(Don't worry DragonLady 9... I've learned my lesson... just don't hunt me down,
they could come after you too...)
CHAPTER TWO: REBIRTH OF DARKNESS
Hotsuma struggled to open his eyes. He was trapped in the darkness, incapable of moving, seeing, even feeling.
Sudden flashes burst through his mind. Flashes of immense pain, struggling to live.
Hotsuma could feel himself dying, slowly, the pain becoming too much to bear.
He suddenly forced his eyes open, blinded by a faint light. He attempted to slow his breathing, however, it was much too fast to control.
He sat up, trembling, taking in his surroundings. "Where... where... am I?" he muttered slowly, seeing only darkness.
"You have awakened."
Hotsuma quickly stood up, the pain in his abdomen bursting.
"Your wound has yet to heal completely due to the fact of the Breath, you have inhaled it."
"What are... you... W-Where am I?"
"You remain in Kise, your body isolated, your soul trapped."
The voice seemed as if it came from everywhere, pounding in his skull.
"I don't understand, where am I?! Answer my question!"
Hotsuma was growing extremely fatigued. He felt the temperature decreasing while his anger grew. "You remain in Kise."
The faint light grew brighter, shaping into the form of a woman.
Hotsuma tensed, prepared for anything. "Who are you?"
The woman wore a white gown, yellow linings across it. Her long black hair was tied back, falling down her back.
"I am Naomi, the soul of Kise."
"Kise?"
Naomi nodded. "Yes, Kise is the realm between dimensions, the hold between light and dark. Your body escaped the destruction of the dark dimension, leading you here."
Hotsuma rubbed his face. "You mean, a dimension was destroyed?"
Naomi nodded. "The dimension of darkness, Faya. Faya holds the Void, where all Hellspawn and evil spawn from. It is inescapable."
Hotsuma glanced around. "So then how did I come here?"
"Your spirit and body were separating, transferring. Your spirit avoided the darkness and came here."
Hotsuma closed his eyes, attempting to think. "What could Hitoshi have done to destroy an entire dimension? Could it have involved Akujiki?"
He looked back to Naomi, who stood still, hardly breathing. "I advise you to stop breathing. The remnants of your body shall only wither away faster if more of the Breath is inhaled."
Hotsuma grasped his chest. "What of the darkness, where does it go if Faya is destroyed?"
Naomi outstretched her hand, a small sphere of light forming in it. "The goddess of Faya, Akujiki, was sealed away centuries ago by mortal shamans. Akujiki had been sealed within a sword, as was the essence of Faya. The entire dimension has been eradicated, its structure and endlessness flowing into the only realm left, Kaya."
Hotsuma stepped back. "You mean, the dimension of light?"
Naomi nodded. "I can no longer feel the enchantment upon the great goddess. The seal has been destroyed, along with the abyss. Kaya will be enveloped by the darkness."
Hotsuma began to breathe heavily once more. "There must... be something we can do?"
"Meddling within the dimensions shall mean the end of all existence. There would be nothing that could be done."
Hotsuma gritted his teeth. "It's not right! Countless souls will be lost!"
Naomi stopped breathing. "It is not of your concern. Had your soul remained in your body, you would have been consumed by the void, distraught and weary. Each of your memories erased, swallowed by the darkness. Your Yang diminished."
Hotsuma closed his eyes. "I can't stand here and do nothing!"
Naomi shook her head. "It is inevitable."
Namiko rested her head on the headrest of the lobby chair. She had asked the boy, Sanko if he could purchase a ticket for her. She wanted to travel to the next city.
Sanko walked back to her and held out the ticket. "I believe this is yours."
Namiko glanced at the ticket and back at his face. "Thank you," she replied, taking it graciously.
Sanko stared at her for a moment. "Why did you help me?"
Namiko looked up at him. "Well, I wasn't just about to let you get killed by a rogue Hellspawn, but still, I wonder how we didn't find it before?"
Sanko sat down beside her. "Thank you. No one has ever really helped me before."
Namiko nodded. "Your... welcome."
CHAPTER TWO: REBIRTH OF DARKNESS
Hotsuma struggled to open his eyes. He was trapped in the darkness, incapable of moving, seeing, even feeling.
Sudden flashes burst through his mind. Flashes of immense pain, struggling to live.
Hotsuma could feel himself dying, slowly, the pain becoming too much to bear.
He suddenly forced his eyes open, blinded by a faint light. He attempted to slow his breathing, however, it was much too fast to control.
He sat up, trembling, taking in his surroundings. "Where... where... am I?" he muttered slowly, seeing only darkness.
"You have awakened."
Hotsuma quickly stood up, the pain in his abdomen bursting.
"Your wound has yet to heal completely due to the fact of the Breath, you have inhaled it."
"What are... you... W-Where am I?"
"You remain in Kise, your body isolated, your soul trapped."
The voice seemed as if it came from everywhere, pounding in his skull.
"I don't understand, where am I?! Answer my question!"
Hotsuma was growing extremely fatigued. He felt the temperature decreasing while his anger grew. "You remain in Kise."
The faint light grew brighter, shaping into the form of a woman.
Hotsuma tensed, prepared for anything. "Who are you?"
The woman wore a white gown, yellow linings across it. Her long black hair was tied back, falling down her back.
"I am Naomi, the soul of Kise."
"Kise?"
Naomi nodded. "Yes, Kise is the realm between dimensions, the hold between light and dark. Your body escaped the destruction of the dark dimension, leading you here."
Hotsuma rubbed his face. "You mean, a dimension was destroyed?"
Naomi nodded. "The dimension of darkness, Faya. Faya holds the Void, where all Hellspawn and evil spawn from. It is inescapable."
Hotsuma glanced around. "So then how did I come here?"
"Your spirit and body were separating, transferring. Your spirit avoided the darkness and came here."
Hotsuma closed his eyes, attempting to think. "What could Hitoshi have done to destroy an entire dimension? Could it have involved Akujiki?"
He looked back to Naomi, who stood still, hardly breathing. "I advise you to stop breathing. The remnants of your body shall only wither away faster if more of the Breath is inhaled."
Hotsuma grasped his chest. "What of the darkness, where does it go if Faya is destroyed?"
Naomi outstretched her hand, a small sphere of light forming in it. "The goddess of Faya, Akujiki, was sealed away centuries ago by mortal shamans. Akujiki had been sealed within a sword, as was the essence of Faya. The entire dimension has been eradicated, its structure and endlessness flowing into the only realm left, Kaya."
Hotsuma stepped back. "You mean, the dimension of light?"
Naomi nodded. "I can no longer feel the enchantment upon the great goddess. The seal has been destroyed, along with the abyss. Kaya will be enveloped by the darkness."
Hotsuma began to breathe heavily once more. "There must... be something we can do?"
"Meddling within the dimensions shall mean the end of all existence. There would be nothing that could be done."
Hotsuma gritted his teeth. "It's not right! Countless souls will be lost!"
Naomi stopped breathing. "It is not of your concern. Had your soul remained in your body, you would have been consumed by the void, distraught and weary. Each of your memories erased, swallowed by the darkness. Your Yang diminished."
Hotsuma closed his eyes. "I can't stand here and do nothing!"
Naomi shook her head. "It is inevitable."
Namiko rested her head on the headrest of the lobby chair. She had asked the boy, Sanko if he could purchase a ticket for her. She wanted to travel to the next city.
Sanko walked back to her and held out the ticket. "I believe this is yours."
Namiko glanced at the ticket and back at his face. "Thank you," she replied, taking it graciously.
Sanko stared at her for a moment. "Why did you help me?"
Namiko looked up at him. "Well, I wasn't just about to let you get killed by a rogue Hellspawn, but still, I wonder how we didn't find it before?"
Sanko sat down beside her. "Thank you. No one has ever really helped me before."
Namiko nodded. "Your... welcome."