Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 30
Interaction
Ayomi turned around in the darkness, looking for something, anything, and then she saw it. There was a coffin ahead of her, an elegant black thing that shone like enamel lacquer. Hesitantly, she approached it, seeing the Ohtori rose crest inlaid with pink enamel on the top. Curious, she pushed at the lid, peering into the darkness within the coffin.
"Leave me alone."
She pulled back slightly, and then pushed at the lid again, opening it further to see who it was that had spoken.
"Leave me alone," the voice repeated.
"What are you doing in there?" She asked, peering vainly into the darkness within the coffin, trying to see.
"I'm protecting her. She's safe while I'm in here."
Safe? Her? "Who is safe? Who are you protecting?" Ayomi asked, even more confused than ever.
"The Rose Bride."
The voice came from behind her, and she spun to see a young man standing there with sad green eyes. He reminded her of a younger Akio, and she frowned. "But. I thought that I was the Rose Bride."
He reached out and took her hand, leading her away from the coffin and the girl who hid within it, the light fading into darkness as they walked away.
"Let me tell you a story. It's not a story with a happy ending, I will warn you. But a long time ago, there was a brother and a sister with the unique ability to save others from their mistakes. The brother used his abilities to protect foolish girls who put themselves at risk, and the sister used her abilities to restore the brother's health and faith." They were walking past stained glass windows, her hand still within his. As she walked and listened, she looked at the windows, seeing his words depicted in picture.
"One day, the brother was severely injured and the sister decided to lock a part of him away, to protect him lest he die. She did this at a great sacrifice to herself, for it also locked much of her own abilities away. What she could not have known was that the people had come to depend on them, and in anger attacked her," the young man continued, pausing them both to view a window depicting a thousand swords piercing the body of a young girl. Ayomi's free hand flew to her mouth, tears instantly springing into her eyes.
"She did not die, and her brother took what was left of his abilities and left with her broken body. In time, he healed her, but the injuries were so that even though he healed her, the pain would return and she would need his healing again. This tortured him, and his very essence darkened. He vowed that he would take revenge on all those who had hurt his sister and thus became End of the World."
Ayomi turned to look at him. "What happened to her? His sister?"
He turned, looking forwards along the hallway, indicating that they should continue walking. "She fell into despair and did his bidding, no matter what it was. All the while she hated herself for it, but still she did not resist. She loved him. And so it went like that, until a little girl was born whose spirit touched a resonant note within the one who was locked away. He brought her to see the entrapped spirit of his sister, and even though he knew that she would not remember, he gave her a ring that might lead her back. The little girl swore to come back and help his sister, and her tears sparked a hope within him that she might be able to do it."
They walked along the hallway, the stained glass windows brightening, seeming newer than the ones they had been walking past. "Years passed, and that little girl grew into a strong and bold young woman who was possessed of a dream to become a prince. She didn't know why, couldn't pin a reason to it. But she came to Ohtori."
Ayomi looked at the depiction of the girl in the window. She was familiar somehow, as if Ayomi ought to know her. "And what happened then?"
"There, she met the living shell of the sister, known as the Rose Bride. Her noble heart gave her cause to protect the sister, unknowing that she was doing what she had sworn to do. She fought in the duels, protecting the Rose Bride all the way to the end. all the way until." They stopped in front of a window, and Ayomi turned to see the depiction of the final duel. There were three in the image, a tall man in white with a sword, facing a young woman in black who held a sword against his. A woman in a red gown clutched the woman in black, and Ayomi could see a blade pressed into the woman in black from behind. By the woman in red.
Her side started to ache.
She turned away from the image, her left hand moving reflexively to her right side, holding it against the pain. "What happened? Please. I." The pain was becoming overwhelming, and she clutched his hand tighter. "I need to know."
The last thing that she saw as darkness rushed in were his sad green eyes looking to her.
Ayomi turned around in the darkness, looking for something, anything, and then she saw it. There was a coffin ahead of her, an elegant black thing that shone like enamel lacquer. Hesitantly, she approached it, seeing the Ohtori rose crest inlaid with pink enamel on the top. Curious, she pushed at the lid, peering into the darkness within the coffin.
"Leave me alone."
She pulled back slightly, and then pushed at the lid again, opening it further to see who it was that had spoken.
"Leave me alone," the voice repeated.
"What are you doing in there?" She asked, peering vainly into the darkness within the coffin, trying to see.
"I'm protecting her. She's safe while I'm in here."
Safe? Her? "Who is safe? Who are you protecting?" Ayomi asked, even more confused than ever.
"The Rose Bride."
The voice came from behind her, and she spun to see a young man standing there with sad green eyes. He reminded her of a younger Akio, and she frowned. "But. I thought that I was the Rose Bride."
He reached out and took her hand, leading her away from the coffin and the girl who hid within it, the light fading into darkness as they walked away.
"Let me tell you a story. It's not a story with a happy ending, I will warn you. But a long time ago, there was a brother and a sister with the unique ability to save others from their mistakes. The brother used his abilities to protect foolish girls who put themselves at risk, and the sister used her abilities to restore the brother's health and faith." They were walking past stained glass windows, her hand still within his. As she walked and listened, she looked at the windows, seeing his words depicted in picture.
"One day, the brother was severely injured and the sister decided to lock a part of him away, to protect him lest he die. She did this at a great sacrifice to herself, for it also locked much of her own abilities away. What she could not have known was that the people had come to depend on them, and in anger attacked her," the young man continued, pausing them both to view a window depicting a thousand swords piercing the body of a young girl. Ayomi's free hand flew to her mouth, tears instantly springing into her eyes.
"She did not die, and her brother took what was left of his abilities and left with her broken body. In time, he healed her, but the injuries were so that even though he healed her, the pain would return and she would need his healing again. This tortured him, and his very essence darkened. He vowed that he would take revenge on all those who had hurt his sister and thus became End of the World."
Ayomi turned to look at him. "What happened to her? His sister?"
He turned, looking forwards along the hallway, indicating that they should continue walking. "She fell into despair and did his bidding, no matter what it was. All the while she hated herself for it, but still she did not resist. She loved him. And so it went like that, until a little girl was born whose spirit touched a resonant note within the one who was locked away. He brought her to see the entrapped spirit of his sister, and even though he knew that she would not remember, he gave her a ring that might lead her back. The little girl swore to come back and help his sister, and her tears sparked a hope within him that she might be able to do it."
They walked along the hallway, the stained glass windows brightening, seeming newer than the ones they had been walking past. "Years passed, and that little girl grew into a strong and bold young woman who was possessed of a dream to become a prince. She didn't know why, couldn't pin a reason to it. But she came to Ohtori."
Ayomi looked at the depiction of the girl in the window. She was familiar somehow, as if Ayomi ought to know her. "And what happened then?"
"There, she met the living shell of the sister, known as the Rose Bride. Her noble heart gave her cause to protect the sister, unknowing that she was doing what she had sworn to do. She fought in the duels, protecting the Rose Bride all the way to the end. all the way until." They stopped in front of a window, and Ayomi turned to see the depiction of the final duel. There were three in the image, a tall man in white with a sword, facing a young woman in black who held a sword against his. A woman in a red gown clutched the woman in black, and Ayomi could see a blade pressed into the woman in black from behind. By the woman in red.
Her side started to ache.
She turned away from the image, her left hand moving reflexively to her right side, holding it against the pain. "What happened? Please. I." The pain was becoming overwhelming, and she clutched his hand tighter. "I need to know."
The last thing that she saw as darkness rushed in were his sad green eyes looking to her.