by Kate Grove
“No need to worry about me.”
Ciara spun back and saw a black figure. His face was visible only for a moment before she was pushed forward. Her sunglasses flew off, and she screamed as she realized she was going to hit the mirror.
3
Her muscles tensed as she readied herself for the impact, and she covered her head with her arms. She could only hope the shards wouldn’t hit something vital. For a terrifying moment, she was thrown back in time as memories from the car accident resurfaced from the depth of her mind.
She couldn’t distinguish her mother’s wild, red hair from the blood on her face and arms. Her mother was leaning back in the driver’s seat, her brown eyes glassy as she stared at nothing. A large glass shard was sticking out of her neck, and rivulets of dark crimson blood poured out from the edges.
Mom… Ciara’s voice was struck in her throat. She tried again, but no sound came out.
Ciara was dragged back to the present by distant sobbing. After a moment, she realized she was uninjured, and curled into a tight ball. She was the one sobbing.
She immediately stopped and tried to calm her erratic breathing. Slowly, she unwound herself from the fetal position, and as she realized she wasn’t in pain or danger, the adrenaline dissipated in her body and her muscles relaxed. Too bad she was still trembling like a leaf in the wind.
She heard voices around her but couldn’t recognize the language. She blinked up at an unfamiliar dark wooden ceiling and noticed a yellow paper lantern hung directly above her. Candlelight lit the tears streaming down her face, and she wiped them away as she sat up, disoriented.
What happened? Why was she crying? She closed her eyes for a moment and suddenly found herself back at the site of the car crash. Her eyes flew open, and she took a deep breath. She had to center herself.
Someone was talking to her, and she looked at the man squatting down next to her. He repeated the question.
“I don’t understand you,” she croaked. “What happened?”
Ciara looked around and saw a familiar mirror right behind her. It was the very same she had found at the mansion of her new student. The frame looked exactly the same, however, the mirror’s surface had no black spots marring it and looked brand new. Was it really the same mirror? She racked her brain but didn’t remember hearing shattering. Then again, she did remember sitting in a car, so maybe her mind was playing tricks on her.
The man next to her gestured to someone, and a young boy emerged from the shadows where the lantern’s light couldn’t reach. He gave the man a large book, which looked like one of those tomes that would appear in one of Karen’s favorite history doramas.
Ciara felt a spark of curiosity. Where was she? The man told something to the boy who then scurried off. The two of them stayed in silence until he got back with a lit candle and held it up for the man to read. That’s when Ciara noticed the man had a topknot. She was taken aback and looked at him again. His clothes looked like traditional Japanese clothes. Candlelight exposed two sword handles at his hip.
He looked like a samurai.
Ciara snapped her gaze up when he yelled at her.
“What?” she grumbled, not liking his tone.
He grinned at her, and she realized with horror that she couldn’t see any teeth in his mouth. He moved closer while Ciara leaned away, but he followed and grabbed the back of her neck.
Oh no, oh no, oh no! Her thoughts ran in a loop and she desperately tried to get away from the man.
Ciara tried to turn her face away but couldn’t. The man murmured something, but she couldn’t understand what he said. Then he pulled her close and kissed her. Ciara closed her lips tight and pushed on his chest with all the strength she could muster.
He was like a boulder and didn’t move an inch. His tongue ran over Ciara’s lower lip and in a final, desperate attempt to get him off her, she hit him over the head with her fist.
The creepy samurai pulled away with a frown, and Ciara gagged, turning away from him. She wiped her mouth furiously and cussed all the while.
“Are you done?”
“Are you?!” she shot back. “Don’t you ever…” her eyes widened as she realized she could understand him. “…do that again.”
“Or what?”
“How come I can understand you?”
“Now that we’ve sorted that out, follow me.”
Ciara stood up but didn’t move from her spot.
“What? Why? What do you want? Who are you?”
The samurai whirled around and stepped in front of her. Ciara took a step back, and the empty grin appeared on his face again. She realized she couldn’t see his teeth earlier because they were all black. What in the world?
“You are here to assist me.”
“Oh, hell no!”
He grabbed her arm. Ciara prayed he wouldn’t sense her trembling. She made a fist and tensed her muscles.
“Silence!” he yelled at her. His putrid breath hit her, and she turned away, horrified. She was going to wash her mouth with soap as soon as she found a bathroom. The samurai used his free hand to grip her jaw and turn her head. She glared at him.
“You’ll do as I say, or I’ll cut you down where you stand. Is that clear?”
“What the hell?”
He backhanded her with such force that if he wasn’t holding onto her arm, she probably would’ve ended up on the floor. Ciara saw stars dancing in front of her eyes and tasted blood in her mouth. She didn’t even have time to recover from the shock. He was already dragging her away.
Ciara’s head spun as he pulled her through dark corridors. She tried to understand what had happened. She was at the student’s house when suddenly, she was pushed forward and fell into the mirror. Did she actually fall through the mirror? Was it a secret door to a secret room? And now they’re going through secret corridors? The mansion was big enough to have something like that.
But who was this man who made her skin crawl with disgust? Who didn’t know how to treat others with respect? Ciara’s eye twitched in anger.
Maybe she ended up in an escape room? She had heard of those attractions but have never tried one herself. She wasn’t good with closed spaces. Already she could hear the blood pumping in her ears and her breathing becoming ragged. She had to get outside, otherwise—
She took a deep breath when her brain registered the fresh air around her. Finally!
“Don’t lag behind.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Ciara jumped at the voice of the boy behind her. She completely forgot he was there with them; she didn’t even hear his footsteps. The samurai yanked her arm, and she gave a sound of protest, which he conveniently ignored.
They were outside, but Ciara could hardly see anything in the darkness of the night. Wait, wasn’t it before noon just now? Maybe she lost consciousness and was out for hours? Was that possible?
No streetlamps lined their path; however, a torch flame lit the way at regular intervals. There was no pavement, no traffic lights, no cables hanging over the buildings. As Ciara looked up, she was amazed for a second, realizing she’d never seen the stars so clearly.
This all felt wrong. There was no sign of electricity or paved roads. Not even a car was in sight. Ciara tensed as her subconscious came up with a crazy idea. Either she was somehow transported to a tiny village without the conveniences of modern time or…
She immediately rejected the other idea and tried to come up with a more possible solution. Maybe these people chose to live like old times? No modern technology, just a simple life based on Japanese history? That seemed like a possible, if somewhat forced explanation. Right? But why was she kidnapped?
A scary thought entered her mind. What if that samurai-looking guy was a guru and he intended to initiate her into his cult? What if he kidnapped young women to be…to be…?
She didn’t want to finish her thought.
“Let me go!” she shrieked as she tried to get out of his grip. He tightened his hold on
her.
“Silence! I do not like to repeat myself, wench.”
“What the—”
He backhanded her again, this time on the other side of her face. His eyes flashed angrily as he stopped to put her in place. Ciara’s cheek was numb as she glared at him.
Blackteeth turned away and kept dragging her toward a tall building. Dawn was breaking, as was evident by the orange-purple colors appearing behind them on the Eastern sky. It slightly illuminated the big building before them. As she glanced up, she realized they were headed toward a Japanese-style castle through the courtyard. Her jaw slackened at the sight.
He must be a very wealthy guru. Where the hell was this hidden? It’s bigger than the mansion! Ciara paled as her last hold on finding a sane solution to her situation slipped through her fingers. This was a nightmare.
“Bōya, check if our other…guest has arrived yet.”
“Yes, Kawayuki-sama.” The boy following them scurried off in a random direction.
Ciara noticed guards standing at every intersection. Moreover, she had seen some patrolling the courtyard. The security was not taken lightly in this place. She felt despair creep up her back as she realized her odds of escaping were diminishing by the second. Her hands trembled in response to her dark thoughts.
4
It started as any other day for Katsuo Kitayama, lord of Shirotatsu castle. He woke up at dawn and quickly made his way to the pagoda, which was off-limits other than members of his family. It was built on the castle grounds, visible from a fair distance. Here, he could be alone with his thoughts and could train without interruptions.
He took his time going through the motions, cherishing a moment of respite in these turbulent times. He never knew when he had to head to battle next. Katsuo finished his kata and took a moment to meditate. The sun was peeking between two stories of the pagoda when he was done.
On the way back to his quarters, he made a detour to check on his soldiers’ training and was satisfied to see that everyone who was not on duty was there, even his samurai officers.
“Brother!” Takeru shouted as soon as he spotted him and hurried over, his dark ponytail swinging side to side. He looked to be, nearing the end of his teenage years, and eagerness reflected in his brown eyes. Katsuo nodded to him in greeting.
“What brings you here? We’ll have sparring sessions as soon as they’re finished with this kata. Do you want to join us?” Takeru asked, hopeful. It was a rare occasion whenever Katsuo joined them.
“Maybe next time,” Katsuo replied.
“I see.”
“How are the new recruits doing, Takeru?”
“Well…” His little brother glanced to the left side of the group where the beginners practiced. “Good for their second week.”
“Make sure they’re ready for the battlefield soon.”
“Yes, brother.” Takeru seemed as if he wanted to add something else, and Katsuo waited patiently for the young man to gather his thoughts. “Do we need to be ready soon? Is there a battle coming?”
“Takeru”—Katsuo put a hand on his little brother’s shoulder—“we always need to be ready.” He glanced over to the soldiers once more before striding off and waving.
“Keep up the good work, Takeru!”
“Yes, brother!”
After saying goodbye, Katsuo walked to his office to have a quick breakfast and start on the paperwork. That was the least favorite of his duties as a warlord, but it was as important to keep order in his territory as it was to hear out the grievances of his citizens. Happy underlings made for a flourishing economy, which made for a strong warlord.
Most days, he skipped lunch for the sake of an abundant evening meal, spending his time in ongoing strategy meetings unless something urgent came up or he was off to war. His days usually followed the same pattern. He was looking forward to the evening where he could finally spend some time with his daughter. His vassals respected his family-time and would never dare to intrude at this time of day.
“Join us, Taiki,” Katsuo invited as he settled down for dinner. Taiki was in his mid-twenties and was his head of security. He was dressed in black and was just about to vanish into the dark night. He was the only ninja to serve Katsuo.
“With all due respect, my lord, I thank you for your invitation, but I must refuse.”
“Are you not hungry?” Ayaka, Katsuo’s daughter asked. Taiki seemed to consider his reply.
“Not really, Ayaka-dono.”
“Then at least take this onigiri so you won’t get hungry later.” Ayaka got up and gave him a rice ball. “It’s filled with tuna. I know you like it.”
Taiki looked at his lord for help, but Katsuo pointedly looked away. He calmly took a sip of his sake, as if he didn’t notice Taiki’s predicament. The ninja glanced at Takeru, who was just arriving, for help.
“Oh, hey Taiki. Are you going to join us finally?”
“No,” he bit out as he accepted the rice ball from the little girl. He smiled at her. “Thank you, Ayaka-dono.”
“You’re welcome, Taiki. Bye!” And she went back to the low dinner table to sit down.
“I’m going,” Taiki said, pulling up his mask to cover the lower half of his face. He didn’t expect a reply, so he was surprised when he heard his lord say, “I’m counting on you.”
Taiki nodded almost imperceptibly and slid the door shut behind him as he exited the room. They didn’t hear his retreating footsteps.
The family ate in relative silence, with the occasional comment from Ayaka. When they finished eating, the little girl immediately lunged into recounting her day. Katsuo and Takeru were content to listen to her chatting away. When she asked them about their day, Katsuo replied with a few words. Takeru, however, told her about something interesting that happened during training.
“Will you play something, Daddy?” Ayaka asked when story time was over. She was blinking rapidly, a sure sign she was tired.
“Aren’t you sleepy?”
“No!” She opened her eyes wide and leaned forward. “See? I’m very awake.”
Katsuo chuckled. “Well, if you insist… maybe one song before you go to bed.”
“Three!”
“Two.”
Ayaka seemed to think his offer over. Eventually, she nodded. “Two songs.”
Katsuo stood up and walked over to the cupboard to get the biwa. Meanwhile, Ayaka crawled into Takeru’s lap and made herself comfortable. Takeru felt her arms were cold and hugged her to keep her warm. It was late fall, and a chill could already be felt after sunset. Katsuo started to play a happy melody.
The last note of the first song still hung in the air when Katsuo’s ears pricked. He could hear pounding footsteps coming their way and placed the instrument down, looking at the door.
“What is it, Daddy? You promised two songs.”
“Someone’s coming,” Takeru replied instead.
Ayaka looked up to him, puzzled. She didn’t hear anything, but she had long since learned that her family had better ears than anyone she knew.
They heard a thud and someone’s harsh breathing.
“Katsuo-sama!” Someone called him from the other side of the door.
“What is it?” Katsuo barked, annoyed his time with his family was interrupted. It had better be an emergency, or—
“Orihime-sama has just arrived.”
Eerie silence was his response.
“Please repeat that.”
The soldier winced at his lord’s icy tone. Oh, he was pissed all right.
“Orihime-sama unexpectedly showed up at the castle gates just now.”
The poor soldier jumped when the sliding door opened with such a force that it fell off its tracks.
“Damnit, brother, not the furniture again,” Takeru mumbled in the room. He lifted Ayaka as he stood and joined Katsuo standing over the trembling soldier in the doorway.
“Where is Taiki?” Katsuo asked.
“Receiving Orihime-sama and her entourage.”
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“Her…” Katsuo took a deep breath. His eyes flashed golden. “Entourage?”
“Fi-fifteen of them, my lord,” the soldier bowed so deep, his forehead touched the floor.
Katsuo didn’t say anything as he strode away. His steps were heavy with suppressed anger.
Takeru yelled at his retreating back, “Cool down, brother!”
Katsuo stopped mid-stride and glanced back at him. His eyes were still golden.
“You don’t want to scare them away.”
Katsuo growled. “Maybe I do.”
“You know what I mean.”
As Katsuo blinked, the golden hue from his eyes faded. He nodded at his little brother and disappeared down the corridor. Takeru glanced at his niece sleeping in his arms then down at the soldier cowering at his feet.
“Get up.”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldier was still trembling after seeing his lord in such a mood.
“Why are you afraid?”
The poor guy looked him in the eye before glancing away nervously.
“Look at me,” Takeru ordered in a calm manner. The soldier met his eyes. “I know you’re new, but remember this. Katsuo is not the kind of person to cut down the bearer of bad news. He’d rather hear it as soon as possible so the situation can be solved quicker. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now, take her to her room.” Takeru gave the sleeping Ayaka to the soldier. “I’ll go assist my brother.”
“B-but—”
Takeru was already walking away. At the hesitation in the soldier’s voice, he glanced over his shoulder. “What is it?”
“What if the tiger is still here?”
“What are you talking about?” Shocked, Takeru turned to fully face him.
The soldier’s eyes were looking around frantically. “You know, the tiger that made that growling sound just now.”
Takeru’s lips twitched. Wait until he told Katsuo he was mistaken for a tiger in his own home! He tried not to laugh out loud.
“No need to worry. The tiger is gone.”