Title: The Mark
Author: Starsea
Theme: Image (Inner Senshi)
Genre: Dark/Angst
Version: Manga
Rating: PG-13

She woke up because she was cold. Even under the thick winter duvet she was cold, freezing, actually. Her breath was forming clouds in the air. Insane. The window was closed, the curtains were closed, and the central heating was left on in the cold winter nights.

Her breath hung in front of her before slowly disappearing. She reached out one hand, reluctant to reveal even a tiny amount of bare flesh to the biting chill. Her fingers found the light switch and it flicked on.

The curtains were moving slightly. Minako prepared to curse Artemis for not closing it after going out (the number one rule) when she noticed that he was asleep on the bed. So he hadn't closed it after coming back. Muttering under her breath, hoping she'd wake him up, she stomped over to the window and pulled back the curtains to close it.

The window was closed.

There was a handprint on the icy glass.

Minako's heart stopped. Her mouth went dry. Her body was going numb with no blanket or dressing gown wrapped round it, but her mind couldn't have cared less.

She was not alone.

Eyes were watching her. The back of her neck crawled. She didn't want to move. Everything human in her was screaming to keep still, to wait until whatever it was got bored and left.

But Minako was not all human. The core of her was immortal, splendid and shining, and it knew no fear. She straightened her back, took a deep breath and turned around.

There was nothing there.

But she could still feel the eyes, observing. Watching her.

"I know you're there," she said, forcing herself to speak normally. "And I'm not afraid of you. Tell me who you are... or so help me, I'll call up my friend and she'll cover you in ofuda."

There was a slight pause. The cold air of the room contrasted with the warm light of the lamp. Minako's idol posters had never looked so flimsy and faded. Everything seemed far away.

A squeaking sound. Kana appeared on the glass of her mirror. Minako sounded out the syllables inside her head. Her eyes widened and she cried out. "No, not you, it can't be-!"

This time, the kana was simple: "Yes."

Minako shook her head, unable to believe. "No, no, no, no..." She caught hold of herself, lifted her head and pointed to the window, where the hand mark stood out brightly. "Get out. Get out of my room. Get. Out."

Another pause. And then the room was empty. Minako almost collapsed to her knees, she felt so weak from the conflicting emotions of grief and relief. Then she walked across to the mirror and carefully erased Adonis' name from the mirror with one sweep of her hand.

The hand print was already fading.