enormous bed, staring out onto the balcony...a balcony so similar to the other rooms of the castle...
It couldn't have been real, she kept thinking to herself. How could Millerna ever be so cruel? Certainly, she and Millerna had never truly gotten along, but she had never before considered her to be malicious...
Lost in her thoughts, she barely heard the knock at her door, but was able to respond enough to turn her head to the door and answer quietly, "Yes? Come in, it's open."
The door opened, and there stood Allen, dressed sharply for the occasion in a white silk shirt beneath a midnight blue dress jacket, matching pants and a silk cravat in the same shade. She noted that most of his hair, save his bangs, was pulled back into a loose ponytail behind his neck; a rather flattering style for him, she thought. She managed a small smile, motioning him to come inside, and he did so.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, concern still apparent in his eyes as he came closer.
"I'm fine," she said almost too quickly, looking away from him, because she knew that he if anyone would be able to see she wasn't telling the truth.
He knelt down beside the edge of the bed, gently taking one of her hands within his. "Please, Hitomi...tell me what plagues you. What did you see earlier?"
So he had known that she had lied to Millerna...but how could she possibly tell him what the truth of her vision had been? It would hurt him terribly...feeling tears welling up in her eyes again, she closed them in an attempt to clamp them off. The soft sensation of a trail of heat down her cheek told her that the attempt hadn't been successful, and unconsciously she hung her head slightly.
The touch of Allen's hand to her cheek surprised her, and her eyes opened, releasing the tears she had held behind her eyelids. He gently wiped them away, even more concerned now than he had been a moment ago. "Hitomi," he said softly, "Why do you cry?"
"It couldn't have been real," she repeated what her mind had been saying since the horrid vision had overtaken her, "She couldn't have actually..." She trailed off, shaking her head slightly.
"It's all right," Allen soothed, still gently wiping the tears that fell, "You can tell me, Hitomi..."
Allen's gentle presence wore down the last defense she had, and she took in a shuddering breath before beginning to speak, "What I saw...was Millerna and Eries talking to each other after their father's death. Eries was heartbroken...she...she said she hadn't expected the crown so early. Millerna..." Tears began to choke Hitomi's voice as she recalled every horrible detail, "Millerna said it was she who deserved the crown, not Eries...and that she would have it...she pushed Eries off her balcony..." Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, she threw her arms around Allen's shoulders before her and held on tightly as she cried harder.
Allen was nothing if not shocked by what Hitomi had said, but had enough sense to return her embrace in an attempt to calm her. Was it possible? He couldn't fathom Millerna killing her own sister for the crown, but at the same time, Eries' death had been so inexplicable...it wouldn't have been at all like her to end her own life. Too confused by the whole situation to even attempt to sort it out, he just focused on Hitomi, and trying to ease her tears somehow. "Shh, shh..." he whispered, gently rubbing her back as he held her close, "Don't cry, everything will be all right..."
Hitomi was beginning to compose herself once again, hating to appear so weak. "I'm sorry," she murmured, wiping her eyes as she leaned back a bit to look into his eyes, attempting a smile, "I'm getting all worked up over nothing...it couldn't have been real, it just couldn't have. It must have only been some kind of a waking nightmare...you know, like a daydream. I was tired, and upset from what happened in Fanelia...that must have been it," she continued, nodding to herself as if to try and affirm what she was saying, "Yes, that was all it was."
Though he didn't look entirely convinced himself, Allen returned the smile, admiring her strength in the situation. About this time, he realized that his arms were still wrapped around her waist as he knelt at the bedside, her arms still looped about his shoulders, and he became keenly aware of just how close they were. His heart seemed to skip a beat when he looked deeply into the emerald depths of her eyes, mesmerized by her. He didn't quite understand it, no one had ever made him feel like this before, like a dumbstruck idiot who didn't know what he should do next.
The way she was looking at him, he was beginning to wonder if his assumptions that her feelings laid with the king of Fanelia were correct...she was blushing, smile faded to a more serious expression, her soft lips parted as if to say something, though she couldn't find the words. Her eyes had misted over slightly to something incredibly gentle and vaguely longing as she gazed just as deeply into his own azure orbs. She was so beautiful...
Acting on his instincts, he began to lean forward to meet her, his own lips parting slightly, eyes slowly closing as Hitomi's did the same, the rose in her cheeks flushing a deeper pink.
"Lady Hitomi?" came a voice at the doorway, and the pair, pulled away from each other, surprised. Standing there was a pretty young servant of the castle, timidly playing with her apron. "I...I haven't interrupted anything have I? I'm so sorry..."
Hitomi stood up, shaking her head a bit, still feeling the heat in her cheeks from the intense blush. "No, of course not," she said, smiling a bit, "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Oh, no, no," the servant girl said with a little surprise at being asked such a thing, "I was sent to inform you that the banquet is beginning, and Queen Millerna would greatly appreciate your attendance."
Hitomi flinched inwardly at the name, still unable to shake the vision of Eries' death. But regardless, she smiled and nodded briskly. "Of course, I'll be there as soon as I can...I just need to get ready."
The younger girl smiled, pleased, before backing out of the doorway with a polite curtsey, saying as she went, "Thank you, Lady Hitomi."
"I'll leave you to prepare yourself, Lady Hitomi," Allen spoke with a charming smile, obviously amused by the title she had been given, before walking for the door as well.
Something tugged at her heart as he began to walk away, and before she could stop herself, she called his name, and he turned back around quizzically. For a moment, she said nothing, then chuckled a bit to herself as she shook her head, saying, "Funny, I've forgotten what I was going to say..."
He smiled again, and said gently, "I'll see you at the banquet, Hitomi."
~~
It wasn't much later that Hitomi shyly graced the banquet hall with her presence, clad in a beautiful aqua-shaded dress trimmed with silver, with long flowing sleeves that cinched at the elbow, a modest square neckline, and the skirt cascading to the floor, gently swirling around her legs with every step. Both Allen and Van, who were already present, were taken aback by her beauty.
"Hitomi," Allen began as he kneeled to kiss her hand, much to Van and Millerna's distaste, "You're absolutely beautiful this evening..."
Hitomi blushed a bit at this, not quite used to such chivalry. But before she could answer, Millerna called to her, "Hitomi, I'm glad you've come. Why don't you come have a seat?" There was a very slight edge to her voice, and Hitomi only nodded in response as Allen stood and walked over as well. She took her seat between Millerna at the head of the table and Allen beside her, Van taking the seat just across from her. Millerna seemed to grow a bit frustrated as Hitomi sat down, glancing to Allen for a moment, but she quickly composed herself and took her seat, instantly raising her glass of vino. "To Fanelia," she said, bowing her head for a moment.
"To Fanelia," came the chorus of replies from the others at the table, who all rose their glasses as well, and drank to the memory of the fallen city.
Hitomi slowly took a sip of the maroon liquid, thinking absently to herself that it reminded her of velvet - sweet and very smooth. But something else seemed to be tickling the back of her mind, and she frowned from it.
"Hitomi?" she heard Allen beside her, "Is something wrong?"
The threat grew very suddenly in her mind, and she gasped while standing up abruptly, the glass in her hand dropping to the floor and shattering there.
"What's going on?" Millerna asked, confused and even a bit frightened by Hitomi's odd behavior, "What's wrong?"
"She's coming," Hitomi whispered, eyes wide in fright, "She's coming here..."
"That demon woman?" Van almost growled, standing up as well, "Let her come, she'll be sorry for messing with me..."
"No, we have to get everyone away from here! Quickly!" Hitomi called, taking a step backward on shaky legs. Allen stood up quickly and went to support her, afraid that she would collapse.
"Where is she going to attack?" he asked gently.
She only shook her head, looking to him in a way that said she had no idea where the strike would occur. But before she could verbally answer, another feminine voice, one that was now painfully familiar to Hitomi, lilted softly from no particular direction.
"'Attack', hm? Oh, you make me out to be such a villain, Allen Schezar..."
A blanket of uneasiness settled over the room, and Hitomi looked genuinely frightened. "What do you want!?" she cried out without thinking.
This prompted a soft laugh, and this time it came from a more solid direction: directly above them. All present company turned their heads upward and gasped, seeing the ivory demon woman sitting casually on one of the curved arms of the gold chandelier above the table. She was smiling almost innocently, neon green eyes slowly scanning the room before resting on Hitomi.
"What do I want?" she asked, chuckling softly again, "Well, that depends. Do you mean in the grand scheme of things, or at this moment?"
"Who are you?" Millerna demanded, standing up from the table as she stared up at the unidentified woman, trying not to show the fear she felt as she looked upon the leathery white wings that protruded from her back.
"If you insist on giving me a label, dear Queen," the demon replied in a somewhat bored fashion, "You may call me Aquaria. And as for you," She turned her gaze again to Hitomi, her smile growing slightly, "What I want right now should be obvious to you. Isn't it?"
An unreadable expression passed across Hitomi's face then; it seemed a combination of horror, guilt, and sadness. Meekly, she responded, "It's me...isn't it..."
"Very good, Hitomi," Aquaria said with a grin as Allen moved protectively in front of her, "You see, so long as you're alive, I really can't get done what needs to be done...but there's no rush, no rush. I'm not here to kill you."
"Then why are you here?" Hitomi asked quietly, not sure she wanted to know the answer.
Aquaria's grin grew worse, and she laughed softly once more. "Just to have my fun, dear girl." With these words, her neon eyes closed, and she clasped her hands in front of her. From within them, a light began to grow until it was almost blinding, before it shot out from her hands in a sphere that flashed through the room, the castle, and over the entire city before dissipating.
For a moment, nothing happened, until the floor beneath them began to quake with such force that all those present were thrown to the ground, and the tiles of the great hall began to crack and shatter.
"The castle is collapsing!!" a servant girl in the corner screamed, the same one who had tended to Hitomi earlier. Just one moment later, as if in a cruel irony, the ceiling in the corner of the room gave way and collapsed, crashing down upon and quickly burying the girl under the heavy stone.
Hitomi was too horrified to scream, to think or move. Other parts of the ceiling were falling now, and through a daze she felt someone lifting her to her feet, clasping her hand tightly, and insisting they had to run. Blindly she ran, being led by the hand holding her own, and the next thing she realized, she was standing in the middle of a crowded street with terrified onlookers who watched the magnificent castle of Palas collapse fully under the weight of its damage. Her hand was still clasped with her rescuer's, and she turned slightly to look up at him.
"Allen," she whispered, squeezing his hand slightly as though to affirm he was there, "I...I can't believe..." She couldn't finish the sentence before tears suddenly overwhelmed her and she began to sob, disbelieving and extraordinarily guilty for what had happened. For now she knew, it was she that Aquaria was after, and the blood of all those killed here and in Fanelia was on her hands.
"It was her!!" a voice yelled from a short distance away, and Hitomi wiped her eyes in confusion to see a man she recognized from the banquet pointing frantically at her. "She brought this upon us!!"
"No, I..." Hitomi began desperately before trailing off. There was nothing she could say in her defense. It was all her fault. "I'm sorry..." was all she could manage to whisper, hanging her head.
"She did nothing!" she heard Allen call out as the crowd was becoming more inflamed, shouting words she couldn't make out, all of which sounding threatening. "This was no one's fault but the demon Aquaria's! Calm yourselves!"
Before she could say anything more, she was grabbed by a powerful set of hands and wrenched away from Allen. She screamed his name in fright as she was drawn into the crowd, and she could only barely see that he was being held back from coming to her. Her hands were bound behind her back as she was shoved roughly from person to person, moving her toward some horrifying ultimate goal.
Brutally she was forced up onto a platform and quickly bound to a pole that jutted up in the middle of it. Vaguely through the haze that had engulfed her mind, she saw men carrying piles of wood over to the platform and dropping them at her feet.
"Burn her!" she heard several people calling from the crowd, "The curse of the Mystic Moon has doomed us all! Let us be rid of this unholy bringer of death!"
Hitomi's mind swum helplessly; she was too scared and confused to even think straight. She was going to be burned at the stake, like a witch. No matter how she strained against her bonds, she couldn't move, and from some instinct deep within her heart she began to scream, begging for mercy.
But still the wood piled higher, and through tear-blurred vision, Hitomi vaguely made out the flicker of a torch making its way through the crowd toward her.
---
---
The servants had attended to Hitomi's every need, including ones she hadn't known she had. They had given her a selection of beautiful dresses to wear that evening, but she was drawn to none of them, too disturbed by her earlier vision to even consider preparing herself for the banquet. She sat on the edge of the enormous bed, staring out onto the balcony...a balcony so similar to the other rooms of the castle...
It couldn't have been real, she kept thinking to herself. How could Millerna ever be so cruel? Certainly, she and Millerna had never truly gotten along, but she had never before considered her to be malicious...
Lost in her thoughts, she barely heard the knock at her door, but was able to respond enough to turn her head to the door and answer quietly, "Yes? Come in, it's open."
The door opened, and there stood Allen, dressed sharply for the occasion in a white silk shirt beneath a midnight blue dress jacket, matching pants and a silk cravat in the same shade. She noted that most of his hair, save his bangs, was pulled back into a loose ponytail behind his neck; a rather flattering style for him, she thought. She managed a small smile, motioning him to come inside, and he did so.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, concern still apparent in his eyes as he came closer.
"I'm fine," she said almost too quickly, looking away from him, because she knew that he if anyone would be able to see she wasn't telling the truth.
He knelt down beside the edge of the bed, gently taking one of her hands within his. "Please, Hitomi...tell me what plagues you. What did you see earlier?"
So he had known that she had lied to Millerna...but how could she possibly tell him what the truth of her vision had been? It would hurt him terribly...feeling tears welling up in her eyes again, she closed them in an attempt to clamp them off. The soft sensation of a trail of heat down her cheek told her that the attempt hadn't been successful, and unconsciously she hung her head slightly.
The touch of Allen's hand to her cheek surprised her, and her eyes opened, releasing the tears she had held behind her eyelids. He gently wiped them away, even more concerned now than he had been a moment ago. "Hitomi," he said softly, "Why do you cry?"
"It couldn't have been real," she repeated what her mind had been saying since the horrid vision had overtaken her, "She couldn't have actually..." She trailed off, shaking her head slightly.
"It's all right," Allen soothed, still gently wiping the tears that fell, "You can tell me, Hitomi..."
Allen's gentle presence wore down the last defense she had, and she took in a shuddering breath before beginning to speak, "What I saw...was Millerna and Eries talking to each other after their father's death. Eries was heartbroken...she...she said she hadn't expected the crown so early. Millerna..." Tears began to choke Hitomi's voice as she recalled every horrible detail, "Millerna said it was she who deserved the crown, not Eries...and that she would have it...she pushed Eries off her balcony..." Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, she threw her arms around Allen's shoulders before her and held on tightly as she cried harder.
Allen was nothing if not shocked by what Hitomi had said, but had enough sense to return her embrace in an attempt to calm her. Was it possible? He couldn't fathom Millerna killing her own sister for the crown, but at the same time, Eries' death had been so inexplicable...it wouldn't have been at all like her to end her own life. Too confused by the whole situation to even attempt to sort it out, he just focused on Hitomi, and trying to ease her tears somehow. "Shh, shh..." he whispered, gently rubbing her back as he held her close, "Don't cry, everything will be all right..."
Hitomi was beginning to compose herself once again, hating to appear so weak. "I'm sorry," she murmured, wiping her eyes as she leaned back a bit to look into his eyes, attempting a smile, "I'm getting all worked up over nothing...it couldn't have been real, it just couldn't have. It must have only been some kind of a waking nightmare...you know, like a daydream. I was tired, and upset from what happened in Fanelia...that must have been it," she continued, nodding to herself as if to try and affirm what she was saying, "Yes, that was all it was."
Though he didn't look entirely convinced himself, Allen returned the smile, admiring her strength in the situation. About this time, he realized that his arms were still wrapped around her waist as he knelt at the bedside, her arms still looped about his shoulders, and he became keenly aware of just how close they were. His heart seemed to skip a beat when he looked deeply into the emerald depths of her eyes, mesmerized by her. He didn't quite understand it, no one had ever made him feel like this before, like a dumbstruck idiot who didn't know what he should do next.
The way she was looking at him, he was beginning to wonder if his assumptions that her feelings laid with the king of Fanelia were correct...she was blushing, smile faded to a more serious expression, her soft lips parted as if to say something, though she couldn't find the words. Her eyes had misted over slightly to something incredibly gentle and vaguely longing as she gazed just as deeply into his own azure orbs. She was so beautiful...
Acting on his instincts, he began to lean forward to meet her, his own lips parting slightly, eyes slowly closing as Hitomi's did the same, the rose in her cheeks flushing a deeper pink.
"Lady Hitomi?" came a voice at the doorway, and the pair, pulled away from each other, surprised. Standing there was a pretty young servant of the castle, timidly playing with her apron. "I...I haven't interrupted anything have I? I'm so sorry..."
Hitomi stood up, shaking her head a bit, still feeling the heat in her cheeks from the intense blush. "No, of course not," she said, smiling a bit, "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Oh, no, no," the servant girl said with a little surprise at being asked such a thing, "I was sent to inform you that the banquet is beginning, and Queen Millerna would greatly appreciate your attendance."
Hitomi flinched inwardly at the name, still unable to shake the vision of Eries' death. But regardless, she smiled and nodded briskly. "Of course, I'll be there as soon as I can...I just need to get ready."
The younger girl smiled, pleased, before backing out of the doorway with a polite curtsey, saying as she went, "Thank you, Lady Hitomi."
"I'll leave you to prepare yourself, Lady Hitomi," Allen spoke with a charming smile, obviously amused by the title she had been given, before walking for the door as well.
Something tugged at her heart as he began to walk away, and before she could stop herself, she called his name, and he turned back around quizzically. For a moment, she said nothing, then chuckled a bit to herself as she shook her head, saying, "Funny, I've forgotten what I was going to say..."
He smiled again, and said gently, "I'll see you at the banquet, Hitomi."
~~
It wasn't much later that Hitomi shyly graced the banquet hall with her presence, clad in a beautiful aqua-shaded dress trimmed with silver, with long flowing sleeves that cinched at the elbow, a modest square neckline, and the skirt cascading to the floor, gently swirling around her legs with every step. Both Allen and Van, who were already present, were taken aback by her beauty.
"Hitomi," Allen began as he kneeled to kiss her hand, much to Van and Millerna's distaste, "You're absolutely beautiful this evening..."
Hitomi blushed a bit at this, not quite used to such chivalry. But before she could answer, Millerna called to her, "Hitomi, I'm glad you've come. Why don't you come have a seat?" There was a very slight edge to her voice, and Hitomi only nodded in response as Allen stood and walked over as well. She took her seat between Millerna at the head of the table and Allen beside her, Van taking the seat just across from her. Millerna seemed to grow a bit frustrated as Hitomi sat down, glancing to Allen for a moment, but she quickly composed herself and took her seat, instantly raising her glass of vino. "To Fanelia," she said, bowing her head for a moment.
"To Fanelia," came the chorus of replies from the others at the table, who all rose their glasses as well, and drank to the memory of the fallen city.
Hitomi slowly took a sip of the maroon liquid, thinking absently to herself that it reminded her of velvet - sweet and very smooth. But something else seemed to be tickling the back of her mind, and she frowned from it.
"Hitomi?" she heard Allen beside her, "Is something wrong?"
The threat grew very suddenly in her mind, and she gasped while standing up abruptly, the glass in her hand dropping to the floor and shattering there.
"What's going on?" Millerna asked, confused and even a bit frightened by Hitomi's odd behavior, "What's wrong?"
"She's coming," Hitomi whispered, eyes wide in fright, "She's coming here..."
"That demon woman?" Van almost growled, standing up as well, "Let her come, she'll be sorry for messing with me..."
"No, we have to get everyone away from here! Quickly!" Hitomi called, taking a step backward on shaky legs. Allen stood up quickly and went to support her, afraid that she would collapse.
"Where is she going to attack?" he asked gently.
She only shook her head, looking to him in a way that said she had no idea where the strike would occur. But before she could verbally answer, another feminine voice, one that was now painfully familiar to Hitomi, lilted softly from no particular direction.
"'Attack', hm? Oh, you make me out to be such a villain, Allen Schezar..."
A blanket of uneasiness settled over the room, and Hitomi looked genuinely frightened. "What do you want!?" she cried out without thinking.
This prompted a soft laugh, and this time it came from a more solid direction: directly above them. All present company turned their heads upward and gasped, seeing the ivory demon woman sitting casually on one of the curved arms of the gold chandelier above the table. She was smiling almost innocently, neon green eyes slowly scanning the room before resting on Hitomi.
"What do I want?" she asked, chuckling softly again, "Well, that depends. Do you mean in the grand scheme of things, or at this moment?"
"Who are you?" Millerna demanded, standing up from the table as she stared up at the unidentified woman, trying not to show the fear she felt as she looked upon the leathery white wings that protruded from her back.
"If you insist on giving me a label, dear Queen," the demon replied in a somewhat bored fashion, "You may call me Aquaria. And as for you," She turned her gaze again to Hitomi, her smile growing slightly, "What I want right now should be obvious to you. Isn't it?"
An unreadable expression passed across Hitomi's face then; it seemed a combination of horror, guilt, and sadness. Meekly, she responded, "It's me...isn't it..."
"Very good, Hitomi," Aquaria said with a grin as Allen moved protectively in front of her, "You see, so long as you're alive, I really can't get done what needs to be done...but there's no rush, no rush. I'm not here to kill you."
"Then why are you here?" Hitomi asked quietly, not sure she wanted to know the answer.
Aquaria's grin grew worse, and she laughed softly once more. "Just to have my fun, dear girl." With these words, her neon eyes closed, and she clasped her hands in front of her. From within them, a light began to grow until it was almost blinding, before it shot out from her hands in a sphere that flashed through the room, the castle, and over the entire city before dissipating.
For a moment, nothing happened, until the floor beneath them began to quake with such force that all those present were thrown to the ground, and the tiles of the great hall began to crack and shatter.
"The castle is collapsing!!" a servant girl in the corner screamed, the same one who had tended to Hitomi earlier. Just one moment later, as if in a cruel irony, the ceiling in the corner of the room gave way and collapsed, crashing down upon and quickly burying the girl under the heavy stone.
Hitomi was too horrified to scream, to think or move. Other parts of the ceiling were falling now, and through a daze she felt someone lifting her to her feet, clasping her hand tightly, and insisting they had to run. Blindly she ran, being led by the hand holding her own, and the next thing she realized, she was standing in the middle of a crowded street with terrified onlookers who watched the magnificent castle of Palas collapse fully under the weight of its damage. Her hand was still clasped with her rescuer's, and she turned slightly to look up at him.
"Allen," she whispered, squeezing his hand slightly as though to affirm he was there, "I...I can't believe..." She couldn't finish the sentence before tears suddenly overwhelmed her and she began to sob, disbelieving and extraordinarily guilty for what had happened. For now she knew, it was she that Aquaria was after, and the blood of all those killed here and in Fanelia was on her hands.
"It was her!!" a voice yelled from a short distance away, and Hitomi wiped her eyes in confusion to see a man she recognized from the banquet pointing frantically at her. "She brought this upon us!!"
"No, I..." Hitomi began desperately before trailing off. There was nothing she could say in her defense. It was all her fault. "I'm sorry..." was all she could manage to whisper, hanging her head.
"She did nothing!" she heard Allen call out as the crowd was becoming more inflamed, shouting words she couldn't make out, all of which sounding threatening. "This was no one's fault but the demon Aquaria's! Calm yourselves!"
Before she could say anything more, she was grabbed by a powerful set of hands and wrenched away from Allen. She screamed his name in fright as she was drawn into the crowd, and she could only barely see that he was being held back from coming to her. Her hands were bound behind her back as she was shoved roughly from person to person, moving her toward some horrifying ultimate goal.
Brutally she was forced up onto a platform and quickly bound to a pole that jutted up in the middle of it. Vaguely through the haze that had engulfed her mind, she saw men carrying piles of wood over to the platform and dropping them at her feet.
"Burn her!" she heard several people calling from the crowd, "The curse of the Mystic Moon has doomed us all! Let us be rid of this unholy bringer of death!"
Hitomi's mind swum helplessly; she was too scared and confused to even think straight. She was going to be burned at the stake, like a witch. No matter how she strained against her bonds, she couldn't move, and from some instinct deep within her heart she began to scream, begging for mercy.
But still the wood piled higher, and through tear-blurred vision, Hitomi vaguely made out the flicker of a torch making its way through the crowd toward her.
---