Author's Corner

Happy 2021 everyone! Let's hope this year is better than the last!

Without giving anything away, you're finally going to get some answers. I've been looking forward to this part of the story for ages so I can't wait for you to read it. Since we're all collectively ignoring Yashahime after the very questionable choices they've made recently, I hope this can offer you some kind of escapism and help you ignore what's been done to our beloved cast of characters.

Enjoy the chapter! Don't forget to review!

EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 58: The emperor's sister

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Once upon a time, a boy was dragged into the void by a monster.

Although he managed to escape through a mysterious crack, the encounter left him scarred, so by the time he escaped, he was nearly dead.

Fortunately, the priests who worshipped the crack tended to his wounds, and he eventually recovered. As soon as they learned about his powers, they decided that he must have been their almighty god born again. And so, the boy became a vessel – a body for their god to inhabit.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the crack, a girl lived without her memories of the boy, and did everything she could to try and fill the hole he'd left behind.

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Asuka led Octavia through the woods to the chapel. It was a relatively small building made of tan bricks and stone tiles. Octavia paused when she first laid eyes on it, and Asuka wondered if she somehow remembered it, although that would have been impossible.

There was a low stone wall around the perimeter, which they cleared with a single stride. From there, sunlight filtered through the trees, casting spots of light upon the garden that surrounded the chapel. It was underwatered and wild, but their visitors seemed to like that about it. They wouldn't come otherwise.

"What are those?" Octavia asked, pointing to a cluster of pink and purple lights above the flowerpots.

"They're called dream butterflies," Asuka answered. "They live in the schism. They supposedly travel to other dimensions to eat people's dreams."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Not really. But there are stories of those whose dreams have been taken losing the ability to sleep. Some even claim they can steal your memories, only that's never been proven. People just like to scare each other."

Octavia's jaw was set, and her eyes were fraught and clouded.

They walked over to the chapel and Asuka pushed the doors open, exposing the interior. Octavia's eyes widened. Instead of church pews and an altar with a table, there was another hole in the air. This one was smaller than the previous one. And quieter.

A dream butterfly abandoned its perch on a bellflower and flew past them, disappearing into the schism. Asuka stole a sideways glance at Octavia and saw her trembling. Asuka remembered how she'd felt on the day of the Devouring all those years ago, and almost pitied her.

"This is the last one," Asuka said.

Octavia nodded gratefully. Her lips parted suddenly in realisation, and she spun around to search for the Dressmaker, who had fallen behind. "Where—"

"She'll catch up. Don't worry, she does this a lot."

Her expression drooped. "Oh."

Asuka's brow creased. Did she think she'd made a friend?

They stepped over the threshold and entered the schism. It wasn't long before they found another doorway and exited the strange, starry realm.

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Wherever they were now, it was unbearably hot – hotter than in Greece – and the air tasted old and dusty. Octavia kicked the sand beneath her feet and examined her new surroundings.

They were inside what looked like an abandoned castle, and it was in serious decay. The ceiling was full of gaps, and the walls around them looked ready to crumble, as did the stairs on the other end of the room that led to a familiar-looking dais. Her heart fluttered when she saw the stone chair. It was exactly like the one she'd seen in her dream. Everything was identical. All that was missing was the red-eyed stranger who'd promised to put off her demise.

"What's wrong?" asked Asuka.

". . . I know this place."

"You do?"

She nodded.

"How?"

"I came here in a dream."

You don't remember, do you?

Fighting back tears, she whirled around to face Asuka and spoke through gritted teeth. "Where are we? What am I doing here? What do you want?"

"I told you. He wants to meet—"

"But why?"

Asuka didn't answer, making Octavia's anger grow. "You helped slaughter the people who lived on Namida. You used innocent children as a bargaining tool. And you hurt Sesshoumaru. I haven't forgotten that. So, the least you can do is tell me what it was all for. You owe me that, at least."

"I couldn't agree more," chimed a voice she didn't recognise.

Octavia's head turned in the direction of the voice, which belonged to a young man with a disfigured face. Asuka's whole body straightened, and she pressed a fist to her chest, bowing her head as she did. The newcomer, however, didn't even acknowledge her presence. He was entirely focused on Octavia.

"Hello," he said gently. "You're Octavia, right?"

"Actually, it's . . . Wait, how do you know that?" She glanced at Asuka questioningly. "I told her that my name was Hana. I only just came clean, so how did you—"

She hadn't expected him to laugh. "I know lots of things," he murmured, almost shyly. "Anyway. I'm Augustus. But you used to call me Gus."

Octavia's brow furrowed. "We know each other?"

"We did. Once. It was a long time ago."

She studied his appearance, hoping it might jog her memory. The scars alone should have made him unforgettable, yet she was certain she'd never seen him before. The square jaw, the reddish-brown hair, the harsh cheekbones – none of it was familiar to her. But his eyes . . . There was something about his eyes. They were an unsettling shade of pale green – almost grey – and they were somehow both new and old. But how could that be?

"You truly don't remember?"

She shook her head. "No. Sorry."

He flashed a sad smile. "That's unfortunate. To be honest, I don't remember much myself. We were very young. And the things we experienced . . . No child should have to suffer like that. In a way, we were lucky it went so wrong. We're free now."

Octavia's heart stuttered. "Who are you?"

"Our parents named us after the first Roman emperor and his sister. Your name is also a variation of Okteviah, one of the Shikon Goddesses. It's just a rumour, but she was supposedly our ancestor. It's how we got our powers."

It took a moment for the words to register.

"Our?" she repeated slowly, not quite believing what she was hearing. "You mean you're my . . ."

"Yes," he said, smiling gently. "I'm your brother. Twin to be precise, although, you are older by three and a half minutes—"

The ground beneath her feet suddenly felt like quicksand.

"But I never had a brother! If I did, surely someone would have said something? If you are who you say you are, why are there no records of you existing?"

"They were destroyed. After the incident, every trace of me was wiped. Our parents were private people, so it wasn't hard to do. Nor was it overly difficult to make it look like they disappeared."

Octavia froze. "They did disappear," she whispered. "Didn't they?"

Augustus's face softened slightly. She searched his eyes and found no obvious deception in them. He was telling the truth. He knew something. And if she played her cards right, she might finally get some answers.

"If they didn't disappear, what happened to them?"

He glanced at Asuka briefly before shaking his head and saying, "We should have this conversation alone. Come with me. I'll tell you everything you wish to know." He turned to Asuka and addressed her directly. "You did well to escort her here with such swiftness. Your efforts won't be forgotten. Now, leave us."

Asuka bowed her head in farewell. She seemed angry, but it was so faint that it could have been imaginary. Octavia watched her leave through an arch to the left, whilst Augustus made his way towards the dais with the stone chair. She finally ceased trembling and her expression hardened, becoming firm and focused. She'd had enough of waiting. It was time for someone to talk.

"They're dead, aren't they?"

Augustus stopped. He tilted his head to look back at her and sighed. "Yes."

She clenched her jaw. "How did they die?"

"We'll discuss it later. I want you to see something first."

"I'm not going anywhere until you give me a straight answer."

"Fine, but you might want to sit down—"

"I really don't."

He chuckled. "You haven't changed. I have this memory of us playing together in the woods behind our home. We were hunting nymphs, if I remember correctly, and as always, you were in charge. Really, you just liked bossing me around. It's nice to see that you've maintained that air of authority."

"You still haven't answered my question."

"I will. I promise I will. But I'd rather we talk outside in the fresh air."

The air inside the castle was awfully stale. "Fine," she sighed. "Lead the way."

He smiled and jogged up a winding staircase behind the dais. Octavia sprinted after him. As she navigated the twisting corridor, her head felt ready to explode. She had a brother! A twin! He'd been out there all along! She'd always believed she was alone, but she wasn't. She didn't have to feel alone ever again. Except . . . She hadn't felt alone in months.

Not since she'd fallen down the well.

She wasn't lonely anymore. And she didn't hate herself half as much as she had before. She'd grown to like the person she was now, along with the life that she'd built in the past. She didn't want things to change. However, that was out of her control.

The decision had stopped being hers when she'd stolen the box and ran away. Sesshoumaru and the others probably hated her now. And how couldn't they? She'd betrayed them. Regardless of her reasoning, she'd still broken their trust. She just wished she could tell them she was sorry.

She sniffed and scrubbed the tears from her eyes. She didn't want Augustus to know she'd been crying. She couldn't afford to let her guard down around him. Even if he is my brother, he still killed Taro and the other Namidans, she reminded herself. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't trust him.

"Octavia?" he called down to her.

"I'm coming," she said, drying her eyes.

She cleared the remaining steps and found herself at the top of a tower. The sky above was a smoky blue with large strokes of pink and purple strewn throughout. The sun was low on the horizon, creating a rippling effect over the sand dunes.

Octavia walked over to the edge where Augustus was standing and stared out at the miles of desert that stretched ahead like a sea.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he murmured.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"A world like ours, but different," he answered. "The cracks don't just connect different times. They connect space, too. This planet was discovered by our great-grandparents, along with this abandoned kasbah. It was practically our second home. You loved it here."

"Why can you remember that stuff when I can't?"

"What did the police tell you about that night?"

"What night?"

"New Year's Eve fourteen years ago. There was a fire in the basement of our home. Our nanny saved you from the blaze, but she wasn't able to save me. It was after the Banishing, you see, so I was already gone. She asked the dream butterflies to take your memories so that it wouldn't be painful for you. That's why you can't remember."

"Banishing?" she probed, wishing he'd slow down a little.

"It's the name of a ritual that removes magic. Our parents performed it on us, but it went wrong. The ancient words ended up summoning one of the ngea – they're monsters that roam the schism – and it dragged me into the crack our parents had made with the intention of feasting on my essence." He gestured to his scars and said with a faint smile, "It's how I got these."

"Why didn't it kill you?"

"I honestly don't know."

Her teeth worried her bottom lip. "You still haven't told me how my . . . how our parents died."

"After the ritual failed, our mother blamed our father. They were equally to blame, of course, but she didn't see it that way. Consumed by grief, she shot our father between the eyes with a pistol and subsequently set the house on fire. She burned to death beside his corpse."

Octavia fixed her gaze on the setting sun. "That's horrible."

Augustus shrugged. "They got what they deserved."

His harsh tone surprised her. "Did they treat us badly?"

"No, but they hated that we were more powerful than them. That's why they decided to perform the ritual. They wanted us to be weak."

She imagined a house engulfed by flames, devouring the people that had lived inside it. Except for her. For some reason, the house had spat her out. "The police couldn't find their remains," she said. "It's why they were labelled missing and not dead."

"The Church removed their bodies before the firefighters arrived. They're buried on the hill where the house used to be. I can show you if you like."

"What does the Church have to do with any of this?" she asked with a frown.

"It isn't the one you're thinking of. For over a century, our family has been part of a secret society called the Church of Erem. We worship a deity known as the Radiant One. The Iwa Faction also show reverence to this deity."

"Hold on. I thought you were the Iwa Faction."

"We are. We amalgamated several years ago, after I established myself in the Sengoku period. The priests were the ones who cared for me after I was attacked by the ngea, after all. Imagine my surprise when I found out that our beliefs were the same."

Her frown deepened. "But if they worship the same deity as you, why did they name themselves after the Japanese word for rock?"

"It is true that the word 'iwa' translates to 'rock', however, in the True Speech, 'iwa' means 'bright'. The Radiant One is a being of pure light. Millenniums ago, it vanquished a dark god called the Shadow, preventing our universe from yielding to chaos. However, the Radiant One used up much of its power during their battle and nearly perished, and thus, the Church of Erem was founded to pay tribute to its valour. The founders also gave the Radiant One a name, which means 'saviour' in the True Speech. That name was Erem."

"So it's basically a cult?"

He looked stricken. "Don't use that word."

"But it is, isn't it? Jesus, this is insane."

"I know it's a lot, but if you just take a moment to think—"

"Why am I here? What do you want from me?"

His eyes shone with silver. "Nothing," he said quietly. "I just want you. You're my sister. I've been waiting for this day for most of my life . . . Haven't you?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Well, yeah, but that doesn't matter anymore."

"Then why did you come?"

"You know why. You were going to kill those kids."

"You could have easily freed them and escaped. Asuka wouldn't have been able to stop you, and our friend the Dressmaker is as disinterested as they come."

Octavia bit the inside of her cheek before answering. "I couldn't go back. Not after what I did."

"Why? You don't even know what you stole. The Daiyoukai would have forgiven you. When you love someone, it doesn't matter how much they hurt you. Besides, your intentions were pure. You weren't trying to hurt anyone."

He was obviously trying to absolve her of her guilt.

"You must miss him terribly."

"I do, but it's—me and Sesshoumaru, we're not . . . It's not like that . . ."

Augustus blushed. "I see. Apologies. Asuka seemed to think it was."

Octavia felt her rage reignite. She'd been trying not to think about Ebisu, but it was all coming back. The rope, the blood, everything. "She said that I was ruined," Octavia muttered. "And she was going to kill him. I was terrified. But I was so angry . . ."

"She won't make the mistake of speaking to you like that again."

"That's not what made me mad, though. What made me mad was how she judged me. We'd only just met, but she hated me. And she thought her hatred was justified." Octavia paused. "You think it's wrong too, don't you? Caring about a demon. That's why you did what you did on Namida. If I was a beast-lover like you thought, would you slit my throat, as well? Like you did Taro's?"

"No," he answered quickly. Too quickly. "I could never hurt you."

"What about Sesshoumaru?"

He didn't answer.

She moved closer and balled her fists at her sides. "Listen to me very carefully. If you hurt him, it will hurt me, too. And I will never forgive you. I won't speak to you; I won't even look at you. You'll be like a ghost. Do you understand?"

"I understand," he said, his expression blank.

"Good. Now, tell me more about this cult."

His mouth twitched. "I think you've heard enough for one day. You should rest. Get some sleep. We'll talk more tomorrow."

"I don't want to sleep. I want . . ."

I want to go home.

But where was that? It wasn't her flat in Cardiff, nor the spot where the Petridises' house had been before it burned down, and it certainly wasn't here. The only place that came to mind wasn't a place at all. It was Rin's smile, and Jaken's constant nagging, and Ah-Un asleep in a field, whilst Sesshoumaru kept watch from a shady spot under a nearby tree.

Augustus smiled at her tenderly. "I can teach you how to use your magic properly," he offered.

His words snapped her out of her thoughts. "You can?"

He nodded. "I struggled a lot in the beginning, as well, but with the help of an experienced teacher, I was able to master my powers. Watch."

He drew a mitama mark in the air in front of him and lightly pushed it towards her face. As soon as the mark made contact with her skin, she felt immensely drowsy. Her eyelids were heavy, and she could feel herself slipping away. She tried to speak, but she lacked the energy to force the words out.

Augustus caught her after she lost consciousness and scooped her up like a child. "You're safe now," he said gently, carrying her down the gloomy stairs. "We won't ever be apart again."

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Nagisa burst into the trashed study, panting as she slouched in the doorway. She hardly reacted to the mess, instead focusing her attention on Sesshoumaru, who hadn't left his spot in front of the ruptured floorboards.

"What has happened?" he asked flatly, failing to meet her eyes.

He could hear the panic in her voice when she answered. "I was at Taro's grave, and I smelled . . . Sesshoumaru, it's Haru-chan! He's close! They all are! But I can't find them, I can't—" Her words came out in a muddle.

"Calm yourself," he said. "Where did you detect his scent?"

"The eastern woods. It was there one minute and gone the next. I think something might have happened to them."

When Sesshoumaru looked at her, he saw past the white powder and rouge she was wearing and saw the emotional young girl he'd met in his youth. Her fear made her seem more youthful, and for a moment, he was transported back to a time when his father had taken him hunting.

It was custom once a dog youkai came of age for their parents to take them on a special hunt. The prey in question was a creature called the kirin. For humans, the kirin were strange apparitions said to possess sacred powers, and it was the same for demons. It was thought that if you caught one, you would be granted a wish for your efforts. At the time, Sesshoumaru had sneered at the idea, until he saw the creature with his own eyes. It was like nothing he'd ever seen.

Before he could pounce, the kirin had spotted him in his true form hiding behind a boulder and pinned him with its gaze. The apparition's white coat and emerald mane had shone, almost blinding him, and its antlers had been sharp and splintered, like tree branches. Its whiskers had curled in the wind like ribbons, as its sparkling eyes narrowed, penetrating his thoughts.

Even with his father beside him, Sesshoumaru had been afraid, and the feeling of dread had lingered long after the creature had fled. Despite its non-violent nature, the kirin was still the only living entity to have truly frightened him.

This is power, he'd decided that day, burying his fear. This is what I want.

"Sesshoumaru?" Nagisa called.

"You want me to find them," he stated.

Shame spread across her face. "My kind aren't the best at tracking on the ground," she admitted softly. ". . . Please?"

He sighed through his nose. "Very well."

"Thank you." She waited for him to move from where he was standing, but he remained statuesque, staring down at the hole before him. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Have you seen Octavia?"

She shook her head. "I haven't. Why do you ask?"

"I doubt we'll be seeing her again."

Nagisa's brow creased. "Whatever do you mean?"

"She did this."

"Really? Well, she must have had a good reason—"

"She's gone."

She hadn't even said goodbye.

I never thanked you.

That wasn't a goodbye. The kiss, on the other hand . . . Had he always been such a fool?

Nagisa's eyes turned soft. "Sesshoumaru . . ."

He hated the way she was looking at him. Mustering his strength, he tried to appear as uninterested as possible. Why should he care? If she wanted to run away, then so be it.

Like with the kirin, he wasn't stupid enough to chase what he couldn't catch.

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Author's Corner

And there you have it. There's still more to reveal, but we finally know what happened in Octavia's past. My original plan was to have the nanny be the one who erased Octavia's memories via magic, but the dream butterflies are one of the few additions Yashahime made that I like, so I decided to change it slightly. I wonder how many of you guessed that Augustus was her brother?

Thanks for reading!

(P.S. The kirin from Sesshoumaru's memories is not Kirinmaru. I'm waiting to see what his deal is before I consider including him.)