Shu's Twin

Once a warrior. Chapter 14

[Edited]

Disclaimer: I don't own the image above and have only done basic editing. The song above is called "Warrior" by Beth Crowley.

I exhale a shaky breath and finally find the courage to look ahead so I can bring myself back to reality before forcing myself to realize that I was still standing in a lonely forest. With a shake of my head, I turn my gaze to the ground and continue walking ahead. I take my earphones out of my shorts' pockets and plug them into my iPod that hung around my neck like a choker, just like the one Shu wears. I shake my head again, removing any thoughts of my brothers and place the earbuds in as I pick a song, still walking at snail's pace. Once done picking a song, I look up and continue walking at a higher speed to get out of the forest before it turns dark. The music continues to serenade me as I find myself singing along to the lyrics, finding my mind at peace by doing so. The lyrics oddly make me feel as if I was finally flying towards freedom and away from what dragged me down: Yui.

"Like a butterfly~" I hum and drag out the note, matching the high note of the song. As I sing along to the rest of the song, I find myself picking up the pace and stepping around along with the rhythm of the song. I look up at the sky once again only to notice the sun was about to set soon and begin running, seeing streetlights not too far away.

It's best to run away quickly before everyone wakes up and notices me gone.

I look back one last time, even though the mansion is nowhere in sight, before making a dash for it. By the time I reach the heart of the city, the moon was already shining above me. If there were no street lights, the brightness of the moon would light up the town nonetheless. My gaze turns back to the crowd around me: couples, families, and teens walking around without a care in the world. I turn back to look at my destination coming into view and I quicken my pace to get away from everyone as soon as possible. As I walk closer to push the glass door open, I abruptly stop my hand from reaching the handle and turn around to look at the crowd as I feel someone watching me. But when I notice everyone simply minding their business, my eyes instantly narrow further and I immediately enter the building in case they are still watching me. With a deep breath, I shift my gaze from outside the building towards the interior only to be surprised by the beautiful view presented to me. I look around, amazed at the thought and precision that went into making such a beautiful building- inside and out.

I guess some mortals are good at something.

I snap out of my light daze and walk towards the reception, slowly dragging my feet as I try to ignore the constant guilt I feel.

"Good evening, ma'am! How can I help you?" A receptionist looks up with a bright smile as I reciprocate it with a much weaker one.

"Hi, um, I booked a room two days ago under the name Shinju Sakamaki." I tap my fingers, a nervous shiver running through my spine as I attempt to make eye contact.

"Alright, let me just check." She points up a finger before turning her body to face the computer to the side as she searches my name. While she does so, I take the time to look around the interior once again before hearing a hum from her. "Ah, yes, here it is. Alright, could I please check your ID card?" She asks and looks up at me as I dig through my schoolbag for my ID.

"Here," I mumble with a small smile and pass it over to her as she takes it with a smile and confirms my identity. Once she is done, she returns me my card along with the room key and I take my purse out to pay for the night.

"Your room number is 607. Here is your room's key card." She smiles as I place the money on the counter.

"Thank you." I move my gaze down as I take the card from her and begin to walk away before looking back at the glass doors for any signs of the uneasiness I felt before entering. Shaking the feeling away as much as possible, I walk over to the elevator and press the button for the sixth floor. As I wait for the elevator to bring me upstairs, I look at myself in the mirror beside me and notice how tired and sleep-deprived I must've looked when talking to the receptionist. Hence, instead of looking at my horrible state, I decide to simply stare at the elevator doors just before they open and walk out without another thought bothering me. Once I find the room I am looking for, I take out the key card from my pocket and unlock the door with a light swipe against the sensor. I look up at my room only for my eyes to widen at the extreme difference between the hallway I just exited from and the interior designing of the room. After closing the door, I walk further in and switch my gaze to the bathroom door. I push it open to see yet another beautifully designed room.