The Origins of Ghosts.

Hitsuki’s eyes widened as he continued reading.

“The successors of Mother Hannah and the human commander became the ghost tribe. They lived on an island close to the mainland, and it was protected by Mother Hannah. Mother Hannah had three spirit daughters and many human children, all of whom possessed the powers of a Ghost, the likes of which no human had ever seen before. The human commander lived his full life of seventy years before breathing his last. Rumor has it he was buried somewhere amid the forest of spirits, but we are yet to discover its secrets…”

When Hitsuki finally closed his book, his eyes bulged out in awe. Somehow, something made sense—and it didn’t at the same time. That mysterious taboo island, that forest with weird creatures. But he had many other questions.

“Do you guys usually read this?” Hitsuki asked the children.

“No.” One of them answered.

“Then how did you find this thing?”

The child next to his shoulder answered this time.

“A kind mister gave me this book!” She giggled. “I fell down, and as an apology, he gave me this book!”

The child blushed. “He had a lovely smile!”

But then their attention was drawn to a sinister sound.

The silent world let out a gentle hiccup.

A basket of apples fell out of Sol’s arms.

Hanahoshi followed behind.

Sol’s eyes were opened. She stared wide.

She stared in fear, her eyes wide with terror.

So was Hanahoshi.

“W-where… d-d-did you find… t-that…?” Sol’s voice shook as she spoke. She didn’t dare to move closer.

“What happened to you guys?” Hitsuki asked. The children copied his confused stare.

Sol’s hearing sharpened. She panned over the surroundings, the buildings, the houses. A crackle of a leaf, and she turned. A gust of wind, and she turned.

She panicked. For the first time that Hitsuki saw.

What was she seeing that he didn’t?

“Please, please…” Sol uttered. “Please tell me there were no birds around you!”

“How would I know?” Hitsuki uttered.

Sol ran towards him at full speed. For every second mattered. Every step, every breath.

She snatched the book from Hitsuki’s hand and burned it with a matchstick she took out of her pocket.

The book burned on her hands, the ashes playing on the slow wind. The children watched in awe and disappointment.

“Where did you find this book?” Sol’s intimidating eyes scared the children, as they hid behind Hitsuki for cover. Some started crying.

Behind Sol, Hanahoshi stared blankly at the horizon. Tears rolled down her face. She covered her face. She hyperventilated. Her whole body shook and trembled.

“Sol… it’s over… it’s… already over… There is no point trying…” Hanahoshi muttered, pointing at a creature sitting atop the tree under which Hitsuki rested. It watched keenly the drama that happened under it.

It was a black raven.

It bore human eyes.

Sol looked at the raven, hopeless, powerless.

It stared back.

Her jaws shook. “I-It’s over… they are coming… to kill us…”

*****

Rustle of leaves.

Quick steps.

Many steps at once.

They came for an order.

For someone had broken the order.

A flash, and they traversed a distance more than a hunter could.

Black vests, black masks, black cloaks.

They made no sound. They just… existed. They only followed orders.

For they are the Highest Order of the Queen’s Guards, the assassins…

*****

Hitsuki now felt irritated. How long will they continue to hide about everything? How scary is this world? Why is this world like this?

“Hey! Tell me what's going on!!” Hitsuki yelled. But it seemed like no words reached them.

Sol followed Hanahoshi and stood on her knees.

The mothers of the children went out, trying to see the commotion.

But seeing Hanahoshi’s and Sol’s faces, they too fell down.

They needed no words to communicate. They just knew something was wrong.

In this world, nobody could resist punishment. Whether they are innocent or not.

“Hey!! Tell me-” Hitsuki yelled again. The only thing that responded to his pleas was the wind.

It was no good. They were living corpses.

Thats when he blinked.

And something felt odd.

A twitch of a muscle, a flow of wind.

No- it’s too smooth to be a wind.

A blink of an eye.

A dagger flew by.

Hitsuki stood, as innocent as a fly.

The only vision he saw was the sharp blades shining in the sunlights' in his eye. His mind declared him dead, for it envisioned his future.

His mind knew that when a dagger of such speed comes this close, death is inevitable.

But it forgot to factor in a key detail.

Those are miracles.

The miracle of a purple trail.