"What goes around comes around."

Haya Ogawa was sure that everyone on earth had heard this saying at least one. The idea that your actions would determine how life and others treated you.

It seemed like a fair concept though it couldn't ever be confirmed. In fact there was a multitude of evidence that proved the opposite but even so, Haya couldn't help but believe it.

Stubbing her toe on the edge of the bed this morning? That was because she didn't take the trash out last night. Spilling tea over her lap at breakfast? That was because she didn't thank the cashier for her change yesterday. It starting to rain whilst in the middle of her journey to school? She could probably think of something bad she did that rendered her deserving of that.

Even if Haya was a strong believer of the karma system, there was a part of herself that knew her misdeeds weren't severe enough to warrant the sheer amount of bad luck she received everyday.

It normal for bad things to happen to people every once in a while but for some, it was like they could never catch a break. Haya was one of those people.

The rain kept showering down like heavy bullets, which was bad enough on its own but not even a minute later, thick chunks of hail followed causing Haya to retreating under the roof of a small establishment.

"I'm definitely going to be late now... aren't I...? This is because I dropped an orange at the supermarket and didn't pick it up that one time."

She mused aloud to herself, hugging her torso to provide some form of comfort from the freezing cold.

The sound of a man clearing his throat, snapped Haya out of her daydreaming. The stranger was evidently older than her and had dark circles under his eyes. Undoubtedly from overworking himself. He had dark crimson hair, slicked back into a professional looking hairstyle. His suit was black and white with a deep red tie. Resting on his nose was a pair of black square framed glasses.

"I don't mean to disturb you young miss but standing in the rain will give you a cold." He regarded her as if she was one of his subordinates yet the treatment had a certain warmth to it. Haya's reception was a little frazzled by thr absurdity of the interaction yet touched by the somewhat fatherly energy thay accompanied it.

Without waiting for a reply, he continued.

"I have a underground cafe establishment if you wish to wait out the rain. I'll offer you some free tea as well."

Haya blinked at his overt invitation, a little taken back. Entering someone's building could prove dangerous even if he didn't seem like a dangerous guy. Her gaze shifted to the door he was inviting for her to go through. She was trying to be subtle so he didn't take offence but he was watching her intently and, of course, picked up on it.

"It's entirely your decision, I just have a spare moment before I open for day."

That seemed to compel Haya to follow him into the establishment. If it was a recognised business then there wasn't any harm in going.

Opening the door, there was a descent of stairs that the stranger insisted she go down first. Haya almost never received kind gestures from strangers so this was something that naturally uplifted her mood even if she was going to deal with the repercussions of being late at school.

Haya descended the stairs, her shoes clicking on the hardwood of the stairs, creating a repetitive tune. The stranger's footsteps followed, a much heavier sound interrupting her rhythm.

There was a humble looking bar and stools ahead which Haya placed herself onto. The stranger slipped behind the bar and immediately started preparing a cup of tea to which they both fell into an awkward silence until Haya opened her mouth.

"I didn't get your name...?"

He paused for a brief moment, almost like he wasn't used to people asking his name. He continued brewing the tea and replied sharply.

"Asahi Akane, to you, it's Akane-san."

Haya raised an eyebrow at his somewhat harsh tone but didn't really speak out on it. His behaviour reminded her of a father, stern but equally capable of warmth. Due to the lack of both parents in her life, even his harshness brought a smile to her face.

She did her best to quell it before Akane turned around and handed the cup to her.

Haya peered into the cup, staring at the murky reflection of her face. It was hard to determine what kind of tea it was but for some reason, she didn't feel hesitant about drinking it.

The warm liquid felt like melted gold sliding down her throat and warming her stomach. It was an extremely pleasant feeling and she licked her lips before taking her next sip.

Akane pushed up his glasses, an unhappy expression overcoming his face.

"I really hate to do it this way, I'd rather be frank from the start but I couldn't risk you running away before I explain everything."

Haya pulled the empty cup from her lips and placed it on the counter, her eyes sharpening at his words.

"What do you mean by that?"

Akane gestured to her hands. They were burning with a light rouge flame. Haya fell out of her stool, shrieking at her flaming hands. The pain of her backside hitting the tile floor was irrelevant to her even if it was the only pain she was actually feeling.

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

There was no pain or harm being done to her hands despite the flashing inferno surrounding her palms.

"I had to be sure of what I was sensing when I saw you..."

Akane left the bar and crossed over to where Haya was on the floor. He beckoned to her level, a more serious gaze crossing his features.

"You've accumulated enough bad karma to lead a life of constant failure and misery, it'll end with a horribly unjust death."

Haya's eyes widen with horror, her belief system confronting her from the lips of someone else triggered a feeling she couldn't describe. Like it was no longer something she had the choice to believe in or not. It was real and the reality was dousing her with it's unapologetic brashness.

"It was strange because a young person like you shouldn't have such negative accumulated karma unless you're a murderer of major proportions which is evidently not true, there's only one explanation."

Haya tried to pat her flaming hands against her clothes but to no avail, they kept burning brightly even if her hands themselves remained unburnt.

Akane grabbed ahold of her chin, holding it between his thumb and finger so she'd actually pay attention to what he was saying.

"Your bad karma is not your own."

There was a slight increased pressure on her chin.

"Your past life was a genocidal maniac and he died without facing his own bad karma so it transferred to his reincarnation. You."

Haya's eyes stretched as far as her human body would physically allow it. When this man approached her in the rain, she didn't think she'd be receiving the answer to a question that plagued her life since birth.

Why can't I ever catch a break? What did I do to deserve this? Why am I so unlucky?

And the answer? It had nothing to do her and everything to do with someone who just so happened to own what was now her soul before his passing.

Akane let go of her chin, allowing the truth to sink in for a little. He was at least merciful enough to do that.

Haya didn't think she had it all that bad until today. She took the minor inconveniences in her everyday life into her belief of the karma system but now with the added context of having an essentially dammed soul, she thought about all the major bad events that occurred on a regular basis or caused lifelong issues.

Her parents abandoning her, her hard work never paying off, her inability to make friends... It all made sense how no matter how much she tried to make up for her flaws and disadvantages, nothing ever worked.

A hopeless look overtook her expression, her heart sinking deep into her stomach as every aspect of her miserable life fell into understanding. Her gaze returned to her flaming hands, clenching her fists.

"And my hands...?"

Akane adjusted his glasses again, inhaling a deep breath before continuing.

"The tea I offered you was a special herb infusion which enables the drinker's karmic power to be visualised. Those pink flames are your power, to be more blunt, what will assist you in changing your fate."

"My fate can be changed?!" Haya felt a sudden burst of energy, springing to her feet and approaching Akane to which he took a step back. Maybe a little startled by her sudden energy.

"The only way to reduce your negative karma is to do good deeds but with the severity of your bad karma, you'll never reduce it to a safe level, therefore you'll need to use your karmic power to kill Negatives."

Haya blinked, she had never heard of such a thing.

"Negatives?"

Akane adjusted his tie and pulled up his sleeves. Haya watched in anticipation as he disappeared into the backroom and returned with with a lanky bony creature in chains.

"Negatives are creatures that form every time someone escapes karma for their actions. They manifest into dangerous creatures who target humans. Their strength comes how bad the action that caused their birth was committed."

The lanky creature was drooling piles of saliva onto the floor just staring at Haya.

"I should mention, individuals with high levels of bad karma such as yourself are seen as delicious treats as consuming you will give them more power than someone with good karma or a ordinary levels of bad karma. So while they'll consume any human regardless of karma, you'll be a greater target."

Haya swallowed nervously, that little tidbit made the goal of reducing her bad karma slightly more perilous.

"How come I haven't been eaten before now...?"

"The tea has unlocked your karmic power, what was a lingering scent is now a open buffet for lack of better description."

Akane replied, fully expecting a panicked reaction. Haya was instead contemplative, realising that because she consumed the tea, going back to her normal life was no longer an option.

"Is there a negative for the karma my past life escaped?" She asked, observing the monstours form of the negative in front of her.

"No, your past life died before karma could hit, negatives are formed from alive people who escaped karma."

Haya approached the creature a little closer, not enough to endanger herself but she could smell the breath of the creature. It was a warm, nasty puff of oxygen which made her nose wrinkle.

"I'll show you how to vanquish it." Akane handed an apprehensive Haya the chains which she held onto tightly.

Cracking his knuckles, Akane took off his glasses and placed them Haya's head for safekeeping which seemed like a rather light hearted action from such a stern man.

"Hold the chains tightly and step aside."

Mere seconds after Haya moved out of the way, a blast of blue flames flew past her, burning the creature into ashes that spread across the air.

"Yours and my karmic power are similar, we both have flame based powers, it's why I could sense your repressed karmic powers so easily."

Haya had to spent a second picking her jaw off the floor.

"It's that easy?" She questioned, staring at the blue dust he had caused.

"No, this was a weak negative. The ones you face will be much tougher. I found this one near the garbage one night so I trapped it to vanquish later but it works as a good dummy."

Haya laughed awkwardly. "I didn't really see what you did..."

Akane let a small smile slip.

"Today was word heavy, tomorrow will be more action heavy, you still want to change your fate don't you?"

Haya nodded firmly.

"I still want to but... why do you want me to help me? How did you know all those things about my past life? Why is my karmic power flames?"

Akane took his glasses off her head, adjusting them on the bridge of his nose.

"First of all, your situation is rare but not that rare, I know what it's like, I freed myself and you will too."

So, he was once in her position. Haya supposed it was a good deed to help her. He'd definitely get good karma for helping her.

"Secondly, my karmic power is strong, there's things I can sense that you can't.

So becoming more powerful meant sensing more? That made sense.

"Lastly, you'll find that one out soon enough."

That last answer wasn't satisfying at all. Haya felt the urge to pout but restrained it. The last thing she wanted was Akane thinking she was immature.

The flames on her hands slowly evaporated into the smoke though Haya felt there was something different about her body. Like she had been awakened from a long slumber.

"Tomorrow, 7:00am sharp." Akane told her, crossing his arms.

Haya nodded, a serious expression flashing on her face as she activated her karmic power once more, her surroundings flashing with lively pink flames.

"Yes, Akane-san!"