Her eyes fluttered, shaking off the snow frozen around her eyelashes. It was a harsh winter, and her feet were buried under the snow. The piled-up flakes seemed never-ending, and the more she walked, the more it felt like walking in circles.
Tall pines and thick drifts of snow were everywhere. Her breath heaved, her legs trembled, and her fingers were red and cold. Even so, she walked. With each step, the crusty chill wind rosy her face and nose.
"If your mother could decide to live a second life, what would you wish her to do?" It was a familiar voice, but Hatsuki didn't know to whom it belonged. There was no one around her, and yet her feet halted. Her eyes wandered at the surroundings while she pondered.
"Live a life of freedom, perhaps? Do the thing she loves, find a man who loves her, and never settle for anything less for the sake of her child?" She answered the invisible stranger. Her voice cracked, and in a brief moment, it parched. Her eyes were brimming with tears.
"Is that all?" it was a comforting voice. She was in a snowy place. Her hands carried a paper umbrella, and suddenly, there was a house in front of her with a thatched roof covered in snow.
"Eh," she said softly, continuing to look at the scene of the blanket of snow, burying everything underneath it. "Is it too much to ask?" The uncertainty peaked through her voice.
"Not at all" The voice replied sheepishly as though amused by her simpleton request. Human life was certainly fleeting. Just a single choice navigating an entire lifetime's destiny.
Bounded by responsibility, pity and emotion. But what if a person could choose to live differently given a chance? Would they make the same mistakes just for the presence of that little star in their life?
"Take a look closely. Is this what you asked?" As soon as the voice said that Hatsuki was shown a different scene. The golden hue of the sun settled on the river, surrounded by green hills.
On the river was a young woman standing and rowing the boat. Her eyebrows were straight, and her face stared deeply at the river. She wore a thick robe that reached to her waist, and underneath was the horse-faced skirt.
The girl was heading to the hill where warm yellow lanterns glowed from the houses settled at the edge of the hill's cliff. As though time was stagnant for Hatsuki, she continued to watch her adoptive mother head home.
"It's like a wandering dream," She muttered.
"Is it? Wasn't it called prophecy in the human world?" The tone of the voice gradually decreased until it came to an end. Her consciousness faded, merging with the depths of the lake. Her body passed through the human world and entered the Lake of Riot, where the souls rested.
~
[ Soaring Sand, 8.08]
A dignified young man walked by from the Sky Manor's administrative hall. His eyes were covered with a thick white cloth. Grimace on his lips as he took sharp steps on the wooden floor. The Soaring Sand was the way around the Lake of Riot, which led to the outskirts of the manor.
At the lake's very edge, a young girl's body appeared. Her face was as pale as a corpse, and she wore a frailer skirt and a blouse.
Yukinori halted his steps and was quick to take a glance towards the lake. It was unusual for any being to even appear at the lake since it contained miasma to the very depths of the lake to prevent anyone from harming the dragon lord.
'A human?' He was unsure, but considering her presence, he could only conclude that she was a human. Yuki took a few steps forward, getting a better look at the young woman. None of her body parts had corroded, and her soul hadn't perished.
'How is she even alive?'
It was a mystery and an allure. Yuki had his lips set thin since there were a multitude of things to do, but he couldn't let her stay in the lake or, worse, be taken by spirits. His eyes wandered around her shaky fingertips.
Her feet and legs were still, and as his eyes drew upward, they ceased at her lips. There was something very familiar about her appearance, quivering his heart. As his eyes continued to trace her, her cheeks, which were fuller and a little mole at her temple, but most of all, those peacefully closed eyes.
'....It can't be true' Yukinori took a step back. The red tassel in his hair flung with the breeze of the cold wind.
Suddenly, the girl's face scrunched as though she was in a nightmare. Her fingers motioned, and the poised look faded.
Yukinori felt conflicted. Should he even save her? Embodying the Dragon Lord while working as the diplomat of the realms, his presence was that of a devil. So, should he even do a good deed?
Even so, he took another look at her. The girl indeed had an uncanny resemblance. But this time, his eyes traipsed towards her ears where the little handmade red earrings hung.
At that very moment, as if pieces of the puzzle had come together, Yuki felt enlightened and immediately jumped into the lake. A surge of coldness wrapped around his senses, yet he grabbed onto the girl's shoulder and knees.
Gently pressing her towards his chest, Yuki brought her out of the water, drenched in water and miasma. But even after getting out of the lake, the girl had not gained consciousness.
"Aizen," Yukinori called out and out of thin air a wolf-like spirit appeared in the thin air. The wolf gave a bow as it spoke, "Yes, master"
"Ask Chirtora to prepare medication for a human and come to my manor immediately" Although his words were commanding, Yuki had a soft-spoken tone. His robe dripped droplets of water, and the girl in his arms shuddered faintly.
"Yes, master" The wolf thereafter left the pathway, leaving behind only a white smoke.
Yukinori too entangled himself and the girl in a golden smoke, disappearing into the thin air.