Posted on: 07/10/17

Prologue

The first thing that his young and clouded irises register is the pool of crimson that he is lying in. It doesn't take long for him to comprehend that it is his own blood, staining every inch of the fabric of his fine clothing, splattered not just around him but everywhere across the room.

"Zen!"

A shrill cry reaches his ears. It is a voice he has heard before. He tries putting a name to the familiar tone and realises that its the gentle voice of his mother. In hopes of being saved, he motions his lips to respond but feels himself being unable to do so. Tears begin blurring his sapphires and even as he wills himself to utter just a sound, to assure the panicking woman that he is here, that he is safe, he cannot not. He tries with everything in his might but realises that he isn't even able to feel. The excruciating pain that he had been experiencing a while ago slowly recedes and his small frame goes numb. His eyelids feel heavier. They begin closing of their own accord. So he decides to stop struggling. But just when he finally chooses to accept the oblivion, something happens.

"Ohhh my little boy!" wails a voice and with the last speck of energy in his barely alive body, he flutters his eyelids open to gaze at the worried pallor of his mother. Merely a moment elapses and his eyes begin closing again but the woman, resolute as she is doesn't allow such a thing. No sir, no. She isn't going to lose another precious person tonight. Thus, with her palms clutching at the shoulders of the child, she shakes them. And shakes them again and again and yet again until she earns a reaction.

The boy feels a jolt within his frail body. Then another. And then a surge of energy tries to pull him back, tries to snatch him right out from underneath the talons of death itself. It is in this moment that the boy grasps onto the ounce of life he receives from his mother's determination and chooses to fight. It fuels him to accept what the fate has offered him. He flicks his eyes open and stares weakly into the deep blues of his mother.

"Muh..mothe..r" he makes an attempt to call her.

The woman nods her head rapidly in affirmation that she is right here with her child. Zen closes his eyes again and a fresh tear rolls down his mother's cheek, only this time she weeps in relief for her boy's life has been spared by the heavens.

A/N: Just a little something for the mythical fantasy Zenyuki fanfic that I mentioned about during the zenyuki week. It's not that good as it still a first draft and completely unedited but I wanted to give myself a push and start with this.

I know that shaking someone like that doesn't help much but it'll be explained a lot later why he was able to survive.

Shirayuki will also be introduced in the first chapter.

Any suggestion/constructive criticism is welcome..:3

Until Next Time...

~Manika