Sealed - Kagura x Hayabusa

Chapter 1

It is not unusual to have clumps of grey clouds hovering above your head; with claps of thunder seamlessly resounding across the dark sky, and heavy droplets of water falling mercilessly to the surface of Earth.

But it's not the case for the red tint of liquid smeared along the walls and floor of a dimly lit room.

The sound of a heavy material being dragged across the room could be heard. It was eerie; sounding as if whoever was pulling it was dragging along a corpse. Faint sounds of breathing could be heard between the roar of thunders, that never stopped rumbling outside.

With the dim light that comes and goes thanks to the lightning, one could make out the scene that had just unraveled in the small room. Blood painted the teal wall that surrounded the room, along with its smoothed out wooden floor. Some lifeless bodies could be seen scattering around, emitting a rotten smell as if they've been unburied for days.

A pair of cyan colored irises shone brightly in the dark room. It scanned the room quietly, as if searching for any creatures that might still be alive. The same red tint of liquid can be seen trickling down his figure, making a small yet skin-crawling dripping sound.

Then, as he was scanning the dimly lit room, he slowly began to walk. His pace is slow, but by no means an act of vigilance. His current movement is unreadable, yet a terrifying aura emanates from his shadowy figure. Meanwhile, a wooden closet sat still by the corner of the room; the only furniture free from the streak of blood.

From inside, a soft yet haggard breathing could be heard. It was pressured as to not sound louder than it was supposed to be. A little figure sits quietly inside; both hands pressing onto her mouth. Sweats endlessly fall from her little face, eyes swollen with a hint of tears at the edge of them. She was trembling, yet she didn't dare to utter a single sound that she unconsciously stopped breathing.

The sound of footsteps that is slowly nearing her made her heart beat even faster. It was if her chest could burst any second. Her body froze. There is a small gap on the wooden closet, and weak rays of light comes through from it. It was enough to illuminate a fraction of her trembling legs, with her torn kimono could be perceived in sight. However, she couldn't bring herself to move even an inch to take a peek; fearing that another pair of eyes will suddenly pop out right from the other side of the closet.

As the footsteps grow louder, so is the sound of a faint breathing. It was gruff, seemingly a man - but not entirely a man either. It was hoarse, similar to those of a monster. The little girl closed her eyes, forcing herself not to cry as her hands pressed harder onto her mouth. She wanted to run away. She doesn't want to die. But if she wishes to live, she needs to follow the order. The order that her parents had gave her, before she witnessed their life being taken right in front of her.

The sound of footsteps then abruptly stops. It seems like the figure is standing right in front of the closet, as the weak light that comes from the gap is now blocked. It made the little girl more anxious and unsettled. What makes it worse is that; she heard no sound from the outside. So she can't exactly pinpoint whether that figure was blocking the light, or if he had left and the night had just gone darker.

Then, she could feel the closet softly shaking. Then comes the sound of breathing from before. The girl felt a lump on her throat. The figure is still there! And now, he's caressing his fingers on the surface of the closet. Did he heard her breathing? Did he know that she was hiding there? None of these can be answered by the little girl. All she can do is pray and pray harder so that her life could be spared this time.

However, a sharp nail then slips into the small gap of the closet. It was followed by other sharp nails; some still covered in fresh blood. The girl's face was red from suffocation. She wanted to cry so badly but she couldn't. Not when the figure is now trying to open the closet's door. She could hear drips of liquid falling to the floor just outside her. As much as she doesn't want to acknowledge it, she knew exactly what the liquid was made of.