Mirror |[Sasusaku Story]

Chapter 2

The sound of the water falling filled the room as a raven-haired boy washed his right hand at the Temizuya just outside the Stale Room. The sun was setting, coloring the sky with a soft orange shade mixed with pink. Under the sleepy eyes of the sun goddess, the boy proceeded to pass some water on his left hand and finally his mouth. Once his body purified, he walked onto the engawa and made his way to the center of the room where he kneeled onto the tatami floor to lit up incense. Under the dim light of the ending day, he bowed twice, clapped in his hands twice, and closed his eyes.

"Susanoo no Mikoto," the young man started. "Bless us with your courage and temper, guide us through this hazardous journey, lend us your wild strength, rampage against those who defy us and ravage the unworthy ones,"

For a moment, only the sound of the wind outside could be heard. The atmosphere was so calm and peaceful. No word was said, no thought was formulated. It was pure silence.

Hear my prayers, he thought. Allow my determination not to waver and accompany me on this path. Lead me in goal and allow my raging will to burn as long as I shall be avenging the unfortunate souls.

The boy inhaled the scent of the incense. And when the last ash dropped onto the small table, the boy finally spoke.

"Thank you, Susanoo no Mikoto," the boy said then opened his eyes.

The boy was about to clean the table when his eyes fell onto the stone stale set onto a pedestal. He contemplated it for a moment before kneeling back before the table. He shouldn't leave before reading the stale. It was the tradition after each prayer.

Power of the Gods

Cherry and Raven gifted with your strength

Make them see beyond and let them reach the impossible

And restore our broken bonds

But suddenly, the boy's senses abruptly heighten. A sudden gust of wind blew into the room, carrying some of the ashes away. A soft metallic sound rang into the air, like two necklaces colliding with each other. The raven-haired boy frowned, looking behind him at the garden through the open fusuma. But nothing. There was nothing abnormal. Only the usual little pond and tree he was costumed to see since his very early childhood, with the regular sound of the bamboo stick hitting the rock.

Only a trick of my mind, he dismissively thought.

The boy finally cleaned the table and left the Stale Room.

~~

"Sasuke," another raven-haired boy, looking older than the said Sasuke, called at the entrance of the shrine.

"You didn't have to come, Shisui," Sasuke said as he reached him.

"Well, you weren't answering your phone. I thought something happened," Shisui explained, scratching the back of his neck, feeling stupid to have imagined the worse.

"I wanted to pray to Susanoo before parting back to Tokyo," the younger raven said in a monotonous voice.

"Susanoo? Shouldn't you be praying to Amaterasu? She's more fit for good fortune and studying, isn't she?" Shisui frowned.

"Hn," Sasuke only said as he started to walk away.

Shisui's eyes were then covered with a shadowy look. He knew very well what the young man was praying for. He had been praying for the same thing for the past four years. Yet Shisui was hoping it would change. He did not want his ward to lose himself into something he surely would regret later.