Miyuki, still shaken by the man's words, walked slowly toward home. Those phrases echoed in her head like an annoying, inescapable sound.
When she reached the door, she took a deep breath, trying to suppress the trembling in her hands. Then she grabbed the handle and stepped inside. She closed the door with a weary motion and removed her shoes, placing them in the cabinet by the entrance. She immediately noticed another pair already inside.
(Yume is already home...) she thought, feeling a slight sense of relief.
She headed to the kitchen, trying to shake off the weight of the day.
Upon entering, she found her daughter sitting at the table. Yume had her head down, hands clenched in her lap. She didn't look up.
Miyuki tried to hide her unease with a smile.
"Good evening, Yume. How was work?" she asked, trying to sound lighthearted as she moved toward the stove.
Silence.
Miyuki paused, a vague sense of dread tightening in her chest.
"Yume...? Are you okay?" she asked again, her voice tinged with hesitation.
A trembling breath. Then the girl's voice broke the silence.
"Mom…" Her tone was uncertain, but loaded with something that made Miyuki's blood freeze. "What were you talking about with that man earlier?"
The ladle slipped from her hand, hitting the floor with a sharp clatter.
She quickly bent down to pick it up, avoiding her daughter's gaze. Her heart pounded in her chest.
"I-it was just work-related stuff…" she replied quickly. Too quickly.
The tremble in her voice didn't go unnoticed.
Yume finally raised her head. Her violet eyes, usually warm, were now cold as ice.
"Stop lying."
A long silence.
Then, a choked cry exploded in the room.
"I HEARD WHAT THAT MAN SAID!"
Miyuki stood frozen, lips parted in search of words she couldn't find.
"YOU ALWAYS TOLD ME YOU WORKED AS A CLEANING LADY…" Yume shook her head, tears now streaming down her face. "YOU'VE ALWAYS LIED TO ME!"
Miyuki took a step forward, reaching a hand toward her.
"Yume, wait... let me explain."
"Explain what?!" Yume stepped back, her breath broken with emotion. "That you had to sell your body?! Why didn't you tell me?! You could have asked for help!"
Her voice cracked in a sob.
"Even when I was a child... I could have done something!"
Miyuki lowered her gaze, hands clutching the fabric of her dress. When she spoke, her voice was a whisper full of pain.
"I didn't want to hurt you..." She swallowed hard. "It was the only way. After your father died... I had no choice."
Yume bit her lip, fists clenched.
"You had to go that far? Just for me?"
Her breath trembled as she looked up at her mother, eyes filled with tears.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
The silence grew heavy.
Yume wiped her tears away, then shook her head.
"I've always been honest with you. When I inherited dad's spirit, I told you right away." She bit her lip. "I always thought we trusted each other... that you trusted me."
Suddenly, she stood up and ran off.
"YUME, WAIT!"
Miyuki tried to stop her, but the girl didn't look back.
With her heart in turmoil, she ran through the nighttime streets. She didn't know where she was going she just knew she had to escape.
When she finally stopped, panting, she realized she had left the village. Before her, the forest stretched into the night.
(I've gone too far...)
She wiped her face.
"Mom..." she whispered, as her tears began to fall again.
A distant whimper caught her attention.
(What was that?)
She listened for a moment, then decided to follow the sound.
The forest was dense, wrapped in an unnatural silence. The trees stretched on endlessly.
Finally, she saw it.
A small stray dog, with an injured leg.
Without hesitation, she knelt beside it.
"Don't worry, I've got you now."
From her shadow emerged a small fairy-like creature.
A soft light surrounded the puppy, and within moments, its wound had healed.
"There you go. Now you can go home."
The dog came closer, seeking affection. Yume gave a faint smile and reached out to pet it.
Then, an unfamiliar voice broke the silence.
"Wow... not bad."
Yume stiffened.
Three men, around forty years old, were watching her with expressions that made her blood run cold.
One of them stepped forward.
"Lost, little girl? Don't you know it's dangerous to wander around alone?"
Yume's heart began to race.
"N-no... I'm heading home." She stepped back, but the other two blocked her path.
"How about you come with us for a bit?"
One of them smiled a sleazy grin that made her shiver.
"Maybe tell us a little about your spirit."
Yume tried to turn around, but felt a hand grab her wrist.
"LET GO OF ME!"
The men laughed, their voices echoing through the forest.
The puppy leapt at them, barking, but one of the men kicked it, sending it flying.
"NO! STOP!" Yume screamed, eyes wide with horror.
The man turned to her with a cruel smile.
Yume's blood turned to ice.
Suddenly, without realizing it, her legs gave out and her vision blurred until she lost consciousness.
When she slowly came to, she saw a blurry figure before her. The men who were about to take her were on the ground all dead. Yume focused on the figure: he was facing away, but it was clear he was a young boy, around her age, with white hair.
She tried to sit up, but her mind was dazed. "Thank you..." she said, but the boy started speaking.
"You're thanking me? I wouldn't if I were you."
Yume looked around, and her breath caught. The men had been slaughtered brutally. The scene was surreal.
The boy slowly approached, his eyes cold as ice. "You're strong, girl. But you shouldn't take every hit alone. Sometimes, it's better to burn it all down and start over."
Yume felt confused, unsure of his words but something inside her stirred. The boy continued, as if reading her thoughts.
"I want to offer you an opportunity. A chance for revenge. This world that's given us nothing, full of filth... I'll give you the power to change it."
Shirogane's words echoed in her mind, and Yume's heart beat faster. The anger inside her, the frustration from her past, the disappointment in the adults, in her mother... all of it pushed her to reflect.
"I know..." Shirogane went on, with a frosty smile. "You see it too, don't you? You want to burn it all. This world... has betrayed you."
Yume held her breath. His words were powerful, seductive.
"Come with me... and I'll give you what you desire. Power. Revenge. Use your spirit for me."
Her heart stopped for a moment. She looked at him, her eyes filled with a new light a light born of her rage.
In that moment, her thoughts turned to her mother. To the times they had laughed together, when she never told her the truth. A deep pain overwhelmed her, but inside, Yume knew what she truly wanted.
"I don't want to go with you. Leave me alone!" she shouted, as the boy's face suddenly turned serious.
That was their first encounter the first meeting between Yume and Shirogane.