The halls of Olirian Academy were currently mostly unoccupied. The occasional bathroom-bound student or a patrolling teacher with a free period could be seen, but for the most part, it was only Ferain that traveled through the light gray hallways. Some dull light flooded in from the windows, though it wasn’t much since the sun was currently hidden mostly behind clouds. It was the start of April, only the second day of it actually, and since a week or so ago, it was the start of the rainy season. So far, there hadn’t been any major storms, but like today, it was overcast and a faint drizzle cascaded down lightly over the heads of any people presently outside.
She climbed the central staircase to the fourth floor, where the headmaster’s office, as well as several other facilities awaited. However, her only destination was the former. It was during the afternoon classes, just after lunch, so everybody besides the aforementioned stragglers would be in their classrooms, most participating in academic lessons. Because of this, this floor too was completely vacant. Perhaps it was due to this empty nature that allowed the voices to be heard so clearly from the pair of double doors ahead. Though, this could have also been made possible by the volume as well. Ferain couldn’t make out the individual words until she got closer, but she knew she heard somebody yelling angrily from the other side. Just as she got close enough to put her ear against one of the doors, there was a thunderous slam that caused her to jump and her heart to skip a beat.
“You should be thanking me.” came a recognizable voice, one that she knew to be Seven Itani.
“I told you to stay away from her!” howled another voice, one that she’d never heard reach this volume before. “I warned you what would happen if you touched her!” the headmaster continued, presumably slamming something yet again.
“I haven’t done anything non-consensual, I swear it.” came Itani’s sly, hissing tone.
“This isn’t a game!” Guji screamed. “I will kill you, I swear to that! She is–”
“She’s what, Guji?” interrupted Itani. “Hmm? She’s what to you?” There was a brief pause before a poisonous chuckle reached her ears. “Oh, but I know, don’t I? And you know, obviously. The only one that doesn’t know is the most important one of us all, isn’t that right? Why even bother with the secret, Guji? This would all be a lot easier if you actually treated her like–”
“Don’t you say it. Don’t say it! I will not stand for anymore of–” This time, Guji was cut off by the door to his office opening slowly There was a quiet creak that seemed to drown out all other noise, as both of the men present turned to look at the now entering Ferain, who did so timidly, with her hands clasped together in front of her.
“I-is this a bad time, sir?” she asked, playing up the confusion she felt, just to make it seem possible that she hadn’t just heard all of that.
“Not at all, Ferain.” said not Guji, but Professor Itani. “In fact, I was just leaving. Wasn’t I, Headmaster?” he asked, turning his head to stare darkly at the headmaster, who seemed unkempt and outraged.
His black hair, usually so tidy and slicked back, was rough, as if he had run his hand through it several times or perhaps even pulled some out. The muscles in his throat were bulging, and his face was as red as she’d ever seen it, most likely from the boiling blood that raced through his tense body. After a short, shaky breath, he straightened and seemed to collect himself… somewhat.
“Yes, you were. We’ll continue this discussion later, Seven, don’t think–”
“There’s nothing more to discuss, Headmaster.” Itani interrupted. “You’ve said your words, and I’ve already shared mine. There’s nothing left to be said so I implore you to think about your actions before interrupting my lesson planning again. Goodbye, Guji.” Itani started for the door before reaching Ferain, who was still standing awkwardly near it. He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her. “It’ll be alright, Ferain.” His eyes darted over his shoulder to see Guji staring at both of them with an unexpected level of fury. “You won’t be in any trouble.”
Guji’s eyes narrowed as Itani lightly touched Ferain’s cheek before leaving the office behind. The door closed tight, but the sound of the keeper latching wasn’t what broke through her stunned stupor. It was the sound of wood cracking under great pressure. She looked up to see Guji’s hands gripping the edge of the desk, or, what was once the edge of the desk. Now, it was nothing more than a splintered plank that continued to break under his strength as his golden eyes glowed menacingly.
“Sir, I–”
“Take a seat.” Guji ordered, cutting her words short.
He dropped the remnants of the board and made himself busy by removing a file from a drawer on his side of the desk. Ferain fell lightly into a leather-backed chair on the opposite side of him, her eyes watching this stranger closely for any signs of personal danger. She’d seen Guji mad, furious even, when she got caught stealing the registry the previous year. Now, however, this was on an entirely new level.
“He threatened to kill me.” she recalled Itani saying before.
“He did it again. I heard him.” she thought, watching Guji place the file down and flip it open.
He turned it and shoved it towards her, which instantly caused the breath in her throat to catch and get lodged there. The only pictures were fuzzy screenshots, obviously. Every time she went through the checkpoint at night, she made sure to use her powers to disrupt the cameras, since she knew they were there. It was something she did whenever she distracted the guards, and some nights, it was the exact thing she did to distract them. This meant that there wouldn't be any real problem for her, normally, but these horrible pictures weren’t the only things present. It was a list of times and dates, all taken every other night around ten. She dared to look up from the page, where she saw Guji leaning on the desk, watching her intently. Shyly, warily, her vision returned to the paper, remaining silent. It was then that Itani’s words became clear, when he told her that she wouldn’t be in trouble.
That was easy for him to say, she thought, seeing as he wasn’t the one that decided just how much trouble she’d be in. That position lay solely with the man in front of her, the one that now watched her like she was some sort of criminal, or a disgusting pest.
“Sir, I–”
“Think about your words carefully, Ms. Hirigaya.” he said, speaking low and clear, just to be certain she understood that this was a threat, not just a simple lighthearted warning.
“What is this?” she asked, glancing up once more.
He closed his eyes, probably in disappointment, and sighed as his head drooped just enough to cause his disheveled black hair to fall around his head. “I was really, honestly hoping that you would’ve been smarter about this, Ferain.” he muttered, and something in his voice sent a concerned shiver up her spine. She’d never been afraid of Guji, not once since meeting him. If anything, he was like a father to her. Even more than Anita, he was the one that hurt her the most whenever she saw the pain in his eyes as she did all of the terrible things she’d done since returning to the school. With that said, this time specifically, she was very afraid. There was an unhinged characteristic to his voice, something that hinted at a much more violent man behind the usually calm and upstanding exterior.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about. What is this?” she asked him again, shoving the folder away.
Without looking at her, he answered. “We have the checkpoints for a reason, Ferain. It’s to monitor who comes and goes, and when they come and go. It’s a security measure that is supposed to allow us to keep track of everyone, and to make sure people aren’t up to no good. I don’t know how you haven’t been caught by the posted guards, despite your tampering with the security cameras, but every time you pass through the gates, it saves the time and date into the system, along with the pictures. This is a record of each and every time you’ve passed through the gate to District-A after school hours for the last several weeks, nearing two months. The first one was in early February, all the way up until the night before last.”
“And?” Fera asked, but she knew at once that this was a mistake. Guji clenched his fists and she heard the desk cracking more as he put more pressure against the surface.
“And?” he repeated, glaring up at her with glowing irises that looked like burning suns under the shadow cast by his loose hair. “Seven Itani has been marked at similar times, on the exact same days. What are you doing at the school that late, and what are you doing with him?”
Fera looked away, trying to fight against the guilt and pain that was welling up in her chest. A part of her, the one that was slowly but surely growing smaller, wanted to tell him everything. She wanted their relationship to go back to how it was, and she wanted to go back to how she was. But, the newer, more ferocious side of her, the one that was powerful enough to stand up to anybody, even him, told her to bite her tongue.
“Nothing. We aren’t doing anything.”
“Don’t lie to me!” Guji bellowed, this time putting a hand through the desk, causing sparks and smoke to rise up from the technology that was built into it. Fera winced at the sound of the raised voice and crying wood, but she held strong to her resolve. In fact, she began feeling anger bubbling up within her, as she replayed those words in her head.
“Don’t lie to me?” she asked herself, repeating Guji’s words. She looked up at him with a furrowed brow and glowing irises of her own. “Why should I tell you the truth? Why should I, when all you do is lie to me?!”
“I have never lied to you.”
“Oh yeah? What am I to you, then? Every time you always just say I’m a student, but last year, when I woke up after my fight with Raven, you… Teachers don’t do that for their students. What am I to you? Why are you always so fixated on me? Why does what I do in my free time concern you so much, hmm?”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“It’s not just your free time.” he growled through gritted teeth. “You are breaking curfew, and you’re trespassing on school grounds as well. You are breaking laws, not just going down the street to buy a drink. I am trying to help you.”
“Why?!” she shouted, blue and white static coursing around her. “I never asked for your help! I don't want it! I have all the help I need, because all year, you have been useless. All you ever do is spit out nonsense that you think sounds smart or helpful, but you never actually do anything.” Guji stared at her, dumbfounded and speechless. Ferain felt even worse levels of guilt flooding into her heart, cutting her on the inside with each word spoken, but her anger won out in the end, and she continued. “They’re all dead because of you! Yarin is dead because you didn’t do anything! All of those students that you say you love so much are dead because of you and your useless words! It’s the same with me! I struggled all of last year, and you did nothing! I was in pain for so long this year, and you did nothing. You threatened me with detention, you threatened me with expulsion, but you did nothing else. How can I expect anything different from somebody that just sits there?!”
Ferain saw black veins spidering along Guji’s visible hands, as well as his neck and face. His head was dropped, but enough of his face was visible that they were noticeable. The glow from his eyes cast a light down on the table, though dim it was, she didn't fail to see it.
“I make mistakes,” he murmured. “I have made mistakes, many of them. But, since you came here, I have done everything I can to help you. I have been lenient. I have given you space and freedom. I gave you the best partner I could think of given your situation. I gave you a chance in the first place, when nobody else would have. I have even given you my ear and my time whenever you needed it. I have done… everything… I can. I couldn’t help Yarin. I couldn’t change what happened. My hands were tied. We don’t live in a world where we can just go around and murder people based on accusations and suspicions. I put my faith in him and in Cross, and we all made mistakes. I have not just sat here, doing nothing.”
He looked up at her, just enough so that she could see the tears rolling down his cheeks. Her lightning flickered and faded as her eyes dimmed. It was too sad a sight, too heartbreaking to witness. It washed over her at once, and the image of this man’s current visage saved itself in the deepest recesses of her mind, burrowing deep and cementing in place as a permanent scene.
“You know nothing,” he said. “You don’t know about me, or the decisions I make on a daily basis. You don’t know what I felt whenever I had to watch another student die, and I could not act. You don’t understand what it feels like to watch the only person left that you hold dear suffer and be put through a hell that I knew was too heavy for them to bear. You don’t know anything!” he shouted, loud enough to cause her to jump, temporarily forgetting the stronger side of herself existed. She actually pulled away from him, shivering somewhat from the fear and adrenaline that was coursing through her. “Very well, Ms. Hirigaya.” he said, after a short pause. “Fine. You don’t want my help, very well. I’ve done all I can. I’m not going to waste my time anymore. As of right now, you’re suspended until further notice. I’ll be discussing the possibility of your expulsion with Professor Willow and the school board at a later time. Grab your things and leave my office.”
Ferain sucked in a breath, not fully taking in what had just happened. After it finally sank in, once she finally realized what had been said, she shook her head to get rid of the stunned speechless stupor she’d been put in.
“That’s it?” she asked, her yellow and black eyes narrowing. “That's all you have to say? That’s all you’re going to do? Are you even going to answer my question before throwing me out?”
“About what you are to me?” he asked, now sounding tired and old. “At the moment, by your own choosing, not mine… you’re nothing. You’re a student, nothing more, and you’re dismissed, Ms. Hirigaya. If I see you come to this school at any point during your suspension, during or after school hours, your expulsion will be immediate. I recommend you stay home for the time being until a suitable decision is reached. Get out of my office.”
She heard the words, but they stopped making sense after his first answer. “You’re nothing.” replayed in her head over and over as the rest of his speech turned to ash. Incredulously, she stared at him for a couple of seconds, but when she finally knew that the conversation was done, she slowly rose and grabbed her bag. She didn’t expect it to hurt this horrendously, but maybe she should have. It felt like her heart had been ripped in two, and then further cut into dozens of smaller pieces afterwards. She looked over her shoulder with tears streaming down from the corners of her crackling eyes, just to see Guji gripping his hair with both hands, after having fallen into his own seat and rested his elbows against what remained of the desk. Her final examination of the office was the aftermath of his rampage, both before and during her visit. Pieces of wood were all over, but the thing that caught her eye the most was the photo that he’d shown her last year.
It was a picture of him, Autumn Willow, and her parents. It was taken during their graduating year, and now, so many years later, it was lying in a pile of shattered glass and chips of wood after having been thrown against the wall with tremendous force. This was her last look at the office before leaving it behind her. With her bag on her shoulder, she didn’t go towards the exit, not just yet. Instead, she knew that Itani had a planning period during this time of day, and she planned to make use of it. She descended the central stairs towards the second floor next, but in her haste and lack of paying attention, she ran into somebody as she gripped the railing and turned sharply to the right off of the lowest step. Both her and her victim stumbled away from each other.
“Watch it.” came a boy’s voice, one that sounded like Marrow. When she looked up, after he’d gone quiet, she saw him staring at her. It was with a look that hinted at a loss of words, and perhaps some confusion as to why she was there.
“You watch it.” Fera growled, stepping towards him.
“You don’t need to–”
He started speaking as he stepped in her way. He was quickly broken off by a hard shove from Ferain. It wasn’t her arm strength that made him move so easily. In fact, she only lightly touched her hand to his body. What threw him off of his feet and into the wall was her ability, and it left him stunned as he fell to the floor, watching her continue on as if he had never even been there. She found Itani’s door soon afterward and slid it open, noticing as she closed it behind her that he was sitting behind his desk with an amused expression on his much more youthful features.
“Ferain? What a surprise.” he said gleefully, not seeming surprised in the slightest.
“You said you can find Kiko.” she said, making sure to speak up before his opening mouth could say anything else. At this, those pale lips curved into a haunting grin.
“I believe I said that I might have a way, but there is a good chance I can. I suppose it is safe to assume that Guji fell through. A shame, really, I honestly thought he’d help you, given your relationship and all. I mean, you are very important to him, a one of a kind deal, really. Oh, but he didn’t tell you about that either, did he?”
Fera’s hands clenched into fists as she felt more tears coming on. She looked away from Itani, but at once, he was walking towards her. Before she could move, or maybe she didn’t want to, he was pulling her into a hug. His arms wrapped around her back as he pulled her body and head comfortably against his chest.
“I know it hurts. I know what it feels like to be told how unwanted you really are. He threw you away again, didn't he? It’s what Guji does, Ferain. If it’s not beneficial to himself or the school, he discards it. You don’t matter to him, but that’s okay. You don’t need him, and once Kiko is dealt with, you won’t need anybody anymore.”
She remained with him for several minutes, remaining quiet and trying her best to calm her nerves. It didn’t work completely, but when she did inevitably leave, she was in a more stable headspace. Guji’s words cut deep, deeper than anything anybody else had ever said to her. The bond they had, the feelings that she felt connected them… were apparently nothing. It was all a lie, from the very beginning. They weren’t friends. They weren’t anything. Ferain was a simple student, one of the hundreds that passed through these halls every year, and he was the headmaster that watched over them all, nothing more. That was what they have been, currently are, and forever will be. Even that relationship wouldn't last long. Once she left the school to find Kiko, once she went through with this act, this murder, there would be no coming back here.
She didn’t care though. Ferain did realize something else during her talk with Guji, and that was the fact that she was done here. This wasn’t her home, it was another prison, just as much as her family’s house was back on the mainland. Here or there, it didn’t matter, she would always have people judging her, controlling her, holding her back. Maybe, in some weird way, Kiko had the right of it all along. Maybe a more free world for wielders, where they could do what they wanted when they wanted would be a better solution. Guji said he was held back by laws and rules, essentially. Had it not been for those, he could’ve stopped Kiko from the start, as soon as he started suspecting him.
Would he have? Maybe not, but it was possible. He did threaten to kill Itani, and apparently did so before the professor even stepped foot in the school too. After leaving the school, Ferain didn’t return home. Home was honestly the last place she wanted to be at the moment, even if it was currently empty. Instead, she found herself some secluded space to tuck herself away at, a place of quiet, a place where could sit and think. While organizing and rationalizing all that happened, her thoughts inevitably turned to her partner and how Anita would take the news of what occurred. Her suspension, her request of Itani, her current headspace. Anita didn’t deserve any of this, especially when compared to everyone else around them, like Guji and Kiko. The only thing Anita was guilty of was having the misfortune of knowing her.
“I’m sorry.” Fera whispered, resting atop a rooftop in District-B, the soft rain drizzling down around her. “I’ll make it up to you somehow, Anita, I promise.” Her left hand raised and twisted the hanging blue crystal of her earring between her thumb and index. Her mother’s crystal, the last thing besides her aging memories that reminded her of the woman’s existence. The first and only gift she’d received from the person that not only gave birth to her, but died for her. “I’ll make it up to you too. I’ll get stronger, and I’ll make things right.”
As she glowered at the early afternoon sky, she saw an image of her father’s face flash in her mind, the face she’d last seen the night of the incident. A short time passed as she collected her thoughts, and at the end of it all, she concluded exactly what it was she had to do before setting things in motion. After a heavy sigh, she rose, stepped over the edge, and made for home. There was packing to do, some things to get in order, and a note to leave behind. She might not be able to say goodbye face to face, but she could at least do it in a letter before abandoning the only person that truly loved her. It could be considered a frustratingly bad replacement for words and physical touch, but it would have to do.
The lobby of the dormitory, as expected, was empty. Even the young receptionist seemed to be on break or something, seeing as the woman was nowhere to be seen. It was all the better that way. Upon arriving in her room, she tossed the school bag on the ground, retrieved the old duffel bag from under her bed, and began packing a few sets of clothes within it. Her final act was a simple one, one that required a pen and paper, and a bit of courage that was surprisingly difficult to muster up.
“Anita, I’m sorry. I can’t stay here anymore. There are things I need to do, things you wouldn't like, but I have to do them. I’m sorry. I’ve never felt as close to somebody as I do with you. I love you more than anything, but I can’t stay. You already have enough scars because of me, I can’t allow you to get any more. I’m leaving you something precious before I go, something that I want you to hold onto until we can meet again. Take care of it, please. You’re the only person I trust with it. Tell the others that I’m sorry too, I know Victor and Maple will worry, but I’ll be fine. I love you, and I hope you can understand someday.” she wrote quickly, and with a shaky enough hand that it was almost illegible.
For a second, Fera thought about throwing it away. For a moment, she thought about ignoring what she wrote and just staying here. However, as Guji’s words from earlier that day replayed again in her thoughts, and with Itani’s promises becoming clearer, more tantalizing, she had no choice. She closed her eyes, took a slow breath, and reached up to remove the earring Anita gifted her with only a few short months before. She set it atop the folded paper, which sat in the middle of the dining table, and gave it a determined look.
“Bye… for now.” she whispered, while turning and making for the door.
Her bag over her shoulder, she left the dorm, and began heading for District-D, ignoring the fact that every checkpoint she passed logged her passing, and that she would easily be trackable. It didn’t matter, not now, not anymore. In a few hours, Itani would hopefully have an answer for her, and within the next day or so, he might even have a way for her to get where she needed to go. All she had to do was to stay low for a couple of days, something that would be easy enough. She knew the perfect place where plenty of people stayed hidden, and she knew they wouldn’t mind her staying for the short term.