The Demon Within

Chapter Twenty-Three

Mei hadn't slept a wink since the night her mother visited her in her dreams. Four days have passed since her dream with her mom, and she heard the villages of Irailia and Era had been completely destroyed. She watched the blood red moon move across the sky as she rested with her back leaning against a tree. She listened as the others softly snored. The world was still covered in darkness, and Mei was waiting for the right sign to make her move against Certo. Osamu was no longer her concern; he was a mere human after all now. Certo had the power to demolish worlds and that's what Mei needed to focus on. She needed to reseal Certo before he was released. She knew she had no time to spare, since Osamu was carrying out his threat against the people. All of her ancestors and the people who had died for her were relying on her to finish this. Mei wondered if Osamu knew the truth about Certo. If that were the case, then Osamu was playing games with her. Mei's face hardened as she remembered what her mother said about Osamu and what he did to her people. The fact Mei never knew irritated her and it made her wonder if Kazuma and Taichi knew about the history of their people. Surely they would have told her, but she never asked about it, frankly because it never came to her mind. Mei stood up and leaned against the tree, her left shoulder rubbing into the tree.

"You haven't slept, have you?" Mei looked behind her and saw Kazuma looking at her with concern.

"It doesn't matter. I have a lot going through my head at the moment, so sleep wouldn't help." Mei noticed Kazuma was looking at her suspiciously, so she turned away from him. Moving around her, Kazuma glanced at her neck and saw the jewel crest, reflecting the red rays that the moon gave off.

"How is that there without you transforming?" Kazuma said, his eyes meeting Mei's. Mei looked away from him, not wanting to explain what she had seen. "Mei," Kazuma said in a warning voice.

"What?" Mei asked glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. Mei saw the look of annoyance flash across Kazuma's face, and she knew she was pushing it. But she didn't want to say anything to them; they had already been through enough, and her mother said it was her burden to carry, not theirs.

"The crest Mei. Why is it on you now?" Kazuma asked as his voice starting to turn to ice.

"Boy, you seem really paranoid tonight," Mei said looking up at Kazuma. "You must be exhausted, so go get some sleep." Growling angrily, Kazuma grabbed Mei's shirt and pushed her up against the tree. Taking her arms and pinning them above her head, Kazuma pushed his face close to hers, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"What happened Mei? What did you do?" Mei's eyes were wide. Kazuma hadn't been this forceful before. Mei looked down at the ground, knowing her actions were obvious enough to Kazuma something was wrong. However, Mei was determined to keep this matter to himself, even if it meant lying to him.

"It's nothing, Kazuma. Now let me go!"

"NO." Mei looked Kazuma in the eyes, terrified by the sound of his voice. His eyes looked like he was about to murder someone. Kazuma tightened his grip on Mei's wrists, his face inching closer. Mei avoided his gaze.

"I saw my mom," Mei whispered, finally giving in. Kazuma released Mei's hands and he looked shocked, his expression of danger fading away.

"Your mom?" Kazuma said in disbelief.

"In a dream. She spoke to me and told me what is going to happen. I didn't want to tell anyone because she said it's my burden to bear, and I've already gotten you involved long enough. I need to—" Mei stopped as Kazuma gently put his hand over her mouth, the kindness returning to his eyes. Kazuma looked gently down at her, all signs of anger gone.

"Sometimes you talk way too much Mei. You could've told me. Can you not trust me with some of the burden?" Mei avoided his eyes completely, her mothers' words echoing in her ears. A betrayal of someone close to you. Mei sighed, for she didn't know who to trust anymore. Kazuma removed his hand from her mouth and he gently cupped her chin, raising her head so she looked him in the eyes. "What did your mother say?" he asked calmly.