Standard disclaimers apply.
To The Reviewers: Galandria the Vampire Queen My first reviewer! After reading your comment, I immediately edited it and left out the 'F' word. I did mention that the prologue was R-Rated, ne? But be rest assured that the other chapters will be safe to read unless necessary. Kiki I'm glad you did! nee-chan Thank u! And nope, it isn't Enishi. He is TOO much young. But you know who the killer is now, don't you? animegirl38 You think so! Thanks! Brownie-luving Icee-chan Oh you bet I will! FantasyFlower Aww! You flatter me! magiabruxa I tried to update A.S.A.P. after I read your review! I hope this chapter would inspire you to find out more. PoPIAr The development will definitely come! Thanks for reviewing! Satu-Chan You've indeed brightened up my day! And yes. Love will indeed bloom between the two. They're my favourite couple! Aerith I'm dying to read your next review. Thank you ever so much! Nicky9 Haha, I did it my way. I read your fic just like you requested and left a review. Hehe, remember to review for me too! Aimi-chan This chapter's for you, sweet! I guess now you have an idea who killed Kaoru's parents, ne? I left a huge clue just for you. Crasyducky lol! That's such a cute way to put it. Grabbing a reader by the neck, eh? I hope I grabbed yours. And thanks for the comment! The Girl Who Cried Oro OMG! I've seen your name appear on reviews for many other great stories before and I'm so happy that you've reviewed for me. Thank you! random reader I sure will! Riverwood Oh wow! A movie? Really? lol! You sure know how to make me delirious! I'll definitely continue! Nanakilover/Brukaoru Thanks!
The Slew of Darkness
by Diabolic Angel
-
Chapter One: Release Me
Is freedom anything else than the right to live as we wish?
Nothing else…
- Epictetus
Bakumatsu, 27 March 1864 – morning
The sun rose in a pool of crimson and gold, spilling light all over the land and the high sunlit clouds that drifted across the clear blue sky. Standing by the long window of his office, Yukishiro Shikazu gaped outside and heeded the breathtaking view of his idyllic garden.
Gay flowers rioted the allotment with their dynamic colours of pink, yellow and orange. Washed and dusted, the lean trees glittered, and the hordes of small singing birds came back to flash their amber-tinted bodies amid the timber, more loquacious than before. Their melodious chirpings and the whispering of the wind soothed the mind.
But he stood as stiffly as a statue, as silent as a corpse. A nostalgic expression bedaubed on his face. He looks neither to the right nor to the left, as though lost in a world all his own. Dressed in the traditional, yet expensive attire of emerald gi and blackish hakama, he was a man of impressive appearance, both broad and tall despite his forty-eight years of age. Traces of ashen remained visible among his neatly combed sable hair which was cut close all round his head.
Lord Yukishiro, the head of the Yukishiro household, was an underground businessman who dealt exclusively in slaying potential Japanese officials and governors of the Tokugawa government in secret. A nefarious man. Decisive action had always been his forte. His philosophy of life worked quite well for the most part of his secret of surviving because there were very few things he wanted that he could not have. Among the many things Shikazu had acquired for himself was a formidable reputation.
People who had heard of him described his reputation in different ways. Some said he was dangerous. Others said he was brilliant and ruthless, utterly unrelenting in his pursuit of a goal. Everyone agreed on one thing though, which was that when Yukishiro Shikazu set out to do a job, the job got done. He knew that his legendary reputation was based on one very simple fact: He never screwed up.
Or, almost never.
For no matter how goal-oriented or ruthless he is in his ways in getting what he desires, he was still far from achieving his predominant goal. But the probability of him accomplishing it was soaring for he had something that no one else has. Something so compelling, an existence so extraordinary that absolutely nothing could be measured up against it.
Not even the greatest swordsman or the blood-thirstiest manslayer.
And there she was, the all-too familiar sprightly lady meandering in the gardens on a bright sunny day. Her elongated ebony strands cascaded down her sylphlike back freely, scintillating under the sunlight like flowing silk. Clad in a sleeveless Chinese-styled dress which ended at her ankles, she looked implicitly alluring to the eye.
The blue-green of her apparel and the intricate design of navy blue butterflies brought out the heavy and sultry hue of her incandescent eyes and dusky hair. Thin strips of black traced the borderline and high slits on both sides exposed the creamy flesh of her slender legs.
As he harked back to the sickening image of her catastrophic past, he almost snorted in disgust. He had remembered the way the solitary eye had goggled at him and a few strands of Kamiya Keiko's inky hair that lay like unexpected threads among the human wreckage. And the submerging hatred that burned aggregately in Hiroshi's blue eyes.
The sudden knock on the door unsettled the quiet atmosphere. Not waiting for a response, it opened slightly and a twenty-one-year-old man with grey hair that stuck out and fine-looking, sharp features, stepped in. He had the pair of the most insidious, funereal eyes anyone had ever seen and on his nose perches a pair of expensive-looking gold-rimmed spectacles. Clenching a long Chinese sword in his left hand, he bowed.
"Were you successful?" spoke Shikazu, not moving from his mannered position.
The juvenile replied gruffly, "Aa. Perfectly." His words were hard as rock walls.
"And there will be no doubt who is responsible?"
Enishi's eyes glistered, black like oil. "Nope."
Shikazu seemed pleased. "You have done well, Enishi." He kept his verdant eyes on the raven-haired girl as he asked his next question, rapacity darkening his slithering eyes. "Tell me, how much longer do we have till the big day?"
"Coming close to four months, otousan." He disclosed lowly when he caught the irascible stance of Shikazu's shoulders.
Finally after a long moment, the man eventually turned to face Enishi squarely. Venom dripped thickly like blood in the way he sadistically smiled.
"I could hardly wait."
The refreshing scent of cherry blossoms greeted Kaoru's nostrils as she inhaled the redolence air deeply. Dark eyes gazed admiringly at the beautiful cherry blossoms that bloomed like pink stars on the tall trees, which created the sweet scent of fresh flowers in the air. Vibrant pigmentation besieged her under its welcoming glow. The morning sun shone more kindly now, and the trees that framed the scene were golden and lovely. When birds are outdoing each other in coded song, their complicated rhythms made her own pulse want to join in.
Solitary, she danced to a gentle, pulsing rhythm that only she could feel, floated on feather-like strains of music only she could hear, gasped in awe and delight at visions that only presented themselves in her line of sight. She was like a dreamer. Her face was a true picture of her inner self; she was a picture of refinement in its most radiant form.
Out of the corner of her navy eyes, a red bird on a tree branch caught her attention. She coaxed the harmless creature gently, patiently and it fluttered down to her. They became instant friends. When she held a finger towards its beak, it hopped over and nibbled it playfully, its beady eyes shining with glee. She smiled, eyes beaming as she stroked its neck amorously. It looked at her, curious, as Kaoru lifted her hand to the heavens.
"Fly." She whispered.
Then with a flap of its wings, it sailed off with a grace, a sense of freedom that she could only wish she had, as it slowly disappeared into the distance. She turned her head the instant it passed out of sight. The bird had got its freedom, and with its flight it had taken her new friendship too. Kaoru sighed enviously. Sometimes she wished that she was a bird, or even a magisterial eagle. That way, she was able to fly idly and glissade with the wind to wherever she desired to go with no constraints or ordinances to obey.
Just sovereignty.
"Kaoru-chan…" a voice so passive and pianissimo called out to her. She would recognize that accent anywhere. With a debonair smile, Kaoru turned and faced the only person she had ever respected and loved without reserve.
An exotic woman of elegance and natural fluidity stood before the high-spirited teenager, her gauzy hands clasped in front of her deftly. She was a lady of impeachable breeding and social standing; an inexplicable living beauty with a pair of bottomless and inexpressive eyes. She wore an austere, yet urbane snow-white kimono, bringing out the paleness of her flawless skin. A lavender shawl looped supplely around her lower arms.
The exquisite creature commented, "It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?"
Kaoru nodded. "It most certainly is. You know, it could mean it's going to be good day today."
Yukishiro Tomoe's mood darkened in the space of a heartbeat. Something close to pity passed over her face like a dark cloud overlapping the warm sun. She knew she would have to tell her soon. In fact, right now. But seeing Kaoru surrendering herself to such bliss on a rare occasion like this caused a pang of guilt to form at the corner of her heart, knowing she would have to destroy that peace sooner rather than later.
"Would you care to take a walk with me?" Tomoe decided to ask.
Kaoru smiled brilliantly. "Of course!"
They walked together, side by side, both undisturbed by the comfortable silence that had set between them. The sky was brilliantly blue, and the garden reflected it, inviting little birds to fly and perch on branches. The morning breeze swayed passed them like a soft dance against their skin, carrying the faint perfume of flowers and the scent of the dew-rinsed earth. It whispered quietly into the glittering trees ever so slightly, causing an atmosphere of peaceful tranquility.
A serene smile curved upon Kaoru's lips, her navy blue eyes fluttering close as she enjoyed the rare peace. In the midst of this glory and freshness, she continued with their aimless stroll along a familiar route, tuning in with the loveliness of the morning.
But despite the rare feeling of bliss and wonder she felt, Kaoru knew her dear sister was troubled. She could tell from the wary frown that creased her brows together, as if debating with some inner conflict. The woman hardly portrayed any emotion, so when she does, something was definitely out of place.
"You know you can't hide anything from me, nee-san. I know you all too well."
Tomoe blinked in surprise and confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about."
But it was too late. The younger woman was giving her a close, sisterly scrutiny. "Don't give me that. I know something's wrong and you can't hide it. Not from me."
As the meaning of Kaoru's words began to set in, Tomoe eventually smiled sadly in defeat. "Yes, I suppose I can't."
Kaoru frowned when she heard the faint dreadful tone in her voice. "What is it?"
The pale woman sighed. After what seemed like a whole five minutes, she said, "Enishi is back from his trip."
An immediate halt came to Kaoru's steps. Her sense of peace evaporated like the early morning mist and her stomach dropped as she stared at Tomoe's inexpressive face. "But I thought he wouldn't be back till another week."
"So did I. But from what I heard, there had been a sudden change in plans. He's with otousan in his office right now." As she said this, she cast Kaoru with a knowing look. Worry and scruple were beginning to shadow her face.
Kaoru stubbornly ignored it and squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself not to tremble from the tremor in her heart. Fear was alive in her, with its cold hands closing around her throat. She took a deep shuddering breath. "Why did he have to come back so soon?"
Tomoe felt a pain in her heart. She started towards Kaoru and took her white-as-a-sheet face, a light framing with her comforting hands. They were soothingly warm against her skin. "Kaoru-chan…" She leaned her forehead against hers, closing her eyes. "There's so much that I want to do for you, and yet, so limited in what I could." The grief of it trembled in her voice, like tears. "But this has to end."
Kaoru's body went rigid once more. Her blood ran cold and burned under her skin. "And what do you suppose I should do? Kill him with my powers?" Grief now warred with bitterness in her eyes. Sorrow pierced the frustration.
Tomoe snapped her eyes open at the resentful tone and stepped away. For a moment, all she could see was Kaoru's eyes, flame-blue and vivid as jewels. A hard, ice-edged chill clawed through her.
"I didn't mean by that. But–"
"There's nothing we can do about it." She nonchalantly chimed in. She sighed so deeply that Tomoe almost expected pieces of flesh to come up with the passage of air.
Abyssal eyes enfolded incalculable amount of dejection. There was sedation in Tomoe's eyes, but behind it lived a firm purpose. "No… there is. I've something important to tell you."
Temper laced through Kaoru, hot and keen, and was ruthlessly rejected. Even now she refused to let power be stained by anger and hate. But she was ready to quiver with distress. "Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it." She shook her head vigorously, and lifted defeated eyes to Tomoe's. "I can't stand it anymore."
Warmth and compassion jumped into Tomoe's eyes. "I know. That's why I've made some arrangements of my own."
"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked, eyes narrowing.
Tomoe pulled her over towards a lonely bench that stood sequestered beside a burly tree and gestured to her to sit beside her. The shade provided by its awning was cool and refreshing, blocking the warm sunlight. Her heart felt heavy and her hands clenched the teenager's with slender fingers. "You must promise me you will tell no one about what I'm going to tell to you, do you understand me?"
The eighteen-year-old furrowed her brows together. "What are you saying?"
"Promise me," Tomoe insisted.
Kaoru swallowed hard. Realizing how serious her sister was, she solemnly crossed over her heart and sealed the promise.
Tomoe didn't answer for a moment. Her mind had gone glass-blank at the way those quiet, thoughtful eyes had skimmed over her face.
"I've secretly sent for help."
"Help?"
"Yes, to take you away from this place."
For an instant Kaoru's mind went blank. Stunned, she merely stared at her for a few seconds. Then her words registered.
"Wh-hat?"
Tomoe nodded, looking away. "I should have done this many years ago." She closed her eyes, muttering only for herself to hear. "I just hope it's not too late." Then she turned back to Kaoru, who was still gaping at her, and continued in a grave voice. "You have to listen to me carefully, Kaoru-chan, because it's the only way you could be free."
Shock held Kaoru motionless for a few seconds. Honestly, she had to work to get her jaw closed. "Free?" she whispered hoarsely, incredulous and ecstasy immediately dancing in her gaudy orbs. Even as her heart fluttered at the base of her throat, she ordered herself to be calm. "What are you–"
"Good morning, Miss Tomoe, Miss Kaoru." An amiable servant greeted heartily as she walked into the garden discreetly. Both women looked up in unison. "I'm very sorry to interrupt."
After squeezing Kaoru's hands, Tomoe released them and rose to her feet. "Good morning, Miyuki. What is it?"
"Breakfast is to be served now, ma'am."
"We'll be there in a minute."
The maid bowed. Then she obediently stepped back and trotted away.
Tomoe gazed down upon her sister. "I'm afraid there's no time for talk, Kaoru-chan. All I can tell you now is to wait for tonight. You will understand soon enough." She managed a smile that looked almost natural. "You go on ahead. I'll see you at breakfast later." She walked away, her legs eating up the ground.
Kaoru's vigilant eyes followed her disappearing figure like a cat. She gave herself a breather or two to settle her raging thoughts before rising to her feet and sauntering back into the mansion.
I can be free? I can really, really be free? But who's going to take me away? Who am I suppose to wait for?
She arrived inside and was greeted with looks of admiration and affection, and the housekeepers responded enthusiastically to her greeting. But she was clouded with untamed thoughts. Too many of them raced through her thick skull.
This is all too good to be true. Surely nee-san was joking… right?
As she turned into a sharp crook, she accidentally bumped in someone steely. It nearly knocked the wind out of her. Releasing a small yelp of surprise, Kaoru's hands immediately shot out and reached for anything nearby to grab onto for support. She felt refine silk beneath her fingers and a pair of muscular arms circled her waist securely to keep her from falling backwards. The agonizing familiarity of opulent mint left her in a daze.
If she had been watching where she was going the whole time, she could have moved out of the way to avoid a collision. Instead, her wide eyes stared blankly into a slate-grey Chinese shirt and slowly shifted her shaky blue gaze upwards to meet sooty ones.
A roaring filled her ears.
"Hello, Kaoru. It's so good to see you."
She couldn't say his name, could make no sound at all. She prayed it was just a vision, a hallucination. But he lifted his hand from her slim waist, and those slender fingers brushed her cheek.
She went cold to the mallow.
"I've missed you." Those fingers slid around the back of her neck now and brought on a hideous wave of nausea. She only closed her eyes when he bent, brushed his mouth over hers.
"Beautiful. You're always beautiful. Your face, your body…" His hand fisted her hair, tugged viciously. "…Your hair. You know how I love your hair, don't you?"
A tear slithered down her cheek as she shook her head. His voice, his touch, seemed to drain everything she was when he went away and leave her as she'd been. His fingers tightened, went biting cruel as he jerked her chin up. "Look at me. Look at me when I speak to you."
Her eyes opened and all she could see were those dark, empty pools.
"It displeases me whenever I'm away from you. You'll have to make up for it, you know that."
His hand slid from her cheek to her throat, squeezed. "But of course, we mustn't let nee-san know about this. She would definitely try to stop us now, won't she? I forgave you for telling her the last time, Kaoru. Because I know you're slow, and just a bit stupid. Have you nothing to say to me? Nothing to say at all?"
Her lips were cold, felt as if they might crack. "Leave me alone."
He smiled then, and made her shudder. Then, he gave her a hard shove that jammed her back into the wall. The pain registered in kind of an absent way, like a memory. He smirked, using his fore finger to push his glasses higher up his nose. Before she knew it, he slammed himself against her; he disallowed her petite form to escape. Lowering his head towards her startled and frightened face once more, he smelled her aromatic perfume intensely and shut his eyes to his undeniable desire for her.
"You're mine… You belong to me…"
Panic started as a tickle in her throat, then spread like a hot flood when he shot a hand under her skirt. She shut her eyes tight and heard the blood rush and roar in her head, pulsing in time with the gallop of her heart. She felt the burning start in the pit of her stomach. Power sliced through her, a blade so cold it burned hot. She began to feel the burst of energy propelled through her, and then flowing out of her in rushed torrents. A white glow enveloped her in its glory.
I belong to no one. Not to you, not to otousan!
She lifted up a hand to his face and closed her eyes, focusing all her strength on him. And then it happened.
A sudden eruption resonated throughout the room, echoing out into the empty corridors of the hallway. She heard a startled gasp escaped Enishi as he was instantly thrown back powerfully against the wall by the surge of exertion. She covered her face, debris flying toward them, and smoke cloaking the room like a mysterious fog. She fanned the air nearby, trying to clear her lungs. When her vision cleared, she stared at what's in front of her. The impact had left crack marks that stretched all over like spider webs around Enishi's hunched body and a deep dent on the wall behind.
Kaoru turned over her hands, hands that were still gleaming as white as blinding moonlight. She used very little of them, of that power she concealed, but the damage done had left such a big impression. Guess she had a little more energy than she had thought. When she heard an angry groan, anxiety began to slide down her spine like acid. She saw him struggled to his feet, one powerful hand gripping his bruised shoulder. A line of blood trickled menacingly from his forehead to his blazing eyes. He stared at her through the red, astonished fury pulsing around him.
"Very reckless. You should know better than to use that against me."
Her gaze met his as she trembled, as the fear fluttered at the base of her throat. Oh god, what have I done?
"Please. Please don't hurt her."
"Oh, you know he could, you know he would, just to make you pay. Just to make you suffer… for what you did to me." He swaggered clumsily towards her and raised his hand to her face. The backhanded slap sent her sprawling, the bright shock of pain blinding. When she would have rolled into a protective ball, he dragged her across the marble by the hair.
"No! Stop it! Let go of me!"
"You're so stupid, Kaoru. So incredibly stupid!"
One of the household servants who happened to walked into them while on duty shrieked, stunned in fright and quickly dashed away, but neither Enishi nor Kaoru heard her.
It appeared to be just another awful dream that went on and on and on. All Kaoru could hear now was he hitting her, yelling at her to shut the hell up. He slapped her again, unyielding and relentless, as fury all but swallowed him whole. Her cheeks burned like fire scalding them, her never-ending screams and protests muffled when he tossed her into a nearby room ruthlessly. When he slammed the door shut with eyes that flicker fiercely with rancour glaring back at her, she knew.
No one will come for her.
Bakumatsu, 28 March 1864 – after midnight
The sun began to set and the island was veiled in the brown hues of the glow. Eventually, day turned into night and a myriad of stars gathered themselves onto the ocean-going stratosphere, making it look like tiny glitters of sparkling white and sliver. The moon was once again full, on a starlit darkness.
Kaoru had always loved the sky.
To her, it was like a comforting sea of blanket that offered solace and placidity to one's complicated heart. On a beautiful and clear day, the calm crystal blue atmosphere relaxed her extravagant senses while the night empyrean enlightened her to a completely different universe. Each time she began to wonder about the meaning of life and her part in it all, she would take herself outside and begin counting the stars.
As she sat there on the window seat of her bedroom, Kaoru watched the gentle breeze that came up to spin white drifts of sea water over the sandy coastline. The seashore wove in and out, the tides pushing and pulling at the strand below with a relentless beat. She could see the once golden sand that glittered in the day and the clear seawater that sparkled against the sunlight, was now an inviting brown and a murky blue underneath the night sky. The seascape was captivating.
A perfect night for a walk.
Kaoru turned towards the clock on the side table by her bed. It was already quarter to three in the morning.
Glancing downwards at herself, she took note that she was only dressed in her night yukata. Deciding to change into the dress she wore this morning, she hopped off the window seat inaudibly and crossed the room towards her wardrobe. It would be easier to move swiftly in that since the splits were high, allowing easy motion. So, she began to untie the sash around her waist and slipped out of her robe. As hurriedly as she could, she put on her chosen attire and ambled her way towards the balcony. Mildly, she pushed the glass doors open and took a small front step, making sure that she was partially hidden in the shadows. She leaned out slightly to check for the presence of anyone nearby.
There were a couple of security guards on patrol, but they would certainly be easy to slither by.
Soundlessly, she closed the doors behind her and tiptoed over to the balcony ledge. Senses alert. She reached out for the outspread branches and root system on the wall by her right and mindfully climbed her way down. Her room was on the second level so it was not a long way down towards the ground. As her feet firmly touched earth, her head immediately swung from side to side, crouching low into the dark like an expert thief. She had made it down, now the problem was getting to the bush without being seen.
She readied herself, eyed a certain spot she was going to run to and mentally counted.
1
-
-
-
2
-
-
-
3!
And off she went, virtually like a speeding bullet but enough to anticipate any unwanted attention. Into the thick bushes and trees she went as silently as she could without turning back. When she was finally out of sight, Kaoru circumspectly stooped menially, managing her way through the dark using her hands and feet to find her way around. It was very hard to see in the obscurity since the canopy of the sapling blocked any source of light. But the light that had struggled through the trees was sliver, the dull tone of unpolished sword. Her feet observantly watching where they are heading and stepping onto.
Rough bark of trees grazed her arms as she slipped into the shadows. She'd always thought of the woods as a kind of Sleepy Hollow effect that ringed the pretty island. She could hear the wind sighing and thrashing in the tall treetops, the boughs moaning, the chorus of frogs from the creek, and the myriad softer sounds that stir in the night.
Long after, she saw dim light ahead of her. The crashing sound of waves on the shore and the sound they make as they dragged the pebbles back with each retreat echoed through the forest. Stepping out of the abundant layer of trees, she felt the powdery grit of the sand under her bare feet as she kicked off her shoes, and the teasing way her thin silk wrap fluttered around her legs. She picked up her black footwear, walked to the water, then along its edge, basking in the beauty of solitude.
The water rolled toward shore, foamy lace at its edges, then waltzed back into its own heart with a sigh. Her long raven hair danced delicately with the wind around her face, brushing against her skin and she closed her eyes blissfully to the feeling. She saw the delicate line of the horizon. Beyond that, the black vastness of the ocean blended with the black vastness of the sky so well that one was all but distinguishable from the other. It was all perfect and peaceful and lovely. And so liberating to know she was completely alone.
Her lips curved with contentment as she wandered along the sickle curve of beach where the only footprints were hers.
The Atlantic spread out before her like a piece of dark blue china. Combining this with the cooling breeze and unopposed tranquility, she was instantly transported to a marvelous paradise. Kaoru drew in a deep breath of fresh air and felt a rush of pleasure. She loved being at the beach, hearing the tall, booming waves crashing, and watching the water ripple. She seemed to hear voices, just the murmur of them, far off. The sound of the surf, a seductive whisper, shivered through the air. Even as the breeze kicked up, whisked them away, she turned and look back.
Standing, alone, in the paradise she called hers. This was her world, her forever place, and she didn't think she'd ever get tired looking at it. Here, she would never hurt again, or need, or be controlled.
After a while, she chose to sit on the tickling dry sand. Hugging her knees to her chest to keep warm, she gazed at the picturesque scene before her. For a timeless minute she battled a drowning sensation as a deluge of her most poignant memories washed over her in great untamed waves.
A feeling of despair seized her and increased in intensity when she remembered the one time she tried running away…
- Flashback -
A violent storm surged through the night. The island was awash with sheeting rain, howling with boisterous winds, and robbed of all colour by the ashen, bruised clouds. Furious raindrops assaulted the large manor-house, causing a deafening sound that was like the rumble caused by thousands of running feet. The mighty oak tree in the garden yielded to the paramount strength of nature's creation. Inside, a frightened child, soaking wet, cried…
Legs moving quickly, as fast as they could carry her. A flash of forked lightning and a great clap of thunder came close upon each other, hurrying her on. Head turning frantically for a hideout. Her eyes flirted desperately from side to side, searching agitatedly for an escape route, but to no avail. The little girl of nine years of age looked right and saw somebody coming towards her. His motion seems forced, confrontational, and always nearly bumping into others.
It was him.
Before she can shout for help or move, he was on her, tugging her arm, trying to fling her onto the marbled floor. It finally came out, just a hoarse yelp, but he loosens his grip slightly, and she twisted away. Before he could grab her again, she turned, and ran, her back to him, already beaded with sweat and rain. She did not know if he was following her. But behind her, she heard heavy footsteps echoing down the lined hallway. They were indeed coming for her. Her blood pumped, the blood of the hunted. She swerved into a corner and continued running, her breath tearing out of her throat and ending in whimpers.
Doors nearby, but nobody comes. She shoved one of them open with all her might, and met with a stairway towards the basement. Shutting the door hurriedly, she hopped down three steps at a time. She searched for a place to hide herself, crouching in the stuffy alcove beneath the staircase and pressed her knees hard against her chest, wanting to curl into a ball of misery and fright. She trembled from the cold. Breaths rasped and quick.
Smell of dusty things, useless, unwanted objects, kept because of the effort it would take to throw them out. There was a burning sensation in her throat that forced her to cough. Hands clamping over her mouth, she prayed fervently that nobody heard her. Dewy drops of moisture beaded on her lower lip as she sat below the cobwebs. And she pondered her predicament, sitting there for a long time. The seconds merged into minutes and the minutes into hours as she stayed hidden to prevent anyone from finding her.
Especially from him.
Fierce, angry winds howled shrilly as if it was in pure agony. Within the abode, innocent white fluorescent light escaped from its windows, providing the only light that contrasted with the pitch-black darkness that loomed at all sides. She began to be prostrated with fatigue but fear of being found kept her wide awake.
Suddenly, the door to the basement swung open, nearly causing the child to jump out of her skin. As cautious footsteps walked down the stairs, her pulse rate increased with each movement, beating wildly against her ribcage. Her stomach knotted tightly. A lump the size of a golf ball clogged her dry throat. And there he was, standing in the middle of the room, wild green eyes flashed around as globules of perspiration streamed down his swarthy skin. It was obvious that he had been searching for her during those long hours. Her heart pounding, she shivered and fought to keep her breathing from degenerating into terrified, and possibly audible, panting.
A traumatic shudder swam down her spine. But it was not because he was standing right there. In fact, it was the mere presence of a long whip clasped in his right hand that made her blood run cold.
Drawing closer, feeling the chill pounding into her bones. His slightly wet head twitched so slightly, and she knew he had seen her. Breaths coming slightly deeper, faster. Untamed thoughts raged. Panic engulfed her and his face split into an ugly sneer.
"There you are. Come here, you little wrench!" He thundered, calloused hands shooting out to grab hold of her.
"Please, otousan! No! Plea–" She was instantly cut off by a slap on both cheeks. They burned hotly and she felt herself cringed in fear. Tears brimmed at the corner of her eyes. Thoughts of previous beatings and punishments started to swirl through her mind. A vein throbbed in her temple, making her feel dizzy. She was defenseless and powerless, frantic with terror, thinking that she would never see daylight again.
He roared, his anger rising uncontrollably, "How dare you! You little piece of shit!"
He pinned her against the wall and raised the whip high above his head, potential energy coursing through his lean muscles. Her eyes dilated, fearing the worst. 'NO! No, pleasei!' She mentally yelled. And then, it flew down onto her menacingly, breaking her pristine skin like a razor knife. A deafening smack resounded, followed by a heart stopping, mind numbing cry. She screamed in pain and terror, struggling desperately to get away from his tight grip. The whip kept coming, striking her. Her flesh burned as if scalded by wild fire and the flying snake-like leather bit her like a cobra would. Hard shoes kicking hard followed, then fists, as she tried in vain to shield the blows, common sense restraining the feeble return cuffs. He was beating her at random. Her foster father was at the peak of fury.
"You can't run away from me, child! I won't let you!"
Thrown by the whip's force, her body slammed against concrete hard. Blood seeped through the cuts on her clothes and painted the wall red. Her knees buckled as she landed heavily in a heap on the floor.
"Please..." She begged softly, without any energy left in her. She experienced a nasty feeling of weakness, as though she was going to faint. The room tilted and swirled before her sapphire eyes. Sweat and smell of artificial lemon floor polish, warm melting of salty blood in her mouth. The taste of it made her feel nauseated. Shivering in the warm air. A whirlpool of darkness seemed to sucking her in.
Just as she was about to lose consciousness, a high-pitched and innocent voice of another child shrieked at the doorway, accompanied by a matured female accent. "Otousan! Stop it!" A fourteen-year-old Tomoe, shocked at the bloodied sight, whimpered, both hands reaching out to grasp her father's left upper arm in a pleading and critical grip.
"Otousan! Please! Don't hurt Kaoru-chan!" A small figure hovered over Kaoru's petite form protectively.
"Enishi! Get out of the way, boy!"
"NO!" He protested. Tomoe released her death grip on her father and dashed towards Kaoru, immediately checking for a pulse. Her hands trembled as she sobbed uncontrollably. The smell of blood assaulted her nostrils, making her stomach churn in disgust. It was weak; nonetheless, it was still there.
Kaoru stirred. Uncurling from the tight ball, a sudden rush of blood to the head as her hands tried to find something to pull herself up. Tomoe gently helped her, careful not to graze her opened wounds. Wild dip of the horizon, and her stomach hurts as she tried to look up.
Now, she saw him through teary eyes, his brown gi hovering scarcely over a dark blue hakama. In the night, the shadows drifted over his eyes, but it cannot hide his true nature from her. She swore she could feel his eyes through the dark in which she approached. He was glaring at her with an expression she was unable to decipher, but which yet retains the cruel, blunt features of the man. Chest heaving as breaths started to deepen, eyes wavering under his solid gaze.
Enishi's pleas and Tomoe's cries slowly faded away. The next thing she knew, she had blacked out.
- End of Flashback -
Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut at the memory and released a bitter sigh. Back then, her father had been the only demon living with them, and Enishi was the sweet elder brother she thought he was.
She rubbed her upper arms comfortingly, feeling the slight jagged lines. They had healed over a long period of time. Still, absolutely nothing could mend the constantly bleeding scars engraved in her wounded and fragile heart. Her life, especially in its earlier stages, had been filled with anxiety and pain. It never got better. In fact, everything turned into a horrible nightmare for when the brother she once loved violated her honour, hell broke loose.
And the nightmare never seemed to end again.
Raising her head towards the heavens, her soulful eyes regarded the moonlighted sky wistfully. The stars in a clear sky always made her wonder if out there somewhere, someone is looking back at her with equal wonder.
She wanted to know everything, to discover all that her world had to offer and more. She wanted to sing the song of the oceans and of the winds, to play the harp string music of the trees, to glide across the sky on the back of a wisp cloud. She wanted to live the freedom of a waterfall and to listen to the voices of the stars and moon whisper secrets in her ear.
Stars are private creatures; rarely do they share their candle-shadow visions and hopes with anyone. Humans, pale into insignificance beside them, for a decade in their time is less than a moment to them, and a decade of their time is not enough for the stars to communicate even a single secret to humans. But Kaoru was ready to learn and willing to wait – the seas, the waves and the green trees had already taught her the lesson of patience, and they are best teachers in this subject.
And for some reason, unknown to people, the stars and the moon chose her for their pupil and began singing the slow, sad songs of their heart to her. It was not easy at first for her to listen with her full attention, for there are countless distractions in this psychedelic world. Nevertheless, her desire to share in the secrets remained unquenched, and thus, she had embarked on her journey of learning since she was a little girl.
To hear the stars speak she must be very silent, for stars whisper to her heart and not into her ear and sometimes they will gently tug at her heartstrings, inviting her to dance with them in their realm of galaxies. But because of the myriad differences between man, the stars and the moon, she can only be an admiring spectator. Kaoru, though dissatisfied, forced herself to accept this divide, and she sat in the silence of the lonely beach, waiting for a cloudless night so that she would be able to see the moon and the stars. At times she almost understood the mysterious messages that they sent down to her, and she reveled in their companionship, but when she tried to put these messages into words, they fled and vanished. It was like trying to hold onto clouds.
From a little girl, Kaoru grew older, even by the reckoning of the green trees marching away across the cliffs. Still she did not full understand the mystery of the moon, but everyday she felt herself growing closer to it.
"What am I? Why am I able to feel and speak to you as if you understand me?" Kaoru asked the moon. She received no response and all suddenly became still. Then a strong cold wind blew down on her, and she knew that this wind came from among the stars and the moon, carrying a long-waited message from them.
Closing her eyes, she listened – a quiet acceptance of the message without trying to phrase it into human words. And as she listened, she wept. In the voice of that string cold wind was that familiar, indefinable ache of sadness. Listening carefully, she perceived that the voice was not one voice but many, as if the tongues of creation had woven into one harmony and given to the moon. She sensed a deep regret, ocean-like, deep eddying waters beneath a calm surface.
And in her cry, there was also a desperate plea for freedom; the cry of a bird wounded, the panicked rustle of a breath of wind through a still, dense forest. There was a sharp need, painful in her necessity, unknowingly cruel, and there were flickering, shimmering visions of that ideal world to which all things strive. But strongest, above all, was that cry for freedom and release.
With slow tears streaming down her pale cheeks, she stayed where she was for a long time. Then, within her panorama, she caught sight of a diminutive object on the horizon from a far distance. She swiped away the rest of her tears on her cheeks hastily and narrowed her eyes. A small boat?She wasn't sure, but it was indeed coming closer. Thinking sensibly, she knew she had to hide before they spotted her on the beach. Jumping to her feet dexterously, she slipped on her shoes, and quickly dove behind some bushes. Her legs told her to run back to the mansion and alert the others, but her gut instinct made her stay put and wait to see what these strange people were up to. She squatted in the dark.
Soon, a dinky craft, carrying three men, moved closer to shore ever so slightly. They drew nearer and nearer, making Kaoru's heart reverberated faster against her eardrums as she waited patiently and silently.
Through the thick layer of leaves, she watched two of them in their early twenties jumped off the boat and began pushing it by the sides as they reached shallow water. The third used a long paddle to secure it firmly.
The petite one was most likely to be skilled in the arts of the sword since he carried a katana at his belt. The taller fellow with a head of a rooster, on the other hand, had bandages wrapped around both of his fists, cracking his knuckles. A few words were exchanged between all three men. Her brow itched together as she listened.
Just then, as if on perfect instinct, the shorter one with long inflamed hair tied high upon his head, turned smoothly towards her and a readied hand went up to the hilt of his sword unhesitatingly. Kaoru swallowed uneasily when she realized that he was looking straight at her. Her first instinct was to scramble deeper into the bushes and hide discreetly out of sight. But it was too late to flee.
She would have to brave it out.
Surely he wasn't looking at her.
He could not be looking at her.
But he was.
An odd stillness settled over the scene as the redhead stared at Kaoru for an endless moment. Not a sound could be heard. It seemed to her that even the very breeze had ceased. The leaves of the trees hung motionless.
Prying amber eyes flared, and she felt completely paralyzed under the intensity of those incinerating orbs. Hair blazed like uncontrolled flames, shaping his ominous features. The deadly aura of an assassin sent shivers down her spine. She could hardly breathe as they penetrated right through her very soul. It was enough to make her knees start quaking and her stomach lurching.
His companion noticed the change of aura from his partner and glanced at her way as well. Did they hear me? She thought incredulously, biting her lip. She prayed to the Gods that they did not. But luck was not on her side tonight. The smaller of the two had begun walking in her direction, his steps precarious and vigilant. Kaoru instantly panicked as she swallowed a lump in her throat. She backed away anxiously, wide blue eyes flooded with immeasurable fear and nerves almost torn in shreds. Perspiration dripped down her temples, blinding her sight. She had to flee, but her limbs were held in place, as if shackled to the ground. Oh god, help me.
But just when the stranger was about to draw his sword from the saya and inspect the bushes, something else had drew his attention away. He snapped his head to his left and she almost cried out loud in relief. Now was her valuable chance to run for it, she realized. But if she ran, there would be no doubt that the stranger would be able to catch up with her. So deciding against running in frenzy, she crept away silently. As she moved, curiosity made her risked a glance to what the outsider was glaring at.
Kaoru quickly followed his gaze, and her limbs suddenly refused to move an inch, her eyes were as wide as saucers. She nearly gasped in absolute horror and astonishment at what she was directly gawping at. She couldn't believe her eyes.
Nee-san?
To be continued…