Her memories of that person were still so very blurry. No matter how much she tried to remember, it felt like somebody was deliberately blocking her memory.
"I had my suspicions, but that was all. I did not know the truth." He caught her gaze. She couldn't read the expression on his face. "I apologize. If I'd been more proactive about the… situation… then perhaps I could have spared you more pain."
Her temper since she came here has already been flaring up, and her emotions were all over the place. "I don't know where these memories came from. But I'm used to it." That's right, she understands these feelings very well. "So many people have assumed that I'm depressed and a hopeless case. So many people have pitied me," Setsura murmured. She was sick and tired of all this pain, all this grief.
Maybe because she spoke a lot but it ended up more as an outburst. Causing a stunned expression to form on Akito's face. Good, she thought. She likes it better when he has a different expression on his face; she dislikes that fake look he gets whenever he is around other people. This is better, even if he isn't smiling.
"Did you talk to me just to cheer me up?" Setsura asked. "While I'm not truly okay, I am getting better. I don't need people like you looking down on me."
Akito opened his mouth and then closed it. When he opened it again, the look in his eyes changed. Like before, Setsura couldn't quite read it, but she knew that he was no longer pitying her. She disliked it, knowing that Akito stood by her side because a part of him pitied her. It was the worse feeling in the world.
"I owe you another apology," Akito said. "I didn't intend to offend you."
Setsura recalled what happened earlier before they left for the ball; she took a quick nap. She woke up sweat covered her face, her entire body shaking.
Setsura took a steadying breath and walked past the man, continuing their earlier path across the veranda. She felt more than heard as Akito followed after her. Eventually, she came across the garden and stopped. Akito stepped up beside her, looking out over the garden.
It was only after Setsura had calmed down enough to feel embarrassed about her earlier words that she glanced up at Shinji. "Forgive my harshness," she murmured. "You weren't the only one at fault." It was her fault; she was the one who lashed on him, even though he's been helping her with her nightmares.
"Just the one you chose to vent upon."
Setsura felt her cheeks flush and she looked down. "I apologize," she murmured. She usually didn't get embarrassed, but whenever she was with Akito, she would lose her calm composure.
"Don't."
She looked up and saw Akito with a serious expression, his usual large smile absent on his pale face. "Akito?" she called his name out puzzled. While Setsura disliked his fake smile, what she hated, even more, was his current expression. There seemed to be something lonely behind the look in his eyes.
"Don't apologize. I needed to hear it." He huffed softly. "Though I'm probably not the only one."
"No," Setsura agreed. "But you took it better than they would, so thank you." If anybody else heard that story, they would think she was crazy. But Akito is different. Since she came here to the Meiji era, she's been haunted by nightmares and visions every night. The visions were just as painful as the nightmares for her.
"Anytime," Akito said. He waited until she had met his gaze before he said, "I mean it."
"Akito?"
Before Setsura could get another word out though, they hear a screaming sound come from the ballroom. Ah?!
Akito grabbed hold of her hand, and before she knew it, they were heading in the direction of the ballroom. Akito ran quite fast, so they were there in a good 5-10 minutes. Setsura's eyes widened when she saw the sight in the room. It was an absolute massacre; the color of blood stained the curtains, walls, and fancy table wear where people were eating moments ago. People were severely injured and in the center was the man who was causing problems for her earlier.
Her eyes widened when she saw the sight. Akito stood in front of her and frowned, "Is anybody still alive?" he called out.
In response to that, somebody limped over. It was a young officer, the one in guard duty earlier.
"Saotome," Akito addressed the officer as he bent over, "What happened here?"
"The lights, they suddenly flickered of... Right then, I saw something strange; it was a black butterfly. Even though it was pitch black, I could see the faint outline of it. I was about to go after it when I heard a gunshot. Somebody shot my leg, and I fell to the ground. Later, when I woke up, I heard the sounds of people being beaten up and tortured."
A black butterfly? Setsura shuddered, 'It can't be, can it?' This is probably just a coincidence, and yet.. Setsura walked over to the body in the center of the room; her eyes widened when she saw the wounds on this person.
She...recognizes this. A long time ago, in the future. When she was younger, something like this... She saw something like this a long time ago, didn't she?
...
Three days later
"Just what's going on?" Setsura sighed and threw her pillow. Three days had passed since that time Akito brought her to the ball. Why did the officer who was hitting on her suddenly die? What's with this situation? What's more, she feels like a prisoner. Then again, she was supposedly the last person who the officer interacted with, so their suspicions are right on the mark.
But, that entire room massacre. Who? Only half the guests that night survived, the ones who did are still in medical care.
If it weren't for Akito, they'd probably detain her in prison. Even though she didn't know the other people, she knew the officer. Killing and harming the others could simply be a disguise to her crimes.
Setsura had gone to have breakfast at the appointed hour. They were watching over her like a hawk and ensured that all her activities were monitored. Setsura had returned to her room after the breakfast banquet, and they didn't allow her to leave her chamber unless it was for food.
It was suffocating for her, but Setsura understood full well that she couldn't complain. She was an outsider in this city; she had no choice but to bear with everything. Still, knowing she had no choice did nothing to stop anger from churning in her stomach.
It wasn't her, Akito and her left the ballroom right afterwards. Guests saw them walk away. They passed so many people on the way out. 'Nobody would testify for a stranger,' those words crept in her mind as she rolled around on the bed. That's right; she didn't know who told her that before. But that person spoke the truth. Many people still doubt her identity. She heard the gossip of the ladies in the ball too; many thought that she was a prostitute or a woman from a high breed family that fell from grace.
The rumors were alarming, but Setsura felt like this wasn't the first time she was a target for such malicious comments and gossip. It didn't make it easier for her. But since she already experienced such things before, Setsura knew what she had to do.