Devil in White - 約束 (2/4)
Title: Devil in White
Chapter: 約束
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: A story before Angel in Black. Meeting the yellow rose.
Author's Note: For bokunostation. 約束 means promise.
☼ Prologue ☼
In the heat of summer, where the cicadas chirp their song while wait for their mates to arrive, she sat waiting. In her yellow sundress, with matching white sandals, she sat under the cool shade of the green maple tree. The high temperature doesn’t seem to bother her, though her breaths are heavy.
Out of nowhere, he approached, but she isn’t surprised.
“You’re dehydrated.” The young man in white put his hand on her head. It’s as cold as dry ice, causing shiver run through her spine. He gave her a bitter look and retracted his hand.
“I’m sorry.” He said, but she just shook her head.
He took a seat next to her. They stared at the road.
Waiting
For one minute.... For ten minutes... For half an hour.... For an hour... For two hours... For....
He was never good at waiting.
"Not yet!" As if reading his exact thought, "He is not here yet. I can't just leave without seeing him once more."
This is the twelfth time she resisted. If she doesn't come with him soon, her soul will vanish. He had explained it to her the first time. He thought she would have given up by now.
"Not yet." She muttered under her breath, "Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet.""I understand." He brushed his crisp, white pant and stood up, "I'll come back again soon."
Within seconds, he disappeared.
She always wondered how he did it, that black magic. But no matter, she is relieved that he was gone.
"Well?" He appeared next to her in the hottest month of summer.
She didn't bother to reply, and he wasn't waiting for an answer. It was obvious to him as he looked at her red face and sweaty skin. But just like that, she didn't move from that one spot under the maple tree, still waiting.
"Not yet... not yet... not yet!" she said, as if pleading, her eyes still transfixed on that spot on the road.
He sighed, "Don't you understand? The more you wait, the harder it will be for you on the other side."
But it all fell on deaf ears.
"I’ll be back." he disappeared, leaving only his voice vibrating between the green leaves of the maple tree.
The last day of summer, but the ray of the sun still pierced the ground, sending its unwanted rays to heat up the earth.
She breathed hard while sitting at the same bench under the maple tree. He watched her from a distant. If this goes on, she will be gone and forgotten... And he will lose his chance. This is the only way.
Snapping his fingers, his white suit swirled into white smoke. In place of that is a bright t-shirt and short. His skin lightens, and his bones shrink. He is no longer tall and handsome, a trait that he’s very pleased with. Instead, he’s now an elementary school kid, around 7 or 8 years old. He looked at his changed appearance, and nodded with satisfaction.
This should work.
Picked some wild flowers from nearby, he walked toward her.
Her face lit up when she saw him.
“Master!” The soft sound came from her mouth, “Master!” She ran up to him, but he pretended not to see her. Instead, he walked toward the bench and laid down the flowers. She’s right next to him.
“Umika-chan, sorry I’m late.” He wailed.
“It’s okay master!” She cooed as she tried to lick his tears away, but her tongue didn’t make contact, after all, he is human now. “I know you’re going to come. I know you’re going to come for me.”
“Umika-chan.” He hiccupped between his sobs, “Papa and Mama said we’re going to move away, to a faraway place. So this is going to be the last time I can come.”
She stared at him, but didn’t say anything.
“They said it’s for Papa’s work, but I know better. They just want me to be separated from you.” More hiccups as he wiped the tears away with his thin arm, the way a little boy would, “Umika-chan, I don’t want to leave!”
Her eyes gazed at him strangely, with such calmness and understanding that made him feel guilty for deceiving her. He almost wanted to stop, almost.
“Umika-chan. What should I do?” He wailed again, almost screaming.
“You’re not Master.” She said, like a whisper.
He looked at her, making eye contact for the first time. He sighed and snapped his finger. His white suit and long limbs instantly returned to their original shape.
“Why? Why did you do that?” She screamed as her eyes tear up. Why did he want to play such game with her? Why did he have to do something like this? He’s rubbing salt on her wounds. It made her so angry that she almost wants to bite him and chew off his flesh.
He calmly looked at her, “Your time is up.”
“No, not yet!” She screamed, “Not yet! Not yet! NOT YET!”
“I’m sorry I can’t help you.” He said, “I guess this is your own fate.”
“Not yet! Not yet! Not yet! Not yet! Not yet! Not yet!”
He looked at her with pity in his eyes. It’s not the first time he saw such a case, and it probably won’t be the last.
“It’s here.” He said and pointed to her feet, “Look.”
The girl looked down and stared in horror at the sight of her feet and leg transforming into hard stone. She hit it with all her might, but her arms are too delicate and it was too hard to break it apart from her. Slowly, but surely, it traveled up her legs, and up her body. Slowly and surely, she’s changing into stone.
“No! This can’t be happening.” She panicked, “I can’t leave now. We promised to meet each other here. He’ll be here! I know he will!”
But no matter how much she cried and screamed, the transformation continued. Her neck slowly hardened as it moved upward. It traveled to her chin, her mouth, her nose, until it reached her eyes, and the last expression he saw was a tear rolled down her hardened cheekbone while the transformation engulfed her body, almost to the tip of her head.
“Umika-chan!” A sudden voice called out for her from somewhere, a soft and gentle voice.
“Umika-chan!” Again, “Umika-chan!” And again.
“Umika-chan!”
In front of him, her stone figure began to crack. Little by little, the lines grew longer and travelled in many different directions, until it met with another line. They joined and then met up with a different line. They continued like that until her whole figure is filled with cracked lines.
In an instant, the stone burst and plates and dust flew everywhere. He looked away in reflex even though it doesn’t hurt him. She stepped out; her tail was wagging in happiness.
‘Master! Master!’ She laughed.
He took a step back as the spot in front of her brighten, so bright that he had to look away momentarily. Those creatures came again.
In that white light, a boy walked forward, with his arm extended to her. She ran up to him happily as he locked her up in his tiny arms.
“Master! Master!” She cried again and again, “I knew you’ll come! I knew it! I just knew it!”
The boy smiled as he gently pat her head, “Sorry it takes me so long.”
“Master!” She cried, “I knew you’ll keep your promise.”
The boy hugged her once again, but didn’t say anything. It wasn’t until they hear a cough from him that they looked up again.
The boy smiled at him, “Thank you for taking care of her.”
“Don’t mention it.” He nodded.
In an instant, a bright light engulfed them. The boy and his dog were gone for good.
“Dying the same day, but not meeting until now. How sad.”
He took something out from his pocket, a yellow rose.
The same color as her fur, how fitting.
He snapped his fingers, and it disappeared in a sparkling dust.
Chapter: 約束
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: A story before Angel in Black. Meeting the yellow rose.
Author's Note: For bokunostation. 約束 means promise.
☼ Prologue ☼
In the heat of summer, where the cicadas chirp their song while wait for their mates to arrive, she sat waiting. In her yellow sundress, with matching white sandals, she sat under the cool shade of the green maple tree. The high temperature doesn’t seem to bother her, though her breaths are heavy.
Out of nowhere, he approached, but she isn’t surprised.
“You’re dehydrated.” The young man in white put his hand on her head. It’s as cold as dry ice, causing shiver run through her spine. He gave her a bitter look and retracted his hand.
“I’m sorry.” He said, but she just shook her head.
He took a seat next to her. They stared at the road.
Waiting
For one minute.... For ten minutes... For half an hour.... For an hour... For two hours... For....
He was never good at waiting.
"Not yet!" As if reading his exact thought, "He is not here yet. I can't just leave without seeing him once more."
This is the twelfth time she resisted. If she doesn't come with him soon, her soul will vanish. He had explained it to her the first time. He thought she would have given up by now.
"Not yet." She muttered under her breath, "Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet.""I understand." He brushed his crisp, white pant and stood up, "I'll come back again soon."
Within seconds, he disappeared.
She always wondered how he did it, that black magic. But no matter, she is relieved that he was gone.
"Well?" He appeared next to her in the hottest month of summer.
She didn't bother to reply, and he wasn't waiting for an answer. It was obvious to him as he looked at her red face and sweaty skin. But just like that, she didn't move from that one spot under the maple tree, still waiting.
"Not yet... not yet... not yet!" she said, as if pleading, her eyes still transfixed on that spot on the road.
He sighed, "Don't you understand? The more you wait, the harder it will be for you on the other side."
But it all fell on deaf ears.
"I’ll be back." he disappeared, leaving only his voice vibrating between the green leaves of the maple tree.
The last day of summer, but the ray of the sun still pierced the ground, sending its unwanted rays to heat up the earth.
She breathed hard while sitting at the same bench under the maple tree. He watched her from a distant. If this goes on, she will be gone and forgotten... And he will lose his chance. This is the only way.
Snapping his fingers, his white suit swirled into white smoke. In place of that is a bright t-shirt and short. His skin lightens, and his bones shrink. He is no longer tall and handsome, a trait that he’s very pleased with. Instead, he’s now an elementary school kid, around 7 or 8 years old. He looked at his changed appearance, and nodded with satisfaction.
This should work.
Picked some wild flowers from nearby, he walked toward her.
Her face lit up when she saw him.
“Master!” The soft sound came from her mouth, “Master!” She ran up to him, but he pretended not to see her. Instead, he walked toward the bench and laid down the flowers. She’s right next to him.
“Umika-chan, sorry I’m late.” He wailed.
“It’s okay master!” She cooed as she tried to lick his tears away, but her tongue didn’t make contact, after all, he is human now. “I know you’re going to come. I know you’re going to come for me.”
“Umika-chan.” He hiccupped between his sobs, “Papa and Mama said we’re going to move away, to a faraway place. So this is going to be the last time I can come.”
She stared at him, but didn’t say anything.
“They said it’s for Papa’s work, but I know better. They just want me to be separated from you.” More hiccups as he wiped the tears away with his thin arm, the way a little boy would, “Umika-chan, I don’t want to leave!”
Her eyes gazed at him strangely, with such calmness and understanding that made him feel guilty for deceiving her. He almost wanted to stop, almost.
“Umika-chan. What should I do?” He wailed again, almost screaming.
“You’re not Master.” She said, like a whisper.
He looked at her, making eye contact for the first time. He sighed and snapped his finger. His white suit and long limbs instantly returned to their original shape.
“Why? Why did you do that?” She screamed as her eyes tear up. Why did he want to play such game with her? Why did he have to do something like this? He’s rubbing salt on her wounds. It made her so angry that she almost wants to bite him and chew off his flesh.
He calmly looked at her, “Your time is up.”
“No, not yet!” She screamed, “Not yet! Not yet! NOT YET!”
“I’m sorry I can’t help you.” He said, “I guess this is your own fate.”
“Not yet! Not yet! Not yet! Not yet! Not yet! Not yet!”
He looked at her with pity in his eyes. It’s not the first time he saw such a case, and it probably won’t be the last.
“It’s here.” He said and pointed to her feet, “Look.”
The girl looked down and stared in horror at the sight of her feet and leg transforming into hard stone. She hit it with all her might, but her arms are too delicate and it was too hard to break it apart from her. Slowly, but surely, it traveled up her legs, and up her body. Slowly and surely, she’s changing into stone.
“No! This can’t be happening.” She panicked, “I can’t leave now. We promised to meet each other here. He’ll be here! I know he will!”
But no matter how much she cried and screamed, the transformation continued. Her neck slowly hardened as it moved upward. It traveled to her chin, her mouth, her nose, until it reached her eyes, and the last expression he saw was a tear rolled down her hardened cheekbone while the transformation engulfed her body, almost to the tip of her head.
“Umika-chan!” A sudden voice called out for her from somewhere, a soft and gentle voice.
“Umika-chan!” Again, “Umika-chan!” And again.
“Umika-chan!”
In front of him, her stone figure began to crack. Little by little, the lines grew longer and travelled in many different directions, until it met with another line. They joined and then met up with a different line. They continued like that until her whole figure is filled with cracked lines.
In an instant, the stone burst and plates and dust flew everywhere. He looked away in reflex even though it doesn’t hurt him. She stepped out; her tail was wagging in happiness.
‘Master! Master!’ She laughed.
He took a step back as the spot in front of her brighten, so bright that he had to look away momentarily. Those creatures came again.
In that white light, a boy walked forward, with his arm extended to her. She ran up to him happily as he locked her up in his tiny arms.
“Master! Master!” She cried again and again, “I knew you’ll come! I knew it! I just knew it!”
The boy smiled as he gently pat her head, “Sorry it takes me so long.”
“Master!” She cried, “I knew you’ll keep your promise.”
The boy hugged her once again, but didn’t say anything. It wasn’t until they hear a cough from him that they looked up again.
The boy smiled at him, “Thank you for taking care of her.”
“Don’t mention it.” He nodded.
In an instant, a bright light engulfed them. The boy and his dog were gone for good.
“Dying the same day, but not meeting until now. How sad.”
He took something out from his pocket, a yellow rose.
The same color as her fur, how fitting.
He snapped his fingers, and it disappeared in a sparkling dust.