Haze of War

1

A cold wind ripped through the night. It wasn't unusual for this time of year; just unwelcome. Takane stepped outside, where she could see little spots of light dancing everywhere. She loved looking at them. They made her feel happy, and free. It was only recently she learned she had this power. Her parents, both believers in Shinto, claimed she had a strong connection to the spirits and gods, and that she was special to them. Special. It was something Takane couldn't claim for much. Her handwriting was bad, plus she had a tendency to lose her energy and fall asleep in the middle of important events. She didn't mind, though she found it hard to make any friends with it. Well, for the most part.

There was one boy she always saw at the temple, praying. She didn't know his name, but she always heard his wish: to have a stronger body. Apparently the boy was sickly, and often was forced to stay home. She always saw him, and thought, 'Maybe he's just like me.' He raced through her thoughts, and she only snapped back to reality as her kimono was snagged on a nearby bush. Falling flat on her face, she looked up, and saw a large man dressed in armour. A sword was strapped to his hip, and he looked quite stern.

"Why hello there," he said, his voice filled with a mixture of malice and disgust, "We've heard you can see the spirits and gods, eh? Well, lucky for you, we're giving you a chance to not be worthless!" He took out a scroll, and tossed it at her.
"You're going to come with us and do exactly as we say. In return, your parents can keep their temple and home, plus a little benefit every month. Sounds like a good deal, no?" Takane was shocked. She was being forced away from her parents, just because of her power? Why? She wanted to get up and fight back, but the man was dressed for war, and didn't look like he'd take mercy on her. She stood up, and looked back at her home. Her parents were standing at the door, concerned and saddened. She wanted to run back inside and wake up, it all being a bad dream, but she knew this was real. And she had no choice. Her last view of home were her parents, looking forlorn at the loss of their only daughter.

...

The time passed quickly under the military custody. Takane was forced through the same hellish routine: wake up, eat a measly breakfast, learn to fight, then be forced to recite Shinto prayers and ceremonies to "invoke the spirits", even though she didn't believe any of it. She was driven away from anything religious through her time. The only solace she found in this living hellscape was a young soldier, maybe only a couple years older than her, who seemed to disappear during his fights. It was incredible, really. Takane never got a good look at him, since he always vanished right after he was done. And he was never seen around the camp, so just what was he? Or rather, was he even real? Sighing, Takane finished up her chores for the day before collapsing back on her sleeping arrangements. They weren't luxurious, but they were all she had. Wrapping herself up in the blanket, she shivered as a cold wind blew through. The stupid outfit she was given was way shorter than her kimono, so she was always freezing. She hated it. And because she was always freezing, she could never get a proper rest. All the other soldiers were all fast asleep by now. She was envious; they all got to sleep while she was up all night, listening to that stupid rustling in the bushes. Ugh. She would go scare off whatever animal was making that noise and go back to her sheets. As she got closer, she could hear whispering as well.

"...won't let us get close, so what other choice do we have?"
"No, don't worry Kido, I got this~"
"Every time you say that we end up getting in more trouble..."
Takane didn't know just who they were, or what they were talking about, but she had to go investigate anyway. Trying to be as stealthy as possible, she approached the bushes. And ended up tripping and falling. The muttering stopped, and a boy with blonde hair poked his head out of the bushes. His cat-like eyes were unnerving, and what's more, his face featured a mischievous smirk that could only mean bad news.
"Well, what do we have here~? A little spy~"
The boy was quickly hit by something from behind, and another head appeared. This time, it had long dark green hair tied back. The face seemed almost familiar...

"Wait, you're that--" Before she could finish, a hand quickly shot out and covered her mouth. A panicked face looked around, while the boy looked like he was trying not to laugh.
"Shh! Yes, I was around the camp for a while, but don't go announcing that to the world! I'm trying to blend in!" He said quickly, motioning for her to be quiet from now on.
"Yeah, and a great job you're doing of that~ You've got everyone convinced about the wrong thing in your pants--"
The other boy was quickly punched in the gut, but he still weakly chuckled. So then Kido, the person she was talking to now, was...
"Y-You're a girl?!" Takane shouted suddenly. Apparently THAT was what woke up the others, as a torch was seen nearby. Takane was pulled into the bushes as the two quickly held still. One thing she noticed was that Kido's eyes had turned red. Not red as in, she had been crying. No, an actual glowing red. What was even happening? After a few moments, Kido removed her hand from over Takane's mouth, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright, next time, please try to stay quiet."

Takane didn't know how to respond. She wasn't even sure just what was happening. It was all so overwhelming; she just wanted to go back to her normal life, without all this craziness.
"I've had enough! I don't know just what you people are, but I know you aren't normal! All I wanted was normal, and here I am with red-eyed freaks!" Standing up rather quickly, she began to march back towards where the guards came from, planning on telling them about the weirdos.
"I hope you like being imprisoned! Just wait until they find ou--"
Suddenly, she felt herself fading away. As if someone were pulling her soul out of her body. Hitting the ground rather roughly, Takane just lay there, sprawled out. She couldn't feel a single thing. Was this... was she... dead?