Kagome just stood there, frozen. Rin had been trying to grab her attention but all that happened was she fell to her knees and sobbed into her hands. Out of everyone, Inukimi was the first to wake up followed by Inuyasha and everyone else. Kaede was still out so Sango and Miroku went to help her.
Rin looked to the others. "What happened to Lord Sesshomaru and Lyra?" she asked, not understanding what had happened.
Inukimi turned to the child. "Where's Naraku?"
"He took Mikazuki and left..."
Inuyasha crouched down beside Kagome and hugged her to him. "Don't worry, Kagome. We'll find him."
Jaken tottered over. "What I don't understand is what happened to my Lord and Lady! Did that wretched monster kill them?!"
"No," Inukimi answered. "Sesshomaru could never be taken down so easily. Naraku must have used a cheap trick to trap him. And then he did the same to Lyra."
Miroku held his chin in thought. "I wonder where he could have sent them."
***
Naraku had reached his hideout. Mikazuki was still fast asleep. He was only mere hours old but with his father's blood coursing through him, he was already stronger than any child. It made him the perfect subject for his plan to mould him into the ultimate weapon. And with his mother's genes, his psychological ability would be second to none.
He went to his room and placed the baby onto the bed on the floor. The barrier was set around his hideaway and with his strength now, he knew that not even Inuyasha would be able to track him down.
"Sleep, child. Your transformation begins now." He smirked evilly. "Your parents will be so proud when they witness the man you become. Don't worry. They're still alive somewhere. But by the time they find you, it'll be too late."
Mikazuki slept peacefully. An innocent heart taken away from his parents before even gaining all the love from them.
***
Police sirens wailed down the street as they zoomed passed in the early of the morning. The blaring noise disturbed the silence in the one bedroom apartment. If it could even be called that. It was really only one room with a separate bathroom to the side. Other than that, the bedroom, kitchen and living area were all in one cramped space. There weren't even any curtains or blinds to block out the sun, the rays hitting the woman sleeping on the single bed.
Lyra stirred and rubbed her eyes before opening them. It was instant regret as the sunshine was way too bright for her to handle so early in the morning. She turned onto the side and yawned as she looked at the digital clock on the bedside table.
"It's only 8am? Jeez..."
She pushed the thin sheet, which was a poor excuse for a blanket, off her body and forced herself to sit up. With a quick stretch, she got up and walked to the bathroom. The laminate flooring felt cold under her feet but she was used to it. She pulled off her tank top and shorts before stepping into the shower. A shiver ran down her spine. The water was cold but the landlord didn't ever pay for hot water. But again, she was used to it. After her quick shower, she wrapped her body up with a towel and twisted her hair into another. Stepping in front of the mirror, she began brushing her teeth.
It was the same routine everyday. The same pattern for the past two weeks. But there was only one problem. She had no idea how she got to be there. In that apartment. Living that life. It was strange. She knew her name was Lyra. She knew how old she was. She somehow happened to know who her landlord was even the first time she had met him.
Nothing made sense.
She didn't know anything, but subconsciously she knew everything and everyone. She knew her neighbour, Old Man Bono. She smiled and waved at the regulars she passed everyday. People spoke to her as if they had known her for years but at the same time, she had only know them for two weeks. Yet she had knowledge about all of them. She also had a bank card and a passportm She thought that perhaps she was in an accident that made her lose her memories. It was a farfetched theory though. She knew she didn't have any family so she had to support herself and she needed to get a job. She had accepted that life.
'Today's the day, Lyra. You're going to find yourself a job,' she thought with determination. She spat out the toothpaste and washed her face before going to get ready for the day. Opting for a pair of skinny jeans and a hoodie, she slipped on some flats and allowed her hair to dry naturally.
She left her apartment and walked down the six flights of stairs. The elevators weren't working. Leaving the apartment block she lived in, she made her way to the centre of the city.
The city seemed to always be on the go. It was always busy no matter what time of the day or year it was. But it was still so difficult to find work. She spent all morning and most of her afternoon asking if shops and companies were hiring. Some did take her details down but she knew she was never going to hear from them again. Feeling defeated, she decided to call it a day and took her usual route towards her apartment.
She was walking by the same humongous corporate building she passed everyday, but that day she decided to stop in front of it. Men and women in suits walked up and down the flight of stairs and in and out the large rotating glass doors, all busy working and looking rich.
That company distributed electricity to the entire country. They had offices in other major cities but this one was the main headquarters. Lyra was tempted to at least ask about any vacancies but upon seeing the kind of people who worked there, she brushed the thought away.
'They'll never hire someone like me,' she thought just as her stomach rumbled. She turned away and decided to grab lunch from the café she usually passed.
Just then from the doors of the building, a tall man with fair skin and long, white hair and markings on his face walked out and made his way down the steps. He was clad in a tailored navy blue suit and a matching tie with a white shirt and shiny black shoes. He held a phone to his ear as he followed behind a woman with black hair who just so happened to be walking in the same direction he was going.
"It's Sesshomaru," he spoke over the phone. "I'm calling an emergency meeting with the board this evening. Make sure you're in the conference room by 5 latest."
Not even bothering to wait for a reply, he hung up. It was his lunch break and he really needed a cup of coffee from the café down the street.
The woman in front him entered the café and partially looked back over her shoulder. Lyra saw the man entering behind her so she held the door open for him.
"Thank you," he said.
"No worries," she replied quickly without seeing his face.
She made her way to the back of the short queue and looked up at the menu. There were so many different options to choose from. Sesshomaru glanced at the woman in front of him as she tapped her chin, staring at the menu as if she was making a life changing decision. He was going to opt for his usual choice of green tea, no sugar.
It was odd. One day he woke up in some mansion with no memory of the day before. Yet he knew exactly who he was. He was Sesshomaru, CEO of the most powerful and richest company in the country. He knew everyone who worked for him and he knew how to handle his business. It was as if he had partially lost his memory for a while but it returned somehow. Still, two weeks on, everything had returned to normal. The business kept him busy and there was nothing more to it. He looked different than most but people seemed to respect his individuality.
"Um, I'll have a mocha to go, please," the woman in front of him said, breaking him out his thoughts.
"Regular or large?" the waitress asked with a bored tone.
"Regular, please."
Lyra paid and then stood to the side while she waited for her drink. The man behind her got to the front and she heard the waitress instantly turn on her charm.
"Good afternoon. Your usual, sir?" she asked with a happy voice as she twirled a strand of hair with her finger.
She kept her head down as she giggled mentally at the waitress' attempt at flirting.
"Please," the man replied.
Just then, her regular sized paper cup of mocha was placed on the counter in front of her. After giving her thanks, she turned to make her way out. The man who had ordered after her turned just as she was passing him causing her to accidentally nudge her shoulder into him.
"Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry!" she apologised quickly, still looking down to make sure she didn't spill anything on the man.
"It's fine," he responded calmly.
Thinking nothing more of it, Lyra brushed away the slight embarrassment and left the café. Sesshomaru found the woman's overreaction secretly amusing and watched her leave out the door and turn left. Mentally sighing, he took his green tea and left as well but turning right instead to head back to his office.
***
The next day, Lyra decided to have a day off from job hunting. She didn't really have proper friends exactly, only people she knew and said hello to every now and then. She rewarded herself with a lie in but she had woken up early because she was used to it. So, she decided to just lay in bed for a while.
As she lay there, she stared up at the ceiling. She felt...lonely. It felt as though there was something missing from her life. Something big. She just didn't know what. She had felt it from the very first moment she woke up in that apartment. She just couldn't figure it out. It was a strong sensation she would often feel whenever she felt completely alone.
Heaving a deep sigh, she pushed those thoughts away and got up to get ready for the day. It was just before lunch time and she was feeling quite peckish so she decided to head back to the café from the day before. It was fairly quiet still but it was going to get busier for the lunch rush.
After ordering her mocha and slice of cake, she took a seat at a small empty table near the counter. She only just noticed that each table had a book. It was a cute little idea so people could read whilst they had their drinks. She flipped through a few pages as she took a bite from her cake. She didn't really register what was written inside but it didn't matter anyway as she became distracted.
"Your usual again sir?"
"Yes, please."
Lyra recognised the voice as the man that was behind her the day before. It wasn't really significant to her but she found the coincidence that they were at the same café again at the same time quite amusing. She had only been there twice, including that current time, but that man possibly visited everyday. It was only then she realised she hadn't seen his face. Although, his voice was charming itself. 'Knowing my luck, he's not going to be what I expect.' Curiosity peaked, she glanced up and was surprised by what she found.
She was only able to see him from behind. Dressed in a nice suit with white hair flowing all the way down to the back of his knees. He was clearly quite tall and from her angle, she could just about see two magenta stripes going across his cheek. 'That's different.'
Diverting her gaze so it didn't seem obvious she was staring, she looked down at her cake but kept her focus on the man from the corner of her eyes. 'Turn around, dammit! I want to see what you look like!' It seemed luck was on her side. The man received his green tea and then moved over to a table on the opposite side of the café. He took his seat and placed his tea on the table. Lyra eyes widened slightly upon seeing his face. 'Definitely not what I was expecting...'
He was definitely handsome, the markings on his face adding to his mystery. But it was his eyes that got to her. They were like pools of molten gold and they drew her in. She couldn't seem to look away as her heart panged in her chest.
Sesshomaru took off his blazer before pulling out his laptop and opening it up on the table. After the meeting from the previous evening, the workload had raised and he had to work through his lunch break to keep on top of it. He hoped that they would be able to expand the business worldwide and so he had to up his work time to gather information for the next meeting. Working in the office during lunch was impossible since there were just too many distractions. The café seemed to be a place he could work without anyone bothering him.
But today, something was bothering him. He could literally feel a pair of eyes piercing his face. Looking up, his eyes scanned everyone in the café. There was only one person who was blatantly staring at him but by the time he looked back a second later, they had a book open in front of their face.
It annoyed him.
The woman slowly lowered the book under her eyes but she quickly darted it back up when she noticed he was looking directly back at her. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes slightly. He recognised her scent. He recalled her holding the door open for him, her tapping her chin and then bumping into him. 'The woman from yesterday...'
Lyra squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her jaw, still hidden behind the book. 'Way to go, Lyra! Make it obvious why don't you?!'
Sesshomaru watched as the woman searched for her mocha from behind the book, her hand gently tapping and gliding across the table until she found it. Her act was amusing but he decided to ignore it. He had more important things to concentrate on and returned his attention to the laptop.
Lyra waited a couple of minutes, carefully sipping her mocha behind the safety of the book. When she thought it was safe, she lowered the book slightly and her eyes focussed on the man again. He was deep in concentration with whatever he was typing away on his laptop.
The moment Sesshomaru knew she was staring again, his eyes darted up to find hers. It was only a split second but he managed to catch those sapphire orbs of hers. They were striking. But she gasped and hid her face again. He felt something strange upon seeing her eyes though. Trying to shake it off, he returned to his laptop. Unfortunately, he could no longer concentrate. Cursing himself, he sighed deeply. He would have to confront the woman.
Lyra could hear him get up as the waitress offered him to stay sitting.
"It's fine," he told the waitress.
Lyra could hear his footsteps approaching closer to her and she cursed her stupidity. She didn't realise she was holding her breath until someone tapped the book and she gasped in surprise. She forced herself to be composed and put on a casual act. With a deep sigh, she lowered her book and looked up at the man standing in front of her but upon seeing him, it was as if she forgot how to breathe again. His form, stature and build were as strong as his gaze. She was able to see his face clearly for the first time. A crescent moon on his forehead with the same coloured magenta strips on his eyelids. He looked so majestic as he stood looking down at her.
Even Sesshomaru was surprised by what was in front of him. Closer up, her eyes were even more striking and large as she looked up at him. Her dark hair was thick and full, which complimented her eyes and plump lips. He mentally slapped himself and cleared his throat.
"Your attempt at hiding would be more convincing if the book wasn't upside down," he spoke.
His voice sent chills down her spine but her eyes widened at his words. She quickly glanced at the book to see that she was indeed holding it upside down. She closed her eyes at her own stupidity and hit the book on her face. It was time to face the music. Closing the book, she put it back down on the table and returned her attention to the man.
"I'm so sorry," she said with an awkward smile. "I didn't mean to stare at you. It's just... I saw you and I... I mean, I think yesterday I bumped into you... And well, I think... I don't know..."
"Are you always this articulate?" he asked sarcastically before sighing. "I remember you also."
"I truly am sorry." She squinted her eyes slightly and tilted her head. "I feel as though I know you from somewhere," she contemplated.
He was surprised by her words. "It's a small world. It's possible."
The waitress crushing on Sesshomaru really wasn't happy upon seeing him and Lyra conversing. It became her goal to get rid of her and hopefully stop her from returning for good. With a tray full of cold, unfinished drinks, she finished clearing the table next to them and turned before "accidentally" tripping and causing some of the mugs to spill. The liquids fell all over Lyra's jumper and jeans, making her yelp in surprise at the coldness. Sesshomaru narrowed her eyes at the waitress and stepped back as the waitress began fussing over the spilled drinks.
"Oh dear! I'm so sorry!" the waitress feigned as she pretended to help Lyra by throwing tissues at her.
"It's okay, it's okay."
As Lyra tried to soak up as much as she could, the waitress knocked down Lyra's own mug of mocha, which also dropped on her lap. Luckily the drink had cooled down quite a bit or else that would have been disastrous. Lyra jumped out of her seat as the liquids dripped all down her clothes. The tissues weren't enough to clean up the mess and her clothes felt extremely gross. The waitress continued to apologise frantically while trying to clean up the mess.
Sesshomaru was surprised by how calm the woman was about the whole situation. He was ready to reprimand the waitress at her own incompetency if the woman wasn't being so nice. In fact, she was trying to console the waitress instead. Lyra knew that it was done purposely but she didn't want to create a scene.
"Don't worry about it. Really," she smiled politely. "I'm going back home now anyway. No harm done. It's only liquid." Whilst the waitress cleaned up, Lyra looked at the man. "I'll be going now. Again, I'm sorry for disturbing you."
She grabbed her small handbag and was about to leave before the man stopped her.
"I'll walk you home," he offered.
Her eyes widened a little in surprise, as did the waitress'.
"Oh, that's not necessary," she smiled. "I've already disturbed you enough. I'm sure you're a very busy man," she said, motioning to his open laptop.
He shook his head. "I insist. Besides, I don't wish to lunch in a place with such incompetent staff."
'BUUURRRRN!' Lyra quickly side glanced at the waitress who looked as though she was about to cry. And she wasn't doing a great job of hiding her annoyance. Her plan had backfired. Not only did she succeed in getting rid of Lyra, but she failed by getting rid of the man as well.
Lyra smiled with a curt nod. "Very well."
"I'll be one moment."
The man went to his table and packed away his laptop into its case before grabbing his blazer and hooking it over his arm. Lyra walked out followed by Sesshomaru.
She led the way back to her apartment but the silence between them was extremely awkward. She fumbled around with her fingers trying to think of something to say. A light gust of wind made her wet clothes feel even more cold and she was even more grossed out. 'Ew.'
"Do you live far?" the man asked, breaking the silence.
"No. I live just around the next corner," she replied. "It's nothing special so don't get your hopes up," she joked before turning left.
The man followed her lead and instantly frowned upon seeing the area. It was as if they stepped through a door. The area that they literally turned into was like another world. Gone were the clean streets and nice buildings. Instead, these streets all seemed uneven and broken with unidentified dried liquids splattered across the pavement. The woman seemed to know this street but it was concerning how rundown everything was. Even the buildings seemed to be falling apart. She stopped in front of the worst looking building and pointed up to the 7th floor.
"I live just up there."
He furrowed his brows with concern. "And you live by yourself?"
"Yep!" she grinned before waving it off with her hand. "Always have. I'm used to it." She then pointed across the street and he followed her directions. "Someone got murdered there last week." She pointed somewhere else. "And the police caught some kids dealing drugs the other day."
He looked at her again, not very fond of her grand tour. "Wouldn't you prefer living somewhere...less dangerous?"
She shrugged and flopped her arms to her sides. "It's all I can afford. Beggars can't be choosers."
He didn't know why it bothered him so much. She was a stranger to him and he only offered to walk her home because he felt sorry for her.
"Anyway," she sighed, "I'm sure you have a lot of work to be getting on with."
He shook his head. "Not really. It's almost at completion."
She smiled at the way he spoke so proper. "Well, thank you anyway."
"Don't mention it." He held his hand out to her. "Sesshomaru."
She took his hand and shook it. "Lyra."
That moment of contact felt strange to the both of them. They both felt an energy they didn't understand. Clearing her throat, she quickly pulled her hand away.
"I'm sure we'll see each other again soon," she said.
He nodded. "Of course. Take care."
"You too."
He waited outside until she made her way in. She sent him a quick wave before closing the door.
With a deep sigh, she climbed the six flights of stairs to her apartment. Once she was inside, she headed straight into the bathroom. Standing under the shower, she couldn't stop thinking about her interaction with that man. 'Sesshomaru, huh..?'
***
Once Sesshomaru made it back to his office, he sat in his leather chair behind his large and shiny oak desk. Opening his laptop, he looked at all the work he still had to do. It seemed he would be working overtime. He had said it was almost finished but that was a complete lie. He just didn't want that woman to feel bad. That strange woman that compelled him to follow her.
'Lyra... Who are you..?'