Interlude: Border Between Dreams and Reality
In the cusp between night and day, the breath between dreaming and waking, the sun dawned. A pale light suffused into the room through the translucent curtains, but as they rustled in the rising breeze, a golden ray peeked into the room and crept playfully across the sleeping boy's face.
A waft of air carried the scent of a pristine morning and the slightly damp chill of spring. Hikaru shivered and snuggled deeper into his blankets. But the dance of light and shadow tickled his eyes – he finally opened them ... and sighed. Sai was not in his dreams last night. Among the endless parade of nights in which they could have met, he had hoped they would meet during that one. Of course, there were dreams that were forgotten immediately upon waking, but those were fleeting phantasms, merely hazy patches of impressions quilted into the fabric of a dream. Frail and insubstantial, they would vanish without a trace into the murky depths of the mind. However, when they had been together, Sai was as much a phantom as he was real, and in dreams, he would be real as much as he was a fragment of bygone days.
Last night, he had clung steadfast to a bittersweet memory and left the window slightly ajar before turning into bed. Left with only fairy tales and magic to believe in, he had cast his hopes into the night sky and slept, waiting for the wind to carry Sai into his dreams. But, tired and exhausted from a long day, only a deep, deep slumber took him and latched tight the window to his mind.
He briefly contemplated giving Sai another chance by going back to sleep. However, the sun was already climbing above the rooftops, and there was much to do on this particular day. He dragged himself out from under the covers and drew aside the curtains. Just outside, colourful carp kites fluttered joyously in the brightening sky. It was like a day in the youth of the world, carefree and fresh and boundless.
And in this world brimming with countless paths and inexhaustible potential, he suddenly felt very much alone.
"Even though I am playing now ... even though I love every moment of my Go ... I meant what I said back then.... God, if I give you my Go, would you give Sai back to me?" The only sound he heard in response was the delicate tinkling of distant wind chimes, but if he had really concentrated and really listened hard, perhaps he would have heard the warming breeze whisper in his ear, Let's go, Hikaru. A new day awaits!
Thank you for all the encouraging reviews. They really help keep me going.
As for tournaments, they're just around the bend. The Wakajishisen, or the Young Lion's Tournament, is currently planned for chapters 7-10 – one for each round of the tournament. It may be a bit of a wait, because these next two chapters are a bit difficult to write.