Gomenasai everyone! I'm sorry for uploading for uploading this chapter late... I'll explain it further later, for now... I hope you'll enjoy the chapter... Although it looks a little bit rushed... Gomenasai...


Shindou walked in the forest while his chin is rested on his hand. He was thinking of how he could unlock his power, the element of earth. While walking, he noticed a girl, nearly his age, walking pass the route he's taking. She has dark blue hair, her eyes are covered by his bangs, and she wears an apricot dress with a shawl on her shoulders. She holds a basket full of fruits.

"Um… Excuse me.." Shindou started but he saw the girl trip and dropped her basket. He went to help her pick up her things but he noticed something strange about her.

"Let me help you, miss." He politely offered as he was picking up the scattered goods.

"Oh, thank you very much." She replied as she reached for a nearby item with her hand. Once everything has been gathered and returned in the basket. Shindou helped the girl up. She was looking down. Perhaps she didn't want to show her face.

"Thanks again for helping me." She smiled and lifted her head but didn't look at Shindou's eyes directly. Is she-? No, Shindou needed to confirm first his thought before going to a conclusion. He decided to introduce himself first.

"I'm Shindou Takuto, nice to meet you er-…."

"I'm Misaka." The girl, now introduced as Misaka, said. "I'm really sorry for the trouble."

"Oh, it's no big deal. What are you doing out here in the woods?" He didn't know how to start up a conversation but at least he thought of a question to ask.

"I was looking for some berries for something to eat but I'm having a really hard time because…" Her voice trailed off before she could tell him the reason. "Because.. I'm blind."

"I'm so sorry to hear. Do you at least have a family to take care of you?" He asked with much concern.

She shook her head. "My mother is dead and my father is traveling around the land because he said he needed to find money and a good job but I don't think that's the reason why he left." She says. "I know he didn't love me and left me after I got blind. I used to be the one to cook the food and do the chores but after that incident, he found me useless and left."

"You mean you weren't blind before?" He asks and the girl responded with a slight nod. Shindou was about to say something to comfort her but then she smiled at him and said "Why don't we talk more back at my house. I wanted to repay you for your help." Shindou nodded even though she can't see it. Misaka led the way without a word and he followed.

"Well, here it is." She says when they arrived at her small cottage. It wasn't too big or too small. It's just perfect for her. "I'm very sorry if it looks small to you."

"No, actually it seems very comfortable." He responded. She twisted the knob of the wooden door and opened it. She invited him in and he sat on a chair next to a table.

"Would you like something to drink, Shindou-san?" She asked before proceeding to the kitchen.

"Just a cup of water, please and no more formalities; call me Shindou." He replied. She nods and reaches for a cup and filled it with water. She also got her own before coming out of the table.

"Here you go Shindou-san.. I-I mean Shindou." She said and handed the cup to him then took her seat across him.

"Thank you." He took a drink before starting up another conversation. "Are you living here alone?" He searched for an expression on her face as he waited for a reply.

"Yes, it's been almost three years since that incident." She said blankly.

"What incident?" Curiosity builds up in Shindou.

"You see, three years ago, a witch cursed me to become blind and that's where my father abandoned me. He said I was useless." She began to develop tears in her eyes. "But I did nothing wrong. My father killed the witch's daughter when he was hunting in the woods. She got angry and said to my father that as vengeance, she will curse his daughter to be blind and that's me." She cried.

"I'm so sorry I asked…" Shindou said with great apology. He didn't know she was sensitive in that topic.

Misaka wiped the tears in her eyes and replied. "It's alright. I haven't remembered that for a long time."

"Isn't there any way to break the curse?" He asked her.

"There is but it's very hard and dangerous." She responded. "The witch must be killed in order to break all the curses she made. But I'd rather stay blind forever than to risk my life to see again."

"How strong is this witch?"

"Some said that she has a magic staff that she uses to release her powers that is twice as strong. Many have tried to steal it from her but they can't even get close to her because no one has ever survived her fierce attacks. The problem for me though is that I can't see but I can feel vibrations around me with the use of my other senses."

"Wow! You can do that?" Shindou widened his eyes in amazement.

"Yes. It may seem impossible but if you focus all your other senses, you can do it. You have to use all your senses to survive the battle you're in, like my mother always says." She smiled and Shindou is relieved that she is smiling again.

"That's so amazing! You're a special girl." He complemented.

"Everyone's special in their own way." She stated but accepted the boy's complement.

"I got an idea! What if I face the witch?" He confidently volunteered which made Misaka shift her expression.

"You can't put yourself in danger just foe me! Besides, we've only met…" She protested.

"No, everyone I meet is already considered a friend." He says. "I wanted to help you because you don't deserve to be cursed. It was your father's fault that got the witch angry, and the daughter he doesn't even care about was the one who received the punishment."

"I know but…"

"You don't have to protest. I have made my decision." Shindou finally said. Misaka sighed as a sign of defeat.

"Fine, you win. But you are going to need my help. I can lead you to the witch's location."

"I thought you didn't want to." He stated.

"It's the least I can do for you trying to help me with my curse." She replied.

"Then let's go!" He stood from his seat but Misaka stopped him before he could reach for the door.

"Wait," she says "You're not just going to barge in her home and attack her recklessly?" She's right. He can't just go in there without a plan or a strategy. He scratched the back of his head for his mistake.

"Well.. Do you have any idea of a plan?" He asks and she replied with a nod.

"My grandmother told me about the witch Raegan's weaknesses. She also gave me this." She reached for something from her pocket and was revealed to be a round amulet with a six-rayed star. Around its side were strings that formed like a spider web. "This amulet, when placed near Raegan's neck will release a string that attaches it to her neck and absorbs her power."

"So the witch's name is Raegan?"

"That's what the others say."

"All I have to do is to sneak up on her, grab her magic staff and place the amulet on her neck." He pointed out.

"And how are you supposed to do that?" She raised an eyebrow. Of course he did come up with a plan but he has to have a good strategy in order to execute his plan perfectly. Shindou placed his hand under his chin to think.

"Hmm… Do you happen to know when Raegan rests?" He asked.

"In the afternoon, after she makes a kill for her meal, she activates a barrier around her home while she rests." She took a moment to reply.

"We'll attack then but how can we open that barrier?" He started to think again. Misaka reach out for a cabinet and took out a box. When she opened it, it reveals a necklace with a red gem. "I never thought this would be of good use. When my father killed Raegan's daughter, he stole her necklace. If you wear this, you'll be able to get through the barrier."

"That's brilliant! I never knew Raegan has some weaknesses!" Shindou exclaimed.

"Then, let's go! I'll lead the way." Misaka replied and they started to go to Raegan's lair.

"How far is Raegan's lair?" Shindou asked as they passed along some trees in the forest.

"Not that far." She replied. She pointed at an opening from a group of trees to her left without looking at its direction. "It's just past those trees."

"I see…" he replied, "So did you have any difficulty in living here alone?" He asks after walking a few steps.

"No, not really. Like I said before, I use my other senses and I'm trained by my mom since I was young to do chores. Besides I'm used to my surroundings."

"Is using your other senses difficult?"

"All I have to do is to focus. Feel the vibrations and hear the sounds of the wind. Don't be too dependent only to what you can see. That's what I always tell myself." She then stopped walking as well as Shindou. He observed what she's doing.

Misaka closed her eyes. She felt the wind caressing her hair; she listened to the rustling of the trees and the chirping of the birds. "We're close. I can feel her presence."

"Is that huge cave her lair?" He asked pointing to a cave past a few trees. Misaka replied with a nod.

"Then let's sneak in." He said but kept his voice down.

"I can't, there's only one necklace, remember." She reminded. "I'll stay near the cave. You should go in. She's probably sleeping by this time."

"Alright." He received the necklace from Misaka and wore it while he kept the amulet near his reach in one of his pockets.

He stands in front of the barrier. He entered his hand and when it had passed through the barrier, it revealed the purple barrier surrounding the cave. He successfully entered himself in the barrier. He peaked from the mouth of the cave to check if Raegan's resting.

"She's asleep." He sighed in relief. He carefully tiptoed inside and hid behind the nearest rock. He went closer and closer to the witch sleeping on a bed made of soft foam facing against him. He peeked at the witch's neck to see if there's something that could block him from placing the amulet. Instead, he saw a necklace similar to what he's wearing with a glowing red gem.

"I should place the amulet before she wakes up." He thought. He reaches for the amulet when he noticed that the necklace he's wearing was glowing too.

"Could this be-" Shindou thought but was interrupted by the sudden movement of the witch. She's waking up! Before Shindou could hide, the witch had fully woken up. She stood up from her bed and Shindou took a step back.

"You… why do you have my daughter's necklace?" Anger filled her the moment she saw Shindou.

"I was… I-" He thought he could explain calmly but she grabbed her staff and used it to shoot a blazing ball of fire at Shindou. Luckily, he was able to dodge it.

"You were with that man, that murderer, weren't you? You plotted this to kill my only child!" She said furiously. She sent another fire ball but he ducked to avoid it.

"No, you don't understand! I'm here to-"

"I don't need your explanation. It all explains what you're planning next: to kill me, steal my staff and possess my power?! "She kept yelling and shot attacks beside him. Shindou steps backwards for every step the witch takes forward. Misaka could hear the explosions from inside and started to grow worried for him.

"You need to listen! The girl who you cursed with blindness, I came here with her. I'm here to tell you that she doesn't deserve the punishment her father did!" He finally said. The witch stopped.

"The murderer's daughter is here? You're with her?"

"She's my friend and I'm here to restore her sight because she didn't do anything wrong. She's been suffering alone for three years but her father's not even affected with that but instead, he left her. Don't you think your punishment towards an innocent girl was fair? You're not punishing the murderer!" He stated, looking directly at her eyes. For a moment, he saw her eyes soften but then she furrowed her eyebrows.

"I loved my daughter, I destroyed everything that might harm her. But that one time I let her go free in the forest, that one time I stop myself from being too protective to her, her father killed her! I don't care if that murderer is affected or not but my rule is: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That girl should be thankful I didn't kill her." She said.

"But still, she doesn't deserve to be blind!" He said. His voice echoed throughout the cave.

"Well, why don't you join her?" She yelled and pointed the staff at him. She chanted a spell Shindou doesn't understand and he saw a dark lightning heading towards him. He didn't have time to react and it hit him, making him close his eyes and fall back.

Shindou coughed at the smoke that had surrounded him. He slowly blinked his eyes open, he shivered. He kept on blinking his eyes open but still he saw…

Nothing…


Okay, let me explain my long absence in uploading chapters. I had my examinations on the second week of August, specifically August 6-8. Luckily, i passed all the exams and even got the highest score on 4 or 5 subjects, but there's still one test whose results are not yet given: the deadly subject of Trigonometry. Then, just before exams, i received an announcement from one of my teachers that i'll be participating in a national bible quiz together with some of my schoolmates representing the school this weekend. Then, right after exams, i already had training with them. I was able to finish this because classes were suspended for almost a week in our place. I know some of you may not be reading this now, but this explanation is for the sake of those who might be worried for my long absence or something else. But no need to worry, i'm completely fine. My brain's just drained out because of the exams, the ongoing training and writing this chapter. Wish me luck because i might update a chapter of one of my stories earlier.

P.S. This might be the longest AN I've ever written! Lol!

Please review!