Fateless
Chapter 9 - Release

Hana still felt as if she was in a disoriented daze when she groggily opened her eyes. After a moment of staring up at a white ceiling, Hana shifted her weight to sit upwards.

A damp washcloth fell from her forehead as a hand reached out to support her back.

Hana let out a signature squeak of surprise as she recoiled from the touch. The sudden movement aggravated little particles of golden light to flicker in her vision.

A distinct chuckle sounded from the figure kneeling beside her bedside.

“Don’t move too fast,” the voice told her.

“Oh, it’s you Hirano-sama.” Hana revealed as she tried to rub the weird sensation away behind her eyes. “What happened to me?”

“You were hypnotised by a wisp.”

“A what?” Hana mumbled, confused.

“A will-o-wisp. It’s a type of kitsune magic.”

Hana stared at Lord Hirano through the strange distortion she was experiencing as his words sunk in.

“Kitsune...” She repeated, feeling no less confused.

His soft grey hair was tied back and he had removed his coat. With the lighter amount of clothing and more of his face revealed he appeared to be younger than Hana had first assumed.

“How do you feel? Can you see okay?”

Lord Hirano lowered his face into Hana’s to inspect her, momentarily leaving Hana no choice but to stare at the unique flecks of gold that intertwined into the dark blue of the man’s irises.

She was suddenly very self-conscious of the acne on her cheeks and her obvious eye bags.

Hana bit her lip and tried to resist squinting as the little balls of light moved inside her eyes and brightened, further obstructing her vision.

“Akira, I think she needs more of the eye drops,” the lord noted.

“Sure.”

Hana froze as Akira’s voice responded. Her senses suddenly returned enough to take in her surroundings. She noticed they were back at the Hirano villa. In Hana’s room. And at the very end of Hana’s futon, Akira sat poised. She smirked boldly as she leaned over Hana, attempting to hold her down with one hand, and in the other a dropper syringe angled high.

Hana screamed as she approached, kicking her legs out defensively under the bed covers that were between them.

Akira’s tongue clicked impatiently. She was surprisingly strong, but Hana fought back hard as they began to tussle.

Akira struggled to overpower Hana with one hand trying to protect the little vial of yellow liquid substance.

“What is wrong with you?” Akira angrily yelled as she avoided some sharp kicks and tried to use her weight to subdue her.

Akira’s pupils became thin slits as the light from a lantern that was placed beside Hana’s bedding hit them. The gold glow of her irises was terrifying.

“No!” Hana yelled back between her shrill screams. “Get away from me, you demon woman!”

She balled her fists up, failing them wildly and intermittently pushing at Akira in an attempt to keep her away.

“For God’s sake, Mizuiro! Hold her down!” Akira hissed at Lord Hirano who was just watching the scene bewilderedly.

Hana was suddenly hoisted up and then forced still as the lord grabbed hold of her. He held her closely against him, her arms to her side with a steely grip that Hana could not budge free from.

Hana froze and fell silent. Utterly shocked that she was sitting in his lap. The wretched butterflies were back. Apparently teaming up with the warm fuzzies to spread soulful warmth throughout Hana’s body.

She composed herself enough to glance up to the Hirano master’s face- who shot back an equally astonished expression. Only to scream again as Akira swiftly used that moment to drop something into one of Hana’s eyes.

Hana tried to recoil herself away to no avail. She forced her eyes shut as a cold liquid absorbed into one of them. The strange feeling caused her to shudder.

“Calm down,” Lord Hirano compelled her. “Akira is just trying to help you.”

But she didn’t. Hana kicked her legs out as she hollered and sobbed, like a toddler having a tantrum.

“No!” Hana yelled. “I saw her. I saw her glowing yellow!”

Akira backed away as she let out a callous laugh. Hana was both frightened and angry by the sound. The pressurized anxiety that had gradually been building up in Hana’s chest over her stay was painful now.

“Is the wisp making her act this way?” Lord Hirano asked Akira in a doubtful tone.

“No,” Akira responded as her laughter ceased. “She’s acting like a lunatic all on her own.”

“If it’s not the wisp, then I have an inkling of what it might be,” Lord Hirano responded solemnly.

“I know you had something to do with those girls disappearing!” Hana accused Akira. “The yellow was the same! I don’t want to disappear too!”

Akira returned a wry expression, but it was the lord who spoke up.

“Akira has not hurt anyone,” he said confidently. “Look at me.”

Hana stumbled back firmly against the man as his grip moved. One of his hands grasped around her waist, while the other tilted her chin up to look at her. As his hand moved down her neck there was instant relief. A soothing sensation where his skin touched hers.

“Calm down,” he repeated in a calming tone. “You are safe. I promised I wouldn’t let you disappear. Remember?”

And Hana did calm down. It was like a magic spell overcame her. The combination of Lord Hirano’s touch and words melted all Hana’s nerves away. The pressure was still there. But it was suddenly bearable. The tingles where he touched were beginning to spread to the rest of her body and Hana’s eyesight returned clear.

“Yikes, Mizuiro. Her of all people?”

Hana stiffened at Akira’s voice again. But the lord held her entrapped in his hold.

“Check back on Ume-san, Akira. We need to make sure her eyes are not affected once she awakens from the wisp’s hypnosis.” He instructed without averting his gaze.

Akira clicked her tongue as she gathered herself up to leave.

“Those drops would be a waste on Hana anyway.” She snorted.

“Akira.”

Lord Hirano spoke again as he gently released his contact with Hana. She unintentionally let out a groan as the build-up returned, heavily painful inside her chest.

“-Not a word about this to anyone. Not yet.” He cautioned Akira.

As the door slid shut, Lord Hirano backed away from where Hana had drooped on the floor. His head slumped in his hands, hiding his expression.

Hana was so confused by what was happening that she remained still, simply staring at the master of the household with wide eyes and awkward feelings bubbling inside her.

“What is going on?” Her voice was taut and came out in a pant.

“Just give me a moment,” Lord Hirano muttered to Hana as he tried to compose himself.

There was a long pause before he spoke again.

“How I longed to be one of the fateless.”

“Fateless?” Hana repeated curiously.

“People whose fate is not written in stone. People who can go where they want and be who they want. People who can love who they decide.” He explained. “I’m sorry Hana, that you’re not fateless either.”

“I don’t know what that means.” Hana wheezed.

The lord stretched himself upwards pacing a few steps before turning back to look at Hana with his hands on his face again.

“It means you are the Hirano consort. We have a special connection. Fate has decided we are partners.”

Hana was staring at the lord with a pale expression, her mouth startled wide. Not because of his spouse revelation though. She had already been gawking before that. She had finally noticed the extra appendage he was trailing behind him now that he was standing further away from her.

Normally hidden by the eccentric long fabric of his coat, a long tail rhythmically moved along with him. It was a soft grey, as his hair atop his head was, that blended into white. The tip of it transitioned into fluffy plumage.

Alarmed by the illogical sight, Hana pointed at it.

“What is that!?” She gasped.

Lord Hirano followed where Hana was indicating and frowned.

“You are that Komainu beast I saw!” She exclaimed.

The lord seemed taken aback. It was now his face that turned pale.

“I thought you already knew?” He responded.

“I did... No. Kinda. I had my suspicions. But-” Hana was still panting her words out and she stopped abruptly when his earlier words finally sunk in. “Wait. I don’t want to actually marry you! Can’t we un-fate being together?!”

“You might technically be able to reverse the decision if one of us were to pass away. Or something similar in nature.”

“SOMETHING OF A SIMILAR NATURE TO DYING!?” Hana screeched hysterically. Her lungs felt so strained that she started to hyperventilate.

“We can discuss this more later. Let’s just get you sane for now.”

Lord Hirano’s brows knitted together in concern as he lowered back down to where Hana was still lying by her futon. She automatically flinched backward as his hand reached out for her face again. But as soon as the contact was made she melted into the feeling of relief it offered.

Hana could breathe again and she felt blissfully dazed.

“You can’t make me marry you,” Hana muttered while she softly trailed the outline of his jawline with her finger. The little pleasant sparks created from the small gestures of skin contact were addictive. “I can fight to remain ‘fateless’.”

“You’re not doing a good job of resisting the pull thus far,” Lord Hirano observed with a grin.

Hana snatched her hand back as she realised what she was doing.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean- Urgh!” Hana spluttered frustratedly. “I’m feeling weird right now. I’m not myself.”

“It’s okay. I’m able to feel what you’re feeling too. The potent feelings at least. You’re fairly power-drunk at the moment because you are holding in a lot of energy.”

“Energy?”

“What I am- I exist to guard over a territory. I keep the peace at the border between the human town and the Akuma mountains. I have magic, I guess you could call it. That magic is fuelled and drawn up by the land itself, but a consort can also be used the same way.”

“Is it like mana? Like from a video game?”

“Um. Sure?” The lord answered hesitantly before continuing. “I’m going to show you, okay?”

As the lord’s free hand came up, and with it a blue light appeared, encasing it like tiny forcefield for his fingers. He sighed with relief as Hana motioned to poke it with fascination rather than react fearfully.

Tiny sparks of blue, but painless electricity reacted to Hana’s attempts to touch it. She could only get so close as it felt like the negative repel of magnets.

“You’re getting a bit of relief when you touch me, but you’re holding it inside you tight. You’re only letting the power trickle out and I can only pull what you allow me to. It’s making you agitated and anxious.”

“So then, how do I let it out?”

“Normally I think it should just naturally flow free. But you’ve somehow mastered the art of restricting the flow you produce.”

“But I only started feeling this way after I got here!”

“That’s because your body only activated to work this way after you entered the Hirano territory. Just relax. I’m going to help you through it.”

Hana nodded.

“Alright. You have to let go of your grasp on it and let me take it.”

“I can’t -”

“You can. Feel that big ball of knots inside you? Just let it loose. Let it flow through you and out.”

“I’m trying!”

“Keep calm. Imagine it’s like a faucet in your mind. You’ve only turned it a tiny bit. Feel the build-up and turn the tap a bit more. Let the water flow freely.

“Oh, I think- Like this?”

Hana mentally relaxed the flow and mentally shoved at the festering tight feeling. She pushed it towards Lord Hirano and felt it all rush free in an instant.

At that moment the door to the room slid open and Tomi rushed in.

“They’re all gone!” she shouted frantically.

“Wait!” The master exclaimed to Hana. “Not that forcefully!”

But it was too late and all the energy lurched into him at once. His teeth gritted as he was brightly encased in light that reflected out in a blazing blue.

Unable to hold the core of it, he literally flung it away.

It smacked against the wall and exploded.

When the dust settled the wall was gone. Rubble fizzled throughout the exposed view of the garden.

“Sorry. I think I turned the tap too quickly.” Hana whispered in Lord Hirano’s ear.

He grimaced.

She did feel a lot better though.

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