Chapter 7

Rook was in a daze.

He has been ever since the incident at school. The days have just blurred in his mind, when he and his siblings returned home, there was no one there for them. Their mother and father remained at the hospital but they weren't told as to what had happened or if everyone was okay.

Even more shocking though, when they woke the next day, there was a meal ready for them… and Oji was sitting in wait.

But, he looked a lot different than before. Rook swore there was immense power coming off of Oji, as he could barely bring himself into the kitchen. "Are you okay Oji?" he asked.

"Shh!" Shin scolded. "He has his curse energy back," he whispered.

"You don't have to tiptoe around the notion, everyone is made aware. I still have my mindset. If I didn't, you wouldn't be standing before me now."

He had a point.

"Eat your fill, when you finish, I will tell you what happened."

They took a seat at the table, Rook found it hard to eat considering everything he saw… what he endured… Yet Mochi and Shin ate without hesitation. They took seconds while Rook could barely touch his meal.

He pushed his portion away.

Oji stared at the filled bowl, his arms crossed as he glared at Rook. "Don't waste food in front of me,"

"I'm not hungry…"

"You haven't eaten in 24 hours. I am more than aware of that, despite the fact you are human, doesn't negate the lack of reason to eat. We have an agreement. Take your fill before I speak a word… let's see who breaks first."

It was a standoff.

Rook, not the least bit hungry, no appetite and yet he has to eat the rice bowl before him. Oji isn't going to waver either. He set out his demands and will see them through, there doesn't appear to be any sort of way to compromise with him. He sighed and began to take a few mouthfuls.

After four, he stopped and pushed the bowl away.

"I am not babysitting you, boy. Eat!"

"I saw my schoolmates die!" Rook snapped back at him. "I couldn't do shit to save or help any of them! You expect me to eat after that!"

Oji didn't appear sympathetic.

"Go talk to Kiyoshi's father, he endured worst. He had his friend die in his arms, he watched many of his own friends get killed before him and not in the best way either. And if you intend on using your gift to help others, little advice, get over it!"

Rook was stunned, he was so cold and yet… he's right isn't he?

"Hardening your heart is not the best solution, I should know. At the same time, you have to understand your own limitations. You are not me, you are not a dragon, you are you. Use what you have as best as you can, the fact remains only a few people died… Uraume had the power to encase the whole school into ice and use it as their own freezer for ingredients."

He sighed in defeat. Oji did have a point. So, reluctantly, Rook ate the rest of the bowl and showed it was empty. Oji nodded to this as he took a more serious seated position. "Your mother was the target of an attack by Kenjaku. She is alive, but your siblings didn't make it."

"What…" whispered Mochi. "Our… our siblings?"

He nodded. "Your mother was poisoned. According to Junpei, this was a toxin not of this world, meaning Kenjaku has had help from another source. But that's besides the point now, your mother and father are staying at the hospital for the time being, I strongly suggest you do not go and see her."

They froze. "We can't see mom?" Shin asked.

"I am not saying you can't… I am saying you shouldn't," he warned. "For none of you have ever seen your mother in such a state before, I have seen this in the Tooru clan before… it isn't an experience you want."

Rook sighed aloud to it all. "What do we do?"

"At the moment, rest, recover. But as I said before, if you intend of being a sorcerer, you need to get use to what you endured…" he stood up. "I'll be checking on you later, I suggest you remain in the domain. If you need to go somewhere, you inform me."

It was strange to hear him say such a thing, normally Oji wouldn't be this hands on when it came to a matter like this. He would linger by and offer a few words of advice, but… he was truly looking out for them.

"Thank you, Oji." Shin said respectfully.

He merely nodded and took his leave.

"Whoa… you felt that energy come off him… is this what he had before?" Rook asked.

Shin shook his head. "No, this is MORE than what he had before, but, his energy feels familiar."

"What do we do?" asked Mochi.

Rook didn't care at this point, he didn't think Oji had to be so cold about it all.

#

No one could bring themselves to leave the house.

In fact, by lunch, the shock was starting to hit Shin and Mochi as to what had happened at the school. Knowing what happened to their mother and siblings merely compounded the feeling. Why it took so long for them to feel it, he didn't know, but now, the three were too startled to leave the house.

"I just… I can't believe the lack of respect for life…" Shin said as he began to shake. Mochi appeared to have a chill when they spoke of the event.

"Isn't it strange that it's hitting us now?" asked Rook.

"Perhaps this is the crazy part about sorcerers. I've heard they see this kind of thing all the time before coming here… how does anyone live with themselves after that experience?" Mochi asked.

"That's probably what makes a sorcerer insane, doesn't it? Death, despite it being around, doesn't bother them." Said Shin.

It sounded plausible.

"Either way, I am going back to bed." Said Rook. "I don't want to be up and about…"

His siblings followed suit.

Rook crawled into bed once more and tried to sleep it off. Yet, as he dozed off. He swore, he felt someone lift him out of the bed, and then… he felt oddly warm and embraced… it was a comfort he was longing for…