Who are you?

Part 46

The first thing Shiori noticed was that her head was in her sensei's lap, and the man was crying. Shiori's gasp for air seemed to snap the man out of a trance, and he immediately pulled Shiori into a bone-crushing hug.

"Shiori-chan," he said as he sobbed loudly. His hold was firm, yet there was a gentleness to it as if he was afraid to hurt her.

"Sensei." She said. Her voice was raspy and barely above a whisper. She was still too tired.

"Shhhh. You don't need to talk. Try to save your energy. I will..." His voice trailed off as Shiori passed out again.

The next time she opened her eyes, she was in a strange room. She had no idea where she was or how much time had passed, but she had to find her sensei. She tried to get up, but her limbs did not listen to her.

She struggled some more before exhausting herself. She looked around the room for some more clues she might have missed. The room looked like any other average room in an inn. It was bare and minimally decorated.

However, she noticed that there was another futon next to hers. It was neatly folded and put to the side. She could also see some travel bags and scrolls next to the wall, all neatly arranged. She also saw her own backpack, which brought her some relief.

She tried to use her chakra to find her sensei, but she noticed that she could not use her chakra at all. This made her panic some more, as she felt the slight burning sensation of an active seal on her body.

It was probably a chakra suppressant placed on her arm. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She was not restrained otherwise, so it was most likely not a kidnapping. There could be several reasons for the seal.

As medics, they often use it when the patient's chakra is unstable or they cannot control it. Also, when the use of chakra could cause damage to the body, her state could be one reason.

She was too low on chakra, and with her seals released, her body must not have been able to regulate her chakra on its own. They must have put the seal on her to help her with recovery. She still did not feel comfortable being alone.

She felt tired and sleepy but resisted the sweet call of unconsciousness. She didn't feel safe enough to do so, not before finding out who had brought her here. She started thinking about the recent events.

Before Yoichi disappeared, he shared some more memories with her, scenes of their interactions from his point of view. She now also knew that he was the one who would enter her room and other places to leave her clues.

Feeling the warmth and happiness it brought the other man was strange. She was grateful but also very sad. She knew that the man's soul was bound to the temple and that he would fade away either way after the seal was broken. But still, he gave away the last of his life so that she could survive.

She also learned more about the seal. It was meant to keep her sensei inside and only break when he was ready to face the outside world. when he was finally at peace with himself. It was the most intricate seal she had ever seen. It would constantly monitor the chakra of the target and react accordingly. It would also take its power from the life force of those bound to it.

She also learned something more: the truth about the shadows. They were not mere apparitions but actual humans. She was still unsure how it was possible, but from the bits and pieces she saw, Oni had the power to bind the souls of those he killed.

He was able to hold them captive in a way that did not allow them to pass into the afterlife and, to a degree, order them around. The souls slowly deteriorate and lose their humanity, becoming shadowy figures.