The Shadows In Our Hearts

7: An Unexpected Danger

VIEWERS' DISCRETION IS ADVISED, STRONG DESCRIPTION OF VIOLENCE.

It was in the dead of night—a clear night with a few stars shining ominously against the clouds stretching across the sky. No one was out except for Morana. It had been several days since Morana's first trip into town. Morana had been working on healing her wounds, which were almost fully recovered.

As Morana wandered through the town in a daze, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of the Kokuryuu Clan, her surroundings seemed to fade away. The night sky cast a dark, shadowy gloom over the city, and the sounds of late-night footsteps and shuffling noises began to replace the usual daytime bustle.

Morana's dream still haunted her mind, the reason behind her late-night walk through town. Memories of Asano and her father flashed through her mind as all she could see was blood. It left an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. A soft breeze blew as soft chimes from a few decorative lanterns along the street echoed.

The soft padding of footsteps caught her attention as she paused. She glanced through the shadows of the empty street vendors only to find nothing. She was alert as she became aware that she was not alone. Morana continued with her walk, being more intentional with her steps.

The sounds of shuffling filled Morana's ears as she glanced over her shoulder. There was nothing. Resuming the midnight walk through the empty streets, her eyes darting to anything suspicious. As she continued making her way through the streets, Morana continued to hear the sounds of shuffling noises following behind her. She turned to look for the source of the noises again, but as before, there was nothing.

She realized this was a common tactic her clan used when targeting someone. The thought made her blood run cold as she stood motionless in the empty street. She took a deep breath and looked around to see where she was along the street. To her luck, by Atagi's blacksmith shop. Morana's senses were on high alert as she went to Atagi's blacksmith shop. She hoped the shuffling sounds would stop as soon as she walked into the shop, but that was not the case - the strange noises were still following her.

She searched the shop to find a weapon to defend herself with, and as if from a stroke of luck, she found a long iron rod, which would do nicely as a weapon.

Seconds later, Morana held the rod firmly, watching the shop entrance and waiting for her enemy to strike. But that would not be the case. She knew they would wait until she came out to attack.

What caught her off guard was a high-pitched scream that echoed into the stillness of the air. She moved without thinking, darting out of the blacksmith shop swiftly as she looked towards the scream's source.

She came down towards an alleyway where homeless people were known to occupy. Peering down the alleyway, her blood froze as a shadowy figure was hunched over a reasonably large bundle on the ground. The shadowy figure darted against the walls as it climbed the roofs. Morana was unsure what had happened, but it would become clear soon. The large bundle on the ground started to move in limp, unbalanced movements as the horrid scent of rotting decay filled the air. She watched in disgust as the once living being moved towards her, emitting a dying groan. It was a walking corpse.

Morana backed away from the shambling corpse; her face twisted into a look of disgust at the sight of the disgusting undead. It moved towards her with an uncanny gait, its eyes vacant and devoid of any sign of life. The stench of decay that it carried with it was overwhelming, and Morana had to hold back her natural urge to vomit at the sight of the corpse.

The realization that the corpse was once a living being sent a fresh chill down her spine as she wondered what other horrors waited for her in the dark alley behind her.