With a flickering of the lights, his form vanishes entirely, and the elevator begins to skid audibly against the walls of the chamber, heating it up; the edges start to turn red, burning my hands as I try to hold on, and I have little time to react before it hits the ground. I'm thrown upward, but gravity quickly brings me back down.

"Fuck!"

I'm lucky enough to have just landed on my ass, but I'm thrown out of the delirium I was in.

"That was a close one."

I quickly stand up, brushing myself off, my heart racing from the shock. The elevator doors remain closed, trapping me in this claustrophobic, heated metal box. I pound on the door, but there's no response, no sign of Matsuda, or anyone else. I feel around the walls, looking for some sort of emergency button or escape hatch, but find nothing. That's when I remember; I wasn't with Matsuda when I entered the building. It was a memory of some kind. I've been in this place before, but the moment I walked through the side door, which had been left wide open, I became ensnared in some sort of time paradox, or mental trap, and now, suddenly I'm here again.

"Let me out of here you bastard!" I shout, banging at the door. I don't know for certain if there's anyone listening to me, but I've got an eerie feeling that I can't explain, like someone's been fucking with me this entire time. The metallic echo of my voice bounces around the walls of my reflection, ringing in my ears. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves, but I can't keep from wringing my hands.

I look up for the escape hatch, but there's nothing there. Pissed, I hit the top, knocking a notch back and revealing a loose panel.

"Fuckin' asshole! Hah!! Thought you could trap me?!? I'm getting the fuck out of here!"

I climb up, expecting to see the bottom of the elevator shaft, but there's only a vast empty space above me, and the elevator is surrounded by a fawn landscape plunged in shadow and fog. I throw myself down from the tip-top and sink my shoes in the ground before walking around in a circle, just to get a feel of where I am and where I should go. My sense of direction is totally off, but I need a way to orientate myself, so I'll just pretend that the elevator is a compass and start from there. North, west, east, south; I can't see much further than a few meters in front of me. This has to be some kind of a dream, right? Or, maybe someone got the jump on me.

"North, let's go north first." I say to myself, and I travel for several hours, stomping through the spacious lands until I can see a bright orange light and several dark shapes obscuring it. I approach and kneel below a pair of bushes beside an encampment. There are several men scattered around a large area in silvery helmets and cuirasses with culottes, wielding muskets and rapiers. A few among them are wearing black robes with large pointed hoods with holes cut into them for the eyes, ropes secured 'round their waists like belts.

"Who the hell are these guys? The Spanish Inquisition?"

In the distance, I can make out the edge of a port. There's a giant ship hanging by the sea. I know what's going on here; it's looking like these guys are about to set sail. Rubbing my chin, I consider investigating the scene.

"Looks like a party! Let's see what's going on here."

I try to picture the face of a Spaniard in my mind and rub my hand over my face, morphing it into the image that I see. Then, I pull a thread on my shirt, causing it to explode into smoke, and when the smoke clears, I'm fully outfitted in the guise of a conquistador. I step out into the encampment, but as I walk past the guys gathered 'round the campfire, one of them tugs me by the sleeve of my shirt.

"Hey, Reyes, where the hell do you think you're going?"

And I understand him completely. He's speaking Japanese to me. Upon closer observation, all the conquistadors look like Japanese men except for one, and I'm not completely sure why.

"Going to check the preparations on the ship," I reply smoothly. The man nods but eyes me suspiciously.

"Hey, you're not Reyes; you're new, aren't you? You a translator too? Haven't seen you before." he remarks, scrutinizing my face.

"Yeah, just joined. Was stationed in Kamakura 'til recently," I say, hoping my lie holds up.

"Really now?" he shrugs, "You a half breed or something? You look like a foreigner, but your Japanese is pretty good."

"Yeah, dad's a sailor from Spain."

The man nods, seemingly satisfied with my answer. "Well, don't dawdle. We have a lot to do before we set sail."

I nod and move away, heading towards the ship. I can hear the bustle of activity as sailors and soldiers prepare for the voyage. Their voices mix with the sound of the sea, rocking to and fro with the waves.

"Yoi-sho! Yoi-sho!"

Now that I think about it, the disguise is a little bit too inconspicuous. I'll land myself in deep shit if they figure out that I can't speak Spanish. Better off if I just wear my normal face.

As I approach the port, I hide behind some boxes where no one can see and morph my face back to normal as I observe some passing merchants. I tug on the string of my shirt and explode once more, emerging from a cloud before I'm approached by a guy with a quill and parchment.

"Kajiwara-dono! I've been looking all over for you."

Huh? How the fuck does this guy know my name?

"Somethin' the matter?"

He squints at his list, tracing his finger along the parchment until he comes up with a name.

"Kajiwara Ryusa-dono. Yes...you have a sword that is currently in the possession of Hasekura-sama's retainer. Would you like to retrieve it now, or would you rather have it stored with the rest of your belongings?"

Holy shit, I get a sword too? Was my great-grandpa a samurai or something?

"Are you crazy? I'm Hasekura's bodyguard! You put my sword in a box, n' I'll send you home in an urn!"

"Apologies," he bows, "It will be delivered to you immediately." he replies before running off. I wait patiently and tap my geta on the ground until a portly man walks up, balancing a carefully wrapped katana in his arms. He bows deeply, offering the sword to me.

"Here is your sword, Kajiwara-dono. It has been kept in pristine condition, as per Hasekura-sama's instructions."

I take the sword, feeling its weight in my hands. The craftmanship is damn good; the hilt is wrapped in dark silk. The blade glints as I pull it ever so slightly away from it's sheathe, and I slide it back inside with the tips of my thumbs. I can't help but snicker like I lucked upon a woman's purse in a rich neighborhood.

"Is Hasekura-sama on board already?" I say, securing the sword at my waist.

"Yes, he's overseeing the final preparations. He has instructed that all of his men gather on board for a meeting before we set sail."

"I should make haste then. Thank you." I nod, and the man scurries away, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I walk with a confident stride towards the ship, the katana jingling audibly in it's sheathe as I approach the gangway.

Climbing aboard, I'm met by a flurry of activity. Sailors hoist sails, secure ropes, and prepare the ship for its long journey. The air is thick with the smell of sea salt and the sound of creaking wood. I weave my way through the bustling crew with stiff shoulders, chewing a toothpick in my mouth, walking with my legs apart like a sumo wrestler and giving anyone who looks at me the evil eye; I head towards the upper deck where I figure Hasekura should be handling his business.

Reaching the upper deck, I enter the cabin and spot Hasekura surrounded by a group of samurai and dignitaries. His presence is commanding, but his expression is disarming and confident.

"Kajiwara, it's about damn time you showed up!" he smiles, crossing his arms

"Hasekura-sama," I bow, "You requested me?"

"We're about to set sail, Kajiwara. Where the hell have you been?" he replies, slamming his hand on the table in front of him, "At the pleasure quarter getting your last lay in before you put up your land legs?"

"I was just walking along the shore. We're gonna be at least a couple months before we reach our destination right?"

"Aye." he nods, "But we're stopping in Manila first to resupply, so don't get too comfortable. It's going be a while before you're back in Sendai."

"Understood, Hasekura-sama," I bow in reply before crossing my arms and closing my eyes. He turns to another samurai; there are three others in the room alongside us.

"Matsuki, have we received word yet from the Council of Elders?"

"Yes," he replies formally, "From Lord Tokugawa himself."

After Matsuki presents him with the scroll, Hasekura gives them all a signal, and the other samurai, understanding his cue, quietly leave the cabin, but as I am about to depart alongside them he stops me.

"Wait a minute." he commands.

The air in the room shifts, becoming more solemn and tense. Hasekura reaches into his kimono and pulls out another small, sealed scroll. After waiting quietly for a moment, he checks outside of the door and beckons me over to him.

"Kajiwara, how long have you been traveling with me?" he asks.

"Five years?" I reply, "Time passes quickly. It's hard to keep track."

"It has been five years, hasn't it? True, time passes ever quicker as one becomes older. You'll see what I mean one day; that fact of life just gets worse and worse, until your whole life is gone in a blink of an eye. When you are born, one year is like a thousand years, and the moment you die, a thousand days feels like a second." he says before opening the scroll, "But one of the great things about life is that there's always an opportunity for something, isn't there Kajiwara?"