Her Mission To Save Them All || Sword Art Online Fanfic

Chapter 58

POV: Unknown

Nestled between the trees of floor 23, lies the depths of a lake, its surface still, edges curving around the surroundings like a mirror. On ordinary days, it merely shows what is being projected onto the ceiling above - sometimes blue sky edged with fluffy white clouds, sometimes darkened promises of storms, sometimes the sparkling stars against the dark sky, the crescent of a moon resting within them. On this day, the same speaks true. Only the reflection is plain - an entirely dark sky with no galaxies to decorate it, only the dark hint of clouds but they are not the only thing on the surface. 

A woman stands impossibly on the lake, her toes hovering just above the water so it remains unmoving. No one can see her figure; she cannot allow it. But if she did, there would only be a glimpse of long brown hair and dark eyes, a small freckle dotted beneath lashes before she would glide away, towards the sight of a small wooden cabin peaking above the treeline. 

She sails over the trees and settles before the familiar outline of the place her student calls home, the torch illuminating the decking beckoning her forward. Under the light, she passes the two guards she has been informed about and phases through the door, heading straight for the stairs. She flies over the steps, eyes scanning the dotting of doors along each wall as she reaches the top, trying to work out which she should visit. Her heart strains towards one but she ignores it. 

Instead, she enters the door the furthest on her left. The girl inside isn't asleep but she sits her bed, the only furniture in the room, the window of her menu screen casting a terrible shadow under her eyelids, deepening her exhausted expression. 

"Master," she greets as the woman enters, her head bowing slightly. 

"Yuha," her voice echoes like a thousand voices speaking at once, though her tone is warm as she reaches for the girl's cheek. Though her fingers cannot touch her solid skin, the gesture serves as enough of an encouragement for her student to lift her head, golden curls cascading back from her face. "We must be quick. What is so urgent that you must speak to me this way?" 

"I'm sorry master but I could not think of anyway but to tell you this personally. I'll be frank: a massive amount of players vanished from the system today. They are claimed to be lost, kidnapped, but I did some investigating and I cannot find their system ID anywhere within the player logs. It's as if-"

"They're dead." The woman finishes in wonder, frown evident on her face. "You were right to bring this to me. Have you told Kayoko yet?"

"No. I would make her," Yuha considers her words carefully, afraid to step in places she should not step. "unstable. She has already taken the news of not being able to fight hard enough. I don't want to burden her."

"Sometimes, ignorance is the greatest blessing," the woman agrees. She cranes her neck up, as though she can see through the roof of the cabin and the floors above, considering her reply. "Keep it from her until we are certain. I'm sure it is Akihiko who is behind all of this. There is no one else who could get away with such-" she struggles but composes herself, "violence against others." 

"But it is Kayoko and Shi who are being accused of this. No one will be willing to take such a scapegoat when a logical answer is right in front of them. I'm worried, master, that Kayoko will be caught up in this as well." 

The woman laces her fingers together, if only for something to touch, to centre herself. "Do not deny something as impossible; you tempt fate with your bad ideas. There are some things you can only come to know if you risk them - this might be one of those crossroad moments." She turns to Yuha and explains, "we can continue to keep her ignorant about our suspicions, let her have these few peaceful moments or we can let her in, let her fight her own family."