Mountain of The Suns • Book 2

Chapter 39

I stayed late after classes and tried to meditate as much as I could. Though I preferred fighting hand to hand I knew against another pure blood I needed to be in control of my powers. Sure I could explode on a drop of a dime but that wasn't going to help me in the grand scheme of things. My brother was powerful and he and his men had a head start on me. I had only been in this world a year so I was a rookie in every way.

Him pulling me from my own consciousness and into whatever that space between was, was enough evidence as I needed for that. He had a year or more ahead of me and dark powers that he used to help him. I wondered what he had gotten himself into because he looked fine other than his burn marks. Dark magic would often take heavy tolls on those using it, whether it was their physical appearance, age, or something else usually it was easy to see. Rin only hid his aging because of the energy he was able to absorb to compensate.

My brother didn't have any obvious physical attributes other than his new burn scars. He of course took on the typical Meishu look but that combines with his injuries were it. Yami hadn't either, if anything he looked young but that could just be his genetics and maybe if he had been in that fountain as well. He had passed for my age with out question and in reality he was over a decade older.

My meditation was heavily unfocused by my racing thoughts. After yesterday with my brother confronting me and Jun running out I didn't know what to do with myself. He hadn't come back that night and I only saw him in classes the following day. He hadn't said a word to anyone or the even Masters. Normally he was the first one to jump up and down with answers and to challenge everything but he was quiet.

He had worn his hair down and even had on a turtleneck to cover his neck despite his mark being easily concealed by his hair. He had completely retracted from speaking to anyone and it bothered me more than I cared to admit.

I was worried sick about him and worried sick about when my brother was going to be arriving. I was scared to face Yami after what I did to him, how I betrayed him. He of course had it coming, but I was scared of Yami even if he wasn't allowed to hurt me.

I rubbed my face and let my head fall into my hands in frustration. I tried to focus my mind and think back to that space in between. I focused on how it felt, tried to imagine myself there and place myself where I had been. When I opened my eyes I was shocked to find myself there.

I stood up and looked around at all that was in my area but it alas was nothing. No one was around, nothing but blackness stretched for miles around me. I don't know why I had called myself here but I almost let my instincts take over.

"Hello?" I called out and I heard it echo.

I looked around and nothing changed. I looked down at my hands and I channeled my energy to my palm and it lit up in a blue haze. I held it up as if it was a light and walked forward. I walked for a long time as if I was waiting for something to change, for something to be illuminated.

I was about to try to leave and I saw a golden glimmer to my left. I lowered my hand and walked towards it and what was a tall golden light was actually strings, ones I knew all too well. I walked up to them and I felt their power. I slowly reached out and touched one and it was like touching electricity

I let out a small gasp and pulled my hand back. The strings looked strong and intact. They were almost braided in a pattern I didn't recognize. Though hundreds of small golden wisps were coming from the dark sky and to the ground they looked organized and calm. The glow around them pulsed like a heart beat.

My mind went back to the strings at the Bishamon temple. They were thick but frayed and had no organization to them. They looked like they had been messed with or like they had become unruly under pressure. I remembered breaking them and cutting the line like it had been yesterday.