Thus Sachen roamed about the village. She went to the northern district first, where the food stands stood barren. The woodwork and the metal structure of the facilities creaked and moaned, cancelling out the sounds of the insects. The moonlight glimmered on the cobblestone, and it lit the way for Sachen to stroll to and fro. She rubbed her arms and inspected every spot and corner of the place. Black hair and starry eyes, Sachen could not mistaken Kuraizang for anybody else; if a ghost were to come out having the same characteristics as the vice-president, then Sachen would get herself in great fright.

She slowed down. Around her, crickets jumped from their own shadows, and their beady eyes glanced at the girl. They hopped forward and made their way to the end of the food stands. Sachen was unable to find Kuraizang here, and without knowing what to do, she followed the bugs. They gathered around an empty space to the right of Sachen, and they danced and chirped before they departed in the darkness. What seemed to be a trick turned out otherwise. She turned to the space—immediately, her heart trembled. Her drive to find her classmate came into a temporary halt.

“This is still here. The mound I made for her.” Sachen bowed, her fingers dug the dirt. She gritted her teeth and mewled. In memoriam of Usheniko, Sachen exerted her efforts into making a simple, soil-made mass among the emptiness of the place. Every time she stumbled to this part of the village, she would shed tears, and lately, she had cried so much that she could make it a pastime. As long as she was standing here, she felt that she would never cease to fall into sadness over her friend’s death. This time however, she restrained herself a bit, for she assumed that Usheniko had no wish to see her cry here at this lonely night.

Sachen drew her eyes to the mound itself. Next to the stick to which she implanted a while back, a lavender flower bloomed in wake. Its scent sweetened her nostrils. Such a speck of beauty, with its color shining more so than the moonlight and its petals fluttering, it marveled the girl.

“Who had put it here?” Sachen caressed its petals, and it calmed her down for a bit. She smiled; after a long time, she thought about her best friend, the one that Sachen purposely swayed away from in light of her own problems. “I bet it’s her. She’s a kind friend isn’t she? Well, I have to keep searching for him. Don’t worry Usheniko, I’ll bring him back so that you can rest in peace. But how can you tell that he will be in trouble? It seems like-”

Something then paralyzed her.

The air became heavy. Her necklace clacked on its own, and Sachen got up and scanned her vicinity. Gazing down to her chest, a slender finger was flicking the jewelry. Sachen sweated, her voice stuttered. From the corners of her eyes, a figure that looked like an apparition manifested. Tattered clothes shrouded the entire body, and the hood masked the face. Sachen jolted to the side. The sight of the individual made her want to run away, but as much as she desired to do so, the influx of her apprehension weighed down on her legs. The more she gleamed at him or her, the more she felt like yelling for help. But being alone, there was no way of avoiding this.

The person then removed the hood. Sharp eyes like sabers, lips that softened among the starlight, and unkempt hair, it was her the whole time. What was she doing here? Maybe she was taking a stroll, or that she wanted to harass random strangers. She glared at the girl, snarling as she walked up to the child.

Sachen held her tunic, and she heeled her sandals against the cobblestone.

“What do you want? Are you here to hurt me, like what you did to your mom?”

The figure laughed, she then smirked. “Oh my, oh my Sachen, you don’t have to be so rude. And can I ask what you are doing here?”

Sachen hissed. “Go away! I don’t want to see you, Azukunika!”

The lady’s presence forged a dent on the girl’s head. She balled her hands into fists and lunged one foot forward.

“Do you dare to fight? Go on ahead, I’ll end you in no time, haha!” Azukunika wagged her finger, and she said something in a low voice. She faced the moon. “I remember your face in the service. You were terribly ridden with rage when you found out that Usheniko was the criminal. Was it really that surprising? I felt that you were about to jump into the stage and attack me!”

“Be quiet, you. It is evil for you to blame your mom like that without evidence.”

“Oh?” Azukunika moved her hips, she stretched her legs. “Well at least it’s over. Now I have the luxury to do anything I want, for I have done the duty that the Leader had assigned to me after the execution of that witch. I think of going back to prison tomorrow... I forgot, I have to do one more thing before my departure! Of course, I ain’t going to tell you.” The corners of her lips sharpened. She giggled. “I don’t want to repeat the same thing over and over again, but you better be careful of yourself. That’s what I told to Neha once.”

“What? You met Neha?”

The lady nodded. “I met her in the neighborhood. She was mad, though she did not threaten and hurt me at all, for she is a weak girl. But no matter if she’s mad. Our plans for her are unchanged.”

“What plans? If it involves hurting Neha, you better back off. I won’t let you lay a hand on her.”

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“Huh? A little girl ordering me to do such a thing? Silly. Regardless of how much you oppose it, she will be of great use for the High Order. Indeed, with her filling the other half, there’s no doubt that the gods will be satisfied with our offerings. Goodness gracious, they really need a female candidate now, or else the village will be in trouble. But we are already in trouble—those damn barbarians are still attacking us! Not that it matters much to me anyways, oh well!” Azukunika walked away from the moonlight and shrouded herself in the umbrage. She raised her voice, which made Sachen jump to the empty space.

“Sachen my dear, you should abandon your fight and live like a good girl. What’s the overall worth to fight a battle you’ll never win? Zilch! Throw away your amateurish quest, and that way, you don’t have to worry about anything anymore. Besides, as for Kuraizang, you don’t even want to know where he is.”

“Why should I not know his location?” Sachen asked. “He is in danger!”

“Danger? He is in good hands now. He’ll be forever united with the heavens, and along with Neha, the two will save us all. Don’t even bother looking for him—or else you’ll regret it.” Leaving with those words, Azukunika left the area. Sachen smacked her sandals at the gravels and rocks, she had at once a desire to jump at the lady and attack her, possibly she could kick her out of the village if she had the capability to. But Azukunika was too much for the girl. She turned her eyes to the mound and whimpered.

“That meanie, who does she think she is? Do you know why she is resentful? I bet you know the answer. But I shouldn’t leave you with such a question. Just be happy in heaven, okay? I got to go now!” Sachen departed from the western district, resuming her search. The words of Azukunika carouseled around her head, and as she struggled to ignore them, an image of the woman herself flashed before her eyes. Her face, her demeanor, her way of talking, it all bedeviled Sachen; that there was something odd within Azukunika, Sachen couldn’t propose a single explanation. It was like she was too different to be part of Usheniko’s life, a complete contrast in every aspect.

The girl then scoured at every area of the village. The neighborhoods, the open-air markets, the fence containing the sleeping livestock, the taverns, and other places, she also squirmed through the corners and gaps. She called Kuraizang’s name as loud as ever, her lungs burst and she panted. Below her feet, shadows of objects moved, it led Sachen to think that Kuraizang was on the run. She sighed when she realized the notion to be false.

Reaching the temple area, where all doors and windows were shut, Sachen stared at the left tower. A star brightened and stuck itself on the peak, she awed and gasped at the sight. She magnetized her gaze to the front doors. A group of guards were on patrol, they grunted every time they took their steps to the arches. According to rumors, there was an incident inside the temple that almost cost the life of one of the Leader’s associates—supposedly, a person that Neha knew got involved. It resulted in the temple being close early in the evening, and also being close for two Sundays, which brought a lot of villagers into a rage. The first thing that Sachen had in mind was joy. Now at least for a while she didn’t have to go to service.

Sachen left the southern district. She targeted her goal to the east, the place that was not in her mind until now. From a lack of oxygen, her head and chest contracted. Sachen slowed down her pace, and dangled her arms and feet. Wheezing like an old woman, she slowly regained herself. She then arrived at the school, and soon being there, a march of footsteps convulsed the school grounds. Sachen hid behind the gates, she let herself hear the sound coming closer and closer. It wasn’t until she saw a blinding light that she turned around.

“What the?” Sachen twisted her tongue. A soldier was holding a torch, and in armor and hood, he seemed to be alone. But upon scrutiny, there were ten more comrades besides him, all of them were circling the building. Their presence piqued the interest of the girl. She listened attentively, and started to catch every word that their mouths disseminated. Lucky for her, their voices were boisterous, so everything they said was clear and crisp.

She stood there for a couple of minutes. Over the period, she heard something along the lines of ‘military inspection’, ‘preparations’, and ‘afternoon raid’. Such words were foreign to her ears, but nevertheless did Sachen retain it in her head. The soldiers continued their conversations, they gawked more towards each other’s faces than their surroundings. They accompanied their talks with cackles, the torch lightened and distorted their faces into menacing shadows.

They spoke topics pertaining to the use of force and the emphasis of their operation on the school. They also mentioned of a person that would lead the plan; they referred to a man who was chubby and had a bushy mustache. Sachen wrapped her hands around her chest, her face tightened itself. She could barely believe it with her own ears. It chilled her bones and hammered the sides of her head. She resisted against the urge to replay their conversations in her mind, for the fear that it would mesmerize her. All too real their talks were, Sachen ran off.

“I have to remember this. Better yet, I have to tell this to someone.”