The haze emitted from the flames of torches playfully danced above the heads of unknown figures, whilst the chants of low deep voices of both men and women alike reached the heavens bit by bit, echoing through the eons. A full moon, the graceful mistress of the night, had come to shine upon the shadows, dressed in a gown soaked in blood. Clouds painted in jet black ink floated through the sky, as if they were dragons, chasing after the stars, which twinkled and shined on the dark blue canvas that was the welkin. The water's surface was still for a moment and then became distorted. Ripples disturbed the lake's serenity, so crystal clear and splendid. Like a century-old music box, a song was gently carried by the wind to those who listened. Each note was slow and light. A sad melody it was. It spoke of agony and morning, of a voice unheard, of a side unseen. And then came a scream, one of pain and suffering. It pierced all with the emotion the barer felt, one of both deep sadness and flaming anger. As sudden as this attack was, it all vanished in the depths of darkness. The water became still once more and a mist of shadows began its slow waltz over the scenery. The curtain fell. The play came to its bitter ending. With that, all became silent and not a single sound was uttered.
Slowly his eyelids parted from one another and lifted upwards, revealing the condition of the wooden sealing. Cracked, drilled by unknown miniature creatures, with thin white threads that spread left and right, like highways across a barren plane, sometimes parting and dripping downwards, resembling the pale bony hands of an elderly woman, reaching out for her grandchild, in order to give it a nice big kiss. Light from a debatable source entered through the dirty barred windows, weakly illuminating the contents inside. Lifting himself to a sitting position, the young man's mouth slightly open as he inhaled silently, bits and pieces of dust floating undisturbed in the air. The atmosphere was calm and quiet, so much a needle could be heard as it hit the hard floor of the cabin. It would have been completely soundless if not for the soft breathing of those who peacefully slept under the white covers of their beds. Resting upon the top bunk of his own, Hakuren Zabluda was as if in a daze. Eyes somewhat clouded, he used his right hand to let his fingers run through his black-blue hair. For comfort's sake, he had removed the black band, which usually tied it together as it hid, tucked in beneath his clothing. Wearing a light blue shirt, which was unbuttoned until the middle, and hair going down his neck to a level slightly below that of his shoulders, the lad stood motionless whilst he sorted out the thoughts in his head. Lightly, a breath or two escaped through his lips, pushing away the particles, which glimmered through the staleness of the space around him. His expression was calm, lacking his usual friendly smile, and finally resembled that of a psychologist, of a person asking and answering questions concerning a world only he knew of. Several heartbeats were spent in this manner, until a crack in the ice broke the serenity of the moment. A smiled appeared on his face, yet it was not of the nature already mentioned. Perhaps, the most likely word befitting a description of it would be "sinister".
"So, shall we begin?" he asked no one in particular.
Pushing the last covers aside, the youngster moved and allowed his legs to hang, while his gaze quickly scanned the area around him. Dissonance's sleeping face was adorable, of course. This was most likely the only time she could be seen in such a dormant state and, even when she was not beaming with her sunshine attitude, her charm continued to brighten her image. Pulling his arms behind his back in order to stretch, Hakuren heard a crack and found it enough. Taking to the ladder, he took one step at a time, all the while observing the person, who slept in the bed below him. Her name was Leila, the girl who had been his companion, whilst the two of them had been dragged by the white hare practically everywhere. It was then that he realized how accurate the bunny lass's nickname for her actually was. She was curled up much like a small animal, the sheets covering her entire body and the back of her head, including her ears, an attempt to block the noise, no doubt.
"The harder the shell, the deeper the crack." he sighed as he dropped down on the floor to put on his shoes.
Not a single other person was awake. The young man went to the toilet, which was a room composed of only a hole in the ground and a rusty old sink with a white chunk of something that was meant to serve the role of a soap. Other than his bodily need, he made sure to wash both his hands and his mouth, albeit he didn't use the questionable detergent to do so. Afterwords he checked the black jeans he had left to dry on the bottom end of his bed, finding that not only were they no longer damp, but they also did not have a single hole or remnant of the accident on them. This was pleasing, for he didn't want to be left pantsless. Putting them on, he went to look out the window, only to see that the landscape was no different than what he last remembered of it. Bare trees with branches reaching upwards, like beggars pleading for a dime from ignorant passers by. The ground dark and dusty, not hinting at a single shred of life left in it. And the ever sneaky mist, creeping between the trunks. This was the type of place Yonder was. Haunted, corrupt, a corner of Nowhere that showed just how real a 'fantasy' world could be.
"Wake up, this is reality." he uttered quietly as he gazed over at Harper, who was still resting in his bed. That student had showed a rather flashy display of his youthful flame the other day, but Hakuren had the heart to forgive him. After all, it was only natural for a person of his age and kind to react to the current circumstances in such a manner.
