Taste of Heaven

Chapter 1

***

Yuri hummed as she stared mindlessly at the lake; its stillness reflected the trees around it. Fireflies danced around the area, gently illuminating it, and crickets chirped, creating a lovely song for whoever was listening. The moon was high in the sky, and its light made the place appear surreal. She took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. Coming here was a good idea; she could already feel her fatigue going away.

Earlier that day, the Shiba estate's housekeeper reminded her that if they didn't pay their debt sooner, their house would be taken from them as a form of payment. Yuri and her younger brother, Izana, tried everything they could to make ends meet, with her working at a bakery and Izana teaching martial arts, but alas, it was not enough.

"What should I do...?" she whispered, her mind going through various scenarios of when they would be evicted. Their aunt was their only relative, but she was in another village, and she doubted that she would let them stay with her. "This isn't fair." Her eyes stung with unshed tears. She closed her eyes and tried to stop thinking about what was waiting for them for the time being.

She started humming again, a lullaby their mother had used to sing to Izana when he was still a baby, which had always soothed her. Their mother was the epitome of kindness and grace, and remembering her brought a smile to her lips. Sadly, she died three years after Izana's birth, leaving Yuri to raise him alone. Their debt stemmed from the medications they bought for her mother, but after her death, their father lost his mind from grief and spent his days drinking and borrowing more money from the Shibas to buy alcohol. After twelve years, their father took his own life, leaving the two siblings to fend for themselves. Yuri frowned and lightly shook her head as if to shake away her thoughts.

A rustle in the woods caused her to snap her eyes open and look ahead in the direction of the noise, which was on the other side of the lake. It was late, and no one knew this place except for Izana, who wasn't even home. She hoped it was just a rabbit, but when she saw a large silhouette, she became alarmed. A man stumbled into view, hunched over with his hand pressed on his side. He leaned against a tree to keep his balance, breathing heavily. She could hear him curse in frustration before collapsing to his knees and groaning in pain.

Yuri held her breath and tried not to draw attention to herself, but it was pointless because the moment he looked up, their eyes met, causing her to stifle a gasp. They stared at each other, his eyes wide with confusion, and when he fell on his side, she flinched. She got up and moved slowly towards him. She kept a safe distance between them and gasped as she noticed blood oozing from the hand he had pressed against his side. Without hesitation, she was by his side.

"Are you okay!?" she asked softly, trying not to raise her voice.

Seeing the concern on her face and the way she trembled, he realized she was not a threat, and he turned on his back. "I'm fine," he said with a hint of sarcasm.

She looked at him and then back at the wound, he removed his hand, and her eyes widened in horror; it was a deep stab wound. He needed to be treated right away; otherwise, he might die. She took his hand and pressed hers against his to stop the bleeding.

"Can you stand up? My house is that way," she pointed to the other side of the lake. "I can treat your wound properly."

The man decided to take her offer; he knew that the wound was fatal, and he didn't want to die yet. He needed to teach the men who had attempted to murder him a lesson.

"I'll try," he said, attempting to sit up, and she assisted him by placing her hand on the back of his head. He inhaled sharply as searing, hot pain washed over him, and she pressed harder as fresh, warm blood seeped out.