Chapter 6: Something You Shouldn't See
That afternoon, the sky was dark and gloomy, as if it was going to rain again. Maria was quietly reading a book in the living room. The sounds of Katsumaki and Hiyoshima giggling from the other side of the house made the atmosphere strangely warm. However, Maria's heart had felt strangely uncomfortable since morning, as if something was waiting for her to discover... or perhaps waiting for her to 'remember'.
"Sigh... Am I thinking too much?" Maria muttered to herself softly, before flipping through the pages in her hand, not paying attention to her reading at all. Her eyes strayed to the corner of the room, where two umbrellas were leaning against each other. Yukamari's black umbrella and Yukagori's bright red umbrella. They looked like ordinary umbrellas... but sometimes Maria felt like they were watching her.
"Maria-chan~ Do you want to go buy some snacks?" Hiyoshima's cheerful voice came from the other corner of the room. Katsumaki gently shook her hand, sending a cool breeze through the window.
"No... Let's go together. I want to be quiet for a while."
"Okay, don't fall asleep!"
The door closed and the silence spread throughout the house.
Maria sighed softly. She tried to continue reading, but the sound of water dripping from the kitchen faucet caught her attention.
...Tick... Tick... Tick...
The sound of water dripping was steady, but why did it sound like a heartbeat?
Maria hesitated, putting the book down, before slowly getting up and walking towards the kitchen. The sound of water dripping continued as the air in the house gradually got colder.
She walked past the storage room without noticing that the door was slightly ajar.
A rusty smell wafted from inside...
Maria stopped, a feeling telling her to walk away now, but her legs slowly moved forward, unable to stop herself. Her slender hands pushed the door open gently.
Inside the room...
There was only darkness and coldness.
"Is there anyone in here...?" Maria asked in a trembling voice.
There was no answer.
Only the sound of water dripping echoed in the silence.
She walked in slowly. Until her eyes glanced at a dark shadow lying in the corner of the room.
Maria's heart almost stopped.
It was the corpse of a black cat with both eyes gouged out!
Dried black blood dripped down the old wooden floor.
"Eek—!"
Maria immediately raised her hand to cover her mouth. Her screaming voice trailed off in her throat along with her ragged breath. She turned to run out of the room, but the original door closed on its own without anyone touching it.
A dark shadow slowly moved in the corner of the room.
"Oh~ You found it."
A low, deep voice sounded from the darkness. It was an oddly familiar voice, but it made Maria's whole body tremble.
She slowly turned around...
In the darkness—
Two bright red eyes slowly flashed. A tall figure in a blood-stained white onmyoji outfit slowly stepped out of the corner of the room. A twisted smile laced with psychosis graced his handsome face.
Domakawari
"You finally remember something, Maria."
"N... No..." Maria took a terrified step back.
"Don't be afraid. I just came to 'say hello' to you."
He approached step by step.
Maria felt like her legs were frozen and she couldn't move.
"Let me go..."
"Heh heh heh... Where are you running off to in such a hurry? The three of you haven't even paid for your sins from a thousand years ago..."
The voice was soft and deep, but filled with perversion. The voice that had whispered and cursed her a thousand years ago.
Maria could barely breathe, as Domakawari's smile grew wider and wider.
"Have you forgotten how many times you've died because of me?"
"... No..."
"If you don't remember, I'll help you remember."
He raised his hand...
Crack!!
The sound of glass shattering came from the window behind him.
The black umbrella flew in like a blade, and suddenly opened between Maria and Domakawari.
Yukamari appeared with ice-cold pale yellow eyes.
"Don't touch my mistress."
Yukagori immediately rushed in, and hugged Maria tightly.
"Mistress! Are you okay, my mistress!?"
Maria trembled, unable to answer.
Domakawari chuckled before retreating back into the shadows.
"Too bad... You made it in time this time."
Yukamari gripped the umbrella handle so tightly that veins bulged out on the back of her hand.
"... Get lost before I rip your throat out here."
Domakawari chuckled softly.
"See you later, Maria."
His figure slowly disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind only the smell of rusty blood and Yukagori's soft sobs.
Maria slowly looked up at the black umbrella that was protecting her.
Her heart was beating fast.
"Yu... Kamari?"
The pale yellow eyes glanced at her slowly.
"Don't remember my name... You shouldn't remember it."
(End of Chapter 6)