Chapter 1

Always Running

My lungs burned inside of my chest as legs felt as though they were about to give out from underneath me. Breathing had become painful for me as my entire body ached and pleaded for me to stop. I did not have a choice. This was a situation of run or die. If I were to stop for any reason, even to just take a breath, that monster that was chasing me would catch up to me and eat me alive. I had to keep pushing through this agony.

Shit, I cursed in my mind as the monster was catching up to me. I was slowing down and it was just a matter of time before I was caught. It hurts.

I wasn't sure how I had gotten in this situation. I didn't know that by taking a shortcut in the forest to get to my friend's house up in the hills would lead me to be chased by something so horrifying. Monsters weren't supposed to be real, right? This had to be some sort of nightmare but I didn't want to take the risk by just standing by.

"Gah!" I let out of choked breath as I was knocked back into a tree. My back hit with a sickening crack and a painful electric-like pain shot throughout my body. My eyes stung from the hit, my body on the ground. I tried to get up and keep running but my body would just send me so many painful waves. Is this going to be how I die? I watched as the monster kept on walking towards me as if it enjoyed seeing my fearful face. It took pleasure in my fear so much that it took its time.

"You look so delicious," it hissed at me, "A rare delicacy." My body shivered as it spoke to me, licking its foul lips. This creature was like a cross of human and snake. "I will enjoy eating you-" he suddenly stopped, about to turn back but before he managed to turn all the way, a wooden sword stabbed him right through the mouth. I watched as the monster's body fell to the ground, lifeless.

"Hyakkimaru," I heard a man's voice call, "Are you hurt?"

I turned my head in the direction of the voice. There was a larger man that was looking in the direction of my savior. My eyes shifted to look at who had saved me. To my surprise, my savior looked about my age with long black hair up in a ponytail. He wore a tattered kimono. There was something about him as I looked at him that called to me. I wasn't sure what it was but I felt this sudden overwhelming feeling that the reason why I had come across such a dangerous place was that I was meant to meet him. I know that this is a silly thing to believe but I couldn't deny it.

"A young woman," a heard the voice of the man. I heard him rushing towards me, "Are you alright? Can you get up?"

I was about to open my mouth to answer him but my body was overcome by the exhaustion of non-stop running. My vision had begun to blur and my body sunk further to the ground. Maybe, I could just close my eyes for just a second. My eyes slowly closed as my mind drifted me off to a dreamless sleep.

XXX

The first thing I felt when I was regaining consciousness was the ache throughout my body. I felt as though I had run a dozen marathons. I wasn't sure I would be able to sit up. My eyes fluttered up, taking in the soft lighting of wherever I had ended up. I was looking up at a ceiling. I gently shifted my head to the side to see that the boy that had saved me was sitting next to me, looking down at me without saying a single word. I kept staring at him. I felt as though he was looking right through me.

"He can't see you," I looked over the boy's shoulder to see the man from earlier with a kind smile on his face, "You had us worried when you lost consciousness."

"Uh," I let out, struggling to sit up on the makeshift bed. I winced but managed to get up, "Sorry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble." I watched as the man came closer to me as he sat beside the boy and offered me a bowl of food. I gratefully accepted it, "Thank you." Without hesitation, I began to eat. I didn't know how hungry I had gotten before the food was in front of me.

"My name is Jukai," the man introduced himself, he turned to the boy, "And this is Hyakkimaru."

My eyes looked at the boy, "He doesn't talk much, does he?"

"Well…" the man looked as though he were upset, "He can't hear or talk or see."

I turned to the man in surprise for a second before looking back at the boy, taking in his profile. The more I looked at him, the more I realized that he had a blank look in his eyes and his limbs were prosthetics. I couldn't help but be amazed by him. He somehow saved my life without his senses. Though, I wished I could help him. It must be difficult for him not to be able to hear the people he cares about or speak his mind or see all the things that were beautiful in the world. And what about being able to touch?

I snapped out of it, looking back at the man, "Amahi."

Jukai smiled at me, "What is a young foreign woman doing out on her own?"

I wasn't surprised that he referred to me as a foreigner when my name was Japanese. I was Japanese only my late father's side only. That was why my hair was blonde and my eyes were blue. He may also think I wasn't from around here because of my foreign looking clothes. I was still wearing my school's uniform and I wasn't stupid thinking I was still back home. I was painfully aware of their clothes and the lack of electricity in their candlelit home. Not to mention, the monster that attacked me out of nowhere. That never happens back home.

"I… I got lost…" I said, not knowing what else to say. I wasn't completely being dishonest. And I was completely lost as to why this happened to me. "I'm really far away from home…" I whispered out as if I were trying to make connections in my mind. I turned my gaze to Hyakkimaru. He was still intently looking at me with his vacant eyes. I knew that Jukai had told me that he was blind but somehow I felt like this boy was staring at my soul. I felt absolutely naked and vulnerable as he stared at me. "Does he do that often?" I asked the man.

Jukai sighed, "It's hard to know what goes on in his mind but I have a feeling that he can understand things without having his senses. I can't explain it."

"Amazing," I let out in a breath. Maybe he could really look into my soul. I wondered what it was that he was seeing. Did I have a nice soul or was it as tortured as I sometimes felt? Could he see all of my emotional scars? I kept wondering what he could possibly be staring at. He had caught my attention and I found myself wanting to know more about him.

XXX

"Are you sure there's no way for me to change your mind?" Jukai asked me with a worried expression, "You will be in danger if you go with him."

I shook my head with a smile, "No. I trust Hyakkimaru to keep me safe."

I had been under the care of Jukai for about a month or so. During that time, Jukai had taught me how to defend myself as he had done for Hyakkimaru. I wasn't anywhere near as skilled at the boy but I managed. Jukai had become a sort of surrogate father figure to me in that short time. He would feed me and provide me with whatever I may need. He was a kind man and I owed a lot to him.

Hyakkimaru, as quiet and mysterious as he was, had become my best friend. We were practically inseparable. I may not always understand him but I learned that there was a reason for everything he did. I also believed I could trust him. I had been attacked by ghouls often but I was always saved and protected by him. I knew that I would always be safe if he was by my side. It was for this reason that I had decided to go with him on his journey to reclaim his body. This had all started the moment he had regained one of his legs. It was like a sudden realization that his body had been taken from him and there was a pull to take it back. And I would help him any way I could.

"I'll be fine," I told Jukai with a smile, "You taught me well and I believe in Hyakki to keep me safe." He did not look so convinced. I pulled him in a tight hug, "I promise. We will both be fine. I'm sure we will both come back and see you the moment he gets his body back." I pulled away to let Hyakkimaru say his own kind of goodbye. I watched them with a tender smile at their affection. Hyakkimaru touching Jukai's face and Jukai pulling Hyakkimaru in his embrace. This scene was heartwarming to see.

Once they had finished saying their goodbyes, I grabbed on top Hyakkimaru's hand and pulled him into a random direction to start our little quest on claiming back his body from the demons that had stolen it from him. Hyakkimaru never seemed to be bothered by me pulling him along with me. He had never pulled away whenever I pulled him or hugged him. He would simply let me touch him without doing much of anything. I was beginning to think that having him close to me was more comforting to me then it was to him.

I wasn't sure how to explain it. Ever since the pull I felt from the first time I met him, I felt like I was meant to stay by his side. Maybe I was brought here to help him get his body back. Maybe the purpose of me being back in time was because I was meant to restore something and the key was Hyakkimaru. All I knew was that I really did see this silent boy as my friend even though we barely spoke to each other.

I would sometimes speak to him even though I knew he couldn't hear me. I couldn't help myself. Was it selfish of me to want him to be able to hear, talk, and see me? I wanted to have a real conversation with him. I liked the moments we would sit in complete peace with each other. I loved how right it felt. But I still wished I could get to know more about him by being able to actually have a conversation. The only way I could communicate that I cared about him was by hugging him. And I knew he cared about me because he would often tickle my face with his prosthetic hand. But maybe that was also his way of trying to see my face. One day, he would be able to see it.

"I wonder what you will get back next, Hyakki," I said to him as I looked over my shoulder to smile at him. He still had his other leg, his two arms, his skin, his sense of pain, hearing, voice, smell, and sight to get back. Maybe some I didn't even think about. We had a long journey ahead but I knew that we would be fine because we had each other to depend on. Little did I know, our group was about to gain another member.