Into The Fire

The night was starless, a fitting accommodation to her morose disposition. The moon peeked through the clouds above, its faint shine dimly lighting the long path before her. She felt the light breeze of the autumn air brush against her face and her ears drowned in the sound of rustling leaves.

It had been a long trip, lonely and dull, with time having seemed horribly content to let the hours merely drag by; and she had hated every minute of it.

You'll be going to Balamb Garden for the time being. Once things have settled down, we'll bring you back. This is for your own protection.

Those words echoed in her mind for the umpteenth time since her travels had begun. The whole conversation nagged at her more and more with each playback. She knew the man had meant well – he loved her, they both did. It was just something about the way he had said it - the tone in his voice had just sounded so empty and unaffected, a disturbing contradiction that had not gone unnoticed by her. It was almost as if he hadn't even believed his own words. For someone whom claimed to care so much about her, he just had a funny way of showing it sometimes.

We love you, honey, and we'll see you again soon. Stay safe.

She held that thought, allowing the sound of her mother's voice to ring in her head for a moment before releasing a scoff. She could feel anger smoldering within her deep down, and she shook her head in defiance, of them; and of her situation. Love? That's what they called this? What a ridiculous concept. She would have laughed if she wasn't so hurt. She knew her anger was misguided, but she didn't care. Right now, she just needed an outlet for all she was consumed with.

She could feel it swelling inside of her, that undying urge overwhelming the girl as it gradually rose through her body. She tried to resist, faint squeals emitting from her closed lips in her struggle to contain the emotion; but, the strength of such sentiment surpassed that of which she held to overcome it.

She wept.

It was a feeble cry, one born from the misery and heartache of the terrible sense of abandonment she had come to feel at the actions of the two people whom claimed to love her so much. A single tear trickled down her cheek, the sounds of weak whimpering soon emanating from the sorrowful adolescent. How she just wished, more than anything, that this was all some horrible dream. She didn't know these people, didn't know this place. She had been stripped of the life she had always known in an instant, stricken from the people whom she had counted on to comfort and protect her; and all because of some stupid decree generated from a few heinous minds. It just wasn't fair.

She slowly reached for her face, gently wiping away the lone tear in attempt to pull herself together.

She continued forward, slowly, her eyes still fixed on the cemented ground. Her legs guided her body as she moved, the young girl doing all she could not to let such emotion get the best of her. She was so distraught, so conflicted and lost in her thoughts that she wasn't even aware she had breached the threshold of the entrance.

"Garden is closed. No one is allowed on or off campus after curfew." The sudden voice greatly startled the raven-haired girl, and she quickly turned her head to find an elderly man standing in a glass booth, staring back at her. He didn't utter another word as their eyes made contact.

She hesitated, cautiously lifting her gaze to the neon sign above his post: RECEPTION.

She slowly retracted her attention back to the elderly man, exhaling in attempt to ease her nerves while she searched for the needed words.

"…I'm sorry. I'm a new student; I just got here a little late."

The man cast a doubtful eye towards her, suspicious towards the unknown girl's remark. His reaction brought an acute discomfort upon her, and she could feel her nerves wrecking again in an instant. She tried to keep calm, eyeing him closely so as not to draw any further skepticism.

In the awkward silence, the receptionist's eyes were soon drawn to large duffel bag draped over the slender teen's shoulder. Though still seemingly unconvinced, he couldn't deny that the sight did indeed serve as legitimate evidence to her claims.

He turned his attention back to her face before giving a reluctant sigh of compliance. He slowly removed one arm from the counter, his eyes never veering from the odd girl as he pulled out a clipboard. He set it down before him, crossly, his tone of voice bearing annoyance. "…Name?"

His actions made her wince slightly. "…Rinoa Heartilly."

The man temporarily took his eyes off the girl as he turned his focus to the sheet of paper before him. Carefully drawing his finger down the page, he mentally read each name to himself in his search for any mention of such a moniker.

Rinoa waited anxiously, her body itching from the lasting silence while she stood at the empty gates of the foreign academy. It was late. All she wanted to do was get inside and get to bed. She didn't look forward to sleeping as much as she did dreaming. Maybe, with any luck, that would allow her to escape this nightmare she had found herself in…if only for a time.

Even with a thorough examination, the man nearly missed Rinoa's name in the mix. The only reason he was able to spot it was due to the adjacent, unmarked box still awaiting confirmation of her attendance.

He tapped the empty space with his forefinger before reaching for a stack of papers beside him, muttering an incoherent phrase under his breath. He looked towards Rinoa again before extending his hand out underneath the glass pane. His face bore an impatient expression while he waited for her to take it.

"Student ID, dorm number, and class schedule. You're in the East Wing."

Taking the hint from his actions, Rinoa slowly stepped forward towards the booth. She gradually lifted her hand to the counter, placing her open palm on the sheet of paper before carefully sliding it off. There was a confused look on her face as she studied the document for a moment.

"You're in room 211." The receptionist's voice abruptly shattered her concentration, her eyes immediately shifting to the irritable elder. "Classes start at 7:00AM. All students are expected up no later than 6:00, 6:30. So, if you hope to eat breakfast, you'd better follow this rule precisely. Curfew is at 9:00 PM, and lights out at 9:30. Anyone found wandering the campus after hours will be dealt with as seen appropriate by the headmaster."

He leaned forward, his face nearly pressing up against the glass as he brought his mouth right up to the speaker. There was a harsh stare in his dark green eyes. "Do you understand?"

Rinoa stared back at him, his bitter look and condescending words causing her to momentarily feel her heart in her throat. The man just seemed so cold and unfriendly, his attitude so far leaving much to be desired. She hadn't meant to disturb him - she didn't even want to be here herself. She had only been present for five minutes and she was already a bother? She had to wonder what she had done to deserve such a rude greeting. She could only muster a light nod before warily turning towards the entryway again.

"Welcome to Garden." The receptionist pushed a button under the counter and the gates unlocked.

Rinoa turned her head in the direction of the elder man one last time and forced a light smile. "Thank you…"

The receptionist merely gave a half-hearted wave before lowering his head and returning to his prior commitments, not bothering to spare her another thought. Feeling dismal from the whole encounter, Rinoa slowly turned her attention forward again, shaking her head mildly while she found her mind wandering back to her parents one last time.

She lifted her gaze to the massive structure of steel before her, taking in its appearance in full detail. It was unlike anything she had seen in her life. A solid coating of silver paint nearly covered the exterior completely, while a tall, needle-like structure extended upward along its three stories, almost as if to pierce the very heavens. And, at its peak, it appeared to be adorned with what she could only describe as a halo of sorts, barely visible against the night sky, yet evident, nonetheless. Despite its angelic appeal, however, she was hardly enticed by the general sight.

Her eyes then scrolled downward to a flight of stairs, a couple of yards beyond the gates, that led inside. Just above, a black and white sign forming an odd symbol stared back at her, acting as a welcome to all whom entered its grounds. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest, and she could feel her stomach churning restlessly.

This was it.

This was her new home now.

She felt a chill on the back of her neck as another breeze picked up, trembling visibly as it brushed against her delicate skin. Yearning for comfort, she was drawn to the sight of the stairs again, her eyes closing morbidly before she finally forced herself inside.

Rinoa was awestruck by the display that greeted her upon entry. Fitting to its unique exterior, the inside of Garden was practically breathtaking: plants bearing a flawless shade of green lined the area, filling the entrance hall with a minty aroma. A stairwell ran up to an elevator positioned in the dead-center of the vicinity that led up to the top floor, surrounded by a massive, circular fountain adorned with beautiful, dolphin-shaped statues streaming crystal-blue water. The lobby formed a perfect ring around the outside, stretching left to right and extending to several hallways throughout the enormous structure.

The scene nearly made her head spin with its maze-like architecture. She could already see herself becoming hopelessly lost within its corridors.

Despite the personal feelings she harbored in regards to her situation, Rinoa had to forcibly withdraw her eyes from the stunning spectacle, unable to deny its obvious lavishness. She glanced back down at the paper in her hand, taking note of her room number one last time.

"No loitering in the halls after hours. That's a violation of Garden curfew."

Rinoa jumped at the sudden voice, her heart nearly stopping from fright. It was loud and angry, mixed with a distinct raspy tone that was immediately engrained in her head. She quickly turned to her right and was greeted by an odd figure bearing an unusual wardrobe: a white robe with a red one overlapping that extended past his feet, and yellow head-gear that completely obscured his face.

He leered down at her, and Rinoa could feel the cold glare in his unseen eyes. It was almost as if they were piercing into her soul and she was nearly petrified in his presence. He was so creepy and uninviting, his whole demeanor chilling the startled girl down to the bone. She didn't like the atmosphere he evoked at all.

She tried to speak in defense of herself, but her mind was blank, all words eluding her in the unnerving encounter. She stumbled with her thoughts, too intimidated to take her eyes off the strange man while he awaited an explanation.

"I…I'm sorry. I-I'm just…looking for my dorm; I'm a new student." She was timid, her voice shaking clearly with each word released.

"Identification?"

"…R-Rinoa. Heartilly." She stuttered, choking up on her own name from his daunting manner.

The man silently held his hand out and Rinoa stared at it quizzically. Soon realizing that he required her ID, her eyes shifted down to her hands again. She grabbed the card containing her picture and information, but fumbled it in her hands due to nerves and it fell on the floor.

She quickly leaned down to pick it up, clutching it tight and handing it to the man without a word.

The mysterious stranger studied her ID for a moment before giving a light nod of approval and handed it back to her. Rinoa carefully took the card, her hand trembling slightly from the anxiety she experienced in the company of the peculiar man. Aside from his hand gestures, his body never moved from start of their encounter, and she could still feel his eyes on her from their place within the shadows of his hat. He was a mysterious one for sure, and she could only wonder exactly who, or what, he even was at all.

"I suggest you get to bed, Miss Heartilly. Good night." His words were cold, and his voice bore a commanding tone that surpassed even that of her father's.

Rinoa nodded gently in compliance and slowly turned around towards the direction of the dormitory. She could still sense him watching her as she trudged through the lobby, his eerie gaze sending goose bumps throughout her body and the hairs on her neck stood up. She felt a shiver down her spine and glanced back in her peripheral vision, careful not to turn her head in a quick assessment to confirm her suspicions.

She then picked up her pace, the sound of the hard floor beneath her shoes becoming more frequent with her hastened footsteps.

Rinoa slowly walked down the hallway of the dormitory. She eyed each door number she passed carefully, giving occasional glances to the papers she held to reassure she hadn't already passed by her room.

The hallway seemed to stretch indefinitely before her – it felt like she was in one of those dreams where you would walk forever and never get anywhere. Her fatigue was drastically beginning to take its toll on her now, and with each passing moment she longed increasingly for the comfort of a warm bed. After the uncouth greeting she had had from some loathsome people upon her arrival, it was all she had to look forward to. At least a bed would welcome her.

She came to an abrupt halt and yielded one last glance at the papers in hand. Lifting her head again, she was immediately met by the number 211 staring back at her in bold.

She hesitated.

Her eyes fixated on the solid, white door before her, Rinoa allowing reality to really sink in for a moment. Once she passed through that doorway, she would finally be accepting her situation. That thought scared her. She had barely been here an hour and had already had an unpleasant experience, the people she had encountered so far providing her with a bleak illusion of her stay. She felt unwelcome, unwanted. If it could get worse, she wasn't so sure she wanted to find out.

Still, she tried to relax, calming her nerves and forcibly drowning out her doubts. It was pointless to trouble herself with such worries. Even if she were to change her mind, she had no place to go and no one to run to. She was on her own.

A faint sigh of submission emitted from her parted lips, and she soon lifted her hand to the knob. Gradually turning it in her hand, she gently pushed the door open and slowly stepped forward, finally breaching the threshold of the room.

Once completely within the confines of the dorm, Rinoa quietly closed the door behind her, using her open palm to decrease the sound while she pushed it shut. She fumbled for a light switch, carefully moving her hand along the wall in the pitch black darkness of the room. Soon feeling a sudden change in the surface of the rough wall, Rinoa slowly followed the small, smooth panel and thrust the lever upward.

The sight that now greeted her eyes appeared to be a small kitchen of sorts: there was a table with two chairs and a small fridge positioned a little to the left near the corner adjacent to her. The floor was covered with a pale blue tiling and two luminescent lamps hung from above. The whole area looked so pristine; it reminded her of home, if only for its cleanliness.

She strode forward cautiously, almost as if afraid to leave the slightest sign of dirt on such an immaculate space.

Peering into one of the rooms, Rinoa's eyes caught sight of someone sleeping in the bed. She was briefly startled by the discovery. She hadn't expected to have a roommate, and no one she had met so far had even dared to hint at such. Worried that her entry, and the light shining into the room, would wake the slumbering student, Rinoa quickly snuck back over to the switch and flipped the lights off.

Now, alone in the dark once more, she trekked forward through the room again. She moved with vigilance, holding her hands out while she felt around for any obstacles. After the greetings she had been given so far…the last thing she wanted to do was wake her sleeping colleague.

As her eyes began to adjust, Rinoa could barely make out silhouettes of the objects in her path. Taking a mental note of their positions, she carefully maneuvered through the rest of the room with little difficulty.

Now, coming to an open doorframe, Rinoa quietly entered the adjoining area. Taking a seat on the bed, she placed her bag on the floor before proceeding to turn on a lamp beside her. She scanned the room in silence for a moment and was quite unsatisfied with its mundane appearance. There was no sense of décor; just solid, white walls surrounding the confines of the small room she had taken residence in. She felt almost as if she was in a prison cell: the whole setting evoked a cold, and rather depressing, feeling.

Retracting her eyes from the monotonous sight, she glanced down at her hand and began reviewing the schedule the receptionist had given her. She scanned the file thoroughly, trying to make sense of the odd jargon before her. Half of the subjects, she had never even heard of – and the rest were practically gibberish to her. The classes followed a strict military time – and while she was used to such, being the daughter of a General, her familiarity didn't help to comfort her in the least. She had never been a morning person and always hated waking up early. It only made her loathe her predicament that much more, since she had a strangely discomforting sense that she would get no leeway here.

She lowered the paper to the bed, pinning it to the sheets underneath her palm and hung her head. Melancholy in light of the whole ordeal, she closed her eyes, releasing a heavy sigh of despondency while she fought to choke back the tears that threatened to fall.

She gradually reached for the lamp and turned the switch, immediately encasing the room in darkness again.

Still fighting the tears, Rinoa then slowly lay along the length of the bed, steadily dropping her head onto the pillow. She held her eyes open, staring blankly at the bedside table as thoughts of home instantly flooded her mind.

She curled her legs closer to her body, trembling faintly in the cool air of the room. She felt nervous, scared, like a lost child in desperate need of their mother. She wondered about her parents: what they may be doing right now, if they already missed her. She just wanted so badly to have them hold her again, to hear their voices and comfort her like they always had.

In her frail condition, she eventually lost the battle and succumbed to her emotions. The tears she had been struggling to resist finally fought their way out, and she felt them stream down her face, tickling her skin before staining the pillow rested against her cheek.

"Mom, dad; please come soon…"

She lay in fleeting silence, only the sound of her sniveling heard within the room. As she began to believe she may never fall asleep, her eyes soon felt heavy – and it wasn't long before she let the thoughts of her parents lull her into the wonders and relief of peaceful slumber.