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Midori lay in her dormitory bed, tears streaming down her face. Though she was back to normal, the thought of what she'd transformed into couldn't escape her mind. Her persistent crying had kept her from classes, worrying her friends. Her phone was off; she craved solitude, feeling utterly misunderstood. Her dark sobs echoed in the room.
Her roommate, Noa, was uncomfortable with the incessant crying which was now a nuisance to her. She'd asked Midori what was wrong, but received no reply.
The cries worsened, making Noa truly uneasy and unable to have nocturnal sleep. She was dumbfounded by what was happening. Midori had been crying nonstop for days, refusing to eat or speak to anyone.
Noa couldn't bear the nuisance any longer and went to her friend Mana's room in the dormitory.
"What's making her cry?" Mana asked Noa.
"I don't know, and I really don't care anymore. She should just shut the fuck up. I can't have a quiet time in my room. What the fuck!" Noa's brows furrowed, and she clenched her jaw, her anger and frustration clouding her thoughts.
"Maybe you should try talking to her," Mana suggested softly.
Noa rolled her eyes. "I've done that countless times, but she wouldn't say anything."
A string of thoughts came to her mind. "Do you think she got her heart broken by a guy?"
"I don't know, and I don't care to know," Noa replied. "From what I know, she only has male friends; there's nothing romantic in her relationships with them. I haven't seen her make romantic calls or even try to ask me for relationship advice like girls do when they're in love. So that isn't the reason. She isn't the type that would go into a relationship, let alone get her heart broken by a guy."
"So what are you going to do now?"
"I can't continue living there," she said flatly.
"Then you have to talk to Mr. Akio."
"My parents will do that."
"They'll have to come to school if that's the case."
"My parents are busy people. They'll call Mr. Akio and tell him to give me a new room in the dormitory. Mr. Akio is our family friend. So tomorrow, I'll leave that godforsaken room!" she shrieked.
"My roommate is sleeping. Please lower your voice," Mana said calmly. Her roommate was in the other bed, sleeping soundly and quietly.
Noa hissed. "Whatever! Sorry! Tomorrow I'll have a new room! I won't disturb you and your roommate anymore!" She rolled her eyes at her.
***
Midori was still in her bed, crying, and then fell asleep. She was sleeping, but tears continued to stream from her eyes.
She saw herself back in the Edo period, inhabiting the body of a woman. A woman dressed in rich Japanese traditional attire.
It was at the break of dawn. The morning wasn't quite clear, wrapped in the freshness of dawn's first gift. Shimmering dewdrops clung to flower petals, a silent testament to the cold night. She was in a magnificent traditional Japanese house, taking a stroll. Slaves and guards greeted her with respect, bowing their heads low as she passed.
She felt proud of herself and what she must have achieved. She walked with confidence, her shoulders straight, her chin slightly raised, and eyes glistening with determination.
A slave approached her, bowing her head low in respect. "You have a guest," she informed her.
"And who is that?" Midori asked. Her voice, authoritative.
"Taku the demon slayer," the slave replied.
Just then, Midori woke up. She sat on the bed. Thoughts swirled in her head. She couldn't fathom what the dream was about. She knew the woman she inhabited in her dream was her great- grand-aunt.
Why was she having such a dream? Why didn't the dreams come until now? What was she doing in such an exquisite place, as if she were from a noble family, while in her present life, her family lived a poverty-stricken life?
She looked at her roommate's bed. Noa wasn't there. She didn't know when she left. She sighed and went back to sleep. She couldn't care much; a lot had been brewing within her.
Midori's dream continued. She went to her garden pavilion. Taku was sitting there. He was in the body of a man but still had his young face. He wore a kimono and held a white Nichirin sword. His face looked grim and solemn.
"Your crow was sent to give you the information that a demon is attacking a part of the village, the people who live in the mountain, but we haven't seen you."
Midori looked mystified. "My crow didn't come here."
"Then it must have been attacked by a demon," Taku reasoned. "We need to hurry!" he said with urgency.
Midori was out of sight. She came back wearing a kimono and carrying her blue Nichirin sword. They left at once into the mountain. Just when they got to the mountain, Midori woke up again.
She tried going back to sleep so she could continue the dream, which was displaying her past, but the dream didn't return. She had slept for a short time without seeing anything. She finally woke up.
It was now morning. She heard the chirping of birds from a nearby tree. The sounds were delicate and melodious to her hearing; that was the only sound she felt like hearing. It was gentle, optimistic, and full of assurance. She recognized the birds; they were her favorite.
There were other birds that came in the evening whose sounds were noisy to her and she disliked it, but she was always consoled by these birds that came in the morning.
Noa came into the dorm. Her face was sulky, frowned, and swollen. Swollen not from beaten or whatsoever, but from her desire to show how upset and displeased she was with Midori.
Midori didn't seem to care. She just lay on her bed in silence. She was engrossed in the thought of the dreams she'd had the previous night and why she was having them now that she was a demon or was having the symptoms of a demon.
And why she was a demon slayer in her previous life and now a demon.
The thought of her being a demon made her start crying again. She was sure she was never bitten by a demon. She hadn't even seen one; she only heard so many stories about it. The first demon she was seeing was herself. So how had she become a demon without being bitten by one?
Noa was still feeling irritated by Midori's cries. She gave a silent hiss. She saw that the curtain wasn't open and she tried to open it.
Just then, Midori broke into a stupendous roar upon the shuddering air, and a wild wind charged furiously through everything and everyone, panting towards the room.
The frames on the table shattered. Noa's little clock, which was gifted to her on her birthday, fell, making a terrible, tremendous sound and breaking, scattering broken glasses on the floor.
Other things held their breath, threatened to fall at any moment. The curtain swayed forcefully, revealing a dull orange sun in the room, but not where Midori was.
Midori's eyes became light red, and she grew razor-sharp claws.
A shiver ran through Noa's spine, her heart fluttered with extreme fear, and she screamed in terror. She coiled herself in a corner, hiding behind a reading table. She tried to be as distant from Midori as she could.
Her jaw dropped, and a look of bewilderment mixed with terror swept through her face. Her eyes were trembling violently and flooded with tears, and the goosebumps on her skin were agitated with fright and emotions.
Midori noticed what was going on and tried calming herself down. Her eyes went back to normal, her claws changed to fingers, and everything in the room that hadn't fallen yet became stable and went back to its normal position. The curtain became still. The room went back to being a little dark.
Midori quickly made sure the curtain was well closed. She was scared the sun would turn her to ashes, as she'd heard stories about demons. Although she didn't like her present self, she didn't want to die.
Either way, her fate was cruel.
"I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to make you scared." She apologized to Noa, and she meant it. She went back to the bed and lay down, but didn't cry again; bitterness crept onto her face, dark with unutterable sorrow.
An air of stern, deep, and irredeemable gloom hung over and pervaded all.
Noa managed to stand up from where she was, her body quivering uncontrollably. She arranged her clothes and other belongings into her box. She rolled it to the door and then turned to Midori.
"Have the room to yourself, freak! I'm leaving! Bitch! Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to call you 'bitch' or 'freak' so you wouldn't come after me, but you're a real bitch and a freak!" She snarled through gritted teeth and left, banging the door loudly behind her.
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