Seresuto craned her head and stood still in the shadow of the cave entrance, listening, watching. Her long, black hair was tied in a topknot, exposing her gleaming neck that bore the mark of Gōsutokirā, its dark line creeping down her skin, vanishing behind the collar of her kimono, winding around her chest and down to her thighs beneath the hakama, only its tendrils visible on her wrists.
The storm had ceased, and her nostrils flared at the whiff of sea salt that had come with the rain. A lone bird’s cry echoed from the mountainside as the moon’s last light was swallowed by the night.
She motioned to Tim to hide, unsheathed her katana, and raised it above her head. Tim saw nothing of it, shivering with fever and cowering behind the bed on the cold, damp rock floor.
All stood still. Blood rushing, roaring in her ears, Seresuto focused on the darkness before her with narrow eyes. With each passing moment, the darkness expanded, inching towards the cave, towards her, with a million eyes darker than night. She fought the fear mounting in her. The merman was near. She knew it was an illusion, conjured to overwhelm her, to make her easy prey. Not today.
“Mada shinenai,” Seresuto hissed.
Molok rushed from the darkness past her as she brought her blade down in a swift strike. He took a few more steps into the cave, eyes wide with disbelief, as his head slid from his shoulders in a fountain of blood.
She whipped the blade clean, sheathed it, and knelt beside the merman’s body, dead eyes staring up at Seresuto, the gills behind his ears gaping in vain for water. Without hesitation, she smeared his blood across her face and clothes and demanded Tim do the same.
“Quick—this will help throw them off our scent.” She dragged Tim to his feet, covering his face and clothes with blood. “We can’t stay. More will come.”
Seresuto stiffened. Something had entered the cave. Something ancient and cold, cold as stone.
“Impressive.” The word cracked the silence. Footsteps approached. “How you have grown.”
Seresuto did not turn around. Instead, she blindfolded herself.
“So you do remember me,” the Gorgon said, amused.
“Hai. As before, you will leave empty-handed—or you won’t leave at all,” said Seresuto, drawing her blade slowly and turning towards the voice.
“Funny, that’s what your dear father said before I ripped out his heart.”
Something landed before Seresuto’s feet with a wet smack. It’s a trick. Don’t believe her.
“I’m not here to fight. I came to take what is mine. No more, no less.” Now the voice came from the left, further away. “He knows this to be true.” The words were next to her ear and she struck air. The Gorgon laughed.
“My dear child. Don’t be foolish. Why throw your life away for this… gaijin?”
At that moment several things happened at once. The air in the middle of the cave bulged and was split in twain, and out of nowhere appeared Gōsutokirā, held by Jamie—not the Jamie that had vanished on the mountaintop earlier that night, not the boy who walked into Helfinger’s house on that fateful day years ago. No. The Jamie that stepped out into the cave was older, much older, scarred by time and battle.
Outside, Hatori looked upon the scene with grim determination, shouting “Seresuto!” in affirmation, dispelling any doubt the Gorgon had planted in his daughter’s heart.
“You cannot have him,” Jamie said, his voice deep and firm.
“Your father? Oh, but I already have him. The price will be paid. You cannot save him. Besides, don’t you see? We want the same thing, you and I. Give me the sword and you can leave. Be a kid again, live your life. You owe nothing.”
Tim managed to sit up on the bed, staring in disbelief at Jamie, a much older version of himself.
“She’s right, son. No need for anyone else to get hurt. Leave me. Save yourself,” Tim pleaded.
The Gorgon’s grin grew wide as she turned to Jamie, who was looking straight at her now, his eyes aglow with the wrath of the Gods. She staggered back.
“No… impossible. You are mortal!” she hissed and winced, her snakes recoiling.
“We were. My brother and I paid the ultimate price. And no matter how many times I redream this moment, it always ends the same way,” Jamie said, pointing the sword directly at the Gorgon’s head.
“No!” screamed the Iskander Gorgon, leaping towards Seresuto, tearing the blindfold from her eyes. Hatori pushed Seresuto out of the way, but, unable to avoid the gaze, he froze in place. The last thing he saw was the Gorgon’s head falling to the floor before turning into stone.
“Oto-san!” Seresuto cried.
Jamie took a burlap sack from his cloak and stuffed the severed Gorgon head inside, then turned to Hatori.
“I’m sorry, my friend. No matter how many times I try, it always ends this way.”
“What did you do?” Seresuto shouted at Jamie. “You could have saved him!”
Jamie looked at Seresuto and said nothing.
“What did you mean, you tried many times? Answer me!” cried Seresuto.
“Seresuto… your father’s fate was decided long ago. He died that day on the plateau in the rain. Remember? I came back to save him then, only to lose him again now.”
“I don’t understand. You saved him. Save him again! Why don’t you save him?”
“Jamie?” Tim croaked.
“The price must be paid, Seresuto. I cannot change it. You must flee from here. Take my father to where we first met. Leave this place and never return. I will seal the rift once and for all.”
“Leave? I will not leave Oto-san!”
Jamie sighed. “Do it for your father. He would want you to live.”
Her bloodied hand gripped the hilt of her katana as she looked Jamie in the eye, furious, sad, and confused.
“The mermen will be here any moment. I will hold them off.”
Jamie helped his father to his feet and hugged him tight. “Whatever happens, don’t look back and don’t stop.”
“Son… I love you.” Tim didn’t want to let go.
“Love you too, Dad. Go. Quick!”
Jamie, eyes ablaze, turned towards the darkness. He took the head in one hand, snakes hissing, Gōsutokirā glowing in the other, and marched into the long night.
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Author’s Comment
So here we are, at the end. And to think it all began with a SensoramaSmartHomes.com malfunction… or did it? Hard to tell what’s what. What we do know is that Jamie saved the bacon for all of us. He’s walking the long night so our world can bask in the light. Thank you, Jamie.
What did you make of the finale? Let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading, and until next time!