Belladonna

Chapter 1: Nee-chan

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Prologue
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The joyful laughter of two children filled the air, and a deep chuckle reverberating right against my ear roused me from my catnap. I stretched my little legs out, and he adjusted his hold on me. He called out to someone, telling them not to wander off too far, and a childish voice acknowledged him from a distance away.

Bright yellow petals danced in the breeze as it swept by, carrying the soft floral fragrance of countless blooms in their wake. A young girl lets out an exclamation of awe as she skips toward the wall of flowers for a closer look. Blinking sleepily, I rubbed my face into a green and black kimono.

"Flowers bloom sevenfold and eightfold, but the kerria laments, for not a single fruit does it bear."

I glanced up curiously at a face shrouded in darkness. 'Why does he seem so sad?'

A flash of a sharp, jagged metal appeared in my line of vision, and a warm, red liquid carrying a coppery scent splattered onto my face. A scream of anguish rang throughout the clearing. But it was not mine.

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Belladonna

Chapter 1:
Nee-chan
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The dark wooden ceiling of my room swam into view when I opened my eyes, the scent of clean sheets tickling my nose. Languidly, I sat up and began to stretch, sighing in satisfaction before it was promptly cut off by a jaw-dropping yawn. Blinking a couple of times, my brows furrowed together in slight annoyance. 'It's that dream again.'

Shaking it off, I pried myself out of my cozy futon and trudged to the small washbasin sitting on the low table at the side of my room. The last remnants of sleep ebbed away once the cold water hit my skin. Blindly reaching out to my right, I felt around for my small washcloth and pulled it towards me to dry off.

Completing the rest of my daily morning routine, I quickly changed into a plain, dark blue yukata and made my way to the dining area for breakfast. Stepping out of my bedroom, I shivered at the drop in temperature, noticing that the window was ajar, allowing the mountain forest air to drift into the little wooden house. The rain stopped some time ago, but the chill still lingers.

"Ohayō," I muttered, suppressing yet another yawn as I plopped down onto a cushioned seat, folding my legs beneath my small body with practiced ease.

"Ohayō, Jun." A dark-haired woman replied with a small smile, setting down my breakfast along with a bowl of miso soup.

'It's Oyakodon today.' Chicken and eggs on rice. I inhaled the mouthwatering fragrance wafting from my food. AmeOnna is a great cook; there was no doubt about it. I clapped my hands together. "Itadakimasu!"

My guardian always wore a black furisode with small white flowers and blue ripple patterns along the hem and bottom of her sleeves. Her long white shawl covered the top part of her head, shrouding her eyes from immediate view. She has beautiful eyes. I did not understand why she hid them when they were so nice to look at, and I once asked her about it. For some reason, she flushes a little and waves it off, saying she likes her fashion style just the way it is.

AmeOnna is neither my mother nor my elder sister; she has no blood relation with me at all. She did not know who my parents were, but she did tell me that I was given to her to care for by my older sister, who is the leader of a fairly large group of yōkai.

Today, I am going to meet my sister for the first time in years, thinking about it made a nervous yet excited little smile stretch across my face. Not only will I get to see my Nee-chan, but I am also going to live with her. My smile dropped a margin then, and I sneaked a glance at AmeOnna's back by the sink, doing the dishes. A hollow sensation spread within my chest. I can still visit her, but... she would not be living with us. For the past five years, she took good care of me, and now that I'm 'leaving the nest' as the saying goes... I felt sad.