The world was hazy. Mitsuba squinted against the harsh white light, trying her damnedest to bring the fuzzy shapes into focus, but to no avail. Her throat itched. She lifted a hand to it, rubbing against the skin.
“What the hell,” she croaked.
After rubbing her eyes, the blur in her vision steadied. She appeared to be in a courtyard but there was no one around. The trees which circled the place swayed gently with the wind. Sitting up, Mitsuba frowned, and then shot a glance at her stone pavement beneath her.
How in the world had she gotten here? Where was everyone else? What had happened?
A sudden rustling caught Mitsuba’s attention and snapped her out of her confused reverie. Narrowing her eyes, the girl peered into the distance, her ears twitching. The scratch in her throat grew more insistent.
Standing up, Mitsuba crossed the courtyard to investigate the mysterious noise, her fingers still brushing her neck. She pushed aside a bush, not flinching when the thorns dug into her legs. The rustling became clearer and turned into a distinct tapping, almost as if someone was dancing across the concrete, their shoes snapping at the heel.
A flash of brown crossed Mitsuba’s line of sight. She suddenly became acutely aware of a rhythmic thumping and the smell of the blood it pushed through veins. She froze, her eyes locked on an unfamiliar brunette girl in a school uniform.
Mitsuba watched the delicate pulse beneath the girl’s slender neck, her thoughts flying everywhere at once, a sinking feeling in her gut. A bead of sweat rolled down her cheek. “Hey,” she said to the girl. “Are you a cadet?” Mitsuba’s hands began to shake. Her throat burned. “I think we’re in a bad spot. A really bad spot. If you’ve got a weapon-- dammit, draw it now! Hurry up!”
Mitsuba stumbled back, forcing every ounce of her willpower into keeping her feet still. She wouldn’t charge this girl. She wouldn’t hurt her. Whatever had happened, it didn’t mean a fucking thing, not to a Sangu, not to Mitsuba Sangu.
“Listen, you’re a soldier, so I don’t wanna hear any questions. Just-- get a move on and knock me out already! Hell, kill me if you have to, I don’t-- it doesn’t matter! Okay? Just hurry up!”
