Chapter Text
An old lady around 60 was right by the woman, trying to encourage her to push just the last few centimeters. When the baby finally showed its head to the world for the first time, the incessant screams died out.
The old lady took the baby carefully, caring for it. As if she didn’t bother to check she stopped for a moment.
Her breath hitched as aman entered the room. He soon placed the knife at the old lady’s neck.
"Oi, what are you screaming about, hag?” The lady could only murmur.
“It's a girl,” she managed to spit out.
The man lowered his knife, holding the newborn by the hand. “I can’t believe it! I’m gonna win a whole lot of bets!”
He laughed cruelly just before lifting his hand, which wielded the knife. Then began slashing madly at the woman who had just given birth.
The old lady's eyes widened at the horrifying scene before her. She burst out into hysterics and tried her luck at running away to escape the exact same cruel fate.
The woman coughed up blood as she exerted herself to try to reach out. Her hand fell with a bang as she passed away.
The man exhaled at the scene. 'This was such a waste of time,’ he thought to himself. He placed his knife back in his pocket and grinned.
“I will name my daughter Akumiko… Yes, Akumiko Akabane.”
4 years later
The pale toddler sat in the corner - hair covering half of her face; her green eyes were void of any emotion.
At such a young age, she had already been forced to endure many horrors and murders right before her once innocent eyes.
She had learned quickly what the blood pouring out meant when people were getting cut, carved, and decapitated. The reason it had all happened right in front of her was to “toughen” her up.
When they weren’t paying attention to her, she took the chance at freedom and began bolting.
She panted hard as she ran, only slowing her pace when a boy came into view.
All she ever saw were boys- she was getting tired of it. She stood there for a second observing the boy. The white-haired boy was eating a watermelon while muttering under his breath.
He was going to continue before he noticed her just standing still.
Before he could utter a word, she ran quickly past him, not looking back for even a second. All she could think was, 'What if he takes her back like all the other boys did?’ She definitely didn't want that.
As she finally made it out, she looked up. The sun looked so pretty outside she wanted to stay free forever.
On sunny days she loved to go out walking, and she ended up on a tree-lined street. She looked up at the gaps of sunlight.
She hummed as she smiled under the sun and wished it could go on forever.
All good stories must come to an end, though, right…?
She was thrown in front of the leader of the clan. Around her she heard some barely concealed snickers. The leader spoke in a faintly mocking tone. ”Your training starts today.”
Her “training” she figured out - as she attempted to stay up was her getting beaten to a pulp. She tried to fight back but was thrown on the ground repeatedly until morning faded to dusk.
She didn’t even get any medication; she tried healing herself with Kido but only hurt herself more in the process.
She eventually couldn’t take the pain anymore, and when she finally reached her bed, she collapsed. She woke up, or so she thought, in an area that looked unfamiliar to the clan.
Darkness surrounded her, she looked around, her eyes gliding around the place.
There was a pitch-black lake, glass trees with small cracks in them as well. Before she could question herself more, she saw a teenage girl.
She was wearing a black kimono. The girl walked closer to get a better look.
She was so surprised to see a girl that wasn’t screaming in pain and slowly creaking to her death.
She wanted to say hi so she went closer. As the teenage girl turned her head, she took a look at her face; it was so beautiful.
She looked like a porcelain doll with black hair and her skin pale, but there was a small crack on her cheek.
It almost looked like glass. As she looked closer, her eyes were void and there wasn’t any pupil.
The four-year-old thought she looked pretty. She asked, "Who are you, pretty lady?" When she got no response she asked again "Do you know where we are?”
The teenage girl looked down at her, her eyebrows furrowed as glass fell from her cheek.
"Leave, girl.” Was the last thing she heard before passing out.
Spiraling awake in thought, she whispered to no one in particular.
"What a weird dream…