Akiko got out of bed, straightening the white yukata she was wearing, and walked, barefoot, along the corridor. Cold, silver light poured in from the full moon, giving everything an otherworldly gloss. Akiko stepped down into a pair of sandals and then out into the shrine precincts.

The moonlight washed the colour from everything, leaving the grass black around the silver of the path. The trees of the woodland, whispering in a gentle breeze, were black with silver leaves, leaves that scattered moonlight across the grass like small pearls. The shrine building itself shone silver, the white wood reflecting the light while the burnished copper roof was turned the colour of pure gold. The breeze blew a little more strongly, pleasantly warm in her hair, rubbing the silk of the yukata gently over her skin. Akiko smiled, and turned around, gazing at the unbroken circle of trees.

Her eyes fell on the torii at the entrance, glowing white, a halo hovering around it in the air.

And, beyond it, a dark silhouette. A silhouette that looked somehow familiar. Was it someone she knew? Akiko moved a bit closer, and the figure turned round, the moonlight giving his face a deathly tinge.

Hideo Takenaka.

Akiko stopped in her tracks as her heart stopped for a moment, then started again, beating quickly, accelerating. Mr Takenaka did not seem to recognise her, or even notice that she was there, as he looked around the precincts. He took a step forward, to pass through the torii, but the light shining from the pillars flared across the gap, and he fell back.

His face twisted in rage, but it didn’t seem to be directed at the torii, or at Akiko. He turned away from them, looking out over the forest, and raised his hands, shaking his fists at the sky. As if in answer, clouds appeared above him, boiling and clashing, spreading across the sky.

“Traitors!â€ It was a scream more than a yell. “I helped you all those years, and you abandoned me!â€ He paused, dropping his arms to his sides, and then spun round to look around the shrine precincts. Akiko’s immediate instinct was to hide, but there was nowhere close by, and her white yukata was bright in the darkness. Mr Takenaka’s arm shot out, pointing at her.

“You!â€ Akiko took an involuntary step back. “Tell them! Tell them that this is fair punishment for what they did! As they took everything from me, I will take it from them. They thought they could save themselves by agreeing to the demands of a tyrant, but they were wrong. I can still punish those who spurned me. I can still have my revenge!â€

Mr Takenaka paused, apparently catching his breath, and then started again.

“There will be justice! They could have been loyal, they could have stood by connections built up over years, but no, they had to go for quick profits instead. Or bow, craven, to threats! Well, it will do them no good! Everything they feared will happen to them! They cursed my name before; let them understand what a curse truly is!â€

“Akiko! Akiko!â€

It was Shiraishi’s voice. Akiko opened her eyes, then closed them again as the light hurt them.

“Lights…â€ was all she could manage to say, as her hands pushed weakly at the futon, seeking some relief.