The stream burbles and the crickets' stridulating are mixing in harmony fills the night with its melody. Once a while, the owls' hoots exchanged its rhythm with the stream and the crickets. The lights of the mansion in the middle of the forest are still lite at all corners. The people there are still having the important conversations at one of the room on the upper floor. The children chased each other happily in the living room and the mother watched them silently while knitted the sweater. The dogs and the cats slept together on the couch.
I slowly opened my eyes because it was feeling like a dream that I heard the river rippled among the sound of the crickets and the children's laughters. My vision blurred for a moment and my head throbs in pain, my body is killing me when I bring myself to sit. I looked at my surrounding, the dim light from the candlelights did not give me a full view of the room.
"Ahhh!!! Uncle Xian's girlfriend is waking up!" A boy shouted in excitement when he slammed open door. That kid does reduced my life by 10 years when he shocked me like that.
"Mommy!!! Sister is waking up!" A little girl behind the boy was calling for her mother.
A few moments later I heard the footsteps are getting closer and closer and a woman appeared with a tray full with meal, a glass of milk, a glass of water and some medicines. She sat next to the bed and switched on the table lamps. The two kids climbed on the bed and sat at the end of my legs. They smiles innocently at me, make unconsciously smiled back.
"Miss, I bring you a meal and the medicines. Please help yourself. Excuse me for a while, I will call Brother Xian." The woman stand up to leave and I stopped her.
"Where am I?" I could not delayed my curiosity.
"You're at the Moon Mansion. Don't worry, you're safe here." She answered me politely.
"Ahh.. I'm sorry for being rude. My name is Mu Hua. I'm Brother Xian's sister-in-law and this is my children, Xu Hao and Xu Ai." She finally introduced herself.
"I'm Kim Ai. Thank you for your care." I smiled in awkwardness.
"We have the same name, sister..." Little Ai took my hands in hers. I messed up with her hairs a bit, she giggles.
"Excuse me for a while." Mu Hua walked out from the room.
I just finished my meal and done taking my medicines after being forced by Little Hao when Xian walked in followed by unfamiliar faces. Little Ai sat obediently on my lap while Little Hao clung on to my arm when the guests entered. Xian pats on their heads and give them some candies and asked them to plays at the living room, they leave without any questions. At the door way, they greeted a tall man and showed their candies before ran off to the living room.
"Do you still feel hurt somewhere, Ai?" Xian touched my forehead with his backhand then he checked on my pulse. I turned from watching the kids and facing Xian.
"I'm fine, just having a mild headache after wake up. What's happening?" My eyes observed the audience one by one. It is making me curious and awkward at the same time.
"I'm relieved that you're not harm. You're fainted from exhaustion right after the incident. Probably you never use your spiritual energy before and it's taking toll on your body." Xian take his spot beside me.
"How long I been passed out?" I asked because my body feels stiff here and there from overslept.
"Three days." Xian frowned. I blinked few times because I felt like I have forgotten something.
"Oh no!!! Lilian must be looking for me." I panicky searching for my phone.
"Don't worry. I already let her know that you're staying with me for a while due to some unfinished works. And... She did understand it very well." Xian put away my wary.
"Thanks God." I finally calmed down. I must not troubled Lilian by worrying about me.
"Ahemm... Miss Onyx, pardon our rudeness since this is the first time we meet. We don't have much time to waste, so... Are you alright if we get to the point right now?" An old man spoke in a very conservative manner. He scattered my thoughts on Lilian.
I nodded after I looked at Xian and he gave me 'It's okay' sign. The old man introduced himself to me "I'm humbly introduced myself. My name is Yamagami Aoi from the Yamagami Shrine. I'm a kannushi. You may called me Master Aoi. These are my comrades."
Master Aoi looked at the other bystanders in the room. I studied their faces one by one and I realised that one of them look like a westerner and probably a priest from his dressed up.
"I'm Park HwangJa from Seoul. I'm a shaman and one of the elders." A middle age elegant woman introduced herself. My gaze changed to her direction when she started to speak.
"I'm Xu Xuan from the Mount Mao division, Xu Xian is my younger brother. I'm an onmyoji same as my brother is." The late 30's man introduced himself, I did found that he have a little bit resemblance to Xian. No wonder that the kids were playfully greeting him earlier, turn out he is their father.
"I'm Mikhail Ivanoff from Russia. I'm an exorcist." The blond young man look like was in his early 20's end the introduction session.
"They're the Elders for the East Sector and had been working together under the House of Oracles since many decades ago. Master Aoi is the first generation and one of the founders. Master Park is the second generation by inherit it from her mother. Master Ivanoff is a disciple of the first generation master, Father Markos. However, he leave the Vatican after his predecessor died. Lastly, my brother and I are successors of our grandfather who was also a founder of this organisation." Xian filled the blank in my head with a detail one by one. I nodded although I still have no idea why they have to told me such things.
"Errr... I'm Kim Ai. Nice to meet you all." I bowed a bit. My back muscle snapped on me, I hissed a bit.
"Miss Onyx, oh sorry. Miss Kim, are you alright if we ask you few questions." Master Park looked at me with a soft but serious gaze.
"It's okay. Master can call me Onyx if it is convenience as I did use that name as my alter ego. And yes, I'm fine with any questions." I tried to be calm.
"In the recent incident, did you know that an evil spirit had been awaken because you agreed to the ghost marriage?" Master Park locked her gaze on me. It did give me a chill to my bones. I shook my head.
"Then explain to us why did you undergo the ghost wedding ceremony?" She snarled at me.
"The director said it was a part of the mini film and everything was according to the scripts. I know nothing about what really happened. Xian supposed to be appearing after the bow but the situation was out of control. I have no idea that the paper doll was actually holding such a spirit." I felt the cold air lingering in the room. These people are more scary than any evil spirits.
Master Park wants to bombed me with more questions when Xian cut her off. "It was my fault that I fainted in the makeup room after someone drugs me. It's seem that someone there knew that I'm an onmyoji. I'm willing to vouch for Ai that she really knew nothing. She is just a mere victim of someone else's scheme."
"However we do wonder why did Miss Kim was aware when the evil spirit run rampage. She also able to fight the spirit head on. We ought an explanation on this matter, Xian." Master Yamagami finally spoke after he gone silence for long.
I gasped for the oxygen, I still have a loose grip on the situation and these people keep asking me about something I have no clear explanation for. I clutched on the blanket, Xian aware of my anxiousness and hold my hand firmly until I found the courage to speak up.
"I have a ghost eyes since I was a child. This ability grew day by day and I work part-time as a mystery-horror writer. I write about every paranormal experiences I encountered. I also hunt for informations on the paranormal stuffs because I want to find out about my ability and how to stop it. In reality, I'm tired of sensing nor seeing the ghost. I just want to live a normal life. While about why I was aware or how I able to fight the spirit, I have no idea on it. All I do was to survive and act based on my intuition." I sighed after let out my mind. Xian pats on my hand as an act of comfort.
"Well, based on the trauma she bear since the young age, I don't think Miss Kim is related to the House of Rasalhague as the Elders had suggested. I make a background check on her and found nothing suspicious." Xian's big brother, Master Xu Xuan shared on his findings.
All the other masters stay quiet for a while before Master Park finally break the awkwardness. She scratches on her index finger seem wanted to remove the uneasiness from her mind.
"To be honest... I don't sense any darkness from her. I guess I shall trust your words, Master Xu. Please forgive me on my baseless suspicion on you, Miss Kim." She stuttered a bit and her expression turn softer.
I smiled. "It's alright, Master Hwang."
"That is that. But there's something that is still worry me. It's not about Miss Kim but about something that is hiding in her shadow. A very powerful spirit that protect her and it gives me unpleasant feelings." Master Aoi's worries showed clearly in his eyes.
"Something in my shadow?" I am dumbfounded.
"I catches a glance of it when Xian brought you home and it was here until yesterday. I unable to approached it. Have you not sense it all this time?" Master Aoi grip tightly on his walking stick.
I shook my head. "No. I never felt its presence."
Everyone paused and lost in their own thoughts.
"Keep this with you. It will protect you." Master Aoi suddenly put a beaded bracelet on my palm before he dragged the other masters out from the room leave only Xian with me.
After the door was shut tight, I turn to Xian. "Thank you for helping me."
"Don't thanks me. It's my fault that you almost died there." His expression become sorrowful.
"Don't blame yourself. I'm still breathing like this really thanks to you." Suddenly I remembered that he took the blow for me.
"How is your hand?" I take his hand and it is still bandaged.
"It's nothing. Don't worry about me, worry more about yourself." Xian patted on my hands.
"Ai..." He called me, I looked up at him.
"Where do you get this?" He take my left hand and touched my tibetan knot bracelet.
I looked at the bracelet and stayed silent as my brain in a progress to put up together all the fragments of memories about that bracelet. Xian waits patiently for my answer. How did I get the bracelet? All I remember is I been wearing it for more than 10 years now. My cognitive is sending the signals here and there to obtain the informations from the deepest archives of my hippocampus.