“I asked if you wanted the truth.”
Ryuichi studied the images once more. “So, the shadowscantalk. They can tell on anyone, can’t they?”
Koichi sighed. “Well... not just anyone can talk to them. It does take someone with special skills, if that makes you feel better.”
“Not really.” In fact, it still left a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. One that made him want to vomit. It meant that someone could learn all his secrets. Use them all against him.
Which left him wondering something. “Could the shadows be our traitor?”
Koichi let out a long, slow breath as he appeared to consider that. “Not likely.”
“You’re sure?”
“Maybe.” Koichi turned to stare at them for a moment. “No. I’m sure. You should be one of those who can talk to them. Someday. If they don’t kill you.”
He still wondered if they could spy and relay secrets to others. “Can shadows ever go free?”
Koichi frowned. “Why do you ask?”
“Curiosity.”
“Well... legends say so. Supposedly that’s what causes a Kage-Onna. And I’ve heard of others who’ve lost their shadows. But normally the shadow takes over its master. They tend to be aggressive that way.”
Ryuichi’s gaze went to Koichi’s shadow. “What happens to a person who loses their shadow? What becomes of them?”
Koichi shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess they go on with their lives. That would make sense, considering the Kage-Onna.” He clapped him on the back. “But if I were you, that’s the last thing I’d be worrying about. Your fears should be more along the lines of something eating you and your shadow both.”
Ryuichi snorted sarcastically. “Great. Thanks for the reminder and the inspirational speech, Sensei. Want to gouge out my eyes next? Just for fun?”
“That’s all right. I should save something for your enemies when they capture you.” He clapped him on the back again. Even harder.
Ryuichi bristled and stepped away from his teacher. For once, he wanted his surly kitsune back. Granted, it made no sense, but he actually felt a little safer with Masaru around.
And as he followed Koichi outside the infirmary, he froze as he finally understood what Koichi had been talking about. It was as if he’d had an awakening.
A birth.
Or maybe a rebirth...
“You okay?” Koichi asked.
Not really. He felt the shadows now. As if they were a part of him. Or coming for him, more to the point. Like they wanted something. “Can you control the shadows, Koichi-sama?”
Koichi laughed bitterly. “No, child. No one can control the shadows. Not even your father.”
There was no missing the dark note in his sensei’s voice. It sent a chill over him. “What about Masaru?”
“He’s a little different. As a servant for the moon god, he can interact with shadows on a superficial level. Not the same as what you can do.”
“How do you know he serves Tsukuyomi?” He’d never seen anything on Masaru that marked him as a servant of the moon god.
“The color of his eyes. All of Tsukuyomi’s servants have white eyes.”
Oh... he’d wondered about that with Masaru but hadn’t realized that it’d come from the moon god.
“Is there a reason for it?”
“They say that, when you stare at the god, it drains the color from your eyes. The longer you look, the whiter they become. If you stare long enough, you’ll lose all color and never be able to walk in daylight again.”
