Belonging | 𝐲𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐱 𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐧 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐨

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

Third person POV

Stars filled the sky like pale corn on the freshly turned ground. It was the promise of life in the darkness, a sense of warmth springing from the cold. No matter the years that passed, Riei saw each night sky as a fresh gift given anew. It was the moment anyone that knew him would see his eyes smile and his breathing deepened just a little.

Riei was gracing the night sky by the Sakura tree that had already withered due to its season. His ears began twitching the moment he sensed another presence coming by.

"That's quite out of the blue..." Rikuo said as he stood beside Riei in his night form. "Riei."

"Are you done with the meeting?" Riei asked, without taking his eyes from the starry sky.

"Well, you pulled up quite a stunt that it's impossible to continue." Rikuo let out a chuckle and then started to fold his arms into the sleeves of his kimono. "Why did you bring her home? Oh, don't get me wrong, it's not like I oppose it. It's just quite not like you to do something like that."

Upon hearing his father's words, Riei began to ponder his actions. He himself was not quite sure why he did what he did. Recalling their previous encounters with one another, Riei simply felt that Towa was able to evoke certain emotions that he thought had disappeared.

"That girl... She acts like a human, but she isn't. She has demonic blood but has no idea what yokais are." Rikuo turned his head slightly to the side as Riei spoke, staring at his son out of the corner of his eye.

"Even when she had already won, she still wished she had lost. And she... she defended those who wronged her." Riei thought back on the time he rescued her from the yokai the night of the Kendo Tournament.

'And that glint in her eyes...'

Towa's eyes were the first thing that caught his attention; they were a deep ruby colour and shone brighter than any jewel. What's more, there was this depth in her eyes that he recognized... because he had seen it every day in his reflection.

"I don't understand her... Her presence intrigues me." Riei ended.

Rikuo could not believe what he had just heard, since that had been the longest conversation he had ever had with his son ever since he had returned from Tono. And he couldn't be happier to hear it. It seems as though his son was gradually beginning to open up his heart to him.

"Sounds like quite the interesting girl." Rikuo gave a sly grin as he smiled and let the brisk air to sweep past both of them.

'There is no way that Riei could have been responsible for the murders... Surely, he wouldn't do something so outrageous...' Rikuo thought with his eyes close.

At that moment, Riei interrupted his stream of thinking.

"Another Frost killing happened last night, right?" Riei said as he continued to stare at the Sakura tree for a moment before turning to face his father. The next words that he spoke forced Rikuo's blood to become as frigid as ice.

"Tell me father, what would you do if I really was the one behind it?"

"Huh?"

"Would you kill me? Your own son."

"Riei... What are you—"