Heart of Flames
The Story of Akemi Tanakana
She walked down the dark and empty hallway, completely alone. Flames appeared in her mind and she stopped, frozen in space. Suddenly, she snapped out of it, remembering where she was and who she was going to.
She began to run down the dimly lit hallways, turning every so often. The building was built to be a maze after all. Even for someone who had been there for so long got lost most of the time.
Akemi Tanakana was her name. Her long brown hair flew behind her, the low ponytail unraveling. Her deep green eyes blinked often, to make sure she was going down the right stairs and hallways. Often, in this place, you could not trust your eyes, only your deep inner senses. But, like the rest of Akemi, was nothing to be too excited about.
For one, she didn't use magic. It wasn't that she couldn't, she didn't know how. It wasn't like he would teach her.
She only used catalysts, things that created weak versions of spells. She mainly had explosions, as they were cheap for many of them.
In fact, if that man had not killed her parents, she would have most likely gone her entire life without ever thinking or believing in magic. She would have stayed normal her entire life, going higher and higher.
But he did kill them.
Akemi's parents were politicians. And, as like everyone else in the government, they had political enemies. One of them could use a little magic and decided to scare them. He set the house on fire, expecting they would come out alive.
They never did. Akemi was the only one that survived, and just barely. She woke up in a hospital, and she was about to go to an orphanage. She lived blankly there, not ever talking, only eating something every now and again. Eventually, someone came and decided to adopt her. They decided to let Akemi talk privately at first to see if he was a good fit for her. The strange man told Akemi she could avenge her parents.
She agreed almost immediately and they left. Akemi killed her parent's murder easily, like he gave no fight at all.
Akemi, now convinced her job with the man was done, decided to leave. She paid no attention to the fact her boss was sitting watching her with his eyes open.
"Akemi, dear, where are you going?" the boss Kabayama asked, with an untrustworthy smile.
"Just leaving Kabayama-sama," she explained walking into his dark and crowed office.
"Who gave you permission to leave Akemi?"
"Eh?"
"I asked who gave you the permission to leave?" repeated.
"Um, no one. I assumed since the job was-"
"YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE!" Kabayama yelled.
Akemi froze, her eyes widening. She had never seen him lose his temper before.
"You have only completed one mission. You are only to stop working for me when you die. I don't think you're dead yet, eh Akemi?" he told her, his eyes barring into her.
Akemi couldn't handle it anymore. She spun on her heel and collided into a wall. Not seeing a door, Akemi through an explosion catalyst at it and ran through the wall.
She didn't make it very far until two cold metal hands grabbed her and pulled her right in front of Kabayama,
"That is, unless you want to die," he said, putting a finger on a red jewel on his right hand. He became lost in deep concentration.
At first, it was only a small shock. Then a bolt of lighting tore through Akemi, filling her body with pain. She fell to the ground, wanting it to be finally over.
Eventually, right before she lost conscious, it stopped. Akemi tried to look up as Kabayama moved towards her, but found she couldn't move at all.
"So, have we changed our minds about leaving?"
Needless to stay, she stayed and gave five years of her live to completing missions at what ever he told her to do.
She finally made it to the hallway in front of Kabayama's office. Akemi opened the door and sat down in a chair made completely out of steel. She then asked him, "What do I have to do this time?"
"Being awfully assertive today, aren't we Akemi? Very well then, read the packet," he said, throwing a manila folder over-filled at her.
She opened it and read the general description. "Ehh? I have to go to Japan and observe on some ten-year-old mage and all of his partners?"
"Why? Do you not like it?" he asked flashing the untrustworthy smile.
"Oh, no, thank you," she said bowing. She grabbed the packet and her bag and ran out the back door into the car waiting for her to drive her to her new home and mission: Mahora Academy.