Faris and Venka stared stoically at their new bunkmates. Alanna and Dusan looked back grinning wide-eyed. Their friends had all left for bed, Faris had remembered politely asking the twins to wait in the room when he took everyone to a side room.

Faris looked at his friends. They all stared back apprehensively, the past few events had made him the unofficial leader so they looked to him whenever a big decision or choice needed to be made. Faris shook his head as he contemplated how fast this week had gone by. "Alright guys I need you to listen up good."

Everyone looked at him attentively.

"These kids, they aren't like us, they're pure, they are the purest people I've met." He shivered, remembering how oblivious they were to any conversations that even remotely turned adult, almost like they weren't aware of words like physical attraction or lust, nor of the various terms and connotations that came with the term. Luckily his friends had been smart enough to shut up about it the first time it was questioned of them by Dusan, they had wanted to answer but looking into his innocent eyes would make even the most hardened criminal question their life choices. Alanna was no better; the girl had no understanding of personal space and would peer over anyone's shoulder to find out what they were doing. In that regard they were kind of like puppies, really beautiful, very precious, everyone's going to die if they get a single scratch, puppies. "So." Faris continued, "On the grounds that they happen to be introduced to the cold hard truths of reality for the less fortunate, we do our best to break it down relatively easy, at least until they have demonstrably proven that they can handle such things."

His friends, even calling them that after saying he hated them a few days ago was odd, all nodded.

"Also, you have my permission to kick the ass of anyone who harasses them."

"And you have been introduced to these truths?" Nya asked Faris, she looked over to Venka who was looking down.

"We've had our fair share of troubles." Faris said. When the others didn't press for elaboration he spoke again. "Elves cherish their children, far more dearly than even the most devout human mother would, if only due to their longevity leading to a lack of such deep lasting relationships. Those two could very well be the only elf children in their nation. If they so much as get hurt…"

"I enjoy your fairths! What pigments do you use? How did you learn how to make one?! How are you so detailed!?"

Faris's replies were curt but polite; "Thank you, for the first pile mostly reds and yellows, then a bit of black and grey, for the second pile I used all of the colors I could think of, my teacher spoke of elven fairths and their beauty, she said she had observed the elves making some during the war, I've practiced a lot to get the detail down, and I have a pretty decent memory."

He glanced over to Venka, who was showing Alanna how to utilize the various items in her corner of the room, then back at Dusan, who was now busy petting Ventus, who was enjoying the extra attention he had been afforded over the day.

They had spent the majority of the rest of the night showing Dusan and Alanna all over the massive complex of the school, discovering some places for the first time as well, such as the library, second lunch hall, and even a secret recreation area that overlooked most of the campus and featured an abandoned aqueduct, Faris nearly had a heart attack chasing after Alanna, who had decided to use magic to make her boots frictionless so that she could enjoy sliding down the steep shaft. And he nearly died on the spot when they barely noticed that the shaft broke in the middle. Venka for the most part had been apprehensive at first, but enjoyed their fun at Faris's expense.

"Faris-vor? Do you mind if I refer to you as a friend?" Dusan inquired.

Faris smiled "I don't mind, you may." He couldn't help but laugh at Dusan's joyous expression. "I never expected to meet an elf any time soon, so this is really a novel experience."

Dusan grew somber, "most human adults view us with wariness, human children we have tried to speak to viewed us with apprehension and curiosity, only the very youngest treated us with positivity, yet they were the ones kept away from us out of fear of old suspicions and fairy tales, that we had not known of until now." He looks at Faris, smiling again, "All your friends received us with mostly curiosity, but still had that apprehension, when you spoke to us, I could sense their feelings on the manner shift."

Faris looked down self-consciously, "I didn't do much, and I was a little rude, demanding Ventus back."

"No no!" Dusan laughed, "You treated us like human children, we observed how they interact with each other, without need for formality or respect of station, but a different closeness all the same, it's very different from the formalities we were taught to adhere to. It's both disorganized yet appealing." He looked at Ventus again. "You have a Vervadablaka, a tamed one even, it's a bird Vanir told us was rare in the human realm due to the many fears and superstitions that plagued humanity, the fact one is so well taken care of means you don't hold those superstitions, or that you at least don't let them affect you. But I am confused, despite all of that and your polite and jovial tones, unlike your friends who are genuinely excited, which overrode their discomfort meeting us after you broke the tension, you have and continue to hold us in caution and wariness, but not out of fear."

Faris was silent as Dusan regarded him. After a moment he spoke, "It was right when they said elven children have greater wisdom and power than even their greatest of elders."

"Ah, yes, our parents used to say that a lot, it wasn't until recently that we understood them fully." He rubbed Ventus's beak in a light pinching like motion. "One of my teachers used to say all thinking beings had an inner and outer mask, one thought set inward, another set outward, at times one could even delude themselves into believing that the outer mask was the only thing of importance, and that the inner mask had no sway on the way they approached the world. I noticed that on all of our people's, and on humans and dwarves as well, the only times the inner and outer were on the same wavelength were during our short meetings with dragons, who carried everything with the most refreshing of honesty."

"So, are you saying that one of my inner thoughts dislikes you or something?" Faris asked casually.

"No, nothing like that, it feels more like your wariness is out of a desire to hide something, like when I once snuck a drink of faelnirv without my parent's knowing or permission, but different. Not only are you hiding it, it feels as if it is an active form of suppression." Dusan shrugged. "It almost feels like two different egos in one body, but one is both forced away and actively concealing itself."

"That's kind of funny." Faris said.

"How so?" Dusan asked, curious now.

Faris switched to the ancient language. "Because I'm me, Faris, and no one else.

"Oh! I did not mean to offend you Faris-vor." Dusan said, bowing.

"No, you didn't offend me, I can understand why you might feel the way you do," Faris said. "I've had to pretend and placate for a bit to some people, and I am weak, so where power was not available, ingenuity and trickery were the key."

Dusan nodded his head. "That does indeed make sense. Thank you for this talk, Faris-vor"

"You are welcome."

Two months ago, lying in the bed in the healer's room, Faris looked stressed and worn out, many would think it was because of the injuries sustained from Anya, but it was an internal struggle. Inside Faris's mind, a battle raged between two opposing forces, these two forces struggled their fierce battle against each other in his mind.

One side, a dark-skinned child with straight brown hair shoulder-length hair and sky-blue eyes placed in a determined, angry expression, that barely held back the dark rage that burned within. The other side was an older boy, of sixteen years, darker skin, darker hair in a short curl, and eyes as black as coal, an equal mix of fear, sorrow, defiance, and sheer terror shined through as he fought as if his life depended on it, and he was losing.

"Stop it Faris! Why are you doing this!" The older boy cried in terror, his defenses breaking apart but reforming almost as fast, almost as fast.

"You know damn well why Damien, this is all your fault! It's your fault we had to show off, your fault Venka's parents died!"

"I didn't know, we didn't know Faris!" Damien pleaded, thinking back.

When he had died, when he was reborn as Faris, somewhere, somehow, he created a separation yet connection of identity, whatever the child Faris would have been if not for Damien, he did not know, but he didn't know whether it was truly his soul or an invasion, so he tried to create some sort of preservation. That was why Angela stated he contained the childish ability to learn quickly, not because of Damien, not fully, but because of Faris, Damien would be the reference, Faris would be the actor, and together Faris was strong in mind and will. Damien had strong feelings against bullies, and hadn't felt much for Venka, not like Faris did, for Faris, it was love at first sight, though Damien chocked it up to infatuation, much to Faris's irritation. But with this straining in the relationship between Faris and Venka, Damien took full advantage of it, it had been his influence that got Faris to help the other children, but it was also his influence that kept Faris from offering the same help to Venka. Damien was the one who wanted to prank Venka yes, but it was Faris who finally decided to fight Anya, and it wasn't until their lives were at risk that Damien finally used the technique of siphoning life. Damien knew Faris blamed him, Faris felt self-hatred for the events, and Faris placed the blame on his memories of a past life, but not just that, but on the facsimile, the representation, the avatar of those memories, of the set of being that made Damien who he was, that very essence Faris in his rage and self-hate chose to turn on and destroy. And Damien was losing not because he was a worse mental duelist, they were equals, nor was he losing due to Faris having magic, while Damien had none truly that was his Faris couldn't attack himself, at least not without risking himself. No, Damien was losing because he surrendered. His defenses were due to an ingrained will to live he couldn't suppress.

"Faris! Think of what you are doing! This won't make Venka happy!"

"Venka hates us! But it's because of you! If I get rid of you!"

Damien cowered in fear as the last of his defenses were torn away before he could rebuild it. "So, what, if you hide me away? Destroy me? Then what?" His 'eyes' opened in realization as he sensed Faris's thoughts. "So that's it?" He thought bitterly. "Venka hates us, but if you pretend that I'm the part she hates solely, then hide me away, it's okay she hates us, cause she really only hates me, and you can't get rid of me, so it's not your fault anymore."

Faris's silence was all he needed.

"Fine, if that is how you feel." A cage of chains began to form around him, and in the real world, Faris visibly flinched as a part of his mind was almost completely severed from the rest of his psyche except for a tiny sliver, even then the strain in keeping this state would be unbearable if not for the partition being willing to stay in his cage. Damien for the most part stared into the bleak void that was the subconscious of Faris, partaking of the world he experienced as if in a lucid dream through a tv set. Occasionally Faris would delve into this part of his mind, into Damien to find something of use, then he'd leave, lock up and hide the key. Faris never fought back, and he wouldn't fight back. He couldn't fight back against his parents, nor against his bullies, after taking martial arts, he finally fought back, but he instead aided a thief with a pretty face, who ended up killing him. To make matters worse, he was responsible for the death of three people, he could not take that responsibility, but even then Faris chose to make him the scapegoat, the Black Hand cultists weren't really killed by Faris, he reasoned, no, it was Damien's doing, despite being a coward. Yet it wasn't Damien whose mind held the impetus for Venka's mind meld, it was Faris. Even then, Damien kept his thoughts hidden, he was already ashamed of any feelings he may have had for others, and Faris would not let him acknowledge them, this respite forced Damien to retreat and be as small as possible, but even someone so used to being downtrodden could not keep silent indefinitely.

"You know Faris," Damien called out into the void, knowing that no one was listening, "when I died, my regret was that I hadn't left the library so soon, that maybe that one day I would defy those that controlled me, and control myself for a bit. When I came to this world, I thought this was God giving me a second chance, but even then, I was scared I took it away from someone else, so I separated us somewhat. Maybe I'm the fake, maybe you are, but I'm too tried to fight for freedom anyway, so you might as well enjoy your life Faris, just, let me pretend, please. Even if it is fake and vicarious, let me pretend that I'm part of a free will, and of something… more." This had been his fourth time making this entreaty, the doors never opened, and he never expected them to open, and his melancholic sadness further weakened himself. Faris had turned away from whatever comprised of Damien, and denied his existence, and Damien didn't have the will to forcefully be acknowledged anymore.

Faris looked at Dusan, who was now completely distracted by Ventus, who was doing some tricks, before he whispered to himself, "I'm me, no one else."

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Afterword:

Hello hello! Thanks for keeping up with me so far! This chapter and the next will be more character focused and will only have some bit of importance on the plot. I hope you look forward to training sessions! While reading this may make you think I'm either crazy or Faris is crazy, here is how I meant to try and put it. When Damien was reincarnated, he did not know whether he really was the baby Faris, or whether, as Angela first suspected, he somehow stole the child's body away. Which is why he somewhat separated his mind into these two bits, one that held all the memories as Damien, and another separate one that was the equivalent of all of Faris's experiences, this composite identity makes the Faris we all know. This Faris was mischievous and more adult than one might give him credit for, but also full of childish curiosity. The trauma of the Anya incident caused this great split, and is the major reason as to why Faris has ceased to do a few things he used to do, one such thing he did was spy into the minds of others who werent shielded, because he could keep himself undetected. Another was a level of patience he used to have. The composite Faris would likely have not let Venka betray her anger on the council, and would have likely been more subservient. In contrast this Faris who has partitioned and forcefully partially suppressed his experiences as Damien would have likely rebelled over the usage of punishment, arguing that Venka had been the cause of the strife. Faris isn't a bad guy, and to be honest Damien, while an important part of Faris, is both a crutch and a weakness as much as he is a strength. Damien's lived his whole life being meek and nonconfrontational, and Faris is slowly overcoming that feeling of nonconfrontation without the nature of Damien's influence. As it is Faris stifles his abilities in hiding away his memories, but they also serve the advantage of keeping people from knowing things about earth and trying to capture or use him for said knowledge. In my opinion what Faris is doing in seperating Damien from himself is a kind of bad thing, but not as bad as Damien being willing to run away until Faris forced the intervention when Anya showed Venka her parents.