Alone

Chapter Thirteen: Hidden Truth

“Ayame, are you sure you want to know the truth?” he asked, as he sat down at the end of her bed. Sensing the seriousness of the ensuing conversation, she tried to look into his eyes for some idea of what was to come, but he turned his gaze away. Something he had never done before and she knew from his action there was something hidden within his bright blue eyes.

Ayame leaned against the backboard and took a deep breath. The air was dry and the low candlelight only added to the fear lurking in the darkness. Taking another deep breath, she attempted to prepare her heart for what she was about to hear.

“Yes. I need to know,” she finally answered him.

“Where do you wish me to start?” His expression became more sullen than she had ever seen him before. His usually cheerful self had vanished. In the months she had known this man he had never appeared in this manner before her.

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” She had a feeling there was something he knew that he didn’t want to reveal to her.

“What exactly do you wish to know?” He decided to ask a different question.

“Why am I here?” A chill passed over her and the reality of truth hit her. Did she really want to know? What if what he told her was worse than she had ever imagined? But she needed to know. The dryness of the room had dried her lips and throat. Moistening her lips and slowing her breathing to calm herself, she focused on his face, ready to hear the answers to the long-awaited mystery.

“I had a feeling you would ask that. I do know why you are here. Unfortunately, I don’t have all the answers to all the questions I know you are going to ask.” He thought for a few moments before continuing. “Ayame, what I’m about to tell you is only what I have overheard Master Tadashi talking about with someone inside his room. You may not understand right away or believe me, but it’s the truth.” He took a deep breath, “You are a special kind of person with powers people only read about in stories. He plans on using your powers to bring Japan to its knees. The only reason he has yet to use you is because your powers won’t fully manifest and be revealed until your eighteenth birthday.”

“What are you talking about? I think I would know if I had powers. You have got to be messing with me. What’s really going on?” She looked at him in disbelief.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but I swear this is the truth.”

“How can it be? How could he have known about me then?” She asked with a raised eyebrow, showing her disbelief.

“He was informed by a fortune teller almost thirteen years ago. She told him one day a girl with the powers to destroy and create would appear, but her powers would not be fully awakened until her eighteenth birthday. She never told him exactly where this girl would be, but gave him enough information so he could narrow it down to a city, Kyoto. Finding you, on the other hand, was a task in itself.” He spoke carefully, glancing at her periodically to gauge her emotions.

“But how does he know I’m the girl she spoke of?”

“Because the fortune teller also told him a demon would be able to tell the difference between an average human and one with special abilities such as yours. The problem came when he had to search for a demon he could control. I mean if you haven’t met a wild one before, they aren’t exactly the most tamed beasts. That’s when Raiden stepped into the picture.” He paused, waiting for her to take in all the information and react.

“What?! Raiden’s a demon?” Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of Raiden really being a demon. She knew his nickname had been the Red Demon, but never would she have guessed he had gotten it because he truly was one.

“I presume he was afraid to tell you, although if I were him I would have told you.” He waited for a response, but when she continued just looking at him with a blank stare, he continued. “His mother was the fortune teller, but she never told Master Tadashi about her son. He told you when he was six his family was attacked by bandits and his parents were killed. But it’s not true. That is just what they wanted him to believe. His mother was taken, but his father escaped. They were both demons. His mother was a Kitsune, a fox demon that appears as a woman. She died before Raiden came to live in the mansion. His father was a Rokuro-kubi, a demon that can stretch its neck to extraordinary lengths and devours dreams. At this point in time, we are not sure if he is alive or not. They were both fairly powerful demons that can hide themselves in the human world.” He stopped, giving Ayame time to process the new information.

“Why didn’t he tell me himself?”

“I would assume he was afraid of what you would think of him.” She could tell that Katsu knew what it felt like to be ashamed of his past.

“He still should have told me,” she whispered.

“Are you going to judge him on what he has held from you?” She gaped at what he said. She had thought he was against Raiden, but now he seemed to defend him. “I’m simply saying he never really lied to you. He simply kept some of his past to himself.” She sighed in defeat. She couldn’t be angry at Raiden for this. And Katsu had made sure she knew it.

“Fine, you’re right.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” He smirked. “Is there anything else you wish to know?”

“Yes, what am I supposed to do now?”

“For now I would act as you have been.”

“But my eighteenth birthday is quickly approaching.” She sighed in exacerbation. “What am I supposed to do now, if all of this is true?”

“Ayame, do you really still not believe me?”

“Well, this is an outrageous story. Who would believe it?”

“You have to before it’s too late.” His gaze was filled with desperation. His tone pleaded with her to see that he was speaking the truth.

“Can you give me proof?”

“What kind of proof?”

“I don’t know. Anything I guess.” Katsu looked uneasy and confused about trying to prove this to her, unsure how to go about it.

He took a deep breath. “I suppose you wish to see the evidence of what I say, but that request is nearly impossible. I would escort you to your dear Raiden, but that too is out of the question. It is at times like these I wish I were a demon to only prove a point, but alas, I am not. Will you not take a leap of faith and believe in what I say to be the truth?”

She stared at him with uncertain eyes. “I don’t know if I can. After all, you have never given me a reason to.”

He was saddened at her words, but then suddenly his eyes lit up with an idea. “Have you ever noticed Raiden’s eyes?”

“What?”

“His eyes. Have you ever noticed anything strange about them?” he pressed.

“They change color. But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Ayame, is there anyone you can think of with eyes of many colors?”

“No, but that doesn’t make him a demon,” she retorted, as though it were something any normal person would see every day.

“Yes it does. No human eyes can change colors as his do.”

She sat a moment pondering his words, trying to choose whether or not she would believe him. Finally, she came to a conclusion, “I hate to say this, but I suppose you could be right.”

“What do you mean, could be? I sincerely am right.”

“Fine, you’re right.” Her voice sounded in defeat.

“Do you understand now?”

“Yes, but I still don’t think we should just keep going about our usual business.” She felt uncertain about her ability to act normal.

“Why?”

“What if it’s too late?” she worried.

“Trust me.” He lifted his hand to his face, for a few moments massaging the bridge of his nose in frustration.

“You won’t betray me, will you?” She searched his face for an answer.

“Why would I?”

“Well, for starters, you aren’t talking like your usual self,” she spoke cautiously.

“Like anyone, I have different tones to my voice and will speak according to situations.” His voice remained steady.

She sat there, silently staring at him, searching for something familiar about him, but his facial expression remained solemn. His usual light sense of humour had vanished the moment the conversation had become serious. “I guess,” she spoke hesitantly.

“Ayame dear, have you come to the conclusion to believe me or not?” His eyes locked onto hers, telling her she now had to choose what she was going to believe.

“I…I..” she stuttered, trying to make up her mind. “I believe you.” Finally, the words slipped from her lips and she knew he was telling her the truth.

“Good. As I suggested earlier, we shall continue going about our days as usual.”

“Alright.” She sighed heavily.

“What’s wrong my dear?” His light cheerful voice began to return, lightening the mood of the room.

“Nothing. This is just a lot to take in.”

“I know, but I will watch over you till Raiden is free again,” he promised, his voice filled with sincerity.

Her heart skipped a beat at hearing Raiden’s name. She was not sure what to think of him. He had kept a secret from her. But her heart ached at the thought of a secret separating them. Closing her eyes tightly, she tried seeing him as a demon, but the image her mind concocted was one of sheer horror. He stood with horns on either side of his head, a tail, razor-sharp claws, a devilish smile across his face, fangs, and a bloodthirsty look in his eyes. She blinked, trying to erase the image.

She took a deep breath, trying to pull her thoughts together. “Is there anything else I should know?”

“My dear, I am unsure of whether you need to know this or not, but I think this may make you feel more at ease about Raiden.” He stopped, looking intently at her.

“And that is?” she inquired.

He raised his eyebrows in fascination. “You do wish to know, do you not?” He smiled playfully.

“Of course.” Over the past few months, she had learned to put up with his odd sense of humour.

“I suppose I will tell you then.” He paused dramatically. “Raiden has watched over you since the first day he saw you, or should I say, took away your family.”

“What do you mean?”

“My uncle told him to murder your family and let you be. But it would seem the momentary encounter with you changed him. For what I am about to tell you is the first time he would disobey orders.” He looked away from her and focused his attention on a spot on the wall. Then he continued. “Every time you needed to spend the night somewhere or eat, he paid for you. He became your guardian angel,” he whispered. Something seemed to choke him as he spoke those last words.

“But the owners always told me it was out of kindness to let me eat or stay for free,” she gasped at his words, still trying to understand why Raiden would have helped her so long ago without her knowledge.

“Raiden made sure to keep his presence a secret, hoping my uncle would never find out. But that’s the sad part, he already knew. He knew Raiden would take a liking to you and not kill you, disobeying orders, and then follow you to make sure you survived until you found somewhere safe to stay.” Finally, Katsu peeled his eyes away from the wall to see if she understood what he was saying. She simply stared blankly at him. “Do you understand?”

“Yes. Just a little surprised, that’s all.” She blinked a few times, trying to make sure she understood what he was telling her.

“Good. I think I have told you everything you need to know.” His expression faltered for a moment. He almost appeared in pain for a split second.

She was about to nod when suddenly the thought of Raiden’s little brother came rushing into her mind. “Wait, Raiden told me once about his brother. Do you perhaps know where he is?”

“Ah, you mean Daichi?”

“Yes, that’s what his name was.”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Because when Raiden spoke of him I could tell he wanted to know where he is. They are family after all. It’s only normal.”

“Normal is it? Are you sure all families are normal as you say?”

“What do you mean?” Her heart skipped a beat from the tension in Katsu’s voice.

“Nothing. Just a simple thought, my dear.” He brushed the question aside.

“Okay?” She was unsure of what he was thinking, but it seemed a painful thought. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“You have said nothing to apologize for.” He smiled sweetly at her.

“Do you have any family aside from your uncle?”

“No.” He averted his gaze from her.

“What happened to them?” His sudden expression change made her regret asking.

“They all died a long time ago.” His voice had hardened.

“I shouldn’t have asked.” She could feel the tension in his voice.

“There’s nothing anyone can say that will hurt me.” He whispered more to himself than to her. “I should be going now, but before I leave you I shall tell you what I know of Daichi. My uncle tried to keep tabs on him considering he is a demon. He thought there might be a day when he could use him as well. But about two years after Raiden and he were separated, he ran away from the monastery. After that my uncle couldn't locate him. I wish I knew more, but alas, that is all. I suppose now I should bid you farewell.” He stood, slowly moving toward the door, turning back for a moment to cast a final look at her. Then he was gone.