Oblitus

Kaito pursued Miku as she fled. Her fear was tainting the air. A growing aura of darkness was descending upon the town. Just as it was when he arrived, a storm began to stir the sky. Large obsidian clouds hid the light. The tension of the newcomers and the secrets that they held pulsed with a life of their own. A feeling of foreboding settled over the town; the only sense that the villagers had of events. They gathered behind curtains and peered onto the street occasionally. Most watched on with vague irritation. They had no knowledge of what was to come.

Kaito, though above them in many mysterious ways, mirrored their obliviousness. He was determined to catch her by any human means. His mind was focused on his goal and his gaze refused to stray. He hadn't noticed the rising intensity of animosity. He hadn't seen Gakupo watching him. He hadn't seen the woman who had terrified him so the previous day. She was smiling at Gakupo. Her deviousness was coming to the fore. She was ready to play one of her twisted games. Redemption had long since abandoned her.

As Kaito disappeared around a street corner in pursuit of Miku and the tension came to its height. The woman stepped out from her place, half-hidden behind an old building. Gakupo approached her from his place in an alleyway. He strode with regal pride, his head held high. She kept her head lowered, eyes flashing with deception and wit. The days of her behaviour being facetious were long dead. He knew not to trust her; watched her every movement with great scrutiny. She managed to bypass his extraordinary senses.

When they came to one another, standing only a foot apart, his throat was touched by a blade. Her wicked eyes smiled threateningly. She was terrifying, exhilarating and fearsome, yet he could still see vulnerability in her. It was as though the part of her which existed in their days of peace was shining from within. He couldn't differentiate between whether that was intentional or not. Whichever it was, he was still terrified. She had never truly lost to him and his life was staked on this encounter.

"I congratulate you, Luka," he said bitterly. "You've become victorious."

"Did you expect anything else?" she nearly laughed.

Gakupo shook his head; his actions disguising the withdrawal of his katana. Even though she was nothing like she once was she was still too trusting. He swung his sword. The blade collided with Luka's and threw her off balance. She hissed furiously at having had to retreat. Her sword was thrust towards him accusingly. She watched him intently. A spark of evil gleamed in her gaze. Nothing much had changed over the years between them. They were always made to decide the other's fate.

He thrust his blade against hers. The screech of metal as it scraped against more metal resounded. The high pitched scream echoed through the town. Luka stepped back and fell into an offensive stance. Her eyes were glowing with feral instincts. If he weren't so connected to her he would have retreated. Instead, he raised his sword to her once more. They were about to clash when a scream pierced the area. Memories of the distant past were carried through their minds in an instant. They ran.

Side by side, enemy by enemy, they made their way to a down-trodden area of the village. The houses at this estate were little more than wooden boxes that someone seemed to have stood on. The crushed cubes were of little interest to them. However, they were placed opposite a mansion. The mansion exuded something beyond simple intimidation. Luka and Gakupo exchanged glances; their rivalry entirely forgotten. They joined Kaito who stood before the gargantuan building with his jaw clenched tightly. He was furious but subdued – a deadly combination; one that didn't favour him.

When they arrived at his side they realised, with horror, what had happened. The building had stored power over a number of years. That power was now beginning to seep from its frame in rivulets of undiluted strength. Such power could only belong to one person.

Gakupo stepped forward, his arm preventing Luka from advancing. His gaze roamed from Kaito to the building. He felt a pang of sympathy race through his body. Almost nothing had changed for Kaito over the years. He was still as desperate as he had ever been. That didn't seem likely to change. This encounter seemed only to cement what occurred in their eternal fate. He wanted to speak, to reassure his ancient friend, but Gakupo knew better. For his sake, and Luka's, he remained in an uneasy silence.

"Who are you?" Miku whispered, hugging herself tightly.

The air was icy and relentless. The doors and windows were all shut though she felt as though a great gust of wind was striking her. The bombardment felt like a cruel sort of magic that was freezing her from within. She retreated a few paces. Her leg nudged a small table that clattered to the ground. Miku froze. Her eyes were wide. Her heart was palpitating at a rate never before reached. Her lungs were dry; starved of air. She could feel an entity behind her, lurking in the shadows.

Her arms fell to her side, weak, but so much as her voice. "What do you require of me?"

She received no response. The shadows only seemed to wait in anticipation. There were no words for the state of terror and panic that she found herself drowning in. She only knew that she couldn't let herself die. Her body struggled for life even though she would happily die to escape the mansion.

Then it all fell into place. "I am the one in your heart. Am I correct?"

Yes. His arms were tightly wrapped around her waist.