Thoughts are jumbled in my mind.
I feel like my consciousness is trapped inside a quicksand. The more I try to struggle, the deeper I get pulled back.
My memory fades as my consciousness continues to fall.
Who am I?
Two names surface: Nakano and Saki.
But which one is me?
My name is Nakano, I heard a voice say. Was that mine?
I look down and see blood stained hands.
My name is Nakano, warrior and bodyguard of Kenreimon-In.
A sword? Yes. That makes sense. I am a warrior. My weapon is this sword.
I swung my sword at an enemy warrior. The katana was so sharp that it cut him down in a single blow.
I could feel my body tingle with excitement. So this is what it feels to kill someone. The experience sent waves of adrenaline into my system.
I felt frightened by the possibility of liking that sensation.
I turned and briefly saw my reflection in the water. I could no longer see the flashy pink hair and vampire-like red eyes. Smiling back at me was the typical young Japanese girl with black hair and dark brown eyes.
I am Nakano, an ancient Japanese warrior.
My twin brother, Kaede, and I continued fighting, cutting down enemies who tried to board the ship, buying time for a hasty retreat.
The experience was exhilarating. The blood in my body boiled as I slash and stab my enemies, pushing them back into the waters that had already turned red with blood.
My katana vibrated happily in my hands, intoxicated by the bloodlust coursing through my veins. A warrior swung his sword at me but I was able to dodge the blade. I sliced his throat in one quick motion and he fell like a puppet with its strings cut.
We managed to break free from the ship that had attached itself to ours. By this time, I was already drenched in so much blood from my enemies. Kaede and I, along with our comrades, rejoice in that small victory. We're going to make it.
Our victory, however, turned out to be short lived as the ship suddenly came to a stop after less than half an hour.
A ship was blocking our narrow path of escape.
It was one of ours.
What's going on?
"We've been betrayed," I muttered, clutching my sword in anger.
The morale of our men sank to the bottom of the sea. We have been surrounded. It's only a matter of time before they get here.
A cry of anguish was heard and I turned to see Kenreimon-In clutching her mother's dress in desperation. The old mistress was holding the young master in her hands.
In an instant, they disappeared from the side of the ship, throwing themselves into the waves rather than falling into the enemy's hands.
Soon, many others followed suit.
I turned to Kaede. He was wearing a peaceful smile on his face.
"We have lost," he said to me with an outstretched hand.
I knew what he was thinking. Sinking into the bottom of the sea would be a more honorable death than being captured alive.
But the thought of jumping into the cold and dark water scared me more than anything.
"No," I shook my head, my voice pleading.
He pulled me into his arms and whispered softly, "I'm sorry, onee-san."
Using his own body, he pushed me over the side of the boat and together we sank to the depths of the sea.
I could feel my life drain as the water hit my body, as if the water was sucking my life out of me.
No!
I could hear my entire being scream.
I can't die here!
Was that me screaming?
Help me! Somebody!
I started flailing as I began to lose oxygen. I wanted to swim to the surface, but Kaede's arms held me tightly by the waist.
Noooo! Somebody help me!
A name surfaced from the deepest part of my mind. A name that I vaguely remember yet rings clearly in my head.
I screamed that name in my mind as I desperately reached my hand out to the direction of the water's surface that was slowly getting farther and farther away from me.
HUNTER!!!
----------------------------------
Hunter found himself floating in the sky above what seems to be a naval battlefield. He quickly scanned the area, trying to assess the situation.
He could see countless bodies floating, dead. The sea's surface was stained with blood, sending a cold chill up his spine as he tried to look for Saki.
Another psychic scream. Hunter could hear the desperation in her voice and he immediately spread out his awareness in response.
His eyes widened as he realized that she was already underwater. In a flash, he dived into the approximate area where he had sensed her. His eyes scanned the water. Her energy was very weak. He needed to find her as quickly as he could.
He heard her scream once again. This time, she was calling out his name. Hunter could feel another surge of adrenaline rush through his body as he frantically searched for her.
He caught a glimpse of something glowing in the water and swam deeper to try and take a look.
It was a woman who was emitting a dull, white glow. Her arms were outstretched as if reaching to the surface. In her eyes were the unmistakable look of panic.
As she struggled to escape, Hunter saw that she was being held at the waist by a man. By the looks of it, he was already dead or dying.
The woman suddenly grew brighter and her body began to go in and out of focus. In that short moment, Hunter saw Saki's distinct profile switching with the woman's body like a glitching system.
He immediately swam over and took her hand. However, because his current body was intangible, the woman's hand passed through him. It took him a brief moment before he realized that there was something else that was clutching his hand. It was Saki, whose fingers clung tightly around his with every last bit of her strength.
Hunter tried shouting for Hamarr but the voice in his mind sounded puny and thin. It was like the area around Saki turned into a mini black hole. It is sucking everything around it. He decided to let go of the psychic tether and focus all his attention towards getting Saki to the surface. If she dies here, the effect on her physical mind would be devastating to say the least.
He tried to form a bubble around her and it kept the water away for a while but then it burst and the pressure that came rushing in engulfed the two of them in a flash. The thought of being flooded while underwater was both terrifying and absurd but it flashed in his mind nonetheless.
Saki started to become limp.
She needed air… and soon!
He pulled her towards him and put his lips on hers, gently letting some air in her mouth.
He felt encouraged when her fingers tightened on his. The positive response tells him that his effort was working.
Hunter felt Saki's mouth move. Worried that she might take it the wrong way, he pulled away a little. To his surprise, Saki shifted and resumed their broken contact, her soft lips parting slightly against his, and for a split second, he felt her tongue tease the space between his lips.
Forgetting all thoughts of restraint, Hunter placed a hand at the back of Saki's head and pulled her closer to him.
It was an intimate kiss that was tender and hesitant, reflecting the emotion that was slowly yet surely budding in their hearts.
Hunter's mind exploded into fragments. His whole being split into tiny Hunters… all aware that they are million other persons that are originally one being and they are being flung to different corners of the universe.
For that tiny fraction of a moment, Hunter was no more.
Then just as quickly, he is whole again.
Only this time, both he and Saki are no longer underwater.
They are galaxies spiraling across the cosmos in a dance that birthed worlds into existence.
Silence.
Calm… no… serenity.
They are somewhere safe and peaceful.
Hunter no longer knew if they stayed there for a minute or thousands of years but he no longer cared.
This was bliss and they can stay here forever.
But his wish wasn't meant to be, for Saki had suddenly vanished and the next thing he knew, he was chasing her as some force wrenched her away from that sanctuary.
He forced his mind to go faster and everything around him slowed down as he turned into a beam of light streaking across the vastness of space.
He is not Hunter.
He is a fox leaping above the dew-drenched grass of a vast meadow… his paws barely touching the ground.
He is an arrow shot from the bow of an ancient god.
He is a thought…
He is an emotion… a wish.
He reached his target and together they went home.
Hamarr yanked him from behind the doorway and he felt rather than heard the door shut like a giant hammer striking a gigantic bell.
"Did we do it?" He weakly but hopefully asked the man holding him.
"There is only one way to find out," Hamarr answered as he led him back towards the others waiting on the timespace markers.