MEMORY 5

I woke up in a warm, wet embrace.

“A successful infiltration. You make your teacher proud.” He pats me with his tendril.

I wiggle out, careful not to wake up WarWolf. “What do you want?”

“When will you KITs stop treating me like your enemy?”

“I don’t trust you and what is a kit?” I ask, checking for potential escape routes.

“A killer in training. Didn’t I already tell you that?”

I shake my head.

“There will be a time where you’ll have to choose who you trust?”

“You broke her legs. I don’t trust you.”

“She was overqualified. I was just balancing the roster.” He shrugs.

WarWolf rises out of bed. “When does class start?”

“Five minutes,” says teacher.

“Great. I’ll pack some lunch.” She takes a sword out from beneath her bed and uses it like a walking stick to the door.

Teacher takes it from her grip. “Everyone eats the same. It creates a feeling of equanimity.”

“Then I’ll make extra,” she crawls out the door.

Teacher turns into a ball and rolls on the ground. “She handles lunch, BladEagle teaches the class…it’s like you KITs don’t even need KillStreak.”

“You said you were like us before. What happened?”

“Ding dong. Class time.” Teacher cuts a portal into the blanket and traps me in it.

I come out, falling on my butt in the classroom.

BunBun picks me up and pulls me aside. “Hey, we’re friends right?”

“Yeah, of course.” I rub her head.

BunBun melts with joy and then pats her cheeks repeatedly until she snaps out of it. “If you tell anyone my weakness, I’ll smother you until your eyes go white.” She looks at me with wide eyes and what she thinks is a scary smile.

“Secrets are an assassin’s currency.”

BunBun wiggles in excitement. “Oooh, you’re so smart. Okay, here goes.” She takes a deep breath. “I’m in love with you!” Her little hands shove a box into my chest.

I open it up to see a heart-shaped cake with the red icing that says “I’m Your Bunny.”

Wow. Here I thought she was just scared when she called me her boyfriend. What do I do? I can’t break her heart.

“So, umm, what do you think?” BunBun wobbles in place.

“I think it’s wonderful and you’re such a likeable girl.” I smile at her.

“Yeah. Yeah. But then I thought that’s not enough. Mom says that true love is sacrifice. Do you wanna know how she got my dad’s attention?”

“Yeah! I love stories.”

“Her hand was stuck and the enemy was coming so she cut off her hand. Dad was so turned on that they made love right then and there. I was made on the battlefield! Rawr!” BunBun pats her chest with pride.

“Wow. That’s incredible. My mom and dad had me in secret.”

“Oh wow! I love romantic stories.” BunBun pats her cheeks. “I’m getting distracted. Okay, so to show my feelings I made my own sacrifice.” She lifts up her shirt.

Her belly has been carved up by a knife. It says “Be My Wolfy.”

BunBun beams at me.

She wasn’t confessing to me. She was asking me if this would work to win over WarWolf. Things are getting so complicated.

Teacher enters with WarWolf. “Apologies for the delay. I got lost in a pastime.”

BladEagle points and laughs.

“You dare mock me, child?” asks Teacher, looming over him.

BunBun rushes to Teacher. “I think it looks cute on you.” She hops up and kisses his face.

“What does?” Teacher looks down, seeing the pink apron. “Oh.” He mutters to himself in embarrassment and swirls out of existence.

“Did I kill him?” BunBun’s eyes quiver. She looks out at us and grins. “Fear my kissies of death!” The little ball of joy runs to WarWolf and tickles her.

WarWolf shoves her off. “Don’t touch me.”

BunBun falls over, scrapping her arm on the ground. She lowers her head and sobs.

Teacher returns, not wearing an apron this time. “Today you will be sworn in. Line up!”

We get in a single file line as teacher sharpens his tendril blade.

BladeEagle buts ahead of the line. “I am a blade. A weapon of truth. I cut through the lies. I serve till I die. Heroes are gifted. Angels are sacred. We are cursed. Assassins eat pain. It sharpens our blade. Glory to the guild. Glory to Isekai. Glory to the chief. Hero’s are numbers. Angels are blessings. We are nothing. May my knife cut until my body is dust. A life of dark service is a life that is just. I pledge my blood, bones and soul. I burn my love, dreams and fear. Killing is my dharma. Truth is my fuel. Death is my gift. Glory to Isekai!”

Teacher checks the scroll in his grip. “That’s all correct.”

“Of course it is.” BladEagle smirks.

Teacher lifts up BladEagle’s shirt and we all watch as he carves a scythe emblem on the skin above the boy’s heart.

“And so it begins,” says BladEagle with a grin.

One by one we recite the oath and receive our mark. BunBun pushes me in front of her and scurries to the back of the back of the line. She runs when its her turn and teacher has to drag her in.

“You will either say the words or die here and now,” says teacher.

“I’m gonna die either way.” BunBun sobs.

StarBorne grabs her hand. “You can make it through this dear. It’s just a little cut.”

BunBun nods and reads the oath. She whacks teacher’s tendril away as he tries to lift her shirt.

“You should be grateful to be given this mark. Hero’s get branded with numbers like slaves. This is a mark of pride.” Teacher holds her arms back and lifts up her shirt.

BunBun cries as we all see her carved belly.

WarWolf turns away with flushed cheeks.

“Oh my, such passion,” says StarBorne, holding her cheeks.

WarWolf looks up at her. “Love is a poison. Don’t succumb to it.”

BunBun sobs in her hands.

Teacher finishes the mark and sets her down. “Anyone who mentions what they just saw will be punished severely.”

“What, you going soft on us, Teach?” asks BladEagle with a grin.

Teacher’s tendrils come out and wrap around his arms. “Watching you turn the pages of your beloved books with only your mouth will be quite the spectacle.”

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BladEagle pees himself in terror.

If we’re gonna be a team. I gotta make an effort.

I tear off a piece of her shirt and hand it to him once he is set down.

“What the hell is that for!” he yells, kicking me.

Teacher separates us. “No fighting! This is a school not a playground!”

Once teacher got us organized class began. After class I went back home. My parents must have been so worried about me.

I fall into my bedroom and everything feels quiet.

I raise my knife and open the door.

Colors assault my eyes as tiny shreds of paper fall on top of me.

“Welcome home, plumpkin pie!” Mom rushes up and picks me up. She kisses my cheek repeatedly.

Dad smiles at me, holding two balloons with a scythe emblem.

Mom lifts up my shirt. “He has it!” She turns to father. “It’s official!”

Dad runs up and joins in the group hug.

“Yeah. I’m going to be a great killer,” I say with a firm look.

Momma blows on my belly. “But you’ll stay my cute little boy, won’t you?”

I giggle and struggle to escape her hold. My hand goes to her neck. “Stab. I got you.”

She falls over while laughing and making blood spray sounds. Momma then pops back up. “You sure did, sugar bell.”

Father puts a party hat on my head. “You seem different.” His fist tightens. “Did your teacher hurt you?”

Mom pulls up my sleeves to see cut marks. “Oh no. What happened?”

“I wasn’t paying attention in class. I try to want to, but I just get bored.” I pull my sleeves down. “Mom, Dad, how come the other kids got assassin training but not me?”

Mother leans down and kisses the top of my head. “You don’t need to compare yourself to the other kids. You’re going to be stronger than all of them.”

Father smiles at me. “That’s right. Our love will nurture you into a fine killer.”

I beam back at my parents. “I don’t regret a minute of the time we spend together.”

Mom and Dad pick me up and take turns hugging me before it ends up in a group hug.

“My little treasure, you were supposed to come home last night. Did you stay with your teacher for extra credit?”

I shake my head. “There’s this girl.”

Dad looks at me with concern on his brow. “Romance isn’t something assassins have.”

Mom snuggles up to him. “It’s something we had.”

The two of them start kissing. And what starts out as cuddly romance quickly evolves as they start taking off their clothes and grinding into each other.

Will WarWolf and I ever make love?

Mom stops and looks up at me, pulling her bra back up. “Sorry, puppy. You were talking to us. I want to hear all about this girl.”

“She got hurt by teacher and I really like and I kinda promised to help her recover.” I run into a hug with momma and bury my teary eyes in her bosom. “I promised I’d go to her house after school. It will only be until she recovers.”

“Absolutely not. You should be here with us. It isn’t safe in assassin’s home,” says father.

“Your father is right. You can see her at school.”

I grab mom’s hands. “I’m in love with her.”

She grabs my face. “Does she love you?”

“I think she likes me.” I smile.

I really hope she likes me.

“Oh no no no. This is not good,” says Father, pacing around.

“You need to let her know how you feel.”

“I told her. And I kissed her.” I look down with flushed cheeks.

Mom picks me up and pulls me into her embrace. “I’m so proud of my shining StarBorne.”

My smile goes across my entire face. “She kissed me too.”

Mother squeals in delight. She then turns to Father with a stern look. “We have to let him go.”

“Absolutely not. We must stay firm.” He pulls mother aside and talks to her out of my earshot.

Mother nods with remorse and then looks back at me. “Your father is right. You are to come home every night. End of discussion.”

But I’m always allowed to discuss things. Why are they acting so weird?

Father comes up to me and grabs my hand. “Please, my little sprout. Have faith in us. You know that everything…absolutely everything we do is for your sake. Tell her that your parents forbid you from going to her house.”

Why are they being like this?

I opened my mouth to speak but Mom put her hand over my mouth. “Please, just nod and we can get back to the celebration.”

I nod.

All the things I loved doing with my parents felt empty that night. I couldn’t get WarWolf out of my mind.

Class that day was boring and I got fresh scars from not paying attention again. I of course was paying attention, but not to the lesson. WarWolf has my heart. There’s no getting it back. And I don’t even want it back. I just want to be near her again.

After class, BunBun approaches WarWolf. She picks up that big package she had brought to school that day and then drops it in front of the girl.

“Please, just stop. You don’t need to get me any gifts.”

“It’s okay. I know you were lying about not liking me. My mom says that I’m so loveable that any one would fall for me.”

“Then that means she loves you, silly.”

“Duh, all moms love their kids,” says BunBun with a grin.

“Okay, what is it?”

“I had to whine for a whole three hours, constantly annoying dad until he gave in. But I got you something so amazing that you’ll have to admit your secret feelings to me.”

WarWolf chuckles. “Okay. I’ll open it.” She uses her knife to open the package as BunBun leans against her. Once it’s open, she looks at the strange device. “What is this?”

“It’s imported and super expensive!”

“Some kind of weapon?”

BunBun giggles. She holds the device up to WarWolf’s legs. “It’s for you. So you can walk again.”

If she has that then she won’t need me anymore.

WarWolf starts crying.

BunBun looks at her worriedly. “Are those happy tears or sad ones. If they’re happy then you can say I love you BunBun. And if they’re sad, say…I still love you BunBun.”

WarWolf growls. “I’m not so weak that I need this. I can heal on my own!”

BunBun hides under her hands. “Why do you hate me?”

“Take it back. I don’t need these things.”

“It’s not something I can just return.” BunBun sniffles.

“I don’t love you. Just leave me alone. I’m not taking your gift.”

BunBun sobs.

StarBorne runs to her side and then pulls her into a gentle embrace. “There’s no need to be so cruel.”

“If I don’t stop her now, she’s only going to get more attached,” says WarWolf.

BunBun holds onto StarBorne. “Will you be my girlfriend? Or boyfriend? Please. I don’t want to be alone.”

“I’m sorry dear, but a leader mustn’t involve himself romantically with his comrades.”

“Then why are you so flirty?” BunBun pads his chest with furious punches.

“Well, I had hoped to court you all.” He taps her nose. “Then I wouldn’t be playing favorites.”

BunBun blushes.

A shadow suddenly looms over us.

Teacher forms above WarWolf. “Who dares make BunBun cry?”

Goopy raises his hand. “You’ve done that, many times already.”

“The past is dead and I am it’s reaper. BunBun is precious now and will not be harmed.”

BunBun slips out from StarBorne’s embrace and hugs teacher. “Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll be your girlfriend.”

Teacher stares at her and then sets her down. He then sinks into the ground.

“Don’t run again.” BunBun cries.

StarBorne wipes the tears from her eyes. “Your confessions are like daggers. You wield such powerful emotion.”

Teacher pops up and covers BunBuns mouth with a tendril while he carves our portals. “Stop kissing it.”

BunBun nibbles on his tendril.

Teacher picks her and tosses her into the portal.

“Congratulations on your first girlfriend,” says BladEagle with a grin.

“Second!” yells teacher.

BunBun pops her head out from the portal. “You mean you accept me?”

Teacher pushes her head back in and closes her portal. “I’m not going to last the year.”

The other kids leave. It’s just me, WarWolf and Teacher.

“So, what did your parents say?” asks WarWolf, looking up at me with flushed cheeks.

I grab her hand. “It doesn’t matter what they said. I made a promise to you.”

Teacher creates thirty eyes on his body just to roll them. He then pulls WarWolf up to him. “You have no idea how blessed you are to have a girl like BunBun in love with you.”

“I thought you said love was a poison.” She grins.

Teacher crosses his arms. “Death by poison is my favorite method, I’ll have you know.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

“The last thing I need now is nasty rumors about me and a student.”

“You sound afraid.”

“I am. Death is an illusion. But having my reputation smeared. That is something that truly rattles my body.” He leans over. “Do you need me to carry you home?”

“I’ll take her,” I say, standing up.

“As your teacher, I can’t permit that.”

I stand tall. “You let me go with her and I’ll get BunBun to back off.”

“Striking a bargain with your teacher. Keheh. You’re a brave boy indeed.” He shakes my hand. “I won’t be a part of this. From now on I’ll leave after the portals are made. Clueless idiot, that’s what they called me. Heh. I’ll prove them right.” Teacher mutters to himself before swirling out of existence.

“Are you sure you want to disappoint your parents?” She looks at me with eyes of worry.

“Think about todays lesson. A hero moves straight. An angel moves up. But an assassin zigzags.” I lift her up and carry her to my portal. “It was Goopy’s idea actually. He says that a true assassin can take all that he wants if he’s smart enough.”

WarWolf arrives in my room. She sniffs it cautiously.

“You’re safe here. Relax.”

“Yeah. Good point.” She sniffs the air again. “You smell nice.”

I smile back at her. “Thanks! I gotta introduce you to my parents.” Stay here I say, making sure she’s got a good grip on my nightstand before going to the door.

The door opens. “You’re home!” Mom picks me up in a big hug. “We were worried you were going to rebel against us.” She pinches my cheeks.

Father notices WarWolf who is leaning against the wall. “Welcome to our humble home.”

WarWolf looks at him with a scrutinizing gaze.

I step in between them. “She’s nervous around strangers.”

“Oh, my apologies. I’ll go make dinner.”

“Hey, maybe we can all cook together. She loves to cook.”

“Actually, I need to rest. It was a long day,” says WarWolf, falling to my bed.

Mother pulls Father out the door. “Why don’t we make dinner for them.”

WarWolf looks at me than looks away. “Does you know about Lunar Moths?”

“Yeah, they come out after a battle and eat the skin off the dead. It’s really cool. Dad loves them. He talks about how they never hurt anyone and just clean up the mess of other people. He also says half the job of an assassin is cleaning up other people’s messes. Mom and dad always read me assassin stories. I really should have figured it out sooner.”

“Then it’s true. LunarMoth was your father’s name before he retired.”

“You know stories about my dad? Did he eat flesh too?” I nibble on her neck.

WarWolf purrs and then growls, pushing me off. “Are you strong enough for the truth?” She takes a moment and looks me over.

I grab her hands. “I have to be. The truth is my blade, right?” I grin.

“Your father was top of his class, the same class my mother and father were in.”

“That’s so awesome! You think I’ll be like him one day.”

She grabs my shoulders. “I don’t know the detail but he’s betrayed the guild. Was almost executed too. I can’t believe he’s really your father.”

I tap her nose. “No way. You’ve gotta be wrong. My dad is loyal to the guild. He loves assassins.”

WarWolf pulls me up to her.

Our lips nearly meet.

“If he tries to kill me, what will you do?”

I hug her. “I’ll protect you from anyone.”

WarWolf puts on a fake smile as she eats dinner with my family and I can’t help but think about what she said about my father.

Nothing feels real anymore.

WarWolf has me bring her to my bedroom as soon as our meal is done. “I don’t think there was poison.”

I set her on the bed. “You’re going to be fine.” I grab a pillow and lay on the rug at the foot of the bed.

I fall asleep but am woken up. “What time is it?”

“I can’t sleep. I’m afraid he’s going to come in.” She cuddles her pillow.

I crawl into bed with her and hold her close. “I promised I’d take care of you. I’ll find out the truth about dad. For now, get some rest. You have to heal.”

If father is a traitor, then what is mother?