Time Weaver Episode 2

Episode 2: The Winds of the Bakumatsu

A cold breeze touched her skin, and Aoi slowly opened her eyes. What she saw was an unfamiliar landscape. Aoi shook her groggy head, trying to grasp the situation, but the scenery around her was like another world. All she could see were cobblestone paths, old wooden houses, and an eerie, unsettling silence.

“Where... am I...?”

Aoi pushed herself up and looked around. The laboratory she had been in just moments ago was nowhere to be found, and it was clear this was not the modern Japan she knew so well. She felt as if she had wandered onto the set of a period drama, and her mind was in a state of confusion.

People dressed in kimonos were passing by in front of her. No one noticed her presence; they simply went about their business in silence. She was standing in the middle of an old-fashioned town. The attire of the people and the atmosphere of the streets were completely removed from any modern sensibility.

“It can’t be...”

Aoi’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately tapped her cheek lightly. She felt pain—this was not a dream. It was real. The scene unfolding before her eyes was like something ripped from a history textbook. But this was not the world she lived in. It was not the Japan she knew.

“The Bakumatsu...?”

The words escaped her lips naturally. She had a deep interest in Japanese history, especially the Bakumatsu period, and had studied it extensively. But she had never dreamed that she would be transported to that very era. As historical facts and reality collided, Aoi stood frozen in place.

“Why... how could this happen...?”

Her head spun, and her legs felt unsteady. She tried to steady herself while attempting to make sense of her surroundings, but it was hard to believe that the scene before her was reality. The clothing of the people around her, the language they spoke—everything was different from what she knew. Was this truly Japan during the Bakumatsu period? That doubt welled up in her chest.

Just then, a shout from the distance reached her ears.

“It’s a Shishi! A Shishi has been struck down!”

Aoi’s heart hammered against her ribs again. Shishi—the term used to refer to the young men who rebelled against the Shogunate during the Bakumatsu period. She had seen the word countless times in textbooks, but she could hardly believe it was being shouted in the real world.

“Shishi...”

Unconsciously, she turned her feet toward the sound. As if drawn by something, her body began to move. Even amidst the swirling confusion and fear, her feet did not stop, and she moved toward the source of the voice.

After running down the path, what she saw was a man lying on the ground. Blood was flowing from his sword wounds, spreading across the ground. The man’s face was pale, and his consciousness seemed to be fading.

“Are you alright!?”

Aoi shouted as she rushed to the man’s side. Her heart was pounding, and her limbs were trembling. She desperately tried to support him to see if he was still alive, but his body was heavy and cold.

“Don’t die...!”

Recalling her modern knowledge, Aoi pressed a cloth she had on hand against his wound. She was an archaeologist, but she had some knowledge of first aid. However, the fear of the reality that the life before her now depended on her hands made her body tremble.

“Please, live...”

She continued to call out to him desperately while supporting his body. As if responding to her voice, the man’s eyes opened slightly. He was barely breathing, but his breath was extremely weak, as if it might vanish at any moment.

“...Who... are you...”

The man whispered in a weak voice. His voice was raspy, and his gaze toward Aoi was clouded. Hearing his voice, she felt relieved that he was still alive, but not knowing what else to do, she simply gripped his hand tightly.

“I am... Aoi. I’ve come to help you.”

She tried to remain calm, even as she felt how helpless her words were. There was only so much she could do to save him. She was an archaeologist, not a doctor. But she could not possibly abandon someone who might lose their life right in front of her.

“...Ryoma...”

The moment she heard that name, Aoi’s heart leaped.

“Ryoma...?”

Her voice trembled. It was a name she had seen countless times in textbooks and documents. A figure who played a crucial role in Japan’s Bakumatsu period—Sakamoto Ryoma. When that name was spoken right in front of her, she was swallowed by the sensation of reality and history intersecting.

“Are you... really... Sakamoto Ryoma...?”

She couldn’t believe it. A man who could be called a hero of history was breathing right in front of her. If he truly was that Sakamoto Ryoma, then she had been swept up in the great currents of history. But she still could not be certain that this was reality.

Aoi stared intently at Ryoma’s face. There was a resemblance to the face she had seen many times in historical documents. However, whether he was truly the person she knew—the doubt still remained within her.

To be continued in Episode 3.