CHAPTER 6
A gust of wind blew past their faces, and instantly, multiple candles and lamps placed by the walls of the temple were lit simultaneously, dispelling the pool of shadows that lay within the temple just a few moments ago.
Tendrils of incense began escaping from the lamps, writhing like lost souls. At the center of the temple's interior lay a statue; it was of a woman bathed in the argent glow of light. She was graceful with her eyes closed, giving a sense of elusive tranquility.
The statue was black; both of her hands were held up towards the sky, a small gem resting in their middle. On her head was a crown embedded with gems, and strapped around her neck was a long cloak, reaching past her ankles.
She was facing an elevated platform at the very end of the temple's interior. It was curved, encircled with bright burning candles. Shadows kept pulsing like they were alive, desperately trying to hide from the burning lights.
Megumi didn't pay them too much heed; rather, he turned around and walked straight to the black statue that stood in the center of the room. Holding out his hand, he slightly caressed the smooth layers of the statue where his hand could reach.
The statue was about four meters tall, and his hand was barely able to reach past her knees. After inspecting the statue for a while, he heaved a sigh and walked back to Yuki.
"What were you doing back at the statue?" Yuki asked as soon as he returned.
She had kept her eyes on him the entire time, and needless to say, she had found them quite strange.
Megumi looked at her for a brief moment, and without a single word, walked past her towards the altar. Standing just at the edge of the elevated platform, he turned back toward her.
"That's the statue of Lady Tsukiakari; many referred to her as Tsuki. I heard that she led the Boma clan through treacherous times. She was the first matriarch of the clan, and perhaps the last."
He slowly knelt in front of the altar, picking up one of the burning candles. He looked at it closely for a while before placing it back and slowly standing up. Subsequently, he continued his speech.
"She later got married and had three sons: Akiteru, Kuran, and Akira. Light, shadows, and a balance—the division of the Boma clan and the creation of the three branches of the Boma clan we have come to know today.
He stopped abruptly as a strange sensation began to permeate his being. Looking at the lights now, it felt like they were alive—burning vigorously the moment he had stepped so close to them.
It felt like something was trying to reach inside of him, but his body was rejecting it. He could see it clearly, tendrils of incense slowly flowing towards and immediately dispersing the moment they made contact with him.
"It's a great view outside from here." She said, approaching him.
She knelt down in front of the altar just as he had done, and closing her eyes, she began to whisper a few prayers.
'Well, that's strange. Did she decide to pay her respects because of what I said, or are there other reasons…?'
He was still in thought when she stood up and turned her gaze toward him with a gleaming smile. After getting so close to him, it seemed that she was actually starting to enjoy his company.
"It's sad that I can't take history lessons like the heir of our clan, but I really wish I could sit next to you one day with a book in my hands. You at one end of the table, me at the other. It would be fun, don't you think?"
Megumi paused for a moment, a bit bewildered by her words. Of all people, Yuki was the last person he would have expected to enjoy studying. He quickly got himself together, asking in an amused voice,
"Do you enjoy studying?"
"Yeah! Totally! Just that I don't actually understand some of the things I see in there. But I have a ton of books in my room: history, fantasy, rom…"
She paused mid-sentence, her face getting a bit flushed as she turned away.
"Well… I read a bit of love stories when I get bored".
"Oh." He blurted out.
In a single moment, his entire perspective of the girl standing before him had changed completely. At first he had only come here for his personal gain, but now, he was starting to find their journey together a bit interesting.
'How much could she possibly know, though?'
Dismissing his thought, he heaved a sigh.
"Well, it seems Lady Tsukiakari doesn't intend to bless us today… Let's go home; otherwise, your sister will start getting worried."
"There's no need for you to worry." She said. "My sister already knows that you're the safest person I could possibly be around at the moment. She doesn't let me go out much; any other time and she would have come here a long while ago to drag me home."
Her voice sounded a bit flat as she spoke, filled with sadness. She was barely holding herself away from crying. He had to be careful; otherwise, he was going to unveil that well of pent-up emotions.
"You said you liked books, right? Why don't we talk about your favorite books on our way home? I'll be sure to try them for myself. And then, perhaps after tomorrow, we will go to the library and read as much as you want."
He held out his hand as he said those words, trying as much as he could to calm her down. Well, it worked; she quickly grabbed her hand and nodded her head positively with a brimming smile on her face.
They soon exited the temple, walking slowly through the stone path that led back to the bridge. Yuki made mention of all the legendary tales she had read about while giving a list of books she found most interesting.
Their walk to the bridge felt enjoyable and a bit too short. They took a short break there, taking in the splendid view of the waters below.
It was glimmering just like he had said, with faint sparkles running through the entire stream. The moon stood at the center of the sky, lighting up the world with its faint light.
After a while, Yuki finally decided to break the silence.
"Megumi, what really were you doing at the statue back then? You're not one to do things without a reason."
He looked up at the sky, pondering for a while before finally answering:
"I was only admiring the splendid sculpture; that should be enough of a reason… usually… I can't describe it exactly, but it somewhat felt like the world was slowly forgetting Lady Tsuki…"
He paused, his gaze slowly shifting towards Yuki, who had cut him short.
"History is just a sprinkle of truth in a pool of lies told through time. Lady Tsukiakari was bound to be forgotten, and it will be the same for all heroes whose legends are stained in blood. Heavenly light, Our Lady, Hell's flames, Void Walker, Revenant of Darkness… Those are names that will be remembered through time, but it would only be a matter of time before their legends will turn to myths."
She paused briefly, taking in a hoarse breath…
"Sometimes I wonder, what was this world like before these demons existed?. There couldn't have possibly been peace, then that would only mean that people still died heroes. That's right, it's death—how much good one accomplished before they took their last breaths, that's what matters…"
Her voice was beginning to sound dry, and with it came an overwhelming sore throat. She gripped her hands around her chest, tightening with each passing moment.
Megumi had rushed to her side, but after having gotten a good idea of what was happening, he quickly backed away. He was at his perfect victory; once again he had clawed back at fate and changed his path.
'Finally! Her awakening is beginning.'