𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 [Kny × OC]

2

Sleep offered no solace.  Instead, it plunged Yui into a chilling spectacle. Figures materialized from the shadows, their uniforms same as to Sanemi and his friend.  Each one, a warrior with a katana glinting in the dream light, pleaded with her for help. Their voices echoed in the void, their faces obscured by wisps of smoke. Yet, their message pierced through the haze – they needed her.

These visions morphed, twisting into scenes of brutal violence.  A fiery-haired warrior crumpled to the ground, another with mint-streaked locks met a gruesome fate. Each glimpse into their demise sent a jolt of terror through Yui.  Who were these people? Why was she forced to witness their suffering? A helpless cry escaped her lips, swallowed by the oppressive silence of the dreamscape.

The weight of this question bore down on her as Lady Kang's voice cut through the dream's hold. "Yui-sama, it's time for your performance." Yui offered a weak nod, allowing nimble-fingered servants to transform her face into a mask of beauty, effectively hiding the turmoil churning within.

The shimmering kimono, a symbol of her lineage and a looming future, restricted her movements with its opulent weight.  Unlike the boisterous courtesans of the red-light district, Yui belonged to an elite class.  Her family boasted a heritage steeped in serving emperors, their performances reserved for the privileged few, their names and faces shrouded in secrecy. She wasn't an Oiran, parading her beauty in the vibrant chaos of a festival. Her domain lay within these opulent walls, where her every move was scrutinized by watchful family eyes. Here, even the slightest misstep translated into a flicker of pain across Lady Kang's face, a harbinger of punishment to come.

Unlike the flamboyant Oiran parades, hers was a world of hushed whispers and guarded glances.  Right now, she was under constant scrutiny, her performances solely for the eyes of her family and their esteemed connections. Their approval was the key to unlocking new skills, new facets of the art form that would become her gilded cage. Debut at sixteen. Three more years before her life became a suffocating performance, if this wasn't hell already.

A year had passed since her encounter with Sanemi and Masachika. Time seemed to move faster within these walls.  She hadn't seen him again, and the memory of the "ball man" remained a haunting enigma. Thankfully, she had exceptional memory, a blessing considering these were the only two people she'd ever spoken to freely.  She clung to their faces, a flicker of warmth in the cold reality of her life. 

As her feet began the familiar steps before her assembled bloodline, all she could feel coursing through her movements was a tempestuous mix of rage and sorrow. The helplessness and tragedy that befell her mother and sisters flickered in her mind's eye. This dance, intended to evoke joy, instead became a conduit for her grief, infuriating her family. Perfection, an unrelenting demand, was their sole obsession. Even the slightest blemish on her face was met with disdain.

Yui, blessed with an exceptional beauty since birth, possessed mesmerizing blue eyes, a cascade of long, fiery red hair with wispy pink ends, and a delicate face with flushed, pale skin. The cerulean shade of her eyes held an otherworldly depth, a constant glint reflecting within them. Her striking beauty was a constant topic of conversation among the elite and even royalty, with whispers of her becoming a royal concubine of the emperor and rise through the ranks as she matured. The common folk, however, remained blissfully unaware of her face and even her name. 

"Excellent."

A deep voice boomed as Yui finished her performance. Her surprised eyes landed on a strikingly handsome man, his dark hair meticulously styled. An expensive suit hugged his broad frame, and a ruby red glint emanated from his eyes – a color unlike any she'd ever seen. Even more captivating than her own cerulean eyes.