Time of Dying
A Hagi story based off the song "Time of Dying" by Three Days Grace
Aldedron: Oh yeah~! We got First Place at Gresham!! Whoo!!!
Serin: *glances at Word Count* Hm, and I see you've broken the 30,000 Word Count on Microsoft Word, too. *dryly* Congrats. Seriously, though, did you guys have to rub it in your competitors' faces so badly??
Aldedron: *nervous chuckle* Got caught up in the moment…
Saya: Why? What'd she do?
Serin: Not so much her as all 116 of them, really. Jessie held the trophy over his head and every last one of them swarmed him, all running and jumping back to the charter buses while singing—okay, screaming, "Alla alla ay! Rockin'—rock to the beat now! I don't know! Just what it is! But Curtis is funky!" Then, again, with Curtis as "crazy" and so-on… It was so loud, every time she called her dad in an attempt to give him the news, she couldn't tell whether or not he'd answered *rolls eyes*
Aldedron: Oh you BET it was loud! And dark, too! The finals weren't 'til five or something 'round there. Then, other orchestras played in their finals, too—different divisions of the competition. We never received the chance to listen to our competitors, which is sad, but we did get to hear Garfield High School from Seattle ^^ They were absolutely amazing… They got first place in their division, too… But we didn't even leave Mt. Hood Community College for quite a while… Got to Lloyd something—the mall *shrug* to eat dinner, then left for the hotel at 9:15
Serin: And then the charter buses got lost 'cause they had bad directions. You all even crossed BACK over into Washington and received a scenic tour of late-night Vancouver before finally turning around and returning to Portland to go to bed *rolls eyes again*
Aldedron: And the WHOLE TIME—on my bus, as least ^^-- everyone was singing random songs. I don't even remember what they were 'cause I was so tired, only the fact that they were singing lol
Saya: *warm smile* Sounds like a lot of fun
Aldedron: You bet!! And, since I couldn't use my iPod or read a book or anything to keep myself occupied half the time 'cause of circumstances, I instead killed quite a few hours just daydreaming. Which brings us this chapter…
Delein: *frowning* 'Bout time you got to the point -_-*
Aldedron: *glare* So anyways, 'cause of all that music stress, I'm usin' music terms like there's no tomorrow. Sorry, didn't even notice 'til someone gave me this REALLY annoyed look…
Thump-Thump.
Thump-Thump.
Thump-Thump.
The sound resonated, a steady crescendo amongst the silent darkness.
Heavy breathing and an echoing thumping. So enticing… so alluring…
Footsteps. They grew closer and closer, the clacking of thick soles echoing off the walls to resonate deafeningly—yet it still felt dull in comparison with the roaring thumping penetrating even the darkest corners.
The thumping was overpowering. It seemed to drown out everything, intermixing with all the other sounds dancing through the air. It was like they all worked together just to make the already double forte a fortissimo with an underlying staccato which only seemed to make it ever more present; pervading.
A pounding migraine invaded without fail to this onslaught. The ache only amplified the sound even more…
…
Rushed breathing and sweat running down a flushed forehead, Vick raced down the hall.
Something had happened. Something was wrong. He had to know—before Aiya did.
This time, he would find out. This time, he'd get that kisama ("bastard") to give him some answers. This time, Haji wasn't cool and collected, but instead unsettled and flustered. Vick did not know why, but he'd use it to his advantage.
Undoubtedly, that kisama was in that same library, just like he was those few times Vick had ever managed to come into contact with him. It was amazing, really, how few times he'd actually seen Haji. Vick worked and lived at the Goldschmidt Manor twenty four hours a day, three hundred sixty five days a year, as did Haji—yet the French agent could count on one hand how many time he'd so much as seen him. Four. Exactly. That included earlier komban ("tonight").
He recalled each instance with crystal clarity.
The first had basically been upon Aiya's introduction. It was not long after he'd first begun working for Joel Goldschmidt II, and he'd met Haji right there in that study. The kuro garbed man had outright threatened him right then and there, an obvious attempt to establish dominance. It was common behavior amongst servants, for none wanted to be the lowest of the low and Haji obviously didn't hold a very high status in this household despite his close connections with Joel Goldschmidt II and his late father. So there wasn't a doubt in his mind that the man was a servant, yet he did no work. That first time Vick saw him was basically all he'd ever figured out the him to do. Read and play the cello. Research Chiropterans with what seemed to be no results.
He'd left that study full of unanswered questions which were destined to remain just as cryptic.
Over six months before another sighting, it had been only that: a glimpse. It was unsettling how quietly Haji could move… Vick had just been strolling the hallways at about two AM, unable to sleep, when suddenly a shadow crossed his path. There was not a soul who didn't believe in ghosts and demons, and the agent had immediately reverted to a younger version of his self: panicked and scared that a demon had come to take his life. Punish him for his sins. The flash of pale, white skin had canceled out that immediate assumption of a demon dwelling in the shadows and made him think of a ghost—yet the form's figure was somehow familiar. That silent, graceful movement had sparked a familiar memory of a man garbed in black playing the cello with immaculate skill. Haji didn't even glance at the frozen man, only continued on his way. Perhaps he'd noticed Vick, perhaps he hadn't, there was no telling. All Vick knew was that when he'd finally regained his sense, just after Haji had turned the corner, he leapt forward and skidded around to find an empty hallway. Dark shadows danced, little curls of smoke twisting through the air. Only moments before, that hall had been lit by a candle every couple feet resting in their bronze holders between the expensive paintings lining the walls.
Gone in a flash, Vick was too unsettled to even imagine going back to sleep. In a frenzy, he'd raced back to the servants' quarters and settled into his bed to stare up at the dark ceiling 'til the light of morning pierced the kuroi (kuroi means exactly the same thing as kuro) realm. The whole day, he'd gone through his duties with heavy eyes and slow movements like that of the living dead. No one dared speak to him or risk a verbal lashing.
The third was far more recent. Earlier that very day. Another sighting. He'd watched as Haji entered Joel Goldschmidt II's study, closing the door behind himself. Following Haji had been several other people—none of which had Vick ever seen before. Then, their mysterious meeting had begun, filled to the brim with cryptic words and secret signals he could not see. He'd been entirely unable to follow, but perhaps that had been their intention. Either way…
The fourth and final, when Haji emerged from that room in a frenzy. His breathing hadn't been light and nearly indecipherable. Other than that, he'd been absolutely silent, just like usual. Long, kuroi hair had covered his face, but the shadows only seemed to emphasize his unsettled aura. For some reason, Vick had become overwhelmed with this sensation of fear for his life. Never before, had the feeling been so strong, even when he'd been on the battlefield looking Death in the eye. His reaction time slowed once more as he became paralyzed with this overwhelming kyoufu ("fear" or "terror"). Just as quickly, Haji was gone, the horrifying aura dispersing with him. Only seconds later, Joel Goldschmidt II himself approached the door and Vick leapt into the closest open doorway in a hurry, unable to see the Master's response.
Which brought Vick to where he was now. Racing down the corridors so as to reach that study as quickly as he possible could. Joel had ordered all servants to remain in their quarters hours ago, so he could rest assured there was no one to run into and slow him. No one besides Aiya, anyways, but she was a bit back. She didn't have the physical training Vick did, so it was only understandable. Plus, he was running as fast as he could, while she was merely speed walking—and in a dress, at that.
But he had to find Haji as quickly as possible. While he was flustered, he was weak, he might relent to a question or two, accidentally spill an answer to one of his questions. Finally, Vick would get some answers…
Finally, the agent had reached his destination. He skidded to a stop before the study door. It was ajar, the room within ubatama ("pitch black"). No movement whatsoever. Had Vick guessed wrong? Had they all been wrong and Haji actually wasn't here?
It only made sense to double check.
Glancing around, he saw the hall to be empty. The coast was clear.
There wasn't even a need to fear the door would creak, for it was wide open. He easily slipped through the enter the shadowy room. For ten grueling seconds, he awaited their adjustment to the darkness. He could look around now and scrunched his brows in confusion. A coffin-shaped mass loomed, leaning against the cherry-wood desk which was clear of any papers. A candlestick stood sentry to one side, unlit and strangely menacing. It was a symbol… Furthering his surveillance, Vick's gaze came to rest on the towering bookshelves covering one wall entirely. Its shape was off. A book lie strewn thoughtlessly on the floor, its pages open and crumpled. Such carelessness for someone otherwise entirely immaculate? All this organization and suddenly, this book lies so carelessly thrown upon the floor. It definitely required further investigation.
With a glance back at the door to find it still empty, Vick dropped to one knee. It was written in a language he could not read. His eyes narrowed as he realized something. "Cyrillic?" he mouthed. It must've been Russian. Too bad he couldn't read Russian, so it was still a lost cause.
He then turned his attention to where the book came from. Perhaps there was a clue there. The mass of the bookshelves was… off. A straight line until suddenly a corner jutted out. It was as out of place as the Russian book lying strew upon the floor. Another glance back at the empty door and he crept forward, resting a calloused hand upon the fine grain. Yes, definitely a corner. An edge, if anything. The entire side of one narrow bookcase, he realized as his eyes traversed the entire mysterious body. Vick slid his fingers across it, searching for another irregularity. A crack. He could fit his whole hand through it, and what was more, he could feel a slight breeze coming through. The agent's eyes widened in shock. That night… that night, so long ago, when he'd come here looking for clues—his candle had been blown out. He'd been standing in this exact. same. spot.
"A secret passageway…" he muttered in disbelief.
It all made sense, now. How Haji was able to disappear for such period without a single sighting from any of the staff. The mansion may have been big, but it wasn't that big. Now, it all added up. Only question was now: what was down there?
Determined, Vick gripped the shelves and heaved with all his might.
Aldedron: Aha, Vick's onto something…
Lulu: Oh, just get on with it
Aldedron: *glare* FINE