I moved quickly to Zast as soon as he appeared through the door with the rug rolled up and being drug behind him with sizable effort. I reached out to help him bring it in, but he lightly slapped my hands off with a worried expression.

"I'm not that weak you know…"

My protest was ignored as he completed the task on his own, unrolling it once more to it's full length. I briefly looked up at my instructor before sitting down on it like we were before and motioning Zast to do the same.

"Sorry to drag you into this."

"Are you kidding? They were tossing me around like a ball in the mess hall… This is a much better place to be in my opinion. With you."

I wanted to feel flattered by his words, but I felt there was something deeper being said within those words. Deciding to worry on it later, I attempted to focus on what I could only guess was where my magic came from. Despite the heavy, bored sigh I heard from my instructor, I found it much easier to focus in on myself with Zast there with me.

The tingle and burn I felt earlier was what I was paying the most attention to, since I had quite literally nothing else to go on.

Despite my attempt to access or feel out the tingle, that's all it remained as. I hypothesized that the burn I felt was me summoning or powering up the fire spell I cast. Or something. Grasping at straws here, I decided to try singing again, but with Zast as my audience instead.

"You were the shadow to my light, did you feel us?

Another star, you fade away.

Afraid our aim is out of sight,

Wanna see us, alight."

I decided on this song for several reasons. I dedicated the first verse to all the children that were killed for the benefit and fun of this organized hell on Earthland, and I want to dedicate the next and repeated verses to the guild that I thought I would have been a part of or been saved at the hand of by now.

"Where are you now? Where are you now? Where are you now?

Was it all in my fantasy? Where are you now?

Were you only imaginary? Where are you now?"

I look through the walls of this room to an imagined guild, laughing and nearly destroying the place. Filled with all of the characters I'd watched grow and come away from situations like this with strong hearts.

"Atlantis? Under the sea? Under the sea?

Where are you now? Another dream?

The magic's running wild inside of me.

I'm faded."

With that last phrase, I feel that tingling sensation growing like it did before, and I grow nervous with where the rug is going to catch on fire. Trying to focus on not losing the feeling, I close my eyes and dig my fingers into the plush rings of the rug. Well, more plush than the hard ground anyways.

"I'm faded.

So lost, I'm faded.

I'm faded.

So lost, I'm faded."

Hearing a gasp from Zast, I quickly open my eyes and look around for the expected flame. Unexpectedly, that's not what I saw, but instead the lack of fingers on my hands. It's as if they were, for lack of a better term, fading from existence before me. I wiggled them and was relieved to find they had just become invisible rather than vanishing from reality entirely.

As I rubbed them together, my focus on the song completely lost, I watched as they returned to normal, only minutely aware that my center had been burning again where the lacrima was placed. Like before, it was ignorable as long as I didn't think about it too much, and keyed in more on the song and the emotion I wanted to portray while singing it. I also realize now that I hadn't really given any thought to how well at signing I must have seemed for my appearance. Not that I believe that the Queen of Insults would praise me for anything ever. So instead, I'll be proud for myself even if I am cheating a bit.

"Bravo, little doll! I knew you had it in you."

I'd been so lost in my confusion and self-admiration that I ended up missing the audio cues of Gradelt entering the room.

Zast was already on his feet and in a forcibly relaxed position. The way his jaw was clenching and unclenching gave away how nervous he really was. It made me angry. Zast was still only here because of me.

"From what I was able to feel, your container is still fairly small. With enough training and practice we'll get you to the proper level of someone within my guild in no time."

I stiffened as he approached and froze as he placed a hand lightly on my head.

"I find you so intriguing. I thought for sure you would be a fire mage with the happenstance in your room, but it appears that your magic is summoned more on creative intent than a single element or focus. If my hypothesis is correct, and I do believe it is, you are a Sound mage."

He stood back from me and placed his hand under his chin. A look of admiration covered his face and I couldn't help the little bit of pride swelling in my chest at the look. I bit my tongue, refusing to let him make me feel positively in any way.

"Under normal circumstances, it's more of a controlling magic and one that can perform attacks from sound waves. You on the other hand seem to have a peculiar casting method and outcome. I presume you never actually intended on creating that fire in your room, nor that you believed you would produce the effect on yourself that you did?"

I shook my head, not willing enough to speak to him.

"Well, then it appears you have a very interesting dilemma to overcome. The rules of your magic confound and delight me to say the least. Come, sing something else. Anything you want, but make sure it's different from either of the ones you've already sang."

I darted my eyes to Zast with nervousness. I hated that I was giving away the secrets of something that I wanted to use against the very person I was telling them to. I was also disappointed that I wasn't some sort of new god or something. I could have been a copycat Natsu.

In lieu of my agitation, I pilfered through the files of my mind to find a suitable song to fit my desires. I smiled innocently as I deliberated between a few I liked, and finally settled on one I thought was sufficient enough.

"Look inside, look inside your tiny mind.

Now look a bit harder.

Cuz we're so uninspired, so sick and tired of all the wicked you harbor."

I decide that now would be a good time to get up as he appears thoroughly amused with the few words I've already released. But he has no idea.

"So you say, it's not okay to be gay,

Well I think you're just evil.

You're just some sexist,

who can't tie his laces.

Your point of view is medieval~."

I move myself a few steps away from everyone in the event something insane happens when I get to the chorus I've been wanting to scream since the beginning. My instructor seems to be holding in her own laughter, but also looks unsure as to whether to step in and stop my verbal attack on her Master.

"Fuck you.

Fuck you very, very much~!

Cuz we hate what you do,

And we hate your whole crew,

So please let us go and such."

The harsh morphing of his face was cathartic. He went from someone that looked like they belonged at a soirée, to someone that couldn't comprehend what the meaning of cheese was. It lasted less than a second, and the look that replaced utter dumbfoundment sent everyone in the room into a cold sweat. Out of either fear or foolishness, I continued the song. I would never be sure of which one.

"Fuck you.

Fuck you very, very much~!

Cuz your words don't elate,

And this won't be my fate,

So please don't cry too much."

I felt the attack before I saw it. Up to this point, I had been urging my container to hold onto whatever power it wanted to release. I had absolutely no idea what kind of effect this song would give on the surrounding area, or if it would affect me like the song Faded did. All I really knew in this moment was that I had been missed by the slightest margin. And that there was now a burnt smell coming from behind me.

"Ahem. Yes. I think that will be quite enough of that. Were I some sort of uncouth, I can say with great disdain that you might have been obliterated just then. Good thing you have such a loving master, little one~."

I looked past my 'bolevelant' master towards Zast. The ghostly pallor of my friend brought a chill up my spine. From the look alone, I know I should be dead.

"Now. Let's try that again, shall we? But perhaps something with more… class."

I nodded, acknowledging the unsaid threat and taking it seriously. I decided that I should take this chance to mess with him without outwardly attacking him and potentially getting killed for real.

I took a grounding breath in and pulled out the first lyric.

"I'd rather be a lover than a fighter,

Cuz all my life I've been fighting,

Never felt a feeling of comfort,

All this time, I've been hiding."

I felt the magical charge of my mana, or Ethernano or whatever, gather both in my container and in the lacrima. A new and uncomfortable sensation for sure, but I pressed on.

"And I never had someone to call my own,

I'm so used to sharing.

Love only left me alone,

But, I'm at one with the silence.

I found peace in your violence,

Can't show me there's no point in trying."

The burn was most certainly there again, but I was able to see a fine, sparkling blue mist radiating outwards from me. My instructor, of whom I'd nearly forgotten about due to her stillness, rushed forward to separate my mist and myself from our master.

"Cease this at o-"

"No. Let her continue. I'm curious to see what effect her mist will have. I promise you it will not be hard at all to counteract the effects after."

She paused her defense against me with a worried expression, but bowed lightly and stood straight. Glaring down at me, I was forced to look away or suffer the piercing gaze at full power.

I continued to sing, putting all my magical intent into forcing any who breathe in the mist to be silent like Zast and I had been forced to. At the same time, I was willing the mist to only go towards the two that trapped us here in the first place.

"I'm at one,

And I've been silent for too long,

I've been quiet for too long,

I've been quiet for too long."

The mist unfortunately did not seem to take heed to my commands and simply coated the air around me, leaving me untouched and concealing all the rest of the people in the room. I suddenly grew wise to the fact that I could use this convenient mess-up to attempt another escape with Zast.

"I'm in need of a savior,

But I'm not asking for favors."

I moved in the direction of where Zast was over by the rug, and swung my arms around in an attempt to hit him with them to find him more easily.

"My whole life I've felt like a burden,

I think too much and I hate it."

Not wanting to alert my captors of my plan I continued singing and searching. Eventually, my foot connected with the edge of the rug. Not long after, I made contact with an arm and started pulling Zast along with me to the doors.

I had been simultaneously coming up with a song suiting our needs. I stopped singing altogether and rushed us to the nearest wall. Upon running along it, I finally found the door and started a new song.

"Back door cracked, we don't need a key,

We get in for free, no VIP sleaze."

I felt a rush of energy leave my body in a puff of pink glitter. I watched it coat the door, and much to my relief, I heard the locks shift and pushed the door open with all my might.

It opened and I pulled Zast through, shutting the door behind us with a slam. Now that we were out in the hallway and I was no longer singing the prior song, I was able to see him fully. As well as his furious expression.

He started to mouth words at me angrily, but no sound came out from his mouth. I saw us both realize at the same time that it was from my cloud of silence. He threw his hands into the air frustrated, and drew a finger across his neck. The sign for death or being killed.

"Hey, I'm only trying to save us, now come on before they're able to find their way out!"

He shook his head and I was starting to feel drained. Either from the magic use or his stubbornness, I wasn't entirely sure.

"Why not?! They're both trapped in there, now's our chance!"

The boy merely shook his head and pointed behind me. I didn't even have the chance to turn around to look before a hand landed harshly on my shoulder.

"You're not nearly as clever as you think, Alex."

I felt even weaker and froze my muscles in order to keep myself standing.

"You have only just developed your magical container. Did you really think that your spells would be that strong?"

The words of my captain pierced me and I hung my head wordlessly.

"Try escaping again and I'll make you regret it."

Suddenly, Master Gradelt appeared before us. In a single blink, it was as if he'd been there the whole time.

"Oh Irzua, do you know nothing about controlling children? You can't teach them how to behave with threats alone. You must show them what happens when they misbehave. I was going to let your little vulgar performance slide, but if you believe that you are that much above me as to think I would succumb that easily to such a weak trick, well… I'm afraid you'll just need to learn your lesson the hard way."

I was expecting him to grab me and take me back to the torture room of a lab, or even to one of the cells, but instead he pulled a small dagger from my instructor's side sheath. Walking over and patting Zast on the head affectionately, I screamed out as the dagger was thrust into his back. Zast's screams filled the stone hallway as he dropped to the ground in a fit of tears and writhing.

"Stop! No! Please! I'm sorry!"

My hands fluttered over his screaming and moaning form, unsure at all of what to do. Before ending up here, I'd taken multiple health classes and had information ingrained into me in what to do in this kind of situation. Yet it was as if all memory pertaining to emergency care had dissipated and left me a babbling panicked mess.

"I understand that this must be very hard on you children, but you must understand. I'm only doing what's best for you. I made sure to avoid any lethal arteries and organs in order to give you more time. Now, go ahead and fix your mistake my little pet."

"You monster! What do I do?! I don't remember what to do!"

Master Gradelt smiled down at me as if I'd simply asked what the weather was going to be like today. He chuckled and gestured to the dying boy on the ground.

"Why sing of course! I'm sure that you have a song locked up there in that marvelous brain of yours that you can use. You've shown such expertise thus far in your song choice. What's one more?"

I felt the fatigue hitting me and wondered if I would even have enough magic to save my friend.

Glaring up at the cruel man, I rapidly went through the songs that I could sing in hopes one would work.

Turn Me On? No. Medicine? No that's about myself. Come on! Come on! Think! Oh, fucking hell, I'll just bullshit it to the best of my abilities.

"You're pushing me to the brink.

My body is yours you've won.

Finding it hard to think.

I'm fixing my friend now."

I placed my hands as steadily as I could over his body, wondering whether or not to pull the dagger out or leave it in. Hopefully my magic can take care of that for me, and just as well I hope I don't pass out before he's away from death.

"You're pushing me to the brink.

Feels like the air is moving through me,

And I'm holding my breath,

I reach out,

I reach out,

I'm reaching out for all you are."

My hands begin to glow blue as I ignore the pain that feels like something's searing my insides. I'm incredibly thankful that I seem to have just enough left to save Zast, but I also don't want to jinx it by celebrating too early.

"And I'm holding my breath,

You come near.

Oh, I'm reaching for all that you are.

I'm reaching out for all you are."

Not entirely certain how, but the dagger is pushed out from his body as a viscous, similarly colored gel is secreted from my hands over Zast's inflicted area. It drips down and slides into the entry of the wound. This doesn't go unnoticed by Zast either as he screams and gags at its passage.

I grip his shoulder with one hand and keep the other held over the wound. Soon, blue begins to replace red on all but his dampened shirt. Thankfully the shirt was black, or I might have been having a much worse reaction.

I repeat the chorus and urge my magic farther and deeper into him. At this point I have absolutely no idea if this is even helping him or hurting him further, but I'm being given zero other options.

With every word that leaves my lips, a new wave of exhaustion hits me. I'm running solely on fumes and adrenaline by this point, and I force an apology out to Zast before I finally black out.

Faded vocals echoed all around me. Some that were only just recently released back on my world, others were ones I'd known and enjoyed my whole life.

Sad songs, empowering songs, songs with undertones of hatred. All manner filled the vast darkness that I failed to find any tangible substance to.

I simply floated in the starless space, listening to and remembering the lyrics of all the songs that now had a much more powerful use than before.

The familiarity of them all brought nostalgic tears to my eyes and I watched them disconnect and drift away from my lashes in misshapen orbs.

I reached out to touch them and in a brilliant flash of color I was transported to a suburban street all too familiar to me.

My neighborhood.

I walked forwards and it felt like advancing through a dream. The air was thick and my movement viscous.

After tiresomely making my way down the street, I stopped and looked up at one of the only two-story houses on the street, though now it seemed I was looking through a sepia-colored lens.

My house.

I approached the front door to knock but found it unnecessary as it was soon opened for me by a previously impossible to recognize face.

My mom.

Without use of her smooth words, she glided back into the house with a soft, welcoming gesture in the form of a wave.

The inside of my house was just as it was before the accident, and the well of tears began to form again.

My mother turned back around, must have seen them, and smiled sadly before turning her head to call out.

Shortly after, the rest of my family appeared in the shape of my father and only sister. They all smiled.

Arms held out towards me in a hug, tears fell from their eyes in and formed stars to float around us.

I cried out in a silent weep and swept into their hold. I paid attention to every detail I could get.

My mother's soft hair falling over my shoulder. My sister's thin arms. My dad's strong grip.

All at once, my arms fell through what was once their solid bodies.

A soft call for my name in their voices reached my ears.

I curled into a ball and wept silent screams.

My whole world began to rock and break.

Eventually, their voices merged to one.

A much more recent voice appeared.

But it did not call my name.

"Alex!"