He can’t do it.
He’s just lying to you.
He’s bragging again, and you know it.
You know it.
You know it!
Kaya, you know it!
Kaya -
“Kaya~” a lady voice called. “Kaya, we have a visitor. Come and greet him.”
“Oh,” the little boy, Doji, said. “Lady Domo is calling you.”
Kaya stared at the little boy.
“Kaya?” Doji called her.
He’s just bragging.
Leave already. Leave him.
“Kaya~” Lady Domo’s voice flooded Kaya’s mind again.
“Kaya!” a higher pitched voice called her, it was Ani’s. “Don’t be rude and come meet our guest!”
“Kaya?” Doji called again.
Leave them, Kaya.
Leave them all.
Go to the ware -
“Her name is Kaya?”
The mysterious voice stopped her. It was not part of the other voices.
Who is this man?
Who is he?
He is dangerous.
Go Kaya, away!
“Oh there you are,” Lady Domo said as she found Kaya and Doji. “Kaya?”
Go Kaya!
Don’t let the man know who you are.
“But I’m suppose to greet him, he’s a visitor, like I’ve been trained,” Kaya mumbled to herself.
“She’s doing it again, Lady Domo,” Doji said as he back a little away.
Lady Domo stepped down and asked, “What did you do to her?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Doji confessed. “I was just trying to show her my cartwheel. I was practicing so hard.”
Cartwheel?
Yeah, right. That was the worst -
“Hey, that’s rude,” Kaya yelled at one of them. Rarely does she do this -
“What was rude?” Lady Domo asked.
- because of this, people always caught her and dismiss her as a crazy person.
Yeah, Kaya?
What was rude?
Huh?
“Shut up,” Kaya said. Now she don’t even care anymore. They always entertain and annoy her.
Kaya!
I dare you -
“Shut up!” Kaya’s hand went up and covered her ears. “Shut up!”
“Lady Domo!” Doji called.
“I know,” Lady Domo said as she covered Kaya with her arms. “It’s alright Kaya. It’s - “
“So this is Kaya,” the mysterious voice broke Kaya off from screaming. She looked up and saw a man of knowledge, wisdom, and maturity; a man who doesn't have the image of his intellectual; a man too young for his intelligence. Immediately, the voices gave him a name -
Rojin!
Rojin!
Rojin!
Rojin!
Rojin!
Rojin!
Rojin!
Ro -
“What’s the matter?” Rojin asked. “What are you listening so tentatively for?”
“I’m sorry,” Lady Domo apologized. “She hears voices.”
“Voices?” Rojin asked.
“Voices,” Kaya offered. “They are - “
Kaya!
Don’t talk to Rojin!
He’ll rid you of your -
Suddenly an image of a young lady, all dressed beautifully like she was ready for a party, appeared in the middle of a, not a dirt road, but a clean and smooth road, rid of rocks and grasses. She’s smiling and waving to someone, someone that can’t be seen. All dressed in something different, Rojin appeared with a sworn, glowing with radiant colors. With a swing, he sliced the young lady around the waist. A pain ascended to Kaya’s right waist.
“Kaya!” was the last thing Kaya heard from Lady Domo before darkness engulfed her.
Kaya.
Are you alright?
I told you not to talk to Rojin.
See what happens when you don’t listen?
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled to them.
You better be.
I’m just glad you are okay.
Don’t do that again, Kaya.
“What was that?” Kaya asked them
“That was a vision,” a deep voice answered.
Kaya thought that perhaps she slept longer than she seemed and Doji had grown into a man, but as she turned to the voice, she saw that it was only just Rojin.
Ah! Rojin!
Rojin!
Rojin!
“Rojin!” Kaya screamed as she pulled the blanket over her head.
“Don’t be rude, Kaya,” Lady Domo’s voice flooded her mind and the voices disappeared. “This is Tochika Uguhii. He’s a drifter, Kaya, one that travels and drift the land with peace.”
Rojin chuckled. “That is an overstatement. I'm just merely a scholar on his journey toward west.”
“She’s a lover of tales,” Lady Domo said as her hand found and pat Kaya’s hair. “You’ll love her.”
Love her?
What does she mean?
You’re not going with him.
Are you, Kaya?
“I’m going with Rojin?” Kaya sat up urgently that shocked Lady Domo.
“Easy there, Kaya,” Lady Domo said. “You just woke up.”
“Tell me,” Kaya started. “What happened?”
“I would like you to accompany me on my journey,” Rojin answered instead.
“Now, don’t be so straight forw - “
“I adopted you,” Rojin said. “You are now my daughter and you will come with me.”
It was not even an invitation, nor a question, nor a request. It was a statement, a fact, an order.
“Those voices - “
Kaya, don’t listen.
Kaya, cover up.
Kaya, he’s lying.
Kaya!
“ - they are seishin that was locked inside of you.”
Seishin?
How rude?
Calling us spirits?
How dare him?
“They hold wonderful powers and deaths. I don’t know how a girl like you posses them, but I do know they were not given to you.”
What is he talking about?
Nonsense, that is what?
Posses?
He’s the only possessor I see here!
“Someone have force them to you. And I would like to know that. However, I cannot stay here and watch over you as I observe you and get to know you better. You have nothing here anyway. Come with me, and I can potentially help you figure out the ten voices inside of you.”
Kaya stopped as the voices silenced themselves. As if Rojin knew, he smiled.
“How did you know there were ten?” Kaya asked.
“I was observing you this whole time while you were shocked from the vision.”
“How did you know it was a vision?”
Rojin paused then said, as if there was no need to hide anymore, “I see them too.”