The days went by, not swiftly, but assuredly. As the week continued on, so too did the tides of the seasons continue to change. All throughout October, the temperatures had been dropping. Students already began wearing warmer clothing with their uniforms, or shifted to their winter ensembles outright. Now, with November 1st being only a couple of days away, pretty much everyone, including Ferain, had fallen back into the daily routine of dressing warmly. Even back on the mainland it would have already started getting colder, but out here in the middle of the ocean, every billow of seabreeze brought with it a bone chilling shiver that would start at your feet and rapidly work its way through you. Fera was back in her solid black tights, her overly large blue school coat, and a long sleeved shirt beneath that.

This afternoon, Anita’s gifted ribbon wasn’t around her right wrist, as it was normally. Instead, she had it tied into her deep brown hair to give herself a long tail that brushed against her back as she walked. Currently, it was tucked behind the coat so its movements were restricted somewhat, but in a way, it almost made it more noticeable when it did move. All around the academy grounds, the main walkways, the many corridors, the cafeteria and gymnasium, and even the classrooms were all decorated for the upcoming holiday. The overall mood within the school, especially in this last week, had improved drastically. As Guji had told her on Tuesday, the festivities did seem like a much needed distraction to get over this horrible hurdle that had been put in their way this year. The killings, the distraught, concerning emotions of the growing conflict on the mainland, and even the exams that every student here was about to face during the first week of November, it was all a lot for a bunch of teenagers to handle at one time.

The festival had lightened the burden on everyone’s shoulders… or, almost everyone. Ferain, still serving her double doses of daily detentions, didn't feel all that cheered up by the encroaching celebrations. It obviously wasn’t just because of the punishment, but for other things as well. Yarin being the prime culprit, but even her extremely supportive friends were growing tired of her obsession with this. There was also Lilipa, who’d still been absent from school since her best friend’s confession. Even Guji was unable to get into contact with her. The door to her dorm was barred and couldn’t be opened, even after unlocking it with the dorm’s master key, so nobody has been able to go as far as checking on her to be sure she’s still alive in there.

Ferain tried calling her almost every day, but again, there was no luck in any of these attempts. For today, for the last day before the holidays, classes were over and she was heading towards her final detention until the start of next week arrived.

“I really do like the holidays.” Anita said from beside her. Her silver haired partner also started wearing her winter uniform, but seeing as her school jacket had once again become too small to fit, she was wearing a white cardigan she’d bought recently over her shirt and skirt. It was big enough, and thick enough, to almost reach the lower hem of her skirt and keep her comfortably warm from the chilling gusts of air that plagued the city. Anita pointed to some of the passing decorations, a large cotton web that went from the sidewalk to the third floor of the school, carrying on it three humongous fake spiders, and smiled widely. “They really go all out for all of them.” she added cheerfully.

“I guess so.” Fera said, trying to match Anita’s energy, as hard as it was sometimes.

To be honest, while a lot of negative things were on her mind, being with Anita had a tendency of easing them quite a lot nowadays. Perhaps it was this new step they took in their relationship, or maybe it was just a testament to how comfortable she was becoming around her beautiful princess. Either way, to Fera, this meant that she wasn’t acting this way around Anita because of her doubts and obsessions, but because it was simply that hard to keep up with Anita’s positivity. Ferain also knew that Anita was being this way primarily for her sake, since she knew how much weight Fera was carrying at the moment.

“Do you not like Halloween?” asked Anita, giving her a light nudge in the side.

“I’ve never given it much thought, to be honest.” said Ferain, staring at the hanging cobwebs and the statues of witches and zombies that were scattered among the grounds. “I don’t remember ever doing anything for Halloween when I was younger. I don’t know if my parents really celebrated it. You?” asked Ferain.

“My parents… well, you know them. They never bothered, were hardly ever even there to bother… But Regi loved it enough for the both of them. Even after he left highschool, he would still bring his friends over every year, and we’d decorate the manor with all sorts of things, even toilet paper one year. That was a huge mess to clean up, let me tell you. Anyway, he’d throw this big party with a bunch of people from school and he would always invite me, seeing as it was my house.”

“Weren’t you like six when you met him?” asked Ferain.

“Around there, yeah.”

“And you partied with him and a bunch of other highschoolers?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” said Anita, grinning smugly. “I was always popular with them. They thought I was the funniest thing around. I think it’s mainly because I was always trying to do things to impress them, but you know, I do miss those days sometimes. Anyway, that’s why Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. Christmas is a close second, but Halloween will always be special to me.”

“Then you’re in luck, I can tell you all sorts of things that are planned for the festival when I get home later.” Fera said, before sighing heavily. “Guji said that I’m helping out some fourth-year students to get everything organized for tomorrow.”

“Oh, that doesn’t sound too bad.” Anita stated, patting Fera on the shoulder. “At least you’re not filing papers or carrying books around again. And, this is your last one, isn’t it?”

“Until next week.” Fera reminded her. “I have to serve detention all next week too. I do deserve it though so I shouldn't be complaining.”

“Normally, I would defend you, Ferain, but you’re right on this one. Stealing the school registry, I still can’t believe it. I’ll need to have a talk with Maple about being a bad influence on you.”

“Like you’re one to talk.” Fera joked, poking Anita’s cheek lightly. “You know how many rules you’ve convinced me to break this year?”

“Name one.” Anita said, pouting slightly.

“Skipping school, skipping class… There was also that one time, if I remember correctly, where you talked me into shorting out Raven’s phone as she was passing by in the hallway.”

“Well… you know… Look, it’s not like I’m a saint, okay?” said Anita. “Besides, you say that I convinced you to do those things but really, they were your decisions.”

“I’m not saying they weren’t. I’m merely pointing out that it was your influence that made me into such a troublemaker.” Fera then kissed Anita on the cheek. When she pulled away, her face was red and she was blushing profusely. She still wasn’t completely used to this newfound affection they shared with one another. Sometimes, it was really exciting and it made her heart race, but others, it felt like she was overstepping her bounds. They had been good friends before taking this next step so, while not often, she felt awkward when it came to more intimate actions. “It’s okay though, I enjoy it. Besides for this last time, I’ve really had a lot of fun coming out of my shell this year. I like the new me, it’s refreshing.” said Fera.

“You like it, I love it.” Anita stated before grabbing Ferain’s cheeks with both hands. She kissed Fera on the mouth and then laughed, after which she kissed her again. When she pulled back, Fera noticed the thirteen scars on the underside of her forearm. Anita, as she promised, hadn’t been hiding them recently. According to her, her other friends were accepting, and even understanding of why she did it. They were supportive of her attempts to get over this haunting memory from her past, and for that, Ferain was extremely grateful, despite not knowing them.

“Lovebirds, yoo hoo!” came a girl’s voice, one that was older sounding, and one unknown to Ferain.

Her and Anita looked over and saw an odd girl walking towards them. She had long curls of blonde hair with electric blue highlights throughout it. Her eyes were a similar color to the accents in her hair, and just below the right one, a little offset on her cheek, Ferain saw a black star drawn there with a lightning bolt inked in the middle. It didn’t look like a tattoo. To Ferain, it almost looked like it’d been drawn there with a marker. The girl was wearing the normal winter uniform, and over it was a long, flowing coat of black with the school crest on the right shoulder. It was similar to Fera’s but it looked lighter to her. Beneath the skirt, she wore black leggings with orange swirls on it, probably because of the holiday, and around her waist was a long yellow sash that left a bunch of excess ribbon to dangle down her right leg.

“You must be Ferain Hirigaya, the cute little Prodigy I’ve been hearing about all year.” said the girl, clasping her hands together in front of her chest.

“I-I am.” Fera said nervously, and to tell the truth, embarrassingly. She wasn’t much fond of public affection, like their kisses. She was still nervous about it in private, let alone in front of others. It was only after she reminded herself that she started it this time that she was able to accept the consequences of it.

“And I’m Anita Caswell, pleasure to meet you.” said Anita, holding out her hand.

“I know who you are.” said the older student, shaking her hand. Ferain judged this by not just her voice, but also her appearance. She was taller than the pair of them, and while she wasn’t as filled out as Anita, who was somehow blessed with her figure, she still had this mature air about her. “You two have been making quite a name for yourselves, haven't you? I mean, the whole situation with the team games at the start of the year, plus all of your fights after that. Yours in particular.” she added, pointing a finger at Ferain, who retreated a step backwards. “Your fight in the advancement tests really got my heart pumping. You maybe went a bit too far, took it a bit too seriously, but I loved every second of it.”

“T-thanks?” Ferain said, twirling some of her loose-hanging bangs around a finger.

“Take the compliments as they come, Ferain.” advised Anita. “Who are you anyway?” asked her partner.

“I am Tianna Haze, and I am also your guardian for this afternoon.” she said, turning to Ferain while finishing her introduction.

“Guardian?” she asked.

“Yep. You’re serving detention with me and my club today, so I hope you’re ready for a bit of work. We have a lot to do before tomorrow comes.”

“I don’t know,” said Anita. “Looks to me like the school’s already overfilled with decorations and such.”

“Decorating is done, yes, but there are other things to arrange and organize as well. We have the haunted house and—” She quickly covered her own mouth with her hands, and that was when Ferain saw something dangling from her right wrist. It looked like a black band with a silver badge bolted to the surface, but just as soon as they were raised, she lowered her hands again. “Sorry, don’t want to spill the beans more than I have too. Either way, now that the school is closed for the weekend, we have to start… preparing. Welp,” she said, clapping her hands together. "As it is a punishment for the adorable little bug zapper here, I have to unfortunately ask you to leave Caswell. She isn’t supposed to be having fun and after what I just witnessed… well… I can see she’d be enjoying herself too much with you around.”

Both Ferain and Anita blushed as they looked away from one another. In the end, Anita gave her one last kiss on the cheek and a hug. “I’ll see you at home when you’re done here. Are we still…”

“Yeah. Guji already has it all set up. I’ll be there in time, promise.” said Fera.

Anita smiled and waved at the pair of them before taking Fera’s bag and heading off towards the exit of the school grounds. Tianna put a hand on her hip and giggled.

“You two really are quite the pair. To be honest, while you are absolutely delectable, she’s a bit out of your league, sister.”

“Delectable?” questioned Ferain.

“Did I say that? My bad, I meant adorable. Now, we really have to be getting on with it. I’ll explain what you’re going to be doing for the hour or so that I have you. I would keep you longer but the headmaster insisted on a shorter time frame. You have something else planned for this evening?”

“I need to go see a… friend.” Fera replied.

“Hmm. Doesn’t sound like Ol’ Guji to let somebody off work to go play around with friends but whatevs, I don’t really mind. Walk and talk?” Tianna suggested, gesturing for Ferain to follow her. Fera nodded and started stepping by her side as they followed the path towards the gym. “So, I’ll let you in on a bit of what we’re doing. Oh, before that, though. I guess I should introduce myself more properly. After all, there’s not many of us here, are there?”

“What do you mean?” asked Fera.

Tianna held up her right hand and snapped her fingers. As her cerulean eyes glowed blindingly bright, two yellow currents of electricity began flowing around her. They looked like serpents that twisted around one another before hovering around her body. Sharp, white eyes flickered where Fera assumed their heads would be, and the presence of the serpentine shaped currents made her stumble a step away from Tianna. The older student began to pet one of the arcing snakes and smiled at her creation.

“I’m one of the other lightning-wielders here. There was a time, in my first and second year, when I was the only one. After the second one arrived, I tried to befriend her, but she didn’t really seem… talkative. To be honest, it was a bit lonely.” Tianna stated, putting on a melodramatic tone. “When I found out that two others would be coming here this year, I was over the moon, but… I never had the chance to talk to you or the black haired boy. Shame what happened to him, but hey, one out of three isn’t that bad, is it? Maybe we can hit it off now that we’ve met.”

“How are you doing that?” asked Ferain, more taken back by her ability and control of it than anything else.

“This?” asked Tianna, as one of the snakes slithered over the back of her neck and snapped at the other one. “Eh, it’s not that hard. When I was growing up, I’ve always had a fondness for animals, so when I got my powers, I trained to make them into pets of a kind. I control them, but it's so subconscious at this point, it’s almost like they’re their own beings.”

“So, you just change the shape of your lightning?” asked Ferain.

“That’s a simple way of putting it, yeah. I suppose you might be able to do it, but nowhere near my scale without a few years of practice. Honestly, even that might not be enough. I know you’re a prodigy and everything, but all because we have similar abilities, doesn’t mean we can do all of the same things with them. I would say that we have our specialties.”

“And that’s yours?” asked Ferain.

“Yep. I’m not really full of explosive power or raw speed, but my control is through the roof. Now, your fights, I couldn’t do what you do because of what I lack. You see, I kind of have the same curiosity about what you do. How do you go that fast when you’re moving around?”

“I don't really know, I just kind of… do it, I guess.” Fera answered.

“And that’s my answer to you, meaning, that’s your specialty. And the way you threw that huge boy around during the advancement test, impressive. I doubted I could have done that. I still would have won the fight, mind you, but that’s neither here nor there.” said Tianna, letting her powers die out, and the coiling electrified serpents began to dissipate into sparking particles.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“And why is that?” asked Ferain, feeling a bit defensive over her loss against Victor.

“Because, I knew his weakness by your second hit. There’s not many powers out there that are perfect, first-year, you’ll learn that in time.” Tianna explained sagely. “Almost every power has a weakness, you just have to find it. As for his, well… You know, I won’t tell you right now. Let’s turn this into a test of some kind, shall we? I want you to think about that fight while you serve your detention, and before you leave, I want to see if you figured it out. It’ll be a good way to see if you can think as hard as you hit.”

“Really? I have to do homework too?”

“Yep.” sang Tianna. “Some of your best lessons come from older students, junior. I learned more from my seniors than I ever learned from the staff here. Everyone has their own stories here, and everyone has something to teach you, if you’re willing to listen and observe. Who knows, maybe your little soiree with us today will be a good lesson in and of itself.”

Ferain followed her to a storage room where there was a towering pile of cardboard boxes and plastic crates. Her job was to take each crate to the team of students in the cafeteria and the main school building, and even help them if they asked for it once she was done with her deliveries.

“It’s so they don’t have to stop working, get it?” said Tianna, when she was finished explaining Fera’s task. Before she left her, she looked over her shoulder and flashed a playful expression. “Enjoy yourself, cutie.”

Her detention this time didn’t really drag on all that much. In fact, she actually had a bit of fun with the other fourth-year students, one of whom wound up being Marrow’s older sister, Mamane, who seemed shocked to see Ferain there. In the end, her favorite of the group had to be the other lightning-wielder. Tianna was a bit of a bunch of her friends, and all of those bits seemed to be the ones she treasured most. She had a good sense of humor and a lot of energy, like Anita and Maple, but she had the sternness and leadership capabilities that Yarin always possessed. Plus, she had a fondness for Ferain, primarily, she suspected, due to their shared abilities. It was true that lightning-users weren’t all that common. They weren’t exactly rare, but they also were not around every corner.

This, like it did with Yarin, made it easy for them to get along, and like with Yarin, she was learning things from Tianna’s constant spouting of information, even if she wasn’t intending them to be educational. When all of her work was done and she was readying herself to leave, Ferain was being walked to the checkpoint by Tianna, so that they could have a bit of privacy away from the others. She knew what the girl was going to ask her, as she’d been thinking about it since Tianna tasked her with finding the answer. Victor’s weakness, the one thing that would allow her to win a fight, should she ever have to face him again.

During the menial tasks of lifting and transporting crates of old decorations and smoke machines, she thought back on her fight with him, replaying it in her mind over and over. It was actually a great distraction from the recent events that’d been haunting her waking thoughts and her late night dreams. She didn’t know, at first, what she was supposed to be searching for, but eventually, she picked up on it. Victor’s ability allowed him to take in the power of a person’s hit, their momentum, and the strength of their ability included, to increase his own body’s strength. For any physical attacker, this was an unbeatable opponent, but that was where she figured out the flaw in his gifts. All of her hits, electrified or not, were physical. She never attacked him with anything other than punches or kicks, and as the fight dragged on, her attacks were doing less while his dealt out increasingly more damage than the previous ones.

Coupling this realization with Tianna’s confidence in her own victory, and her own admittance that she was not much of a physical fighter, all added up to the answer she would relay to Tianna’s query.

“Did you figure out my homework?” she asked Ferain.

“I… think so.” Fera answered, twirling some of her hair around her finger. “I think his weakness is… Hmm, how do I put this? Non-physical attacks?” she said questionably. “Like, if I had struck him with lightning alone, not a hand or fist, it would have hurt him. His power doesn’t absorb the power in a hit, it absorbs the momentum of it.”

“It does a bit of both.” Tianna interjected. “He absorbs the momentum and the energy given off by the person’s abilities. Your lightning was a prime example of that. It did feed into his growing strength, but he can’t absorb all of what your power has to offer. Some of it, had it not been physical contact, would have still made it through. Also, I suspect that while absorbing a person’s powers, he also takes damage from that as well. But, you are right in the solution. Don’t touch him and he’s as good as beaten. That’s usually the way with muscle-heads. I’ve won many competitions because of that simple loophole. Congrats on figuring it out. You do have a sharp mind when you put it to proper use. Go ahead and run along now, I’ll be sure to talk to you later. Oh, and I’ll let the headmaster know that you were a wonderful helper, stayed busy the whole time.”

“Thank you.” Fera said, faintly bowing her head.

“Awww, no need for that now.” said Tianna, blushing lightly pink. After holding herself back, which is what it looked like to Fera, she didn’t seem able to hold it in any longer. “You’re so cuuute!” Tianna howled, lunging forward and pulling Ferain into a suffocating embrace, one that left her gasping for air. “I could just eat you up whole. What did I do to deserve such an adorable underclassmen? I am blessed, truly.”

“Please… I can’t…” Fera gasped, struggling to take in air, but Tianna’s grip was unbearably strong.

“You’re all mine, you hear me. I’m going to love you forever and ever. I want to see you in a collar. That’s what I need, a collar and a leash. Ohhhhh, you’ll be the best thing ever!”

“Tia, you’re killing her.” said Mamane, walking over and putting a hand on her hip.

Tianna seemed to hear her and when she stepped back, she had a limp Ferain in her arms. “S-sorry about that. I couldn’t help myself. Ohhh, I’m so sorry.” Tianna cried, shaking Ferain back to life. “Mae, do something, you’re a doctor.”

“Just let her breathe.” Mamane instructed, and she stepped closer to pull Ferain away from Tianna’s clutches.

“Sorry about her, she has a weakness for cute pets.”

“Pets?” gasped Fera, panting heavily as she reveled in the sweet relief of fresh air entering her lungs.

“It would only be for a little while.” Tianna said, almost manically, like she’d been infatuated to a point close to insanity. She had a wild leer in her eyes and her hands were reaching for Ferain again. “How about you get on all fours and walk around for a bit too? Oh, you’ll be just like a little wolf, you would. It’d be the most adorable thing in the world. I might just die and go to Heaven if I saw that. Please, would you? You could also str— Ow!” Mamane sharply struck her on the head, cutting off her crazed, delusional ramblings.

“Get out of here, Prodigy. Best to give her some space when she gets like this.”

“O-okay.” said Fera, giving both girls a questionable look. Tianna stared into her eyes again and the terrifying hunger in them made Fera scurry through the checkpoint at a speed she’d never run through it before.

After trading the school grounds for the compact streets of District-B, she walked in silence. The cheer and amusement that the last hour or so brought was quickly diminishing. It was inevitable, to be expected, something that she should have prepared for as the time of her later appointment drew nearer. But… she didn’t. Ferain lost herself in the aura of warmth and friendship, as she tried to do every time. This, however, was not something she could hide from any longer. The walls around her grew darker as she walked along the narrow roads thanks to a passing conglomeration of clouds overhead. Her elation evaporated, and the smile had fallen from her features. All that remained, all that would truly ever remain until this had been dealt with, were her newfound companions when she was alone in the darkness and the silence.

She felt terrified, confused, and furious. It was a bad combination for any person to experience all at once, and it clawed at everything she’d been building up to this point.

“Yarin.” she muttered, staring at the road. One foot passed in front of the other, and she counted the steps subconsciously as she continued passing over the seams in the sidewalk. “I’ll see you soon.” she added, looking up again to see her home up ahead.

Anita had already changed out of her uniform when Ferain made it up to her apartment. She was wearing a purple skirt with white leggings beneath it, and a long-sleeved top that was black with pink paw prints along the right sleeve.

“Did you have fun?” Anita asked, as Ferain slid out of her boots in the entryway.

“Loads.” Ferain replied. When she was finished setting her shoes aside, she looked into Anita’s eyes and grinned. “Sorry, Tianna forbade me from telling you what was planned for tomorrow. You’ll just have to settle with it being a surprise.”

“Oh…” Anita said, taking note of something as their gazes met. Fera saw something on her partner’s gleeful expression fade away. “Well, it’s no big deal. More for us to discover when the time comes, right? So, were you going to change before we left, or…”

“No. I’m going to call Guji and tell him we’re ready. I… I want to get this over with.”

“Okay. Ummm… I guess I’ll go put on some tea while we wait.”

Anita gave another awkward nod before stepping into the kitchen. Ferain scolded herself for acting this way, and while her constant rain of self-inflicted criticisms piled on, she walked towards the couch and took a seat. It didn’t take Guji long to arrive, as she knew it wouldn’t. To some extent, he seemed just as eager, if not more so, to get this done. She suspected that it was partially for her sake that he was so intent on hastening the process, but she couldn't imagine why. Guji arrived at their dorm to escort them to a golf cart that the staff used to get around in the smaller districts of B and A. Silence hung over them as they traveled to District-C, where they were met by a transport that would take them to their next destination. They had a jail on the island, though it didn’t see any use. To hear others tell it, the city hardly ever had any real crimes. Petty theft here and there when a student was feeling reckless, a few fights that resulted in some serious injuries from time to time, but nothing major.

That is until recently, when Yarin admitted to being a murderer to the whole city. The building they eventually pulled up to fit the area. It was drab, gray, and made of concrete or stone. Some windows were already alight on the side that faced the street, and while it was only one story tall, it had a larger foundation, making it a longer and wider building than some of the others that surrounded it. To some extent, it looked like an old office from the outside, and the interior wasn’t far off. A waiting area was present, and there was a desk for check-ins and such, though the attendant behind it wore a gleaming golden badge on the belt around their waist, as well as a holster with a gun nestled firmly in it.

The black haired woman behind the counter greeted them, checked only Ferain in, for some reason, and gestured for her to follow. When Anita tried to come with, Guji placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

“I am sorry, Ms. Caswell, but there can only be one visitor for this meeting. You will have to wait out here with me.”

Anita cast a pleading look to Fera, but she smiled in response instead of arguing for her friend. “It’ll be alright.” Fera said softly. “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” Anita practically whispered. “See you in a bit?”

“Just a minute, not a second longer.” Fera said.

Anita giggled and gave an approving nod to signal to Ferain that she would wait without complaint.

“Right this way.” said the officer, beckoning Ferain onward.

She followed the woman down a hallway beside the desk, and eventually, the sand colored walls of stone changed to metal bars, and on the other sides of them were the empty cells that had hardly ever been occupied. Around a corner and further down the corridor, the walls changed again. They went from barred off cages to rooms with some sort of glass material separating the empty interior to the inhabited corridors. It was in one of these that she saw the boy she’d come to meet. The door to the cell was also made of the same transparent material, and it had a slit for food trays, as well as a hole to make communication easier, she presumed. The walls had these too, small holes that could probably fit a person’s hand through them, had they not been sealed with a diamond-patterned grate of glistening silver metal. Inside the room was a sink, a toilet, a crate that seemed to be filled with books, and a bed, which was currently occupied.

The cell’s inhabitant, Yarin Olira, was resting on the thin mattress, one leg crossed over the other and a book held over his face with one hand while the other prepared to turn the page. He looked thinner than Ferain remembered him being, but his face… his face looked as cool and collected as it always did…

“Almost always.” she corrected herself.

That night, the one where he’d almost killed her… he did not look the same then. He looked insane, feral, unhinged entirely from reality. He looked like a monster. Despite his typical Yarin expression, she couldn’t help but remember that wild pleasure in his crimson eyes whenever she saw it. This resulted in her staring at anything but Yarin’s face, even when he began to talk.

“Guji told me you would be coming here.” he said, in the same distant, chilling tone that he always spoke in. “I didn’t believe it. To be honest with you, Ferain, I was not expecting you to show up. I don’t need powers, or to even look at you, to know that you’re afraid of me. You’re scared, angry, and yet… you came still.”

The book in his hand snapped shut, sending an echo out into the hall that reverberated in her bones and froze her blood. Without meaning to, she took a step back and bumped into the officer, who caught her by the shoulders and gently rubbed them, probably thinking she was helping to soothe her. To this, Yarin looked… remorseful. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and rose to a standing position. The book was gingerly set down on the edge of the mattress before he decided to move closer to the wall. With each step he took in her direction, she couldn’t help but tremble. Her mind was racing, screaming loudly at her to run as if her life depended on it. Her heart had started pounding in her chest, and her legs, they were already beginning to tingle with the urge to move away from the encroaching threat to her life.

She imagined for a moment that she could even feel the tingling of his palms as they touched her cheeks, just moments before he pushed so much power into her that her heart nearly stopped.

“Easy, Ms. Hirigaya.” said the officer. “Easy now.”

“Yes, Ferain, calm down. I am in a cage and I cannot harm you. Even if I weren’t, I wouldn't dream of hurting you again.” said Yarin. He put a hand to the glass and the look that Ferain saw there was painful, like he was enduring some tragic, life-threatening amounts of agony. “I never intended things to go this far. I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted anyone to get hurt.” He stepped closer to the glass and Ferain stuttered, unable to prevent herself from cowering at the memory that was threatening to drown her within it. “Can you not even look at me?” he asked.

Ferain tried to force her gaze to meet his, and to keep it, but it was difficult. Slowly, she stepped forward and found enough strength to meet him eye to eye. He was taller so he looked down at her upward facing leer. “I… I need to know. Did you really do it?”

“I confessed, Ferain.” Yarin answered.

“So you killed all of those students? You attacked me? You betrayed all of us? Why?”

Yarin gave her a look that belonged to a defeated man, a person that had already given up on life… and everything that was a part of it. “I didn’t want it to go this way. If I was smarter… If I was more careful. I wasn’t though… and because of my failings, so many people got hurt… So many people died. I’m sorry. I’ve never been more sorry for anything in my life, but what’s done is done.”

“Yarin, you’re not making any sense.” Ferain said, her voice shaking almost as badly as her hands and legs. “You’re not answering my questions. Why did you—”

“I heard you, Ferain.” Yarin interrupted. “I’m sorry for this as well, but I will not be answering your questions. In fact, I implore you to forget about this. It’s over now. There will be no more attacks. Life can finally go back to normal for all of you. Take all of this, myself included, and throw it away. Don’t think about it anymore, and don’t be afraid. It’s all over.”

“Why? Why won’t you—”

“Because I don’t want you to get hurt again. Haven’t you been listening?” Yarin growled, stepping against the glass and slamming his hand against it. A frightened chirp escaped Fera’s mouth as she almost fell in her attempt to get away. Because of this, even the officer had to step back to help steady her. “Ferain, take the good I’ve done and hold onto it. And… tell Lilipa that I’m sorry too. She hasn’t come to visit so I assume she’s not taking it well. I… I might never see her again. Tell her that I love her. I… I know how she feels about me. Did you know? I imagine she might’ve told you at some point. I’ve known for a long time now, but I… I don’t love her like that. Even still, she is the most important thing to me, and always has been. Keep her safe for me. I won’t be around anymore to do it… so I need your help one last time.”

“Yarin. Yarin… I…”

“I’m done talking to you.” Yarin said coldly. “I want you to leave. I need you to forget about me as best you can. Don’t let what happened ruin what you've worked so hard to accomplish. You’ve grown so much, so don’t allow it to go to waste. Goodnight, Ferain. It was a pleasure knowing you.”

“Wait, but… Yarin… you…”

“Time’s up anyway, Ms. Hirigaya. I think it’s best for you to leave now.” said the officer, tugging on her shoulder, trying to guide her away from the cell.

“No… Wait a minute!” Ferain howled. “Yarin… Wait!” Ferain’s eyes glowed brightly and the officer yelped as she released her grip. Ferain hurried towards the cell and slammed her palm against the glass to get his attention. “Why did you throw it all away? You had me and Anita… You had Lilipa! Why?! Why do that to her?! Answer me!” Ferain screamed, forcing her electrified fist against the cage, scorching the transparent material and even causing a few spidering, glowing cracks to appear around the impact.

Yarin looked over his shoulder and smiled grimly. “Because I had to… To keep her safe… I did what I had to do.”

“But…”

“Ms. Hirigaya!” the officer yelled forcefully, but Ferain couldn’t let it end there. He didn’t make any sense, and the way he talked, the way he acted, it wasn’t the same. It was…

“Ferain! Ferain, enough!” bellowed a man.

When Fera came to her senses, her knuckles were sparking and dripping blood onto the tiled floor. Guji had a hand around her wrist and was pulling her away from the cell, which now had many scars and cracks upon its surface. She didn’t know when she did that, she didn’t remember. There was a gap in her memory. She remembered the first hit, Yarin’s final words, and the officer trying to stop her, but that was where it stopped. When Guji finally managed to drag her back to the waiting room, Anita leapt from her chair and rushed towards her, pulling her into a tight embrace that felt warmer than any other time they ever touched before. Ferain’s body was trembling from head to toe, and every bit of her brain seemed fried and unresponsive.

She didn’t know why, but there was a burning sensation in her eyes that quickly turned to tears. Their origin was unknown to her. Was it his reassurance of his guilt? Was it how painful it was to hear his confession from his own lips? She didn’t know, but she was certain of one thing. She believed him. She believed in the guilt he felt and the remorse he claimed to feel. She believed in the pain behind his eyes and how sorry he appeared to be. Overall, to put it generally, she simply believed his every word, and it was probably this belief that hurt her the most, for it chased away practically all doubt in her mind.