The Scarlet Shadow [UNDER EDITING]

Chapter 2: Arranged Marriage

Hanabi entered the dining hall and felt the heavy tension inside the room, making her take a deep breath in and out. Her grandfather was sitting on his usual seat that signified his high position within the family. Her grandmother was sitting beside him and their grim expressions told her of some not-so-good news.

An empty seat was reserved for her beside her mother and simply sat with great care because she might get scolded with just one wrong move. Upon sitting comfortably, she got the grasp of the situation even without a word spoken for the tension tells it all, though she didn't have any idea about the specifics. She cleared her throat and took the initiative to start the discussion. She'd rather do that than to eat her food with hesitation surrounding her.

"What is there to be discussed?" she asked with a higher tone of voice, acting like she was ignorant of what was to happen.

No one spoke, everyone simply ate their meal when her grandfather took a sip on his soup.

"Is it about the festival at the Shadow Sect village?"
After asking that, she ate some rice as if that subject was not something serious. Her eyes darted from left to right, trying to figure out what the others were thinking.

Her mother flinched beside her which confirmed that she was right. She let out a sigh before holding her mother's hand that started to feel cold. She looked at her with the softest expression she could manage and flashed a sweet smile.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," she assured her, tightening her hold. "Grandpa will be there as well as my cousins. It will go well, we will come home safe and sound."

"Easy said than done," her mother retorted without looking at her daughter. "Your father said that as well ten years ago."

Losing her husband was a great loss in both their family as well as the village. Her daughter was exposed to the heavy responsibilities of their family at a very young age for being the only heiress. Not only that, she could not even help her daughter move on from that tragedy, that made her think of herself as a failure mother.

"Mom, I am already 20 , not 10."
Hanabi cocked her head to try meeting the gaze of her mother who was looking down.

"Plus, there has been no chaotic news coming from the Shadow Sect for the past years. Grandfather had come back and forth for 5 years and nothing bad happened at all."

Letting out a heavy sigh, her mother stated that even if she was against the decision of sending Hanabi to the Shadow sect village, she'd still be sent there no matter what. There was nothing she could do but to pray that she'd come back alive and well. She tucked her other hand above her daughter's hand and clutched them, hoping that she won't lose her.

"Don't worry," Haru, Hanabi's cousin, butted in, "we will escort her and make sure not a single scratch will mark her."

The family ate in silence after that, it was for a reason that every each of them was wary of that certain visit. The heavy tension was still around the room but Hanabi tried to ignore it. She did say that it will be all right but she was not sure herself if she would be truly fine when she returns to the place where it happened.

She finished her meal and went in her room to pack her thing but no matter how hard she tried to hide her fear, her trembling hands gave it all away. The smell of metallic blood lingered on her nostrils and the image of her father's dead body kept flashing in her mind like a broken film. It agitated her and made her restless.

To vent out her building up worries, she grabbed her kunais and headed to the training hall. She breathed in and out before lunging towards the straw dummy and threw 3 kunais, shooting them on the abdomen, throat and forehead of the dummy. Sparing no seconds, she drew out another kunai and with one swift slash, the dummy's right hand clunked on the floor.