ᴀʟʟᴇɢᴇᴅʟʏ ☀︎︎ ɢᴇᴛᴏ s. x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ☀︎︎

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴛᴡᴏ

26 November 2005
Approximately 2:19 P.M.
Tochigi Prefecture
Nikko, Japan

"This is the place?" Geto asked, looking from the large estate, down to you.

You clutched the strap of your backpack, eyes slightly narrowed with a frown. "Yeah."

Geto followed you up the stairs. Surprisingly, the place had been well kept. The grass was cut short, the four o'clocks blossoming at the sides of the large metal gates, the bushes trimmed into perfect spheres, and the white structure was still accented by the brown roof tiling. The soft bang from the sōzu rose in both of your ears as you neared the gate. It creaked as you pushed it open.

Your steps were silent as you walked over the small bridge above the pond, vibrant with brightly colored koi fish, and onto the stone walkway. Nostalgia filled you, and you paused to look in the open space between the pond and the home. Even now, you could see yourself crouched down, following the movements of your teacher, and could hear his voice as he corrected you.

You turned your gaze away quickly, walking away without a word. Geto allowed you to reminisce on your childhood, watching you with caring eyes. He could see the reluctance in your face, yet you remained silent as you passed through. Every once in a while, he would see you pause, or your gaze would linger in a certain spot before you would move on.

At the sound of the paper door sliding open, you stopped. Geto stepped around you, his arm cautiously rising to be held in front of you protectively. An older woman walked out, her gray hairs neatly tucked in a bun, with kind brown eyes. She looked at you, a smile pulling onto her face.

"So you finally return," She spoke, bowing her head. "Welcome home, Lady L/n."

Her voice clicked in your ears. "Granny Vila," You breathed, moving around Geto. You jogged towards her, skipping over the stairs to her. She accepted your embrace, chuckling.

"My, you've grown to be so big. I remember when you were just a wee little thing, running around here. Now, look at you. You're so beautiful," She said, cupping your face in her fragile hands.

"Granny Vila," You said, placing your hands over her's. "This is Geto Suguru. He's m-my boyfriend, and he's been helping me."

At the sound of his name, Geto walked over, bowing to the woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you," He said politely.

"Oh, I like this one," She said. "And while I'd love to catch up, I know this is not what you've come for."

"I hate to do this," You said. "But--"

"I know, dear. They've already come and gone in search of you," She said. "I've known about this far longer than you have. Come now, you haven't much time."

"Granny Vila, they haven't bothered you, right?" You asked worriedly.

"No, I may be old, but I can still run men off like I used to," She said, allowing you to enter the home. "Don't take your shoes off. If they see an extra set of shoes, then we could be in trouble."

"O-Okay," You said, slipping your foot back into your converse. You followed her through the home, unconsciously reaching behind you. Geto's hand slid through yours, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I've kept everything the way it was before," She said. "Nothing has been moved."

"It's just like I remember it," You breathed, stepping into the room.

In the center of the room was a small tea table, with two seat pads on either side, one blue and one f/c. The door leading outside was closed, and you tensed at the sight of his black house slippers near the door. The statue of the Buddhist was still placed on the stand, two sticks of incense lit, filling the air with the smell of lavender. Flowers laid in front of it, and you closed your eyes, bowing your head in front of it. Geto did the same.

"Take your time inside," The old woman said. "You may only enter alone, so I'll care for your other while you are away."

"What do you mean, I have to go in alone?" You said, turning to her.

"Iranori placed a special type of barrier between this door and the entrance," She said. "The only person who can enter is you, Miss L/n. He especially made it that way. There are things inside that only you are allowed to see. Even I don't know what resides in there."

You looked down at your bag. Kneeling down, you unzipped it and took out the pieces of your broken Kusarigama. You closed your eyes with a deep sigh.

"I think I have an idea what's in there. Granny Vila, please see to it that nothing happens to Suguru while I'm away. You have my greatest thanks for allowing us to stay," You said, bowing to her. She chuckled and patted the top of your head before you rose.

"You were the closest thing that man had to a daughter," She said, making your eyes shimmer with a sad smile. "Make everyone realize how strong you are, Y/n."

"I will," You said.

You smiled at Geto, waving to him before pushing on the panel and slid it open. Immediately, you felt the presence of Ira's curse. It made you tense up, and you sucked in a sharp breath. You released the breath slowly, and Geto saw your body become swaddled with your own cursed energy. You walked forward, opening your eyes as you did. The door slammed shut behind you.

"Okay, Ira-sensei," You whispered. "What was so important?"

The hall was dark and narrow. You had to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness before you were even able to move. Your hands ran along the walls, and you took slow, cautious steps forward. Soon enough, after about three minutes of walking, the narrow walls dispersed, and you were led into a much larger room. You couldn't see anything, but you could feel the presence of your teacher's curse lingering here.

Tapping your foot on the ground, you listened closely to the objects the sound bounced from. So the room wasn't empty. However, as you walked around, you felt absolutely nothing. You didn't touch anything on the walls, trip over anything on the ground, or run into anything standing. What the hell was this?

Aggravated, you sat on the floor in the middle of the room. Opening the cloth, you laid out the broken pieces of the kusarigama in front of you. Lacing your fingers together, you rested your arms on your thighs and exhaled sharply. Your closed your eyes.

"What do you expect me to do?" Your voice rang in the air. No response, as expected. You opened your eyes. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do..."

"Sensei, why do we have to do this? It's boring!" You whined, looking over at him.

"Hush, girl and close your eyes," He ordered, making you groan. You did as he said, closing your eyes.

"What's the point of this? I can't see anything!" You huffed.

"That's the point. Just relax. You've worked yourself too hard these last few weeks. If you do not rest your mind and soul, then you could injure yourself with your own cursed energy. It acts like the backlash of your kusarigama. Too much pressure and it will snap back at you," He said. "So close your eyes, and focus on your own mind."

"This sounds stupid, Ira-sensei,"

"You will need it one day, Y/n. Resting your mind allows you to open channels you didn't know you have before. Think of it as helping you open your third eye. You'll be able to notice more things if you do so," He said. "It just takes patience."

That was it.