"Hmph!" Kanami grunted as she carefully lifted the table in her living room, her muscles straining slightly under the weight. Once the table was out of the way, she crouched down and peeled back the thick carpet beneath it, revealing a small, concealed trapdoor carved seamlessly into the wooden floorboards.
She ran her fingers along the edges of the trapdoor, feeling for the latch. As soon as she found it, she hesitated for a moment, her gaze lingering on the dark outline. Why did she even bother? There was no need to think too hard about it.
Yet, she exhaled with a determined look and gripped the latch tightly, pulling with all of her strength. The trapdoor revealed a long box below.
With another moment of hesitation, she reached down and lifted the box out of the compartment, placing it carefully on the floor in front of her. There was no use in opening it now, she knew it was useless. But her mind wandered to the old days with her master, mixed with numerous questions she couldn't answer by herself.
Exhaling quietly, she slid the wooden lid open, revealing the contents inside a sheathed blade, wrapped in faded cloth as well as a few carefully folded letters stained by time. The cloth wrapping the blade was worn filled with holes and scratches and the sheath wasn't in a better state.
It was the Kogitsune-maru, the blade of Satô Ryuuji.
With a sudden, sharp motion, Kanami gripped the hilt of the Kogitsune-maru, the tension in her body betraying the weight of her thoughts. Memories of her master flooded her mind, the face of Satô Ryuuji vivid as if he were standing beside her once more.
She stared at it for a moment, her chest tightening. This was the sword of a man she now despised in spite of herself.
How many times had she tried to unsheathe it? How many times had she thought, This is it—that moment where she'd finally prove herself
She had lost count but the words of her master couldn't leave her mind.
"The day you will unsheathe this sword will be when you have found something worth protecting. When you have found your true calling and made peace with your own nature."
Her grip tightened, and her fingers trembled as she tried to pull the blade out of its sheath. But as quickly as she moved, her resolve wavered.
She had not found her true calling yet. And protecting what? Luka? That was it? Was her true calling just being at his side?
It made no sense. She liked him, that was certain, but there was no way in her mind that it was as simple as that. Her own nature wouldn't allow it.
As her grip tightened further, she felt it. The gaze of the dragon deep within, as if mocking her for her own hesitation, its red eyes burning with disdain. His sudden presence made her grit her teeth in rage.
What did you do to find the true meaning of your life, huh?
That question didn't come from the dragon, as it couldn't speak directly to her, but from deep within herself. It was her own voice, demanding an answer, a truth she couldn't bear to see.
YOU ARE READING
A Tamia's Tale
Fantasy"A world full of mysteries and interesting people, sure. But what if I wanted to go home instead?" Luka, a young man, is summoned by accident in a fantasy world. But his arrival isn't without problems: kidnapping, political betrayals, a sickly king...
