My Soul Will Find Yours : The Fulfillment of the Promise

The Faceless Man

As advised by Charles, we went to the police station to have our testimonies recorded. When the uniformed police officer refused to do so, we called Charles and let him do the talking for us. We weren’t surprised when, ten minutes later, the officer asked us to retell what happened. Unlike the first time, he listened with rapt attention and even asked follow up questions to “further understand the matter.” Before we left, he offered to introduce us to his friends who used to work in the military for possible private investigator and bodyguard candidates. We had to decline because Charles assured us that he’ll be in charge of it.

When we arrived in my workplace, Kaname assured me that he’ll be waiting in the lobby patiently. As soon as I entered my office, I told Anne to schedule me a quick meeting with the president and Human Resources. Although it wasn’t until my final hour at work, I managed to talk to them about my current situation. They promised to heighten the security in the building and its premises.

“The company has your back, Hinata,” the head of HR assured me. “You were right to inform us. Although this person hasn’t done anything extreme yet, it pays to be on the safe side.”

“Sandy is right. If you need help hiring bodyguards, I can refer you to a trusted agency,” president Anthony said as his secretary Marie handed him a black folder containing the documents he needed for his dinner meeting.

“Thank you, sir. Thanks, Sandy,” I stood up and prepared to leave.

“By the way, what do you think about moving somewhere closer to the office? Now that you’re pregnant and your husband’s career is also blossoming, don’t you agree that it’s wiser to find a place that’s nearby? The daily commute is going to be very taxing for the both of you.”

“We’ll talk about it, sir,” I answered.

Actually, the idea had already crossed my mind and I was seriously considering it. Ninety percent of the companies who want to work with Kaname are practically located in Bonifacio Global City while the travel time from home to work alone takes almost two hours due to the congested roads caused by the morning rush. If Kaname wants to further his career, of course he has to attend meetings and be away from me from time to time. I don’t want to dull his shine but with our current situation, will he even have time to think about his modeling profession?

~~~

Later that evening, while mum and Kaname were watching a rerun of a popular series about a fallen angel on the Smart TV, I was online with Charles on Facebook chat. We were talking about how my day went and about the possibility of us moving to a condominium complex in BGC.

Chuckie Arroyo: I don’t see why not, you can afford to move so go!

Hinata Y. Kirishima: I still haven’t brought this up with mum and your father though.

Chuckie Arroyo: Oh, but I’m sure they’ll agree.

Hinata Y. Kirishima: You think so?

Chuckie Arroyo: Yeah. Are you bringing grampy Panther with you?

Hinata Y. Kirishima: Mum might get lonely so he’ll probably be staying with her… But we’ll choose a place that allows pets just in case.

Chuckie Arroyo: Is Two Serendra pet-friendly?

Hinata Y. Kirishima: Yes, but I kind of prefer Avant. It’s at 26th St. & 3rd  Avenue so it’s very close to work. I also like the eco-friendly vibe it boasts of.

When our conversation ended, I began to yawn incessantly. My phone screen told me that it was still quite early, it was only half past nine but I was ready to hit the hay. I had nothing to blame but my pregnancy on this one. Seeing that Kaname was so engrossed with the show, I didn’t disturb him and left for the bedroom without informing him.

Panther was grooming himself on the bed when I entered our bedroom. When he saw me, he stopped mid-lick, let out a chirpy mewl, and hopped off the bed to rub his face on my feet and legs. Smiling, I lifted him in my arms and carried him back to the bed like a baby… Albeit a purring one. I laid next to him as he continued to purr while he kneaded my belly gently. His low vibratory murmurs made me sleepier, in just minutes I was already in dreamland…

~~~

Have you ever had that dream where everything just felt so real your brain can’t realize it’s fake? That night, I felt fear like no other.

My dream started out innocently enough. I was having a picnic in a park filled with tsubaki blossoms in rainbow colors with Kaname. In this dream, I appeared to be already in my last trimester because of how huge my belly was. I was wearing a white dress with a floral print while my husband looked relaxed in a white shirt and dark jeans. I was sipping my drink when suddenly, a faceless man with long hair interrupted our wonderful afternoon. The man wore nothing but a cloth that resembled the traditional Greek garment himation. As if I was in a fantasy movie, the faceless man brought with him dark clouds that left everything in its path colorless. The once beautiful and almost kaleidoscopic park slowly became grey and dull.

As the man came closer and closer to us with his clouds, Kaname got up and pulled me up to stand behind him to shield me with his body. In the blink of an eye, our picnic spread disappeared and he was suddenly holding a silver bow and arrow. Reminiscent of a warrior from the olden times, Kaname’s stance became a lot straighter. Like all dreams, there were some aspects that I couldn’t quite explain. Although I was physically standing behind him, I could still somehow see what his facial expression was as though I was facing him. His features remained calm and sure, without a single hint of fear. After keeping a relaxed grip on the bow handle, he placed an arrow on it then positioned his finger to draw, aim, and release. I heard a swift swoosh as the arrow darted towards the faceless man.

“Yes!” Kaname hissed triumphantly as it neared the enemy’s chest.

When the arrow hit its target, the faceless man fell from his chariot of clouds. His red blood stained the grey grass underneath him as his body twitched like a fish out of water. I was about to relax when Kaname let out a cackle that made my hair stand on end! Slowly, I turned my gaze to look at my husband’s face… The next thing I knew, I was screaming my lungs out. The man beside me wasn’t my beloved shogun, it was the faceless man!

“Let us go, my beloved queen,” he said in a deep voice that made me tremble, although he didn’t have a face I could tell he was smiling at me evilly. When I didn’t move and just continued staring at him in horror, he waved his hand and some unseen force pushed me to his waiting arms.

“No… No!” I screamed as I struggled out of his loathsome embrace. “Let me go!”

I sensed his frown before he released me without warning. I lost my balance and fell, back first, on the ground. My shock from the fall was immediately replaced by an astonishing pain. I clutched my belly, my face scrunched up in agony.

“H-hinata…” a familiar but weak voice called out my name.

Despite the pain, I willed myself to search for the voice's owner. Tears streamed down my face as I watched Kaname stand up with great difficulty to go to where I was… Blood oozed out of his wounded chest and stained his shirt, a silver arrow stuck to him.

“Anata!” I cried, not knowing which pained me more... My physical anguish or seeing him mortally wounded.