Ayato's Perspective
Hovering the candlelight over the engraving, I made out the final word etched on the underside of Ayame's desk.
Dare.
Everything in my mind began to click together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and I rushed back to the main building in a frenzy, snatching papers off my desk where I had scrawled notes on the previous eleven notes left behind by my sister.
I felt my heartbeat pick up as I rearranged the words, feeling closer to finding the truth than ever.
The truth about Ayame.
The truth about my dear, beloved sister.
When all the messages matched up, I stood up, letting my brain process each stroke of her handwriting and burn it into my memory.
I'm still alive, dear brother. Come and find me, if you dare.
Standing up, I admired the crumpled paper strewn around my feet, the papercuts and calluses that I hid beneath my gloves, the residue of melted wax from nights spent reading by candlelight.
My work had not been in vain.
I know you're alive, Ayame.
And I promise, I will never stop until I find you.
Where are you, sister?
----------------------------------------------*:･ﾟ✧------------------------------------------
"We've arrived, my lady."
I nodded solemnly, sweeping a strand of hair behind my ear.
As I ascended the stairway to the deck, I took a deep breath.
The vibrant sakura trees loomed over the island, the fuchsia petals drifting away in the wind. The streets of Tenryou winded elegantly up the mountain, and Tenshukaku, in all its glory, stood atop it all, as majestic as I remembered, an eternal reminder of the Raiden Shogun's almighty reign.
This was home.
And the worst part was that it hadn't changed a bit since I had left.
It was so surreal, really. The thought of ever returning to my homeland seemed like a dream, an illusion.
As we pulled closer and closer to the docks, I felt the air grow warmer, and I was reminded of the hot, humid summers I had spent in Hanamizaka, teaching Ayaka how to light a sparkler and making wishes as the fireworks shot up into the air, filling the night sky with color.
Snapping out of my daze, I turned to the other end of the ship, where Scaramouche was leaning against the deck, his body turned away from the image of Inazuma, as if rejecting the land itself.
His listless gaze flickered to mine, and I quickly looked away.
How could I face him after what I had done?
"This way, milady," one of the crew members hummed, dipping down and extending his hand in an exaggerated bow.
I took it gently, descending the wooden ramp with soft, dainty steps.
The moment my tip of my heel touched the ground of Inazuma, I knew I was where I belonged.
The wind was fresh with the scent of flowers and foliage, and the grass seemed a little greener here, the sky just a little more blue. It wasn't like Liyue, which had a spirited, industrial charm to it. Inazuma was quiet and subdued, and in its beauty lied in its air of mystery and prestige.
YOU ARE READING
𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜'𝙨 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙬 // scaramouche x oc
Fanfiction--DISCONTINUED-- As the former heiress of the Yashiro Commission, Rin's past in Inazuma is . . . complex, to say the least. She was the true Shirasagi Himegimi, before her sister, Ayaka, took over that role in her stead. But when she left the nation...
