It was a while before the golden-eyed stranger visited her dreams, leaving Kagome to fend for herself against the ever-increasing spiderwebs. They covered the grass and plant life, turning the brightly-coloured kaleidoscope into a world of grey shadows, not even the sun able to poke its rays through the imposing silk.
She'd tried to imagine an escape, to force it into existence, but the bow at her side refused to work properly, her arm heavy as she attempted to nock an arrow.
It wasn't until she'd formed a barrier, cutting off the webs around her feet, that he found her, claws gentle as he bent down and cupped her face.
"Where have you been?" she hissed, tears swimming in her eyes. "These things are everywhere. Take me away from here."
"I cannot."
"Why not?"
He looked out over the decaying landscape. "It is not my dream." He said it so matter-of-factly that she thought about shoving him away, but his touch warmed her like nothing else could.
"I tried! But nothing worked. Not even my bow—" He reached out and gripped her wrist, pulling the bow between them, eyes hardening to steel as he inspected the wood.
"You were not able to defend yourself?"
Kagome shook her head, the barrier wavering as spiders swarmed them.
"You must leave. Do not come back to this place." A sword was drawn from his hip, one she'd swear was never there before.
"Why?" she asked, gripping his arm. The creatures fixated on her, their crimson eyes the only colour in the darkness.
"He seeks to trap you here."