image [https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczOx9e3WJNEfL9VLe13RJVgJ16XDmOS0ILlD6XMCfJ_Tg33KprTiXJNO1I8osPIQQZwp24jmEPVovnliDcPyCZzffbIp7fH3eeVpMq2Z2sYYIWtyyYY71P2Y5iumWUHJu-21S5LkIIX48s-pSYKMmyRAVIP9apDTQ8r86_7mPHmxsQEoh9kaYsWTn7jxMJanha--YuU0oIv2hu4FMLcW4tPtceM5OhcEP2jxiEGIn9V7Nx2BVA1W1eg2mPWIkwuo2gxBH8la1gAxWheALj86dmlGEhzQjKZHz2MaEw-z8TpRYkjkgbtEa_fWtx1IeqOz6htutssUEqeISrN54oUFHjFR1rq-4EQDgoEl1nGFM0xxYpqCnPSWbtGyr9CF2v1Bj3qxb3f-GfB9NGhI2MeNqnX7e3G7TyvIdH2pRXIRi4e_OmUmMOW3tZ3s6r3k-HaejqkjC1tUJwapWzjMefgaUvi16ptNL6MWIlwObTIiNUvSChk4cyMbbFjgp-JkioSvA0hT0myGaDBOvugHmf7M_5k3t8dyixz0jiUSMBztbaUFBJG7bjdaX3tjkKMp5azJ2zzjxYI5J0sy0IBhX12eWJxPd33MbYPmQ7w7wJB-QtKZ6Gsvkfv8lK-FVMj_GIPp6tjkWi6v4TqDoTpId_JGrn3G6-XRg0Vc5XcwKzEhVOkxdvOerF_YcE2aUje9Nt5iwcfcokzPejxWNAoP64KaqrDEXBGa8YZsSf3dL2o-iRg3xz9-_KI1oCp2FRfkc-p9WqOSbO4kyWaweKag7aC8bjxFk84-M05tX5V3VsEgipNtH3BNJvHZ6PZZLZ501NNtJn0c-kwhTbs08KrUF-BMlX14sjZLxyhP7SrWSFISID7ID0ASQqVVrBVccWTo3xSP3a17Yc3cDS86AYkxilaI2tiqcSVSmBO5DsJKNJ8t_hQRPglZrK2sU_SYaeBpb0Q=w896-h896-s-no-gm?authuser=1]

At first, sleeping with Iris helped give him the bravery to confront the room. It didn't stop him from visiting it, but at least following her advice kept it from getting scarier. Not entering the fog was the smart choice. No voices or whispers, nothing overwhelming.

It didn't stop the void from giving him what felt like an endless dread waiting for it to be over. Choosing to leave the room was to wake up in reality and then he'd get no sleep. Part of him at least wished sleeping in the same bed would make Iris materialize within the dark world. At least then he wouldn't feel alone.

Five long years passed and not much had changed. Iris had taken it upon herself to teach Leon martial arts. Strangely as much as he hated it, it overcame his fear of blood. He could watch movies he couldn't see before, read things he couldn't without closing the book before. The world seemed to feel like it was expanding as their parents took them on adventures, seeing all sorts of wonderful things. He tried to be more open, to give the world a chance.

The darkness he would always return to in his sleep never relented. It followed him everywhere he went. Part of him wished it would show him some sort of meaning, some sort of sign. It was maddening.

Like a cruel game, taunting him to understand. Another part was thankful, hoping it would never show its true meaning. Anything that could cause such unrelenting dread surely wasn't created from anything peaceful.

But then a girl came running out of the fog. Apart from his sister, Leon hadn't had a lot of experience talking to girls his age. He was stunned. When the girl named Katie came and left so quickly, part of him wondered if it was a new means of his mind tormenting him.

But then she returned, and continued to do so every night. It was the first time Leon felt his own walls crumbling around him, walls he never knew existed in the first place. For the first time in his life, he grew gradually content.

It came to a point where he even felt himself growing excited to go back to sleep. Sitting there patiently for Katie's return like some puppy. That was how he felt at first, but the moments they spent were so precious he quickly got over them. "Don't you... get tired of coming to this room? It doesn't bother you?" Leon asked, grimacing.

"I do wish it was a little less gloomy... but without it, I wouldn't have any other way to find you," Katie responded, hugging her knees. "This is my only escape from reality. If I could, I'd stay here all the time."

Leon noted the scars all over her body. They appeared in different places every day, as if healing and returning each time. "What is happening to you? Is that from your reality?" he asked, tracing his fingers along one of the scars.

Her eyes watered as she nodded. He sighed. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to..." Leon whispered, turning away.

She took his hand, startling him. "...I'll tell you if- if you're willing to l-listen," Katie stammered, her grip tightening.

"Of course I will," Leon said, and so he did. He silently listened and rubbed her shoulders as she broke into sobs in between talking.

It was another first for him. His face was white as a sheet by the time she was finished, and his entire body burned. Nothing in this room or the world could quench the anger he felt that night. A deep-rooted hatred for the family that tormented his only friend every day of her life. Katie looked at Leon, trembling.

"Are you... are you okay?" she asked, placing a hand on his cheek.

Leon blinked back tears as he pulled her into an embrace. It was all he could do. "I'll save you. I swear one day I'll find a way to get to you, and I will save you," he declared, closing his eyes tight.

At first, his anger scared her, but she wrapped her arms around him all the same. It was the first time in her life she'd ever truly felt loved, and for that, she smiled. Before she could stop herself, she whispered, "I love you, Leon."

His eyes widened, parting enough to look her in the eyes, see the truth behind them. He'd awoken for five years, and it would be the first time he'd ever said these words and truly meant them. "I love you too..."

He pulled her in closer, their breath mingling in the cold. But then she placed a hand on his mouth, cheeks as red as a tomato. "I want our first kiss to be real. ...Is that okay?" she whispered, resting her head against his.

Leon took a deep breath. It jabbed his heart to resist, but he knew the meaning would be deeper once they broke away from this dark abyss. Reaching the moon was impossible, but there was more than one way he could save her. "There's only one way that'll come true," he muttered, rising to his feet.

Katie looked at him confused, but then her eyes widened. "N-no, I can't..."

"It's the only way! You know this," he insisted, offering her a hand.

She took it, but her eyebrows furrowed. "I won't fight my family. I just can't."

"So being tortured every day is better? It's a miracle you're even alive, let alone standing!" Leon yelled, raising her to her feet. She avoided his gaze. "Why are you so against fighting?"

Katie took her hand back, turning her back as she looked at the dark fog. "It's... it's wrong. Fighting your family is wrong!" Images of what Jalaiya forced her to see ran rampant through her mind. "Never! I won't!" She ran into the fog.

"Katie, wait!" Leon ran after her without hesitation.

He lost sight of her faster than he could blink. "Who are you? Why have you done this?" A shadow stood in his path, blocking him.

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"Get out of the way!" Leon shouted, swiping at it.

A force beside him smashed him to the floor. It felt like razors had split into the side of his head. He gasped for air, trying to claw his way back to his feet. "K-Katie...." he croaked, his legs being dragged along the lake's surface. He grit his teeth, blood trailing down his face. "Damn it..."

Once again, he was pulled by the arms, ripped by the claws, torn to shreds, and then slammed back into the flowers. This time he rolled back to his feet. He wasn't trembling in fear this time. "What the hell are you?" he shouted to the silhouettes surrounding the fog.

Nothing but hissed accusations. Anger and hatred that resonated with his own so strongly, it was a wonder it didn't consume his entire being. He wanted to sprint back in. Destroy them. Kill them. Looking down at his own reflection, he flinched.

A horrible shade of violet-purple enveloped his eyes, making him look away. "I won't teach her a damn thing if she thinks I'm a monster too... if she even comes back after this," Leon muttered, silently cursing himself. "Why couldn't I have been more patient about it? ...Why am I so... Shit." With nothing else, he forced his eyes to close.

The next morning was an early start, their first day starting high school. Leon and Iris walked down the sidewalk, trees all around on both sides. As if the previous night wasn't bad enough, Iris was making her excuses for why they missed the bus.

"Did you seriously think I'd let you go to school without a little practice?" she said, following close behind him. "You never know who we could meet."

He shook his head. "Yes. Because killers and assassins are all waiting for us on our first day," Leon muttered, shaking his head. "Training this, training that. You're like a broken record..."

They were bickering most of their journey when loud voices shushed them. "Shh. Did you hear that?" Iris asked, turning her head to the forest.

"It's probably just a couple of birds," Leon said, not stopping. He froze when a pained cry came from beyond the bushes.

"SOMEONE HELP!" a girl's voice cried.

Angry muffled voices followed with the sounds of a scuffle. "Or not."

He crouched with his sister as they snuck up ahead. In a clearing of trees, three hooded boys were beating two others crumbled against the grass. One blonde and another brown-haired kid that didn't look much older than they were. The girl kept trying to pull them away, getting thrown back. She was tear stricken, dirt and cuts covering her body.

Leon's fists clenched as he watched. "No! Don't get involved!" Iris hissed, pulling on his arm. His eyes wandered to the backpacks on the grass. Books and papers scattered in pieces along with various tools. The girl was on her knees, trembling, hair wild.

"Are you serious?" he snapped, shrugging her off.

He was already sprinting toward them. Iris cursed under her breath before going after him.

Between training for years and being in the worst mood of his life, it was a short lived dance.

One of the boys crumbled on the grass, teeth flying. Leon was on top of him, laying into him over and over again. Blood covered his knuckles, and his eyes glared down at the attacker. The blue hoodie the boy had been wearing was stained in several places. He was pale with piercings in his shattered nose.

A red, sinking pit was the only indicator of where his mouth was. "Leon, stop! Enough!" Iris shouted, catching his arms.

"Get off! These cowards want to prey on the helpless? Let them see how it feels!" he hissed, breaking free.

His boot smashed into another boy's exposed back. A sickening crunch came as the boy howled and writhed on the ground. There was a violet glow in Leon's eyes. Shadows along every edge of the forest were leaning against him.

The victims who were being beaten senseless moments ago paid no notice, watching him almost in a trance like daze. Iris grabbed him again, joined by the two boys from earlier.

"It's... it's all right!" one of them shouted, the one with blonde hair. "Relax!"

They flinched when Leon and Iris turned on them. "Whoa there! We aren't... trying to hurt you," the boy with brown hair said, raising his hands.

He spat out some blood, nearly falling forward. The girl from earlier caught him, looking at them.

"These two are my only friends... thank you for saving them," the girl said, her eyes lowering.

She seemed afraid of looking Leon in the eye. Most of them did. Everything burned for him. He took a deep breath, the coldness in his gaze fading. "Sorry if I seemed a little unhinged. I just... lost control a bit," he muttered, looking down at his hands.

It was the first time in Leon's life he'd ever let his anger take control. The idea that he'd never see Katie again and it was all of his fault. To watch someone else be tormented and turn a blind eye would've made him feel nothing short of being a hypocrite.

It took several minutes for them to recuperate. Leon and Iris waited until the three they'd saved were well enough to get back on their feet. They were beaten and bruised in several places, but thankfully, nothing had been broken. An awkwardness filled the air.

What was that? ...I don't think I've ever felt such an ugly emotion before, Leon thought, rubbing his knuckles. He glanced at the unconscious bodies of the boy's they'd beaten and frowned. They were so... weak. I thought the people Iris was training me to fight would be more dangerous.

"What were you thinking?" Iris hissed in his ear, making him jump. "What if they had a gun or a knife? Did you even think for a second how things would be if we killed them by accident?"

"Who says it would be an accident?" he retorted, looking at her. "This is what you've been training me for, isn't it? ...Ugh, forget it. Let's just get to school. We're already late anyway."

Leon turned to walk before she could say another word. "Wait! You never told us your name!" the girl shouted as Iris was about to grab his shoulder. "Are you going to Parmelia High too?"

He turned to answer when Iris put her arm out in front of him. "You really ought to give your own name first," she said when he grabbed her wrist.

He narrowed his eyes, saying, "Iris, you're being rude."

Iris snatched her hand back. "It's common courtesy!" she retorted.

The two boys and girl exchanged glances before introducing themselves. "I'm Damien Blackbourne. Thanks for... you know," the paler blonde boy said, scratching the back of his neck.

The girl gave a small smile before saying, "The name's Raina Amber, at your service." She elbowed the brown-haired boy beside her, who'd been zoning out. "Richard, come on! Tell them your name."

Richard shook his head, groaning. "You just did, you idiot... The last name is Cuffs, in case you wanted to know. Never mind all this mushy crap. How did you learn to fight like that?"

In less than no time, Richard, Damien, and Raina became Leon's first friends, much to Iris's irritation. He didn't warm up to them immediately, but before he knew it, he was smiling and laughing with them. They practically begged Iris to let them join their training sessions.

Eventually, she agreed as long as they weren't afraid of her not pulling her punches. The days went by more quickly as they trained and went to school together. It almost helped him forget about the dark hell he'd return to when he went to sleep.

A week passed, forcing him to endure it each night alone once more. Instead of sitting silently mulling to himself, Leon trained more fiercely even when he was asleep. His thoughts drifted to the argument he had with Katie.

Each time it passed, the way the shadows threw him back into his cage, the fists flew more ferociously. Steam emitted from his every pore, and he let out a cry as he slammed his fist into the water. It burst up around him, splashing loudly.

He rose to his feet but then flinched when he realized Katie was standing in front of him. Leon narrowed his eyes, turning away. "What is it?" he snapped, clenching his fists.

Katie sighed. "You're right..."

"What?" he turned, raising an eyebrow. He'd felt so irritated that he almost didn't realize what she meant. "Oh."

Her entire body was trembling. "I've been afraid... so afraid of fighting my entire life. I don't want to turn into a monster. My power is scary, Leon... but a life without you in it isn't worth it." Tears streamed down her face as she fell forward.

Leon caught her, stroking her hair. He took a deep breath. "I won't force you to do anything you don't want. If you're afraid of hurting them, I could try to teach you how to avoid them instead. To defend..."

"R-really?" she looked up at him, her eyes brightening.

"It won't be as effective as learning to strike with it, but at least it would help you if you ever learned how to escape," he explained, giving her a small smile.

Katie squealed and pulled him closer for a kiss. But then she moved away, sighing. "I almost forgot my own promise... This is harder than I thought."

"As long as it's as painful for you as it is for me," Leon responded, smirking.