I. TRANCE

IT WAS THE END OF JULY. The sun was high in the sky, signifying that it was late afternoon and that I had slept the morning away. That was odd in itself since I was always an early riser and not only that - I couldn't remember my dream.

Since I was young, my dreams were something that I could always remember down to every single detail even though I didn't have photographic memory. Trying to think of it just caused the tendrils of the dream to further slip away between the gaps of my fingers.

Shaking my head, I rose out of bed and headed into the bathroom to get my afternoon started. Doing my daily routine of brushing my teeth, washing my face, and doing my moisturizing ritual of different face serums and creams; I finally walked out of the bathroom and trekked down the hall and knocked on my sister's door.

"Akemi?" I called out and hearing no response, I pushed open the door a little and saw she wasn't in her room. Giving a hum in confusion since she was usually home at this time sleeping in her bed, I closed the door and walked back to my room towards my nightstand to look through my phone to see if she left me a message.

Scrolling through my notifications, I found the text sent to me from two hours ago. Making a face, I opened it and saw she was still at the hospital working overtime even though she already worked the nightshift too.

Sighing in disappointment since I once again won't be able to spend any quality time with my always busy sister, I went downstairs to make myself some lunch and save any leftovers for Akemi for when she comes home.

Whenever that was.

Looking at the half empty cabinets and the almost barren fridge that had mostly old take out, I realized that I needed to go food shopping. Shrugging and deciding that I'll go after lunch, I took out the half full tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pineapple chunks, pepperoni, and the can of already sliced olives. Grabbing the tortilla slices from the pantry, I started making myself and my sister a tortilla pizza.

Twenty minutes later, I was munching quite happily on the savory, sweet pizza. Just as I was about to take another bite, my phone rang. Blaring some slowed down lo-fi version of a song I couldn't remember the name of but quite liked, I danced to the sound of it for a few seconds before answering when I saw it was my father.

"Hi, Dad!" I greeted loudly, a smile blossoming on my face. I hadn't talked to my dad in a few days and the sound of his voice always made me happy but the strange feeling churning in my stomach told me this wouldn't be a happy call like usual. "What's up?" I asked a bit apprehensive when he didn't immediately respond back with his normal jovial tone.

I heard him sigh before his deep voice came over the phone. "There's something wrong with your mother," he said. I paused at that, the on edge feeling growing stronger. "She's strangely fallen ill and nothing is helping. Have you felt anything in the last couple of days?"

Worry started to gnaw at me when I remembered the dream that I couldn't remember. Was this what the dream was about? Why didn't I remember something important like this? Over the course of the last few days, I've definitely felt some weird energies but I brushed them off, assuming it was nothing.

"Well," I started anxiously. "I had a dream last night but I don't know what it's about. I can't remember it, no matter how hard I try. Is Mom okay? Do you think her falling ill is something... Supernatural?"

It was quiet for awhile and the ticking of the clock in the background of my shared apartment with my sister only served to make my nerves worse and my anxiety spike. Just as I'm about to open my mouth and question my father more, he spoke back up and my already tensed body stiffened further at the hasty reply.

"I believe your mother is in danger. You need to come back home, Ani. Now."

The rush of packing and the brief talk with my sister explaining the situation with our mom was a blur as my leg bounced up and down in restlessness. I had to quickly withdraw money from the bank and buy a plane ticket to Tokyo, Japan which did not come cheap.

It was already approaching night by the time I was boarding a plane and finding my seat which I happened to share with someone else. I had the window seat and my Airpods for Netflix and that was all that mattered to me. As long as the gentleman sitting next to me didn't try to engage in conversation, I was perfectly content sitting on this fourteen hour flight.

Well, that was how I felt six hours into the flight before a vision practically slammed into me and I gasped at the suddenness of it, the man voicing his concerns next to me over my wellbeing fell on deaf ears as the vision enveloped me and I was left there looking at my body slumped over in the seat. I hoped we were far enough away from New York so the plane didn't get turned around for this.

Glancing around as the plane melted away into a thick forest with a dark fog creeping along the ground of the soft, damp dirt - I decided to follow it; considering whatever it was, was most likely the reason I was currently in the Spirit World.

Looking around, I realized this wasn't like any of the forests back in New York. At least, any that I've seen. The leaves were greener, the underbrush looked healthier and the air was definitely cleaner and a lot less polluted. It was like this place hadn't been industrialized yet and I knew this vision was showing me something of the past.

Encroaching the edge of the woods, I saw a minka or a traditional Japanese house. It looked to be a bit old and rundown, built of wood and clay and other natural materials. I tilted my head, what spirit wanted to show me something like this? Especially since the vision was based in the past, there wasn't much that I could do here.

"You need to help."

I gave a short scream at the voice, turning around at the translucent form of a female spirit floating beside me. "Oh man, you scared me!"

The spirit gave an amused smile before it turned into a frown. "You have to help stop him before he becomes too powerful."

"Seems like I have to help a lot lately dealing with spiritual matters..." I mumbled petulantly, crossing my arms. I had stopped messing with stuff like this three years ago when I failed a client. It's not that I didn't want to help my mother recover (because I totally did), I just wasn't ready getting back into the practice of things again.

My father - or grandparents for that matter - didn't know I hadn't exactly been keeping up with the regime they had set into my brain from a young age despite them calling me a prodigy. The best my grandparents seen in years. Talk about pressure, huh?

"Are you listening to me?" the spirit grumbled from next to me. "Stop messing around and understand how serious of a situation we are in."

"We?" I said looking at her, glancing at her clothes and eyes widening in recognition. "You're a Shaman, too?"

The spirit slowly shook their head at me as if disappointed. She sighed tiredly and ran her hand through the ends of her white, blue tipped straight hair. It looked extremely silky and reached to the back of her knees.

She had the 'hime cut' which was a straight cheek-length and side locks with a frontal fringe hairstyle. Her regalia consisted of a headdress that had a band adorned of feathers from different owls and she had on a cloth owl mask with intricate beads that emanated a comforting energy encircling her neck.

She was barefoot and her outfit was a pure white top that showed her shoulders and cleavage with a high collar and sleeves that went over her hands with a light gold trimming. Her shorts reached her mid calf and looked a little poofy and flared out. She had a leather band with a owl feather around her dainty looking ankle and a long wooden staff in hand.

Through the holes of the owl mask, I could see her eyes were a pale lavender with no irises. I almost assumed she was blind if weren't for the fact that she was looking around in urgency. Her pale skin looked soft, her nails trimmed and taken care of and I wouldn't be shocked if her lips were supple and glossy. She was also pretty tall, taller than me at least and I stood at the average female height of 5'5! I barely reached just under her chin. All in all, she looked powerful and intimidating.

I felt like a peasant standing next to her in my fishnets and shorts with a crop top and Converse on.

"If you were paying attention earlier, you'd know that I was a Master Shaman who voluntarily entered a hypnotic trance to alter my state of consciousness to specifically reach you five hundred years into the future. My name is Himari Reiki and I am your many times great grandmother." Himari gazed at me and tilted her head in acknowledgement. "It's a pleasure to meet my many times great granddaughter."

I slowly looked down at my skin which was a rich chocolate and stared at her pale skin in return. "What?"

"Hm," she hummed. "You are not very smart, I see. Do you understand how genetics work?" Himari's tone was condescending.

"O-of course! I'm just surprised that's all." I shook my head at her, a bit annoyed at the patronizing way she spoke to me. I wasn't a child for Christ sake, I was twenty-two years old! "What do you need my help with anyway? You seem plenty powerful on your own."

"Well, yes, you are right. I am powerful on my own but I have a whole village to look after and I do not possess the same gifts that you do."

Tensing at those words, I regarded her carefully. "What gifts are you talking about? I'm just a regular ol' Shaman on my way to heal my ill mother."

Himari gave a gentle smile. "Now we both know that is not true."

Too focused on my apparent 'grandmother', I failed to notice the thickening of the fog and how it started to enshroud the house to form a barrier. It wasn't until Himari's attention turned to look at the house that I paid attention to it too and the nauseating feeling it gave me.

"The miasma continues to grow stronger. Before long, Naraku shall be too powerful for even me and the young group that travels to stop him." She spat out the name Naraku in disgust as if the very name tainted her entire being.

"Who is Naraku and why have you brought me here, Himari? I may be gifted but I cannot time travel."

Himari's body grew stiff and her face set into a grimace. "Naraku is a vile spider half-demon who was born from a human full of hatred and deceit and had his body be consumed by various other yōkai. He has defiled his own body beyond repair and has done nothing but bring misfortune and misery to those around him. He must be stopped and cannot be left alive any longer."

Himari turned to me and gripped my shoulder with her left hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Please, Anima. You are the one who can help turn this fifty year war around and bring peace to the villagers who have suffered immensely at the hands of Naraku. Will you help?"

I was at a crossroads. Though I wanted to help, I had come to terms with the fact that I wasn't ever going to acknowledge my spiritual side again due to the heartache of the mistake I made. Until my mother had fallen ill that is. On the other hand, hundreds of lives could be saved if I agreed to help my grandmother.

I've never had a vision this long or this strong before - I didn't know if it was because my grandmother was also a Master Shaman or if it was because this vision was something important that I needed to see and could possibly shape my future. For better or worse, I didn't know; but I did know what it was like to feel helpless and scared. Making up my mind about what I needed to do, I mentally nodded in determination.

There was still one more thing I needed to confirm first.

"Before I agree, I need to ask you something first. Did you purposely make my mother sick to get me to go to Japan?" I asked, tapping my foot at her already guilty looking expression.

"...Perhaps."

"Himari!"

"You cannot exactly blame me now can you? How else would I have gotten you to listen if your mother's life was not in the balance?"

I gaped like a fish at her response. "Fix her! What's wrong with you? She's your granddaughter too, isn't she?" My face scrunched up in confusion at that and I scratched my head. "Uh, is that how family trees work? They always confused me. My mom's mom is her grandma so that makes her my grandma too, right? Geez, this is hurting my brain."

Rolling her eyes at her granddaughter's stupidity, she once again sighed tiredly at her. "Yes, she is my granddaughter too. Were you always this slow or is that a secret talent of yours? Besides, I will not cure your mother. That is your job to see if you are up to the task set for you. I cannot have a weak deshi now, can I?"

My eyes widened at that. "You're taking me on as your student?"

Himari sniffed haughtily at that. "Of course, you have gotten rather rusty in your break, have you not? I will not be surprised if you end up killing your mother trying to heal her."

I stared at her in disbelief. "I will not kill my mother! I'm not so rusty that I can't do a simple healing ritual."

Himari smirked. "We will see."

"You never answered my question, by the way. How am I going to get to your time?"

"Through the Bone Eaters Well at the Higurashi Shrine, of course. We use to have a portal connecting the future to the past through our Sacred Pond at the Reiki Shrine made by one of your ancestors but it seems one of your other, more foolish ancestors sealed it up not too long ago." I giggled at the face she made at that.

"You'll have to get that back open sometime - whenever you can, really, it will be very useful to your past endeavors. Not to mention easier and a lot less travel time. Now it will take you a week to travel from Kaede's Village to mine instead of three days."

"How will I know where your village is?"

Pressing two fingers against my forehead, Himari mumbled something I couldn't quite hear under her breath. A strange feeling enveloped me and I suddenly knew exactly where Himari's village was located. "Woah, you have got to teach me that."

Himari nodded, a smile creeping on her face. "I will. I shall teach you many things in the short time we will train together. What will normally take a year to learn, you will learn in three months."

I choked. "What?!"

"Don't disappoint me, Anima. I expect great things from you." Himari turned around and slowly started to fade until she disappeared altogether.

"Wait! If I can't unseal the Sacred Pond before I leave, then how the heck am I suppose to find the Higurashi Shrine?" I waited for a response but none came. "Himari? Grandma!"

That's when I remembered after a few minutes of silence that I had a fully functioning phone equipped with Google Maps and that I forgot to ask if she had anything to do with my missing dream. I sighed.

"Idiot."