XI. Empty
"What is it that you seek?"
It had been a rainy day when Seishiro entered the Dimensional Witch's shop. His tan, priest-like robes had been soaked from the torrential rain that seemed to have plummeted from the sky, drops still lingering on his hair, lurking down to his eyelashes and lips. Drops of rain would occasionally fall from his body to the floor, There was an occasional ping of hail hitting the roof of the shop, as if signaling a strange occurrence was about to take place.
Then again, strange was nothing new to Seishiro. Nor was it to Yuuko. To them, strangeness seemed to follow them wherever they went; and they didn't mind it one bit.
Yuuko was in her traditional attire, a black satin dress adorned with white abstract patterns along the long sleeves, which covered most of her arms, and the headdress placed upon her head was decorated with white satin cloths, hung low on either side of her face. She had an air of regal sophistication and quiet mysticism about her, as if she could tell the future of someone's fate just by looking at them.
Seishiro had no doubt about her abilities and what she could do with them. That is why he came to her in the first place.
"I hope you pardon the intrusion, given the weather and all. For some reason I have seemed to be drawn to this place – perhaps you can tell me…" Seishiro stated with a polite smile on his face. As he spoke, he looked around the store – it seemed to have a simple layout. There were not a lot of things on display, if anything at all. But the place seemed to call to him, internally.
Perhaps this was the reaction that everyone garnered.
Yuuko knowingly smiled. "Yes. You are very perceptive, are you not?"
"Quite – or so I've been told." The hunter replied.
The witch's gaze shifted. "What is your wish…Seishiro Sakurazuka?"
For a moment, the aforementioned man's breath caught in his throat. She was good – very good. She didn't even ask for his name.
He closed his eyes and smiled.
"I wish for the ability to transcend dimensions – for the ability to travel to different worlds. What I seek is not in this world. It could be in the next world, or the one after that. I am not certain, but I am going to find out no matter what."
The conviction in his voice was easy to read, but the delivery was not – his voice came out as smooth as honey, though inside he could his heart pummeling against his chest like a jackhammer. It was clear what he wanted, or in this case, who he wanted.
Yuuko replied, after a short pause, "All right. If that is your wish…it shall be granted. But there is a price. You must give up something of equal value to what you gain. Do you understand that?"
Seishiro did not waver. "Yes. I understand completely."
The Dimensional Witch continued. "Good. In this case – In order to travel between worlds, you must give the sight in your right eye."
Seishiro blinked once. If that was the price he had to pay – if his right eye was to be the empty vessel of his power - then so be it.
"I accept."
