Intrusion at Twilight (kagami)

[Eleni Hanno]

It was so quiet once one left the city. Under the fading light of the sky Eleni could begin to see stars twinkling now that they did not have to compete with electric lamps and signs. This was what she was used to, the temples that dotted the forrest path and the surrounding trees. Every year the buildings in town seemed to grow with the people filling in every corner making her feel pushed out. Not that anyone noticed her invisible form jump in a bus and have to stand or follow the packs that crossed the streets. She tolerated all the noise for her own satisfaction to remember what humans were like, figuring this was just the next chapter in mortal life.

Dry leaves crunched softly under her feet, the only clue that something else occupied the path. Unless you believed in the sort of magic that gave Eleni life, in which case she appeared as clear as day. Wearing a navy blue jumper with tall brown boots she might not have been the pinnacle of Japanese fashion but that thought never crossed her mind. She was so used to being little more than a ghost in the mortal realm that it never occurred to her that she might not fit in. So as she made her way from temple to temple, lighting a small candle, her mind was focused on offering respect to the passed emperors. Eleni had read that was an honorable thing to do which might bring her some much needed spiritual guidance. Besides, she wasn't quite ready to leave yet.

Though the narrow pathway became dim in the meager evening light she had no problem following it, many feet having crossed it and trampled any overgrowth. It was along here that she knelt down at a small shrine, no doubt erected long before many of the other surrounding structures. No more than a foot or two from the main trail it was obviously saw fewer visitors than many of the refurbished ones. Constructed of round stones stacked to resemble a hut it's surface was covered in small vines that tried to reclaim it for the earth. Eleni pulled some of the larger ones away from the front, careful not to disturb the form.

Her hands clasped around a stick and when she laid it back down it slowly turned to fire. Leaning back Eleni cocked her head to the side and watched it, smiling softly at the flickering glow. Around her the trees swayed in the breeze and a few unknown insects talked back and forth. All the other visitors must've gone back to their hotels or camps she guessed, as her heartbeat was the only nearly human thing she sensed.

[Kagami Fuku]

Inside a cheap hotel room, a young Magus tried to rest. The boy had spent the entire day searching for information on "Werewolves" and "Vampires", creatures he had discovered by watching several mortal films. According to what he had seen on that movies and the data he had gathered on what they call "internet", the former were humans who turned into a wolf whenever there was full moon, and the latter were individuals who needed to suck human blood to survive. After all that research, Kagami Fuku was dead tired. Unfortunately for him, there was no night in which he could sleep in peace. Kyoto was a noisy city, especially in the area he was at, yes, but that was not the reason.

- Hah ~ hah ~ - He woke up, hours later. A minute ago, he was having a nightmare. Now, he covered his head with both hands and tried to calm down. The dream itself wasn't that scary, then... Why did he feel this way? Frightened, caged, helpless. He couldn't tell. The sensation only lasts for a minute, but that minute lasts an eternity. As he went for a drink, memories popped up in his head, tormenting him. He lost balance and fell to the ground, and so did the glass of apple juice he was holding, breaking into many pieces that scattered along the small room. - Damn. - He put on his coat, grabbed his bag, and decided to go on a night-walk, closing the door behind him.

Normally, Kyoto was a lively city, even during the night. This day was no exception. Luckily, when Kagami goes on a night-walk, his brain disconnects. He doesn't think, he just walks. He doesn't hear noises, he ignores the people that travel next to him. And, before he could ever notice, he had walked over two miles, and had exited the city. - Ok... How did I end up here? - he thought out loud. - I better start the way back. -

Then, something caught his attention. Light, not far from there. Obviously, fire. That meant he was not alone there. Probably a group of kids camping or something of the sort. - Hmmm.... - A Magus can sense a nearby Magus, as long as they don't hide their presence by turning off their "Magic Switch", so there was no other Magus there. Yet, curiosity told him that it could be something more than a mere human. After taking a glance at the dark sky and the round white moon, he approached the area in which the unknown individual relaxed. To his surprise, it was nothing more than a beautiful young woman wearing tall brown boots. And when he saw her, he knew conversation would be unavoidable.- Hello there. I guess you are not a werewolf, are you? - He asked, with irony.