Chapter 141Artist Mirage 1

It felt as if I had been sleeping for days. My eyes hurting slightly as I opened them and an unfamiliar room welcomed them. I wasn't sure what time it was, no sunlight here, just light bulbs. I felt arms around me, a body pressed against my back. For that small moment where sleep and waking border, I felt that lovely moment of peace. Held lovingly in someone's arms.

But who?

My body felt very heavy, even hurt in some places. I wasn't at home, none of this was familiar. But where was I?

I tried to remember what happened.

My head was hurting.

Rain, I distinctly remembered the rain. And with the rain came the memories, like drops that fell from the sky, filling in the black of my mind. I dreamed of her, of Amy. It was such a vivid dream that I painted a castle, lifelike in a twilight sky. I missed her, more than I had expected, and decided to pursue my dream. Find that castle.

It started out lucky, the guys from the tourist office pointed me in the area where the castle would stand. They weren't far off. But he wasn't sure. The bus carried me the longest distance, it's passengers no more to me than ghosts in a dream. I didn't even realize I hadn't eaten at all since I woke up. Hours had passed, from me painting the picture to borrowing a Polaroid camera from the guy downstairs and everything that had followed.

My sister would take care of the house. I'd totally forgotten to tell her of my goal. But she would see the painting and understand, she could take care of herself. I hoped.

It was all so sudden. I didn't even arrange a place to sleep and had to ask for directions many times, while I traveled the roads outside of the city, by foot. Fortunately they were kind to a wandering fool and mostly pointed me in the right direction.

But time ticked on, no matter how hard I tried. And after a day of walking I hadn't found the castle I sought. The distance was much more than I had expected it to be and I had to sleep against a tree. It had rained that day, but the night and my clothes were dry enough.

I didn't sleep well. I had nightmares of her being taken away from me, locked up in a room to wait for the sun. Or her being chased around rooftops, by so many ill-willing people.

I really didn't sleep well.

After my rest, which lasted slightly shorter than the night was, I got up and started walking again. It felt like she was close somehow. I knew I passed a ruin that looked... vaguely familiar. But it was an old ruin and far from inhabited. I only gave it a few minutes to look at it, but there was nothing of any relevance there. Yet, something grasped my attention there.

I continued, walking over the lonely roads, some cars passing me by. One even asking if I wanted a lift. I didn't, walking felt important, but I did ask him if he knew the castle.

He did.

He gave me a very accurate description of where to find the castle and, after asking me again if I wanted a ride, wished me luck finding it. It gave me renewed hope. The darkness fell before I knew it, more rain did too. But this time it was a heavier storm. The rain fell like a dark curtain across the lands.

But I had made it.

Just by it's silhouette, I recognized the castle from some distance. I mustered my last strength to walk up the path leading to the entrance and wanted to knock. But my body could take no more. It just collapsed in the slightly muddy gravel-path. All faded after that.

I kind of remember opening my eyes and seeing girls I didn't know. I muttered only one word; "Amy..." before I faded once more.

My name was what woke me again, it was Amy who said it. I recognized her voice even through my darkness. I noticed she wasn't looking at me, that odd sensation of awareness in such moments. I wondered if I had done something wrong in the short time before sleep took me one last time. It was strange, I couldn't remember the room I saw behind her at all. Just her face, her strange expression.

And now here.

Though part of me still doubted, I knew who was holding me. But she sounded deeply asleep. Even my minor movements hadn't woken her. My ears picked up something else in the room, the sound of a chair being moved backward. My senses tried to become as alert as they could.

"Good afternoon" A girl's voice, unfamiliar.

"I hope you slept well, Master Hitori."