How long has it been, I wonder?
She had been walking for the past three days, away from the house that had been the stage of that tragedy.
Such horrendous deeds, I should avenge them. But how? That man… I’ll need to find him. But… how?
She trudged listlessly through the forest, her left hand firmly holding onto the blade she had acquired from the house of Nanaya. Her vision was blurry, her limbs weak, but she persevered, convincing herself that she had to keep walking.
Coming to a river flowing through the forest, she dropped to her knees by the bank as the fatigue hit her. Burying her face in the crystal clear water, she drank as much as she could, letting the soothing liquid rejuvenate her parched throat. As her vision cleared, her strength returned slightly. She stared at the opposite bank. Lo and behold, there was a town on the other side of the river.
To her left was a bridge that paved the way across the river. People were crossing it, bustling about with their daily lives.
I should go there. Perhaps I might be able to find some clues.
Standing up, she took a deep breath, drawing air into her lungs. As she exhaled, dizziness assailed her.
This is strange, she thought as she put a hand to her forehead. To her surprise, it was hotter than usual.
It wouldn’t do me any good to push myself here. I don’t have a choice, so I guess I’ll take a rest.
Slightly disgusted with herself, she sat back on the ground and stared idly at the people crossing the bridge. Nameless people without personalities walked straight ahead, without even casting a glance at the people walking beside them.
Even though there are so many people here together crossing this bridge, they see only one thing. Everyone is their own main character, so they only live the day from that perspective. And so, without really interacting with anyone else, they each end the day by themselves.
… In a way you could say it’s a very lonely thing. She began thinking melancholic thoughts, perhaps a result of her fever.
I guess I should get walking now that I feel better and all I’m doing here is wasting my time with pointless thoughts. Getting up, she resumed heading toward town in search of anything that would aid her.
That was, until she saw him.
Casually.
She had just casted her gaze casually into the crowd, but her vision froze.
Thump…
Black hair and green eyes. His clothes were black, as if they were a symbol of himself.
Thump…
Her pulse started racing. Her blood vessels sprung into action, her nerves split one after another, her spinal cord going berserk as though it would leap out from her back any time soon.
Thump…
The man walking through the crowd was just… handsome. The dizziness came back to her, as her consciousness swam, falling.
Thump…
Her chest refused to draw in more air. Her fingertips trembled, for blood wasn’t reaching them. Her body felt cold, as though she was freezing to death.
Thump…
Her heart beat in a rush, telling her to hurry up. She could no longer stand it, a few unintelligible words escaped her mouth. Her brain told her only one word.
Just one word was repeating in her brain.
HIM.
That man. I am going to…
She felt sick. Her lungs wheezed, she couldn’t breathe. It hurt to breathe. For some reason, she couldn’t remember how to breathe properly. Her throat was burning, her eyes about to burst. She felt cold, yet she was drenched in sweat.
I have to follow him. I have to follow that man. Follow him, follow after him, and talk to him.
Her rigid feet shuffled into action as Sakuya began to move, her breathing ragged like that of a beast.
She followed the man across the bridge. He walked slowly, unaware that he was being followed.
If I run after him now, I can talk to him. Talk to him, and ask his name…
… Ask his name? A tattered laugh escaped her lips as it crossed her mind.
Who am I kidding? You know very well that isn’t what you really want to do, don’t you, Izayoi Sakuya?
=====================Old Stuff Always Rock====================
