In an Unknown Room
It was the bright sunlight that woke her. The burning rays filtered through the large windows, uncomfortably heating her face, and she turned away to escape them. That's when she realized she wasn't in her room. The rice paper of her home always created a soft, diffused light.
Where was she? Her head was still spinning.
She sat up abruptly, trembling, and scanned the room. She was in a large, luxurious room with a European style.
The entire room was a beige-gray, except for the ebony black nightstands and coffee table. Two beige armchairs were arranged near the large French window, whose heavy curtains were pulled back.
Panicked, Akito tried to get up from the enormous bed she was lying on and run to the French window, but a sharp pain shot through her ankle. She looked down at her leg and froze: she was chained to the bed by a long chain ending in a shackle firmly secured around her ankle. It was delicately wrapped in a band to prevent the metal from damaging her skin.
A prisoner… A pampered prisoner… Why would a kidnapper take such a precaution?
She sighed, her gaze fixed on the shackle around her leg, and suddenly felt like crying.
The young goddess had always felt like a prisoner, but she had always sought that confinement, wanting to remain locked away, surrounded by the Twelve.
And this was the first time she wanted to be free. She reached out and tugged on the length of the chain to gauge its reach.
The chain allowed her to stand up, and she needed to stand on her own two feet, to see if she was capable of it despite her fear and her limbs feeling numb.
It was when she stood up that she realized she was wearing a midnight-blue women's kimono adorned with gold-thread flowers. She had been dressed as a woman in her sleep. Humiliation colored her cheeks, along with fear at the thought of strangers who might have undressed her and removed the bandages she wrapped daily around her chest.
The door suddenly opened, and Akito was so startled that she retreated to the bed, pulling on the chain attached to her ankle to keep as much slack as possible in case she needed to defend herself. Kneeling on the mattress, she stared at the man who entered her room without even announcing himself. She recognized his dark hair and incredibly blue eyes, glimpsed the previous night, in a car—a dream, perhaps.
As he stepped through the door, the man smiled, clearly amused by the young woman's defensive stance, and gave a slight bow in a polite greeting.
"I'm delighted to see you're finally awake, Akito," he said, crossing the room in long strides. But he didn't approach her; instead, he went to the French window, which he opened wide, letting in the cool morning air. "The weather is magnificent."
"Who are you?" she snapped, glaring at the stranger, her tone menacing. He spoke to her as if she hadn't been abducted, drugged, and wasn't now chained to a bed in an unfamiliar room.
The man turned to her, his smile still as bright as ever. Akito guessed he was just under thirty, with slicked-back hair and a flawlessly tailored three-piece suit, standing tall and confident. He approached her slowly, and Akito couldn't help but back away, crawling across the bed.
He sat on the edge of the mattress, leaving a respectful distance between them.
"We've never met because, even though you control all the economic and financial transactions of the Sohma family, you never meet your partners or competitors in person. You send your advisors instead." He leaned closer, studying her with his gleaming eyes, and added softly, "But I know you well; I've been observing you for a long time, Akito-san."
He grabbed the chain lying on the bed and pulled, effortlessly sliding her toward him across the sheets. She couldn't hold back a gasp of surprise.
Then he took her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it, murmuring, "Allow me to introduce myself. Tadashi Asami, head of the Asami family."
Tadashi Asami…
Akito jerked her hand out of his grasp and pushed him away. Yes, she knew this man. He was the Sohma family's main competitor. Or rather, the Asamis saw the Sohmas as their rivals, while the Sohmas paid no attention to their activities.
Only their internal profits and family organization mattered; Akito cared little about ruling over the city, though it was a byproduct of their prosperous ventures. Nevertheless, the Asamis had always been belligerent, though their aggression was insignificant.
And now, after decades of ignoring them with haughty indifference, Akito found herself a prisoner of their leader. The young woman had no taste for irony, and the situation displeased her.
Yet now that she knew she was dealing with a man of the world, the kind of person she encountered in her confined universe, she felt somewhat reassured. She stood up, ignoring the clinking of the chain with each movement, and positioned herself in front of the man still sitting on the bed.
Looking down at him, she gave him a haughty, icy gaze.
"So," she began calmly, "for old family grudges and foolish power games, you kidnapped the head of the Sohma family." She stared unblinkingly into the blue eyes of the man who had taken her. "Are you not aware of my clan's influence? Have you and your family learned nothing?"
To her surprise, Tadashi burst out laughing, apparently amused by her words. Akito looked taken aback, and anger suddenly flared within her. Who did he think he was to mock her like this?
"Kidnapping…" he murmured softly, his gaze never leaving her. "Let's just say we're fulfilling a contract."
Akito felt as though her blood had turned to ice in her veins, and the pounding of her own heart echoed deafeningly in her ears.
"A contract?" she asked, but her voice had lost its previous authoritative tone.
Asami continued smiling, averting his gaze. He seemed to enjoy the situation, savoring the shock on Sohma's face. He looked back at the young goddess, who waited impatiently for an explanation, her expression frozen.
"Let's just say… you were sold. By your mother."
An expression of horror spread across her face. That madwoman… her own mother had handed her over to their rivals, disposing of her. She had… sold her…
"In exchange for what?" the young woman asked suddenly.
"Ah, now that's an interesting question," he said, placing a firm hand on her hip.
She blinked and tried to pull away, but Tadashi still held the chain attached to her ankle, forcing her to stay close to him.
"You see, we made an agreement with your mother. She promised us 70% of the shares in all the Sohma family's businesses and hotels. She also assured me that I would become the majority shareholder and hold decision-making power over your family's enterprises."
"That's ridiculous!" Akito spat, trembling with rage. "She has no rights over the Sohma estate and fortune! It's a lie."
Tadashi nodded, letting his fingers slide along her thigh, which made her grimace with disgust at his touch. He continued, "You're right, the contract isn't valid. That's why you're going to sign it."
"You must be joking," Akito growled, pushing his indecent hand away. "I'll never sign a contract that robs me of my freedom and steals from my family!"
"I understand your fury," Tadashi sighed, "but listen to me carefully, my lovely."
He yanked the chain hard, making Akito stumble and fall to the floor. Preventing her from getting up, he continued, his voice now darker.
"Our family has always been powerful, and we coexisted peacefully with yours. But gradually, you took our place, bought out our businesses, stole our partners, and secured your dominance in commerce—without a shred of remorse. My father went mad, obsessed with you. He became so fixated that his friends abandoned him to join your companies. When I took over the family, it had only a quarter of the power it held half a century ago. I had to rebuild everything, to innovate, to create. The Asami family is strong today because of me."
He punctuated his words by pointing a finger toward his own chest.
"Then you don't need our fortune," Akito replied.
"I only claim what was ours, what belonged to my father before you ruined him."
"That's the law of the market," Akito said, rising to her feet. "You and your family were weak and incompetent. That's why you lost to us. People always hate those who are superior to them."
She expected Asami to become angry, but to her surprise, he smiled at her.
"So it's true," he said with a tenderness that surprised her. "You have a sharp tongue for someone with such a beautiful face. You look like an angel, but you're a true demon."
Silence.
"I'm thirsty," she said haughtily.
The man stood up and walked to a cabinet in the room, opening one of its doors. He took out a glass and opened a second door, which revealed a mini-fridge. He pulled out a bottle of water, filled the glass, and brought it over to the young woman, who had seated herself back on the bed.
She took the glass and raised it to her lips, closing her eyes. Only when the water touched her tongue did she realize how thirsty she was. It was likely due to the drugs, as drinking had never brought her such pleasure before.
"If you were always this gentle, I could cherish you as my goddess."
Akito choked on her drink. After a brief cough, she glared at the young man watching her.
"Don't use that word if you don't understand it," she spat, placing the glass on the floor, as there was no furniture within her reach.
His goddess… What a fool. She was a goddess, yes, but she would never be his.
"You're talking about the legend of the Twelve, aren't you?"
Akito gasped in surprise. The legend! How could he possibly know…?
"You look surprised," he said, amused. "You thought I knew nothing of that tale?"
He approached her, and she held her breath as he sat near her on the bed.
"When I told you that my father went mad, it was true. He began to believe that if your family managed to gain so much power, it was because a god was watching over you—the God of the Twelve, as in the legend. He collected an enormous amount of material on the legend and its connection to your family, claiming that the heads of the Sohma family were the Gods of the Legend."
He studied her. "And you, like your father, are that deity, isn't that right? Are you God, Akito?"
She didn't answer. She looked at the man before her, wondering how such a secret could have escaped the family walls. She realized she wasn't sure if Tadashi truly believed in the legend or thought it was merely the product of his father's deranged mind. But he seemed to know that the legend was important to her family, and he was mocking her.
"Tell me, will your pets cause me any trouble?"
"They'll come for me!" Akito shouted, clenching her fists.
"Really? Ren-san seemed to imply that many would be pleased with your disappearance."
Akito opened her mouth to retort, but the words died in her throat, never making it to her lips.
They would come for her, wouldn't they? Images flooded her mind. Hatsuharu's angry stare, Rin and Kisa's fearful faces, Kagura and Ritsu's absence, Yuki and Ayame's pity-filled eyes, Hiro and Kyo's disdain, Momiji and Hatori's feigned affection, Kureno's betrayal, and… Shigure's cruel indifference.
In any case, she had lost them. The curse was weakening; that was true. They didn't need her anymore; she was nothing to them now. Without her, they could have the freedom they so desperately wanted. They would never come for her. At least she wouldn't be there when the curse left them. But she had wanted to see Shigure again…
"Have I touched a sore spot in your heart, Akito?"
She realized she had let tears roll down her pale cheeks. She hadn't even noticed she was crying. But for once, these tears felt justified because she had lost—she was truly alone.
"Things are simple, Akito." He raised a hand and gently wiped her cheeks. "If you sign this contract, I'll keep you by my side and take care of you. You'll never be alone. But if you refuse… I'll sell you to a brothel in Hong Kong."
Akito flinched and tried to pull away, but Asami gently held her and pulled her back, holding her close.
"Don't be sad," he murmured. "I'll give you what you want. Even my heart… You're beautiful, my goddess."
A glint of madness passed through his eyes, and before she could react, Tadashi pressed his lips to hers, kissing her passionately.
Akito panicked. Never had she allowed a man to touch her unless she herself had desired it. Only Shigure… only Shigure had dared to be bold with her.
She would not tolerate such behavior from anyone else. She had nothing left, only her pride, and she would not give that up. Now she had to fight for herself.
She bit down hard on Tadashi's lip, breaking the kiss and causing him to cry out in pain. Akito realized that a metallic taste had flooded her mouth—the taste of blood.
A crimson line trickled down Asami's chin. He wiped the red smear from his skin with the back of his hand, staring at it in surprise, though he seemed amused.
The door opened again. A man in a suit with ashen hair entered, a cigarette clenched between his lips.
"Well?" he asked Tadashi, showing no interest in the young girl chained to the bed or his friend's apparent injury.
Tadashi licked his wounded lip, tasting his own blood. His darkened gaze stayed fixed on Akito.
"We're dealing with a little pest who will need to be trained."
At the Manor
"What are you saying? She couldn't have just vanished like that!"
"Calm down, Shigure," Hatori exclaimed, placing his hands on his cousin's shoulders in an attempt to soothe him. "When the servants went to her room this morning, she wasn't there, and her bed hadn't been slept in. She didn't spend the night in her room."
"She would never have run away," Shigure shouted, pushing his friend away. "She's afraid of the world; she doesn't understand it, she thinks it will never accept her."
"You're dismissing that possibility because you want to believe she would never abandon you and that you had control over her," Kureno retorted. He looked exhausted and weary.
"Oh, shut up, Kureno! You don't understand what I feel for Akito. You never did."
"Yes, that's true! How could I understand such twisted feelings? Even Akito came to believe that you hated her."
As Shigure prepared to respond, his face red with anger, Kyo entered the room, followed by Yuki.
"Well?" Kureno asked.
"No one has seen her," explained the Cat.
"She ran away," murmured Hatori, losing his usual composure.
"No, Hatori," Yuki murmured. "She would never have left. She would have preferred to die here than to leave."
The group froze. No one dared to voice the thought that had formed in their minds. Yesterday, with the knife, Akito had wanted to end her life. She had thought about it.
"No, it's impossible…" Shigure whispered, slumped with fatigue, his shoulders drooping as he leaned against the wall to keep from collapsing.
"She has neither the will nor the strength to survive in the outside world," Kureno said coldly. Yet his lips were trembling, and he seemed close to breaking down. "Since she thinks we no longer want her… nothing ties her to life anymore. She may be dead."
Shigure suddenly straightened, and before anyone could react, he delivered a violent punch to Kureno's jaw, sending him crashing to the floor. Kureno's lip had split against his teeth, and blood poured down his chin.
Hatori rushed to the fallen young man, pressing a handkerchief to his cousin's lip. Shigure glared furiously at the man he had struck, then stormed out of the room without looking back.
"Shigure!" the doctor shouted angrily.
"Let him go, Hatori," Kureno murmured. "He's hurt, and he's scared…"
Shigure entered Akito's room. It was a simple room. Aside from the futon and the low table, nothing personal was left out in the room. It was empty—unbearably empty.
Shigure had never felt so powerless. She wasn't dead. It was impossible. He had always thought he was in control, even in the chaotic moments he had lived through in this family. Yet, since Akito had picked up that blade and held it to her skin, the illusion had shattered. He had underestimated her pain. He thought he could break her, not push her to kill herself.
All his manipulations and schemes felt empty and pointless. He should have spent that time loving her.
Slowly, he approached the futon and knelt, gently placing his hands on the sheets that had once held the woman he loved. Slowly, he lay down, appreciating the softness and blessing his keen sense of smell, which allowed him to catch the faint, familiar, and beloved scent that still lingered on the fabric.
Suddenly, he froze. A faint, yet potent odor for his exceptional nose lingered in the air, too faint for a human to detect. The scent was similar to ether, with a very sweet hint mixed in. A well-read man like Shigure couldn't mistake it.
It was chloroform!
Shigure rushed out of the room and hurried back to the others.
He burst into the room, where Hatori was tending to Kureno's lip, assisted by Yuki and Kyo, who held blood-stained cotton swabs.
"She's been kidnapped!"
The four men froze. Hatori stood up.
"Kidnapped? What do you mean?"
"Her room reeks of chloroform. Someone took her!"
"We need to call the police!" Yuki exclaimed, running toward the hallway where the nearest phone was located.
Kureno stopped tending to his lip and let a trickle of blood flow over his mouth, ignoring the bitter taste on his tongue.
"Kidnapped… But who could have done something like this?"
"Someone who thinks Akito is a nuisance," Hatori said, holding his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes as if that would help him think. "Or someone who wants to use her for ransom. Our family is very wealthy."
"I can't believe it," Kyo said. "We were here, and we couldn't do anything."
Yuki reappeared, out of breath. "The police are coming."
"Good," Hatori nodded. "I'll go meet them. Notify the other family members of Akito's disappearance, and ask if they noticed anything suspicious last night."
He approached Shigure, who hadn't moved, his body stiff, his gaze fixed in the distance. Hatori placed a reassuring hand on his cousin's shoulder.
"The police will find her."
"No," Shigure replied curtly, turning his dark eyes on his friend. "I will find her."
End of Chapter 8
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