2 Chapter 2

Toru: "A FUGITIVE?!!! THEY BURNED DOWN OUR ENTIRE VILLAGE TO FIND ONE FUGITIVE?"

Village Elder: Yes. The man came here last week. He was half dead when we found him. Chise-chan brought him to the healer's house and he was staying there. According to the royal guards the man is wanted in the capital for the murder of Prince Erald. Since they couldn't risk letting him escape again, they...

Seishirou: You- You're saying that. That my SISTER WAS killed because, because AN ASSASSIN WAS IN OUR VILLAGE? Why did you let him stay here YOU BASTARD! Shiho...

[They all remained silent. Shiho was the only family Shirou had. Due to being the children of an ice spirit they were ostracised by the village. It was said that a child of sprits and humans were a source of tragedy. Even though Shirou had just returned, the villagers were already looking at him with a steely anger. ]

[The night is for them to grieve. The dead pile up on the large pyres. Them they are set fire to. As Chise's body lays burning there Toru just stares. He feels nothing. He feels empty. He should be feeling sad, he should be crying. He should be vowing to avenge his family, Chise, everyone in the village who died. But instead of anger, sadness he feels nothing. Shirou glances at his face and his eyes widen. Toru's face is smiling. His eyes are lustreless but his lips are smiling. He snickers, then he laughs. He laughs. The sound of his laughing rings throughout. The villagers start murmuring, some start to come forward. Then a dull thud silences the laughter. Toru is sitting on the floor. Shirou is panting with anger. Shirou had punched Toru. He grabs him by the collar]

Shirou: HAVE YOU LOST OF YOUR MIND! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO YOU BASTARD. OUR FAMILIES WERE SLAUGHTERED AND YOU'RE LAUGHING. WHAT'S SO FUNNY?

Toru: it was a mistake.

Shirou: what?

Toru: we shouldn't have left. we should have died with them.

I am weak. but you could have fought them. your magic is the strongest in the village. you could have fought them off. but we left. for money. I saw Shiho-chan's body. Her body had lots of cuts. There were also ice spikes that were thawing when we arrived. Your sister tried to protect them.

[Shirou's pupils shrink]

Shirou: Shiho... but she didn't have the magic power to cast offensive magic.

Toru: You don't get it do you. She used her life force to substitute for the mana. Which means she died after casting that spell. Yet her body was cut up. You know what that means right.

Shirou: Is that what made you laugh?

Toru: "Bad men aren't judged fairly." isn't that what you said ELDER? The bodies of the dead soldiers were all smiling. They were happy. THEY WERE WILLING TO DIE. There's no way they are in hell. But why. The state of the soul affects the dead body. The Soul of our kin are in pain. Their bodies are not smiling. They suffer. Even in death. Chaos has risen without order.

Shirou: what are you talking about.

[Toru promptly gets up and stares at the sky. The sky is stunningly beautiful today. Almost like the sky was mocking them. Then he runs. He runs towards the forest. Shirou runs after him]

Shirou: TORU! WAIT! TORU WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

[TORU keeps running and then stops. They are in a clearing. Oddly no trees are growing in a the middle. It's like a perfect circle. ]

???: Your tragedy brings you to me. Or is it perhaps your madness?

[Toru feels dizzy. Spots appear in his vision. the spots slowly grow larger. and then they spin. they form shapes. shapes form Pillars. Light. The pillars spin. Light pours out from between them. The land spins. The trees are pillars. The wood replaced by glass like pillars with a Lily bud pattern. Like a golden honeycomb. The middle of the clearing contorts and warps. Then enters an angel]