It's a room.
Dimly lit, there's—
I get out of my seat quickly. The wooden chair falls to the ground, the sound of clattering echoing.
I walk around the table, my gaze laser-focused on 'you', who's across it. His gaze is completely different compared to mine.
His eyes are empty, devoid of any light, simply staring off into the distance.
Let's see how long you can keep this act for.
I lunge at him, by hands curling around his neck.
We both fall to the floor.
My chin is on his chest but I've still managed to keep my hands around his neck. I squeeze as hard as I can.
"Ghkk.."
Now. Now you start to realize the situation you're in.
I push myself up with my legs, lifting myself above him.
"I hate you."
I'm on top of his chest, and he desperately grabs onto my wrist. His eyes widen as saliva begins trickling down his mouth.
"I hate you."
My voice fills the room, mixing with the sounds of his airways desperately trying to breathe again.
I continue squeezing.
His legs shift, his arms try to push me off.
I push down.
"I hate you. You're useless. You can't do anything right. There's no purpose to your existence."
He's grabbing, flailing, fighting. He doesn't want to go.
I keep pushing.
"Hgkkk… ghkk…"
His grip begins fading as his face loses color.
"I'm better than you."
…
And his hand lets go.
__________________________
My eyes snap open, the dreary white ceiling above staring back. It's cold inside here.
My head shifts to my right.
A small night stand, complete with a large maroon lamp.
Sunlight pours from the window behind me, dust particles floating along. The rest of the room is adorned with various paintings, their contents all varying wildly. I sit up.
The blanket on my chest falls to my knees as I recollect the reason as to why exactly I'm in this room.
I run my hand through my face, finishing as I slick back my hair.
Letting my feet off the edge, something catches my eye at the very end of the room, resting on a small table. I stand up and walk over to it.
There, two small weapons lay atop it's surface. A small, metallic dagger with a red jewel centered in the middle of its hilt. A snake-like striation runs along its blade, curling at the top, and running blacked down. It's in glossy condition, suggesting it had just been made.
My head shifts to the weapon next to it—If it can even be classified as a weapon.
It's white, slightly iridescent, but mostly white. It's shaped like a screwdriver of all things. The top, pointed part of it comprises a mass of jagged bone, but other than that it's mostly just a screwdriver.
This is my Severant.
Yes, this thing.
I don't know its name, I don't know its ability. All I know is that it's mine, and it's a Severant. Still, I can't be too discouraged. After all, Severants have multiple forms to them. Maybe mine is just secretly strong and just seems weak at this moment.
I lift the screwdriver and place it in my back pocket.
Todays the day.
I pick up the dagger.
This weapon reminds me of my responsibility. Today is the day I infiltrate the ranks of Fortyr solo. My mission is to eliminate Odin's Ravens, Muninn and Huginn.. This is because they are the sole reason why a majority of invading armies can't break into the walls of Asgard.
The instruction I received was to simply insert this dagger within one of the two's forehead.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous or anything. Yet, the desire to grow stronger resonates louder than my bodies instinctual desire to preserve itself. When I say grow stronger, I'm more or less alluding to the fact that perhaps my Severant will substantially increase in power during my mission.
I will be most certainly deep within enemy territory, and as such, may run into a few that will attempt to attack me. Paired with my ability to cast Koho, and my superior physicality, I'd be able to dispatch of them fairly quickly. In that, I'm confident.
Also, I'm amazing at acting.
All I need to do is to perfectly act out the part of a Forctyr officer. Luckily, Axel Freud wasn't stationed in the headquarters I'm heading to, so people over there wouldn't know him as well. This allows me to assume whatever personality I want to.
I smirk.
This'll be easier than I thought.
____________________________________________________________________________
My footsteps reverberate down the hallway.
Members of Sable Veil walk past, their cloaks fluttering behind them. Some of them look at me surprised, probably due to the fact that I'm new here. I'd guess the requirements to get here are insanity.
El Sombro told me to meet up with him once I woke up the next day. It is in fact, the next day. Due to this, I am currently heading to his room.
I'm not really knowledgeable on the layout of this building, so I'm just relying on muscle memory from yesterday. I do remember how his doors looked, so maybe I'll recognize them once I come across them.
I'd by lying if I said I didn't have a slight pep in my step.
I'm more joyous today than I've been any other day so far.
As I walk, I notice a few figures standing in front of El Sombra's door. They've all got a melancholic vibe to them, as if something had been torn from them. Well, I don't know these people.
Well, anymore.
I begin speed walking.
All I need is to make a quick turn to the left, and I'll—
A hand grabs my shoulder.
"Kaito."
I turn.
Arivia fills my vision. Her eyes are furrowed together, and she's got a hurt look on her expression. My vision shifts from hers to everyone else's form.
Navi glances away.
Asakawa is looking at the floor.
Kors is looking directly at me.
Samuel is too.
"Huh? What do you guys want?"
"..."
Arivia cannot say it. Her hand loses its grip, and falls off my shoulder.
Kors steps forward.
"We are not letting you go."
My teeth grind against each other. My hands shake. My eyes nearly pop out their sockets.
The audacity. The audacity to even say something as stupid as that. How can you even… What do I even think? No, I won't think, I'll say it. I'll say it to their faces.
"The fuck are you talking about?" I snarl.
"We are not letting you infiltrate Forctyr on your own."
"Why?"
"You are simply too weak. If you were to be sent there on your own, you would surely die, and cost us heavily." Kors replies.
Die. It doesn't matter if I die.
"El Sombro was the one that gave me this mission."
"And I personally spoke to him about it. He merely told me I was free to do as I like. This is what I am choosing to do."
"...."
"Who do you think you are?"
"?"
"I said, who the fuck do you all think you are?!" I yell.
The hallway goes silent. It's not because everyone's looking, it's because no one else is there. As if the world itself has cleared out space for me.
"You think I'll just nod my head, put the collar back on, and head back home with you?! You seriously think I'll continue doing that shit!?"
I throw my hand in front of me.
"The first time I meet one of you, you just throw a collar on me and brand me a slave!" I glare at Navi. "You all forced me to do shit I never wanted to do! I was attached to you whether I liked it or not!"
"I've always wanted to leave! I've always wanted to run out that front door, yet I never got the chance to do so! You seriously think I'm your friend now!? I will never willingly be with you, no matter what you do!"
I breathe, the toll of screaming running across my throat.
"I get shocked, beaten, cursed out nearly every day! I'm constantly breaking my back for nothing! Just to go home, into an empty shed and await the next day! It's miserable, I hate it so much! And even after all that…."
I clench my fists.
"... The moment I'm given a bigger role, you have the audacity to force me back into the useless one I was in prior?!"
"Kaito… I'm sorry… I wanted.." Arivia begins.
"How dare you cry!?! You're crying because something that you caused is lashing out against you?! You think you have the right to cry, huh?! Why are you so desperately trying to play the victim here?! You told me we were never friends! You said I was just a tool to be used! And now you take it back?! How do I know you won't just switch again the moment I step back!?"
"Not only that, I took down Tyrox all on my own, despite you saying I wasn't able to! I'm clearly capable of doing things alone, yet you all deny it! What the hell is wrong with all of you!!?"
"...I…I."
Just say it.
"I…"
Say it.
It's true.
Once you do, they'll go away.
"I don't care about any of you!"
"Do you think I'll suddenly care about you when you reveal small fragments of yourself!? Do you think that after you abuse me, and say a few sad things about yourself, I'll somehow just take it and nod!? You're all sad, pathetic, miserable people! All of you are mercenaries, people that just loan their services to the highest bidder! Don't go around pretending you're more than what you are! Stay in your own lane—"
"Kaito!!"
Samuel Volara lunges forward, seizing me by the collar. I'm then pinned against the wall.
His eyes hold rage, hurt, confusion.
I… don't…care…
"Watch what you are saying! They still gave you a place to live! They trained us! The reason why we are even here is because of their efforts! They freed a town from my fathers' tyranny!"
I make an ugly expression.
"Get your hands off me, rich brat. You wouldn't know how it feels to suffer, now would you?"
"Ngh!!"
He raises a fist. He stops it midair, as if threatening me.
"I don't care about Samuel Volara! A guy who wants to convince himself that he isn't like his father, despite leeching off him since he was a child!"
I glare at Navi.
"I don't care about Navi Highergald! A mean, uptight bitch who can't even handle someone blowing up on her because of her high ego! She's probably fighting the urge to kill me right now!!"
I glare at Arivia.
"I don't care about Arivia! A fragile girl who acts all happy and joyful until she finds out one person doesn't like her and loses it!"
I glare at Asakawa.
"I don't care about Asakawa Meiko! A hypocritical girl who can't even make the distinction between emotionless and emotive! She lies to herself constantly, and being the coward she is, refuses to acknowledge that part of herself!"
I glare at Kors.
"I don't care about Kors! He's… he's so kind it sickens me! He's like a one note character from a novel that doesn't have any other substance to them!"
"You're all one--note, flawed people that convince themselves they aren't! You really expect me to care about you?! I have more a right than anyone to complain!"
Samuel releases his fist, hurling it me.
….
It's stopped.
Kors stopped it.
Samuel looks down.
"So this is who you are… I had the impression that you were a kind, mischievous, outspoken person. I had the impression that you got along with everyone, despite their past. I had the impression that despite being tangled in a less than favorable position, you'd try and soar past it.
I had the impression that you were someone that would not judge me as someone who had taken advantage of his fathers' wealth. I had the impression… "
"That you were a friend."
"I see now."
Samuel Volara drops his fist, and releases his grip on my collar.
"You do deserve the right to complain. Yet, you portrayed yourself a certain way that was misleading to us. Had you said this from the beginning, we would not be here right now.."
"But it's—" I can't even speak.
"Goodbye."
And then, Samuel Volara is gone.
I wipe my face.
They saw me. They know how I really am. I can't let them be around me any longer. They saw me at my lowest. So I'll convince them that I can go lower, and drive them away.
After all, I've got Aza. I already have someone, so it's okay if I lose a few more.
I'll say it first.
"I-I hate you all!! I-I see how weak and fragile you all really are! There was nothing between us!!"
Everyone is dead silent.
Everyone has solemn written across their faces.
Navi, Kors, everyone.
Arivia is crying, while Asakawa comforts her.
They don't pity me, right? They're hurting because of what I said, right?
"Maybe…"
Navi Highergald looks at me. It's like she wants to tell me the reason for something, but can't say it.
"Maybe if I had never said those words to you, things would be different. If I didn't put that collar on you, things would be different."
"The hell do you think I've been saying all this time?"
"Hm." She nods. "You're right, Kaito. We're just wasting our time right now. You're on your own."
She walks away.
"...I was starting to think you were cool, by the way."
Not me.
And then, Navi Highergald is gone.
Arivia walks over to me.
"I..Hic..I'm so sorry! I just… I shocked you because I was taking out my frustrations on you! I was mad that Navi spoke to you and not me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
I look away.
Arivia wipes away her tears.
"... Yeah… that's right." She wipes them all away, revealing the red marks under her sapphire eyes. "Me repeatedly saying it doesn't make more of an effect. The best way is to let you go…"
I can't look.
Arivia turns.
"...I know you didn't mean the things you said to me back there… That's not fair Mr. Slave. You've known us for too long, haven't you?"
I look in front of me.
And then, Arivia is gone.
….
"The moment you said you look up to me, it had made me confused." Asakawa begins. "I had thought that you were someone who, despite I initially disliked, managed to grow onto anyone. You seemed brash, noisy, but kind."
"There must be a reason why Arivia cries for him despite him hurting her.' Is what I had thought. Once I saw you give the Devil—Maria—a proper farewell, confusion caught aflame within me. Then you said you had looked up to me, and those flames grew larger. But then, you…"
"..."
"Perhaps you are right, Kaito. I will let you be. It was wrong of me to label you as a parasite. You were merely constructing a persona to survive amongst a band of killer such as ourselves. This is the true you, and it is not for me to judge."
Asakawa Meiko turns.
"I admired your extreme attempts to make companions of us."
And then, Asakawa Meiko is gone.
Kors remains.
"It truly is a shame, isn't it?"
"You were a boisterous one. You spoke to me, constantly praised me, despite me only doing things that were expected of myself. I had felt validated from you, like my attempts to being perceived as human were successful. Perhaps it was selfish of me, however. To keep you around despite the collar branding you."
"..."
"Yet that, was not you? Or was it?"
I look away.
"Regardless, it is unfair of me to assess you. Perhaps I was only fond of 'Kaito', not Kaito."
He smiles, then turns.
"Goodbye, my friend. May the wind take you where you desire. I will notify Miss Kaen of your decision. I will not hold you any longer."
Korshak Vilheim Von Grimm says.
"It seems that I'm the one who is growing emotional this time, Mr. Kaito."
He's gone.
Nobody stands in front of me.
…
…
…
….
…..
I wanted this.
I wanted to be alone.
It's a lonely path, understand?
Reality doesn't always go the way we want it to.