Childhood, Childishness

"Wait, professor, professor! Respectable teacher!" A young boy at the front raised his hand and interrupted the old teacher. But the latter didn't grow angry as he instead gave the boy a little smirk before gesturing at the former to go on. The boy said with the sensation of many eyes on him making his blood boil, "If the dark is all that, what about the Light? Can't we see from your words what it is like??"

"Gasp, it's true! I wanna know too, me too!" - "Oooh, hahahaeee~, teacher please tell us!" While some children directly got excited, the oldest teenagers around kept quiet, but clearly looked as if they wanted to join in on the fun. Everyone was looking at the old teacher with their eyes bright, fully opened, and naturally full of expectation.

“Oh, hahaha! Alright, alright. Everyone gets quiet again, please.” The old teacher stopped the boys and girls before they got too excited, they began experimenting with his brain or something.

“Light is…” The old teacher’s eyes seemed to get profound, his right hand on his small desk while his body reclined slightly backwards, he continued with a slightly deep voice. “Since the darkness is all about terror, evil, doing malice and creating fear in others; then Light is to guard, pureness, love, honor and keeping the nature of the world safe and sound.”

“Any person with the Light Element at their disposal is…capable of the most from what not even the most special of subparts from Elements can compare, and it’s beautiful!” The old teacher added up lastly, his head nodding towards the boys and girls as he felt his heart thumping harder with his own speech.

“Oooowwah! Teacher is so great, so knowledgeable!” - “So cooool!” - “Thank you so much, teacher, you’re the best…” And so, the kids got their curiosity and hopeful hopes all high up when one certain child at the front said after raising his right hand very upwards. “But teacher, how can we become like that, what can we do to attain Light? How do we have it?”

“Oh, that’s where you thought wrongly, boy.” The old teacher suddenly began getting excited really fast this time, as if he couldn’t wait to impart his knowledge. “You know the recent people traveling into these lands? Some have talked to me and…I think one of those that talked to me is one of the biggest ones! He told me…that no matter what, nature cannot be changed, like one’s body, one’s Element. And that not even the strongest amongst them can do such a thing…”

“It was- it was…something about…laws! That’s right, the laws of the world are absolute, and not even the times prior our civilization have ever been able to change that, you know, from those times where-” The old teacher was beginning to remind the children when one girl spoke out with her open right hand high up in the sky…above her small head.

“Oh, oh, oooh! I know, teacher is referring to when time still existed in the way of rivers, right?! Where many could play with it, as if it was simple and could even revive people, right?!” The old teacher saw the one-tooth-like girl expertly mentioning this little piece of knowledge and nodded at her, his chest swelling with some accomplishment and pride as he continued.

“Even those before those happenings were fully…incapable of doing anything about this matter, and ended up dying after a long, long while. Hmph.” With pride, the old teacher thus continued from before, “The laws of the world are simple yet impossible to break, and only the most basic, foundational ones can be broken or bent when one is powerful enough… When I get out of here, from this village, I will become a cultivator and reach that stage for all of you kids to see!”

“But teacher, aren’t only children supposed to start cultivating? You’re not a child. How could you start cultivating now?” One kid questioned, in good nature, as he saw the white hair all around the teacher and the wrinkles of the same as well as those slightly poor clothes he had on him…

“That’s where you kids are wrong once again!” The old teacher smiled triumphantly as if waiting just for this moment. “You see, in cultivation, it isn’t like in the army of ‘normal’ people, of us mortals - currently. In cultivation, even if you are about to reach death’s door, your lifespan becomes large enough to even be given another ray of hope to live more and reach another whole new level!”

“That’s what I will do. Even if you’re past your prime, you can still become an old genius, surpassing those who were even better than you. There are many stories about these events out there, kids.” The old teacher lowered his body and supported his right elbow on his desk, nodding at the kids whose eyes became a lot more hopeful, feeling content with raising their morale by this much.

“Now, to what we were going to, who here knows what power is?” The old teacher stood up once again, his back…not that straight, but still there. A kind kid in his 13 years old raised his left hand, showed his palm to the teacher semi-timidly, and said in a mildly loud voice, “Teacher, ‘power is everything’, isn’t it? Without power, there isn’t order, control, and a future.”

“Mn, that’s right. But that’s only summing it all up. Not quite there for you or everyone else to understand, but good job. Now, allow me…” The old teacher began walking left and right in front of the kids, his visage ‘strict’ as he looked caringly at the kids. “Power is not what everyone has nor needs. One also needs wits! Without them, you are a brainless tiger instead of a predator.”

“Without brains, you may get to eat, but only for so little.”

“...” At this moment, Ciemnosc’s eyes were finally shining light…from his bottomless dark pool-like eyes. Of course, it was more like a sentiment of emotion at his attention being grabbed. The old teacher went on, “The different ways one can use their power is the reason why cultivation exists, as in those archaic times, even the apex of then can’t compare with the knowledgeable, witty, experienced from history and learning apex of today.”

“If we were to find a supreme unknown power, or another one that is as strong as us, besides raw power fueling our every move, our strategy, method, and tactics will be the deciding factors when put into a decisive fight. Like creating a car, building a house, and even as simple as making a meal, it all comes to one objective, one purpose, and one goal. To win, defeat, maim or even…kill the opponent.”

“Power…is just a word, while we…are like a bank of words. We may have many words, but only when we can turn those words into something worth it, something that can change it all…do we gain the capabilities for reaching the highest of the skies.” The old teacher finalized his words to the letter, coming from his memories and not from his heart.

“Now, who can tell me…what is a word of power. Anyone got any ideas?” The old teacher turned vivid and energetic all out of the blue, bringing the children up in vigor to try and guess, some even sounding as if they wanted their chosen words to be right no matter if they were or not.”

“Punishment!” - “Belief?” - “EE-err, aah…love?” - “Overbearing!” - “Godlyyyy~!” - “Mommy!”

“No, that’s not a word of power… Nope, how can that be powerful? No, no… Lo-...sigh, girls… That’s not powerful at all in the first place, concentrate!... Close! But not quite there yet… Really? How?” The old teacher responded to each of the children one by one, giving them either a bit of a comical response that taught them ‘better’, or a direct refusal without much to work with.

“I can…” A voice small and quiet yet overly audible was heard. Naturally attracting the most attention of all, as he didn’t stop there at those couple of words. “I will…”

“... … …” After finishing his words, Ciemnosc looked up at the old teacher with his indifferent, bottomless eyes. The entire silent classroom remained that; silent. Until the old teacher responded with a fidgety facial expression and tone in his voice. “What? How can thaaat be? It’s I am! I am~~! When one understands the values of life and the realizations of it, one can-”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Riiing~, tililili- riiing~~!

“Weeee! School’s over. I’m going home!” - “Let’s gooooo! I need to start practicing for cultivation, for when I decide to start cultivating, for when I become the strongest!” - “I will become a strong warrior, wooohooaaaarr!”

The children began ‘escaping’ the classroom and school altogether by leaving through the one and only door. They ruthlessly ignored their respectable teacher and left the place with all that they got, leaving not a single trace of their previous hungry for knowledge, obedient selves that were inside that classroom/school.

Step, step step.

Ciemnosc was the last to leave, as he rose up to his feet only after everyone was done rushing over, the older kids first and the smaller ones almost getting trampled, as always.

“... …” While Ciemnosc made his way towards the door, and as he exited it, the old teacher didn’t do anything to stop him or talked to him. This boy’s story and ‘mystery’ as well as the curse was very well known through all in this village, some people really made sure to let everyone know of it and ‘helped’ the visitor or passing people stay away from them…though some ended up becoming hooked up by the older one amongst the ‘exiled’ of the village.

Step, step, step, step, step.

Walking at ease but with a slightly fast speed, Ciemnosc carried his bag over while his rough clothing always attracted the sight from anyone in the village. Despite the village getting more and newer cloth as well as many other ‘new’ fabrics and stuff, only Ciemnosc remained wearing his rough clothes, though some weren’t that rough…he always wore them.

For the sake of attracting clients though, Aixi wore nice-looking ones, not expensive, or not necessarily and always for that matter - but nice-looking clothing, and even more so for those that made her look even more sexy.

Stom- step, sto- step!

Step, step…step.

At this moment, as Ciemnosc carried over his black-brown bag, his left back feeling that water bottle and a few little pieces of blank pages which were torn off from a notebook and a pen, he heard these noises that were full of roughness, nothing at all to what he always hears…

Step, step.

Moving towards those, he quickly came across an ‘alley’ between the expanded houses of two of the 13 buildings in the village. His ears picked up the sounds stronger than ever as he neared the corner, Aixi’s voice sounding anxious, to say the least, while the other voice was rough, uncaring, and brutish; it was also a new one, probably from a traveler.

“No, don- no, you have to pay!” Aixi spoke smoothly and semi-loudly, but she was constantly being covered in her mouth. Meanwhile, due to the constant sounds of liquid falling on the ground and nasty the already lewd sounds of their flesh slapping gave Ciemnosc the clear knowledge that the deed had already been done and that she was now being…raped.

Srrf…

“...!...?!” Aixi, who was getting pounded-raped from behind as she was forced to have her hands against the wall, saw Ciemnosc, who revealed part of his face and his right-handed fingers in a way. Seeing him shocked her to the utmost, but Ciemnosc’s eyes carried a calmness that somehow influenced right into her all the same.

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!...

“...” Keeping quiet this time, as she endured fully, Aixi returned her gaze to the wall right in front of her, but her peripheral vision had already noticed Ciemnosc’s little figure disappearing, offering her a sigh of relief and with her mind now cleanly beginning to think how to not get killed afterwards…again.

SLAP SLAP SLAP!...

“What is it? You like no more moaning, ey?!” The rough voice from behind reached her ears, as well as the feeling of his body all over her back made her tremble roughly a couple of times in a moment, her unseen face scrunching her eyebrows up as she thought of only a few words. ‘I got you, soon-about-to-die bastard.’.

Fwip- tak! Krrr!

Having just thought of that, Aixi lowered her upper body evermore, bringing down her hips as well, with the raping member in her body coming out slightly. At that sensation, the rapist behind felt at a loss from the lost sensation, and at once, he didn’t notice his body in pain until he was already flying upwards, head on against the wall, that he finally recognized the sharp pain in his right shin.

“Grryywwwayyy~!!” But suddenly though, a ‘vermin’-like sound came from behind the rapist, and just after his forehead made a small bloodstain on the wall, just as the man was about to stand up in fury and a bit of fear that was already quickly calming down as if just to show his ‘experience’ - his neck at the front was directly slashed by a sharp set of tiny blades that directly made a gushing torrent of ‘liquid’ come out, while his nape was bitten off of his flesh and began bleeding out as well but not as profusely.

“Aaaaaah!!!” In terror, the now victim was beginning to lose consciousness as he grabbed at the ‘back’ of what he caught, only to find that it was the body of a 5 or 6-year-old kid, not knowing their sex. Just before he could tighten his grip, however, Aixi came right at him, and using a pen that was previously thrown at her feet, she entered the man’s head from his right temple.

Phhshk!

The pen went through, and the hand holding onto Ciemnosc’s back went limp directly, as limp as those dilated eyes became.

“Ciemnosc! Hurry, let’s go…” Grabbing his hand, and his bag around the corner of the alley after she began rushing them away from the alley, and the now corpse of a rapist, Aixi made her way almost totally bare in broad daylight towards their home. It was only fortunate the kids had already gone back to get their meal, several minutes ago, and their families were busy giving their scholarly kids said meal they needed.

“Mn.” Ciemnosc lightly said, slowly getting all of the blood that got into his mouth out from his pursed lips, his eyes eerily calm with yet a slight frown on his face; it was disgusting indeed ah.

Seeing this, Aixi quickly said…not really minding anything else; in a somber, low and almost whispering tone in her trembling voice. “No biting, don’t you see and know what kind of people these are? If you keep on biting at them…it’ll be the worst! At least find a way to quickly clean your mouth, understood?”

“Mn…” Feeling her care, not her disgust, Ciemnosc nodded as he wiped his lips with the back of his right hand, as his left one was being tightly gripped but wasn’t hurting…

…Once back home, having their meal consisting of— today — half a sausage for the two of them and several slices of bread with a bit of orange juice. Aixi seemed to still be shocked, as she remembered, and re-lived, over and over again the events of today and looked at Ciemnosc over and over again with a pair of worried, sorry eyes.

“Mmmh!” Shaking his head lightly, Ciemnosc ate the last few bits of his slice of bread, giving the Big Sister something to calm herself with. His incredible eyes remained unperturbed and as…pure as always, she could barely hold her thought and impulse to caress his cheek and pinch it lovingly.

…A few hours later, it was already evening and then night, enough for everyone in the village to be sleeping. Ciemnosc was looking through the window and below where the second floor was beginning to be built, at the times when he was in ‘school’ to be more accurate. What he was looking on was the deepest of blue night skies with his eyes clearly and visibly looking around everywhere in the village and even outside from it, at the ground.

Wheeesh…whoooh~... … …

It was very silent, desolate like nothing else could, and…lacking rain. Seeing the seemingly lifeless houses, the decrepit ground consisting of basically pure sand and no substance at all, already hitting something as hard as metal, that with just falling on the ground, one could directly kill themselves if too distracted and careless.

Still, some dust and grains of sand flew about. The village’s buildings had a very normal yet strong type of wood used for almost all of them, mostly for their bases and foundations, while some used stone for the expansion of their houses to create a business or even keep and rear some animals; or simply to expand their own family.

Such was the one where a corpse was found not too long ago in-between 2 such buildings. But now, it was all quiet. It was all…dearly silent.

Fwoosh, step- tap tap tap…

After remembering the moments when he stopped crying all in the solitude of every day and night, whereas someone was finally curious enough to see if he had already died, only to bring him back to their home because of the guild of being seen. Of how that first woman brought him to a family that didn’t want him - her included.

Ciemnosc then went over to their bedroom, where his Sister was already deep asleep. He went over to her as she was on her bed spot at one of its extremes and extended his hand out to her bare back. But after debating in his mind with a pout of his lips for a little while. He then just pointed at the flawless skin of her back, and remained like that for quite some time… Finally, some little, tiny bits and particles of several different colors began flowing from his left index fingertip into her body from her back.

“...” Meanwhile, Aixi began choking in her sobbing, tremblingly, while resisting the urge to turn around and embrace him to fully cry out to her heart's content.

…