As always, the dimmed corridors that held no light were as silent as ever, allowing the clicking of Teresa's own shoes to follow her with each and every step, ringing in her ears like a leech that wouldn't come off. The closed space of the labyrinth hallways that stretched through the place like a million snakes were as dark as a burnt memory. The clicking of Teresa's own shoes continued to follow her as she neared the end of the next corridor, turning to proceed to the next one. As the echoing footsteps pumped through her mind, her confidence was trying the rebuild itself. This isn't real… she thought. It's not reality, because I really am crazy. I really am hallucinating. None of this was ever true, she tried to make herself realize, right away believing it. Is it? I still don't know. After spending three years of searching, I still don't know whether my life is a dream, or a real, steady paced life. If you could call it steady at this point.
Teresa remembered what had happened recently. The feeling of denial filled her thoughts as she turned the next corridor. She sighed as her pace slowed, the sound of the clicking shoes becoming more far apart between each other, and more eerie. The pain of rejection also began to fill her body and blood, causing her to feel immediately depressed inside her mind. She stopped walking to think a bit, stopping the only sound pattern to be heard for what seemed like miles. She closed her eyes slowly, as if she were drifting off to sleep, and slowly replayed the moment in her mind.
"Show me how to use those eyes," she had told Minoa in the darkened resting room, feeling confident to learn. I need to pay back my debt for those deaths from before. If I don't, I'll be the one who will never forgive myself. Teresa held her fists tight in front of her, showing that she was ready to be educated, staring hard at Minoa who stared back with emotionless eyes.
"These eyes…they shouldn't be fooled around with," Minoa said, her voice coming out in a low whisper, as if she were dying inside. The darkness surrounded the scene like a prison. The ebony ate away at the two people's features, shading in its own blackness like an infection that took long to take effect.
"I know, I know," Teresa pleaded. "Just teach me. I need to know so I can pay the debt I myself caused."
Minoa sighed. "Let me ask you something," she said, closing her eyes in a tired way. Teresa looked at her with pleading stares, as if asking what/ "Everyone knows that there are good things and bad things in life. Now, let me ask you, what do you think about things that hurt people, and things that make people feel good?" she asked the random question.
Teresa looked at Minoa for a second in the forever surrounding dark. She wondered why she had suddenly asked the question, but decided to answer it and get to the point. But now that she actually had to think of the answer, her features tightened and she became uncomfortable and depressed. She sighed and put a solemn look that lay hard on the unseen but felt floor. "Good things… they're just an illusion," she began. Minoa made a look of piqued curiosity.
"What do you mean?" Minoa asked, forcing the answer out of her.
"I mean, when good things happen to you, you only feel good temporarily. It's just an illusion. It's never reality, is it? Any good thing that happens to you. It just makes you feel better at the moment. Bad things on the other hand…" she paused to let a wave of depression take its toll. "Bad things scar you and stay in your heart forever. There's no point in good things. Bad feelings will always be the prevailing scarring of your heart, even if you continue to bury them as time passes on."
"I see," Minoa stated bluntly. "In that case, I can't teach you how to use the Miroku Family's gift, Visible Darkness," Minoa stated, walking away towards the door, leaving a crushed face on Teresa.
Teresa stumbled at the direct answer. She stared in disbelief and yelled out in a craze, "Why!? Just because I have a pessimistic opinion? Is that why!? Tell me!" she demanded. She couldn't lose this chance to get more skill. She needed as much as she could to help keep the promise she made to herself, since she had no experience, unless you count the five minute battle between Minoa and her.
"Visible Darkness isn't something to be messed around with. It's dangerous to those who venture it at first. It can kill you. I don't feel nor want to put you through the pain of doing so. And even if I felt that you were ready for it physically, you wouldn't be ready for it emotionally. Not until you have an open heart. That's something you don't have at this moment. There are too many things clouding your mind," Minoa explained strictly, turning back to talk to her as she was inches away from the exit. "More importantly, you have to focus on taking out White Cloak and not getting killed more than your family abilities."
Minoa began to walk away, her footsteps clicking away from Teresa slowly as the teenage girl was left alone, her hopes and spirits finally crushed. She bent her head down in her own personal shame, her violet hair falling to the front of her face. I… I can't learn it… and… I can't keep my promise now, can I? I'm just… worthless.
Teresa felt herself come back to present time, finding herself in the hallway with the surrounding darkness that still ate away at her features slowly like a disease. She resumed her pace, listening to the clicks of her own shoes as she tried to find the inspiration to continue her life that she had so hesitantly lost.
Then, in the distant, she heard another set of sounds. More footsteps, she realized. They were loud and echoing, powerful and creeping closer like they were attracted to her. They seemed to come closer and closer and then, soon into the dim corridors came ten year old Jeremy, who almost ran into her when he finally noticed her in the way. He seemed frantic, like he was running after something, or he just really had to go to the bathroom.
He stopped with a haul, the sudden pattern of footsteps freezing in the middle of their pace. "Teresa-san!" he cried out with widened eyes. "You're out of bed! And you look great! Your wounds have totally healed!" he yelled happily. "That's great!" he said, ignoring his urgency.
Teresa put back her emotions in the deep corners of her mind. Right now she had to focus on talking to the ten year old boy. "Yeah, I guess that is good news, isn't it?" she piqued. She forced a smile that seemed completely obvious as for some reason, she felt nervous.
Jeremy, sensing her need to fake happiness, widened his eyes in acknowledgement. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, it's fine. Nothing, really. Well, I should get going. I'm sure you should too," Teresa informed, walking slowly past.
"Okay," Jeremy's voice came out slowly, the ten year old watching her pace slowly away from him, his wondering eyes hard on her back as she turned the corner. She walked with such depressing grace, it almost seemed…inhuman. Jeremy just put it in the back of his mind, and continued to run through the corridors again, his loud, heavy footsteps resuming.
Teresa continued her walk without a sense of direction until she heard something else this time. It seemed like a yell of some sort, and then a chair screeching. The noise interested her, and she decided to walk towards it, being cautious of what would happen. Light seemed to come from this corridor, revealing an opening that lead to a room with very, very dim lights on, but compared to the creeping darkness of the cornering halls, it seemed like the luminous sun up close to earth as the dim lights did to the darkness Teresa found herself swimming in.
Teresa began to pick up her pace, hearing her footsteps become heavy. She didn't care who might hear her, but found herself at the front of the entrance to the room that was without a door, peering hard into the barely lit room. Old, rectangular ceiling lights made the room visible, and Teresa found two other people her age fighting.
"What did you say?" one yelled, standing straight up on her feet, her face tightened with growing fury and clenched fists. Her eyes revealed demonic anger as she gritted her teeth in wilderness at the opposing boy. Her hair was long and brown-blonde. She was a beautiful girl, and seemed like she was about to punch the lights out of the guy she was talking to.
What's going on? Teresa thought, keeping one arm at the side of the entrance, half her face peeking into the room with light. The boy she was talking to had his eyes crinkled with a smile, his silver hair long and put to the back. His smile revealed no teeth as he seemed to have no care in the world for the violent looking woman in front of him, most likely because he couldn't see her.
The silver-haired boy cocked his head up in realization, his eyes still closed. Then, he lowered it again, saying, "I said, you have no talent or beauty whatsoever." His voice came out so silently and steady, as if he had no stress nor a care in the world about whatever happened around or to him. It was calm like a sea breeze.
"What!?" the blonde girl yelled, tightening her fists even more, her eyes flaring with anger.
"Hmph," the boy scoffed. He opened his eyes to reveal silver glimmering pupils that peered towards Teresa's direction from his place in the wooden chair. There was a table separating the two teenagers, which was good since it kept both of them safe. His eyes wandered to find Teresa standing right there in the doorway, her presence not hidden well enough.
"What're you looking at?!" the girl screamed out. She shifted her head swiftly to the doorway's direction and found Teresa there as well, her eyes going wide in acknowledgement, the fury in her eyes being put out. She uttered a low cry at the presence of Teresa standing there, who watched the two people who watched back with saddening eyes.
PoVS
The boys were still in the first room, waiting for the least two Minors to finish their training fights, getting to know each other. "Come on, you're the only one who hasn't said anything in a long time, tell us something about your past," Mark declared loudly, shouldering Eric with his tanned forearm, making the Fire Minor feel uncomfortable.
"Yes, it would be nice to hear something about you, Eric-san," Dylan said with respect, his arms tied up in strip bandages like Mark's were. Dylan smiled a wide smile, showing off his cleansed, white teeth that matched with his creepy crinkled eyes and pale hair.
Derek and Daniel sat on the floor comfortably, just staring at Eric with couldn't-care-less eyes. Walter remained in his sofa chair far away at the other side of the room with closed eyes, locking away his stare and putting his mind deep in thought.
"Come on, tell us something!" more voices went around. "Yeah, tell us, tell us!"
Eric shut his eyes in resistance, but decided that he couldn't take it anymore. "Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" he yelled out in fury, causing Dylan and Mark to back away and Walter open his eyes, sucking him back to reality.
Eric's eyes flared like the flames he created, his fists tightly gripping the air in his place at the sofa chair in the middle of the room. His eyes flared with annoyance as he declared, "What's the point of telling you guys any stories? My past isn't one to be fooled around with, and it's definitely something that doesn't concern you. Even more than that, it should and will not be used as an interesting five minute story for you guys! So just leave me alone, all right?" he outburst, causing silence in the room that seemed to last for eternity.
Dylan and Mark took a gulp in realization and apologized. Eric sighed and closed his eyes, sucking himself into his thoughts as the Earth and Botany Minors took it as a forgiveness statement.
My past… Eric thought. I haven't thought about it for a long time. I've been to busy obsessing over wanting someone to protect, wanting someone that I cared about, and here I am, just yelling at the ones that will become that. But even so, my past is important, and is going to stick with me forever throughout life, Eric thought deeply as he loosened his body, sucking himself back into his memories. I still remember those days, those days that I will never forget…
I lived in the poverty-driven and violence polluted town of Kusahawa. It was a run down village in the worst condition possible, and I was the innocent boy that grew up in the wrong place. All the parents their struggled to keep the jobs they had and the lives they had given birth to. Everyone was poor and breakfast was a strip of bacon if you were lucky while dinner was a dead fly if you were even luckier. Maybe even half of any insect would be considered lucky. Everyone got their source of water from stormy days that ruined what little property anyone had, and the streams that seemed to flow by the nearby villages.
All the children there were ignorant and bullies, mean to everyone they could find, even if they were bullies as well. Many physical fights were around the place, even if you were just three years old, and the even more run down school was always days away from collapsing, the classes barely educational and the teachers barely sophisticated.
I had just a bad of a house and life as any other kid there. But you were lucky if you were an adult. You didn't have to deal with keeping your child healthy, or finding food for yourself. Kids just stole what little food from half dead farms and one cent stores. Of course, I was born into this life, and I knew that I had to live with it. I wouldn't give up hope, thought, I knew things would change.
School wasn't easy, either. Classes were, but interaction with others weren't. I remember exactly what I had to go through everyday: the punching, the kicking, the begging, the mocking, and not to mention the spitting.
The day was cloudy as always, and another day of school meant another day of pain. I walked into my English class slowly, my footsteps creaking on the boarded floor that had holes and wooden planks missing from it. I walked insecurely to my seat as stares from other students what just happened to show up to school today followed me until I sat down. The teacher wasn't here… he hasn't been here for two days, and half the class is gone. No one ever cared to show up to school, but I went every single day. I wanted to get the best out of the worst, even if it was nothing compared to a normal life. I waited nervously in my seat, my body practically curled into an insecure ball. I heard whispering in another direction of the room and then shuffling of feet that crept closer to me. My seat was all the way to the back corner of the room, where I liked it. I was surrounded by the least people.
The scuffling of footsteps were creeping closer and closer, and I felt my heart about to implode into tiny little bits. My eyes widened and my short brown hair out, I felt myself about to break down. I was only eleven years old at the time, and was all ready sure that I would become a worrywart when I grew up.
Suddenly, I heard the shuffling stop short near me, and I felt a shadow cast over me from behind. I shuddered to think who was behind me as I chattered my teeth continuously in nervous habit. I waited minutes and minutes for what would happen, hoping that the teacher would come in any minute now to start a lesson, or to at least just be here, but no one ever came.
I felt a punch crash over to one side of my face, knocking me out of my seat. Tremendous pain spilled over one side of my face as I clutched it, curling up into a sphere on my side on the floor. In the corner of my eye, I saw the most of the class that was here behind my seat, one guy walking up to me and picking me up by my shirt.
I stared up at him with my pleading, childish eyes as my body hovered above the ground about a half of a foot in the air, my back against the wooden wall. My eyes shook in their place horridly as I waited for what would happen.
"What's the matter, Eric? Are you scared?" the kid yelled at me, his high yet serious voice mocking me. I stared at him with begging eyes, hoping that he wouldn't hurt me today, hoping that I would get a break. "Aww… isn't that pathetic? Little Eric is shaking in fear," one of them from the group watching noted. Other people who remained in their seats were just sitting there, completely bared.
I tried to mutter words out, but I knew I couldn't talk back. That would just be asking for a beat down. "Answer my question, innocent scum!" the bully holding me up yelled as I received another punch, knocking me to the floor again, feeling the little security of the surface behind my back. "There's no such thing as innocent in this town, so why the hell do you even try? Why do you choose to be such a wuss, you weak piece of crap?!" he yelled at me as a group of them came to kick me in various parts of my body.
I lay on the floor, helpless and feeling worthless, waiting for it all to end as I tried to hold back the tears and cries of pain. Doing that would only provoke them to hurt me even more. They finally finished their rampage of kicks and steps, and walked away to their seats slowly and coolly, leaving me there like a thrown out toy. My eyes watered and tears began to streak down my face as I struggled to get back up. My small legs wouldn't support my body, and I could barely move my arms. They so desperately tried to make me one of them, but I had always to become my own person, not them. No matter how many fights I get into, I won't succumb to their temptations. No matter how much pain I felt, I still kept hope. Tears leaked out like bullets of pain. It even hurt to cry.
That day, I walked home, pacing steadily, hoping no one would come after me. The clouds had cleared but the intense sun gave no mercy. I walked through the dirt paths of the village, passing by all the demolished houses, and the dominating trees. I felt the tears trying to come back, but I told myself that I had to be strong. I didn't know what things like pain were doing in the world, but I knew that it would be okay. Somehow in my own, naïve and childish way, I thought everything was going to be okay.
The emotional pain had not worn off yet as I walked slowly, my legs struggling to move, my body feeling like it was going to collapse any second. I need to become stronger… I need something… to help me… I realized. My thoughts were even tiring me out. But what…? What can help me now? I can't handle another day of pain…I can't!
When I finally went home, I got an hour of rest after hearing another lecture about how I should try to fit in with the other kids and be tough by my parents. I don't know why they were like that, maybe they just didn't want me to feel anymore pain, but it was too late for that. I know that sometimes they try to help even if it comes off invasive and totally away from what I believed in, but I do think that their purpose was still good at heart.
Minutes after my rest I found myself in the forest, wandering around to a place where no one would find me. I needed more physical power to defend myself, and to protect the other people that I love in this village, and I don't know if this will work, but I sure hope it does. I stepped through the towering grass blades in the forest barefoot, my body still a bit weak, but I couldn't waste anymore time. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the ceiling of green above, spilling brightness onto my tired body and ripped clothes. The surrounding trees were caked with moss and dirt, and my feet were uncomfortable in the smell of wet grass and nature. I was very short at the time, shorter than I am now. My innocent and round brown eyes matched with my short brown hair. My tiny hands were determined to do a lot of work and training, training my muscles, even if I seemed too young to grow that kind of muscles.
Yes, that was my idea, to train myself physically so I would have enough power to defend myself, and others. The process would take long, that I knew. But it was all worth it, so I found all the bodies of decayed trees I could, and began to get to work…It was a crazy idea, that I knew as well, but it was the only solution I saw.