Chapter 30: Who are you?
I woke up to the soft sounds of nature—all around me, the sweet melodies of birds and the gentle gurgle of a stream floated through the air. The world was bright and inviting, but I felt anything but comfortable. As I opened my eyes, a choked groan escaped my lips as the pain lit up everywhere. Everything around me was blurry at first, like a fog wrapping around my mind. I blinked several times, trying to shake off the haze. Attempting to keep my eyes open was a bad idea, because the world was spinning faster than the roller coaster ride I had with Kirishima. I bit back a choked cry as it stabbed somewhere at my temple like someone was actively bludgeoning me.
I took panted breaths as the pain spread like wildfire. Oh God, just let me pass out again.
It took a couple of blinks to make sense of my surrounding, but when my vision finally cleared, the panic hit me like a punch to the gut.
Where is Kacchan? He was here, wasn't he?
He was saying -
Understanding struck me like cold water.
How long have you been coughing up blood?
Sharp pain. This time, somewhere deep in my chest. I pushed myself to sit up, groaning despite knowing that I shouldn't—pain exploded on my side, and I gasped, pressing my hand instinctively against the wound. As I scanned the area around me, the anxiety twisted in my gut, deepening into something darker. "K-Kacchan?" I croaked, my voice a strained whisper, echoing back at me like a cruel reminder.
Nothing.
I forced myself to look around, squinting against the bright sunlight. A few trees stood tall nearby, their leaves shimmering softly in the breeze, and the stream sparkled like diamonds, but there was no trace of Kacchan. Each passing second without a trace of Kacchan felt like a weight bearing down on my heart. The pain in my entire body throbbed mercilessly, and despite my efforts to stay hopeful, I couldn't shake the thought that maybe—just maybe—this was it.
Had he abandoned me for good this time? The nagging self-doubt wrapped around me like a vice. He had promised me, again and again, that he wouldn't leave me alone here. But the circumstances were so different now. I was too far gone, too broken, and I could feel it in every fiber of my being. Had he finally seen the truth? Had he realized that I was just a burden he could no longer carry?
"No, it can't be," I murmured to myself, shaking my head defiantly. "He's here somewhere. I just need to find him." A wave of nausea swept over me as I crawled painfully over the ground, grit and dirt digging into my palms. Agony was a vapour, clawing at me from the inside, each breath a sword through my abdomen, each erratic heartbeat a knife in my head.
I have to get up. I know I have to.
With a deep breath—one that felt like it might break me—I leaned against a nearby tree, the rough bark scraping against my sore back. My legs shook violently as I tried to pull myself up. Pain finally reached a point beyond what i could handle. Agony ripped through me with every breath, jolts of electricity from a cord in water, and - god - I suddenly wasn't sure if this or dying would be worse. It was only pure damn will and the sharp gift of adrenaline that kept me conscious, stubbornly determined to claw myself out of the call of oblivion.
I will not pass out. I can't pass out. With a deep breath that felt like a huge effort, I steeled myself and attempted to stand again. My body screamed at me to stop, to lay back down and rest, but I can't. If Kacchan is out there, I need to push through the pain, I need to keep moving. Another hoarse, broken sound escaped through my clenched teeth, my arms useless grasping at the middle as if it could alleviate the pain.
Damn it, just that simple movement felt exhausting.
How the hell am I supposed to find him when I can barely move?
Not even that - I have no idea where the hell he even was. Then I saw it—a fleeting movement, a shadow slipping between the trees in the distance, down the hill.
There
My heart raced as hope surged through me.
Kacchan.
It had to be him. I knew he wouldn't leave me alone here, not when I needed him most. Maybe he was just gathering supplies for us, something to keep us both going. I felt incredibly silly for doubting him, for letting those dark thoughts creep into my mind. A rush of relief coursed through me, and despite the tears of anxiety that had previously clouded my vision, now they fell freely—this time, tears of relief.
"Kacchan!" I called out, my voice breaking as the words tumbled from my lips. I started to move, pushing through the pain as I followed the direction he'd gone. Each step felt like sheer torture, but the thought of finding Kacchan pulled me forward against the odds.
I stumbled, swaying slightly, but my focus was solely on that shadow, that hope. "I'm coming!" I shouted, my voice mingling with the sounds of the forest as I forged on, driven by the certainty that he wouldn't leave me behind. I wouldn't let myself consider anything else.
Every ache in my body screamed for me to stop, but the thought of him out there, gathering something, well—it ignited a fire within me, a fierce determination that I hadn't felt in what seemed like forever.
As I approached the shadow, my heart raced with anticipation, only to be pinched into a painful knot when I noticed the difference. The figure that emerged was too tall, too imposing, wearing a cloak that billowed around him as he turned. The realization struck me like a cold wave, the warmth of hope I had been clinging to suddenly feeling heavy and misplaced.
My curiosity spiked, mixed with a healthy dose of wariness. "Who...who are you?" I called out, my voice steady despite the tremors of uncertainty coursing through me. He slowly lowered his hood, and the sun caught his features, revealing a sharp and beautiful face—thick black hair framed a striking countenance, and clear gray eyes sparkled like quartz. He looked young, but there was a weight of experience lurking behind those bright eyes.
"I could ask the same to you," he replied, surprise flickering across his expression. "What brings you to these woods, injured and alone?"
"I'm..." But before I could say more, a coughing fit seized me, forcing me to double over and collapse onto the ground, gasping for breath.
The stranger hurried toward me, his expression shifting from curiosity to concern. "Hey! Just breathe." He knelt beside me, grounding me with his presence as I struggled to steady my breath.
He lifted me in his arms, his grip firm yet gentle, as he carried me to a more sheltered spot under the trees. "You, young man, have a very high fever and you're severely dehydrated but I know exactly what you need right now," he said confidently. He quickly gathered various leaves from around us, examining them with a practiced eye before crushing them in his hands.
"Here, chew on these," he instructed, placing the mixture close to my mouth. "They'll help ease your pain and help you breathe better." I obeyed, biting down on the bitter mix, hoping he knew what he was doing. Somewhere in the distant back of my mind I realized I was near-writhing, like someone had set me on fire, but the fire was on the inside and I had no idea how to put it out but wished to god someone would.
I don't know how long it took for the fire to cool. But after what felt like years, I felt it begin to recede, the inferno settling into a mild wildfire. I sighed in relief, a hoarse breath slipping my lips as the pain decreased in intensity, no matter how little the change was overall.
"Feel better?" the stranger asked, and I managed a weak nod, laying there utterly spent. He sat beside me, and although I could see the unease etched on his face, I didn't have the energy to make small talk or muster a smile. The weight of the chilling air melded with the heaviness in my chest, and I felt more vulnerable than ever.
Suddenly, a painful twinge shot through my chest, leaving me gasping for breath. My body arched involuntarily, and I pressed my hands against my ribcage, trying to quell the pain. Tears slipped from my tightly shut eyes as sobs broke through my lips, raw and unrestrained. The moment felt desperate, and in that anguish, I felt utterly alone.
Looking at my condition, the stranger seemed torn between compassion and confusion. "I want to ask what happened to you, but I know you're not in the right condition to talk. So just nod or shake your head, alright?"
I barely mustered a minute nod in response, feeling as if even the smallest movements drained me of precious energy. The concern on his face softened as he began to prepare more of the medicine he had given me earlier. My throat was still raw, but I was grateful for the mix he placed on my tongue. It felt like a lifeline, pulling me from the depths, if only just a little.
"Are you alone?" he asked cautiously. I shook my head, my heart stirring at the thought of Kacchan. He was supposed to be by my side, and yet I felt abandoned, marooned on this unforgiving hill.
"Okay, is someone coming for you?" he continued, scrutinizing me with an intensity that felt unnerving. Yet, I just stared at him, uncertainty knotting in my stomach. Was Kacchan really coming for me? Or has he abandoned me for good this time?
I AM NOT LEAVING YOU BEHIND, DAMN IT
But he said he won't leave me behind. Then why do I feel so lonely? In that suffocating silence, my memories swirled around me. I couldn't tell if he'd rush back to find me, ignited by loyalty or frustration.
Looking at my lack of response, the stranger must have assumed something else. "Look, it's not a problem. I was just the same," he said, a hint of empathy in his voice. "I had friends too, once. I thought they'd always be around, but… people change."
His words struck a chord within me, and as I processed them, confusion washed over my features. He sighed "I have a villainous quirk" he said raising his hand in front of me. His fingers curled, and dark smoke began to coil out of his palms, swirling around us like an ominous mist, thick enough to block the light entirely.
At first, I panicked but then I relaxed because this man will not harm me. As the darkness receded, he turned away. "Growing up, I was always told that my quirk made me a villain. Kids would call me names, bully me, and even beat me just because of what I could do. It didn't matter that I was just a child; all they saw was a monster. For years, I wore that label. I was the unwanted, the outcast. I..."
"No," I interrupted, feeling a spark of defiance rise within me. "You're not a villain...j-just because of your...q-quirk." I exclaimed, sitting up a bit, emboldened by my own feelings. Each breath tugged at the injury, sending a sharp wave of pain surging through me. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay focused despite the agony, determined to hold onto every ounce of conversation. "It's how you choose to use your abilities that defines who you are. It's not a label to stick on you—you didn't ask for it!"
He scoffed, surprise flickering in his gray eyes. "Oh really? Then why are you here alone?" He leaned closer, and his intensity deepened. "Where are your friends? What kind of friends just leave someone behind like this?"
I inhaled sharply, pain gripping my chest like a vice. "Kacchan...He's out there. He's just—stubborn sometimes. We came here to complete an assignment. But we got separated. He… he might be looking for me."
"What kind of school sends their students on a dangerous hill to complete an assignment?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow in skepticism.
"U.A. High. I am a hero in training," I replied with a bit of pride in my voice despite of the soreness of my throat. But as soon as the words left my mouth, I saw a spark of something in the stranger's gray eyes. Fear—tinged with desperation. His hand trembled slightly, and before I fully registered what was happening, his demeanor shifted from uncertainty to panic.
"You're a hero," he said, his eyes widened with dread. He hastily stood up, taking a step back, retreating into himself as if the very reality of my existence as a student at U.A. was a looming threat. "Are you here to take me in? I… I can't go back. I won't!"
"Wait, What?" I shouted, though my voice was strained and shaky, barely cutting through the sudden suffocating tension. I didn't want to provoke him, I could practically feel his panic radiating off him, coiling around us like the clouds of dark mist that began to gather at his feet. Gritting my teeth against the pain shooting through my chest, I tried to stand, hoping to calm him.
"Stay away from me" he shouted, and in an instant, darkness surged around him. "Look, it was a mistake! He started it! He was the one hurting me!"
A shiver of alarm shot through me. I stepped carefully, feeling the tension in the air thicken between us. I raised my hand in surrender. "Hey! I'm not here to—"
Before I could finish, he slashed his hands through air in front of him, and dark mist spiraled from his fingertips. The air crackled ominously, and I heard the reverberating sound of thunder echoing through the trees. I ducked just as an invisible arc shot toward me, cutting through the world with terrifying speed.
I barely avoided it, feeling the whoosh of energy as it sliced through the space where I had just been standing. My heart raced as I turned and saw the tree behind me split down the middle with a clean, ruthless cut. The sight was chilling.
"I told you to stay away from me!" he shouted again, his voice tinged with desperation. "I don't want to hurt you! Sometimes, I just can't control my power."
As the darkness expanded, my anxiety skyrocketed. I collapse to the ground, doubling over a coughing fit that wracked my battered body. I tried to push through the pain, to stand, but my legs felt like lead. The pain in my chest escalated, every breath feeling like a dagger jabbing at my side. I felt dizzy, the shadows swirling in my vision.
Is it his quirk?
Or am I finally succumbing to the sweet relief of unconsciousness?
With every ounce of strength drained from my body, I felt myself being consumed, the shadows pulling at my very essence. Just as I began to spiral into unconsciousness, a burst of light pierced through the darkness. Boom. The ground trembled violently.
Kacchan!?