Tuesday 15th march, 1892.
"Aah!!" an ear-shattering wail, jolted Jacek from his sleep. He was seated on the ground beside his sister with her hand in his. As soon as his eyes opened, the first thing that came into view was the wall clock he had been looking at all night long.
It was 12:02 a.m.! Did he truly doze off at a time like that?
"Aah!" came another pained wail that sent Jacek into a state of utter perturbation. How? He hurriedly rose from the ground and put on the lantern beside the bed. How? He pulled the cover away from Yuki's face. How? He squeezed her hand that was in his, while the other gently touched Yuki's wrinkled forehead, her cold sweat wetting his palm instantly. It had already begun… so, how was he sleeping at a time like that?
Yuki's body racked with anguish, every muscle in her delicate body tensed in a futile bid to escape the torment in her mind, body and soul. She was awake, yet her consciousness lingered in a faraway place, until she felt a familiar touch on her forehead which completely woke her.
As soon as Yuki roused from her slumber, a switch flipped inside her that caused all her senses that were being curbed by her unconscious state to awaken. As soon as they did, Yuki's eyes first widened from shock, for the pain that gushed inside her body was mystifying.
"Yuki?" Jacek called his sister softly when she opened her eyes. Before he could say anything else, she slowly shut her eyes once more. Her brows knitted gradually to form a deep frown, while her shut eyes pressed tightly together.
Yuki's hand that was in his, clutched Jacek's hand. Her fingernails digging into his flesh as her grip on him got firmer and firmer. Jacek winced, then he gently rubbed the back of her hand with his other hand, completely forgetting his pain.
While Yuki's free hand clenched the bedsheets, her teeth dug into her lower lip forcefully as she tried to suppress her voice which promised to erupt by the second.
Before long, a scream tore from her throat as the agony overwhelmed her. Jacek sat on the bed, yanked her into his chest and held her tightly while she gasped for breath.
Silent sobs followed loud wails as Yuki flailed her feet wildly in an attempt to fight the pain that consumed her whole.
Time passed slowly with Yuki's state worsening by the second. She felt as if her heart was on the verge of bursting as the blood in her entire being was gushing forcefully inside it.
Jacek's face was dreary and filled with anxiety as he tried all he possibly could to ease his sister of her agony. The handkerchief he had placed in her mouth to prevent her from biting her lips were now utterly soaked in crimson red blood.
Time and time again, Yuki's muffled sobs escaped from the piece of cloth in her mouth. Her tear-soaked face was, instead of reddening, paling significantly, rendering her ghostly in appearance.
By morning, the bedsheet on which Yuki sat was covered in blood. Blood from scratches and bites scattered all over Jacek's body. He offered his body whenever Yuki wanted something to bite into, to suppress her cries, screams and pain. Jacek wondered, truly, if he was helping at all.
By 6:01a.m., Jacek was already drained of most of his energy. Yet, it felt as if he needed a major boost because Yuki's condition had grown worse. She had cried so much; she had no more tears left to shed. Occasionally when her eyes opened, Jacek noticed dread that surpassed any other he had seen; it shuttered his heart each time. It was as if her pain was slowly ravaging the blue in her eyes.
"Yuki, today seems different from the previous years, I think you need to take some sedatives. There are no intervals today, at this rate…" Jacek urgently spoke after Yuki let out several consecutive groans.
Yuki dug her fingers into the pillow and groaned into it. She ignored Jacek's suggestion for several reasons. Though in all honesty, she barely made out what he said.
Without receiving a response, Jacek went to retrieve the drug Ida had sent Yuki. He brought it in secret because he suspected they would need it if Yuki suffered like she did the previous year, who knew it would be worse!
Jacek swiftly dissolved the pills in water, came up to the bed and sat. "Here, drink this…" he said calmly while rubbing Yuki's back. She did not bulge; her face was pressed into the pillow as if it had promised her some unknown solace.
"Yuki?" Jacek called his sister mindfully to gain her attention.
Yuki faintly heard her name in her tingly ears as she bit into the soft pillow. In her mind, all there was, was a foggy memory of her birthmother's tender voice from when she was younger. Whenever she gained consciousness after the sedatives she took wore off. The compassionate figure's mere presence eased her pain considerably before she consumed the next batch of drugs to keep her unconscious for another five hours or so. At that time, her pain did not affect her so much, for she knew her mother was with her.
The only time when her mother had not been with her on her birthday was when she turned eleven. On that day, her godfather had given her a new drug he concocted which was potent enough to make her sleep for an entire day. Yuki still regretted taking that drug, otherwise, she might have seen her mother one more time before her disappearance. Or perhaps, her mother might have stayed by her side throughout the day if she were not sleeping as soundly as she did.
How can she allow herself to sleep now, knowing she might wake up to the disappearance of things she held dear. How can she sleep, when all that awaited her were soul-frightening nightmares!
Yuki turned her face from the pillow to look if Jacek was still beside her. He was there. Yuki smiled feebly before wincing, then groaning, as a new torrent of agony swallowed the little sanity she had left. She let out a pained cry and curled herself up to find solace in her cold arms.
Jacek, lacking any more strength to watch Yuki go through any more pain decided to force her to consume the dissolved drug. As soon as he reached out his hand to touch her, a strong wind burst open the suite's window and surged into the room. Jacek frowned, put the drug on the table and walked to the window.
Jacek shut the window, locked it and pulled down the blinds. The act prevented any wind or light from outside to enter the room.
As soon as Jacek turned from the window, all the lights in the room began flickering. The room was bathed in a strobe-like effect as the lights flashed on and off with a disoriented intensity. A look of perplexity clouded Jacek's features, his expression a mix of confusion and curiosity.
Before Jacek could take another step from where he stood, he stumbled, then his legs suddenly became wobbly and unsteady. The room, to him, became a hazy, swirling vortex, which made it hard for him to focus or stand upright. Nevertheless, Jacek tread forth towards his sister, he wanted to be beside Yuki more than anything in that moment. However, his strength failed him, thus, he lost consciousness and fell to the ground in the middle of his quest.
At the same time as Jacek's loss of consciousness, all the lights in the suite went out. The room became a dark shroud, a somber and foreboding veil that hid all truth and reality.
In the complete darkness, a figure steered effortlessly towards Yuki, who was groaning, utterly oblivious to the augury of change that was approaching her.
After reaching Yuki, the figure sat beside her curled frame and stretched their hand towards her girl at a very slow pace.
Yuki was still battling her excruciating pain when out of the blue, a soothing sensation engulfed her. Then came a tender touch on her head, that brushed away the strands of hair which were scattered all over her face. The touch was a soft whisper on her skin, a comforting embrace that melted all her tension away. And although her pain persisted, it suddenly felt like something she could snuff out if she wanted to.
Yuki slowly extended her limbs, stretched herself out and turned slowly towards the touch. She clutched the hand on her face; just in case it suddenly disappeared. "Jacek?" she called weakly when she realized she could see nothing in the pitch-black room.
As if envious of her new found solace, Yuki's heart clenched, making her groan from the dreadful pain.
The hand on her face smoothly went behind her head and lifted her. Yuki's face fell on a firm shoulder, which offered her temporary relief. "Forgive me for being late…" a gentle voice penetrated her ears. Yuki panted against what she believed to be the neck of the anonymous figure.
Yuki slowly raised her hand, touched the face of the figure and turned it to face her. She peered into the shady visage, whose breath, she felt on her lips. "You are not Jacek… Who are you?" Yuki spoke with the tiny bit of her strength that was left.
"Who am I? I am yours, Yuki… I belong to you."