Psychic Duelist
Chapter 1
Beep. Beep. Beep. The rhythmic sounds of different machines droned on, creating a melody of noise. Papers shuffled and were exchanged as pens clicked and scribbled illegible notes. The murmurs of the clustered room started out as mere whispers, progressing into barked orders and exasperated replies.
Her pale, serene face scrunched up and the melody around her notably transformed into an urgent song. The young girl's long ebony hair laid spread out on the metallic surface of the table around her. Pink lips parted to breathe in small, quick gasps. Her cream-colored fingernails suddenly scraped the table painfully and the broken tips became jagged. The cacophony of alerts and voices washed over her, making her head pound.
"Kira Koetsu. Number 144," her voice murmured robitically as cards were drawn and fanned out in her hands.
"Retrieve Sayer," one of the men clad in white ordered from behind his clipboard as he studiously took notes. "She's waking up."
The fire came towards her in a spiraling beam. "Ah!"
...
Her long eyelashes fluttered before ruby eyes finally opened to stare blankly at the tile ceiling. Her surroundings had suddenly calmed, the voices hushing and footsteps traveling away. Only the rhythmic tones softly played on quieter than before. The storm was over.
"How are you feeling?" a voice finally asked as its owner laid a gentle hand on her arm. Kira slowly sat up, her other hand reaching up to wipe at her drenched face with the green sleeve of her shirt. Wires were removed from her quickly and without apology so that all but one scientist had left.
"Her levels appear stable again," he announced, but it seemed to go unheard by his boss.
"Come on," Sayer said as he helped Kira to her feet, "we'll get you back to your room. You deserve some rest after that duel. The energy stabilizer worked fine." He offered her a smile and led the still silent girl out of the research lab.
Once out of the stressful surroundings, her small ghost of a voice spoke. "I'm sorry I lost."
"Oh no, Kira. Don't think of it that way," Sayer assured her. "The purpose of practicing is to get better, and besides, your contribution to our research gets us that much closer to finding answers."
Feeling like she made a difference for the Arcadia Movement, she nodded absently like a child that hardly understood what had been said. Her eyes hesitantly strayed from their feet to gaze up at the man with silent respect and admiration. It seemed nothing could amount to as much as him in her eyes.
Upon arrival at her room, Sayer opened the door. "I'll have dinner brought up for you soon. I have some important things to attend to." Once Kira was safely in her room, he was heading off down the hallway.
Kira unstrapped her green sandles from her feet before entering her bathroom. Her thin hand turned the bath water on and she watched the warm water fill the tub a few moments. After snapping out of her daze, the girl abandoned her clothes to relax into the calming water.
She laid there in the dimly lighted room, letting out a pathetic sigh. Lifting her arms out of the water, she stared at dozens of markings all over them as droplets plopped back into the tub. Her pale skin had been so badly cut and bruised, and her resentment of the constant tests grew. Her eyes showed terrible pain and she bit her quivering lip, but the rest of her body began to tremble.
She questioned herself over and over, why is this world so cruel to us? It was the question Sayer always had an answer for. They're afraid. They hate us. They don't understand. Those words never did anything to console Kira, however.
"I'm afraid... and I don't understand," her shaking voice whispered helplessly. "But I don't hate anyone."
I haven't written anything for a while and I had a chance today, so here is a small intro of an idea I've had in my head for a while. Criticism is always welcome!