The soft patter of rain striking glass came at an opportune time. It fit the mood, and really, it fit Guji’s headspace as a whole. The large window within one of Olirian’s halls revealed a never ending overcast sky, one that was as full of melancholy as it was rain. It perfectly reflected Guji’s heart, gray and crestfallen, and overwhelmed by far too much going on in his life. The school he stood within was completely empty. He was the only one on the entire campus, and quite possibly, the entire island. He was alone, as he normally felt. While his mind consisted of his many years of memories and experiences, his body was that of a seventeen year old student, wearing his uniform of buttoned blazer, tight collared shirt, and black slacks.

His hands were stuffed in his pockets as his black hair fell loosely around his face, the single white streak that had been there for the longest time showing prominently among the darker color, like an odd sheep that was easily noticeable from the rest of the herd. An analogy that was once used by his old friend Tobi many years ago, and was rightfully corrected by Autumn when she heard it. The original analogy typically referred to a black sheep instead of a white one, and Autumn had a way of forgetting that this reference was just a mere comparison Tobi had conjured on a whim. He grinned faintly as he recalled his friend’s voice, and the many times he’d heard it since starting at Olirian all those years ago.

“So much has happened since then.” Guji murmured, his voice reflecting the youthful appearance he now possessed.

It was only slightly higher than normal, but this only added to the accumulating list of differences between now, and a much, much simpler time. He cast a somber glance through the glass, taking in the fog-ridden scenery of damp grass and darkened walkways as the drops of rain soaked them over the many minutes he’d been standing there. In the faint quiet, he could make out light, whispered footsteps coming down the hall. They were familiar, and they almost sounded like the owner of them was skipping along. Guji did not turn to look at who he knew to be behind him. The newcomer, a girl he knew rather well, possessed a face that even now, he saw almost every day. Well, to be precise, it wasn’t exactly the same, but it was so close that sometimes, he couldn’t help but think of her.

The girl had long, spiky brown hair, and such golden eyes that they could light up any room, or clear away any foul mood as if it was sunshine piercing through the darkened sky of a rainstorm, signaling the coming of a brighter day. Her face was slim and pale, and it was unscarred, unlike the face he saw consistently in the present. She was a smaller girl as well, just barely reaching five feet, and her body had always been thin, no matter how much she ate, and she did eat quite a lot. Guji once saw her shovel down five cheeseburgers in one sitting after a sparring class, and still, it seemed like the girl never gained a single pound. She wore a school uniform, just as he did, and around her thin neck hung a silver chain, ending in a dazzling sapphire crystal.

Her skipped steps ceased when she found him, and as if on cue, she spoke up in a voice that was so sweet on his ears, it made his heart ache tremendously. “There you are, Guji. We’ve been looking for you all over. Tobi was starting to… Guji?” the girl asked, holding her hands behind her back as she crept up behind his unmoving figure. She poked her head around and smiled up at him as her messy fringe shifted over her flawless face. “Do you hear me?” she asked him.

“I hear you, Harriet.” he said grimly. “Trust me… I hear you.”

Harriet grinned and then stepped towards the window, resting her side against it as she looked knowingly into Guji’s dark, serious expression. “What’s the matter? You know you can talk to me. I’m a muuuuch better listener than the others, I promise.” When he still didn’t respond, that was when her smile faded, and her face took on its own sort of darkness. She looked down at the ground and nodded. “Okay, serious Guji this time. Got it. Do you want to talk about it?”

“I shouldn’t burden you, Harriet. I know you carry enough as it is.”

“So what?” she said dismissively. “We’ve done this old song and dance before. I like it. I like helping people, and last time I checked, you are a people. Open up a bit, it might make you feel better.” Guji looked into her wide, round, bright eyes and they changed. They went from confident and supportive to saddened in a second, probably after taking note of the pain Guji had in his own. “It’s about her, isn’t it?”

“Our daughter… Yes, it is.” Guji’s hands clenched tightly into fists and they began to shake with rage as he remembered the sight of Ferain in the nurse’s office. Her blood-stained shirt, her bruised ribs and back, her partially swollen leg. “Seven went too far this time, but Ferain, she…”

“She asked you to ignore it, didn’t she?” Harriet finished. “Like mother, like daughter.” Harriet laughed and shook her head. “Actually, she might get that from both of us. You’re the same way too, you know that? As stupid as your stubborn nature is, it’s one of my favorite qualities about you.”

“It’s a terrible quality.” Guji murmured.

“I think that’s what I liked about it.” Harriet said, turning her gaze towards the window, and that wet world just past it. “It’s one of the things that made you imperfect. Some people think flaws are a bad thing, but… I think flaws are some of what defines us the most. Sometimes, they give us unique traits, and sometimes, they give us something to try to overcome… even if it is futile at times. Sometimes… it’s really just an endearing quirk.” The two looked at each other and she smiled brightly, as she was known for during her youth. “I didn’t always hate that side of you, the side that wanted to protect everyone. You always wanted to shoulder everything on your own, even my problems.”

“You already did that with everyone else in the school. Reminds me of an old saying. You’re like the pot calling the kettle black.”

Harriet covered her mouth and laughed quietly. “Very true. However, you have one thing wrong. Our reasons for doing it are very different. Like I said, I enjoyed helping people, even if sometimes it caused me pain. In the end, it still made me happy to know that I eased another person’s burdens. I think that’s why my power is the way it is, or I guess… was. Your reason, on the other hand, was more like you felt it was an obligation. You always felt like you had to help people, or, the people closest to you anyway. It got even worse after you found me in that storage room, crying my eyes out. It was your job, not a desire.”

“I know that.” said Guji.

“I know you do.” Harriet said quietly. After a brief moment of silence, the rain being the only sound filling the empty corridor, Harriet gently touched his arm. “It bothers you.”

“Of course it bothers me.” Guji growled. “She’s been this way since coming here, and probably before that. She never seems to get spiteful against those who have wronged her. Raven attacked her last year and she actually asked me to revoke her expulsion. In fact, she’s done it twice since then, asking me to consider letting her come back next year. Her old bullies have been practically forgiven by her as well. The only one I suspect she still holds any real contempt for is Kiko, and even that seems to be waning as time goes on.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” asked Harriet.

“Seven could’ve killed her. I’m her father, and I’m practically all she has left for a family. You would think she’d ask me to do something. Get rid of him, hurt him… something. She just let it go.”

“She’s maturing. You said that she still has all that anger in her, you said you see it. The fact that Seven’s stain is still there, yet she is able to make such a decision, speaks a lot about her. You mentioned that she spared Tobi as well, despite everything. Guji…” Guji turned to look at her as she pressed a hand to his cheek. “She’s like you. She looks up to you, and it’s starting to show as she’s becoming the woman she wants to be.”

“I’m not meant to be a role model, Harriet. The things I’ve done… the things I’m still keeping from her.”

“Trivial things, things that don’t matter. The truth about Seven and Tobi isn’t important right now, not for her. She has her own reasons to want matters settled, and her own reasons for letting it all go.” There was another quiet pause before Harriet laughed. “Do you remember that time that Leo shoved me. He did it right in front of all of you… Autumn, Tobi… you. Tobi got so angry over that.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“So did I.” Guji stated.

“Yeah, but you weren’t the one that broke his arm. You tried to hold Tobi back. You told him to forget about it, to let the boy go. I was fine with it, and you knew that. There was no need for violence. Really, I still think the shove was just an accident. My point, though, is that you did the same thing Ferain is doing now. I know you don’t want her to be like Tobi. Personally, I’m in agreement. The fact that she’s willing to let Seven’s actions slide is something I’m actually proud of. She’s not letting people walk over her anymore, but she knows when to restrain herself. It’s why I love you, and I’m sure that if I was out there with her, I’d love her just as much for the same reasons.”

“I’m sure you would.” said Guji. “If only I could make that a reality.”

“Don’t say that. I’m happy with how things have turned out. I’m content. Besides, maybe one day, I will get the chance to speak with her again. You never know. It’s a funny world out there, and I’m sure stranger things have happened. I mean, look at us now.”

“Nothing but a dream.” Guji muttered. “That’s all this is.”

“You think?” asked Harriet, looking over at him and showing her most precious smile yet.

“What do you mean by that?” asked Guji.

“Nothing.” she said, giggling. “Maybe it is… Maybe it isn’t. Maybe, just maybe, there’s something about me that you didn’t know. Only time will tell.” Harriet’s eyes flicked upwards and to the right momentarily, as if looking at something on the ceiling, just in the corner of her vision. She hung her head and sighed. “Well, I guess our time is up. I’ll talk to you again soon, Guji. I really do enjoy these moments.”

“Yeah.” Guji whispered, as Harriet jumped away from him and then started skipping down the corridor again.

The separated sounds of her distant steps grew quieter as the seconds went on, and after a handful, they vanished entirely. That was when he knew he was alone once more, and shortly after that realization, his eyes opened back in the present. He saw Autumn Willow, his blonde-haired partner and very stern best friend, sitting across from him at his desk. She gave him an incredibly incredulous leer and for a moment, it almost looked like she was pouting.

“Welcome back, Headmaster.” she said coolly.

“My apologies, Autumn, I… I must’ve dozed off.” he said, taking in his surroundings and readjusting himself to the real world, the world outside of dreams and imaginations and the lasting presence of bygone ghosts. He leaned his forehead against two raised fingers as he rested his elbow on the surface of his desk, his free hand rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “How long have you been here?”

“Minutes, not too many. If I had been, you would have had a much more rude awakening.” Autumn promised him, her face as frozen and reserved as always. Only, after a second, that bone-chilling expression softened. “You’re not getting enough rest.”

“Afraid there’s not much time for resting nowadays.” Guji said with a slight grin. When Autumn’s look remained unchanged, Guji knew that making light of the situation would do no good here. “I can’t sleep much right now.”

“Seven?”

“Seven.” Guji confirmed. “I can’t let what he did to Ferain go so easily. I have to do something.”

“I’m afraid that there’s nothing we can do at the moment, Guji.” said Autumn, sounding pained by admitting this. Autumn was a person that refused to feel or be helpless, but in their current situation, there really was no way to avoid either. “He has Moon on his side, and if you act against him…”

“I know.” Guji finished for her, rubbing his left temple and then his eyes again. “I was helpless as my students were being murdered, and now I’m helpless as my daughter is being beaten to a bloody mess right in my own hallways.” Guji felt a boiling anger rising in his blood but just as he was about to slam a fist into his desk, he caught himself and sighed. He ran his hands through his hair, sweeping it back, and then rested his elbows on the desk.

“She knew this would happen. It was her choice. She’s being strong.”

“She’s being reckless. There’s a difference. I swear, you and Harriet both are trying to get her killed.”

“Harriet?” gasped Autumn, before shaking her head. “I’m trying to save your job. If you get fired, the school would fall apart at the moment. We have no replacement for you, and with the way things are going, the one that steps up might just be Seven. Could you imagine what the academy would be like under his thumb?”

“There’s always you. Besides, if I got my hands on him, Seven wouldn't exist anymore. I would cut his breathing short, I promise you that.”

“I go where you go, that’s always been the case. If you get fired, I would have to leave.”

“No, you wouldn’t. You would remain here, and you would ensure that my time and efforts have not been wasted.” After a sigh, Guji wiped his face and then shook his head. “There’s no need for any of that at the moment. Ferain has asked me to refrain from acting against him, so I won’t do anything. I swear that next time though, I won’t stop myself. I’ve let enough people get hurt on my watch.”

“With some good fortune, we hopefully will be without Seven next term. I can only hope he’s gone from here once we return from break.”

“Yes, perhaps Moon will have another task in mind for his dog. Anyway, enough of that. You must’ve had need of me. How can I help?”

“Not so much need, per se. I wanted to update you on something. Cross Key finally got in contact with us.” said Autumn, though there was a tinge of anxiousness in her tone that Guji picked up on.

“Not a pleasant bit of news, I take it.”

“No, it isn’t. His daughter was attacked while visiting home. He couldn’t share much of his investigation, given the circumstances of its confidentiality, but he did want to offer what he could.” Autumn handed over a folder that she’d been holding at her side. “He has also brought the dean of Titania Academy in as well, probably even giving her more information. It was one of her students who was attacked, after all. She needed to be made aware.”

“I don’t mind.” said Guji. “In fact, I am grateful for whatever he can spare, no matter how little.” There was a knock on Guji’s office door that caused both him and Autumn to turn their heads. When one of the two doors was opened, Ferain stepped in quietly and gave a surprised look at the pair around the desk.

“Ah, Professor Willow. I… I didn’t expect you to be here. Sorry, is it a bad time?” asked Ferain.

“Not at all.” said Guji, sliding the folder into a drawer behind his desk. He closed it and clasped his hands atop the wooden surface. “Welcome. I didn’t realize it was that time already. Autumn, I’ll look over the paperwork and get back to you later.”

“Of course, sir.” said Autumn, bowing her head faintly before turning to proceed towards the doors. As she passed Ferain, she gave her an odd sort of look, but it was gone fast, and then she too vanished.

Ferain watched as the door closed behind her, and all the while, Guji watched her closely. She still had a faint limp, meaning her leg hadn’t fully healed yet in the two days since Seven’s assault, which was surprising, given her healing abilities. As he continued his examination, their eyes met. Guji felt enraged, as if every fiber of his being wanted to destroy, and his only wish was to burn everything to the ground. He saw flashes of Seven’s charred corpse, smoking as his flesh was melted away to bone. He felt a hatred he’d personally only ever felt towards Tobi after discovering what he had done to his friend and child. He saw a memory of Ferain, standing in front of a mirror and wishing for the pain in her body to go away. He stopped prying as she neared the desk, chastising himself for being so invasive, especially without the consent to do it. It was a difficult power to turn off, as it just came so naturally to him. It was one of those abilities that one had to work on containing instead of activating.

Ferain slowly eased herself into her seat near the wall and he watched as she removed a notebook from her school bag. “So, sir, what are we doing today?” she asked him, meeting his eyes once more.

He smiled softly, even with his boiling anger mixing with Ferain's. She was far younger than him, and she was the child besides. It was yet another thing for him to criticize himself over. His daughter, the one who looked to him as a role model, was doing a far better job at containing her fury than he was. To some extent, he felt ashamed over it, and a bit embarrassed. He cleared his throat, collected himself, and put on the face that he, as the adult, should possess. His expression was more genuine now, and he removed some paperwork from his desk before rising from his seat.

“I got some easy work for you today, that way you can rest up a bit more.” he said.

“I’m fine, but alright. I won’t argue with you.” Ferain said, taking the papers.

Guji returned to his desk, and as he recalled his conversation with Harriet in his dream, as he remembered all that happened to this young girl only a few feet in front of him, he swore that he would not let this happen again. It was his duty to protect his students, and as a father, it was his responsibility to keep his daughter safe now. It was time he stepped up and fully shouldered those burdens, no matter the consequences.

“I am stubborn, Harriet, and while I was the one to show mercy… I’m afraid I don’t have any left in me. If that ruins your feelings for me, I apologize, but I will do what I must.” He made this promise, and he prepared himself for the inevitable as he eyed his daughter, watching her diligently working to achieve her aspiration. The only thing he wanted now, more so than the school, more so than even Harriet to come back, was this young girl’s future secured. He wanted her to be safe, and he wanted her to be free of harm for the rest of her life. Guji would sacrifice anything it took to let her have it all.