Golden Era (Book 2)

1. Back to Tomorrow

Please note this is a sequel! Prequel: Youthful Days 

Link: wattpad.com/story/125562553-youthful-days

***

Vision filled with white, Ayuna wasn't sure whether it was the moon or the sun shining down at her.

She blinked several times, realizing it was neither: the brilliance came from a large window overlooking a traditional Japanese garden.

Is this a new dream? She cringed. The mere act of thinking triggered pain. Her head and throat were on fire as if she'd lain in the hot sun for too long. When she tried to move, shooting pain came from everywhere: her limbs felt like they'd been violently detached and then reattached in the wrong places.

Where am I? She tried to ask, but all that came out was a dull wheeze.

In response, she heard a shriek along with ear-piercing clatters. Following this were frantic footsteps and doors banging. Before Ayuna could fully register her surroundings, she was hauled up and into someone's arms.

An unbearable pain shot up her spine and a scream escaped her.

"Sachi! Her injuries! Did you forget?" someone cried out. But whoever held Ayuna refused to let her go. When the pain receded, Ayuna dragged out a few breaths and allowed her vision to refocus. Immediately next to her was a pair of emerald eyes and immaculately braided blonde hair.

The woman took her vitals and asked measuredly, "Ayuna, do you know who I am?"

Ayuna stared at her. "Ayuri. You're my sister."

"And him? What about him?"

Ayuna looked up. The man holding her was dressed in black from head to toe, and his hair and eyes held shades of the night. He was looking at her intently as if his life was burning with hers.

Not Fuji Shuusuke, Ayuna thought. Aloud, she whispered, "Sachi."

Met with her answer, Sachi held her face and kissed her before a room full of attendants. Tears streamed down her face as soon as they came into contact and then she was sobbing uncontrollably. Not Fuji Shuusuke, she thought again, he's not my lover.

Suddenly, the ambiance in the room changed. Sachi released her the instant he saw her cry while Ayuri called out a series of orders to their attendants.

"Where does it hurt?" demanded Sachi, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. "Ayuna, tell me what to do."

Ayuna shook her head, but the tears kept coming. She cried not because of pain from her wound, but her alternate reality.

"Do you remember what happened to you?"

Looking into Sachi's eyes, Ayuna nodded.

***

It was April, the beginning of spring when cherry blossoms in Kyoto started blooming. It had been Ayuri's birthday. They had decked out the mansion and spent the morning preparing sticky rice cakes. Along with their close friend, Noa, they had bantered back-and-forth in the sun-filled kitchen, talking over each other about their plans for the season.

Their bliss was broken by a loud noise. Mizuno Ren, a long-time family nemesis, broke in from the back garden, shattering windows in the process of her violent entrance. She had a small team of assassins with her, all dressed in earth-colored suits and their faces covered. They had come with guns and cherry bombs, making it clear that it was a suicide mission.