The winds howled as the rain fell relentlessly along with the roar of the thunder. Making the presence of the storm evident.
The sky was like a dark chasm that encompassed the heavens like a grim omen.
These things, however, didn’t perturb the people inside of the beautiful modernized Japanese Mansion.
Inside this beautiful abode, a different storm brewed over the inhabitants. It was so silent; the tension which clung to the atmosphere like a second skin, you could practically cut through it with some of the katanas that decorated the elegant mansion…
The walls were pristine and immaculately white and lined with dark brown and black accents. The bright lights did nothing to chase away the dread that permeated in the air.
It was eerily silent, save for the constant sound of pacing in a certain hallway.
A man, probably in his late fifties, paced in front of a door. His silver platinum hair, which used to be neatly combed back, stuck to his forehead which was creased with worry and speckled with sweat. Age did nothing to deteriorate his intimidating aura. His eyes, which were usually narrowed in contempt, had a foreign gleam to them. They shone the same way it had when his wife gave birth to his daughter; his only daughter.
Here he was once more; pacing outside the very same doors all those years ago. The only difference was…
He was anticipating the arrival of his granddaughter.
His son-in-law was the one who should be pacing in his place. However, that was quite impossible, seeing as the young man had passed away just a few weeks prior.
He grits his teeth at the horrid memory. The expectant father died as he protected his wife and unborn child from forces, thought to be myth to the common folk. But the old man knew better. The creatures that embellished their culture were as real as the existence of their own kind.
The old man, who went by the name of Takeshi, exhaled sharply as his eyes alighted on the sutras, or paper seals, that dotted his mansion.
For years and years, his family along with a handful of others maintained the peace and balance between the two realms of spirits and humans. They were known as Koken’nin, Literally meaning Guardian.
They protected the mortals from malevolent spirits and vice versa.
They can't simply eradicate these spirits though. They were entities closely linked with nature and killing them all would be like ridding nature of its soul.
However, they were also gifted with certain abilities which enable them to make these two realms coexist in peace. They were powerful, without a doubt, but still paled in comparison to some spirits who were infinitely more immune to them.
A loud cry erupted from the closed doors which caused the man to snap from his reverie and clench his fists tighter along with his eyes.
This continued for a few more minutes before he was jerked to reality when a hand clamped over his tense shoulders. He looked back and was greeted with the worried face of his wife who offered him a smile.
“Come inside, it’s time you saw our granddaughter” she spoke softly and gestured to the doors.
He gave a curt nod in reply as he felt his hands sweat. It was like having to go through the birth of his daughter all over again. He eyed the trailing figure of his wife, reminiscing to the time when she was the one behind those doors.
The doctor and two nurses stood at the doorway waiting for the aged couple to enter, bowing in a complete 90 degree, their back straight as boards, showing respect to the head of the household.
“Congratulations Mayuzumi-Sama, your daughter gave birth to a healthy baby girl…h-however, we couldn’t say the same for your daughter…” the bespectacled man spoke hesitantly
Worry creased the old man’s face as he took in the information
“What?!” he all but snarled. Not even the grip of his wife on his arm seemed to calm him down.
“Your daughter has a very poor constitution that it is a miracle she was even able to go through the delivery…she might not be able to hold on any longer” the man continued despite the fear clearly etched on his face. He was utterly terrified of the elderly man, knowing he could easily kill him in a fit of blinded rage.
The old couple made their way towards the room as the doctor and nurses moved aside to provide the family with much needed privacy.
They both reached their sweet daughter who lay on the bed, deathly pale and covered in sweat. They took note of her paper white skin and sunken features. Her eyes however, shone with pride as she looked down tenderly at the bundle in her arms.
The woman felt numb with pain. A few jolts of pain would run up her limbs and she would wince but not once did she loosen her grip on her daughter.
“Hime, how are you feeling?” the old lady asked her daughter who in turn flashed them a sad smile.
“I feel like I’ll be joining my beloved soon…but I feel so proud to hold her in my arms as of now” she replied as she looked back at her daughter but her face soon contorted into one of worry
“What’s the matter Hime?” the aged head of the family asked his daughter who immediately broke down in sobs
“S-she hasn’t stirred a-at all…I-I’m beginning to worry” she replied with a broken voice as she stroked her daughter’s cheek, hoping to draw a reaction and none came.
The couple were stunned to silence and worry began to fill the room. They were trapped in a suffocating silence.
The baby had the signature raven tresses of her father and delicate features that resembled her mother’s. The only flaw was her deathly pale complexion. There was no flush on her cheeks and she was motionless.
They called the doctor back into the room. Who in turn, approached the young woman with his stethoscope. The man gasped as he caught a reading.
“H-her pulse is f-faint! S-she might—“he was unable to finish his sentence as he was roughly pulled out the door by none other than the aged yet intimidating man who held him firmly by the collar.
“Are you saying that I will lose my only daughter AND my precious granddaughter?! All in one night?!”
The doctor simply shook his head in dismay
“I’m afraid I am simply a man of medicine and science Mayuzumi-Sama…not a miracle worker. Your daughter’s poor health might have put your granddaughter in that position. It was inevitable…you should go say your goodbyes now” with that the doctor walked away.
He returned to the room to find his wife sobbing uncontrollably while his daughter shed silent tears.
“I’m afraid y-you’ll be joining me and your father little one… I d-didn’t even get to give you your name…” she sobbed bitterly. The emotional pain wracked her body harder than the physical pain.
They were engulfed in depressed silence before it was broken…
By the cries of a child.
YOU ARE READING
Ayakashi Love
Random"Falling in love is like jumping off a really tall building, your brain tells you "This isn't a good idea", but your heart tells you "You can fly"" -Kagami Mayuzumi A deal forged between two Sealed by fate Settled by the destiny of one who never kne...
