(Material Realm - Zed City)
The ultra-megapolis which stood as a symbol of human unity had been broken down into several divisions, ranking its citizens in a certain level of worth.
Within its centre resided the powerhouse of the city. Various members and affiliates of the royal family lived in this particular part of the city.
Zed was ruled by a monarchical government and as such, members of the leading royal family as well as its affiliates were greatly revered.
The city's centre covered a radius of about 150 km and was decorated with futuristic estates and mansions along with the Emperor's bosom which lay at the very core of the area.
'God's Love' was the name given to this area and many outside that circle dreamed of somehow making it in.
Within a certain part of God's Love was a particularly large estate with state-of-the art buildings. Despite being so high tech, they still had a striking resemblance to the ancient buildings of Japan.
A large mansion was nestled in the middle of the estate and it seemed to glow with a majestic radiance, almost daring to outshine the beauty of the night sky.
All these belonged to the Hamasaki family, an affiliate of the royal family and one of the very few ones to hold a high place in Zed city's affairs.
Within the mansion were extremely wealthy artefacts and walls made from the rarest minerals on earth.
Gentle music played in the background as quite a number of people filled a large hall. Some of them conversed about current issues while others made new acquaintances.
These people were of the royal family as well as some other affiliate groups.
"Ladies and Gentlemen", a deep voice calmly called out to the crowd. "May I kindly ask for your attention?"
Every individual within the hall brought whatever they were doing to a halt and lent their ears to the astute man standing on the podium.
The man looked to be in his late forties and had a simple expression painted on his face. Unlike the guests who wore extravagant modern clothes, he chose to be donned in black 'Montsuki'.
Three family crests including the Hamasaki crest boldly displayed themselves on his clothing.
Hamasaki Haru was this man's name and he was the family head.
"I'm heavily honoured by the effort you all have made to attend the 65th anniversary of our bond with the royal family", Haru smiled simplistically and then lifted a glass which held alcoholic contents. "Cheers to a brighter future and to humanity's success."
The crowd responded by lifting their respective wine glasses.
Haru relaxed a bit as he stepped off the podium. He was glad that things had gone well since the start of the event. Many attempts had been made to sever his powerful links with the royal family; however, they had all failed.
The family head believed in the ability to have empirical foresight, to predict what happens next at every instance and at every single step.
Mr. Hamasaki walked through a door at the back and into a hallway, still occupied by a number of things in his head.
"Haru, how was it?"
A soft, feminine voice called out to the astute man, forcing him out of his musings.
"Ayame…", Haru stood aloof as he gazed upon the beauty standing before him.
Hamasaki Ayame was Haru's wife and one of the people he loved dearly. Ayame was donned in 'kurotomesode'. Elegant gold leaf patterns decorated the black material she wore and seemed to glitter with every movement she made.
Her amber eyes glowed with an aura of kindness and her earrings made satisfying sounds whenever she moved her head.
"Ayame I- you- you're…", the poor family head was at a loss for words. His wife was a true beauty and he was glad he had her to himself.
"Dear, you're staring too much…", Ayame pulled her long black hair behind her left ear. "I'm getting a bit embarrassed."
Haru smiled and then gracefully lifted his wife's head by placing his index finger underneath her chin. They were now staring into each other's eyes
"I can't help it. Especially when I'm standing before a goddess."
The astute man backed away once he felt the temperature on his spouse rise.
"It was good. The guests don't seem disturbed even after the many attempts made to assassinate me", Haru smiled lightly.
Ayame, on the other hand, wasn't too happy. Having to live with that constant fear of losing her husband was a torture she wasn't sure she was capable of handling for too long.
She kept silent, while making sure her husband didn't notice the worry in her eyes. The last thing she wanted was for him to cancel the entire event because of her.
He also needed rest. This was the only time he had decided to lay back since the start of the year after all.
"Oh yes, Ayame", Haru's smile returned to a normal smirk. "Where's Izumi?"
"I'm here father"
A feminine voice called out from behind, calling the attention of both Haru and Ayame.
Before them stood their only child and daughter, Hamasaki Izumi.
She wore a 'furisode' which was beautifully decorated with mesmerising flower patterns. Her hazel eyes gleamed in a way that was akin to a doll and her stare could easily cause one to shudder in fear.
Despite Izumi's intimidating stare, she had an incredible aura of beauty that emanated from her. Her short black hair and pretty lips almost nullified the ominous look in her eyes which easily trapped those who dared to stare.
She was a bit… unique, in a kind of strange way.
It was as if she was a rare, undiscovered pearl that slept within a clam hidden in the depths of a trench.
Untouched, New and Impossible to unravel.
Izumi bowed in respect, "Father…"
"Did you meet him?", Haru spoke calmly.
"Yeah, more like he searched the whole mansion for me", Izumi thought to herself while raising her head.
"Yes father, I did"
"And?"
Ayame watched in silence as a sudden tension grew between father and daughter.
"I'm not interested in him", Izumi blankly said. "Father, this is the 12th time. I- I don't want to get married to anyone…"
Haru sighed, "You don't need to be emotionally tied to him. That boy is the son of the Prime Minister and he has taken quite a liking to you. If all goes well and you're able to get married to him then our bonds with the royal family will tighten."
Izumi didn't utter another word. Her hands were clenched into fists behind her as she tried to suppress the anger within her. Why didn't her father just listen to whatever he had to say?
"Of course, you're not going to get married right away", the family head said in an attempt to ease the tension. "You're 16 and hence you're not eligible for marriage yet. But then, what we can do is to get you two together at an early stage so that no other family can set their eyes on him. You could just be couples, that teen couple thing-"
"Father, you don't get it", Izumi interrupted. "You can't keep deciding everything for me! I'm not a child anymore!"
Ayame watched her daughter with surprise painted on her face. She was a bit more confident than she had remembered. At least, before her father.
Haru's voice turned stern, "It's for your own good and for the good of our family as well as all its assets."
"I don't understand! You always say that it's for me and the family's good but I still don't get it! Can't ties be made in any other way!? This isn't any old era where things work like that!", Izumi had long forgotten who she was speaking to at this point. She didn't even realise how much her body instinctively trembled in fear.
"…"
Silence reigned in the hallways as Haru was at a loss for words. Sure there were other ways but…
Tears began to well up in Izumi's eyes as she slowly came to realise how disrespectful she had been.
"I just… I just want to live without having all these political problems break us apart every time"
Izumi ran towards the exit right after uttering those words.
"I- Izumi!", Ayame tried to stop her daughter, however, she stopped mid-way. Perhaps, she needed a bit of time alone.
"I'll be meeting a few guests in my office", Haru began to leave without batting an eye at his wife. "Make sure to end the event."
The expression on Ayame's face fell even deeper into the pits of sadness as she watched both her loved ones leave in opposite directions.
.
.
.
(Hamasaki gardens)
The night sky glittered as numerous stars twinkled in and out of existence and the moon shone in a manner that dimly illuminated the calm gardens below. Various plants filled the rich gardens and brought a fresh breeze as they blew. One would easily get rid of all their tension the instant they stepped into such a place as the entire environment fell far removed from whatever lay outside.
At a specific part of the garden stood an elegant young lady donned in a gorgeous 'furisode' which boasted mesmerising flower patterns. This beauty normally carried a stare that never failed to betray any hint of emotion, however this time it seemed a bit different.
Izumi leaned over the bridge on which she stood, silently gazing upon the gentle stream that softly reflected the image of the moon. This was where she found solace ever since she was little. She'd play around with her parents every day without a care for anything else in the world.
Sadly… those times had faded away quickly and now she alone visited the lonely gardens from time to time.
"So, what happened this time?"
A sudden voice cut through her thoughts. She immediately turned her face to the side and then sighed when she saw who it was.
"Aku"
"Wow, you look even more miserable today", the mysterious girl grinned as she joined Izumi in gazing at the steady stream.
Kaneko Aku, member of the Hamasaki family's elite guards and Izumi's personal guard. Her family had served as a shadow for the Hamasaki since ancient times, carrying out every single order with no fail. The Kaneko family was simply irreplaceable in terms of offering security and executing shady operations.
Aku had been with Izumi since they were both kids and the two had grown an unbreakable bond over the years.
"Humph", Izumi pouted. "It's not my fault I'm feeling this way! If only my father stopped treating me like a child and actually listened to whatever I had to say. Can you believe he's trying to get me married to the Prime minister's son!? goddamnit!"
"Uh-", Aku stood there completely aloof. "Wouldn't people be happy to hear that the son of the Prime minister has an interest in them?"
Izumi rapidly tapped her right foot on the wooden bridge, "I'm not interested!"
"Whoa, okay okay…", a sarcastic grin swept across Aku's face. "Then what exactly do you keep trying to tell your father?"
Izumi froze the instant her guard had asked that question.
"Well, umm", the stare she gave to the stream intensified. "I…"
"Hmm?? You what?"
"I don't know"
"Are you kidding me!?", Aku's eyes twitched. "Sheesh, you know from what I've been seeing, it seems a bit to me like you've been having someone on your mind lately. Even to the point of stalking them. Anything ring a bell? hmm?"
Terror suddenly painted itself all over Izumi's face, "What!? How did you know!? Wait- I didn't stalk anyone!! I- I'm not… thinking about anyone."
"I'm your shadow, Pearl of Hamasaki", the mysterious bodyguard gave a mischievous smirk while adjusting her neatly kept brown hair. "I am to be wherever you are and observe whatever you do."
Izumi's face turned red, "W- Wherever I am? W- Whatever I do?"
"Mhm", Aku nodded.
The two girls stood in an awkward silence and for a moment, the only thing one could hear was the sound of the stream as it steadily flowed to wherever it went. Crickets sang in a strangely calm tone and the fresh breeze seemed to calm all nerves down.
"Even if what you said was true, I really wasn't thinking of this person in a romantic way", a broken smile began to form on Izumi's lips. "And on top of that, it's not like I can ever see him again."
Aku's eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"
The expression on Izumi's face soured even further as pain began to envelop her chest.
"He's dead"