Chapter 3: The Wind Knows No Master

The familiar path home felt different, like stepping into a dream where the details were just a little off—Rina told herself it was only her imagination.

Rina and Ayaka kept pace with each other. They never really spent time together alone like this. Usually Ayaka would be able to make conversations with anything but the occult was just too out of left field for her. To break the silence, Ayaka spotted a random car.

"Huh, that car is pretty isn't it?"

"Yes...cars are quite fascinating to think about...how they revolutionized moving from point A to point B." Rina walked and yapped away.

"Yeah, yeah..." The conversation seems to have gone more technical than Ayaka's planned. "Say... what's your dream car, Rina?" Ayaka tried to steer it back to something she can grasp. She noticed Rina seemed more reserved than usual.

"I'd say something modest like a Sedan, nothing too fancy..." Rina looked like she was holding back something, her eyes darting back and forth on a bad feeling. But she tries to ignore it.

"Aw c'mon Rina, let's hear what you have to say! I wouldn't be surprised to hear that a hearse would be your kind of car!" Ayaka said in a teasing manner, this is her best effort to shift the conversation away from anything related to relationships.

"Actually...that would be...never mind....um...yup.... a Sedan is just enough!" Rina let out a small laugh before proceeding. "What about yours Ayaka?"

"I would definitely go for a sporty car! Especially those with convertible roofs!" Ayaka excitedly spurred. "Imagine how the cold night air would feel in your hair as you speed down the freeway!"

"That...does sound...thrilling..." Rina muttered, but her mind was elsewhere. The conversation faded. The closer they got to her street, the heavier the silence became. Every step they took felt dreadful, the air felt thick, and it was a bit hard to breath. As if something was missing. Rina couldn't shake this feeling no matter how much she tried to disregard it.

Rounding the corner, the street was empty, no other citizens were present, were the houses also abandoned? The citizens that were at the boundaries of the street stared at the pair. The two ignored the stares and went ahead. As they approached, the faint smell of smoke got stronger and stronger. Rina's mind got wilder and wilder. It can't be, can it? Why would that even be a possibility in this world?

As they got into view, there's no more denying it. Rina fell onto her knees as she watched the derelict right in front of her. There is no other way of putting it, all of what she had ever known, all burnt to ashes. The site even felt like it was recent, as if it happened just a few days ago, and the surrounding grass had yet to recover. But why did an isolated fire incident cause the entire street to evacuate?

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

Those thoughts came to Rina which calmed her down a little. Rina always had a fascination of finding reasons behind the madness. While its obvious what happened to the house, how it happened sparked the part of her mind that finds answers in curiosity. But that want to search for an answer is short lived as a hearse pulled up behind them.

Ayaka turned around and instant recognised the hood ornament. It was similar to the Yuzuki clan symbol, but with small alterations. The clan's symbol used a fruit does not present locally in Felene City nor the country. The symbol is mainly used to highlight the foreign nature of the Yuzuki clan as they cook and sell unique dishes not found elsewhere. For the Yuzuki clan to own a hearse... that seems out of nowhere.

The doors of the hearse rolled down, men in suits came out to greet her. "Mistress Ayaka, we've been looking all over for you, the Elders has been trying to contact you for many hours now."

Ayaka was taken aback by the title of 'Mistress.' She had discouraged those working under her from even calling her 'Princess.' Ayaka always preferred the casual tone that the Yuzuki clan shared. While there's various business operations necessary for the clan to keep going, it never came down to anything violent. A hearse suggests a Funeral Home service, which allows for more 'potent' operations to commence under cover. Ayaka gulped before giving a response.

"My apologies," Ayaka took a second look at who was addressing her, its her usual bald servant who has been keeping watch on her since middle school, but now he has more scars than ever before. "Please tell them I had important business to conduct."

"Understood Mistress, but the Elders are demanding your presence now, it would be wise to follow their orders, Mistress."

Ayaka froze, Elders? Those ranks are only present back in the country of origin. Why would Elders need to oversee operations of foreign lands? This overwhelming power in front of Ayaka is new to her. Elders...that word alone made her throat dry, they are supposed to be figure of tradition. There was a reason they were hands off from Felene City's operations. If they were here...the whole hierarchy has changed. While her dad has been a strict leader, a whole forum of Elders is something else, like a nightmare coming true.

"I will enter, but please, allow my friend to follow, I don't think she'll cause any harm." Ayaka used all her energy to give an authoritative tone, a voice she was trained to use but never had to put it into a real scenario.

"We can arrange that, Mistress." The servant opened the door to the hearse, and waved them in. Rina followed, she picked up on the tone change, while she doesn't understand the gravity of the situation, shaking someone like Ayaka from being a happy-go-lucky person to someone worthy of being a leader had peeled away some of the façade Ayaka has always seem to hide from everyone. All Rina could do now is follow along for the ride.

Ayaka and Rina sat in silence in the hearse. There is no joking matter with a party of strong men. They were driving for a long time. Way past what used to be Ayaka's family restaurant. The drive brought them into the mountains, streetlights few and far between, leaving spots of darkness for the mind to play its tricks on. But nothing will beat the sight of an fully enclosed estate. Ayaka had heard of plans about building something like, but to see it in full for the first time is another experience.

The gates to the estate opened automatically as they approached, as if already expecting the hearse. Anxiety filled the air as Ayaka dressed herself up to be presentable once again. The jacket she usually wears around her waist is in wrinkles but at least it shows a little more formality than a white-collar shirt. Rina unconsciously combed her hair at the sight of such a magnificent structure. A structure that commanded respect.

The door to the hearse opened and the two got off. In front of them, a mighty structure that had a whole lit up garden they are currently standing on.