A Fox's Whisper

32: |几卂尺|

Had I not been so dead tired from training with Yae, I doubt I would've slept a wink in the following days. But I did, falling into a completely dreamless sleep for which I was grateful. I'd had enough nightmares to tide me over for the rest of my life and then some.

The day before Tomo's duel, I woke up much earlier than I wanted to. It was still dark outside, and everything was quiet. I groaned, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. It was the time of night where nothing stirred. Well. Except for someone in Haru's room next to mine--

I paused for a moment, listening. Haru was never up this early. But I heard someone walking, the rustle of their clothing as they sat down. Heart hammering in my chest, I clawed at the ground until I found the knife I'd been keeping by my bed for reasons that shouldn't have to be explained.
I got to my feet, sliding the door to my room open as quietly as possible. I peered outside, craning my neck to see if Haru's door was open. It wasn't, but there was most definitely someone up and about. I hardly dared to breathe as I stepped into the hall and slid Haru's door back just a crack, letting my eyes adjust to the dark. My grip tightened about the knife's hilt.

Whoever was in the room paused, and I jumped away from the door so they wouldn't see me, though I didn't know how they could since not a lantern was lit. There was an endless pause, a tenuous quiet where I waited to see if whoever was in there would investigate. But soon the moment passed and I relaxed a little, letting out a much-needed breath.

I crept back to the crack in the door and heard someone tearing something. It sounded like paper, and the noise shattered the stillness of early morning. I couldn't see who was in there, but I saw their vague outline. They stood up, and I scurried back to my room, sliding the door closed as whoever had been in Haru's room strode down the hallway.

I counted to twenty, waiting until I no longer heard their footsteps before leaving my room and padding down the hall in the direction the late-night visitor had gone. I heard the door leaving the building shut quietly. I raced to it, waiting a moment before slipping outside. The morning air was chilly, heavy with dew. My breath condensed into thin clouds as I anxiously looked around for whoever had just been here.

But I saw no one. I waited. Watched. Listened. Yet I may as well have been imagining things for all the empty quiet I was met with. Uneasy, I returned to my bed, certain that I wouldn't fall asleep knowing that someone who definitely hadn't been Haru was in his room...

I dozed off anyway, a weariness I hadn't felt in a while sinking into my bones.

The door to my room slammed open and I jerked awake, disoriented. It was much later, natural light filtering in streams that illuminated specks of dust floating through the air. How long had I slept? Too long and yet not long enough, it would appear.

"Inari, have you seen Haru?" Kazuha said, for he was the one who'd so unceremoniously roused me. I considered throwing my pillow at him out of sheer spite, but the look of alarm he carried held me back.

"No..." I said slowly, bleary-eyed and hardly coherent. "Should I have?"

"He isn't here," Kazuha said, his crimson eyes bright with urgency.

"Wasn't he leaving today?" I mumbled, yawning and stretching.

"Yes, he was supposed to. But Inari, Haru wouldn't leave without saying anything and I haven't seen him all day."

"Well, what time is it?"

"Noon."

I blinked, staring at him. Noon? Dear Archons, how had I slept until noon and why had nobody woken me up??
I flung the covers off my body, getting to my feet and brushing past Kazuha.