The Ends Illusion, Chapter 1

Chapter 1, Dark Luck

the shadows flickered and moved oddly within the massive trees of the Timber Wolf forest. It was night. And a herd of villagers were making their way through the woods and into the heart of it. There was an enormous full moon hovering just above the trees that framed the forest. It cast a large silver blue light strong enough to throw shadows and made everything look like it was underwater, an impression that was strengthened by the gentle breeze blowing the soft grasses against the villagers bare ankles in sweeps and whirls like waves lapping sweetly against a shore. That same wind was lifting leaves from the ground, blowing in the direction the village people were walking, guiding them like using a star to guide shepherds.
Suddenly they stopped at the edge of a massive lake, and each one of them was trying to squint so they could get a closer look at what was going on in the darkness. In the heart of the lake, just in front of the shadows of the trees, a shape materialized from the water. You could see his body because of the moonlight that caught the smooth, naked lines of his skin.

It was the body of a man with muscles as strong as a gorillas, and a stomach so flat it looked untouchable. He had jet black hair that was long but not long enough to reach past his naked shoulders. Thick strands of it poked out from the side and above his head, messy and unkempt, but that was one of the features that made him look desirable. He was completely naked. But none of the village women looked away blushing. Instead they continued to consume his beauty with their eyes, soaking up every last detailed line of him.
The only thing that seemed odd about this beautiful stranger was that his eyes were sealed shut. He didn’t open them to look at anyone. Blindly his left hand raised from his side and slowly, he pointed his index finger at one of the villagers at random. It was a woman.

All eyes turned on her. And instead of running up to the naked man like she should have, she hesitated. Shot dead in her tracks like a deer in the headlights. Unable to move herself quicker out of fear. Her eyes were as wide as an elastic band. She looked around the villagers seeking help from them, but none of them spoke up.
 
 “You hesitate, my love?”


At the sound of his voice a shiver passed through her body, and terrible, mocking laughter whispered through the leaves of the trees. She hadn’t moved her feet, but her body was slowly being drawn toward him, like his voice was pulling her in like a black hole in space. Wordlessly she obeyed and strolled through the crowd. Every eye watching her, judging her. Was this her fate? To be picked by a strange man that everyone feared.

She reached the man. Walking over the water like a god. Then she looked up...and up...

It was the love of her life, her husband. Her dead husband. She’d known it was him from the first words he’d spoken. She just hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself. How could it be him if only seconds ago she saw another man standing in his place?

 Nightmare—this had to be a nightmare.


Her husband’s body was naked, but it wasn’t completely substantial. His form wavered and shifted in time with the caressing breeze. Behind him, in the dark green shadows of the trees, she could see the ghostly shapes of his children. The demons. They clung to the limbs with the hands and feet of an inhuman creature, and stared at the woman with soulless eyes from their mutated faces.
  “It’s been so long.” Slowly, his eyelids began to open, and she stared directly into them. As soon as their gazes sealed together like a padlock, the woman lost all of her willpower all at once. His eyes were dark— a starless sky. They seemed the most substantial thing about him. That and his liquid voice. Even though this is a nightmare, she couldn’t muster the strength to pull away. She felt her husbands right hand caress her cheek gently in a way that you would to comfort a timid animal.

Then her husband moved, stepping so close to her that she could feel the chill that came from his unsubstantial body. His arms enclosed slowly around her shoulders, pressing against her back, drawing the woman closer to him. Even though his physical form was only semi-substantial, she could feel him. His skin was so soft. Winter cold against the warmth of her clothes. The outline of the man’s body was a frigid mist. It burned her skin, sending electric currents through her veins, heating her with a desire she didn’t want to feel but was powerless to resist.
Giving into this fuzzy feeling, she leaned forward into the comfort of his bare chest, hugging his middle. Closing her eyes and gasping aloud as the chill of his spirit brushed against her skeleton. Sending shooting sensations that were painful but deliciously erotic to places in her body that made her feel out of control like a ravenous vampire craving blood.

  “Daishiro...” The woman spoke her husbands name tenderly for the first time in so many years since he died. And in response he laughed. His laugh was seductive. she wanted to drown in it.

The longer Daishiro held firmly onto his wife's body, the more powerless she became. Her skin gradually began disintegrating like ashes fading from a forest fire. Her bones began to fail her, one by one. Until the point where she became paralyzed from head to toe. Then Daishiro's body began to sink back into the lake’s water, dragging his wife with him. The villagers did nothing, nor did they show any signs of fright or panic, they just remained standing as still as statues watching this all happen.
But just before the man and the woman were totally swallowed by the quicksand like-water, Daishiro's black eyes turned crimson. Glowing as brightly as torch light reflecting in the darkness, his eyes were as red as fresh blood. A victorious but sickening grin bloomed upon his lips before his head vanished under water. The surviving villagers waited for a few seconds to pray for the woman's death before they walked back the path they came in utter silence.

Once Daishiro had finished feeding on his wife, he changed into his true form, and his form was not the same as a mere human that some presumed him to be. No. He was a demon. A demon by the name of Hidehisa. He stretched his limbs as he came back to his original form. He looked human, but his limbs were overgrown and twisted. His face old and wrinkled, as if he had lived for thousands of years, which he had.

Hidehisa walked away from the crime scene and back into the forest that surrounded the lake. He walked on for several miles, still not leaving the thick dense foliage. Unfortunately for Hidehisa, life was dull and boring, consuming souls endlessly was not an ideal source of entertainment. So in order to feed his fatigue, Hidehisa liked to stir trouble on certain souls, and the bigger the impact, the better. Right now, that was all Hidehisa wanted to do.

 And it seemed today that luck was on his side.


Entering the forest roughly two miles away from where he stood, he sensed five fresh souls. Three humans, one fox demon and a hanyō. Some of them more powerful than others. Hidehisa smirked with a broken smile and approached with caution to get a better look. He was now only a foot away, and he proceeded to look into their bodies. Into their pasts and their futures. You see, Hidehisa liked to cause chaos in a particular way, merely killing people wasn't very amusing at all. No. It had to be more fun and more complexed.He delved deep into each individual's past, searching for key points which could have an immense turning point in their lives. Usually, it was something simple like turning left instead of right, or saying yes instead of no. But with this lot, it was a little bit more different. The human demon slayer was at war with a loved one. Living in constant concern for her younger brother whose life was entwined with a Sacred Jewel Shard.
For the monk, he had witnessed the death of his father at such a young age. His fate was also attached to something, and that something was a black hole embedded in his right hand. For the fox demon, he had witnessed the death of his father too, that was the main factor in his life. As was the same for the hanyō.

But unlike the other three, this hanyō wouldn't be the same if he hadn't of met the young human girl carrying the bow and arrow. The one he vowed to protect. Which finally brought Hidehisa to her past. To his delight he sensed a combination of different turning points that could cause mass destruction, but there was one that stood out from the rest. A pastime experience where the domino effect would be so great it would be utterly stupid of him not to go for this option. Hidehisa grinned manically. This was perfect. It was time to put his plan into action.
The five travelers advanced deeper into the heavy forest, into the heart of the darkest part. And much to Shippo's dislike, they weren't going to turn back. As hard as he tried to swallow his fright, his body said otherwise. He was a nervous wreck, trembling and shaking like a maraca. Shippo wanted to be fearless just like his friends were, but to say that you were going to act brave was easier said than done. He was just a kid after all, can you blame him for being scared.

  “Inuyasha,” Kagome kept checking on the tiny fox demon clinging onto her shoulder for dear life, acting like he was hanging above a treacherous sea and was about to fall. “Why are we going through this forest? It's causing Shippo some distress, can't we simply go around or something?” She held onto Shippo's hand in attempt to give him some sort of comfort.

  “It's quicker this way.” Inuyasha growled. “And besides, Shippo's a wimp!”

Suddenly Kagome’s face turned hard and her eyes narrowed, glaring at the back of the half-demon’s head. Thankfully for him, Inuyasha didn’t turn around because if he did he would had dropped dead then and there if her looks could kill.
She frowned. Gripping onto Shippo even more out of frustration this time rather than comfort. “Osuwari!” She hissed. Forcing Inuyasha to take another trip down to earth.

Inuyasha’s rude cursing was muffled by the ground, but Kagome paid little attention to him as she continued on. Stepping over his body as if he was just a mere stepping stone.

Suddenly, there was a shift in the air. The wind became chilly, much colder than usual.

 “Kagome?” Shippo said, tugging the fabric of her top. Kagome didn't reply, nor did she acknowledge Shippo’s voice vibrating down her eardrum. She scanned her surroundings noticing that the light of the forest began fading away, leaving them in total darkness. The air became a harsh bitter cold as the sounds of the wildlife ceased to be.
  “What's happening?” Sango said cautiously, her fingers clamping around her Hiraikotsu.

  “I...I don't know,” Kagome’s voice stammered. She then felt something being draped over her shoulders like silk, and the sound of a sword being pulled out of its shaft brought her some comfort.

The mortal realised it was Inuyasha’s Robe of the Fire Rat covering her shoulders in an attempt to keep her warm. His Tessaiga was clasped tightly in his hands as he awaited for the oncoming danger. The half-breed stood in front of her, shielding her. Making sure that she was protected.
From out of the foliage emerged a figure. The shadow molded like clay into a shape of a being with a familiar face. Kagome recognized them immediately.

  “Otōsan?” It was a one word question. But in her heart, she knew that this figure standing before her wasn’t her father. Hassan Higurashi. As much as she wished it was truly him, Kagome knew that something was dangerously wrong. It couldn't be her dad. He was dead and gone long ago.

Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged looks. The hanyō looked utterly confused, but going by the rebuttaled expression she wore he knew that whoever this human was, it wasn’t the person Kagome thought.
  “What are you?” She shouted into the darkness. Fear and anger hissing through her teeth and rising in her voice.

  “It seems that you are not as stupid as I presumed you to be.” The form of her father said as he gradually changed into his original broken form. Chuckling in the process.

Inuyasha swung his deadly blade in a threatening way, and which sliced through the thick mist  like cutting a cake. The mist began gathering around them And Kagome found herself edging closer into Inuyasha’s back seeking for more protection.

  “You have three seconds to tell me what you want with Kagome before I remove you of your limbs!”

  “I simply want to help her revive a loved one.” Hidehisa said with a twisted false smile.

  “I don't like to be fooled!” Kagome snapped back furiously. “Now leave! Or we won't hesitate to kill you.”

Hidehisa continued to giggle bitterly. “We'll see,” and with that, he waved his hands gracefully, casting some sort of spell upon Kagome causing her to fade out like a transition. Inuyasha lunged quickly. Luckily grabbing a hold of her hand, he vanished like dust into thin air.  


Magically they left behind the wildness of Timber Wolf forest. Inuyasha’s vision took time to focus due to the fact that he closed his eyes during the teleportation. There were no clouds loitering above and the usually turquoise sky looked down upon him. He gazed around himself dumbfoundedly, and discovered that he was standing on the pavement on modern street in Kagome’s world.

As a result the half-breed became even more puzzled as he studied each individual building he laid eyes on. Something gently brushed his left shoulder, and he looked around to see that his mortal companion was still by his side. The sight of her brought him some relief, noting in his mind that she wasn’t hurt in anyway at all.
She was looking around the street as well mirroring his confusion, but those chocolate like orbs glimmered in curiosity. Inuyasha examined her intently. Watching the way her lashes kept flattering like the wings of a butterfly, as if she was trying to hold back tears. Then she stopped. Her head turned into stone. Her brown eyes expanded as wide as a balloon. Obviously disturbed by something as Inuyasha followed the line of her gaze and saw at the other end of the street a man walking across the road. It was then that Kagome started to panic.

 “This is it.” She said. Inuyasha turned his attention back. And despite how clueless he was, carefully he reached out and cupped his hand in hers.
Hassan began crossing the road holding a bag of groceries in his left hand. The plastic tore apart suddenly due to the amount of weight, and the vegetables inside the bag clattered like sticks to the floor. Rolling across the empty road. He abruptly swirled round to gather the contents but as he turned back a large car screeched round the corner. The vehicle ran so fast Hassan didn’t have time to react. His arms sprang up to his face as him and the car collided.


Kagome looked away. Gripping tighter onto Inuyasha's hand. During her time in the Feudal Era Kikyo had been the only person she had witnessed die before her eyes. But she had never witnessed anything like this before. This was more brutal than watching the young Priestess die peacefully inside Inuyasha’s arms. Her teeth grinded against each other as the tears began streaming down her face. The hanyō couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. From how similar looking Kagome and this man was, Inuyasha concluded that this man who died before their eyes was her father. And knowing this piece of information his grip on her hand also tightened. Reassuring her through that one touch that she wasn’t alone in her grief. He knew what it was like to lose a parent, even though the half-breed was a baby at the time his father died, somehow he could relate to everything Kagome was feeling right now.



But the grief wasn’t over just yet.


Instead of showing Hassan’s death once, history continued to repeat itself; twice, three times. Four. And five. Stuck on a constant loop like a broken record stuck on a record player, and it seemed that there was no way in stopping this madness. Each time Hassan died more emotional pain was added onto Kagome’s regret, rising higher and higher like water filling up a bowl.

She tried to bury her raw emotions like trying to bury a dead body in the woods. This is an illusion, she kept chanting quietly in her head. She had to keep reminding herself of the fact that Hassan died when she was only a baby. She never got to know him properly, let alone even meet him. I mean, she hardly had any memories of him only photos kept in an album. So why was witnessing his death so traumatizing? She never met him. This was supposed to be like watching a total stranger die in movie and not feel a thing for them. Except this total stranger was apart of her life once a long, long time ago.  
 ”You can stop this you know,” whispered an uncanny voice borrowed in the back of her mind. It was Hidehisa’s voice. It sounded unkind and merciless like the booming voice of a judge. He was tempting her to do wrong, like the devil tempting Eve to eat one of the apples off the tree. She didn’t want to do it. But she felt compelled to do it even if it meant throwing away something precious.

  ”All you have to do is run and save him.”</i> Kagome could hear the smile shining in the demon’s tone of voice. She hated what he was doing to her, and she tried so desperately hard mentally to not give in. She had to remain strong. Besides, she had Inuyasha beside her, so this should be easy right?

Eventually though, the mortal female cracked the eighth time round. Her legs jolted forward, but a set of hands ripped her away. These hands were strong, demon hands, backed by muscles earned through years of training. It was Inuyasha. Kagome struggled against his hold. Wailing with tears splashing from her eyes.
“Let me go!” She screamed.

The half-demon locked his arms around hers, pinning both her arms behind her back as if he was a policemen arresting a robber. Suddenly, completely out of nowhere, to his utter and complete disbelief, Kagome lifted her right foot and booted him in the stomach. Which Inuyasha clearly didn't expect. His amber orbs widened in shock—and in a little pain—buckling over in on himself and clenching his stomach hard. Providing Kagome lots of room to shove him away. The free escape space was long enough for Kagome to bolt two steps away, and from there she raced out into the heart of the road.

 “NO!” Inuyasha barked but he was too late to stop it. At the precise moment the car shrilled around that corner Kagome threw herself at Hassan, knocking him out of the verchal’s range. And just like that Hassan was saved. The past automatically rewrote itself, and Kagome looked over at Inuyasha who remained at the other side of the road. His body suddenly disintegrated into the atmosphere like paper blowing in the wind. Never to exist in her life again.


Kagome’s eyes widened at the sight of her companion disappearing. “Inuyasha!!”  


Hidehisa had done it once again. The future was now falling to pieces. And it would take a miracle to change it.