Chapter 26 – Awaking and Seiryu's Answer

I was still in the void, felt alone here but it was okay. I can keep my powers at bay here and I can't hurt anyone. Maybe I was destined to fight endlessly, just fulfilling my bloodlust. I had remember the first time I said that I was going to be stronger. It was after my brother had died and I had left the orphanage. I promised myself I would be stronger for him in order to avoid the same fate. It had been six years since I had said that over and over. It was while I was training with master, the one who taught me the Jigoku Mugen Satsujin Ken.

Was it worth it?

In an instant I had heard a voice, but strangely enough it wasn't Elle's. It was a girl's voice still and it sounded familiar to me but I can't quite put who it is.

"Stay with me…just hold on…"

She sounded sincere and worried. Why? To be honest I'm not worth being worried about but that voice she really cared. I felt warmth inside me, like I was being healed, being brought back to life. Someone was trying to pull me from the void and I knew it. It was inevitable though for the darkness had been a part of me.

I had felt my body fill with energy. I was still alive but it was still all black. Realizing that my eyes were still closed, I now opened them. I saw people who were familiar to me, and it seems I was in the infirmary. It was Yue and Dr. Lett. I looked around to my left and there was a second bed. Lucian had laid on it and he was awake while reading a book. How long was I out?

"It seems that you are awake. Got into a scuffle again as usual eh?" Dr. Lett had said to me.

"How did I get here?" I asked her. The last thing I remember was falling down from Lucian's Zankuraiken and suddenly everything went black.

"It was Lucian who brought you here with Yue's help. Elle had called for her as soon she had heard that you two were fighting." Dr. Lett had replied. "You're always up to your usual antics eh Seiryu? And you Lucian, I'm so disappointed to find out that you behave like this. I expected more from a prefect such as yourself." She added.

"Forgive me Dr. Lett. I won't let it happen again." Lucian had said as he smiled then he turned to the long haired student. "You should be greatful to Miss Yue for she had helped you regain consciousness with her medical magic skills." He added and I could've sworn I saw Yue blush.

I didn't say anything to the both of them as I starred blankly into space. I buried myself in my thoughts. Where was she? It's only her I want to see.

"Elle's in class. She said she would visit as soon as class is over." Yue had said to me. She probably noticed that I wasn't myself.

I saw Dr. Lett exit the room that me and Lucian were in and only I, Yue and him were left. Lucian himself had stood up from his bed. He had better endurance than I thought.

"Hey you're not better yet…" Yue had said to him.

"I'm just going to get some air Miss Yue. I'll be back soon." He replied as he smiled afterwards.

Only Yue and I were left in the infirmary. I really had nothing to say to her and yet, I really didn't know why I despised her out of all others. I remembered that she hadn't been acting herself in the recent days that had occurred, but that hadn't concerned me at all.

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Yue POV

Something was wrong with him. He wasn't his usual self, his cold uncaring self. I had seen his eyes as he had awoken. It had the look of worry and resentment. He had felt hurt and I don't know why. He starred blankly into space and I tried calling out to him.

"Hey…are you okay?" I asked him in a worried manner. He didn't answer. I guess it would be useless to ask him what had happened. He was always distant as usual.

"I'm…not…" I had heard him reply slowly.

"Why? What's wrong?" I had asked him.

"I don't know…" he replied to me. He seemed so confused. I wish I could do more for him. Sadly, I wasn't the one that he wanted here. It was Elle that he had looked for. I can feel it.

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked him. I wondered if it would make him feel better If I wasn;t there. He was always alone so I'd better just leave him be. He didn't reply which I took as probably a yes. I stood up and made my way towards the door but just as I was about to exit, I had heard him say something.

"Stay…please stay…" he had asked me and immediately I went back to where I was seated.

"It…was your voice wasn't it?" Seiryu asked me. What was he saying? "I heard you from the void…you said Stay with me…just hold on…" he had added. So he was regaining consciousness after all when I had casted some heavy duty cure spells in order to save him.

"You were about to die…you were critical when Lucian and I had brought you here…I just did everything I could." I replied to him.

"Thank you…" he replied. He wasn't cold to me at all at that moment. Not one bit.

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Seiryu POV

It turns out; she had been a major proponent in saving my life. I had learned from her that she had helped Dr. Lett cure me of my extreme fatigue. I was close to death and Yue had saved me. It was blurry on why I had despised her but at that moment in time, I didn't. I owed my life to her and realizing that, I didn't really have a reason on why I despised her, on why I despised anyone.

"It hurt me…" Yue had said. What did? I looked at her face and it had become filled with sorrow. "When I saw you unconscious…you seemed dead already…"she had added. She was that worried? But why?

"Oh…" I replied to her. My mind starred off blankly to space as I was buried in a series of thoughts again.

"You seem troubled…" Yue had said to him.

"I…have a lot on my mind…" I said to her. I don't ever want to feel caged again. I don't ever want to feel that feeling of being submitted to darkness but it's not like I have a choice do I?

"You think too much…" Yue had replied and she smiled at me afterwards. "Isn't it about time that you let people in for a change? You can't keep carrying your burden alone…" she had added and the smile on her face had disappeared and it was replaced with a look of worry. So she wasn't as shallow as I thought. I saw her look at her phone and she stood up and got closer to the door.

"Well, I have to get to class. I'll…see you around." Yue had replied as she got out and left. What she had said had rung in my head for a while.

Isn't it about time that you let people in for a change?

She was like Elle for she had tried to open me up to others and yet, she differed because I felt more sincerity coming from her. I know it sounds crazy right? But, I had a feeling, a huge gut, that she somewhat understood me. In an instant I felt cold, not only physicially but also emotionally. That void, the cold endless, lifeless void. I didn't want to go back, but I guess that's where I belong.

"You don't belong there. You insist on belonging there because of your trauma." A voice had said and he entered the room. It was Lucian. He made his way to his bed in the infirmary and he sat down on it.

"It really gets annoying that you can read minds." I said to him.

"Fear gets to you, which gives the darkness in you more control over you." He had said to me. He didn't have his usual smile. "I used to feel the same thing." He added.

I don't know why, but I believed him.

"Fear feeds the control of the darkness, you just need to learn how to accept it." He had said. "I used to fear it too, I detested it, but in the end all I was doing was feeding the dark energy to control me. I had learned to control it eventually and I can help you do the same." He had said.

"Why would you want to help me?" I asked him.

"Do you want to hurt Elle? Or more importantly, do you want the darkness to take her? Because if you do not learn how to control it, you will lose yourself like the last time…" Lucian had said.

"Last time?" I asked because I can't remember. All I did remember was getting hit with the Zankuraiken and falling to the ground. After that, I found myself in the void of darkness.

"It's natural that you don't remember for the darkness was fighting for you. Meanwhile you were stuck in the dark void. That cold place where you can move but you make no progress; everything looks pitch black and lifeless." Lucian had replied to me. He knew about the place. "I had been there quite a few times before…" he added.

He knew a lot about it which had convinced me that he was adept in using the darkness and some part of me wanted to learn how to control this darkness in order to stop it from going haywire.

"It's a dangerous power if left unchecked." Lucian had said to me.

"Why…do you need to control it?" I asked him.

"It's our innate affinity. Students here in Treyah have innate affinities or in simple language, they have their own elemental status which can have agreat effect on one's spirit energy. Melfice has the innate affinity of fire which makes his spirit energy shine a red color. Elle has the innate affinity of light, which explains her spirit energy color of pure white. Yue has a multi affinity which is the reason why she is adept with many magical spells. You and I have the innate affinity of darkness, which explains why my spirit energy is black. Yours was suppressed intentionally which is why the color of your spirit energy before was grey when you had used Vertical Cross against me but when the darkness had done the fighting for you, your spirit energy had become its true form which is black." He had said

"How come you know these things?" I asked him.

"Because I attend my UTILIMAG classes" He had said to me as he smiled. It annoyed me a little. "Darkness is the most dangerous affinity a person could have. It is the one that is most difficult to control." He had said.

Darkness huh? The truth had been already told to me by this student. I cannot escape the darkness in me.

"You can only control it." Lucian had said to me before I could even finish my thoughts. I hate his mind reading skills.

"I can help you control it." Lucian had said to me again. I looked at him with suspicion, there probably was a catch to this.

"What's the catch?" I asked in return

"Why must there be always a catch?" Lucian had said as he laughed.

"Quid pro Quo" I replied to him.

"A sharp mind you have. You're right everything has a price so I'll just be out with it. I'll help you control your darkness, if you join the team for the Tri Interschool Tournament." Lucian had said to me.

"Fine I'm in." I replied to him. It was a small price to pay anyway besides I'm at a dead end. I can't find a way to control this and this guy was the only shot I have.

"Alright" Lucian had said as he stood up and went near the door. "Rest up, for we start on Wednesday." He had added.

"Start what?" I asked.

"Training, meditation and focus." Lucian had said. "And pack up already when you get to your dorm we leave for the Tri Interschool Tournament on Friday. Have a good rest." He added.

What have I got myself into? That's what I thought to myself as I lay on the bed to rest some more.