Summary:
Have you ever heard of Dark Magic? What do you know about them? Natsuki is a rising star in the Fuka Police Headquarter who solves her case based on logic & facts. However, her world is turned upside down when she meets Shizuru. Shizuru lives in a world that can never be defined by logic and facts. What happens when the two meet? ShizNat Rated T for now
A/N
In some Chinese religions, the afterlife is the concept of a realm, in which an essential part of an individual's identity or consciousness continues to exist after the death of the body. The essential aspect of the individual that lives on after death is the entire soul or spirit of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity.
It holds that after the death of the body, the soul or spirit should and would go to a specific plane/realm of existence. And in this plane/realm, the spirits would stay and continue their existence.
However, there is a time limit to their existence in the spirit realm. Upon the time limit, there will be divine judgment to be passed by a god or gods on the souls' actions during life. After the divine judgment, the individual may be reborn into this world and begin the life cycle over again, likely with no memory of what they have done in the past.
The nature of the reincarnated existence is determined directly by the actions of the individual in the ended life, rather than through the decision of another being. For example, a criminal who committed a deadly crime while alive could be sentenced to be reincarnated as poultry, waiting to be slaughtered at the slaughterhouse. On the other hand, someone who has always done good deeds while alive could be reincarnated in a wealthy family in his/her next life, enjoying a fruitful life.
Such rebirths and deaths may take place over and over again continuously until the individual gains entry to the Otherworld.
Joss sticks: are a type of incense. As the name suggests, it is shaped like a stick where you can light up the tip of the stick and it will burn by itself until the lower end where it is made of non-combustible material. In some Asian countries, people traditionally burn joss sticks before an Asian religious image, idol, buddha statue, ancestral altar or shrine. But some joss stick burning rituals (and the prayers that come with it) do not need to be done in front of religious images. They can be burned before anything without limits; like in front of a door, or open window as an offering. In some Chinese traditions, people would offer joss sticks as a form of offering for the deceased to thank them and/or appease them. Scent of the joss stick is said to be a form of food for the deceased as they can only consume it by taking in scent from the burning joss sticks. The joss sticks are burnt in odd numbers - one, three or five - depending on the situation.
Joss paper: is a form of currency used in the spirit realm. In the spirit realm, the souls/spirits will continue their existence just like the human world and thus the currency is a form of transaction used by the spirits of the deceased in the afterlife. It is sheets of paper (commonly cream white in color; it may also be red or yellow in color) with red printed words on it. The joss paper is burnt as offerings and such practice is common in traditional Chinese religion. The joss papers are also burned in traditional Chinese funerals, to ensure that the spirit of the deceased has sufficient money in the afterlife.
The scowl on Natsuki's face deepened. Unwillingly, Natsuki stood to attention and said,"My apologies sir! Lt Kugar reporting for duty Sir! "
"Very well Lt Kuga. It is nice to have you back. I hope your short holiday was an enjoyable one.''
At the mention of the holiday, Natsuki's face darkened. She had planned to spend the two weeks in bliss, completing her PlayStation game, Mai Otome Z, and stuffing herself with mayonnaise.
That was what she initially planned until her phone started ringing at 8.30am in the morning. She had ignored the phone calls at first but the caller proved to be rather persistent. The incessant phone call turned into a home visit.
"Kuga Natsuki, I know you are in there! So you better open the door or else you will have to buy a new door soon! Kuga Natsuki!" The banging continues.
Nobody beats Tokiha Mai when it comes to persistence. Not even Natsuki.
Natsuki sighed and relented as she strode to the door and flung it open.
''Alright, Tokiha, what are you doing outside my house? I would like to remind you that I am currently on leave. So what the hell are you doing disturbing my peace?"
"Oh come on Natsuki, I have known you for so long and we all know the kind of holiday that you take." Mai said as she sailed through the door and glanced at the living room. "You would just hole up in your room, spend the whole day playing with your Playstation and have mayonnaise for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If this is what you call a holiday, then you are definitely sick."
Natsuki slammed the door shut and returned to her game. "Just tell me whatever you came here for so that you can leave."
Mai smirked." Unfortunately for you, you are needed in Fuka HQ and Captain has specifically asked for you. It seems that your holiday has come to an end."
And so Natsuki's leave was short-lived as she returned to Fuka HQ per request of the Captain.
"Lt Kuga, I would need you to take on this case." Captain Kaiji said as he pushed a file toward Natsuki. "This case is rather sensitive as it erm...involves one of the more influential families in Fuka." At this point, Captain Kaji sighed. "The instructions came from the director himself. So there is no way I could avoid it. He wants us to solve this ASAP. Both Mai and you are the best I have and I want both of you to solve this the soonest."
Natsuki frowned as she took the file. She had been in the service long enough to know the politics that went on behind the desk. Much as she disliked politics and wanted to stay away from it, she would still be inadvertently drawn into it as long as she was in the police force.
With an audible sigh, Natsuki took over the file.
Mai looked up from the file she was reading when Natsuki entered the room.
"So Captain Kaiji has spoken to you huh?"
Natsuki waved the file in the air in acknowledgement. She dragged a chair and sat down.
"I really hate politics." Natsuki signed the moment she sat down. "Captain specifically requests both you and I to head this case. It seems like a rather delicate and sensitive case."
"Captain's right. Read it and you will know what he meant by delicate and sensitive."
It started with a frown but the frown on Natsuki's face turned into incredulous as she flipped through the file.
"The things people can do really amaze me." Natsuki concluded as she flipped to the last page. "It isn't just delicate and sensitive. It is also plain weird."
Mai couldn't help but agree with Natsuki's statement.
"Apparently a police report was made this morning by Viola Yuiichi. His wife passed away a year ago and he was paying a visit to her grave this morning when he discovered that her grave was dug open and her remains were missing."
"Hmm… Viola Yuiichi… Viola… This family name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?" Natsuki murmured as she flipped through the file trying to see if there was any mention of the Viola family in the report.
"You don't know about the Viola Family?" Mai was horrified that Natsuki was clueless about such vital information. "Natsuki, you really need to read up more on the latest news instead of just playing your games."
Natsuki looked up in surprise. "Is it some renowned family?"
And then quickly the surprise turned into indignation.
"Hey! What's wrong with my games! They are good hobbies, alright!" Natsuki replied though there was a suspicious tint of redness on Natsuki's cheeks.
"Alright, down puppy. Don't get too agitated. The Viola family is everywhere,which is why you might find it familiar. The family owns the Viola Corporation. It is a conglomerate and involves itself in many areas such as banking, insurance, property and electronic manufacturing. The chips in your playstation could be manufactured by the company. Currently, the corporation is led by Kiyotaro Viola and the Viola Corporation under his leadership has flourished, growing even during the 2008 financial crisis. It is currently ranked the most profitable Corporation by the Fuuka Magazine. The net worth of Viola Corporation is estimated to have reached US$250 billion dollars. That is enough money to buy a nation!"
"No wonder the Director has to call Captain Kaji personally regarding this case." Natsuki sighed. "I really hate dealing with the rich and famous! What is Captain thinking when he puts me in charge of this case! Arghh..."
"Yup you and your dislike for the rich." Mai rolled her eyes and continued. "Viola Kiyaotaro had a son. Unfortunately, a car accident 18 years ago claimed the lives of his son and daughter-in-law, leaving him to take care of his 2 grandsons which he brought up all by himself. These 2 young men are currently the potential successors of the Viola empire. The eldest of them is Viola Reito. He is known to be a charismatic and charming leader who has won the hearts of women both young and old. And the second successor is Viola Yuuichi..."
"Yuichi? Viola Yuuichi? Wait, hold on a minute." Natsuki said as she quickly flipped back to the first page. "So this Viola Yuuichi is his grandson huh..."
"From what I know, Viola Yuiichi is the younger of the two and he is or rather was the only married man of the two. He was married to his childhood sweetheart Munakata Shiho for 1 year before she died during childbirth."
Natsuki arched her brows.
"I am impressed by how much you know about the Viola family. How the hell did you get so much information?"
"Ha! I have a friend who is working in Fuuka Publishing House which is why I know so much." Mai said smugly as she thought of her friend Harada Chia. "Well, at least more than someone who always locks herself in her bedroom playing games." Mai teased, triggering a scowl from Natsuki.
"Putting that aside, we need to find Munakata Shiho's remains asap. Viola Yuiichi made a police report this morning, after having discovered that his wife's grave has been pried open and her remains are missing."
"So someone stole her remains? Why would someone do that" Mai asked as she tilted her head, deep in thought.
"My thoughts exactly. Could it be revenge perhaps?" Natsuki answered and frowned as she flipped through the thin file once again. "There isn't much information here. But our forensic investigators are on their way to the site. So hopefully they can find something useful and maybe shed some light to this mystery. Let's go to the crime scene as well."
Natsuki stood up and took her jacket. "Let's hurry and solve the case, Tokiha. If not we might hear from the Director again."
"Kuga Natsuki, I swear this is the last time I am going to sit on your Ducati. Damn it, you are a danger to other road users!" Mai vowed as she stumbled off the bike. "I always wonder why you have never been stopped by a Traffic Police before and now I know why! It is because nobody DARES to even come close to you!"
"Come on Mai, you are just weak." Natsuki shrugged. She parked her Ducati in an empty parking lot and entered the cemetery with Mai staggering behind her.
There were already many police cars parked there.
Natsuki glanced around. There weren't any security cameras around. So it would be impossible to see who has visited the cemetery.
The moment they entered the cemetery, they saw rows and rows of tombs, lined up neatly on the flat piece of land. But today, the place seemed rather crowded with groups of people gathering around a specific tomb.
It was clear where the crime scene was.
Mai went to speak with the forensic team while Natsuki went over to take a look at the crime scene.
"Lt Kuga." An officer approached Natsuki and gave a salute.
Natsuki gave a nod before asking, "Any eye witness?"
"No other eye witness currently except for Viola Yuuichi-san. He was the first person to notice the open tomb and called the police at 7.08am." The police officer read out the information from her notebook. "I have checked, the daily opening hours of the cemetery is 7am to 7pm. The gate is opened and locked by a janitor who is in charge of the general cleanliness of this place. In the interview just now, the cleaner claimed that he did not notice any suspicious characters loitering around when he left yesterday at 7pm and arrived at 7am today. I have checked. The lock to the gate wasn't tampered with but the forensic team might want to have a fingerprint check to make sure. According to the janitor, he is the only one holding on to the key to the gate and he also verified that he saw Viola Yuuichi-san enter the cemetery this morning at around 7am."
Natsuki nodded her head. Okuzaki Akira was a new addition to the team this year but she was meticulous and sharp, with lots of potential.
"So there could be a possibility that the crime might have taken place after the cleaner locked the gate and before Viola Yuuichi's visit this morning. Can you check out the surroundings to see if there are signs of forced entry." Natsuki instructed before leaving to have a closer look at the crime scene.
The forensic team had sealed off the crime scene and everything was left untouched.
Sand was piled up at one corner and an open empty coffin was left half buried in the ground. A shovel was left lying on the ground. If they were lucky, they might be able to obtain fingerprint samples from it. If she was the criminal, she would have returned the coffin to the original position and took the shovel with them rather than left everything lying around. The open coffin and randomly discarded shovel were practically telling everyone that someone had robbed the place and to quickly call the police. Why would the criminal do that?
Two possible reasons.
One, the criminal was out to make a statement. So the deliberate open coffin, missing remains and abandoned shovel were left in the open to send a message. It could be revenge if the coffin was specifically selected.
Two, something had happened while the criminals were digging the grave, forcing them to abort the action suddenly and the criminals couldn't clean up their crime afterwards.
Natsuki saw Mai walking towards the coffin with Tokiha Takumi. Takumi was Mai's Ototo (younger brother) and worked in the forensic team, despite Mai's reservation. To be fair, Takumi was quite talented in this field and had contributed quite significantly to the team. Mai was just worried that Takumi couldn't handle the gruesome and taxing requirement of the job.
"Lt Kuga." Takumi acknowledged Natsuki as she approached the Tokiha siblings. "This is something we discovered on the lid of the coffin." Takumi pointed towards the threads tied to the nails nailed on the lid.
Natsuki crouched down and studied them. There were four nails on the lid, each at one corner, and a red thread was tied from one nail to another.
"Look at what else we found." Takumi took out a ziplock bag with a crushed piece of paper in it. "We found a piece of crushed yellow paper near the lid."
"Are those left by the criminal?" Natsuki asked.
"Unlikely." Takumi pointed his gloved finger at the thread. "See how worn out the threads are? It is likely that they might have been there for a while. But more research is needed to verify it."
Natsuki nodded her head and stood up.
Just then, something from a corner caught her eyes.
She turned and saw a lady standing at the edge of the cordon off area. She was wearing a white dress and a white straw hat. If Natsuki didn't know better, she would have thought that she was at a beach or having a picnic at a park. And what really caught her eyes were the piercing red iris, so clear and sharp that it felt that the eyes could see through everything.
When the lady saw Natsuki staring at her, she turned and smiled at Natsuki before returning her gaze to the crime scene.
There was a momentary pause before Natsuki followed her instinct and walked towards the lady. The lady didn't look like a random passerby.
Following the usual routine, Natsuki flashed her badge. "This is Lt Kuga. May I know your business here?"
The lady finally took her attention off the crime scene and looked at Natsuki.
The lady looked even more beautiful up close. Her piercing red eyes became even more contrasting against her pale skin.
She smiled. It made her look approachable and friendly.
But somehow Natsuki felt otherwise. It was just an instinctive gut feeling towards the lady.
Or she could be wrong. Natsuki thought.
"Ara… Gomenei…" The lady apologised.
She had a Kyoto accent, Natsuki thought.
The lady continued. "I didn't mean to disturb you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Viola Shizuru. I heard from Yuuichi nii-sama that something bad has happened to Shiho-chan's grave and I decided to come here to take a look."
Viola Shizuru?
Was she the younger sister of Viola Yuiichi? How come Mai didn't mention that name before?
"I see. If that is the case, I would like you a few questions." Natsuki took out a notebook and a pen from her pocket. Since there was a Viola family member here, she might as well have asked a few questions to have a clearer picture of the family.
"Of course, my pleasure. As long as I can help with identifying the criminal."
"How are you related to Viola Yuuichi-san and the deceased?"
"He is my cousin. My mother was adopted into the family by ojii-sama. By ojii-sama, I would mean Viola Kiyaotaro-sama. He is my grandfather. That would make Yuiichi-sama my cousin and Shiho-chan my cousin-in-law I guess."
"Do you know why Viola Yuiichi-san visited the cemetery today?"
There was a slight pause before Viola Shizuru sighed. "Yuiichi nii-sama loves Shiho-chan a lot. But unfortunately Shiho-chan died during childbirth and today is her death anniversary. I guess that's why nii-sama decided to visit Shiho-chan today."
"Does Munakata Shiho-san have any family members or relatives?"
"Shiho is an orphan. Her parents both died in a plane crash when she was young."
"I see… Do you know if Munakata Shiho-san or the Viola family has any disagreement with anyone who may therefore seek harm against Munakata Shiho-san?"
There was another pause as Viola Shizuru pondered over the question.
"You might want to ask Yuuichi nii-sama regarding Shiho-chan. As for the Viola family, I am not involved in the family business so I am not able to comment much on this."
The questions and answers went back and forth before Natsuki was satisfied with the information.
"Thank you so much Viola Shizuru-san. Your answer is much appreciated." Natsuki said as she closed her notebook. "We will contact you if we have more questions."
"My pleasure to help." Shizuru smiled. It was the same old smile, that by right would make her seem approachable and friendly. But somehow it seemed like a facade to Natsuki.
Well, maybe that was what a rich Ojio-sama was like. Natsuki thought. Natsuki was not an Ojio-sama, so maybe that's why she couldn't understand.
Natsuki gave a final nod and turned to find Mai. They needed to find Viola Yuiichi next.
Shizuru watched as the detective walked off.
Had it been other situations, she would have appreciated the beauty of the detective. But her mind was preoccupied with the happenings thus far.
She was in her office preparing for her upcoming lecture in the afternoon when Yuiichi nii-sama came to find her.
To put it in plain words, Yuuichi nii-sama was distraught. The other time Shizuru had seen Yuiichi nii-sama in such a situation was when Shiho-chan passed away.
Yuuichi nii-sama came to share the news that Shiho's remains were stolen from the grave.
"Shizuru, I know that this may be difficult for you but could you help me once more?"
"Nii-sama, we have been through this several times. We tried it before but Shiho's spirit did not respond to me. There is a high chance that she might have moved on to the afterlife? Isn't this what we hoped for for Shiho?"
"Yes. But..." Yuuichi argued. "But...it is just that I have a feeling in me that she...her spirit still lingers. I knew it. Please Shizuru, nii-sama begs you."
And at that moment, Yuuichi nii-sama kneeled in front of her.
"Nii-sama!" Shizuru reached out to pull him up.
Instead of grabbing Shizuru's hand, Yuuichi nii-sama grabbed her hand.
"Please Shizuru. Nii-sama begs you."
Shizuru gave a heavy sigh, giving in to his request.
"Thank you Shizuru."
"Don't thank me yet. I can't guarantee that she will respond to my summons. She might as well have reincarnated for all we know. Meet me tonight at 12 midnight at my house." Shizuru paused for a while before continuing. "And if possible, bring along an item that Shiho-chan held dear."
And right after her lecture, Shizuru left the university to visit the cemetery.
She needed to check out certain things. Something had been bugging her since a year ago when Shiho-chan died.
When a person dies, a ceremony would be conducted for the deceased, for the person's friends or relatives to pay their last respect. The duration could last for one, three, five or seven days, with seven days being the maximum number of days the deceased remained on earth. After which the deceased should be given a proper burial in order for the deceased to have peace in the afterlife.
Seventh day was of particular importance because the seventh day was where the deceased would return to bid one last farewell to his/her relatives before leaving for the afterlife.
But right after Shiho-chan died in childbirth, Shizuru tried calling for Shiho's spirit to appear before her and Yuiichi nii-sama, but it didn't work out. That wasn't usually the case. Spirits, especially women who died in childbirth tend to linger on earth for a longer period because they tend to have more regrets in life, such as not being able to see their unborn child. Thus, they hovered on earth, unwilling to move on.
But when it came to Shiho-chan, there wasn't any evidence she was still lingering, which puzzled Shizuru.
So Shizuru was hoping to take this opportunity to see if there was anything wrong with Shiho-chan's coffin and her remains.
The moment Shizuru laid eyes on the nails on the coffin lid as well as the threads tied to the nails, her eyes narrowed.
These two items were enough to tell her what could have happened.
With a sharp turn, Shizuru pivoted and left the cemetery.
She was sure they would be able to meet Shiho-chan tonight.
"Mikoto..." Shizuru called out to the younger lady who fell into steps behind her.
"Hai… Shizuru-sama..."
"Later on I am going to send you a list of items. I need them by tonight."
"Hai Shizuru-sama..." Mikoto gave a bow before opening the car door for Shizuru-sama.
The gate to the private residential estate opened and Natsuki drove her ducati into the private driveway.
They had tried their luck at the Viola Corporation but were told that Viola Yuiichi was on leave today.
And so they were here at Viola Yuiichi's private property.
Natsuki randomly picked a spot and turned off the ignition of her bike. Well, the driveway was so large that it would have no problem parking ten cars at the same time. So Natsuki didn't see a need to be so picky when parking her bike.
Before they reached the door, the door opened and a butler was standing there.
"Good afternoon. Yuiichi-sama is waiting for you in his study room. Please follow me." The butler gave a slight bow and led the way to the study room.
"Here it is." The butler gave a gentle knock on the door and opened it for Natsuki and Mai to enter.
Viola Yuiichi was seated behind a mahogany table. He was wearing a long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the top few buttons unbuttoned.
It would have been given Viola Yuuichi a casual look had it not been the dishevel hair and tired look on his face.
Natsuki glanced at the table and saw the glass bottle of hard liquor and a photo of Munakata Shiho. Viola Yuiichi had been drinking before they came.
"Good afternoon Viola Yuuichi-san. I am Lt Kuga and this is Lt Tokiha. We are from the Fuuka Police Headquarter and we are pertaining to the case you lodged with the police this morning."
Viola Yuiichi rubbed his face and took a deep breath.
"Yes yes I called the police this morning. Please take a seat." He gestured to the chairs in front of him.
At least he seemed lucid. Natsuki concluded. Otherwise they might have to make another trip to speak to him if he was drunk.
"How can I help you, Lt Kuga and Lt Tokiha?"
"We would like to find out more information from you." Natsuki replied as she took out her notebook from her pocket.
Viola Yuiichi nodded his head. "I will provide as much information as possible so that Shiho-chan can return to me as soon as possible." At the mention of Munakata Shiho, Viola Yuiichi glanced at the photo.
"Alright, I shall start now. Viola Yuuichi-san, why were you at the cemetery today?"
He took a minute or two to collect his thoughts. "Today was Shiho's death anniversary and I wanted to visit her first thing in the morning on the anniversary. But, when I reached her grave, I saw that her coffin was dug open and...and her body was gone." His hand tightened into a fist. "Someone must have taken her! Damn it!"
Yuuichi took a deep breath to calm himself. "My apologies ladies."
"It's alright." Natsuki assured Viola Yuiichi. "What time did you reach the cemetery? What did you see when you reached Munakata's grave?"
"I reached the cemetery at around 7am or slightly past 7am. The cemetery only opens at 7am and I wanted to be there early. But when I reached there I saw that her grave was dug open and Shiho was nowhere in sight. There was also a shovel nearby I think. Everything was a blur then because I panicked when I couldn't find Shiho-chan. I even searched in the nearby vicinity but I just couldn't find her." Yuiichi's voice broke when he spoke the last statement.
"Did you notice any suspicious character nearby? Were you there alone?" Natsuki asked.
"Yes, I was alone and I didn't see anyone else around. If I recall correctly, I was the only one there this morning." Yuiichi rubbed his face with his palm trying to erase the fatigue that had plagued him since this morning when he found out that his wife's body had been stolen.
"Thank you Viola-san. Last question. Does the Viola family or Munakata family have any enemies ?" Natsuki probed further.
This question had Yuuichi pondering for a moment.
"I doubt so. Shiho was an only child. Her parents died in an air crash when she was 13 and she has no other relatives since her parents are also the only child in the family. That is what I understood from Shiho-chan." Yuiichi paused before continuing. "As for the Viola family, we run a business and we definitely have many competitors. But to call them enemies, it would be too extreme. I can't think of any."
"I see. Thank you Yuuichi-san." Natuski turned to look at Mai to check if there were any questions she would like to ask.
Mai shook her head.
"Please do contact us if you recall anything else regarding this case." Natsuki said as she stood from her chair.
"Yes, thank you Yuuichi-san for assisting in our investigation. Do contact us if you recall any other details that would help us in our investigation. Here is our contact number." Mai took out Natsuki and her name cards and passed it to Viola Yuiichi.
"No, I should be the one to say thank you." Yuuichi replied as he guided Mai and Natsuki to the door. "I really hope whoever did this to Shiho could be apprehended quickly so that I could have Shiho-chan back."
Mai and Natsuki stepped out of the room, both deep in thought.
Little information was gained from the conversation with Viola Yuiichi. It seemed that they hit a dead end. But at least Viola Yuuichi and Viola Shizuru's testimonial tallied.
At that moment, Mai's handphone vibrated. It was a message from her brother Takumi.
"Hey sis, just to let Natsuki-san and you know, we went to the crime scene and got back some items for examination. The results should be out within 1 to 2 days." Mai showed the message to Natsuki.
"Alright, I guess we will go back to the HQ first and wait for Takumi-kun's report." Natsuki decided, hoping that there will be some evidence that could shed some light into this mystery.
Shizuru bought a piece of land at the fringe of the city and built an estate on it. There were various reasons she bought this plot of land. For one it gave Shizuru much privacy and secondly, the FengShui was good.
The nearest neighbours were 2km down the road and that meant that she could carry out her rituals without much interference and questions from possible nosy neighbours.
Shizuru was flipping through a book in her study room when Mikoto knocked on her door.
"Shizuru-sama, Yuuichi-sama is here."
Shizuru glanced at the clock. Nii-sama was way earlier than the agreed time.
"Where did you put him?" Shizuru asked.
"In the main room." Mikoto replied.
Shizuru nodded her head. "I will see him in a while."
Mikoto gave a bow and left.
Might as well that he was here early. There were certain things she would like to find out from Yuuichi nii-sama.
Viola Yuuichi looked up from his cup of coffee and his eyes lit up when he saw Shizuru stepping into the main room.
Viola Yuuichi stood up when Shizuru entered. "Shizuru, you are here!"
"Kombanwa nii-sama. You are early."
There was a sheepish look on Viola Yuuichi's face . "Gomen….. I wasn't able to wait. So I decided to come here slightly early."
Shizuru studied her nii-sama. His face was clean shaven and he wore a different tie from this morning. Looked like he put in effort to be presentable for Shiho-chan.
"Have a seat nii-sama. Since you are here early, we could have a chat before the ritual. Perhaps it might help me understand Shiho-chan better. I remember I was overseas when you got to know Shiho and then the two of you got married. I didn't have a chance to know Shiho-chan as much as I would like to."
"Actually Shiho and I knew each other when we were in high school and then university. The two of us were in the same club. I treated her like any normal kouhai then." Viola Yuuichi shook his head. "How silly I was then. If I knew how good she was then, I would have married her the moment I met her! We would have more time together!"
Viola Yuuichi looked more animated now than ever before when he was talking about Shiho-chan.
"After I graduated and started working, we lost touch for a while. But one year later, I saw Shiho-chan applying to work in our company. I still saw her as a hardworking subordinate."
"Ara… Nii-sama must have been slow back then."
"I was. We worked together on several projects and things happened."
Shizuru arched her brow when she saw Yuuichi nii-sama blushing slightly.
"Well, things happen when you get drunk." Yuuichi nii-sama coughed into his hand, nothing wanting to go into details in front of his imoto. "And we got together soon after that. Then things just fell into place and we finally got married. That was one of the best times of my life."
"Shiho-chan must have enjoyed her time with you too." Shizuru commented. "I heard that she was orphaned at a young age. It must have been difficult for her before she met you."
At the mention of Shiho-chan's past history, Yuuichi nii-sama sighed.
"Yes it was. Her parents died in a plane crash when she was 12 and she stayed at an orphanage until she was old enough to go to university. It was difficult for her to make ends meet. But when she started working, the situation became better for her."
"I see… Things must have been really difficult for her then." Shizuru glanced at the clock. "Yuuichi nii-sama, I would need to make some preparation for later on. Do you have the item I ask you to bring along?"
"Here it is." Yuuichi nii-sama handed over a rectangular velvet box. "It was a precious stone that Shiho-chan held dear to. It wasn't very expensive though. Shiho said it was a gift from her close friend to bless her with luck and prosperity."
Shizuru took over the box and immediately, her eyes sharpened. She stared at the velvet box and rubbed her thumb over it.
"Arno… What do you plan to do with the stone?" Upon seeing the look on Shizuru's face, Viola Yuuichi asked hesitantly. "Could I have it back afterwards?"
Shizuru blinked, looked up and smiled.
"Ara… Nii-sama, of course! Are you worried that I won't run away with it?"
"Ya… of course not. I was just asking."
"Sometimes objects can be used as a way to connect to spirits, especially objects that are meaningful to the owners. I am planning to use this as a bridge to find Shiho." Shizuru glanced at the box in her hand and smiled. "I will excuse myself first nii-sama. I will need some time to prepare for the ritual later on. Make yourself at home nii-sama."
"Of course. Of course. Please go ahead. I will just stay here for a while."
Shizuru returned to her study room and sat on the leather chair, studying the velvet box that was on the table.
There was something in the box. The moment she touched it, she felt an instant cold sensation shooting up her arm.
Shizuru slowly opened up the box. Her eyes narrowed as her iris gave a reddish glow.
The box opened to reveal a small white spherical stone sitting in the center of the box. It may look like a pearl at first glance but it wasn't.
Shizuru picked up the stone and immediately the same sharp cold sensation shot up her arm again.
She studied the spherical object as she rolled it between her thumb and forefinger.
She knew what it was.
But it wasn't simply a stone.
It was a bone. To be more exact, it was a spherical ball carved from a human bone, likely a bone from the rib cage.
If this item was owned by Shiho-chan, Shiho-chan wasn't as innocent as they thought. She might have underestimated Shiho-chan.
养小鬼 is what Shiho-chan was doing.
"养" means "rear or keep"
"小" means "little or young".
"鬼" means"ghost".
To put it in literal sense, Shiho-chan was keeping or rearing a little ghost. Little ghost here refers to the spirit of a child, typically below the age of 10.
In Thailand, it was a common practice for people to 养小鬼 [rear little ghost]. These people would visit the temples in Thailand and ask for the monks to invite the spirit of a child to reside in an object. The object can be in the form of a doll, statue or even a mannequin, and these people would bring the object and thus the spirit home and house the spirit in their home. Given most cases, these spirits were harmless ones, lingering on Earth, unable to find a way to the afterlife. The act of inviting the spirit of a child to reside in the object was to provide a shelter for the homeless spirit. And occasionally, the owner of the house would offer up a cup of milk or sweets in front of the object or spirit to ask for protection and luck. In doing so, the spirits of the child could reap good karma by helping the owners and when they accumulated sufficient good karma, the spirits would be able to find their way to the afterlife. On the other hand, the owners would benefit from protection of the spirits as well as accumulating good karma by offering shelters for the homeless spirits.
But there will of course be a more sinister side to things. Instead of simply homing the homeless spirits of children, there were people who deliberately created one for their control. Those people were called 巫师.
"巫" could mean "witch or sorcerer".
"师" could mean "teacher or doctor".
In other words, 巫师 refers to witch doctor who used unorthodox approaches to things. Normally it carried negative connotations, referring to people who practice witchcraft or black magic to harm others.
The 巫师 [witch doctor] would have to kill a child and bind the spirit of the child to an object, preferably something close to the child. When a child is killed, the child dies of unnatural circumstances. Anyone who dies of unnatural circumstances, such as murder or accident, the spirits tends to hold more emotion such as anger or unwillingness or regret. This in turn could be power or energy for the 巫师 [witch doctor] to tap on.
In 养小鬼 [rearing little ghost], a young child is preferred because a young spirit could be easily manipulated.
A powerful 小鬼 [little ghost] could do anything, even going to the extent of killing a person. But the person who rears the 小鬼 [little ghost] will have to constantly provide offerings to the spirit, in exchange for their loyalty. It can be in the form of toys, clothes or sweets. If offerings were missing or inconsistent, the spirit might turn around and kill the owner instead.
Shizuru looked at the white spherical stone in her hand. There was a spirit of a child residing in this stone. Unfortunately, this spirit was deliberately created to be reared. This definitely wasn't the harmless spirit people would house.
Shizuru wasn't sure how Shiho-can came to own this. Shiho-chan could have created this or she could have bought it from someone. If it was the earlier case, Shiho-chan was definitely good at hiding who she really was.
Shizuru returned the stone and studied the velvet box. It was definitely well made. The box was the reason why Yuuichi nii-sama wasn't harmed by the spirit residing in the stone. Shiho-chan had been dead for about a year and thus no offerings were given.
Under normal circumstances, the spirit of the child would have turned vicious and attacked anyone in the vicinity. And Yuuichi-sama, who had always been in close contact with the box, would be the first in the firing range.
There was something within the box to trap the 小鬼 [little ghost] in.
Shizuru took a penknife and gently cut a slit on the inner section of the box. Beneath the velvet skin were words engraved on the wood to trap the spirit in it and prevent it from going into rampage. Whoever did this was skilled and knowledgeable in the art of black magic.
Shizuru took a talisman and wrapped it around the spherical bone and put it in another box and kept it in her drawer under lock and key. Then she took a similar spherical stone to replace it in the velvet box.
An hour later, Shizuru stood up and left the study room. It's about time the ceremony started.
At the rooftop, Viola Yuuichi and Mikoto were standing by the side, looking on as Shizuru prepared for the ceremony.
There was a 1 meter by 1.5 meter wooden table stationed in the middle. Several items were placed on top of it. On the tables were two red candles. Shizuru lit the candles and then took three joss sticks and lit them using the candles. Standing behind the table, Shizuru bowed three times against the sky with the joss sticks in both hands and stuck the joss sticks into a clay container.
Shizuru picked up a handful of glutinous rice from a porcelain bowl filled with glutinous rice on the table and threw it across the table, scattering the rice across the table and floor. Shizuru repeated the same thing twice more.
Then she took three talismans, held it to the fire and let them burn. Just before the fire touched her fingers, Shizuru threw it into the air.
Viola Yuuichi saw Shizuru chanting something before taking a handbell and rang it, the sound echoed in the silent night.
Viola Yuuichi looked around eagerly, hoping that his Shiho could appear in front if him immediately
The waiting dragged on as silence followed. There wasn't any sign of Munataka Shiho.
Viola Yuuichi was crestfallen when he realised that there was no response from Shiho. He believed that Shizuru did indeed have the power to command spirits. He had seen it with his own eyes before. But he also believed that Shiho-chan did not want to appear now due to various reasons.
In contrast to Viola Yuuichi, Shizuru stood in front of the altar patiently waiting. She cocked her head and waited.
Suddenly she smiled.
Shiho-chan was here.
There was a gust of strong wind, forcing Yuuichi to shield his face from the onslaught of wind. But the gust of wind brought renewed hope that Shiho-chan is here.
As the wind died down, Viola Yuuichi turned to look around but couldn't see anyone.
"Shiho-chan! Are you here? Shiho?" Viola Yuuichi looked around frantically.
At the same time, footprints appeared where the rice had scattered. One footprint after another. The series of footprints seemed to lead towards Viola Yuuichi.
"Mikoto."
"Hai Shizuru-sama." Mikoto moved towards Viola Yuuichi and handed him a bottle.
"What is this?" Viola Yuuichi asked as he held the bottle of eyedrop in his hand.
"Squeeze a drop on your finger and rub it against your eyelids." Shizuru instructed.
Viola Yuuichi followed the instructions.
The moment Viola Yuuichi opened his eyes, he saw a faint appearance of what appeared to be human manifested itself in front of him.
"Shiho!" Viola Yuuichi's face lit up. He still couldn't quite clearly see her face but he was sure it was Shiho-chan.
The faint appearance of a young lady in white slowly came into focus.
"Shiho! Shiho, is that you?" Yuiichi rushed forward trying to embrace the lady but failed as his hands simply slipped through her. Yuuichi turned to Shizuru for help.
"You won't be able to touch her. She is a spirit now but you can talk to her. She can hear you." Shizuru explained. "The joss sticks were burning fast now. She will have to leave once the joss sticks finish burning."
Yuuichi nodded and turned towards Shiho, his eyes slowly filled with tears. "Shiho, Shiho...I...I really miss you, Shiho. How are you? Do you miss me, Shiho? I do miss you, you know. God, how I really miss you." Tears trickled down his face.
"Onii-chan...Onii-chan, don't cry. Don't cry. My Onii-chan should be happy." Shiho raised her arms and attempted to wipe away the tears on Yuiichi's face. But the tears fell through her hands. "I do. I really do miss you a lot. Remember how you promise to be with me forever and always, Onii-chan?" Shiho asked as her hands hovered around Yuiichi's face, trying to caress him.
"Yes, yes. I remember Shiho."
"But I am dead now. You can't be with me now." Shiho stared longingly at Yuuichi, her fingers trying to caress his face.
"You can't be with me now.. but you can DIE!" Just as immediately, Shiho's face contorted in anger and she tightened her fingers around Yuiichi's neck. "Die Viola Yuuichi! Die so that you can be with me!"
As Shiho said those words, the white dress bled a bloody red and the aura surrounding her turned dark and deadly. Her hair band loosen and her pink hair fell into disarray. The previously loving look was replaced by a crazed look on her face as her fingers tightened around Viola Yuuichi's neck.
"Die Viola Yuuichi! Die so that you can be with me!" Shiho repeated.
Yuuichi whimpered in pain as her nails lengthen and pierced into his neck.
He was confused. Why was Shiho-chan strangling him?
"Gomene Yuuichi-sama." Mikoto apologised as she suddenly appeared next to him and swung her leg and kicked against Yuuichi's stomach, causing him to flung to a corner. The motion had him rolling on the floor before hitting his head against a brick and losing consciousness.
Mikoto took out a sword from her back and swung it against Shiho.
Shiho's face contorted with anger. She let out a screech and tried to move towards Viola Yuuichi again, determined to kill him.
But Mikoto blocked her again.
Shizuru wasn't too worried about Mikoto. She was trained for this kind of situation.
Ignoring the fight going on between Mikoto and Shiho, Shizuru calmly walked around them to reach Yuuichi nii-sama.
There was a slight wince when Shizuru saw the bump on his head. He was going to have a splitting headache when he woke up. Shizuru thought. Other than the bump and the marks left by Shiho, he seemed fine.
The fight between Shiho and Mikoto wasn't long and it ended with Shiho escaping.
"Shizuru-sama, as per instructed, I have let Shiho-chan escape." Mikoto returned to Shizuru's side with her sword back in the shield.
Shizuru nodded her head. "Good job. Now we have to find ways to move Yuuichi nii-sama to a bed."
Shizuru sighed.
Viola Yuuichi woke up to find himself on the bed. He winced as he felt his head throbbing.
He remembered what happened before he fainted!
"Shiho! Shiho-chan!" Viola Yuuichi quickly struggled to his feet, wanting to see Shiho immediately.
At that moment, Shizuru opened the door and entered the room.
Seeing hope, Viola Yuuichi quickly rushed to Shizuru and grabbed her arms.
"Shizuru, Shiho-chan appeared just now right? Tell me Shizuru."
It was a tight grip but Shizuru was unfazed by it. She patted his hand.
"Sit down first nii-sama and I will tell you what happened."
That immediately calmed him down.
"You and I, we both saw her just now. But Shiho-chan doesn't seem right."
"What do you mean?" Yuuichi stopped breathing when Shizuru mentioned that Shiho-chan wasn't right. "She looked fine to me then." The thought that there was something wrong with Shiho made him panic.
"Had she been alive, would she be choking you to death?"
There was silence.
What Shizuru said was wasn't the violet type. In the short time they were together, Shiho never even once raised her voice.
"But..."
"Take a look at your neck." Shizuru took a handheld mirror and placed it in front of Yuuichi. "Look at how bad it is."
Yuuichi stretched his neck. He could see black imprints, the shape of hands wrapping around his neck. It looked like bruises but it wasn't because it wasn't painful.
"Why are there imprints on my neck? Did Shiho leave these on my neck?"
"Shiho is a ghost now and all ghosts have negative energy in them. We call this kind of negative energy Yin. I am sure you have heard of the Yin and the Yang. The Yin and the Yang are opposite of each other. Just like how we have daylight, the Yang, and night time, the Yin. So during the daytime, the Yang energy is stronger while the Yin energy is weaker. On the other hand, the Yin energy is stronger at night while Yang energy is weaker. Just like how we also have the opposite gender, with females representing the Yin and the males representing the Yan. Females are said to be strong in Yin and thus are less suited for jobs that deal with deaths because they have a higher chance of accumulating more Yin energy. Accumulating more Yin energy makes them more likely to see spirits and ghosts, which could cause harm to humans. So what you see on your neck is the Yin energy that has accumulated on your skin when Shiho grabbed you."
"Will it go away?" Viola Yuuichi stared at his neck in the mirror. It was so obvious that it would be difficult for anyone to miss it.
"If you leave it, it might take a while to fade away. Probably a couple of months. And in the meantime, you will most likely be down on your luck. Like I mentioned earlier on, Yin energy tends to attract spirits and ghosts. If you are lucky, with that thick layer of Yin energy around your neck, you will just suffer from silly pranks by the spirits and ghosts. For example, tripping over things when there is nothing there. But if you are unlucky, you might get into a major accident. So it may not be a small matter."
Shizuru took out a patch from a zip-lock bag.
"Tilt your head back a bit." Shizuru instructed and pasted the patch on Yuuichi's neck.
Yuuichi sucked in a breath. It hurted like hell! His neck wasn't hurting earlier on. But the moment the patch touched his skin, he felt a searing pain.
"This patch will remove the Yin energy from your skin. But you have to change it once every 6 hours and the Yin energy on your skin should fade away in about two weeks." Shizuru handed the zip-lock bag filled with patches to Yuuichi and took out a talisman and passed it to him.
"In the meantime, you might be slightly down on your luck. So have this talisman with you all the time. It should keep you safe."
"Thank you so much Shizuru. I won't know what to do without you." Yuiichi gave Shizuru a grateful smile.
But the smile quickly disappeared.
"About Shiho-chan… Shizuru, could you tell me what happened to her?"
There was a long pause.
"I would need some time to find out what happened to Shiho-chan."
Disappointed by the reply, Yuuichi could only nod his head.
To be continued...