The Soul Keeper

As I walked up the path leading to our training hall, I could help as my eyes watered a bit. It didn't take long for the buildings to enter our view through the treeline.

The Training Hall, or, as most martial artists call it, our dojo, was not just a single building. It was a rather large complex of buildings. 

The Main hall towered above all else. Its intricate architecture was quite unique, with black marble statues on all corners and a general dark coloured aesthetic. The buildings around it were all connected to one another. They formed a large ring, with a spacious courtyard in the centre.

A tall, sturdy wall encircled all of this, allowing passage through only the large, fancy front gate.

"This is where you live?" Inspector John asked in shock. "It's like a small castle!" He exhaled in shock. 

I chuckled as we walked up to the open gates. "You're exaggerating." It was quite different – and smaller – than a castle. I could tell, I had been in a real one before.

"I really don't think I am…" He mumbled as we passed through the gates.

I stopped listening to him as I stopped to gather my breath. 

"Kai!" A voice I had longed to hear for so long shouted. As a girl – no, a young woman, four years older than me, ran towards me, my legs nearly gave out from all the strain.

"Aoife," I whispered as my beautiful, strong, caring sister caught me. She hugged me, almost crushing my ribs, and leaving me breathless. Normally, I would have been trying to push her away, but now… God, I had missed her.

"You're ok!" She whispered with teary eyes as she slowly let go of me. "You're…" Her smile shattered as she noticed how unhealthy I looked. She looked all over me. "You're so thin," She said, her voice showing her sadness. "You shouldn't stand outside, you're going to collapse!" She glanced at Inspector John.

He was kind enough to wait outside the gate, giving us more than enough space. 

"Please," She said with a kind smile. "Come inside, it wouldn't do to keep you standing either." Her gaze once again turned towards me. "Come on, Kai." She urged me to follow her.

I noticed a few familiar faces as we walked inside. Aoife led us straight to the comfortable living room. "Sit down, I'll get you something to drink." She helped me to the couch, then hesitated. "Water." She decided, then glanced at Inspector John. "Would you like something, Agent?"

"It's John." He spoke. "And no, thank you. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you." 

Aoife just nodded, then ran off to the kitchen to get me some water. 

"She is your sister?" Inspector John asked. "You two don't look too much alike."

I nodded. "She is. Aoife was adopted into the family three years before I was born. She's four years my senior." Before I could tell anything more, Aoife had returned.

"Here," She gave me a large glass of cool water, then sat beside me on the couch and directed her gaze towards Inspector John. I could see it in her stiff movements – he was making her nervous.

"Miss Aoife," Inspector John spoke hesitantly. "I can see that Kai will be in good hands here. I wouldn't want to intrude any further, but before I go, please take this." He gave her his business card. "If there is anything wrong," He shot me a meaningful glance. "Even the slightest abnormality, please don't hesitate to call. I and my colleagues will do everything in our power to help."

Aoife nodded. "Thank you."

"In that case, I will be taking my leave." Inspector John got up on his feet. "Kai," He said before heading towards the door. "Remember – you have to answer the summons if they ever happen."

I nodded. "I know, don't worry." 

He bid farewell to me and Aoife, then left. Aoife watched him until he left through the front gate, and only then did she breathe out a sigh of relief.

"You don't need to be so on edge around him." I said with a light smile. She chuckled. "You know how I am around strangers." 

She hesitated for a moment, then came closer and sat on the couch, beside me. "Kai…" She whispered as she held my hands. Her warm touch reminded me of how cold I was. "You need plenty of rest. You need to recover – you're so thin and pale and…" She stopped. "Why don't we get you to your room?" She asked. "It's warmer there."

I nodded. "That would be nice." I smiled. Aoife helped me up. We walked through the long hall, then climbed the stairs leading up. My room was on the third and highest floor. In fact, it was the only room on that floor. 

The familiar creaking of the wooden stairs brought a smile to my face. 

"I remember trying to sneak down in the middle of the night. Mother would always hear the creaking." Aoife laughed at my words. "I remember that too, she would always scold you for not getting any proper rest."

I missed those days. The simple, easy days. Sure, they also had their fair share of hardships, but nothing like what I had gone through in recent times. 

"I cleaned your room," Aoife said as we arrived at the top of the stairs. The wooden door with intricate carvings on it was right before me. I hesitantly reached for the handle. "It's untouched otherwise." She added.

"Thanks." I opened the door.

My room – the attic – had a sloped ceiling since the roof was right above us. The room itself was spacious. My bed was under one of the two windows. The only other wall tall enough was lined with bookshelves, carefully arranged to be around the large, circular window.

The floor was covered with a thick, soft carpet. There was a single chair and a small desk, and a sword was hanging from its wall rack.

"I missed this place," I stepped ahead and looked out of the window. The one by my bed was facing the sea. I could see the green hills rolling down all the way to the cliffy seaside. And then, a blue infinity stretched to the horizon.

The other window faced the opposite direction. Looking out from there, I could see the nearby settlements, the path leading up to our home, even the distant city's silhouette.

"Why don't you change into something more comfortable?" Aoife asked. "I'll bring you some hot chocolate and some snacks. I'll also let the others know that you're back."

"That's a good idea." I mumbled. Aoife hurried to the door as soon as the words left my mouth. "Aoife," I said, making her stop in her tracks. "Where is Mother?"

My sister looked away. "In the dojo. I think something urgent came up that she needed to take care of."

"Right. Thanks."

Aoife left. As the door closed, I couldn't help but feel… odd. Something urgent. Yes, that must have been it. She would have come to see me otherwise. Of course she would have.