Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura's characters belong to the inspiring women of CLAMP. Also, the song "Dark chest of wonders" is property of Nightwish.


Chapter 1

Dark Chest of wonders


Once I had a dream

And this is it…

"Syaoran!" He felt a rush of adrenaline. Her voice ringed in his ears and almost automatically his lips curled up in a smile. There was no mistake, it was her voice, Sakura's voice. He ran as fast as he could out of the house. He didn't even know how long it had been since he last saw her.

(Once there was a child's dream)

One night the clock struck twelve

The window open wide

(Once there was a child's heart)

The age I learned to fly

And took a step outside

Crossing the door threshold, he could see the infinite sky and the green fields, his gaze searched around until he spotted her, flying through the sapphire sky.

He couldn't breathe from the excitement. He was familiar with the white, angel like, wings on her back, her honey brown hair moving with the wind and her vibrant and shiny green eyes beaming light. He was familiar with all of it, but the view never failed to amaze him.

He extended his arms to catch her in her landing. How long had it been? How long had he been here, waiting for her? It didn't matter anymore, she was finally here, and as long as they were together everything was going to be fine.

The moment his hands touched hers his soul rejoiced.

"You found me, Sakura" She could hear the tears in his voice and smiled at him, a river already streaming down her face. Her heart beat was so loud that she couldn't speak. Once she was close to landing, he pulled her closer and kissed her with urgency, tasting the saltiness in her lips, his arms locking themselves around her. It was as warm as he remembered, the sunlight in his skin was nothing compared to her.

She giggled as he started to trace little kisses all over her face and jawline. She finally found him; they were finally together. His laughter bewitched her, honest and childlike. His chocolate colored hair shining under the sun, the amber in his eyes brighter than the sun and his arms around her.

This, with him. This was her favorite place in the world.

(Once I knew all the tales)

It's time to turn back time

Follow the pale moonlight

(Once I wished for this night)

Faith brought me here

It's time to cut the rope and

Fly to a dream

Far across the sea

All the burdens gone

All of the sudden everything turned grey. The happy blue color sucked out of every inch of the sky, the green fields darkened and the breeze turned into a gale. They both felt that familiar and heavy fear sinking in their stomachs, he searched her eyes

"No, not again! Not this time" he pleaded while pulling her closer, she sobbed and held him tighter. It was useless, they both knew it, but still they held onto each other for as long as they could.

"Find me Syaoran. Just once more, for one last time. Find me!"

"I will. I promise" he said despair clear in his voice "I love you"

She locked eyes with him, her green emerald eyes flooding with tears "and I…"

Darkness surrounded him, he could no longer see the sky or the grass beneath him. He clenched his fists frustrated, his face tense and his voice roaring.

"SAKURA!"

Open the chest once more

Dark chest of wonders

Seen through the eyes

Of the one with pure heart

Once so long ago

He opened his eyes, sensing the pooled tears escaping its prison. He groaned in frustration trying to remember the melody that haunted his nights.

For seven moons in a row, Li Syaoran had woken up screaming, his eyes wet and a weighted down by feeling of void and hopelessness that slashed his chest. He turned on his side to take a look at a silent and bright alarm clock. 3:30 AM, again. He has always been an early bird, but this was completely unusual for him.

He has never had sleeping problems. He had already talked about this to his closest friend.

Eriol Hiragizawa, as a skilled mental health professional and one his oldest friends, was growing a concern for him. He had shared his thoughts the day before.

"You've been through some big changes lately. Your mother died, you almost went broke, you had to give up your flat and started to live in the gym" he was visibly worried and that made Syaoran look the other way, he hated being a burden.

"I can assure you, that it has nothing to do with all of that. My mother died a year and a half ago and, though hard, it's a grieving process that I can qualify as successful… you should know, you were the one keeping tabs on me" Eriol's eyes glowed mischievously remembering how annoyed his friend was at the time.

"More reason to keep a close eye on you" he emphasized "I've known you for fifteen years now. And not a single time, you've shown signs of a sleep disorder or anything of the sort. I know it's been going on for a very short time. But still. I'll keep my watch over you" he stated decidedly and Syaoran grunted in annoyance.

He stared outside the window, the sky was dark and the air whistled in the streets. It was a lonely view that made him anxious, something that had never happened. Eriol's words echoed in his mind. As much as he didn't like to admit it, something around him was off. For the time being, he was not getting any sleep so he decided to make himself useful.

Dragging himself out of bed, he started to get into his workout clothes. He had a very rigorous regimen that started with an hour of jogging after a tiny snack to get some sugar in his body, then he made some strength building exercises and finally some sparring. He never aspired to be a professional boxer, his goal was to open his own gym and make a living out of the sport he enjoyed dearly, so far, he had achieved it.

He chewed absentmindedly his favorite energy bar, chocolate, almonds and cranberries. The one flavor he'll buy and eat every morning. Put on a hoodie and had a glass of water before closing the door behind him.

Running, he could feel the cold air against his skin sharpening his senses. He felt the pavement under the sole of his sneakers and the way his muscles activated, the changes in his heartbeat rate and the way air filled his lungs to then leave his body.

He never ran while listening to music, he didn't even take out his cellphone. He disconnected from the outside world completely. No problems, no stress, just him and the empty streets.

Then the void came again. That same emptiness that remained after his foggy dreams and it frustrated him. Not only he had to suffer through this sensation while waking up, now it seemed to be crawling into his daily activities, even his sacred moments.

He tried to keep the focus on his breathing, remembering some relaxing techniques Eriol had taught him. But the sensation was too uncomfortable. He decided to pick up the pace, he ran as fast as he could, until his heart pumped loudly on his ears and his lungs felt like he was inhaling fire.

He stopped gasping for air, his legs shaking, his body covered in sweat but the hole in his stomach gone. He smiled at his successful solution while trying to figure at where he was. He had gone off road in his sprint. 'I don't remember ever being in this part of the park' he thought to himself, surrounded by trees he could hear the birds chirping, he could even pick up squirrels up the branches. Then he heard it.

A loud scream froze his blood, the void again settling on his stomach. It was a woman's voice. First, he felt confusion, not knowing if he had imagined it, then he felt anguish, trying to figure out the direction of the voice. He heard it again and ran towards it as fast as he could. He did no longer feel the leaves under his shoes, or the way the air messed with his hair. All he could think of was that voice, and the fear in it.

He wouldn't be able to explain how he knew where to go. It was like, if his soul knew the direction his feet were supposed to move. This was something he would think of later.

Everything around him was a blur, his mind in pursuit mode.

She was struggling to get away when she received another blow. This time it hit her stomach forcing the air out of her body. Her mind clouded but she refused to lose consciousness. She was getting weaker but she still managed to throw a closed fist at the cloaked person in front of her. A male like grunt came from the stranger as she felt she was tossed into a tree. She felt a sharp pain in the back of her head and something wet coming down her neck. Her vision blurred.

'is this how I go?' she wondered as the walking coat came closer, she thought about how it would appear in the news. Rape? Burglary? Would they be able to recognize her?... Would it hurt?

She felt an unwelcome void in her heart and stomach, she would have thought that it would leave her alone, at least in her last moments. She thought of her brother and the pain he would feel, she thought of her father and friends feeling tears running down her cheeks.

All she could feel was pain. Her body wasn't responding, drained and exhausted, her reactions were heavy and slow. She had never felt so scared in her life but still she refused to close her eyes. If this was her end, she wanted to face it. This person that hid his face would have to see into her eyes while taking her life.

She saw him draw a weird, long and ornamented stick out of thin air. Was she hallucinating? He started to chant words that she didn't understand, but that sounded familiar nonetheless. Her whole will and strength was put in keeping her eyes open and as focused as she could. She could no longer hear the birds, not even could accurately pick on whatever her attacker was saying.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" The voice sounded low in her ears but still she could notice a male figure stepping in between her and the cloak.

"Are you ok?" he looked at her briefly, it was a stupid question, but she nodded nonetheless; she was trembling, her eyes closed and tears trailing down her face. Seeing her bruised, swollen and covered in blood triggered a type of anger he had never known.

He felt like he was surrounded by fire, he wanted to draw blood, he wanted that monster in front of him dead.

The stranger attacked him with a weapon he had never seen, it looked like a Magic staff, like the ones that are drawn in old books. Syaoran dodged his attacker, guard up, and controlling the distance. He analyzed his opponent. He had an advantage with the long weapon, but his feet were slow and he relied too much on his stick.

Bending his knees, he escaped from a blow to the side of his head and he saw his opening. Feet fast and balancing his weight he threw an uppercut that landed where the chin of the individual should be. Syaoran felt something cracking at the contact with his hand and smiled in satisfaction. He could see the scumbag losing its balance so he hit him with a cross punch to then finish with a left hook. The figure fell to the ground.

Syaoran, with guard still up, took some steps back to get closer to the woman that cried weakly. He wondered if this was a good moment to run, he didn't have his phone to call the police, and the priority was taking her somewhere safe. He somehow hoped the guy was dead, he would gladly throw a couple more hits; but his priority was her. Once he was certain that his enemy was knocked out, he let his guard down and approached her gently.

"It's ok, let's go somewhere safe" she looked at him in the eye and he almost choked. She had eyes with every shade of green that existed in nature. Her eyes were beautiful, but that was not what shocked him. Peering into her eyes opened something inside of him, something he never knew existed.

"You found me, Syao…" her voice faded as she lost consciousness. He felt his heart racing. Was she going to say his name? He was sure he had never seen her. Also, that voice, her voice.

Was that the voice he heard in his sleep?


This is the first chapter. Thank you for reading! I sincerely hope you enjoyed it.

Let me know your opinions through a comment. Reading what you think is always a source of learning and inspiration.