shadow of moonlight

It didn't seem like the sun would rise anytime soon. Perhaps this was my chance to wander through the forest undisturbed. As I stepped out of the hall, an endless expanse of green stretched beyond the lake, adorned with flowers and plants in every direction. The towering trees reached so high that they almost obscured the moonlight. All of life appeared to be peacefully asleep, even the terrifying monsters I could sense

I wondered how the knights were doing. Extending my vision through the eyes of insects in the forest, I saw them resting soundly. However, Edward was still awake, dutifully guarding them with his spirits. Meanwhile, Mirai was comfortably hanging from a tree's vines, sleeping soundly.

Let's not bother the knights since Edward would probably get really angry.

"I warrant the landscape wouldst appear most wondrous from above."I thought as I signaled my will to the tree. Its vines descended, gently lifting me to the top. "It looks beautiful," I murmured, gazing at the moon shining brilliantly in the night sky. The stars radiated above the endless trees, their leaves falling gently to the ground. Watching this serene scene, I felt my heart ease, only to realize I wasn't alone. The sweet tobacco smell in the air was my first clue.

I As I looked around, I saw Mirai sitting on a nearby branch, gazing up at the moon while inhaling from his kiseru. The moment I noticed him, he smiled cheerfully. "It seems like you finally noticed me. You were so mesmerized by the scenery that I didn't want to bother you."

Damn it, even though I can see him, I can't sense him at all, not through my own senses or even through the forest creatures.

"For how long hast thou been here?" I asked nonchalantly, trying to mask my surprise.

"Since the beginning," he replied, his smile teasing. "But don't feel bad for not noticing. People only see me when I want them to."

His judgment is sharp, I thought, feeling a mixture of respect and frustration.

This is my best chance to warn him and possibly change his mind. He might see me as a madman, but I'm more than sure he can see through lies with whatever insane abilities someone as strong as him could have

"Thou and thy companions must needs depart the forest, else ye shall meet thy doom."I warned, my voice low and threatening. Mirai only smiled gently and replied, "Funnily enough, I was told the same thing before going on this mission."

I could sense no deception in his words. Though I couldn't peer into his soul, I could still see through lies. But if he knew this, why would he risk his life coming to this forest?

"Then why didst thou undertake such a perilous mission, risking not only thy life but the lives of others?"I asked, not bothering to hide my spite.

"It's because I wanted to," he said simply. Before I could comprehend his words, he continued, "I've always lived for the sake of the future. Why burden myself with uncertainty?"

"But thou art destined to die, not alone, but alongside others such as Edward and Alex."

"Yes, and you're going to die one day too. It could even be at this very moment if I wanted it to be," he said coldly

Before I could even raise my guard, Mirai was already standing before me, his katana blade at my throat.

"Kid, if you died at this moment, would you have died for nothing? Would you have regretted your life? Would you haunt me even in death?" he asked.

I had no answer for that. I thought solemnly, realizing the depth of his question.

"Gracefell, I will ask you a question, and answer it honestly: do you know our occupation?"

Even in the books, it was never mentioned what his goals were or what his allocation was. "I know not,"I admitted.

"I suppose it's no surprise since only a handful of people in power know about our existence. We are inquisitors. Each day, we live in the shadow of death, so dying is no big deal to us. Do you know what the knights did when I told them we would probably die on this mission?"

"What hath they done?"

"They laughed, wishing for me and Edward to remember them. It's easy to guess why: since they're the weakest, they would probably die first. Even knowing that, they didn't back off from going on this mission. If there's a threat great enough to kill me, that's all the more reason for them to go. To contain such a threat, how could I, their leader, cower? Even if I didn't go on this mission, they would go alone," Mirai said, his voice cold.

"And this is the beauty of life," Mirai continued, smiling brightly. "We live to cherish the moment, we live to die, and in death, we shall find meaning in our lives. They wished for one of us to remember them, so we must become stronger and sharper, to cherish this moment the same way we smoke knowing it will come to an end eventually."

"I see, but dost thou not fear death?"I asked curiously, knowing how foolish it was to ask someone known as the Black Death.

"I don't fear death as much as I fear a life haunted by regrets," Mirai answered sincerely, sheathing his katana. "Though you didn't seem afraid at all for someone who had a sword at his throat."

"I am not oft so surprised by human nature."I replied earnestly.

"Your eyes sure are something else," Mirai said, his tone meaningful.

So he noticed, huh.

"I'm really sorry about what happened earlier. Do you want to smoke together?" Mirai offered. I looked at him skeptically, and he noticed. "Don't worry, I'll give you another kiseru. We won't be sharing the same one," he laughed.

He handed me a special bracelet and continued speaking. "You just need to channel mana through it. It's a spatial storage that contains a well-crafted kiseru made by me personally, along with a hundred years' worth of high-quality herbs to smoke." His voice was cheerful as he explained.

I couldn't refuse his offer. I took the kiseru out of the bracelet and, as I began to inhale, I started coughing violently.

"Hahaha, a first-timer, it seems," Mirai teased, not missing the chance .

The night grew peaceful once again as Mirai and I smoked together, silently staring at the moon.