1946, the boys, like agile voles, darted through the morning market in Kuju highlands, their lithe bodies weaving effortlessly through the bustling crowd. They donned in their traditional heavy and thick outfits, and the coarse fabric brushing against their skin, absorbing the scents of dirt, and sweat. The throng of pilgrims, all eagerly awaited the coronation of the new Gatekeeper just outside of the Kumano monastery. They swelled with anticipation. Their unified and paced supplicate gestures intermingling with the faint scent of crisp mountain breeze that moistened a calm serenity on to the westside of highland.
"They say he's only 18! The youngest ever to receive such honor," the words borne on breaths of villagers, tinged with admiration. Among them, stood a solitary figure. A girl in black Shozoku, her slender figure hid her from the world.
At noon, the sun sprinkled golden beams through the thin clouds, a procession of men entered, their muscular arms hoisting a gold-plated sedan. They stumbled upon the gravel path with sandaled feet, the tiny rocks under their feet rubbed to make crunch sound as though the earth was chanting along with the faithfuls kneeling behind them. Inside the sedan sat a slim fit young man with pale skin and short trimmed hair, wearing no garment on his upper flesh, his eyes closed in quiet contemplation as the cool breeze tickled his exposed skin.
"Wow Wow Wow Wow!" The chant rose, harmonious and loud in greeting, the resonant swelled like a wave crashing upon the shore. As the sedan bore its passenger into Heaven's Gate, all knelt and bowed, their heads dipping low to show their insignificancy before the all-mighty God of nature. All, but the girl in black who stood unconvinced and shouted, "If you are truly the Keeper of Heaven, then save my family from the demons! I beg you, My most holy one!"
The gate did not close until the boy inside turned his head, his soulful blue eyes locked onto her, an electrifying exchange of unspoken words lingered with heavy taste between them.
After a moment that seemed like a lifetime. The boy turned his head, uttered a few words to his cortege, then they continued their march into the gate. Thousands of faithful kneeled and bowed to chant outside the monastery, and they didn't leave for another three weeks after the grand ceremony.
☆☆☆
Three days since Rin Shento succeeded his family's honor, he shut the old scripture he had been translating. After days of spending time with those delicate parchment while its pages rest softly on each other, he became distracted. His eyes fell on the tattoo of a lion-headed dragon on his right arm, the ink a vivid shade of indigo, an ever-present reminder of his heritage. It was etched into his skin during his coronation ceremony, just as it was for his father before him.
Despite his youth, he had earned the revered position through sheer talent and hard work, his diligence and will as be unyielding as these ancient stone walls that surrounded him. He thought about his predecessors who fought wars to protect the gate, a sense of pride washed over him, warm and invigorating.
Rin began to quietly meditate, an unusual feeling clouded his intuition since the coronation day, a sensation akin to the taste of an unripe fruit, bitter and unsettling. The young girl's voice outside of the gate continued speaking to him in his mind, her words were insistent like rock sharp like knife.
"Could she be a demon seeking passage to heaven?" Rin speculated while her voice continued questioning and testing him. Its unfamiliar melody pinched his peace like a child persistently looking for answers.
The first time Rin heard her speaking to him was when he was discussing with an elder priest. As the tea they sipped tasted sweeter as their conversation went on for hours, her inquisition came from his head suddenly. "What do you seek?" He couldn't identify who the source of the voice belonged to, but still replied leisurely, "I seek peace."
"I'm sorry to tell you, there is no peace!" The young woman's voice rang out again, a cacophony of emotion that made the hairs on the back of Rin's neck stand on end. "I am offering you your greatest desire today - power," she said, her voice was intoxicating as honey wine. This was when Rin realized the voice belonged to the girl at the gate.
"Power belongs to those who deserve it. When it is given, it can be taken away." Rin responded without pause nor hesitation, "True power comes from within!"
The girl's voice went silent, its absence leaving no hint of her real purpose, and Rin was left to ponder whether it was a test that had been thrust upon him by the divine.
☆☆☆
The night came, thick with secrets, the roots of the cherry tree stretching above the stone floor like grasping fingers held together. The moon hung like a solo warrior behind thick clouds, a distant promise of rain by the moisture in the air.
Rin paced alone in the vestibule of the monastery, his footsteps echoing softly as he yearned for a clue. He'd asked for this visitor, for answers to his questions that gnawed at his soul like a persistent hunger. He knew something of unusual with the girl who confronted him at the gate.
A shuffling sound broke through the darkness, the scrape of fabric against stone, and Lui emerged from around a corner, a figure in black shozoku following behind him. She was young—no more than sixteen—but something indescribable lurked beneath her beauty, a sparking flame in the darkness. Rin's face blushed with it as she stepped closer. Although she seemed delicate and fragile, but an immense power flowed inside her , something he could not define.
Lui pulled Rin's arm lightly, his fingers were steady to indicate that he will escort the girl away if he demands it. But Rin didn't, instead, he couldn't take his eyes off her. The girl shrunk back and titter, "Ps…" The sound was perky and soft.
For Rin, to meet this girl in person was an entirely different experience than just hearing her in his head. And for her, the grand Gatekeeper who was respected and worshipped was not anything she expected.
Rin stared deeply into her eyes—their depths seemed like a bottomless well, a churning whirlpool of secrets—he then finally found his voice. He inquired calmly and deliberately; each syllable carefully weighed: "What is your name?"
"Claus," she hid her eyes from him to reply quietly, yet, magnetic and electrifying. "My name is Clasu Suman."
Rin felt a strong desire and he couldn't restrain the monster hidden deep inside himself, after all he was only a young man of 18. "I sense powerful evil within you—are you a sorceress?"
Claus did not answer, her silence was as impenetrable as a moonless night. Rin stepped closer, raising his left hand to reach just few inches above her forehead. A spark leaped on the tip of his fingers, a surge of unseen energy that entwined in his palm made Claus crumpled onto the floor, unconscious.
☆☆☆
The wind began to howl as the time reached almost mid-night, it whipped around the drape of Rin's garb and make it look like a serpent. He had sat beside Claus' bed for two days. Her bed's stone-cold abrasive surface stark a dramatic contrast to her heavenly form. She was fighting her battle against her own demon, and he had to be there to help her surpass this critical time.
Then, a gust blew open the window to put out their candlelight, Rin scrambled up to secure the sash, the wood creaking beneath his fingers as he wrestled with the latch. He then reached for the lamp to kindle the flame back to life, revived a the warm orange hue on the walls. His gaze fixed upon her, and his cheeks flushed crimson red like a ripe apple as he realized her brown eyes were already open, gaped back at him with a depth of sentiments.
"You are awake." he gently greeted her, there were things he rather holds back.
"I am going to start calling you Tomato Head." Claus chuckled, despite her weakened state, her sweet trickle defied darkness.
Rin gulped and forced a pretend smile, the corners of his mouth trembling with effort. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better. Thank you." She smiled back with proper adequacy that all women were groomed to hold in her village. Yet, a wit and strength in her tender reply.
He looked away and wandered to the rough-hewn stone walls, dreading what he was about to say next. "I don't want to bring bad news…the demon with you is strong and cunning. I still can't find its source after these last two nights."
"Really? I feel fine," she paused, her brow furrowing as if trying to recall a memory. Then, as if remembering an important detail, she added, "But I'm hungry. Can you bring me some food?"
"Yes! Of course," he said with a nod.
☆☆☆
The common meal for the monks and priests of the monastery was centered around soybean-based foods like tofu along with seasonal vegetables and wild mountain plants.
"These tastes so good! I love it!" Claus finished the dishes within minutes. Claus' pale skin had a vigor of pink.
"Can I get you anything else?"
"I am fine. How about you? Why don't you get some rest?" Claus knew that Rin had not slept.
"There is something I must discuss with you. About your family."
"I don't feel well." Claus requested to rest some more.
"The demon with you is extremely strong. I'll stay outside the door. Let me know if you need anything." Rin expected Claus' discomfort.
"Stay here with me. I don't want to be alone." Claus' voice was helpless and sweet. Rin's face flushed once again.
☆☆☆
Rin had been held up with Claus for days, their shared space flavored with each other's stories and secrets, their conversation weaved an invisible tapestry in the air. The distant hum of the monastery and the soft rub of the fall wind on the casement, were the only eyewitness testifying their hushed exchanges.
"Why chooses this place?" Claus queried, her fingers trailing absently across the cool, rough surface of the stone bed. "You could be out there, exploring the world, instead of stuck here guarding Heaven's Gate. What will they thank you for when you save it? Will anyone even notice what you do?" Her voice held back, like fading strings.
Rin swallowed his pride, with the bitter taste on his tongue, he shook off the urge to disagree. He was bound by his family's legacy, and he would not waver in his duty, he would fight and stand guard till he fell with the Heaven's Gate.
"What will make you truly happy?" Claus continued relentlessly, the intensity of her instigation searing into him like a flame. "Doing what you want? Being with who you care about most? Who cares for you most? The world won't change if you're not here." Her voice gained a bitter edge, a pang of regret like the sharp sting piercing his heart. "And it will toss you aside without a second thought."
"My family has served here for centuries," Rin said simply, his hands folded in his lap while the girl in front of him was ever more elegant and delectable. "My honor lies with them."
Claus said nothing more, her silence heavy as stone, as tears spilled down her cheeks. Rin felt his spirit sag at the thought of losing her, the guilt felt like a leaden weight pressing against his chest. But he stood tall, he knew he had a bourn duty. To be the beacon to all salvations.