Who knew dying would be such a social event?

The stranger's body fitted comfortably against mine like a well worn cardigan.

His hands, one at the back of my head, the other in the middle of my back just above my waist, were warm. Possibly from running. They both quivered just like his breath as it brushed the shell of my right ear and I could have sworn a tear trailed across my skin as he drew his cheek along mine. A rare gesture of affection I had only ever witnessed in cats.

If Ko's embrace had been overwhelming because of its emotional depth and Toshi's electrifying in its affectionate energy, this new guy's hug made me feel like drowning in feelings was a pleasant experience rather than the terrifying interaction it really was.

I pushed him back before it became too cosy to leave and remembered there was a stone bench behind me just in time. His arms slid away but the hand he had placed on my head lingered in the space I created between us, his gaze fluttering all over my expression like a butterfly searching for nectar. The only problem was that I was a weed, not a flower.

“Shizuka?” His voice was lighter than expected and almost didn't match his serious vibe. “What-?”

“Ah, you ran off before I could tell you,” said Toshi as she tried to step between us.

She grabbed his wrist to pull it back down, presumably away from me, and my stomach flipped as her movements reminded me once again of my little sister. Unfortunately there was no way I could sniff that particular lavender bunch now, nor use it to hide the colour scorching my cheeks.

“Tell me what?” he asked, yanking his hand free from her grip.

“Apparently that woman is called Sheila, not Shizuka,” said Aoto but his tone seemed milder than it had a few seconds ago. “But no one seems to know why.”

“What are you talking about?” said the newcomer. Irritation flashed like lightning in his blue eyes before they turned back to me. “How is that not Shizuka?”

“Can we just wait for everyone else to get here?” I asked, sitting down on the bench in case he tried to hug me again. “That way I can just tell the story once and be done with it.”

“How –?” He stopped and lowered his arms, fingers flexing repetitively at his sides. “Do you – You don't know who I am?”

I shook my head and wasn't sure if it was the motion or his faintly pained expression that made me feel unwell.

“If it makes you feel any better, I don't actually know who any of you are,” I said, waving inclusively at Toshi and Aoto. “Or what's going on any more than you do.”

“Well, this is Tatsuya,” said Toshi, placing a hand on her own chest and then indicating the owner of the garden. “I'm Toshiko but you can call me Toshi, and that's Aoto.”

“And you're all Shizuka's –” The memory of Tatsuya's embrace made my question wobble. “– friends?”

“We are,” said Aoto when the other two hesitated for some unknown reason. “Which is why you made a very poor choice when you decided to wear that face in front of us.”

“I didn't choose to wear this face or this body, okay?” I said at once, holding up a hand. “Let's just get that straight at least. I didn't expect to end up here and look like this either.”

“There's nothing wrong with the way you look,” said Tatsuya just as quickly.

“Cute but that's not the point I was trying to make,” I replied, snapping my fingers appreciatively at him. He looked away and tried to cover his face with his forearm. “We have no reason to believe each other but you should know I barely know anything about this world or your powers. I don't know who Shizuka is or what she looks like. I don't even understand why you all think she'd be alive after dying. Or does that kind of thing happen often around here?”

Which might partially explain how I had ended up in this place in the first place. Now I just needed to find out who controlled that part of this world and shake the answers out them. Probably the same way these people wanted to shake the answers from me.

“No,” said Toshi, her voice small and serious. She glanced sideways at Tatsuya. “None of us expected you to come back.”

Aoto looked away briefly until I spoke again.

“Because Shizuka died? Or because she did something she couldn't face?”

They all stiffened in unison and I looked for sudden thunder clouds that could explain the charged atmosphere.

“You didn't do anything wrong,” said Tatsuya. He took a step forward but faltered, holding his right hand back.

“I know I didn't,” I said. “But what did Shizuka do?”

“Nothing,” he insisted with the same haunted look they all shared.

“Then why did Ras try to –”

“Ras?” said both men at the same time.

They looked at each other and Aoto dipped his head.

“You met Ras?” asked Tatsuya after a second. “Where?”

“Met's quite the understatement but it was next to some cliff with a dead tree,” I replied. “He didn't hurt me. Ko was there too.”

They all stopped looking me up and down. Aoto was the only one who didn't look guilty or awkward about the full body scan, though he adjusted his glasses and flicked his curtains away from his face.

“Is Ras still alive?” he asked.

“Ko seems to think so.” I shrugged and grimaced as I recalled the crunch of Ras' head meeting the ancient-looking tree trunk. “I don't know how tough your skulls are here.”

“This world you spoke about –” Aoto scowled as I held up a hand.

“I'll tell you when everyone gets here, remember?” I said. “And you can tell me why that guy wanted me dead.”

Footsteps came from the direction of the gate Tatsuya must have used to get in. Speak of the devil. A young man who appeared slightly younger than him hurried into sight and stopped just as fast, his mouth falling open.

“You're –?” He jumped as Ko patted his shoulder and then waved at us.

“We're still trying to figure that part out, Washi,” she said dryly. “But we're going to have to do that on the go.”

“What?” He looked at her, then back at me several times, clearly more stunned than the others had been.

“You have some explaining to do, Kohaku,” said Aoto.

“You too,” she replied with a strained smile. “And Yua too, hopefully, because none of this makes any sense to me.”

He looked like he was about to interrogate her further but then one of paper filled metal sculptures floated down from the sky to perch on his shoulder. He let it hop onto this index finger and then held it close to his ear, listening intently as if it were speaking to him.

“Let's go,” said Kohaku as she moved towards me.

“Where are you going?” asked Tatsuya, shifting his weight as if he were about to block her path.

“We are getting out of here,” she said. “You and Washi are coming with me and Yua on a memorial trip that we've been planning for months. Yor's coming to hang out with Aoto just in case anyone starts asking questions with their knuckles and Toshi's going to keep them updated until they join us later.”

So there were more people to meet. Great. Who knew dying would be such a social event?

“Why are we going on this memorial trip, if you don't mind me asking?” I leaned against the metal plant covered frame.

“Because today is the tenth anniversary of your – Shizuka's death,” she replied. “The village knows we need all need space today. What they don't know is that we're taking you to someone who knows a bit more about life and death than we do.”

“Who?” I asked.

“Some call her a witch,” she said. “But I'm hoping you recognise her. She's the person who raised Shizuka after all.”