NOCTURNE

Chapter XVIII (18): Footsteps

The night drags on endlessly as Akira lies awake on his bed. The storm seems to progress with no signs of stopping as the icy pellets of water continue to hit on the mansion. The clouds above blanket the earth, blocking the moon and the stars from view. The only source of light is the faint beam of light flowing under Akira's door from the hallway. Outside, the winds outside have turned into murderous tempests that seem to be trying to rip the large inn to shreds, and at the same time also seem to be trying to get a message in. In the gusts of wind, a voice can be heard screaming for forgiveness.

In the rural area of Japan, a young woman flees from the large city of Tokyo, soaked to the bone by the thunderstorm above, crying hysterically, and holding onto a large knife that is used mainly for cutting pieces of ham or steak. This young woman, however, has other intentions for this blade. As the lady dashes through the large forest, dodging trees and slipping about on the muddy ground, she reaches a clearing. There is not a living thing in sight, and the bustling city of Tokyo is a long way away, possibly miles. The woman reaches the end of the clearing and comes straight to a halt, her eyes red and puffy from crying so hard. She lifts up her right hand, the hand holding onto the knife. She stares at the blade as rain spatters on it and drips off of its point. The woman's eyes are not normal and it is clear that she is not in the right state of mind. She seems to be in some sort of shock as she looks emptily at the razor-sharp knife. Without hesitating, the woman brings up her other arm and turns over her hand, revealing the underside of her arm, her bare, bloody hands, and her wrist. She then places the blade at her wrist, making sure that the tip touches her flesh. Then, in the blink of an eye, she pulls the knife in a horizontal direction, and at the same time puts pressure on the knife so that it imbeds into her skin. The knife cuts her wrist as if it was soft bread, and blood gushes out freely. The woman shouts out in complete agony, but she isn't finished yet. She literally gives the knife over to her other injured hand and does the same thing to her other wrist, except the damage is more severe. The woman drops the knife to the ground as she completes her task of cutting both of her wrists, attempting suicide. She drops to the ground, letting her hands soak into the mud and cries out so loud that it seems to rock the trees and even the storm above her. Her desperate cry for forgiveness goes unheard as she slowly starts to lose consciousness, all the while crying and speaking softly to herself for something terrible that she did. As her life starts to slip from her, the woman drenched in blood and cold rain sees the bright lights of a house before her. It's as if the house appeared from thin air into the clearing she was in, almost like a U.F.O. Someone is seen running from the large house towards her. The woman continues to sob and moan in pain as darkness begins to overcome her and her senses begin to fade…

Back in the mansion, Akira is busy walking about in the lobby, waiting for the mistress to return. A little bit ago, the mistress entered Akira's room with the maid, Miwako, asking him to come down with her to the mansion's entrance. Dark, as usual, wanted to tag along, but Akira insisted that he stay in his room. Dark obeyed his master's command and sadly watched as the mistress, Miwako, and Akira went down the stairs into the magnificent lobby, lit brightly as if there was going to be a party in the middle of the night. As the three of them approached the large doors, the mistress said for Akira to wait next to the armor and keep watch so that nothing or no one would enter the mansion as she, accompanied by Miwako, went outside into the dangerous thunderstorm, both of them wearing large, black raincoats. It has been about two minutes since the both of them went out into the storm, and Akira is starting to wonder what the hell they were thinking. As he's thinking this, Akira hears the sound of footsteps approaching the mansion. It sounds nothing like the mistress or Miwako, because the footsteps sound much too heavy and sound more like a stampeding elephant that the running of human beings. The lights of the lobby suddenly start to flicker on and off as the creature outside starts to gradually get closer and closer to the mansion. Using his special abilities, Akira tries to determine if the creature is strong or not.

No signal is sent back from the dashing creature.

"What could it be? I can't sense anything!"

Preparing for the worst, Akira unsheathes his mighty sword (which he brought just in case anything DID dare to enter the mansion) and gets ready to do battle with whatever it was that was daring to go in to the mansion entrance.

The lights black out.

The once-running footsteps of a large creature outside suddenly stop, and it is silent except for the sound of the rain and wind outside, which reminds Akira of the mistress and Miwako and what could be taking them so long. Fearing for their safety, Akira yells out.

"Hey! Are you two okay out there?"

As if to respond, a low growl is heard. It sounds like the rumble of a drum. The growl slowly starts to make its way through the mansion's doors and creeps inward. Akira cannot see anything entering at all.

"What… Who is that? Show yourself to me!"

The growling starts to transform into a snarl, and Akira feels something rushing towards him.

There is a huge shock on his lower body and Akira is sent sailing through the air. He somehow manages to gain balance while still in the air and lands on his feet, still holding onto his sword. Although the blow didn't do much, it did startle him. His senses are now more alert at this moment.

"What are you? Show yourself, dammit! Quite being such a coward!"

The invisible beast of the darkness then seems to talk to Akira. Using his special ability to speak various languages, Akira is able to make out only several sentences ofwhat the creature is saying. 'Odd,' Akira thinks to himself. 'How do I not understand this language so well? I've got to study this special language later...'

"DO NOT HERKILL YOU IFENTER THEHOUSEMAKE SURE OF ITSTOP ME IF YOUBUT I WILL BEATEVEN WITH YOUR SWORDNO MATCH AGAINST METOO POWERFULYOU MAY BE DIFFERENT THANOTHERS I HAVE FACED, BUT YOUNO MATCH FOR MY AWESOME POWER AND SPEED. I WILL GIVE YOU ONEWARNING. NOW WATCH ASPULVERIZE YOUR BODY, THAT WAYNEVER ENTER THEHOUSE!"

The creature stops speaking and Akira feels the presence of the beast again as it charges towards him. Akira can't do anything as he feels the creature literally looming over him in the dark, ready to strike. Suddenly, a burst of flame is seen from upstairs, hitting whatever the invisible creature is. The large beast howls in pain and retreats, obviously done with Akira and not wanting to get struck again by the flames, for fire seems to be its weakness. The lights flicker back to life, and Akira looks up the stairs to see Dark snorting smoke, looking victoriously at the mansion's entrance.

"Dark? Did you… Did you do that?"

Dark doesn't seem to hear what Akira had said and goes off back into Akira's room. Akira smiles.

"Wow… So he really is of some use… How was he able to see whatever that thing was?"

Akira then hears the sound of footsteps rushing from outside again, except this time it's different. There are two pairs of footsteps, and there if life energy coming from the rushing beings. It is the mistress and Miwako, and they seem to be carrying something… or someone. Akira runs over to the open doorway and watches as the mistress and Miwako bring in the body of a young woman. A young woman with cut wrists. A young woman cold as ice. A woman wearing a large orange bow and long blue dress. A woman with purple hair and empty lavender eyes. Akira's eyes widen in surprise as he stares at the limp body of the woman being carried into the mansion.

"No! It can't be! Yukina!"

NOCTURNE

"Death is nothing to us, since when we are, death has not come, and when death has come, we are not." --Epicurus