Chapter 5
From this surprise Ada’s eyes grew wide open. “Oh shit” she thought, looking at Byakuya’s cold and emotionless expression.
- K-Kuchiki-t-taichou… - Ada whispered almost silently.
- What are you doing here, lieutenant? – he asked coldly.
- I…I was taking a walk, - she replied calmly, wishing that he would let her go.
- A walk? – Byakuya raised his eyebrow, - That is why you were sneaking out of the window?
Ada was standing there silent with her head down, not being able to find an excuse for that one.
- Very well. I see you recovered from your injury, - he said, releasing her wrist from his grip. Ada looked up at him with a trace of hope in her eyes. Byakuya made a few steps past her and turned his head slightly to her, - Don’t stay up too late, you don’t want to miss the meeting tomorrow morning.
With that Byakuya left, leaving Ada standing alone in the shadows, wondering. “I got off easy, gotta be more careful” she thought, making her way through the shadows to her dorm. Lying on her bed in the dark, she thought about Byakuya until her mind finally drifted off to sleep.
---
- Captain Commander. You wanted to see me? – asked Byakuya, facing old man Yamamoto, who was sitting in front of him.
- Yes, captain Kuchiki, - replied old man, - This is about Adazakura Amai. I need you again to describe exactly what was it that you saw on your mission with lieutenant Amai. It is important.
Byakuya described exactly what happened on the mission he and Ada went a while ago (if you’re wondering, Byakuya mentioned in his report what he saw Ada do, it got attention from Captain Yamamoto, thus he and Yamamoto were conversing about this matter for a while now).
- Just like I thought… - said Yamamoto, with concern, - This might be it…
- What is it? Do you know what that power was? – Byakuya sure showed a concern/interest in that matter.
- It is only a theory, but there is a high chance of it. She might be related to the Great House of Akiyama, - said Yamamoto, looking at Byakuya, whose eyes went wide in surprise, yet, shock.
- But… It’s impossible! The House was destroyed centuries ago… and there is no one left of its family, - he couldn’t believe what old Yamamoto was telling him.
- Yes, it was destroyed and no one of its family was ever found… here.
- What do you mean? – Byakuya looked at Yamamoto questioningly.
- No one of Akiyama family was found in the Soul Society, but there are other worlds…
- Do you mean that… - started Byakuya.
- I’m not certain, but there is a possibility that the one who remained went to the real world. If that’s the case, lieutenant Amai is a great granddaughter of the last rulers of the Great Akiyama House, - said Yamamoto, looking at Byakuya, - Captain Kuchiki, you are to leave with Adazakura Amai to the ruins of old Akiyama Mansion to retrieve her true identity immediately. No one should know about this until we know if Adazakura Amai is truly an Akiyama.
- Hai Captain Commander, - said Byakuya, bowing his head.
- I expect you to report to me as soon as you return from this trip.
---
Ada heard the knock on her door and put her head up. “Who is that at this late hour?” she murmured to herself while putting on her dark blue kimono with an image of light blue branches of Sakura tree and big pink fluffy bunny-slippers. Still asleep she made her way out of her bedroom to the door, there was a knock again. With her eyes still closed she opened a door to an awkward silence for quite a long moment.
Byakuya stood in front of the open door, staring at Ada, who was apparently “sleep-walking”. She wore white sleeveless top, short purple shorts, her kimono was untied and she wore her pink bunny-slippers, her hair was down. He looked at her from top to bottom, stopping his glare at her fluffy slippers. Ada finally opened up her eyes; as she did so, she caught Byakuya staring at her slippers with his eyebrow raised. He looked back at her face when she heavily blushed, putting her hand behind her head.
- Uh… Captain Kuchiki..? What are you doing here this late; it’s almost 1 at night…? – Ada asked Byakuya, still blushing a little; she could swear that she saw a smirk on his face.
- Lieutenant Amai, you are to leave with me immediately as Captain Yamamoto requested, - he gave her the letter from Captain Commander. Ada briefly looked through it and her face turned serious, she quickly went into her room, and in a moment she already was beside Byakuya in her casual “everyday” dress (dark blue sleeveless dress down to her knees with two long “cuts” coming up to her hips on both sides with dark shorts under (she didn’t take her Zanpaktou).
They walked in silence for almost an hour, the night was very calm and clear.
- I don’t understand… why Captain Yamamoto wants me to go to the ruins of that mansion? – asked Ada, looking up at Byakuya, who was walking beside her.
- You will know when you get there, - he said emotionlessly, without even looking at her.
- Fair enough. – she replied, mostly to herself.
In about 15 minutes they reached ruins of the old mansion.
- We’re here, - said Byakuya, looking straight at the ruined mansion (actually, ruins looking pretty and romantic). He walked through the old broken gates with Ada behind him. They came closer to the broken entrance of the mansion (or what was left of it). As they walked in, Ada stopped behind Byakuya, looking around the place with weird expression on her face.
- What is it? – asked Byakuya, seeing her eyes fill with worry, yet surprise.
- This place… I… I’ve seen it before…In my dreams, well, more likely nightmares… - she brushed her hand on the stone wall that had some symbols on it. Byakuya raised his eyebrows in surprise. She walked by him into the centre of the what-used-to-be some sort of big living room. As she stood in the middle of this “open area” and looked around, the floor under her started to glow, the sign that was on it in particular.
Ada looked down to discover that she was standing in the middle of the Akiyama family crest, which was drawn on the floor. Her face expression changed into shock and fear: this crest was the exact mark she had on her right hip, which now started to burn really bad. Her eyes filled with pain as she put her hand on her hip where the mark burned; she let out a short scream of pain while she fell on her knees, holding herself from falling with her free hand. Byakuya ran up to her (more like flash-stepped) to hold her up when she screamed in pain once more, putting her hand on her head, as if trying to stop it from exploding. Her eyes started to glow with bright blue, pain pierced through her body and images started to flash in her mind: fire, screams, horror, pain, blood, fear, fight… She didn’t know what that was, but she couldn’t stop it. Her body was shaking, she was screaming in horror and pain, as she felt another horrible pain strike piercing through her burning mark on her hip, she put her hand on it, as if it would stop the pain. As Ada took her hand off her hip, it was covered with blood; Byakuya looked at her with unpleasant surprise, he ripped the side of her shorts to reveal the mark on her hip, which was bleeding. He was shocked to see the same mark on Ada’s hip as the crest of the Akiyama family. “She is Akiyama” he thought still shocked.
Ada was lying on the floor as Byakuya held her close in his arms, her body was shaking in cold sweat; tears were running down her face without stopping, her hair turned bleach-white with few black stripes (I guess because of the stress and pressure she experienced with this seal-breaking). She didn’t scream anymore – she couldn’t, didn’t have enough “strength”, everything was a little blurry.
- Why…? What’s happening to me…? – she said with a trembling voice, but Byakuya didn’t say anything, he just pulled her closer into his arms. “Who would go to such lengths to restrain someone’s power that would do such a thing to break a seal?” he thought with dismay looking at Ada, who was barely conscious. When she completely lost her consciousness, Byakuya picked her up (bridal style:D) and carried her out of the ruins.
___
Thank you for reading; please rate.
Stay tuned for the next chapter ^.^
