A Stroke Past Midnight- Chapter Two

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"Yui-sama…"

She continued to stare in disbelief as the young man quietly pulled himself to his feet and took in their surroundings, edging slightly closer to her. His eyes traveled over the hidden furniture and sparse decorations slowly and with interest, eventually coming to rest on the shattered glass shimmering in the moonlight. He silently padded over to the little table and carefully knelt down to examine the broken mirror, picking up one of the fragments in his bare hands and raising it to eye level for a closer look.

After a few moments, he finally dropped the shard back to the floor and raised his eyes to hers, the sound of glass colliding with wood emphasizing the silence between them. Confusion practically radiated from him as he looked at her expectantly.

Yui wrapped her arms hesitantly around herself, unsure of what to do. How did this even happen in the first place? The Four Gods of Sky and Earth had been sealed off, hadn't it?

She had completed her duties as the Seiryuu no miko, so why had one of her seishi been summoned to her? One of very dead seishi. She bit her lip, averting her gaze from her guardian, instead choosing to study the wooden floorboards.

"Suboshi…" She began, her voice faltering. His eyes shifted so that they focused directly on her, causing her chest to constrict painfully once more. She cleared her throat and paused hesitantly, considering her next words. What were you supposed to say to someone who died for you? To someone who had never truly existed in the first place?

"…How?" She finally finished, bringing her eyes up to meet his solemn gaze.

He simply shook his head, his unruly locks partially obscuring his face. He was still wearing that orange and blue clothing, that same blue headband. Yui watched as he sighed, straightening to his full height. "So I'm back in your world?"

She nodded. "Yes. This is actually my aunt's house, but it's the first time I've ever visited here." Uncomfortable silence descended once more between the pair, the two avoiding each other's gaze. For several moments, all that could have been heard was the distant rumbling of the receding thunder storm and the rain continuing to pelt the roof top.

For a while, the two simply looked out of the window and watched the storm. Their features were tinted a suitable dark blue, the light from the moon becoming increasingly dimmer. Finally, Yui padded softly to the boy and took his arm. He glanced back at her, and she gave him an encouraging half-smile which did not quite make it to her eyes. "It's getting late." She told him as she began leading him out of the room. Their footsteps were hushed as they made their way down the long hallway.

She opened a wooden door for him, motioning for him to enter. "You can stay in this guest room." At his hesitant expression, she continued while faking a small smile for him. "It's alright. I'll be down the hallway from you if you need anything."

TBC...

(AN: Okay, tiny chapter. I guess I'm just a slow writer ;...)