"Renko ?"

I felt a weight come to sit on the bed next to me; I froze under the covers, as if being still would convince her that I wasn't there. I don't want her to see me like this...

"Renko, are you all right ? Don't hide, it's me..."

Her voice was like a soft caress, washing over me, slowly dissolving my willpower to stay hidden from her; the unusual hint of sadness in it worried me, making it even harder for me to hide any longer.

"Please, talk to me, Renko."

Slowly, I sat up, and, like an old turtle adventuring its head out of its shell, I emerged from the cocoon of my bedcovers, only to be dazzled by the golden glow of her hair. She smiled, trying to encourage me; as I expected from the tone of her voice, it was that sad smile that she wore when trying to hide her problems. But is it the shock from having fainted... or did something else happen ?

"There. Now, I don't know where we are, but somehow, I don't feel hungry any more. What's more, we seem to be safe, so, please tell me, why are you crying ?"

The damned innocence with which she asked me that ! Here she is, obviously worried herself, and yet she deflects it by asking me why I'm crying ? Why wouldn't I be ?

"I... it's because I... You..."

I wanted to tell her so many things : I wanted to tell her how scared I was of losing her, how much I hated the fact that I couldn't protect her, and more than anything, I wanted to tell her how much I loved her, but all those words ended up stuck in my throat, all fighting for escape yet only succeeding in blocking each other's way like dirt down a shower drain; they ended up drowned out by my tears, preventing me from saying anything at all. Seeing my distress, she put her arms around me, pulling me close to her.

"It's ok, Renko. We've been through a lot in these last few days. Don't worry, I understand."

You don't understand... You don't understand at all...

I remained there, wrapped up in the warmth of her arms, still unable to say anything as she ran her hands through my hair, trying to comfort me; if anything, it just made the pain of the situation worse.

I wish you really did understand, Merry. Because then, I wouldn't have to tell you myself.

...

Eventually, I gathered up the courage to explain the situation to her : I told her about the medicine seller who had found us, passed out, on the road, how she had told us that we were safe now that we were in the village, that she had given us some kind of medicine to stave off hunger, and that a teacher named Keine should be able to answer any questions we had. I didn't tell her about the void full of millions of eyes that I vaguely remembered being dragged into, nor the fact that we were lucky to not have been eaten : she had enough to worry about already. She has me dragging her down, after all. As I talked, she seemed to liven up a little, her fake, sad smile becoming a genuine one.

"Well, cheer up then, Renko ! This is good news, right ? We finally have a lead to someone that we can talk to about this whole mess ! Why don't we go find this teacher, then ? Maybe even look around the village while we're at it !" Of course, I knew that she was acting this way because she knew I was feeling down, but I couldn't help but find her attempts to cheer me up a little forced. How can you act so cheerful ? You've been through the same events I have... If the village truly was safe, though, it would be nice change from the fear and danger we'd faced over the last few days. Some quality time with her not spent running away or starving... That's might be just what I need, really. I decided to let her sings of worry slide, blaming it on the fact that anyone would be shaken up after what had happened.

Doing my best to smile, I told her that it sounded like a good plan, and so we set off out of the inn.

...

Stepping out into the village, Maribel and I gazed around in wonder : it felt like we had been transported back in time. All around us were old-fashioned wooden houses, some of which even had straw roofs; the roads were all dirt tracks, without any traffic sings or anything that hinted at the presence of cars, and most noticeably of all was the complete lack of anything electronic in sight. It reminded me of those silly reality shows where people are taken far away from all technology for a week, and have to "survive like in the good old days". I remembered my phone, which I seemed to have lost at some point. Well, I've managed well so far without.

Maribel's eyes were sparkling as she took in her surroundings. I could already tell that this was the kind of thing she'd be interested in : whenever we went far out into the countryside to visit a shine or an abandoned old house, she would always want to stop by the nearest village, hoping it would be a quaint little hamlet in which we could stroll around in, pretending that we had travelled back to the past, to the early two-thousands, maybe. Those kinds of villages had become rare with our generation's urbanisation, though, and those that did remain old-fashioned had almost all become ghost towns nowadays. Well, a real ghost town would be right up our alley, wouldn't it ? Her eyes set on a large building at the end of the street : according to the medicine woman, this was probably the school. Mustering up another smile, I asked, "Keine first, sightseeing later ?" She nodded.

Smiling has never been so tiring before.

It was quite a long way to the school, though, and we couldn't help but get a little distracted by the sights and sounds we passed. As we made our way down the street, me trudging along next to Maribel's much lighter step (although there must have been something imperceptibly different in her movements, because I couldn't help but feel like something was still gnawing at her), I came across a surprising sight down one of the little streets perpendicular to ours : in front of a tofu stand stood a tall woman dressed in white and blue, but what really caught my attention was the nine golden fox tails extending out of her lower back, and the decidedly real-looking fox ears protruding out of her head. I stopped in my tracks, taken aback. A youkai ! Yet Maribel, calm as can be, took my hand, squeezing it reassuringly, and, in a soft voice, asked me to keep watching. I did : on closer inspection, the woman (Or kitsune ?) seemed to actually be having a pleasant conversation with the tofu stand owner, and, a short time later, paid him before leaving with a bag of the goods in her hand. As she left, she glanced my way - right into my eyes - and smiled, an uncanny smile that chilled me to the bone. And just like that, she flew off. A few passers-by stared, but none seemed particularly impressed. Is this purely routine for them ? Maribel looked pleased. "See ? This place isn't all bad", she said, as if just speaking her thoughts out loud. I scoffed at her.

"Yeah, when you're not getting imprisoned or eaten by youkai." A frown passed over her face.

"No, but didn't you see ? She must have been a youkai, but she didn't seem dangerous to the people here, did she..." Then, in a whisper, she continued to herself, "I'm sure it can be a nice place, it's just that we're not at the top of the food chain anymore..."

I pretended to not have heard her; we had arrived in front of the school, anyway.

...

The school itself was quiet; the only sound was of Maribel suggesting that we eat at the tofu stand later. And what'll we pay with ? The further we advanced along the central corridor, the more the lack of children was noticeable. The weekend, maybe ? I've completely lost track of time. Now that we were properly inside the building, the two of us treaded lightly along the wooden floors, making as little noise as possible : the sudden calm of the school made us feel out of place, coming from the bustling street; it was like we were in some kind of sacred place, where even treading too loudly would be a sign of disrespect. Despite our efforts, we were still heard.

"Is anybody there ?", a calm yet demanding voice asked from inside a room further down the corridor; soon after, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching us.

"Oh, sorry, I was expecting... So, to whom do I owe the pleasure ?"

A tall woman dressed in blue appeared in front of us; covering her long, white hair was a strikingly odd hat, shaped almost like a building of some sort. Is this what teachers have to wear here ? I wondered, almost pitying her.

"Renko Usami and Maribel Hearn," Maribel said, presenting us to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you... Miss Keine, right ? We heard that you know a lot about the history of this land. If possible, would you be so kind as to allow us to ask you some questions ?" Despite everything, she hasn't lost her tact in situations like these.

"Oh, why yes, of course ! Do come in," she invited, gesturing to us to follow her into the room from which she had came. It was a tidy little study, with a diversity of books lined up on small, cheap-looking shelves, and a large, well-organised desk in the middle : there were three seats in front of her desk, meaning she was probably used to receiving people in this room.

"As you seem to already know, my name is Keine Kamishirasawa, and I'm the teacher of this school. I must say," she added, "I don't think I've ever seen either of you here before. We don't get new visitors very often."

"Well, you see, we're new here," Maribel answered. "And that's exactly why we came here : we'd like to know more about our new... our place of sojourn."

More like prison. I want us to go home as soon we can.

"Ah, I see. Well, your friend - Renko, was it ? - is awfully lucky to have made it to the village in time. You're safe here, but outside the village, human newcomers such as her aren't protected at all."

Human newcomers such as me ? Why single me out ? Maribel's just as lost here as I am.

"Ah, yes, lucky," Maribel quickly replied, looking flustered. With a nervous laugh, she added, "Well, we're here now, so that's what counts, right ?"

She's nervous. She's hiding something. I was beginning to feel uneasy.

"Well, if you're new here, I had better start explaining from the top. This village, you see, is known as the Human Village, being the only real place humans live together..." She stared deliberately at when whenever she talked about humans, which only made uneasiness worse.

She then launched into an explanation about how she was the protector of the village, and had some kind of power over history, which meant that she could conceal things or something, I wasn't sure : I was too busy trying to read Maribel's reactions. Something's wrong. It seemed more like she was being called out on something when Keine addressed me as a human, yet not her. Her nervous reply was definitely telling. The fact that I felt with growing certainty that Maribel was hiding something from me was really getting to me; something was separating us, driving us apart due to a secret she couldn't, or didn't want to, tell me. The fear of losing her was rapidly returning from earlier. I'm going to be alone here, she's going to disappear, and I can't help her, I can't protect her, I, I...

"You hear that, Renko ? Doesn't that sound nice ?" I hadn't been listening at all, but now I noticed that she had turned towards me, staring at me with her deep violet eyes, right into mine. Hidden under the table, she slipped her hand into mine, and whispered "please, don't worry."The soft touch of her hand reassured me, but only superficially : my head was still swarming with questions that I couldn't ask, not only because I wouldn't know where to start, but because she didn't seem to want me to. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down : I was making a big deal about nothing. Right ?

"So in this village, the humans are safe from youkai ? And yet some of them, like you, even live here ?" Maribel was summing up what had been said for my sake.

"That's right. Despite being the only human village in Gensokyo, it isn't rare to see youkai here. You don't need to worry about them, though : they aren't allowed to harm anyone here. I personally see to it that that rule is respected."

The two of them carried on discussing Gensokyo, which I remembered being the name of this land. Maribel asked questions, and Keine answered enthusiastically, seeming happy to have someone show interest in the history she knew so much about. I tried to pay attention, I really did, but I was worried, and couldn't help but wonder what it was that Maribel was hiding from me. It wasn't until I heard them laugh about something that I tuned back into the conversation. Worried that they were getting distracted (and with Maribel's charm, it was easy to end up talking about anything), I whispered to Maribel, "Shouldn't you ask her how to get out of here ?"

I felt her grip around my hand tense up, as her smile instantly faded. Oh no, have I touched upon something she wants to avoid ?

"Ah, yes, of course..." Addressing Keine, she asked, half-heartedly, "So, I don't suppose there's any way that she – um, that we – could go back home ?"

This is it. This is what we came for. But that slip of the tongue hadn't gone unnoticed. She really is trying to abandon me, isn't she ? My heart had started racing, making me feel dizzy, but the other two continued without noticing. I let go of her hand : it had started to feel cold and unfamiliar, like a complete stranger's.

"Well, yes, there is a way, although you'll need some help in doing it. You'd have to cross the Hakurei Barrier, which surrounds Gensokyo. Now, how to do that is much beyond my knowledge, but the Hakurei Shrine Maiden can usually do it for you. She lives quite far outside the village, though; it's far too late for you to go there today. Do wait until tomorrow, ok ?"

Maribel nodded gloomily, before asking, in anticipation of my thoughts : "We will. Where would she - we - have to go to arrive at the shrine ?"

"Go East from the village. There's a small path that leads to it. It's a bit overgrown, though, so do be careful." She paused for a while, before adding as an afterthought, "Still, it's unusual for a youkai like you to be asking about crossing the barrier. Don't you know about all this already ?"

A youkai like you.

That was what pushed me over the edge. I couldn't take it any more, so I stood up, vision blurry and feeling sick, blurting out some excuse as I fled from the room.

A youkai like you. A human such as myself. This is what she's been hiding from me, isn't it ? I knew it didn't make sense, but I couldn't think; I just wanted to be away from there, out of that room in which Maribel felt so different, I wanted to be outside, getting some fresh air, to get away...

I burst out of the building; the harsh light of the afternoon sun washed over me, blinding me temporarily, and the noise of the street, compared to the calm of the schoolhouse, made my head spin even more. No, I need to leave, I...

I only managed a few confused steps before falling flat on my face. I didn't even try getting up : I just lay there, feeling drained of everything but confusion and dread.

...

Before long, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I didn't move. I knew she'd catch up, sooner or later.

"Renko..." she started tentatively. I didn't react. What is there to say ? I thought we were together in this, yet she's obviously hiding so much from me. Is it even her anymore ?

"Renko, I'm sorry. It's not that I wanted to hide anything from you, it's just that... well, some things are better left unsaid, right ?" I sat up slowly to face her; my eyes had become red and puffy. She was smiling timidly at me. I didn't feel any of the usual warmth, instead feeling almost disgusted. Who are you ?

"Tell me," I ordered. "Tell me everything you know, once and for all. Don't hide anything from me !" I never raised my voice against Maribel, but I was beyond my usual self-restraint. After everything we had been through these last few days, I just couldn't handle the thought that Maribel and I weren't even working together in this, that something had come between us. I couldn't handle being alone in this new world.

Maribel's smile turned sad as she lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry... Really, I've barely had enough time to think about this myself, which is why I haven't told you yet..." The grip on my shoulder tightened, and she continued, her voice heavy with resignation. "It happened after I fainted. I felt like I was falling - no, like I was being dragged into - some kind of void. When I opened my eyes, the void opened theirs. Millions of eyes, all focused right on me. I was scared." I nodded. I hadn't imagined it, then.

"I was there too, I saw that void. I think, somehow, it moved us onto the medicine seller's path... It all happened so fast that I couldn't even see if you were there or not. Could you ?"

"Well," she resumed, "after a while, I realised that I wasn't alone. But, the other person... it wasn't you." She didn't need to say anything more : my heart sank as I realised who she meant.

That feeling was quickly replaced by anger. Yukari had shown herself once more, yet had again done so in a way that kept me from interfering. I was still as powerless as ever. I still can't protect her.

"What did she say." I said bitterly, more as an order than a question.

"Well, she... she told me what's going to happen next. I'm sorry Renko, I really am !", she blurted out, bursting into hopeless tears as she flung herself against me. I sat there, surprised : I had expected bad news, but not such a sudden reaction. What had that bitch been telling her ?

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I just couldn't tell you. You see, Yukari...

I am Yukari."

My heart sank further down into my stomach; I felt like everything around us had gone silent, the only sound left being her ragged sobbing as she clung to me. Something had definitely just broken, severing the tie that I felt had linked us so strongly all these years. This is even worse than what I had imagined. My hands were limp at her sides; her felt alien and stiff around me.

"Please, don't hate me ! Let me explain," she pleaded, as if she could sense what I was feeling. "I'm not Yukari yet, but I will be. She... she told me everything. She explained to me that she had created this world : all these youkai, that vampire ? If they weren't here, they'd be back in our world. Don't you see ? This place is vital for the.. the balance of our worlds." She tripped over her words as she spoke, despite trying her best to sound convincing. These clearly weren't her own thoughts. Lies that Yukari has been poisoning her mind with, that's what they are. Besides...

"What's the problem, then ? Since we're here, this world already exists, right ? So what does she need you for ?"

"She explained that, too. She told me... that she was approaching the end. Of her life, that is. She's worried, Renko : if she dies, the balance of the worlds will break, or something... so she needs to restart. She wants to do things differently this time. I'm not sure exactly what she'll change, but she'll be telling me that soon. And it'll be my turn. It's up to me to build a Gensokyo that'll last. Please, Renko, understand that I... I have no choice."

Lies. No matter how I looked at it, Yukari was lying. And yet, despite only having her word, without any trace of proof, Maribel believed her every word. Why ?

"Listen, Merry," I started, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I don't know why you trust her so easily, , but I don't. She's lying. She's manipulating you, I'm sure of it. You don't need to listen to her. We just need to find the shrine, and-"

"You don't understand !" she interrupted. "I wouldn't - she wouldn't - lie. She hasn't just told me, she's shown me things, too. There's no use fighting it, so please... please, accept what cannot be avoided."

Accept it ? Accept that the person I've loved all these years is just going to disappear all of a sudden to become some monster that spirits people away ? Merry, do you have any idea what you're asking of me ?

"No. No way. We're going back to our world. Together. I refuse to let you-"

"There's no point ! Don't you get it, Renko ? We can't go back !"

"Why ?" By this point, we were both yelling, but her reply plunged us into complete silence.

"Because here... Renko, we haven't only been moved through space. We've been transported through time, too. Renko, back in our home, back in our time...

We're both already dead."