CHAPTER 26
Megumi sat in complete silence inside the black van, his gaze fixed on the streets as they flew by. His eyes were still tear-stained and slightly bloodshot; he was able to see a bare reflection of himself in the shaded glass windows.
Watching his sister leave was harder than he had imagined, and watching Yuki cry was perhaps the toughest part of what he had to go through. Back then, it felt like an eternity, but looking back at it now, everything had happened so fast, and he couldn't get it out of his head.
The scene continued to resurface in his mind, and each time he thought of Yuki's resolve, a subtle smile would appear on his face. Then what always followed was the moment when his sister walked up to him and grabbed his hands.
He touched his face a few times, trying to remember what her touch felt like. It felt surreal and once again had him pondering a different perspective on what his sister was actually like.
But more than that, a single thought circumscribed all the others as his eyes dwelled on the marvelous scenery around him. It was a question he wanted to ask Gekka, but he thought it could wait until they finally returned home.
Now, though, there was a different problem pressing down on his shoulder. He tilted his head slightly, looking over at the slender, red-haired girl currently resting with her head on his shoulder. He could feel the warm air from her breath each time she exhaled linger on his neck.
It was displeasing but not too uncomfortable, and besides, he couldn't do much about it because she was sleeping, taking stale rhythmic breaths as her mind was drowned in darkness.
His gaze lingered on her shoulder, and then it went up to her face, where his eyes remained intently fixed for a while. Her face was puffy and tear-stained, her cheeks flushed, and her eyelids swollen, a testament to the tears she had shed an hour ago.
Gently placing his hand on her shoulder, he held her still and slowly pulled his hand away, and then he used his other hand to support her head. It took him a while to keep her hair straight so as not to have it tangled.
After everything was done, he proceeded to let her head slowly fall on top of his lap. He took a deep breath as he leaned his head against the seat with a short, relieved gasp.
Then, just as a wave of relief hit him, he felt his mind suddenly getting clouded and his gaze slowly turning blurry. His breathing slowed down, his eyelids felt heavy, and his muscles relaxed; he was starting to feel sleepy.
Soon, his breathing became deeper, and slowly, his consciousness faded away.
*******
Soon, he was awakened by the gentle tapping of his shoulder. He slowly peered his eyes open to see Gekka leaning slightly above him with a somewhat annoyed look on her face.
Pretending he hadn't noticed, he watched as she quickly curved her lips into a subtle, polite smile while grabbing hold of his hand. Then, she pulled him up from the seat of the van and helped him come down from the vehicle.
As soon as his feet touched the marble ground, an instant feeling of fatigue washed over him. He would have fallen over had Gekka not grabbed him in time.
Barely managing to stay awake, he looked up at the sky—a colorful blend of orange, pink, and purple—and smiled.
Up above, the sun was sinking low, casting a golden glow, and the horizon was a marvelous blend of colors. It was gradually getting dark as well.
Then his gaze slowly trailed down, stopping just at the sight of an off-white wooden gate that gave off a strange feeling of serene elegance. There were stone pillars with weathered surfaces flanking either side of the gate, with delicate symbols etched onto them.
The gate was a sliding mon, adorned with a single, perfectly placed lantern at the top of the gate, adding a touch of Zen elegance.
'We're finally home.'
He could tell because he recognized the white gate with a subtle nuance of ivory. This was the gate to the mansion where he lived with his family.
Well, now that Rikiyo had left, it would be just him and his mother…
He heaved a sigh and slowly staggered forward, trying as much as possible to keep himself together. His muscles were still relaxed, and his eyelids felt heavy; his eyes were barely staying open.
He needed to find a bed soon and get himself some proper rest, but before he could take another staggering step forward, he felt someone grab him and gently lift him up in the air.
Then, he heard Gekka's gentle voice:
"You can sleep once we're inside, kiddo."
He was placed on top of her shoulders, and then she proceeded inside the mansion. Though his current position felt a bit uncomfortable, he couldn't argue; walking would have been much worse.
He was soon able to perceive the whiff of incense, and, managing to open his eyes, he caught sight of tall wooden pillars standing guard beneath swooping tiles.
He was in the right place…
And perhaps he had imagined it, but the more of the incense he breathed, the more his body slowly continued to wake; his eyelids no longer felt heavy, and he was able to move his shoulders a bit.
Gently, he tapped Gekka on the back and mumbled.
"Put me down. I'm awake now."
The young sorceress hesitated for a moment before slowly bringing the boy down to his knees and ruffling his hair slightly.
"There's no place like home, am I right?"
Megumi scowled at her question as he turned his gaze to the moss-grouted walls of the mansion, and up ahead stood a sliding door that led into the building. Slowly, they proceeded into the magnificent mansion.