Everything felt… hazy. It felt as if she had been asleep for a very long time. She didn’t feel like she could open her eyes yet, but she smelled hanging aromas, heard incessant, almost invasive sounds, and in those sounds came a familiar voice.
“I tried.” said Mana, and she sounded upset.
“I know you did.” came a stranger’s voice. It was a man. Older, gruff, and thick with the accent of the Crown Nation. “Look, Mana, it wasn't your fault. We shouldn’t have put such a responsibility on your shoulders. You’re still just a kid.”
“I tried.” Mana repeated, and she sounded like she was crying now. “I looked and looked but I didn’t… There was nothing. I…”
“Hey, kid. Calm down and take a breath. It happens, it’s part of the job. You’ve been up for days so go get some sleep and we’ll talk about this later, aye?”
“But I–”
“We’ll talk later.” the man interrupted. The doctor said that she should be waking up soon. I need to talk to her.”
“You don’t think she did it, right? I mean, she’s–”
“It doesn’t matter what I think at the moment. I simply have to do my job, and you have to do yours, don’t forget about that. You’re our eyes and ears, Mana, so go get some sleep and then get back to work.”
“Yeah, okay.” Mana said, with her defeated tone. “Tell her I said that I’m sorry.”
“I will. Now go, for the last time. Damn that child.” he groaned, after the click of the door indicated that Mana had left.
Ferain groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, and before her, she saw a man in a sand-colored long sleeved shirt that fit his lithe figure tightly. He wore jeans underneath them, old ones that had faded in several places from many years of wear. His short, ragged hair had a slim amount of black remaining, but it had mostly given way to gray. The same could be said about his beard. It was thick and had a gash in it above the right side of his upper lip, which led into his lower lip. He had sullen, and partially sunken gray eyes, as if he didn’t even know what sleeping was or that it existed. Between those eyes and the wrinkles on his face, he looked in desperate need of rest.
“Mana…” Ferain murmured, and she broke out into a painful fit of coughs from just that small amount of talking. Her voice was raspy and her throat felt like somebody punched her in it, and that wasn’t exactly far from the truth.
“She left, kid.” said the man. “Which is well and good since I want to talk to you in private. My name is Special Agent Cross Key, I’m an investigator that just arrived here this morning.”
“Key?” Ferain asked, recognizing the name. “You’re–”
“You’re,” Cross interrupted. “Ferain Hirigaya. Fifteen years old. Born August 10th, 275. Your parents are…” he paused and looked into her eyes, as if there was something there to be gleaned from them. “Your father is Tobi Hirigaya, and your mother is Harriet Rauss. You and your father were born here, and your mother was raised here but was originally from the Crown Nation. Is all of this correct so far?” he asked her.
“Yes, sir, but what–”
“Moving on.” he interrupted again. “In November of last year, roughly three or so months ago, you applied to enter Olirian Academy on its scholarship program. You managed to get in and was partnered with Anita Caswell. Correct?”
“Yes, sir, but–”
“You and Ms. Caswell were signed up to participate in the first team event of the year, where you fought against another team of two. Is that correct?”
“Yes, sir. But I’m trying to–”
“Ms. Hirigaya,” he said, bluntly.
“Y-yes?” she questioned.
“Do you have any idea why I’m here at the moment?”
“N-no… Er…” Ferain wracked her brain, but her head felt like it was going to explode the harder she tried to remember. She recalled the fight, and then… “That boy. He said… And Anita also… Somebody died?” she said, questionably.
“One of the students that you were fighting with. According to the headmaster, the surveillance system in the school was shorted out, so I don’t have any footage to go off of here. From what I was able to discover from the scene, and the medical records of all involved, the fight got well out of hand. You were all injured, and I heard that you and that boy were going at it pretty roughly. Is this the truth?”
“I suppose so. He was… trying to kill me. It seemed that way.” Fera replied, nervously.
“So you killed him instead?” Cross asked, glaring at her with his dull, tired eyes. There was very little expression on his face to read. It was the face of a man who has seen too much, been through too much, to still have an emotion come naturally. Instead, it was blank and unchanging as he talked. The most she got out of him was a slight rise in an eyebrow.
“N-no. That’s impossible. I mean, I kicked him out of the window but… I saw him go back inside before hitting the ground. I didn’t… I… I couldn’t have.”
“Ms. Hirigaya, I want you to be aware that I know your past. Your mother was killed and your father was put in a coma, both by your powers. A boy that used to live near you was injured and still can’t use his arm from severe nerve damage caused by your powers. There were two other reported instances as well, medical records. One by your father before the incident, and one by your grandmother after it. Unfortunately for you, you have a track record when it comes to hurting people, and even killing one. This boy was killed by a powerful electric shock, though I was told that there were too many burns to determine where the fatal blow was dealt. It was as if he was boiled from the inside out, even after his heart stopped beating. His partner told me that you were the last one who saw him, and you are the only registered lightning-user in the school’s registry that was anywhere near the vicinity at the time.”
He reached into the pocket of the brown leather jacket hanging on his chair and removed a small rectangular case. It was black and had a blue band around the center, which matched the cigarette he pulled out of it. It was wrapped in black paper and near the butt-end was a blue ring. Cross stuck it in his mouth and held his thumb and index finger over the opposite end. His eyes glowed and a black and white current of electricity briefly flashed to light the end of the stick. He took a puff of it and then flipped it over to hand it to Ferain.
“Take it.” he said.
“W-why?” she asked, timidly, and her heart was pounding in her ears. She wasn’t scared of the cigarette, she was scared of the man and what had apparently taken place. The worst part about all of it was that she was even starting to doubt her own innocence. She remembered sitting in the classroom, and before that, the boy only had a few singed holes in his clothing, nothing serious. He was even able to fly back into the school after her last attack. He was very much alive, and she didn’t see him again after that. She knew all of this, but even she had to admit that the evidence made her look extremely guilty. For a second, Fera wondered if she perhaps lost consciousness and did it while, like, sleepwalking or something before waking back up in the classroom. It was impossible and stupid, but what else could have killed the boy?
“It’s not a real cigarette, kid. It’s a blend of calming herbs and spices. They’re not drugs either, just some… It doesn’t matter. Look, it calms the mind, eases the breathing, and dulls your powers.” Ferain didn’t notice it at first, but when she saw a reflection in a nearby window, she noticed that her eyes were glowing bright yellow. She looked down at her hand and saw that they were covered in blue static, and now, the lights and equipment around her started flickering. “Take it.” he offered again, and this time, she listened.
Ferain accepted the stick with the index and thumb of both hands before shakily sticking it in her mouth. She breathed in and then instantly started coughing as smoke billowed out with the spit.
“Do you feel calm yet?” he asked, and to her surprise, she saw an odd smirk crease his lips.
Ferain caught her breath and tried again, this time, apparently doing it right. She took a slow drag from the black stick and then let out a small plume of smoke from her nose and mouth before handing the cigarette back. Instantly, her powers died out and her buzzing seemed to fade into silence. She stared at the cigarette for a second, amazed by how quick it took effect.
"It's a natural power suppressor. The primary purpose of it is to help people control rampant abilities like your own." Cross explained.
“I still don’t know if you should smoke.” Fera said, and this made the man give a short snort that might have been a laugh.
“My daughter used to say the same thing, and so did Mana, come to think of it.” He thought for a moment as he stuck the cigarette back in his mouth and stuffed the container back in his jacket. “Look, I’ve been a cop for a long time. I’ve met murderers and rapists and the worst of our kind over my years in that profession. You don’t strike me as somebody who would do this.”
“So you believe me?” she asked hastily, perhaps too hastily.
“It doesn’t matter what I believe, but yes, I do. From my experience, you’re being set up. I don’t know who is doing it or why they’re doing it, but that’s my personal opinion. Unfortunately for you, it is an opinion I can’t share publicly for reasons relating to the case.”
“But you do believe me… sooo… I’m not going to be arrested?” she asked, trying not to sound too afraid of the notion.
“No, you’re not. The evidence points to you but I have a strict innocent until proven guilty policy that I don’t break. For the time being, at your headmaster’s suggestion, you will be under a form of house arrest, and it’s for your safety as much as anybody else's. According to Mr. Hakamura, you are not to go anywhere unattended. If you don’t have your partner or another friend by your side, you’re to stay in your dorm.”
“How is that for my safety?” she asked.
“If another person is found dead and you have an alibi for every minute of the day, who can blame you? I, of course, hope I can find the killer before another person loses their life, but that’s just not how life works. I have a feeling that more people will be dead before this is all over, but I’ll do my best to save as many as I can.”
Fera’s voice was starting to come back stronger and she had the intent to use it. Maybe it was stupid, but she decided to ask her next question. “If you don’t think I did it, why are you here?”
“Because, at the moment, you’re the top suspect, as well as our best witness. I had questions to ask.”
“But you pretty much only asked me things you already knew.”
“That was to set a baseline, which I used when I asked you things I didn’t. It’s an old trick I picked up.”
“But you only asked me one question that…” Fera paused, seemingly understanding.
“I did, but it was the most important question to ask. I believe that your response was genuine. Either you killed him without knowing you did it, or you were simply not involved. I prefer the latter, and going off of that, it frees me of the time it would take to deal with you.” Cross then rose, grabbed his jacket, and handed Ferain a card. “Here, this is my contact info. I’ll be staying in touch but if you ever need to contact me directly, use that.”
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Mr. Key. I have one more question.” said Fera, taking the card. “You said the security system was down. Was it the killer that did that too?”
“No, Ms. Hirigaya, that was you. The headmaster assured me that all of the electronic systems in the city were designed to handle common lightning-users, but heavy storms make us stronger. You got so powerful and rampant from the storm, you knocked out the entire electrical grid in the school the second you stepped foot in there. It’s a… bittersweet occurrence. It’s good that the public didn’t have to witness a murder, but that footage could have solved this case before I even got here. Well, it is what it is. I’ll be taking my leave, Ms. Hirigaya. Stay in touch.” he said, giving a wave over his shoulder as he walked to the door and left.
Shortly after Cross Key left, much too shortly for Fera to even compartmentalize everything that happened, a doctor came in. He had short brown hair, reddish brown eyes, and a white coat that went to his knees. He had a tablet in his hand and an unconcerned expression, as if he didn’t care about being here in the slightest.
“Your body heals quickly, Hirigaya. Astoundingly fast, despite us not being able to conduct any actual medical procedures without being hospitalized ourselves. I would say that’s a win in your book, and per usual, a loss in ours. Anyway, you seem to be doing better. I’ll give you an hour to finish your little rest and then you’re out the door.”
“Already? I just woke up.” she said.
“And you’re already better, so you’ll be leaving,” said the doctor. “We couldn’t even get you changed out of your uniform and into a gown without your powers going off. And, every time that happened, we had to worry about all of our facilities being taken down whenever you messed with our power. You’re a damned nuisance and a waste of a bed at the moment. In fact, you have thirty minutes, not an hour. It was an unpleasant meeting, do try to not come back.” the doctor said, tapping something on his tablet and leaving the room.
“Rude.” she snapped, under her breath.
Ferain did feel a lot better now. She even put a hand to her throat and only felt a small sting of pain. When she examined her reflection again, she saw that the bruises she suspected would be there were non-existent. When the doctor said that she healed quickly, he must have really meant it. Though, she really didn’t know how long she’d been asleep for. It could have only been a few hours, or it could have been a month for all she knew. She recalled that when she looked at her hands earlier, she still saw her band on her left wrist. When she tapped it, bringing the screen to life, she saw the date.
“February 15th.” she muttered. Then she saw that it was Thursday. “Three days since the fight. I’ve been sleeping for three days?”
When her allotted thirty minutes were over, the doctor came back in and hastened her leaving with some more rude remarks and unsavory gestures. This man was about as unpleasant as Copper, Marrow, and Raven, and maybe a bit worse even, seeing as he was a grown man and not some teenager with a rotten attitude.
“I guess some people never grow out of it.” she mumbled, but apparently he heard her and gave her a menacing glare. Swiftly, he almost literally threw her out of the building. “My jack–” she started, but her large coat was quickly thrown in her face. By the time she pulled it away, she saw the man’s back behind the glass doors of the hospital as he stormed away. “What a rotten man.” she stated, pulling her dirty jacket on and looking around at her surroundings. “Annnd, I’m lost.” she said, not recognizing a single thing in sight.
Judging by the six lane road with cars and buses driving on it, she figured she was in one of the larger districts, possibly C, but it could be even further out. All around her looked like it was from some downtown area in a massive metropolis. Skyscrapers were all over and billboards rose from the streets advertising deals in the local shopping mall or the places where you could get the best fast-food burgers. She saw people walking around, most likely the families of those that worked to keep the city operational on a daily basis. The people that lived here did so as if it was any other city. Year round, they worked to keep everything running, from the school to the power grid to the water supply. It was like any other place with how it required constant maintenance. Despite all of the populace, traffic, and signs, she saw none that distinguished which district she was in, or which way led to one of the checkpoints into the central districts, of which there were multiple
Ferain looked back at the hospital and then back at the road. After a sigh of resignation, she picked a direction and started walking.
“Ms. Hirigaya!” came a voice from behind her.
She spun and saw Headmaster Guji Hakamura coming her way. It was late afternoon now, and this might have been the reason for his more casual style of dress. He wore a pair of jeans, a clean pair of black boots, a white t-shirt, and a long, light brown overcoat. His hair was also left down around his face instead of being swept back in its usual style. The white streak was also among the hair that hung near his left cheek. He looked surprisingly younger like this, and stunningly handsome.
“Headmaster?” she gasped, walking towards him as he smiled.
“I came to get you. I had a feeling that the good doctor was going to do this, so I wanted to personally be your guide.”
“Do what?” asked Ferain.
“Besides being an ass, you mean?” questioned Guji, before smirking. “You’re not to be on your own for a while, but he has never really paid much mind to those around him. I just knew he was going to kick you out onto the street without waiting for me. You see, I was supposed to be here in a couple of hours but I left the school’s affairs to Autumn for the time being so I could come retrieve you. Would you mind walking with me?” he asked, gesturing towards the direction he came from.
“Not at all.” Ferain said, nearing him and walking by his side as he started moving.
“Excellent, because I have some things I wish to talk to you about. First off, I want to apologize for not stopping that fight sooner. As I’m sure Agent Key told you, the cameras were disabled because of your powers and the storm. I’m afraid that they couldn't handle that much power and short-circuited. It was why none of the lights in the school kicked on after the storm moved in. Because of this, we had no way of knowing how bad things were getting in there. We hold these events to be a fun time for our students. This allows them to use their abilities, to test how much they’ve grown, and sometimes even form lasting friendships. Breaking bones and actively trying to maim each other is not on the list of objectives for these games. If I had seen how rough that boy was getting, I would have put a stop to the entire thing, you have my word on that.” said the headmaster.
“It’s my fault. I broke the power. Plus, we should have called somebody when things were getting rough.”
“You should have, but hindsight is a foul thing to dwell on, Hirigaya. It only ever leads to regrets and wasted time. Best to let sleeping dogs lie, yes? What happened happened, and nothing can change that now. All we can do is simply move on and try again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“I… I suppose so.” Ferain walked in silence for a moment as she tried to organize her thoughts and sort out her feelings. She also had to find some courage. She had a few things she wanted to say as well, and some things she wanted to ask. “Headmaster, about my test results…”
“Yes?” he said, giving her a knowing grin.
“I… I did that on purpose.” she admitted.
“The truth now. You know, it suits you much better than the lies, Ferain Hirigaya.”
“It wasn’t all lies, Headmaster. I really don’t have a lot of control over my powers. I–”
“You were afraid so you didn’t even try during the power demonstration.” he butted in. “I saw the test, and when compared to what you could do even at the age of five, I knew you were holding back intentionally. Why do you think I accepted you into the academy?”
“So it was you that approved me?”
“Of course.” Guji said, happily. “The other teachers, my own lovely Autumn Willow included, didn’t want you to come. They advised me to deny your application. They had questions about your dedication to actually trying to do good here. You can’t blame them after seeing results like yours. But I saw what you were really doing, not just with the powers, but I knew from the start why your answers were like that on the written exam. That little detail slipped past my companions. They saw you holding back and they saw your near-failed exam and were reaching for the rejection stamp. I saw a diamond where they only saw coal, so I overruled them. They weren’t happy about it, but here we are, and I don’t regret my decision.”
“Even after the team event?” asked Ferain.
“Even still,” he assured her. He then sighed. “When I saw you during that test, I knew at once that you needed help. I don’t mean that in an offensive way, of course, but in a guidance sort of way. You were a child that needed somebody to show her how and why and where. For too long you were just cast aside with no answers, no reasons, no nothing. You needed a guiding hand, and who was our school built for if not for people like you? The original purpose of these schools was not to produce soldiers or fighters, but to help struggling wielders to control their powers without hurting themselves or those around them. There are too many sad tales of this happening, and I think a part of that is because so few of our kind can actually receive that guiding light they so desperately need. We’re not human, Hirigaya, we never will be. Because of that, we don’t have as simple of lives as they do. We have all of their usual problems, plus the burdens of our ‘gifts’ to deal with on top of it all. They see our powers and they’re envious. Everyone wants to feel like they’re special, and when a normal human sees people flying through the air or spitting fire from their mouths, they wish for the same life. We’re the physical form of comic characters or superheroes from the movies they all watch while growing up. Of course they would be envious, but this blinds them. Because of this, they don’t see that our powers can be more of a curse than anything. Look at your own history. Humans don’t take that into account, and I fear, our kind is starting to do the same thing.”
“What do you mean?” asked Fera.
He smiled grimly. “Our acceptance rates decrease every year, did you know that? Of course you wouldn’t, it’s not common knowledge. Less and less people have the money or ability to be accepted here. I, unfortunately, don’t have any control over that. That’s all on the government. They don’t see wielders as people with special needs, as people who need help in order to operate properly in society. They instead see us as future weapons. We’re police officers, soldiers, and peacekeepers. A majority of our kind end up in violent career paths because we can handle it better than humans. Even our governor, who is a wielder himself, sees us as tools to be used, and our academy as a way to make money for the nation. Our requirements are being raised almost every year, and the price of admission is rising as well. In even just a few years, I imagine there will be more situations like yours than ever before. People that can’t get the proper training because even the government is turning on us, slowly but surely.”
“Headmaster.” Fera muttered, noticing the melancholy expression on his face. He cared about this deeply, and he thought about it often. He truly believed in what he was doing, and was genuinely hurt by how it was all crumbling around him for the sake of greed and naivety.
“Sorry, Hirigaya. The last thing you need to be put through now is an old man’s ramblings about the world. You have your own issues to be getting on with, and have no need for my own as well.”
“It’s fine, Headmaster, I don’t mind.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” he said, looking down at her warmly, almost like how a father would. The thought of it caused a pang in her heart that was all too familiar.
“Headmaster? Was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?” she asked. “It’s just, you said there were ‘some things’, not ‘a thing’ earlier.” she said, noticing his inquisitive glance.
“Sharp as glass, aren’t you?” said the headmaster. “Indeed, there was something else, but it can wait. I’ve delved into one deep topic already, I wouldn't dream of ruining the mood further with another one.”
“So that’s it?” she asked. “Nothing else?”
“That’s it.” he confirmed. “Unless you want to tell me about your first month here. We have plenty of time to kill and I’m in the mood for listening.”
Fera smiled, stunning even herself. Unable to resist, she went into a full explanation of everything her first month entailed, including the bullying from the other students. She couldn’t help but talk to him about it. For some reason, talking to him felt so much different than talking with Anita or Mana. It was like talking to her father before she got her powers. It was a feeling that she was starving for, and it was nice to finally satisfy that longing. As it turned out, they were in District-C, and she talked for most of the walk back to her dorm, where Guji smiled at her and bid her a goodnight. He informed her that the school had still been closed this week, and that the event was canceled after the murder. He bid her to get some rest for the next few days and that he would be happy to see her return to the school the next Monday. Ferain waved as he left and then entered the lobby of the dormitory.
The woman behind the desk gave a greeting wave but neither of them shared a word, and Fera went right for the elevator. Despite having slept for three days, she was still somehow tired. Her body felt heavy, and that horribly long walk did not do her any favors. This was obviously not a good enough excuse for Anita, who lunged at her the second she walked in the door. Anita fell against her, knocking both of them to the ground, and started crying as they lay there, partially in the entryway and partially in the corridor outside their apartment.
“I thought you might die.” Anita cried, as they were later sitting at their dining table, eating the microwavable cups of instant ramen Anita bought a few days before.
“I was fine.” Fera said, before slurping up a mouthful of noodles.
“You were unconscious for three days.” Anita reminded her. “You had red patches all over your body where your powers backfired, and you were bleeding, and…” Anita paused and sighed. “And I’m just glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you didn’t wake up, Ferain. Well, I probably would have just killed you myself for being so reckless, but then I would have been extremely distraught.”
“Yeah, it would suck to be distraught during a time like this.” Fera said, sarcastically. “One of the students is dead, the murderer is running around out there somewhere, and I’m being blamed for it all. This is terrible.” Ferain murmured, poking at her food with her fork.
“It’s not all bad.” Anita said, trying to sound lighthearted. Fera looked up at her inquisitively. “I mean, we could be dead, so there’s that.”
Fera shook her head and returned to her cooling noodles.
That night was a restless one. Perhaps it was because of the three day nap, or perhaps it was the racing of her brain as it tried to internalize everything from the fight to the talk with the agent to even the words she shared with Headmaster Guji.
“Too much.” she complained. “It’s all too much. I just wanted to go to school, to try to live a normal life again. Why did all of this have to happen? The bullying, the whole ‘Prodigy’ thing, and now this. Why does this keep happening to me?” Ferain felt a burning in her eyes as she rolled over and stared at the blue crystal necklace that was resting on the nightstand by her bed. “If only you were still here. You would know what to do.” Eventually, Fera’s eyes closed as she stared at the small jewel. She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but she was extremely grateful for it.