Golden Era (Book 2)

37. Killing Him

The empress was diagnosed with stomach cancer at the beginning of October.

The tumor was malignant. Thankfully, a series of scans showed that it hadn't grown beyond the stomach wall, making the prognostic optimistic.

Sachi wasn't sure if the prognostic was really all that great or the professionals were just trying to inject optimism into them. In the pious Japanese culture, even the medical professionals firmly believed in the power of body-spirit connection: a troubled mind will impede physical healing. Sachi did know, however, no matter what anyone believed, taking action was the most important.

The first line of treatment was surgical resection—the removal of the affected area. After the procedure, an assessment would be done to determine whether chemotherapy or radiation therapy would follow. 

With the surgery date set, the empress was scheduled to stay in the hospital for the next two days. Since the emperor accompanied her, Sachi and Ayuri were sent back to oversee current affairs.

Neither one of them liked this decision. Being cast aside to wait was, in a way, worse than being immersed in crisis. It rained heavily on the day of their return, a real downpour that soaked everything in its path. The imperial palace was enshrouded by ominous-looking storm clouds that matched their despair. Instead of heading separate ways, Sachi led Ayuri out to the veranda, asking if she'd be okay to sit with him for a while.

They settled down, their legs dangling from the wooden platform. Overhead, the wind howled, slapping sheets of rain against tiled rooftops. They ran down eaves in unbroken strings and formed tiny puddles beneath their feet.

"I need you to visit the Kiso Palace immediately," said Sachi somberly. "I know I have no right to order you around like this, but I can't just sit back and trust the doctors completely—"

Ayuri shook her head "Say no more. You want me to vouch for the empress to the Masas, isn't that right?"

Sachi nodded. Since his mother's diagnosis, he'd gone into a state of semi-shock. Sleep had been intermittent and days started to blur. Looking at Ayuri with his sunken eyes, he whispered, "I don't want my mother to die. This will sound vain, but she's been too good and proper of a person to die a gruesome death like this."

"You don't have to explain yourself, Sachi," Ayuri reassured him quietly. "I planned on making a plea without you asking. The imperial lineage has paid allegiance to the immortals for over a millennium. I will see to it that she lives."

Sachi was unable to speak for a second.

She watched his reaction. "Does this surprise you?"

"To be honest, it does. Since you were declared a Masa, I've always thought of myself as your subordinate."

His honesty should've been a relief, yet it stung instead. Choking out a disheartened laugh, Ayuri said, "Those are the words I've dreaded to hear. Because to me, you've always been a brother I looked up to. Masa or not, the Yozeis raised me and we grew up together. This is your family as much as it is mine."

They went on watching wind tear through the clouds, the rain sweeping against the withered grass. White mist encroached, slowly rising over the concrete jungle of Tokyo metropolis. After some time, an attendant appeared from the inside. Softly greeting them both, he set out a lacquered tray containing a warmed bottle of sake and two cups before exiting.

Sachi filled one cup to the brim, then with some hesitation, he filled the other.

"Can I offer you some?" he asked, holding up the cup.

Ayuri accepted his drink. They clinked a joyless "cheers" and swallowed the sake in one gulp.

"Thank you for saying all of that," Sachi told her, pouring himself another cup. "It means a lot, especially under the current circumstances. I've been too intimidated to see you as my sister. But more than ever now, I need my family."