WARNING: I admit this being the first warning I have placed in this story, despite previous chapters displaying gore and death. However, due to certain events occurring in my life currently, the following subjects are something I want to bring out before any of you proceed further.
This chapter contains topics ranging from human rights, people with disabilities to religion and some from the audience may be offended. All of this chapter's context is purely fictional and made-up, like everything else in this story. The chapter also speaks about human cruelty, so this is the first and only warning I give to my readers. Proceed with open mind and caution – there is no need to continue if you feel uncomfortable.
wolfgirl232323: Thanks for leaving a comment and sorry about the wait. I finally had the time to finish this new chapter. Enjoy.
Fleeting Sakura Arc:
Chapter 5:
Launching investigation
"Twinkle, twinkle little star… How I wonder what you are…"
They do not dare to touch her. She is a disease to them, a stranger with hollow eyes and an airy voice. If touched, her madness will spread to them and reduce them to her state. She does not see those scorning looks, hateful glances, frightened whispers of mothers telling their children not to get close.
There is no destination. She either turns right or left or continues forward. Although, she has not tried going backward yet. Who knows where that would lead her?
"Up above the world so high… like a diamond in the sky…"
Her throat is parched, the voice leaving through it is as dry as sandpaper. It grinds against the flesh and is barely audible. The words are not clear, neither to her nor the people who hear them. At some points she sings them with a strong volume, but at times it falls into a whisper so quiet that the words mend together into an unclear mix.
She does not feel the tiny rocks on the ground pierce the soles of her feet and the scorching heat of the sun burning her scalp. That is why when someone pushes her in disgust away, she does not understand why everything has stopped moving and she is staring at the dust.
"Twinkle, twinkle little star… How I wonder what you are…"
Her shoulders shake when she tries to stand up. People think that it is a sign of how weak she is, but the strands of hair hide the curve of her lips. She is not shaking from exhaustion, but from weak laugher that can almost be heard in her mumbling.
"When the blazing sun is gone… When he nothing shines upon…"
Droplets slide down her face. They make soft landing sounds on the ground. And with each passing tear, a large crack forms in her chest. It spreads like the roots of a tree and multiplies.
She flinches, for the first time lifting her head to look up at the sky. The sun glares down, blinding the wide eyes with heat. It hurts, it feels real. She takes in a shuddering breath, lips cracking open as the whispering stops.
Something finally shatters.
She screams.
No warning signs were predating the event when everything unfolded. The day that three Soul Reapers were discovered in a secret underground basement underneath one of the barracks – the three subjects in question were not alive, though. They had been held prisoners there, left to die.
It was by mere chance that the room had been discovered by a squad member who tripped over and fell on a small shelf, somehow triggering the mechanism that opened a door on the ground.
The state of the corpses was beyond repulsive. They laid behind wooden bars, each tried to a pole with layers of ropes that had begun to undo themselves once the bodies started shriveling up and rotting. The humid conditions only made the process quicker. However, judging by the way the flesh and soft tissues were still clinging to the bones the poor souls must not have died a long time ago. The problem was recognizing who these people were, though. Every single one's features were indistinguishable, their faces were barely sticking to their skulls.
One person threw up during the investigation when a piece of one face's flesh fell down to the ground. The smell was beyond what anyone could call tolerable. Many refused to enter the mysterious basement room. Rather, the entire building was left empty for both the investigation and from fear. No one living in it could fathom how there was such a place underneath the barracks and how it was not discovered until now.
The walls were thick, sound-proof. If the victims had screamed, there was no way anyone could have heard them.
Later on, it was clear that someone had done human experiments on the bodies, while the victims were still alive. There were cuts on bones, two of three were missing a limb, and stitches were still somewhat in place. The most obvious sign of research being done at some point in time in that cramped space were parchments of documentations and drafts.
A little over an hour after discovering the corpses during the day, the identities of the three individuals were found. This was done through discovering three uniforms buried on a swallow hole in the ground. All of them had come from three different squads. Squads four, twelve, and five.
"Wait. So, it took them an hour to find those clothes?"
"Mira-san, shh!"
"I am just wondering how bad it smelled down there."
"Why are you concerned about this? They were dead; the corpses stink."
"Sophie, there is a method of holding your breath, you know."
"Oh, really?"
"No need to be sarcastic. Just saying that they could have worn masks."
Strangely enough, the three people were reported missing or absent from their duties during the same week. People had been sent to look for them, but it was as if they had vanished to thin air. After discovering the bodies, it became another mystery to be solved.
How did three people from three different squads end up underneath the squad twelve's grounds?
Because the squad where the corpses were found focuses on research and development, it was first thought that the captain of the said squad had had his hands on the incident. However, this was dismissed. The man in charge has aloof and straightforwardly frank personality – if he wanted to do research on living beings, he would have done so in front of everyone's noses. This is a direct quote on how he commented on accusations.
"That is so what a villain in a story would say."
"Would you give it a rest?"
"Oh, don't look at me like you don't also find a guy like that alarming."
"I have slept with worse."
After the suspicions on the captain were dropped, everyone's focus was on the rest of the people working in squad twelve. It didn't take long to reveal another suspect and the tension rose.
Besides the three individuals that had gone missing and were found dead, there was a fourth person who had vanished a night before and wasn't present during an assembly. That person was noted to have been 'acting strangely' for the past few weeks by a few other squad members. None of them had put much thought to it at the time, though.
"So," I interrupt, no longer whispering, but still keeping my voice low for outsiders not to hear, "the person you and other Soul Reapers have been searching for…"
Despite appearing displeased, Byakuya gives a curt nod, arms crossed. There has been a frown on his face, as he has been explaining the situation to us calmly, but now it only deepens. "That person is currently our suspect."
"The corpses that have been appearing," Hisana trails off. She does not even need to try to lower her voice. Her words come out as small wind, hands clenched into fists against her chest and face pale and clammy. "You mean… they are…"
"Most likely another experiment subjects."
Sophie keeps quiet, but the expression she wears is grave. All four of us are like that. The air is rigid with a sudden dark cloud hanging on the ceiling and the air filled with scents of familiar streets does not enter my lungs properly anymore. I can't even think properly anymore. My shoulders feel heavy, the small house is getting smaller and the walls close in on me.
So, that is what this has been all about. I thought that knowing things would paint a clearer picture – and it did – but I also feared that I would wish to disappear from the face of the earth. Images of the body I saw floating in the river, the body of that one poor man's wife in the middle of the street… They were all mutilated almost beyond recognition, blood soiling everything it touched. For a second, the image of those two corpses are replaced by long blonde hair and short midnight black locks, both soaked in crimson. Both Hisana and Sophie are dead in my eyes, imagination making their eyes appear dull and void of life.
I shudder. It is like the three of us have been living on a landmine to this point. While dread settles in, I am also relieved. The latter comes from how I am realizing that it was for the best that Sophie quit doing her job nightly, and all three of us have been arriving home before the sun is down. We have all stayed firmly together.
It is official now, though. Anyone from this neighborhood could be the next victim. My hands tighten into fists, clenching the sides of my clothes. Human experimentations… my stomach turns around.
"Akemichi," the name comes out of my lips naturally. Strangely, I wouldn't have remembered it properly, if I was asked to say it a few hours before. Now, it has been imprinted into memory. "That's the person's name."
"Akemichi Kumotetsu," Byakuya says and gives another nod. "Now known as a former member of the research team in squad twelve. He is a wanted fugitive and a dangerous criminal."
Sophie lets out a snort. She has practically kept her lips sealed, so the noise startles me and Hisana a bit. "No need to tell us the obvious."
The young Soul Reaper's eyebrow twitches, but once again he does not rebuke anyone for showing disrespect. "We traced his whereabouts to this district. He is originally from here, so it didn't come as a surprise. The problem is that we can't seem to pinpoint his location."
"Ah. You guys need inside information then," Sophie voices out her realization and looks at Hisana. The young girl looks close to toppling over, but she merely clenches her hands until the knuckles turn white to keep an upright position.
I frown, worried that she really might faint at any moment. For some reason, that sends a strange sensation down my gut. It is close to regretting because it is my fault that they had time to talk alone, to begin with.
"Then," Hisana begins faintly, "what should we do?"
That is a question worth answering. The only downside is that our mouths remain shut. There is a clog blocking the entrance of my throat and I purse my lips silently in thought. For the second time, I feel relieved. Because Byakuya – who stands motionlessly where he is – agreed to make a deal with me, I know he won't push the issue, if we decide to wash our hands off of this mess. We have a choice to merely look away and continue on with our lives… If we will remain alive much longer.
The attacks have appeared to be random. There is really no telling who the next victim could be, or where it could center… No matter, we couldn't get away from this place even if we wanted to. The thought makes me frown, I feel bitter and want to hit my head against the wall. I should have added more conditions, but…
I grab a hold on Sophie's and Hisana's shoulders and steer them towards a corner. They look up at me in surprise and I send a glance towards Byakuya. "Wait there just a moment."
A small hint of amusement from his disgruntled look isn't enough to lift my mood.
"We are in danger," is the first thing that comes out of my mouth, when we settle in the shadow. Whatever mask I have tried to keep on cracks like a thin layer of old paint on a wall and crumbles away. "What if that guy comes to this part of town?"
Hisana's shoulder jolts underneath my hand and Sophie's stiffen. The latter's usually darker skin whitens considerably. "A few neighbors definitely saw a Soul Reaper enter our house…"
The shorter girl covers her mouth. "Do you think that the murderer will…?"
"T-there are a bunch of other people who have been questioned by Soul Reapers. We aren't the only ones," I say, a bit urgently, but still trying to be reassuring. Although, I am not sure if I can do it. My limbs have started shaking and I let my hands fall from their shoulders before it can be noticed.
What exactly do I want to do? Do I want to help Byakuya solve this thing? The chances of us getting any favorable results seem too good to be true. We know a few people who might have some info, but that is it. If Soul Reapers haven't figured where Akemichi is, then how could the three of us be any different?
"We can't get involved," Sophie hisses, gathering us closer as it could possibly protect us from the oncoming threat. "Th-this is crazy – insane."
I nod weakly, looking down at our feet. "Yeah… but – "
"No buts," she interrupts me sharply, a hazard look in her eyes. "I am not about to decrease my – our – chances of survival just because Soul Reapers can't get their noses down from high air and do their jobs properly!"
I am so glad Byakuya is out of hearing distance to really understand our frantic whispering. He would not react well to this kind of comment.
Hisana hesitates, glancing worriedly over her shoulders. She is trying to get a glimpse of our "guest". "But if they can't find him, then he must be hiding well."
"No wonder. Raiding the district and tying every suspicious person up," Sophie grits her teeth, grudge evident on her tone and voice, "is like placing signs on top of their head that said 'we are looking this person' with a picture to the boot! Of course, that Akebitchi or whatever goes immediately into hiding."
Hisana is frowning so deeply now that there is a danger of it creating permanent lines. "But if nobody stops this man, then the killings will continue."
"And what could we even do about it?" The blonde asks and bites her lower lip. "If that murderer will be watching… then we are merely dragging attention to ourselves by helping."
"We would only be giving him information," Hisana starts and places her hand on top of hers. "We would not go out and be seen with a Soul Reaper."
"Not getting involved, Hisana, means that we won't even see or talk to him," Sophie says, not unkindly, but with a hint of warning. She is clearly uneasy and afraid. There is no question that she wants Byakuya out of the house as soon as possible. That is probably why her eyes turn to me pleadingly.
Without realizing it, my eyes automatically avoid hers.
Don't look at me like that.
"I think…" I trail off, different plans on how to approach this flashing in my mind. Clearly, my blonde friend doesn't want to offer any assistance in this, while Hisana is eager to give a helping hand. It should not be too hard of a decision for me, but it is like this is becoming a tug war that I am in the middle of.
This is not how I imagined things to go forward. I merely want that this murderer will be caught, and this entire mess can be put behind us. No more worrying for our lives, no more fear, and terror, no more corpses left to rot for everyone to see. And most of all, I would not have to fear being separated from my little family.
"What if my sister dies?"
The question sends a chill down my spine. Never did I imagine feeling such coldness spreading in my chest all because of Hisana. Her voice is as soft as ever, but her face is hollowly pale and eyes wide and fearful. Like in a trance, her hands reach out for us, clutching our sleeves for support. I look down, her fingers look so frail they could be snapped like twigs.
It has been a while since shehas been brought up. The ghost-like presence of an infant that Hisana abandoned years ago to the mercy of the streets. The one person who she has failed to find and reconnect with. Her last family member from the time she was still 'alive' and her one sole regret in this life.
Even while trying to hide it, the purple-eyed girl has obviously been searching for that small child this entire time. No matter how much bitterness fills her face from the thought of finding her – she fears that she has no right for that. Who would want to have a sister who abandoned them once? That is definitely a question she asks from herself every time. But now there is no regret or self-hated on her features, just fear for the life that she once left.
Sophie looks equally shaken but stubbornly bites her quivering lip. "C-children haven't been murdered, Hisana."
"For how long?" She asks, eyes welling up with unshed tears. "I don't… I don't want to lose you… but I don't want to lose her. N-not when I don't even know where she is."
She could have died when you left her, are the cruel words that I sometimes think. Sadly, I know them to hold no truth. That one child survived, lives to this day. But who is to say that won't change, if I do something about it?
"I do not have any right, but…" she chokes and closes her eyes. Tears are now falling freely. "Someone working at the fabric shop… has been killed."
The revelation makes us freeze. The noise from the outside, the sound of our breathing, all stops at once. Something inside of me shatters, too, as I look at the large drops sliding down her cheeks. Until now, I thought that the deaths at my workplace were the only ones close enough, but to learn that Hisana also has someone near to her dead… the blood in my vein's freezes.
This can't be happening to me. Remember what your meddling has brought you: a boy who I never wanted or dreamed of seeing in this lifetime chasing me in the streets and pushing me down, moments in a stinky and cramped prison cell and now this. Trouble is literally standing at my doorstep.
Hisana hasn't stopped clutching my sleeve. She should use her hands to wipe away those tears of hers.
"Sophie… Mira," she cries out softly, shoulders hunched. There is no 'san' added to how she addresses us. "I beg of you… at least allow me to help Kuchiki-dono."
"What!? You want to be dragged into this mess?" Sophie snaps and grabs her by the shoulders. Her voice has risen above the silence and from the other end of the house – which isn't a long-distance – Byakuya stiffens.
She doesn't want to feel guilty again.
The hand that has been holding onto my sleeve let's go.
"Wait," comes out of my mouth without a thought. The two girls turn to look at me after a silent pause. Again, something clogs my throat.
Ba-thump!
I may be crazy in the head – who am I kidding? It has been proven many times already that I have a screw in the loose somewhere within my skull. Even if my entire body is shaking – like now – cold sweat rushes down my spine – something is trailing down my back – I still manage the say the opposite of what I feel or should do.
"I can go and help him. You two can stay out of this."
"H-huh?" Sophie chokes out, letting go of Hisana and latching onto me instead. She shakes me as if to make me drop the idea from my head. "Have the two officially lost it? Think of what you are saying, Mira-san!"
I don't like the way she is shaking me, nor the teary-eyed look the girl behind her is giving us. It is all too suffocating, and I grab a hold of her hands to cease the shaking. Our eyes lock, both glaring and full of anger and irritation. She is only worried, but I feel like I can't breathe. What I said plays over and over in my head, but it makes no difference to what I have impulsively chosen to do.
Somehow, I can pry Sophie's fingers off of me and take a firm hold on her wrists. "Listen – listen to me!" She freezes from the raise in volume. "Just let me do this."
"L-l-let you do this?" She repeats stutters like her tongue is caught on knots. Her entire face is perplexed.
"Firstly, I am the oldest," I start lamely. "Secondly, we owe one to the shorty over there."
Sophie shakes her head and grabs my hands in return. "We made a deal with him – you don't have to do this."
"I know. But I am doing this because I want to."
From that answer, both brown and dark purple eyes widen. The warm hands holding mine turn clammy and Sophie looks at me as if I have grown an extra head. The words have an impact on her, a strand of her hair slides in the middle of her face, but she doesn't push it back. There is nothing else in her mind than me and the answer that repeats itself in her head.
Both of the girls are in disbelief.
"There have been dead bodies appearing near Genji's stand, too," I reveal out of reflex, managing to appear nonchalant. On the inside I am anything but. "I can either sit around here being scared whenever my throat will be sliced at night – "
Hisana flinches. Sophie's eyes widen.
"Or I can go and actually try doing something. Admit it – Soul Reapers are too proud to ask someone from the inside to work for them. The fact that we have one under our roof right now is practically a miracle."
"And what could you possibly do?" Sophie asks and her hold on me slackens. "Don't be stupid."
It's strange. I both agree and am offended by her last statement.
"As I said, you two don't have to help him. If you are so afraid, you don't have to get involved with him anymore."
At my words, Hisana's lips part. "Aren't you afraid, Mira-san?"
The question strikes me a bit odd. Am I afraid? If only she knew how badly I want to wipe away the events I have seen and been to over and over again. My heart is beating so loudly inside my ribcage that everyone should be able to hear it.
"She must have hit her head not to be afraid," Sophie answers for me and returns to glowering. "Seriously, what the hell!?"
"Shh!" I shush her angrily.
"Don't 'shh' at me," she grits out but does lower her voice again. "No, I won't allow this."
Something within me snaps. Without another word, jaw clenching, I draw her near, lips near the shell of her ear and whisper harshly. "It is really none of your business."
I let her go, and like being burned by the fire she stumbles a step back. The moment the shock on her face registers itself in my head I regret what I did. We stare at each other for a moment, both a bit staggered by this entire ordeal. I feel like I can breathe again, but my gut makes a drop once those brown eyes look away from mine.
Before I can utter anything more damaging Sophie shakes her head. She looks defeated.
"Yes," she mutters, face a rigid mask. "This really isn't any of my business."
Here we are arguing again.
The blonde shakes her head and walks past me without a word. There is a faint, cheap but fragrant, a whiff of scented oils she uses trailing after her.
For a moment, she seems to be ready to walk right out of the door but ends up sitting on a small stool. She doesn't look up or speak anymore, just broods silently. And somehow, the silence is louder than her screams ever could be.
"You don't have to do this," Hisana says and I have to tear my gaze forcibly from Sophie. "I also don't have to… but I… I want to be part of this, too."
With a small smile, I give the shorter girl a reassuring squeeze to the hand she has reached out. I do not wait for her to say anything, much like Sophie didn't wait and walk towards Byakuya next. He blinks, only aware of frantic whispers, and what seemed like an argument broke out between the three women. The young boy does not know what fully has been going on, though.
His grey eyes trail over my shoulder towards Hisana. He is probably trying to gain some clarification from her. Too bad for him then.
"I and Hisana over there are going to help you," I start and something lights in his eyes. I am not sure how I should feel about it. "However, we are not doing it for free."
His expression falls at the same time as his eyes harden. "There was no agreement on payment."
I raise an eyebrow and scoot back to place a hand on Hisana's shoulder. Again, the way his attention shifts to her is not missed and I start grinning like a Cheshire cat. "The two of us here are going to risk our necks. Surely a fair payment wouldn't be too much to ask."
The blonde, shaking her head in the corner, is ignored.
Byakuya's eyes wander uneasily from me to the black-haired girl and back to me again. He seems to be in an internal turmoil, which he can't even hide well enough. Finally, though, I can see an edge of defeat in his gaze and internally cheer and give myself a pat on the back.
I give Hisana's shoulder a squeeze as a sign of gratitude for existing, even though she can't understand why I would even be grateful for her.
"Now, let's discuss the price," I chirp, feeling the heaviness of the atmosphere disbanding around myself.
What was the saying again? Oh, yes.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
It is another day, but instead of going to work…
" Better be careful. These guys can smell fear."
Byakuya lets out a noise close to scoff and an acknowledging grunt. However, no matter how tall he tries to appear next to me – which isn't much – the poor teen couldn't reach the shoulders of the shady men crowding in the back of an alley within a decade. Everyone can definitely see how his scrawny shoulders are tense and his unnaturally pale and smooth facial features stiff.
Was there any purpose in dressing him up? I silently wonder, while keeping my steps natural, calm, and unnoticeable. The latter is rather hard, considering how my companion is standing out like a sore thumb.
"Will you quit fidgeting already?" I snap quietly, his mood getting to me rather too easily.
Grey eyes glare at me, but otherwise, the kid is keeping his mouth shut. It is unnerving. Hisana is not even here and he is acting like a well-behaved puppy – I am disturbed, but his anxiety mellows me down a bit. As much as he had protested and argued, when we told him to leave his sword behind, I kind of understand the reasoning behind that stubbornness.
He feels bare.
Instead of the black kimono, he now wears what the other locals do. A cheap rag made out of beige colored fabric and a dark obi around his willowy waist. His dark hair, though still sleek and shiny looking, has been ruffled a bit to give him a poorer appearance. But most of all, his signature sword is not attached to his hip and I catch glimpses of how his hand twitches to where it should be every now and then, reaching for the phantom object.
For some reason, he gives me an image of a puppy ready to bolt with a tail between his legs.
"You really have never been in this kind of place," I comment suddenly. I do not think much if he answers to it or not. The words just come out naturally.
As expected, he merely gives me a disgruntled glance, before looking down at the ground. The latter is another new thing – he does not dare to look up at the world around him anymore. He has lost confidence with the loss of his weapon and uniform…
I really can't believe this is the same kid who pointed a sword at me at one point.
"We are almost there," I finally sigh and don't look at his reaction anymore. I am certain he looks as close to being relieved as he can.
The place we head towards to is another run-down building. There are many of these in the district, even the one I live in is considered one. However, what makes this spot in town different is that this is where most of those who… have given up, so to say, live. You can tell from how most of the houses have already collapsed and people seek shelter from barely standing walls and cloths they have put up to create make-shift tents.
Mostly you can see who is from where through watching how people behave or are appearance-wise. The people here know that we are outsiders but sadly can't do much about it. This is where the weakest and challenged – a person is laying on the ground missing a leg, a blind woman takes support from a wall and feels her way through the streets, a man keeps on staring at the wall, mumbling and muttering something incoherent under his breath.
The sight of this place makes my throat tighten. I have an urge to cover a screaming child who has been tied up to heavy rock with rope – the parents no doubt did not know how else to make him co-operate.
Anger. If I feel anything besides numbness while walking in here, it is anger.
We step into one of the more well-kept houses and immediately the smell of something old and dry fills the lungs. It is not a pleasant scent, though, and Byakuya does not try hiding his disgust. I do not really blame him, though. Anyone would have that reaction.
I hold my hand in front of him telling him silently to stay put.
"Kiki-san?" I call out tentatively and am relieved to see an elderly woman step out though a cloth that serves as a temporary door.
If a thought that my employer is old ever crosses my mind, seeing Kiki blows it away in a second. Her eyes, although strong, have lines around them showing her age. One eyelid hangs like a bag, nearly making her blind in one eye. The steel in them tells of experiences that a young person could have never seen. The permanent scowl on those dry lips draws more attention to the misery that seems to be glued to her face. Kiki has been dragged through life if those faint scars on her calloused arms are anything to go by.
However, seeing me brings a faint, but visible light into her gaze.
"What do yah want?" She bluntly asks and scratches her side. The movement of her hand lifts the large lump on her hunched back.
Her voice has always reminded me of grinding grain.
"We need information," I say and step to the side so that she can see Byakuya more properly. "What do you know of the people who have been turning up dead recently?"
As expected, her stony exterior does not even flinch at my reckless question. The boy behind me, though, let's out a very faint noise of incredulous irritation – he clearly didn't think I would bring up the subject so plainly as I did.
The moment I step to the side, the elderly woman's sharp attention falls on him. I stifle a smirk, already seeing how uncomfortable his expression becomes the longer he is being stared at. Secretly, I think that Kiki enjoys tormenting new faces like his for fun. However, the amusement fades immediately, when she opens her nearly toothless mouth.
"What's yah name?" She asks and squints her eyes. "Yah nah from around 'ere."
Acting on a split-second instinct, I step closer to stiff Byakuya who has also been rendered speechless. "This is… Kuya."
That is obviously a fake name, the voice in my head echoes, unimpressed.
"W-what?" Of all times for him to open his mouth, he chooses to do so now with a flabbergasted face. I inch even closer and give him a sharp pat on the back of his arm. He must have enough brains to pick up the message because he swallows whatever protest he might have.
"He comes from the upper part of the district," I lie through my teeth and explain to Kiki. I feel a bit bad for lying to her, but also acknowledge that I do not want to drag her of all people into Soul Reaper business. "He works at the fabric store with Hisana – remember her?"
The old woman waves her arm impatiently. "Yes, yes. The silent lass. Why bring him 'ere?"
"Kuya here has agreed to help us," I say with more truth to the words. Despite her shorter stature, my hands get sweaty. "The Soul Reapers have lately been swarming around the place and we have all been rather curious, if the deaths are linked to it."
"That should be obvious," she scoffs but halts from the sound of a groan coming from the other side of the fabric door. All three of us freeze, actually. In a second, Kiki has turned back to us sharply and points at newly dubbed 'Kuya' with her gnarly finger. "Yah, come and help meh."
I freeze together with the boy and we send uneasy looks between us. I know what she means by the help and would not be alarmed if it was anyone else than this spoiled rich boy. I put heavy emphasis on that characteristic. The concern must be heavy on my face because his shoulders start rising up from the tension.
"K-kiki-san, I can help you – "
"Nah!" She raises her hand halting me. "Yah lot want information? I will tell yah, but nah for free. The lad helps, yah go and fetch water."
"But he really – okay, okay! I will go!" I raise my arms in defeat from the murderous glare she gives me.
Byakuya looks ready to say something he will regret later on, but quicker than I ever thought of being capable, I grab his shoulders and lean in. Kiki may not have good enough eyesight or hearing, but that does not mean I want to risk it.
His eyes widen at the close proximity and touch. No doubt my greasy face and tangling locks are more than a bit disturbing for him. I ignore that in favor of acting civil and give him a stern glare with a finger raised in front of his face.
"Listen, we both need her help, and despite what you may think she is our safest and best bet at the moment. I like this just as much as you do, but this is where we are, and we must deal with it. So, you need to suck it up, man up and do as she tells you. Do not be rude and screw this up," I put heavy emphasis on the last part.
Byakuya blinks and looks concernedly at the direction where the older lady is facing us with her back. He looks back at me and whispers: "What is she going to make me do!?"
I raise an eyebrow at the frantic look on his face. He is making it sound like he is about to be cooked and eaten alive. I turn him around by the shoulders and give him a push. "As I said, just behave. If you don't have anything nice to say, then stay quiet – basic courtesy. She only needs your help, so please behave."
He resists and tries to shrug me off. "I-I shall not – "
"She's an old lady, not a leech!"
"We only came here to obtain information!"
"And we will get it as long as we do what she tells us! Don't be such a big baby!"
"Wha – What did you just call me!?"
Kiki's greying head peeks out from behind the cloth hanging on the ceiling. "What are yah hissing like snakes for? Yah either help or – "
"He will help!" I practically yell out and shove him forward with such a force that he stumbles. Without waiting for him to recover from that I grab a nearby bucket and run out of the door. "I'll be back soon!"
Did I learn anything from the time that I left Hisana with Byakuya? No, of course not. I literally left him with an old woman whose name could be found next to 'crude' in a dictionary. That is precisely why I am in such a hurry filling the bucket with water and I would do it any second if it were not for this one little obstacle.
"Five coins, otherwise no water."
My eyebrow twitches up threateningly, but the child before me merely cocks his eyebrow in silent challenge. He is not backing away from the entrance of the well or looking ready to do so anytime soon. The only boost I have right now is the thought that I have faced worse with stingy old people at the market.
"Three coins," I say and cross my arms. "That should be enough to buy you lunch."
"Five coins," he repeats stubbornly. "I've got five siblings at home, gotta help 'em somehow lady."
"Two coins," I reply monotonously.
His eyes widen. "Hey! You just lowered the price! You do not do that! You are supposed to give me more!"
"Fine, one coin," again, I say in total seriousness while maintaining a blank look, even when my ears start ringing from the shouting they receive.
"This is not how you ne-negi-negotie," he stumbles in his words, tongue-tied.
"It is 'negotiate', kid," I help and watch light lit his eyes.
"Yeah! That's it!" He stands straighter and points at me accusingly. "You are not following the district rules on trade's negotiations!"
Of all snotty-nosed little runts I had to run into today, I want to sigh. Still, I crouch down patiently no matter how thin my patience runs and tells me to get this over with and return before something bad happens. This action surprises him and he takes a quick step back, probably expecting me to either hit or get aggressive with him.
Judging by the reaction, those haunting eyes that seem terrified for a moment, he has been attacked before.
"One, you totally just heard those fancy words from somewhere and added them into a bundle – don't interrupt me," I raise a warning hand and his gaping mouth shuts with a 'click'. This makes me grin a bit. "Two, I am poor, much like everyone else around here, and don't have a lot of money with me. Three, five coins for well water? Please, my employer charges two coins for a jar of clean water daily and I don't see him complaining."
A silence follows with us locking eyes in a silent battle of wills. I do not take this too seriously anymore. This amuses me, for it has been a while since I have interacted with a kid who has this amount of guts. Usually I have only seen children his age stealing stuff, not demanding payment for them.
Suddenly, the atmosphere is broken by a loud rumble and the little boy looks down. Even though his cheeks are pretty red from youthfulness, they turn into rubies in a second, and his eyebrows knit together. Tentatively, he clutches the spot where the noise came from and does not lift his eyes up to meet mine anymore. The fire just a second ago is gone from him.
My lips part, as we continue staying there in silence. Despite while me being crouched down our heights are fairly similar, he still manages to look a lot smaller.
Whatever joy I got from this bickering vanishes. I clench my fists, before relaxing them in defeat. Me and my stupid consciousness.
"Whatever," I mutter and start rummaging through my pockets. The sound of coins perks him up a bit. "Give me your hand."
"H-huh?" He makes a confused sound but otherwise does as instructed. Start particularly shine in his eyes when I drop coins to his small palm. "T-this is…" he trails off, obviously calculating. Then, his head snaps up. "T-t-twelve!?"
"Hush!" I hiss and cover his mouth faster than he can blink. "Do you want the entire street to hear you!? Just take it and go! Eat your fill!"
Without even thanking me, he turns around and starts running with spring in his steps. I feel slightly annoyed – to put it mildly – but then my thoughts freeze from the sight of his small back. Now that he is running, the wind is ruffling his messy hair… along with his left sleeve that flaps in the wind loosely. I tried to ignore it just now, but now there is no way he can hide that. The child is missing his left arm. Not entirely uncommon in this place.
He must have been very hungry.
As if from the cue, my own stomach lets out a rumble and I cover it hastily with my own hand. Silently, I start weeping – now I have to suffer from starvation. I gave that kid over half of the pocket money I have been saving!
Frustrated and now hungry, I tie the handle of the bucket to a rope and let it fall to the well. After a few seconds, there is a plash from the bottom, and I wait a while for the bucket to be filled. As soon as I start pulling the rope, there is a noticeable new weight at the end of the line.
Stupid Soul Reapers.
No matter how much I blame them, it will not erase the problem. Usually, people take more pity on the child I just saw and give them their fill when they beg. However, due to the increase in security, people are too afraid to come out and seem suspicious. It is like the normal folk are hunted instead of the real suspect. That is why those with higher spirit power are starving, like that boy I just saw.
When the water is up, I look down at it to see my dark silhouette on the surface.
Too bad that child can't become a Soul Reaper, is what I think. I can't judge whether he has high enough potential and power for that, but I know that just one look at what he is missing, and the matter is settled. That is why I recognize just how lucky I am to have Hisana and Sophie – how lucky we are to have something to gain money with and satisfy this hunger of ours.
I have a sudden urge to eat Hisana's stew.
Unlike what I expect, I do not find Byakuya puking outside the rundown house or screaming his lungs out for someone degrading his dignity to the ground. The calmness of the place both surprises and worries me – a silent spoiled noble is not a good sign.
I duck down under a fallen wooden pillar and step inside, holding the bucket full of water with both hands. Inside, I find a scene that is close to what I had in mind and I bite my lower lip thoughtfully. Nothing seems to be trashed, Kiki is calmly tapping away the sweat on a thin-looking man's forehead. His parched lips move, forming incoherent broken sentences – he clearly does not know how to form what he wants to say fully. From this standpoint, I can only make out that he says words like 'cloth' and 'flower'.
The older woman does not seem to have too much trouble understanding him, though. She nods, answering silently to him with a calm voice.
It is the black-haired youth, to whom my attention falls next.
He is turned away from the older woman, his back facing even me. His shiny and ruffled hair seems to be even frizzier than when I left him here and a frown edges itself to my face. He is tense, shoulders squared, and hands balled into fists.
Without saying anything, I walk over to Kiki and place the bucket down. "How is he doing?"
"No better than yesterday or day before that," she answers plainly and pours the bucket's content into a bowl. From there, she dips the rag into the water, squeezes the liquid out, and then starts tapping it against the man's face again. Her needle-like eyes seem to soften at the sight of him closing his eyes. "He likes the touch of cold water. It calms him down… Take over for me."
"Right," I nod and take the rag from her and continue doing what she had. I must be doing something wrong, though, because almost as soon as Kiki has stood up and left, his eyes crack open. He both looks at me and past me at the same time. "Good day, Akaza-san. Do you remember me?"
He does not say anything, but then a small smile tugs the corners of his mouth into a toothless smile. The sight of it makes me smile back and I continue grazing the watered cloth across his face. As Kiki said, he does seem to enjoy what I am doing and closes his eyes with what looks like a peaceful expression.
"It is hot outside," I say and wash the cloth before continuing. "There are hardly any clouds and the marketplace is a mess. It has not rained for a while either, so it has been a bit hard to get decent food. Still, a dip in the water feels really nice, right? I have not gone swimming a while though. It sounds like such a shame, don't you think so too?"
"Why are you talking to him?"
The question is so faint that it can only barely be heard. At first, I do not think that anyone really asked that, the words are just trick of the heatstroke and my ears are merely ringing. But when it registers that it is not my imagination my hands halt and I turn to slowly look at Byakuya.
He has turned slightly, half of his face is still covered by both his long hair and the shadows of the house's hole filled roof. But a single grey eye is looking down at me and the old man. I can recognize that look, and my gut clenches – it is the look of unnerving unease, shrouded by veils of disgust and confusion.
I both detest and understand that look, and without thinking shift so that I am half-covering the view of the man with my body.
"Why shouldn't I talk to him?" I ask back plainly and turn my attention to the older man.
Thankfully, Kiki comes back soon with a small stack of wooden tablets. She places them down on the ground, undoes the thin threads holding them together, and starts going through them one by one. I do not interrupt her, knowing that would only lead to a rant.
"Hmm," she hums and then puts a few on the side. "These are the ones. Someone they knew was killed recently within these two months."
I pass on the rag to her and take a look at one of the tablets. Sure enough, there are dates, ages, and names in these and what they have been telling about the tragedies and their trauma. For a moment, I wonder if that man I saw holding his dead wife in the middle of the street is named in one of these tablets, but wipe that thought away.
These are all serious cases. They are not meant to be ogled by outsiders and shame fills my lungs.
"Hey, come and look at these," I say hastily and wave Byakuya over. It is better to read through these fast – I am literally invading someone's privacy.
He is obviously hesitating because it feels as if ages have passed when he finally manages to lower himself and pick up the first wooden table. Understandably, his eyebrows shoot up and he reacts pretty much how I did.
"It is best to look at those who were close," Kiki says softly, and water droplets fall from the rag as she cleans it. Her bony hand takes the man's and strokes it tenderly. "They knew the dead, only they can see the difference in the corpses clearer than anyone else at first glance. They are the ones that hold them, let the blood seep on themselves, have no other thought goin' through their minds than seeing how they can fix their loved ones. If something was different the day before the deaths, they saw it."
Both Byakuya and I lock eyes for a second, contemplating her words. I shiver, not at all surprised how plainly she can speak of this. It all makes me think of that man in the market again. He was screaming, howling for help, and writhing in agony to save his already dead wife. That is not something any outsider can think of. When we see a corpse of a stranger, someone who does not hold any significance to us, we plainly understand that there is nothing to be done.
While I am too busy thinking of this, I do not notice how the boy next to me has stopped looking through the wooden tablets. It is only when he opens that mouth of his again that I jolt awake.
"How do you have all of these?" He asks an undertone of suspicion and curiosity in his voice.
The elder woman slides her eyes, for the first time, away from the old man. The look she directs at Byakuya is once again sharp. "I'm something you would consider as a listener – I listen to people when no one else does. They come to me to talk, let them say what they wish to say, process what they feel, and have seen. It is my job."
He frowns, lips forming a thin line. The boy has enough brain cells not to inquire more, clearly, a bit unsettled by the stares he receives from Kiki. If this were any other situation at any other moment, I would be snickering how meek he acts in front of her.
I return to inspecting the wooden tablets. They have been written with ink and the dark color at times fades to the wood. I compare the texts and what the witnesses have told. Soon enough, I start seeing the pattern. Left them alone… nothing strange… blood… so much blood… scared… lost… pain…
Finally, clarity spreads and my eyes widen. It is too good to be true, I am not a detective or an expert in crimes. However, there are signs in here that are so obvious that it hurts.
I get it now!
"Why are yah dealing with a Soul Reaper?"
I freeze at the entrance of the house and look over my shoulder in shock. Kiki is staring at me with a blank face, looking more than unimpressed with my flabbergasted expression. Luckily, Byakuya is already outside and I pray he will not hear what is about to come.
"E-eh?" Is all that I can get out as sweat breaks out all over my body. When there is no answer and the place falls into silence, all I can do is awkwardly scratch my arm. "You knew?"
She huffs and covers the man on the ground with a blanket. "Hard nah to. No one who has had a life like ours looks like that."
"I-I'm sorry," I awkwardly apologize and bow quickly. She is the last person I want to be mad at me. "He came asking our help… and so… this is how we ended up arranging things."
"No doubt Sophie didn't agree," Kiki states, and my silence serves as a good enough answer for her. She sighs heavily. "You three lasses… it is nah wise to mingle with lads like that one. Too much pride, too young and wet behind the ears."
"I apologize, if he did anything to insult you," I say quietly, softly, afraid that it would only crack something. Something very fragile in this house.
She cackles, a dry sound, not filled with too much mirth. "He was afraid of touching Akaza. Did nah say so, but I could tell. Kept on lookin' away, like he was a disease," she spits the last part out like venom. I flinch, not daring to look up at her.
"I shouldn't have brought him here," I say, another silent apology passing my lips.
Again, it is silent and a lump forms in my throat. Idiot,that is what I am. All I can do now, after how she helped us despite the harm we brought, is to clench my hands into tight fists. My long nails dig into the skin of the palms, stinging, and burning.
"Yes, yah shouldn't have," she agrees calmly and lets out another sigh. "But he did help… There is some good in that lad."
Her words lift the gloominess surrounding the space and I look up in surprise. I did not expect her to praise him like that.
"More importantly," her eyes snap from the slumbering man to me in a second. Lightning shoots up my spine from that and for a while I think her spine might have snapped from the movement. I can't move, not when those dark eyes of hers are looking at me up and down, measuring me. "Hope yah can bother visiting soon. It has already been a while since the last time yah were 'ere."
"… Right," I say faintly and my gaze wavers from hers. "But… I think I am fine. There is no need for –"
She cackles for the second time. For some reason, I do not like that sound. "Yah are not fine! Yah still got that look in yah eyes."
Instinctively, my hands reach out to hover over my eye, as if that would help to explain what she means by that. As soon as she sees what I am doing, her expression softens a bit to what can almost be called a gentle one.
She has never shown a smile, at least not as far as those who have known her can tell. Akaza may as well be the only one who knows the answer to that. Still, despite the cold and blank exterior, Kiki's actions and words speak volumes to what kind of human she is. She does not push anyone away, nor towards her. She is a neutral party in anyone's life, but at some point, she shows her thorns. And just like now, they pierce into my chest.
"And what kind of look is that?" I ask, already turning towards the exit.
Kiki's cackles echo in my ears.
"The broken kind."
"What took you so long?" Is what Byakuya asks the moment we are closer to the busier streets.
"Hm? What do you mean?" I ask innocently, but not really in the mood to look at him in the eyes. The smell of Kiki's house has not left my clothes and the sound of this boy's voice is… somehow aggravating.
"You stayed back in that… house," he pauses, like not really sure where he even was back there.
I shrug, stopping for a second to avoid a man carrying a huge sack over his shoulder. "She knows Hisana and Sophie. I only told her how they are doing."
"That means… you have visited that place before," he states it out loud, weirdly enough. I can hear that there is more to that, though, and bitterness spreads all over my tongue.
He means to ask, how many times Hisana has been there. It is all written on his face – that pale face that has never received good tanning from the sun from working outdoors every day of the week. This is the face of a person, who would definitely frown upon the mere sight of a speck of dust on a drawer. The same face that frowned from seeing Akaza and all those other poor souls back at Kiki's place.
Unconsciously, I start clenching my hands into fists. I do not stop until there is a jolt of pain from the strain of it, and my knuckles have turned white. The images of bloody corpses, Hisana's and Sophie's faces, the little child with one arm, and that feeble man keep on flashing in my head. Is it possible for a person to grow mad from seeing these things? There is nothing more than a heavy cloud on top of my head now, invisible boulders keep on pressing my shoulders down to the point of being dislocated.
I feel tired.
"Can we trust her, though?"
I halt and look at Byakuya. He stops next to me with a completely serious face. "… Yes, we can trust her."
A frown tugs at the corner of his lips. "She – "
"She has been around long enough to know how people around here work," I say and pick up my pace. "Speaking of her, how come you Soul Reapers haven't found that much regarding the deaths? Didn't you go asking around from the people who knew the deceased?"
He must notice the bite in my questions because he replies back with a clear miffed expression on his face. "We did, but they weren't as… detailed."
"Oh, you know. It probably had something to do with finding a family member, or friend, dead, covered in their own guts and blood and then being dragged into an interrogation," I list and then start walking backward, facing the kid. "Which by the way is the most welcoming event of this entire fiasco. Truly, you have been doing a terrific job so far."
He is downright glaring at me. Now that there is something that he is more familiar with around, Byakuya seems to have gained some of that spark of his. "Are you insulting the Soul Reapers doing their duty to keep you and the others in this district safe?"
I want to laugh at that. From sheer emotion, I end up stopping and crossing my arms. The dark-haired boy ceases walking as well. "Just like you insulted Kiki-san and Akaza-san?"
"I do not recall doing anything regarded as insulting them," he argues, with a complete face as serious as it can be.
My jaw actually drops at his statement and for a moment no sound comes out. I am angry, upset, and sad most of all. The corners of my eyes stretch so far from widening that it is almost painful. Is he serious? This kid has not exactly been humorous type the day we met, but at this very second, I wish that he is joking.
I inhale deeply, every being in me screams to throttle this brat for my sanity's sake. I am shaking – hah, I'm shaking. My legs are unstable, they tremble from the bubbling emotions that are about to overboil. I can't see the crowd of people around me anymore, they literally turn into passing blurs of color and scents. The only clear thing is the youthful face standing a foot away.
He is young. He doesn't understand – he is a noble. The voice of reason whispers these things. A blind, self-centered, prideful, bratty noble.
"You," I start, voice straining from trying to keep it at low volume, "were afraid of touching Akaza-san."
A blush spreads across his cheeks. "I was not a – "
"I can understand why you would be uneasy," I cut him off, not caring if he got even more riled up from that. "Although she didn't show it, Kiki-san was hurt by that. You were treating her husband like some dying animal."
His eyebrows rise from the word 'husband'. I somewhat take a bit of satisfaction from that face.
Every soul here has memories of their lives from the time that they were 'alive'. There are rare cases where an individual is lucky enough to be brought here without those memories. But what if a person did not possess any memories, to begin with when they were 'alive'? Akaza is an answer to that question. He and his wife were fortunate enough to die and be brought here at the same time. Whatever it was that started eating him while 'alive', it followed Akaza here, making him incapable of looking after himself. The same thing with limbs. For some strange reason, if you lose a limb during the time of 'death', you will have it back once you cross over. However, much like that boy with a missing left arm, some people are genetically 'born' with it on the other side.
The afterlife is mocking. That is how I see it. It does not relieve anyone from pain nor is it just peaceful sleeping. It is the same kind of torture that life is generally to those in the world of the living. Safe for never suffering from starvation – most of the population – nothing changes.
And then there are people like… this. Born never knowing what dying once is even like. They have not been stripped of their entire lives and woken up in an unfamiliar place, having to accept the fact that they can't go back where they came from. Byakuya does not understand that.
Screw him and his pride.
Without another word, I grab him by his shoulders and ignore his protests while dragging him towards a nearby alley.
"W-what – unhand me at once!" He demands and struggles. People notice this of course, but to them, it probably seems like a sister or an aunt dragging a kid away to teach him a lesson.
"Shut up," I say simply, surprisingly calm and end up downright slamming him against a wall.
He is clearly shocked at the strength I display along with the audacity to treat someone of his lineage in this manner. The thought makes me feel proud because I bet he has never been treated like this by some commoner, much less a person who he threw into prison once.
"Now, you listen to me. I may have agreed – promised – to help you with this, but," I lean in and applaud him for not leaning back. In fact, his entire exterior grows even more stubborn, as if this is a competition for him. "I will never, ever, tolerate it, if you hurt, insult, or downright drag someone's human rights down the ground again. Especially in front of me. You talk big when you walk around with your sword and uniform, but at this very moment, we are equals working towards the same goal. Kiki-san is well respected amongst those who know her. Akaza-san may not be able to do things you and I can, but he can sure as well smile, cry, and feel emotions, no matter how hard it is for you to grasp."
"How dare you speak to me like this!?" He raises his voice and attempts to rip my hands off, but I hold on. "Let me go! I am – "
"Shut up!" I holler at his face. Both of our features are now red from fury we experience. Mine, however, added with my height, is clearly superior at this very moment. His jaw opens, but no sound comes. His grey eyes are now as wide as plates. "I know exactly what kind of family you are from – a wealthy one. You have everything and are expected to act as is appropriate for your status. But since when is it appropriate to disrespect your elders? Do you have any idea – did you even think – what kind of hardships Kiki-san and Akaza-san have gone through before meeting your arrogant ass? Do you think they chose to live in that house by their own will?"
He is clearly trying to find something say, to object or shout at me. But just like with a mother and child, the offspring can never really do anything, when being scolded. He cannot find the answers to my questions because they are all going to be negative ones.
I loosen my hold on his collar and take a step back. His collar droops. Again, I take triumph from seeing the shocked look on his face.
"What, never had a peasant talk to you like this? I'm the adult here. You are a kid compared to me. A fricking teenager who has a major attitude issue. I don't care what your position is, what your family does, or is – from this moment onwards, I am gonna talk to you like you I would to anyone else. Point your bloody sword at me, I don't care. I have faced worse threats in my life. My friends and neighbors are in danger and I don't need to withstand your temper or your pride. I will lose important people in my life if we don't get this done properly. And believe me when I say this – "
I poke my index finger at the center of his chest. The boy stiffens again, looking like he is holding his breath. His face is red, tomato red from anger, frustration, and humiliation I am putting him through.
"Lives are far more important than the pride of you stupid nobles."
"It is getting quite late," Hisana says thoughtfully as she gazes out of the window. It is not yet sundown, but it is getting closer to the evening as the seconds tick by. "Do you think that they are alright?"
"Mira-san said that they would be going to Kiki-san's place. That's where the lesser amount of trouble occurs," Sophie says and waves a fan over her face. Luckily, she has not put any makeup, but her soft tanned skin is shining from sweat. "Yup. They should be fine."
Dark purple eyes look from the blonde to the outside again. A neighbor walks by and Hisana exchanges greeting waves. "I hope you are right… Kuchiki-dono only appeared quite tense, when they left, though."
The woman snorts and lays down on her back. "Shouldn't be too surprised. I didn't think someone like him would even own those kinds of clothes… He didn't look half bad, though, am I right?"
"Eh?" Hisana turns around to meet with warm mischievous eyes. She blinks, puzzled, but then looks away with a hint of red on her cheeks. "I… I suppose so."
The smile on Sophie's face stretches. The sight of her younger housemate is enough to make her forget what she has been so upset about until the source of her headache comes running through the front door.
"There she is…" the blonde trails off, taking note how visibly pale Mira is and the heavy rising of her shoulders. "What happened to you?"
Worried, Hisana walks over to her friend and touches her shoulder tentatively. "Are you alright? Did something happen with Kuchiki-dono?"
The silence is unnerving. They have both been wondering what the two would find out from the elder woman and the almost haunting expression seems to be proving their worst fears true.
Her voice visibly shakes Mira and her round grey eyes turn slowly to look at her. She blinks as if standing half-asleep and not sure what she is seeing. Her mouth opens, before closing and then opens again. The action makes her look like a gaping fish out of the water, but soon her voice comes out.
"In case I'm going to die tomorrow, do I get to eat your stew tonight?"
Seconds pass. For the second time, Sophie and Hisana glance at each other in confusion.
"What did you do?"