Chereads / The Generations Series: The First Legendary Ancestors / Chapter 42 - The Nightmare That Follows

Chapter 42 - The Nightmare That Follows

Throughout the night, the sisters tirelessly fought her clashing weapons. The loud yelling and blade fighting brought Rei out of the forest with Takeko and Ceres. They watched in confusion as everyone attacked Hoshiyo with all their strength as if she had done something wrong to provoke everyone. 

Takeko squealed, "Hey, what are you doing? Why are you fighting?"

"Something's not right," Ceres whimpered. She held on to her bandaged chest, still gasping for air, after strolling back to the house. 

Rei squinted to see Hoshiyo's black glowing eyes, and her body had also turned darker. She frowned and yelled, "The black ooze consumed her. How did that happen?"

"We have no idea," Motoko cried. "She must have interacted with the ooze before we left the village. She followed us from behind and barely spoke a word. 

Takeko noticed the large wolf who carried the carriage hiding behind it so that he wouldn't get hit by the debris. She cupped her hand over her mouth like a megaphone and yelled, "Hey, you! Get out of here while you can. It's not safe." 

In the opposite direction of the fight, the wolf nodded and bolted in the opposite direction. He had to find the long road back to his village until they managed to catch Hoshiyo. 

While the others fought, Ceres argued, "I am in no condition to fight, so allow me to rest inside the infirmary for now."

"Let me help you," Rei replied. She attempted to wrap her arms around Ceres to support her body, but Ceres pushed her away. 

Ceres groaned in pain, slowly catching her breath as she walked back to the house and replied, "No, I can walk there on my own two legs. Stay here and help Hoshiyo; she's the one who needs saving right now." 

However, Rei needed to figure out how to help stop Hoshiyo. The first time they captured the Kami, she was in the forest, treating Ceres for her injuries and helping her walk back safely. So, Takeko and Rei had to wait in terror as they watched Hoshiyo become damaged goods. 

"Hold her down!" Yoko yelled, swinging her pipe to block Hoshiyo's next attack. Utaku and Rokuko moved in tandem, their weapons clashing against Hoshiyo's strikes. It was a desperate dance, each sister trying to subdue their once-leader without causing her harm.

"Hoshiyo, fight it!" Yoko pleaded, her voice breaking. "Don't let it control you!"

Hoshiyo hesitated momentarily, her eyes flickering with recognition, but the ooze tightened its grip, pulling her deeper into its dark embrace. With a snarl, she broke free from their grasp, her strength terrifyingly inhuman.

"We have no choice," Motoko panted, her face pale as sweat dripped from her forehead. "We have to put her to sleep, or we'll lose her for good."

Yoko, tears still glistening in her eyes, nodded. "Do it."

Rokuko's rope darted forward, wrapping around Hoshiyo's arms and legs, binding her in place. The other sisters moved quickly, each using strength to hold her down as Motoko pressed the talisman to Hoshiyo's forehead.

The effect was immediate. Hoshiyo's body jerked violently, the ooze hissing as it recoiled from the paper's touch. Hoshiyo screamed a soul-wrenching sound that echoed through the forest before her body went limp, collapsing into unconsciousness.

The sisters stood panting, their breaths heavy as Seiko gently cradled Hoshiyo's limp form. Her breathing was shallow but steady, and though the dark bruises on her face began to fade, the emotional scars were far from healed.

"We need to get her home," Seiko whispered, her voice trembling with urgency. "We have to find a way to save her."

Rei rushed to their side, quickly kneeling beside Hoshiyo. She checked her vitals, her fingers trembling slightly, before sighing in relief. "And we will," Rei said with determination, though doubt flickered in her eyes. "We won't lose her to this darkness. Not now."

Seiko gently brushed a strand of Hoshiyo's black hair away from her face, leaning in close to whisper, "We won't give up on you, Hoshiyo."

Rei looked up at Seiko and said, "Help me lift her; we'll carry her inside together."

With a nod, Seiko joined Rei, and together, they lifted Hoshiyo's weight off the ground. Side by side, they began the slow walk back to the house, the gravity of their mission pressing down on them more than ever before.

In a desperate attempt to save Hoshiyo and the Kami, the sisters hurried inside the house, determined to do whatever it took. Rei gently laid Hoshiyo on one of the infirmary beds, positioning her away from the small window behind them. She quickly began administering first aid, her hands moving with practiced precision as she awaited further instructions from her master. A few beds away, Ceres watched helplessly, her heart aching as she observed Rei working tirelessly on Hoshiyo. The others stood in the doorway, their faces tense, silently praying for a miracle.

Ceres shifted to face them and asked, her voice tinged with frustration, "What are you doing to help her now?"

Rei pulled a sterile IV kit from a nearby drawer, her movements steady despite the pressure. She carefully prepared a bag of Lactated Ringer's solution, the plastic crinkling softly in her hands, and added a small bag of blood for transfusion. Glancing up at the others, she offered a hopeful smile. "Her skin has almost returned to normal, but her veins are still black. Before I inform Kuzunoha of what we've discovered, I need to get fluids and blood into her to restore her circulation. That's our best chance right now."

"And what do you need us to do?" Ceres asked, her voice steady but laced with concern.

"I need you and Motoko to work with your masters to research that Kami we found. They might have information about the entity we removed from the shrine. If we can locate the source of the corruption, we might be able to reverse it," Rei replied, her tone urgent.

Motoko clenched her fists, bringing them close to her chest. "I'll handle that, Ceres. I don't want you leaving this infirmary until we're sure you're okay."

Ceres scoffed, stubborn as ever. "I don't need to stay here. My bedroom's in the same building."

Just then, Kuzunoha emerged from her office, an ancient book of Chinese medicine in hand. She approached the group and said firmly, "Maybe so, but it's better if we monitor you closely for at least twenty-four hours before you go anywhere."

Ceres frowned, not thrilled with the response. Crossing her arms, she lay back and stared at the ceiling. At least she'd get the latest updates on Hoshiyo's condition before anyone else. For now, all she could do was wait and listen.

"Sensei, the shrine held a Kami nearly destroyed by a black ooze that infested its body. When we expelled the ooze, it latched onto Hoshiyo. We tried to purge it from her, but most of it is still coursing through her veins," Rei explained, her voice heavy with concern.

Kuzunoha's eyes narrowed in thought. "I see. I'll need a sample of that ooze immediately, and she'll need a blood transfusion. It might help stabilize her while I figure out what kind of creature caused this."

"She must have felt like she was burning alive, considering how much she screamed in pain," Ceres whispered, her expression haunted by the memory.

Kuzunoha looked up sharply. "What did she do when it took over?"

Still staring at the ceiling, Ceres replied, "Hoshiyo turned into a predator, vicious and relentless. She tried to kill us without hesitation. She wasn't the same person we knew and loved."

"She couldn't even speak—she just growled," Rei added, her voice barely audible.

"Interesting," Kuzunoha murmured, flipping through the pages of her book. Returning to her office, she said, "I'll do my best to prepare the right medication but follow Rei's lead for now. We can't do much until Hoshiyo wakes up."

The sisters exchanged solemn nods, their resolve firm. Rei knew she had to work tirelessly in the infirmary to give Hoshiyo the best chance at recovery. Everyone who could leave left the area to help with the investigation. 

In the meantime, Hoshiyo lay motionless on the infirmary bed, and her face was pale, her body still except for the slow, steady rise and fall of her chest. Rei worked beside her, carefully setting up the blood infusion, her movements precise and focused. The room was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of equipment and the soft hum of the IV drip.

But inside Hoshiyo's mind, there was no peace.

In her head, she was surrounded by an endless expanse of darkness. The thick, cold black ooze seeped up from the ground, slithering around her ankles before crawling up her legs. Hoshiyo tried to move, to run, but the more she struggled, the deeper she sank into the viscous mire. It coiled around her, pulling her down, wrapping her in its suffocating embrace. She could feel cold and sticky pressing against her skin, squeezing the air from her lungs as it crept higher and higher.

Hoshiyo gasped for breath, but the ooze filled her mouth, throat, and lungs. She was drowning in it, the thick, oily substance swallowing her whole. She tried to scream, but no sound escaped as the darkness consumed her. The world around her vanished, replaced by the overwhelming sensation of being smothered, her body sinking deeper into the abyss.

Just as the ooze reached her eyes, threatening to blind her, Hoshiyo screamed. It was a raw, desperate sound, torn from the depths of her soul as she fought against the nightmare that sought to claim her.

Her eyes flew open, and she bolted upright in bed, her hand reaching the ceiling as if trying to claw her way out of the nightmare's grip. Her chest heaved with panicked breaths, her heart pounding as though it would burst from her chest.

Startled by the noise of her awakening, Ceres lifted her torso upright and stared at Hoshiyo with wide eyes. She yelled, "Hey, she's awake." 

Rei rushed to her side, gently placing a stethoscope on her chest. "Hoshiyo, it's okay. You're safe. It was just a nightmare," she said softly.

But Hoshiyo couldn't shake the terror that clung to her. The memory of the ooze, so natural and cold, lingered in her mind. Her hand trembled as she clutched the sheets, her eyes wide with the lingering fear of being consumed.

"I... I could feel it," Hoshiyo whispered, her voice trembling. "It was taking me, drowning me..."

Rei pulled away the stethoscope and squeezed her arm gently. "It's over, Hoshiyo. You're here with us, and we won't let it take you."

But the fear of that darkness, of being swallowed whole, refused to leave her. The memory of it burned in her mind, keeping sleep at bay. She knew that if she closed her eyes, she would be dragged back into that nightmare, or worse, and she wasn't sure if she could survive it a second time.

Hoshiyo clutched her chest, her voice trembling as she whispered, "I can't rest until you find a cure for the black ooze. I'm terrified that I won't wake up if I fall asleep again. Please, hurry—I don't know how long I can take this."

Rei frowned, her concern deepening. "I took a sample of the ooze and gave it to Kuzunoha. She's studying it now, but I can't say how long it will take. I hope the others find something that can help. What are you feeling right now? We can't find a cure unless we understand what's happening to you."

"I feel restless but exhausted at the same time," Hoshiyo groaned, her voice heavy with fatigue.

"That's completely normal after everything you've been through," Rei said, trying to reassure her. "Physically, you seem stable. Are you in any pain?"

"My muscles ache, and I'm lightheaded," Hoshiyo replied, her voice laced with fear. "Am I going to die?"

Rei's eyes widened, caught off guard by the question. She hesitated before she said, "We don't know that yet, but I doubt it. What you need now is rest."

Despite Rei's urging, Hoshiyo lay back, her gaze fixed on the ceiling fan above. She refused to close her eyes, the fear of death gripping her, a constant reminder that the battle for her soul was far from over.