Hinako’s condition suddenly worsened the night after Koushi returned from inspecting the new machines at the factories. Her health had been improving lately, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still sick. She came down with a slight fever and a pounding headache and needed to lie down.
Her fever had never risen this high since she had come to Okibi Estate. She writhed about on her bed in agony. Her limbs stiffened, her teeth clenched, and she cried out.
“Hinako!” Koushi ran into the room, clutching her shoulders and calling her name, but she didn’t respond. She was conscious, but unaware of anything going on around her.
Kanata looked up at Hinako, confused. When a servant tried to enter the room carrying water and a cloth, Kanata bared his fangs and growled.
It was the middle of the night. Dr. Takimi, the family physician, was summoned to the estate. When Dr. Takimi arrived with a bag full of medicines and equipment, Kanata growled even louder and stood in front of the bed to protect Hinako.
Dr. Takimi stopped still in the doorway, eyes wide.
Hinako struggled to breathe. A thin sheen of sweat covered her forehead.
“Kanata, get out of the way! She has a terrible fever, we need to get someone to look at her right away,” Koushi said, scolding the dog. When Kanata didn’t budge, Koushi picked Hinako up and moved to carry her out of the room.
He was about to hand Hinako over to Dr. Takimi when Kanata stepped between them and barked loudly. Koushi froze. What was the problem here? What did Kanata know that he didn’t?
In the hallway behind Dr. Takimi, the servants panicked, unsure of what to do.
What was Kanata thinking? Could Kanata, who’d been trained as a hunting dog, not understand this situation? Koushi had never seen the dog look so angry and ferocious before. He appeared completely different from the intelligent and gentle dog that had accompanied his father on hunts for so many years.
The room was dimly lit. Kanata shifted a step so that the light caught his fur, making him glow like En, the Tree People’s experimental dog. It was impossible to read Kanata’s intention.
While everyone else was at a standstill, Hinako suddenly started flailing her arms and legs and screaming. Koushi almost lost his grip on her and rushed to put her back on her bed so that she wouldn’t fall on the floor. With her eyes tightly closed, Hinako thrashed on her bed and uttered wordless cries.
“Kanata, you have to get out of the way!”
When Koushi yelled at Kanata, Hinako’s whole body flinched. Suddenly, her strength faded. Koushi took advantage of the opportunity to let go of Hinako and approach Kanata.
I don’t like this…
He had no idea how to train a hunting dog. Kanata was usually so smart and knew exactly what he needed to do, but nothing Koushi said would make him move. Did Koushi have to kick him or something? He hoped not.
Hinako’s life was at stake. Kanata needed to move, one way or another.
He couldn’t hurt Kanata. Koushi had grown up with him; they were as close as brothers. Has he forgotten about our dad? Koushi asked himself. He wished Kanata could talk. He felt like his head was about to explode.
Before Koushi could nudge the toe of his leather shoe into Kanata’s side, Kira came rushing into the room. Slipping past Dr. Takimi, Kira grabbed onto Kanata. She was wearing her pajamas. Kanata growled again, his fur standing on end.
Koushi gasped, but when Kanata smelled Kira, he slowly calmed. Her loose hair fell across his back as she hugged the dog and made soothing sounds.
Dr. Takimi ran toward Hinako while Kanata was calm.
“Take her to my room,” Kira said.
The servants lent Dr. Takimi a hand, and the three of them carried Hinako out of the room.
Kanata stayed quiet, and Kira kept holding him. Slowly, he curled his tail and sat down. Koushi took a deep breath and realized he was lightheaded. He’d forgotten to breathe for the past minute or so.
“Prepare some refreshments for the good doctor,” Yuoshichi said in a deep, authoritative baritone. His voice boomed from the hallway.
Kira buried her face in Kanata’s fur, just like she’d done with Akira’s little hunting dog.
“Kira, get away from that filthy animal,” Hibana said as she strode into the room.
“Yes, mother.”
Even when Kira let go of him, Kanata didn’t move. He sat still in the same place, head bowed. Kira put her hand on Koushi’s back and urged him to come with her. When they went out into the hall, Kanata followed.
Hibana grabbed Kira’s arm and pulled her away from Koushi. Yuoshichi’s shadow loomed toward the stairs.
Hinako had gone silent. Koushi, still in confusion, looked around the hall, then towards Kanata. Kanata turned his head to Koushi as if he wanted to tell him something. Koushi stared into his eyes, but he couldn’t understand what Kanata was trying to say.
Koushi walked Kanata back to Hinako’s room, then closed the door, shutting the dog inside.
“Really, at a time like this?” Yuoshichi’s annoyed voice drifted up the stairs.
***
There were three days left until the Spiders’ attack. Both Akira and Hibari, a Guardian God, agreed on the timing of the attack.
Koushi couldn’t sleep until the early hours of the morning. He spent the night scribbling down calculations for the launch angle and the position of each buried bottle of lightning fuel. His scattered papers made a mess of the room.
As the sky lightened outside the window, Koushi went out to the garden from the side entrance, hoping to get some fresh air and soothe his restlessness. Old Shouji the gardener had been tending to the flower plots by himself since early morning. Koushi couldn’t identify all the plants, but he noticed that some had sprouted leaves directly from the soil while others were entangled around simple wooden supports. Fluttering insects gathered around the pants. The old gardener squished caterpillars he had plucked from vegetable leaves with the soles of his shoes.
All of the vegetables that people living on the Okibi Estate ate came from this garden. When Koushi had first tried the vegetables at dinner, he’d been surprised at how different the texture was compared to what he was used to. The factory-grown vegetables he’d eaten while living in the lower city were much softer and easier to swallow. They stuck to his teeth, but he thought that was because of the seasonings.
Why would Yuoshichi, who owned an artificial meat factory, bother with growing all of his vegetables at home? It seemed like an eccentric expense.
Koushi bowed slightly to the old gardener, went back into the house and headed straight for Kira’s bedroom. Hinako was still resting there. Kanata had spent the night locked up in Hinako’s room. Since it was on the way to Kira’s room, Koushi decided to check in on the dog. He found Kanata alert and wary with his ears up. The dog probably hadn’t slept at all.
Kira came down the hallway just as Koushi caught sight of Kanata. She waved, then said, “Hinako is sleeping now. You can see her, but try not to wake her up.” She appeared tired, but relieved.
Kira led Koushi to her room. Her room contained many more books than Koushi’s, a huge wardrobe, and a desk full of more books and papers, all neatly arranged.
Hinako breathed heavily in her sleep on a bed by the window. Her cheeks were still red from the fever. There was a pitcher of water and some medicine on the bedside table.
“I think she must have gotten too excited and developed a fever,” Dr. Takimi said. “She was happy that Kanata had come home and saddened to hear that your father had passed away. Maybe it was just hard for her to process all of her emotions.”
Kira gently stroked Hinako’s hair as she slept. She looked up at Koushi and asked, “How are you? I need to get some rest after breakfast. Her color has been bad this whole time, so I’ll be grateful if you could watch over her for awhile.”
He didn’t reply right away. He stared at the sunlight shining through Kira’s hair. “I’m fine. Are you okay? You shouldn’t have rushed in like that. Kanata could have hurt you.”
Kira gave him a confused look, like a child who’d been told to do something she’d never done before.
“Kanata was trained as a Fire Hunter’s dog. He can shatter a human bone with one bite. He’s never been so agitated before. He had to travel a long way to the capital without my father… I wonder if something about his personality changed.”
“That can’t be true,” Kira said. “The girl who was with Kanata, Touko, was very kind-hearted. There’s no way Kanata would become violent if she was with him all the time. I think he was just worried. He only just found you both again, and then Hinako got so sick… well, who wouldn’t be concerned about that?”
Koushi nodded, then took a seat in front of Kira’s writing desk.
“When was the last time you ate?” Koushi asked.
Kira tilted her head to the side. “I could ask you the same. You need food more than I do. Your wounds aren’t fully healed yet. I’ll fetch something for you, so just sit here and wait.” Kira swished her long skirts and left the room.
Hinako continued sleeping soundly on Kira’s bed. The curtains were open; sunlight streamed onto her face. She had honestly believed what the doctor had told her about getting more sunlight so that she could be healthier. She’d said she wanted to be able to study like Koushi and Kira and followed the gardener around to learn how to take care of plants.
Come to think of it, why had Hinako opened the gate when he’d returned with Touko, Kanata and the others? It had been raining that day, so she couldn’t have been working in the garden. On rainy days, Hinako usually stayed inside and read children’s books or played with dolls. Shouji was sensitive to changes in the weather, so even if she’d been in the garden, he would have predicted that it would rain heavily later. Hinako shouldn’t have been outside in the rain… and yet, she’d been there all by herself.
There was a crash from downstairs. Koushi heard raised voices in the kitchen. Kanata barked loudly in Hinako’s room across the hall.
Koushi stood up to investigate, but then he felt a sudden pinch to his shoulder and turned around.
Hinako was awake and reaching for him. She stared in the direction of the crash with wide and wary eyes like a startled animal. She wasn’t looking at Koushi, though one arm was stretched toward him.
A touch of unease wormed its way into Koushi’s mind.
Locked in Hinako’s room, Kanata kept barking.
The voices of the people downstairs were getting louder.
“Stay here,” Koushi told Hinako, but he wasn’t sure if he said the words out loud or not. He nearly kicked his chair over as he left the room. He closed the door and ran downstairs, leaving Hinako behind.
As Koushi neared the kitchen, he could make out what people were shouting.
“Shut up, it’s none of your business.” This, from Hibana.
“Miss,” a servant said. “Please, stop this.”
“Mother, please tell me the truth. Where did they go?”
Koushi entered the kitchen and found Kira pale-faced and panting. A servant stood at her side, holding her shoulder. Hibana stood in front of her clad in a red robe.
A basket was turned upside down on top of the kitchen table. Needles, spools of thread, and scissors were scattered about. A sewing kit. Kira was in a state of panic, her hair disheveled.
“Where did everyone go? Why did the servants suddenly disappear? Is this about Hinako? Tell me!” Kira said.
“They must have gone back to their homes in the city.”
“No way! Then what is this? Kureha would never have left her embroidery kit behind!”
“My lady, please calm down. Kureha left this here,” a servant said.
“Stop it! Don’t lie to me! Kureha told me that she sold pieces of embroidery to help buy medicine for her sick mother. Her mother is blind, but she can tell the shape of the letters in the embroidery.”
“Young lady, please return to your room. The doctor is here. You’re causing a fuss for no reason,” a servant said.
Kira’s face fell. She forced herself to look up at her mother.
Hibana sighed and turned her face away.
Kanata barked from upstairs.
“I gave that maid some new sewing supplies before she left,” Hibana said. “She always worked hard.” As she spoke, she bent down and started picking up scattered pins and spools of thread. Her voice was calm, but her tone was cold.
This answer made Kira furious. “Stop telling lies! This house is full of lies!” Kira cried, stomping her booted foot forcefully on the floor. The echo of her stomp resounded down the hallway.
The vibrations made Hibana’s hand tremble slightly, causing the tip of a needle to prick her finger. A bead of blood the same flame color as her over-robe formed on her hand.
“I’ve had enough of this. We’re family, but you never tell me the truth. Father always keeps secrets from me, and so do you, mother!”
Koushi should not have underestimated the cold look in Hibana’s eyes as she turned to face her daughter. He should have stepped in to stop Hibana from approaching Kira. But he was frozen. He didn’t fully comprehend what he was seeing. He knew that Kira was upset over what had happened to Kureha, but what had provoked this sudden defiance? Kira never defied her parents.
Hibana stepped toward her daughter. As she did, she removed a shiny object from the sleeve of her over-robe. It resembled a fine, capped pen. Hibana held the jade-colored object up to Kira’s face. Steam poured out of the tip, landing on Kira’s face. Kira inhaled once, and then her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the floor.
Koushi just stood there, watching. The servants let out high-pitched screams. No one touched Kira, who was twitching violently on the floor. Koushi smelled something thick and grassy in the air: asafuyou. Hibana had dosed Kira with so much of the drug that she’d gone into convulsions.
We need more people to help, but they aren’t here. That was Koushi’s first thought. Most of the servants and workers had accompanied Yuoshichi today to perform more factory inspections. The only servants at the estate at the moment were those who managed the kitchen and did the cleaning.
“The doctor is probably still in the guest room. Bring him here,” Hibana said. She sounded bored, but Koushi saw concern in her eyes. She raised her chin haughtily and pretended not to be bothered by anything. She turned away from the fallen girl in annoyance and left the room, heading for the stairs. Her gaze met Koushi’s, who was still standing there.
Koushi finally kicked himself into motion. He had to help Kira, so he shouldn’t talk to Hibana. He had to move away from the stairs. As Koushi stepped forward, Hibana’s eyes widened in fear.
She wasn’t afraid of Koushi. There was something behind him.
A shadow muffled Hibana’s scream as Hinako leaped upon Hibana, pinning her in place as she tried to run for the stairs. Hinako’s hands landed on her neck and choked her.
Koushi was shocked, but also somewhat relieved. At first he’d thought that Kanata was behind him, but he could still hear the dog barking upstairs from behind the closed door. If Kanata attacked Hibana, he would almost certainly be put to death.
“Hinako!” Koushi shouted. If Hinako didn’t let go of Hibana’s neck, she might die.
Hinako shifted so that her elbow pressed into the hollow of Hibana’s throat. Her white nightgown spread around her body as she knelt down. Her hair was wild and disheveled.
She was still feverish; still sick. Her eyes glittered like gems and sweat stood out on her forehead. Hinako was just a weak little girl; how could she possibly be attacking Hibana and winning?
Hinako’s bare feet kicked the floor in response to Koushi’s voice. She leapt forward and jumped away from Hibana, who was lying on her back. She headed towards Kira, who still lay collapsed on the floor of the kitchen. She lowered her body, her fingers taut and supple as she landed, like a bird landing on its talons.
Koushi couldn’t quite grasp what was happening. Kanata kept barking continuously. The servants screamed again at Hinako’s arrival and huddled against the opposite wall. One of them crouched down with a desperate look on his face and tried to wake Kira up.
No good. They shouldn’t shake her, and moving her head in the wrong way will hurt her more.
Kira might have hit her head hard when she fell. Koushi tried to approach Kira, but just like in his ominous dream, he couldn’t move even though he wanted to.
Sensing that something was amiss, the old gardener Shouji opened the front door and came in.
“…Apprehend her!” Holding her neck and choking, Hibana raised her upper body and cried out. She crawled across the floor to get away from Hinako. Her voice was harsh and her tone was crude; she sounded nothing like a noble lady.
Hibana’s voice snapped Koushi out of his strange paralysis.
Hinako stood at the end of the corridor, looking down at the fallen Kira. Koushi ran over to Kira, who was still in convulsions. Her eyes were wide and tears streamed down her face. Foam spilled from her mouth and wet her beautiful hair. Kira’s hair, which had only moments ago had shimmered in sunlight, now drew patterns of confusion across the hallway’s floor.
Anger darkened Koushi’s vision.
“We need more people to help! Find them!” Koushi shouted to the servants, who were frozen in fear.
Koushi shouted at the servants, who were frozen in fear. Some wept and didn’t move. Others managed to pick a direction and go search for other servants.
To stop Kira from biting her tongue, Koushi lifted Kira’s chin and supported her head from below. He was careful not to step on her hair.
Carefully, he knelt down. He brought his face close to Kira’s and called out to her loudly as she shook. Kira responded to Koushi’s voice, though her eyes couldn’t focus. She managed to sit up and vomit the entire contents of her stomach onto the floor.
Gradually, Kira’s eyes focused again. Koushi tried to support her so that she could sit up, but she pushed him away. She stared intently at the end of the hallway where Hibana stood.
Hibana crawled on the ground with her hair and clothes in disarray and her face distorted in anger.
Kira tried to say something, but no words escaped her lips. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell unconscious. She wasn’t convulsing anymore.
“Hinako…” As Koushi tried to shift Kira into a more comfortable position, he glanced back at his sister.
Hinako stood at the end of the hallway, looking down at Koushi and Kira with a blank expression. The old gardener, perhaps out of habit after serving this family for many years, ran over to Hibana first and tried to help her up. He asked if she was injured.
The wind blew in through the open door, ruffling Hinako’s hair. The hem of her nightgown passed Koushi’s field of vision. With speed that seemed inhuman, Hinako ran out into the garden, bent her knees and leaped clear over the estate’s wall.
Koushi watched in amazement. He didn’t go after her. He wouldn’t be able to catch her if he tried.
***
After that, Kira was treated by Dr. Takimi, who was taking a nap in the guest room. Hibana stayed in her room. Dr. Takimi examined her after Kira, since she had also hit her head. No one said anything about the asafuyou that Hibana had in her possession. Kira continued to sleep soundly for many hours.
Koushi wondered what would become of this family from now on. He retreated to his room, gazing out the window at the setting sun.
Hinako hadn’t come home. Where had she gone? Her fever had been high that morning. Had that really been Hinako? Koushi walked around inside and outside the estate to make sure his sister wasn’t still there. He went into the city and to the house he had previously lived in. He peered through the window into the locked house, but there was no sign of anyone there.
In about half an hour, Yuoshichi would return to the estate. The servants were in a state of dread. Hibana hadn’t gone to check on Kira even once and had shut herself up in her room.
Why would a parent do something like that? Koushi asked himself. Could Hibana not be Kira’s real mother? Even if that was the case, they were family, living together and eating together at this estate. Even though Kira sometimes seemed frightened of her parents, she obviously loved them. She believed they were good people even when they did terrible things. Even in such an awful state, Kira had desperately searched for her mother first as if she were a young child.
Before Koushi realized it, his hand was on the door handle of Hinako’s room. He bowed his head, then turned the handle. Kanata was inside. The sun was setting; the light in the room was the color of apricots.
Kanata’s ears perked up. He stared at Koushi intently.
“Kanata… Go find Hinako. I don’t know what happened to her. I don’t know what she’s going to do, either. But you have to protect her, no matter what.”
He couldn’t give orders like his father had. Koushi still had the voice of a child.
Even so, Kanata sprang into action. He walked quickly over to him, lightly brushed his nose against Koushi’s knee, and then ran off. Koushi followed after him, opening the front door for the dog. He left the garden and opened the wooden gate in front of the estate.
Kanata ran through the gate. Koushi watched the dog run away from the house, down the hill.
The evening’s darkness was coming on by the time Kanata reached the bottom of the hill below Okibi Estate. It was as if the entire city was immersed in a sea of black ink.
Koushi remembered how easily Hinako had jumped over the wall and gulped. The streetlamps were turning on all over the city, shining like stars. Koushi thought their light was particularly distant and cold today.
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