{Date: 10/15 - Saturday}
{Time: 12:30 PM}
After a long drive around the city of Destiny Central and looking at the different attractions around the area, we finally made it to one of the two homes that Shiro owned. Charlotte parked the van, allowing us to step out of the vehicle and follow her to the entrance.
"Welcome to the Destiny Household, one of the two mansions Shiro bought for us 20 years ago. This house belongs to the group of women Shiro dated when he was on Earth named Destiny Women," Charlotte began, walking toward the door and rang the doorbell then straightened her clothes.
After a few moments of waiting, the door swung open, revealing the sight of a beautiful young woman standing in front of us with her arms crossed. She had fair skin, long, voluminous autumn orange hair, and beautiful pale blue eyes.
As I glanced down, I noticed her near perfect curves, and her confident stance. She wore a white tank top, skinny blue jeans, and mix-match panda socks. I looked back up at her, noticing she was looking directly at me.
"Ahh, Autumn..~ It's nice to see you here. Are you not hanging out with your sisters today? And where's your mom, I have some guests over," Charlotte said, peeking inside the house to see where everyone was. "Ahh, Amber, you are here!~ Stay right there!"
Autumn watched as Charlotte, Ryder, and Desiree walked inside, turning her gaze toward me and grabbed my arm, stopping me from entering. I glanced at her hand on my arm, looking back up to meet her intense gaze.
"I know exactly who you are. The person who killed Haku Mahoe, one of our extended family. Haku was a respected woman...with hopes and dreams of her own..." Autumn said with a calm rage in her voice, her gaze burning daggers into my soul.
"She was only 31...she had a bright future like the rest of us. It doesn't matter if you switched to our side now...what you did five years ago will never go away. The blood is already on your hands. If it weren't for The Boss, I wouldn't even have let you leave the airport alive," Autumn scowled, her nails digging into my skin.
I glared at Autumn, snatching my arm from her hand. I began to gently rub my arm, my gaze never breaking from hers. "I already know the monster that lies within my mind. I know what I did already...I live through those memories every night. I know my sins will never wash away..."
"All I can do now...is repent and hope for redemption from the Goddesses. Say whatever you want about me or to me, I've heard it all before," I said, walking by her and bumped her shoulder as I walked inside.
Orika gulped lightly, bowing toward Autumn then hurried after me. "H-Hisumi..!"
Yusa glanced at Autumn, holding her arms under her chest with a gentle smile on her face. She gave Autumn a polite bow before entering the Destiny Household.
Autumn scoffed lightly, rolling her eyes and walking back inside, closing the door behind her. "Siding with a murderer...What a joke..." She muttered under her breath, making her way to the living room.
I made it to the living room, noticing a few women peeking inside the living room. Upon seeing them, the beauty was immediately noticable and I began to question how Shiro was able to pull such women in his roster.
"Ahh, Charlotte!~ You're back, Chelsey, Whitney, and I just finished preparing the welcome back party for Yusa! Are they here?" The woman with honey tan skin asked, her light brown eyes shimmering with excitement.
Charlotte smiled at the woman, nodding her head and glanced back at me, Orika, and Yusa. "They made it safe and sound, though a bit of trouble did stir up at the airport. Hisumi, Orika, meet Amber Love, the mother of Autumn Love."
Amber gave us a courteous smile, walking toward us with a welcoming demeanor and held her hand out for us to shake. "It's nice to meet the daughters of our good friend Yusa. My name's Amber as you know..~"
I took Amber's hand politely, giving her a soft smile. "It's nice to meet you too, my name's Hisumi. The one to my right is my soulmate, Orika."
Orika gave Amber a polite bow, trying her best to speak the best English she could. "H-Hello..!"
Ryder sat down on the couch, letting out a soft scoff and crossed his arms. "I can't believe this bullshit. Our parents willingly allowing that monster to join our side? Dad would be pissed about this if he knew..."
Autumn sighed softly, leaning back into her seat, her gaze glued upon my figure with a bitter expression. "Right...This is a disgrace to New Karma and what we stand for."
Desiree sat confidently beside Ryder, crossing one leg over the other with a soft giggle. "I believe you two are missing the point...Did you two notice the way she looks? I don't see a monster...her energy it's full of unresolved pain. Unstable."
Autumn scoffed softly, rolling her eyes slightly and turned her gaze toward Desiree. "I wouldn't expect the energy of a murderer to be stable. Besides, she has yet to answer for her crimes. I won't let her get away with this. None of us will."
As Charlotte and the others began helping me, Orika, and Yusa settled with them at the Destiny Household, Ryder, Desiree, and Autumn stayed downstairs in the living room to talk amongst one another. It didn't take long for me and Orika to find our way around the house, despite its impressive size.
After getting settled in, Orika and I decided to head back downstairs to talk with the others. Once we entered the living room, the conversation inside stopped, the room now filled with silence. The silence was unsettling, but I didn't let it startle me.
"I know we all started on a bad note but—" I began, attempting to try to make peace with Ryder and Autumn.
"Let's get one thing straight, Hisumi," Autumn began, standing up from her seat and walking toward me with disdain in her eyes. "Your mother might have our moms fooled, but we see through your mask. You're here so Charlotte could help you learn to be a hero..."
"However, I doubt a person like you could ever have the mind, heart, and spirit of a hero. You're only a wolf in sheep's clothing, waiting for the perfect moment to show your true colors. I bet you don't even care about your supposed soulmate, just using her as a—"
I gripped the collar of Autumn's shirt, slowly losing my temper, my breathing becoming slightly heavier. "Say whatever you want about me...but you leave my mom and Orika out of this. Your problem lies with me..."
Autumn met my intense gaze with a vengeful glare of her own, gripping my wrist. "Unhand me now...or else I will break your wrists."
I scowled at Autumn, my grip on her sleeve becoming tighter to the point of wrinkling her top. Autumn began to grow more irritated by the second, her grip on my wrists tightening a bit. The animosity in the air was thick and tense, even the thinnest of paper could slice through it.
"Enough," I commanding voice called out, gathering all of our attentions toward the stairs.
I watched as an elderly woman began to descend the stairs, her body covered in tribal tattoos and her gray hairs showing her wisdom and experience. She wore a white and blue tribal robe, the colors matching to Leilani's Tengoku Form.
"Such divide in a house of unity and love. Troubled souls in this room. Tengoku spoke to me, and she comes with the truth," The woman said, reaching the final steps and made her way toward us.
I let go of Autumn's shirt and stepped back as she approached. I couldn't sense her energy at all, but despite her being beyond my current perception, her aura had a serene effect, calming me and everyone else down in the room.
"Anakē Celene..." Ryder said, standing up from the couch then bowed toward her.
Desiree stood up as well, bowing toward her with a smile. "Good afternoon, Auntie..~"
Celene smiled at Ryder and Desiree, giving the two a nod then turned toward me and Autumn. Her expression became stern, yet a hint of gentleness rested within her eyes. Her stare was intense, yet calming like a calm yet strict mentor.
"I could hear the discourse on my way down here. What is going on?" Celene asked, her gaze shifting between me and Autumn.
"Anakē, you can not possibly be confused on why we're upset! The killer of Haku is standing in front of us, claiming she wants to be a hero now? Like...it's ridiculous! This girl is the Black Cerebral!" Autumn exclaimed, her voice bouncing off the walls with emotion.
Amber heard her daughter's complaints and let out a soft exhale, lowering her head. "I think we should check it out."
Chelsey nodded, standing up from her seat and slipped her phone in her back pocket. "Yeah, plus I have to pick Adrianna and the girls up from the mall later anyway. Yusa, are you sure about this? I mean...you can see the outrage right?"
Yusa watched as each woman turned to look at her, her usual soft smile playing on her face. She sighed softly, her gaze softening a bit as she completely understood. "I do. I see and understand the outrage when it comes to my child...but that doesn't mean I agree with it. My child is no monster...just a victim to Judgement's game."
Charlotte noticed the sadness in Yusa's eyes, thinking of the past conversations between them about losing me to Judgement when I was younger. She adjusted her hat slightly, closing her eyes. "Let us check it out. Maybe we can come to a resolution by the end of the day."
With that, Charlotte and the others left the lounge area of the sharehouse, making their way downstairs and to the living room to see the commotion. Once they made it, they noticed Celene mediating the situation.
Celene let out a soft exhale, closing her eyes then crossed her arms, gripping her sleeve gently. She opened her eyes, turning her gaze toward me. "Are you not going to defend yourself?"
"Why bother? You all already have it in your minds that I am just a monster. There's no point in defending myself in a never ending battle. I've heard worse than what she's saying anyway," I said, crossing my arms with an annoyed expression, my tone cold and filled with self-bitterness.
Celene stared at me for a moment, her eyes scanning my being with curiosity and sympathy. Her eyes began to faintly glow as she read my energy, her eyes slightly widening. 'Her Mind and Spirit are entirely corrupted...yet her Heart...is truly pure yet broken..'
Celene took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, preparing herself to reveal the truth to all of us. "I come here before you all with a message from Tengoku herself and if you don't believe me you can also confirm this with your Makuahine Ani."
The room was completely silent, no one even letting out a breath. All eyes were on Celene, the sun's glow casting a natural golden spotlight upon Celene.
"Five years ago, you all were about 14 years old. Hisumi was in the Americas, Hawaii to be exact with four members of her squad," Celene began, her gaze shifting between each of us as she began speaking the message.
'Morata, Kyoshi, Pandora, and...my father,' I thought, a vivid image of the memory playing in my head, causing me to freeze up as I began to relive the memory by the second.
"On our island, Ka Hopena...There was a ritual taking place..." Celene said, her voice fading out as my memory began to play for itself in my head.
{Date: 12/22/2X45}
{Time: 1:35 PM}
I leaned against a tree, waiting for Morata and my father to finish scanning the area, glancing at my watch to check the time. Looking back up, I noticed Morata and my father walking back toward me, a serious expression on his face.
"Hisumi, the target named Haku Mahoe is a strong individual. The Moji Tribe are all fit for combat, but luckily there's only one other person there. Your job...is to kill Haku and use your Vow of Death to drain her essence," He said, placing his hand on my shoulder.
"Failure is not an option. You failed to kill Ani, but today you can redeem yourself," He said, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "If you fail this time, your punishment will be ten times worse..."
I couldn't stop the shiver I got down my spine as he mentioned the prospect of punishment for failure, my stomach turning in the worst way and making me nauseous inside.
"Yes, Father. I will not fail you..." I said, remaining a strong front despite the lingering terror within me.
I let out a shaky breath, getting off the tree and pressing forward toward the ritual grounds. I slowly approached, slowly unholstered my gun, my hands practically shaking with hesitation. I took position behind a stone and took a moment to catch my breath.
I began to hum a soft lullaby, the same lullaby that my mother would always hum to me to calm me down. As I hummed, I felt my body calming down and getting into a relaxed state. Once I was ready, my mind shifted into Black Cerebral mode and I got into position.
Aiming my shot perfectly, I used my Spirit Energy to cover the barrel, the energy molding into a suppressor. I took aim at the back of Haku's head, my finger on the trigger ready to fire.
'...I'm sorry...' I thought, closing my eyes before firing the bullet so I didn't have to watch the scene.
Haku, performing her ritual dance, felt a sudden shift in the air, the wind whispering in her ear with warnings. With her eyes still closed, she took a graceful step to the side, dodging my bullet. "Anakē Celene...it seems we have reoccurring visitors."
Celene stood up from her stone seat, her tribal robe flowing in the wind as she began to scan the forest. She pinpointed each of us, noticing our auras hiding within the environment. "It appears we do..."
{Date: 10/15 - Saturday}
"I was there when Judgement struck. Leilani happened to be there as well, but listen to me when I say this. Hisumi wasn't the one that killed Haku," Celene said, her tone becoming more clear as she began to reveal the truth.
"Anakē, I always trust your judgement, but that makes zero sense! Leilani was there as a witness, she saw Hisumi kill Haku," Autumn retorted, her tone filled with skepticism about the revelation.
Celene shook her head, visibly telling her that she was wrong. "I saw the entire fight with my own two eyes. Hisumi never landed that killing blow even though she put up a good fight at the age of 14."
"Then who did?" Ryder asked, stepping forward as if to demand to know who killed Haku.
"My father did..." I spoke up, holding my arm and began to gently dig my nails into my arm. "My father killed Haku...but the last thing Leilani saw was me next to her body."
Autumn looked a bit surprised but this answer seemed to only fuel the flames within her, her blood boiling to its peak. "So what does it matter?! You still helped in assisting in her death!"
"Do you honestly believe that I wanted any of this?!" I screamed, finally reaching my breaking point, gripping my hair with hatred, sorrow, and deep pain. "I didn't want any of this! I didn't choose this life, I was forced into it!"
Autumn flinched back at my outburst, taking a step back and became quiet as she watched me break down. She didn't know what to say, only remaining silent to listen to my pain.
"I hate myself more than you can possibly hate me... Everyone points their fingers at me, uses me as the scapegoat because you know your words will never reach them. You don't hate me for me...you hate me for what I represent!" I continued, sobbing softly on the ground, gripping shirt due to the heavy pain in my chest.
"I failed at killing Haku...I failed and I was beaten, abused, degraded. I felt below worthless, I wasn't even myself anymore...I don't even know who I am anymore. You all don't know what it's like...to be at the top of something like Judgement. It's lonely at the top...just like how it's equally as lonely at the bottom," I said softly, picking myself off the floor and ran off.
Orika watched as I ran off, gasping softly then rushed after me. "Hisumi! Hisumi!"
Yusa grunted softly, feeling her heart shattering slightly then rushed after me and Orika without hesitation. "Hisumi, Orika!"
Autumn was too stunned to even speak, never seeing someone break down in front of her in such a way. She could feel a slight ache in her heart, her hand finding its place on her chest. 'Why do I feel so guilty...?'
Ryder couldn't raise his gaze from the ground, realizing that his hatred was truly misplaced. He felt the same guilt, his heart aching in a similar manner to Autumn's.
"I'm gonna go after them, there's no telling where Hisumi's running off to," Charlotte said, rushing out of the house as well to chase after me with Yusa and Orika.
Celene let out a soft exhale, closing her eyes and holding her hands together in front of her. 'I hope this was the right move, Tengoku. It looked to have done more harm than good...'
~{To Be Continued...}~