Aito opened his eyes, blinking against the soft light filtering through the library windows. He turned his head to find Sorako engrossed in a book, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Hey," he muttered, "No luck so far?"
Sorako shook her head, her focus unwavering. "Nothing that looks anything like the buildings of my home."
He lifted his head off the table, sitting up straighter and stifling a yawn. "You said an old shrine, right?"
Sorako raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity mingling with her determination. She nodded, affirming, "That is right, yes."
Aito dug into his pocket, retrieving his phone. Sorako's interest piqued as she glanced at the device, her eyes wide with intrigue.
"Is that thing going to take us to the shrine?" She asked, her voice laced with scepticism.
Aito switched the screen on, the dim light illuminating Sorako's face. He tapped away, searching for information on old shrines. After a moment, he looked up. "Ok, I think I know which one."
Sorako leaned closer, peering at the screen with a mix of fascination and confusion. "If you could find the information this quickly on this tiny magical mirror—why did we come to the library and sift through books?"
Aito met her gaze, his expression serious. "Because I don't have the energy to explain what a phone is, nor does information about spirits exist on the internet, I already looked a long time ago." He quickly turned his attention back to his phone, scrolling through the results. "The shrine is Toshi Shrine."
As he set the route for Toshi Shrine, Sorako suddenly leaned in front of him, her determination shifting into action. She pinched the phone from his hands, examining the screen with intense scrutiny.
"So how exactly does this thing work? Is it charged by spiritual energy?" she inquired, her curiosity unabated.
Aito groaned, running a hand down his face in exasperation. He knew he would have to muster an explanation soon.
Aito walked back from the reception, glancing over at an elderly woman seated near the front of the library reading to a group of children. The receptionist had taken the books and disappeared behind the counter.
"Originally, we were all Seishin," the women's voice floated through the air, captivating the attention of the children gathered before her, "all one, and we all lived on the surface with the spirits together."
Aito turned, his eyes meeting those of the Elderly Woman. She exuded a mysterious wisdom, her long grey hair cascading over her shoulders, partially obscuring her left eye. Draped in a purple kimono, she commanded the children's excitement as they sat enraptured in their rows.
Beside her stood a whiteboard, adorned with drawings of three animals—a bird, a fish, and a serpent—each accompanied by sketches of people divided into left and right sides.
"But then calamity struck," she continued, her voice grave. "An event that would change the island forever."
A child raised a hand, eager to engage.
"What's a ca-wa-mity?" The child asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"It means the balance of the island was lost." she replied gently, her gaze sweeping across the innocent faces.
Curiosity sparked among the children once more. Another voice piped up, "What's with the three animals above the Sey-shin?"
The Elderly Woman gestured to the drawings, her fingers delicate against the paper.
"These are the Three Greater Spirits," she explained, her tone imbued with reverence. "It's said they created the island and watch over it."
She pointed to the fish drawing. "You have the Greater Spirit Fish—it created spiritual energy and gave life to the island."
Then she moved her finger to the serpent illustration. "You have the Greater Spirit Serpent—it filled the surrounding island with water and food."
Finally, she indicated the bird. "And, finally, you have the Greater Spirit Bird. It is said to have nurtured the skies around the island and made the land fertile. It is also the overseer."
A child voiced a whimsical thought. "So the Bird and Fish are parents, and the Snake is its child?"
The Elderly Woman chuckled softly, a twinkle in her eye. "You could say the Greater Spirit Bird and the Fish are the spirits' creators, yes. The Serpent is their protector."
The children erupted in laughter, finding delight in the oddity of her words, their giggles echoing in the library's quiet corners.
Aito glanced at Sorako, a mixture of skepticism and curiosity pushing him to speak. "Is what she's saying real?"
Sorako remained silent, her focus unwavering as she absorbed the Elderly Woman's story.
"But Wasureta no longer know about this," the Elderly Woman lamented, her voice filled with a sense of loss. "Their knowledge lost due to the split."
The Elderly Women then clapped her hands together, "And that's the history of this world."
As the tale hung in the air, the children clapped and cheered, taking their cue to leap from their seats. One by one, they scampered away, leaving Aito and Sorako as the lone listeners.
Aito watched as the Elderly Woman began to clean the board, her movements graceful and practiced.
With a newfound confidence, Sorako stepped towards her, determination radiating from her as Aito watches with blinking eyes.
"Excuse me." Sorako said, her voice steady.
Aito hurried to join her, a hand gently resting on her shoulder. "You know she can't see you?" He whispered, a hint of concern in his tone.
Sorako's face fell, her expression turning somber as she stared at the ground. "Then please ask her if she knows anything more about the incident."
With a deep breath, Aito cleared his throat, causing the Elderly Woman to turn around. Her smile was warm, inviting him to speak.
"Can I help you, young man?" She asked, her tone as gentle as a summer breeze.
Aito rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit he had developed over time. His gaze drifted towards Sorako, who stood beside him, her hand trembling slightly. The anxious energy between them was palpable.
"I was listening to you talk about the history of the island," Aito began, clearing his throat as he spoke to the elderly woman perched before them. "What exactly happened?"
The Elderly Woman looked at him with a mix of surprise and amusement. "You would listen to the ramblings of an old woman?" she asked, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
Aito nodded earnestly. "I'm very interested in history."
The Elder chuckled softly, the sound warm and inviting despite the gravity of her words. With a gentle motion, she abandoned her task of wiping down the whiteboard, settling into her seat with a sense of purpose.
She gestured for Aito to take a seat in front of her, and he complied, settling down while Sorako perched nervously at his side, her eyes fixated on the older woman with a fierce intensity.
The elderly woman leaned forward slightly, as if the act of sharing her story required her to engage deeply with her listeners. "There was a storm," she began, her voice steady yet tinged with an undercurrent of dread. "This particular storm was heavier than anything the Seishin had ever dealt with..."
***
The sky loomed dark and grey, with trees bending and swaying under the relentless wind. Rain hammered down onto the ground, but amidst the tempest, two figures could be seen running across the fields, laughter spilling from their lips like music against the storm.
Kaito, a wild and free-spirited young man of nineteen with fair-skin and tousled black hair, was the current contractor for The Greater Spirit Bird. His purple silk kimono clung to him like a second skin, while his sandals slapped against the muddy ground.
Beside him was Aya, eighteen and the prim and proper Shrine Maiden contracted to The Greater Spirit Fish, burdened by the weight of her role. Her striking heterochromia—two contrasting eye colors—caught the storm's light, and a koi shadow danced within her left eye.
Her fair skin and damp brown hair framed her face, which now bore an expression of vexation as they reached the shelter of a blooming cherry blossom tree.
They paused momentarily, gazing out at the stormy ocean before them. Waves crashed violently against the shore, sending sprays of water into the air. Spirits floated all around, unbound by the storm.
"This storm really appeared out of nowhere!" Kaito exclaimed, shaking his head vigorously, which sent droplets of water flying from his hair.
He stole a glance at Aya, who was lost in thought as she undid her tightly pinned hair and let it cascade over her right shoulder. The spirits whirled around her, as if drawn to her presence.
Aya groaned, her voice edged with exasperation. "Father is going to have my head when he discovers why I am drenched."
Kaito's gaze drifted to the nape of her neck, where water droplets slid down her skin, vanishing into the back of her Shrine Maiden outfit. "Good girl Aya getting in trouble? Blasphemy!" he teased, waving his arms dramatically, eliciting a sour look from her.
"You do realize this is all your fault, do you not, Mr. I-Harbour-The-Greater-Spirit-Bird's-Soul?" she replied, her pout deepening as she turned her eyes away.
"Because I kidnapped you from your duties to have fun?" he shot back, pinching the material of his kimono in a mock show of innocence. He focused on her, but Aya quickly averted her gaze, cheeks tinged with a blush that Kaito found endearing.
"My, is the Maiden making eyes at me?" he quipped, wagging his eyebrows provocatively.
Aya responded by smacking his shoulder, but her gaze turned back to the ocean, where lightning flashed luminously in the distance. "Do you ever wonder what your life would have been like without the spirits?" she asked, her voice a whisper against the roar of the storm.
Kaito leaned forward slightly to look out at the churning waves. Running his hands through his damp hair, he contemplated her question. "You mean a life without burden? Without duties to attend to? All the time." He replied, a hint of longing in his voice.
"What do you imagine?" She pressed gently, her green and blue eyes fixed on him with sincerity.
The moment felt ripe with unspoken dreams and desires. Kaito glanced at her, feeling a blush creep up his neck. "I imagine... your father not being so against us being together."
Aya's laughter rang out, light and bright amidst the storm. "Sadly, I doubt that would change."
A sigh escaped Kaito's lips, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "A man can dream..."
"The thought of being able to be with you out in the open, and not sneak around. I like that. " Aya said, her tone softening as she watched him. There was a spark of something in her expression, a shared understanding of their impossible longing.
The thought of being together openly, without the shadows of duty looming over them, warmed both their hearts. Kaito stood taller, turning fully to face her. As he cupped her cheek in his hand, they leaned closer, eyes fluttering closed in anticipation.
Suddenly, a loud crack of thunder echoed around them. Startled, they stumbled apart, the moment shattered like fragile glass.
"This storm is really something else." Kaito said, recovering quickly and trying to play off his embarrassment with a grin.
Aya nodded, a hint of worry crossing her features. "We should make our way back. I doubt this storm will end anytime soon."
Kaito pouted, a sad puppy expression overtaking his features as he glanced at her. But Aya's smile was bright, and she pinched both his cheeks playfully. "Come now, there shall be other days we can be alone."
They both share a secret smile between one another.
"That shall not be happening." A mans voice said, his voice resonating with authority.
With a reluctant release, Kaito and Aya pulled their hands apart, the warmth of their connection gone. Aya's father stepped forward, his brow furrowed with distaste as he locked eyes with Kaito.
"I believe I told you to stay away from my daughter." he continued, each word weighted with a father's fierce protectiveness.
Kaito, however, stood his ground, unyielding. "And I said I respect your opinion, but Aya is the one I want to be with."
A silent standoff ensued, each man sizing the other up. Aya, feeling the tension swell, pushed past her father. She planted herself between the two, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and defiance.
"Stop it, please." she pleaded, her voice trembling under the weight of their conflict.
Kaito turned away, and Aya felt the pull of his distress. She pivoted to face her father, arms outstretched in a gesture of defense. "Am I not allowed any say in this?"
Her father looked away, a mix of disappointment and concern etching deeper lines across his face. "Have I not been a good enough daughter for you to trust my judgment on who I decide to spend my life with?" Aya pressed, desperation creeping into her tone.
As thunder roared and lightning illuminated the stormy sky, Aya's heart sank. Her father's silence spoke volumes.
She opened her mouth, "What would it take to prove my maturity...?" The rest words caught in her throat as her gaze shifted to Kaito, a spark of understanding flickering in the air between them before shifting her gaze back to her father.
"You know I trust you." he admitted quietly, "I just want my daughter to live the best life she can since—"
Before he could finish, lightning struck the cherry blossom tree, a horrifying crack splitting through the air. Startled, Aya's father stumbled backward, his footing lost as the ground beneath him crumbled.
"That was too close—" Aya started, but her words were cut off as she turned to see her father backing over the edge, "Father!"
Kaito sprang into action. He dashed past her, grabbing her father as they both tumbled into the furious waves below.
Aya's eyes widened in shock,"KAITO! FATHER!" she screamed, dropping to her knees in a panic, searching frantically for them amid the crashing waves.
Kaito's head bobbed back up, his grip still on Aya's father. He fought against the relentless sea, urging himself closer to the shore. "Aya, grab your father!" He shouted, determination in his eyes.
With trembling hands, Aya reached out, pulling her father out of the surf just as Kaito pushed him toward her. Her father landed on the island, gasping for breath, his body collapsing onto the damp ground.
"Kaito, take my hand!" she cried out, her heart racing with fear. But before Kaito could respond, a massive wave surged toward him, casting him further away from the shore.
"Swim, Kaito!" Aya urged, panic flooding her voice. Their eyes met one last time, and a smile broke through the chaos on his face.
"Never forget our promise!" Kaito shouted, his voice bold and defiant as another wave crashed into him, swallowing him beneath the churning surface.
"Aya!" Her father called to her, but she was rooted in place as she watched Kaito disappear from sight. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her heart aching with the weight of the storm around her.
"Forgive me, Aya. Forgive me." Her father whispered, crawling to her side and wrapping his arms around her from behind, the embrace both protective and trembling with regret.
As the island began to shake violently, Aya's father's eyes widened in disbelief. "The spirits are losing their color? What is happening?" He murmured, glancing nervously at the sky.
The wind howled, and the island trembled beneath their feet as Aya sobbed quietly, her body shaking with grief and confusion. The light from the spirits around them began to fade, casting ominous shadows across the landscape.
"Aya, we need to get back to the village." Her father urged, urgency lacing his voice as he stood, searching for a way to ground them amid the chaos.
Slowly, Aya rose, her body stood still, as if being possessed by something. Her faded gaze stared out at the churning sea as she raised her arms in front of her, her mouth opened wide as her song calls out to the sea.
"Where are you when we need you,"
The one who shows us the way." She sang, her melody weaving through the gathering storm.
As she sang, the ground beneath her trembled violently. Aya's father, caught off guard, swayed unsteadily, his eyes wide with alarm. He glanced around, witnessing the swirling chaos of spirits beginning to encircle Aya, their vibrant colors fading into nothingness.
"Woah!" he exclaimed, struggling to maintain his balance.
Desperate to reach his daughter, Aya's father stumbled toward her, but a powerful force prevented him from getting close. The spirits, now forming a tempestuous tornado around her, collided into him, stopping him in his tracks.
The island itself rippled ominously, cracking open and splitting into two sections. One half, with its village nestled snugly, began to rise skyward, while the other—the lush, fertile land—remained still on the churning seas.
Panic surged through Aya's father as he witnessed the calamity unfolding before him. With dread coursing through his veins, he stepped back, his mind racing.
"This is a calamity..." he muttered, heart pounding. He knew he must act swiftly. "I must warn the elders!"
From a distance, Aya's voice continued to weave through the storm.
"Guide us along the chosen path,
Where we may meet once again."
The atmosphere cracked with thunder, each boom echoing the deep rumbles of the island's transformation. Lightning illuminated the dark clouds, which glowed with a vibrant orange hue. From the heavens descended the Greater Spirit Bird, its immense wings expanding majestically as it let out a resonant cry that pierced the sky.
Emerging from the ocean's depths appeared the Greater Spirit Fish, radiantly glowing and swimming toward Aya with a purpose. But the colourless spirits that enveloped her deflected the shimmering creature, sending it spiralling away.
The Greater Spirit Fish hummed a haunting tune, its glow intensifying to a blinding white that broke through turmoil of the colourless spirits.
As if infused with new life, the colourless spirits regained their hues and began to disperse, leaving Aya momentarily unguarded. The Greater Spirit Fish vanished, swallowed by the turbulent waters.
With her emotions weaving a tapestry of longing, Aya continued to sing, her voice a melody of remembrance:
"When time ticks away at life,
Never forget the memories we shared."
Tears brimmed in her eyes, cascading down her cheeks in sorrow. Each teardrop fell into the ocean, igniting the water's surface with a gentle, glowing light.
Suddenly, a colossal serpent's shadow broke the surface, a fleeting apparition that shimmered before ultimately disappearing into the depths of the sea.
"When will we meet again,
When will we live again,
Forever in the dreamscape,
You, and I."
The Greater Spirit Bird alighted upon the stormy skies, glowing a vibrant orange that slowly transformed into a brilliant blue. Its form began to crystallize, transcending the physical realm to become something ethereal. Aya gazed up in awe, her dulled eyes reflecting the luminous spectacle before her.
As the moonbeams poured over the crystalline form, she felt an overwhelming sense of peace and clarity. Yet, even amidst the beauty, a heavy melancholy gripped her heart. In exhaustion, Aya fell forward, her body fading into a dazzling light in the night sky.
The island had now ascended a staggering 5,000 feet into the sky, caged off from the world down below.
Meanwhile, in a dimly lit bedroom, a woman lay upon a bed, her brow slick with sweat. Three midwives gathered around her, their eyes filled with anticipation and hope. In the centre, the older midwife carefully cradled a new-born in her arms, the baby nestled in soft linens.
"Congratulations," she announced, her voice ringing with joy. "She is a healthy girl!"
As if awakened by the declaration, the baby opened her eyes for the first time. One eye gleamed a vibrant green, while the other shone an enchanting blue. Within the depths of her left iris, a shadow of a koi carp swam, swirling as if it held the mysteries of the universe within its depths.
***
The library was bathed in the warm, golden light of the late afternoon. The Elderly Woman sat, her gaze far off, lost in memories that stretched across time.
"The Greater Spirit Bird's body became crystallized in the sky," she murmured, her voice threading through the stillness like a distant echo. "The Greater Spirit Fish and Serpent disappeared." For a fleeting moment, her eyes flickered to Sorako, who sat nearby, an unspoken connection passing between them as the weight of the words hung heavily in the air.
"This was the result of the Maiden losing control." the Elderly Woman continued, her gaze returning to the horizon of memories, leaving Sorako furrowing her brow in confusion.
"Lose control?" Sorako whispered, her voice barely above a breath, as she stared down at her hands, searching for answers in her palms.
Aito, who had been listening intently, tilted his head. "That doesn't explain why people down here can't see the island, though."
With a slow, deliberate exhale, the Elderly Woman replied, "A barrier was created around the island to keep it afloat and hidden."
Aito leaned forward. "To protect the Seishin?"
The Elderly Woman shook her head, a shadow crossing her features. "To ensure the same thing never happens again."
"Thanks for your help!" Aito exclaimed, standing up. He bowed respectfully to the Elderly Woman before turning towards the library entrance.
Sorako lingered, her gaze locked on the Elderly Woman, who resumed her task of clearing a chalkboard, the remnants of lessons past still visible in the dusty lines.
A sigh escaped Sorako's lips as she finally stood up, the weight of the conversation heavy in her chest. She took a few cautious steps away, her mind racing with questions.
"There's nothing wrong with gazing down at the world." the Elderly Woman's voice called after her, gentle yet firm. "Don't be afraid to follow your heart. It will guide you."
Sorako paused, her heart pounding at the cryptic advice. She turned around, an urgent question forming on her lips. "Wait, you never mentioned why those on the surface have no recollection of—"
But the Elderly Woman was gone, leaving only an echo of her wisdom behind.
"-Us?" Sorako breathed. The library felt larger now, the emptiness resonating within Sorako. She turned around and followed after Aito, leaving the silent question behind.