Preeminence

Ch. 04: Calm

You felt completely disoriented, a haze weighing heavily on your mind as vague memories of what had transpired after you had touched the mask of Kitsunemen came flooding in unbidden. A part of your mind screamed for answers, demanding for clarity and logic, but another part urged you to remain silent, fearful of uncovering secrets that you didn't want to face. The pain in your chest and the heaviness of your eyelids persisted for quite some time, until finally, you managed to keep your eyes open. You blinked several times before becoming accustomed to the brightness, gradually regaining focus.

The first thing you took note of were your surroundings. The room in which you found yourself in was spacious with wooden walls, decorated with numerous paintings and carvings, the furniture kept in such pristine condition that it made it seem as though they hadn't a single speck of dust on them. The air was warm and comfortable with a faint fragrance emanating from the parchments and books that adorned the shelves lining the walls.

This was not where you had expected to wake up.

You were floating midair, several feet above the floor, curled up with your knees tucked tightly against your chest, your palms resting atop them. The masks surrounded you as per usual, encasing your body in a protective layer that you (or anyone else in that matter) were unable to break through. As you stayed in silence for a while, your thoughts began to wander elsewhere. Your head began to throb with every blink as it became apparent to you just how weak you actually were if you were to be on your own. It was almost laughable how much you had to rely on them. Even though you were supposedly the one holding power, you weren't able to do anything by yourself. Frustrating.

"Good morning, Master," Kitsunemen greeted as soon as he noticed you were awake. "How are you feeling?"

His question prompted you to lift your head from your knees and look at him. You didn't remember the last time you had worn one of the masks, and you certainly didn't remember ever feeling so utterly miserable and exhausted as you did now. 'I'm fine' was obviously the best option to choose at this point, but you didn't feel like lying to yourself right now.

"Tired," you said brusquely, your voice coming out hoarse and strained due to the lingering effects of wearing the fox mask. "What of the Yaksha?"

"He has been dealt with accordingly," Kitsunemen said calmly, although the slightest hint of satisfaction could be detected within his tone. "There is no need to worry about him, Master. He will not be able to bother us for a while."

For a moment, you wondered why Kitsunemen was treating the Yaksha's actions so casually — or perhaps you should say indifferently — but you discarded the thought. Whatever his reasons, it didn't matter. At present, you really did not feel like thinking about the Yaksha. The mere memory of your brief encounter with him caused your stomach to churn with an unfamiliar sense of nausea that refused to let go no matter how hard you tried. You closed your eyes and rested your cheek upon your knees once more, willing the queasiness to leave you.

It was quiet for a while. Silence was always preferable in these situations anyway, but it had the unfortunate side effect of amplifying your sense of isolation, making it difficult for you to keep yourself occupied with anything other than the overwhelming thoughts of self pity. You knew it wasn't healthy, that this particular coping mechanism of yours would ultimately lead you down a road filled with endless sorrow. But as it stood now, you didn't really care. You needed something else to distract you, something more substantial than empty thoughts.

And fortunately for you, you didn't have to wait too long to get your wish fulfilled.

A low creak sounded as the door opened. Your eyes shot open instantly, and your gaze fixed upon the source of the sound as the man who entered came into view.