Sakido limped his way back to the place that he called home. He had never had a true home, home not as in a place of shelter and respite, but a place of community, comfort, of solace within oneself, this child was far too much aware for such trivial pleasures as this. The scenery was the same as usual, except for a slight fog and an eerie sense of dread and abandonment that lingered within the heart and before the eyes. It felt as if the strange magic used by Kampori still lingered in the air, the thought of it was quite chilling. It was a strange sensation to Sakido, he wished that it could be a dream, however within the same breath he'd kneel to any power in order to validate the occurrence of what has happened tonight. The answers he'd been searching for his entire life confronted him in such a strange and mystifying fashion, and were gone too quickly. He knew not what he had become or if his training had even paid off. "I..must get home...can't stay out here like this." Were the only words that he managed to utter to himself.
Whether it be the pain from the gash on his palm, or cacophonous sound of the questions ringing his mind as if a bell were tolling inside of his psyche. Ironic, considering that bells are symbols of freedom, but here this feeling was nothing but a shackle, a chain to lull him into a blind state of being. Even with all of these rampant questions plaguing his mind, one problem remained constant, his fear for Ichika. How would he explain this to her? What explanation could be justifiable? For how long can this facade exist, this was yet another barbaric plague reeking havoc in the loose confines of his mind yet again. No blunt weapon can shatter harder and no blade despite it's sharpness, can cut deeper than unanswered inquiries in one's mind. Despite his constant turmoil, he pulled himself upwards on the steps to his apartment, still puzzled at the lack of anyone to be seen within the city, a sight he never beheld. He reduced it to the effects of the sorcerer's magic and hoped that it would cease in time, perhaps he was in an illusion or perhaps the citizens were inside, the ladder being more likely but the former not being a concept so out of grasp.
He had finally reached his level, panting, he dared to look at his palm, and saw a clean cut straight to the pearlescent white bone that sat beneath the flesh. Sakido nearly fainted at this sight and couldn't believe that a grave injury of this caliber had transpired upon him. The bleeding was constant, which was to Sakido's detriment, as he had left a blood trail spanning the entire city. What would being in his apartment fix? Nothing, he knew that for certain. He was far too far from any medical assistance and knew that his phone was within his apartment, so there was only one clear path in his mind. With his undamaged left hand, panting laboriously, he pushed the door open and fell onto the carpet before him. His blood was now soaking into the carpet, and he was beginning to lose consciousness from blood loss. He had never been in such a state before, not only was he constantly bludgeoned with questions containing a weight far too much for him to contain, and the egregious pain of such a deep slice into his skin, compounded with the massive blood loss, he was sure he would die soon.
"I-Ich_Ichika, h-" Without being able to utter a sentence, he remains silent.
With a slight burst of strength, he lifted his head to look in front of him and there he saw her. A petite and thin girl, dressed in white robes, fashioning the most vibrant light blue hair and shy eyes of the same color. She said nothing, yet kneeled down to him.
Sakido's eyes widened at the sight of this girl and his inhale was audibly visible. He had completely given up on trying to rationalize the occurrences he was living through. The last hour had felt like something he could perhaps dream or reverie, not actually live.
The girl reached her rather cold hands to his cheeks and touched them slightly. She moved her poise hands through his hair and touched his blood, upon which it evaporated into a light blue color. The two both were equally shocked at this occurrence. "Wh-Who?" Sakido attempted to say, raising his head further to capture more of her in his glance. Even her lip gloss was sky blue, she seemed like a caricature, there was no possibility in which she was real. And yet, she felt strangely familiar.
The girl caught a glimpse of his mangled right hand and showed such an extreme reaction that it seemed hyperbolic. Her eyes widened and watered, she backed into the sofa behind her and knocked over a nightstand containing several assorted historical portraits, including Giordano Bruno, Sokrates, Herodotus, and Marquis De Sade.
As she approached the wound more carefully, she felt an impulse to take his hand into hers. Upon raising his hand, a blue light came from her hand that connected to his, slowly, his muscles and flesh began to piece back together and become whole again. Despite it appearing to be cold, the sensation was actually quite warm and pleasing. Such a strange and arcane magic cannot be described even with words. With what magic can a human put another together with energy alone? Human society has put aside countless resources, yet remains unable to find a cure even remotely similar to this, however one glance has one see the accomplishments that are subjectively even more impressive. And somehow still, disease still plagues the world. However, Sakido's ailment has seemed to pass effortlessly for him, but with much strain to the girl as she was sweating and grunting while trying to continue healing the wound. The two shared no words, what could one say at this time? Sakido watched as his skin was pieced back together, as if clandestine stitches were sealing his skin shut. Finally, the energy stopped conducting and the girl stumbled backwards, now clearly drained and lethargic, she was having immense trouble calming her breath.
"Who are you?" Sakido inquires with much intrigue in his cadence
"...I don't know." The girl replied
"What? You don't know? What's your name?" Sakido asks with a higher pitch, yet no aggression present.
"...umm...Korihime...I believe" The girl replied with a look of uneasiness
"So you know your name, but not who you are." Asked Sakido inquisitively
"Is a name all that one is to be? Does a name encompass actions and words, or is it a title? I do not know. There are many things I don't know." The girl responded
Sakido, unable to understand even the very concept of what was happening, decided to go along with the charade, as he only figured that with time, this would all make sense, or he would wake up in a rabid panic after encountering such a dream as this.
"No, a name doesn't make someone. It's what one does or doesn't that makes them worthy, and thus their name follows suit, it doesn't work for the antithesis." Sakido told her calmly in a low voice
"An intriguing thought." He says laconically
"Uh-so, if you don't mind me asking..you know, since there's a girl I've never seen before and with strange...powers... in my apartment. I just want to ask how you got here?" Sakido began to attempt to solve this mystery, but he feared he would see no avail
"I walked" ...He was indeed correct.
"Of course you walked-!" With a sudden rise of his vocal tone, Korihime turned away from him and shivered
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Sakido was puzzled at how sensitive this girl was, and how she seemed so intelligent, yet knew nothing and didn't even know language customs.
"I was just saying that I know you walked, but who told you to come here, why, where, when?" Sakido asked, stabbing in the dark for some semblance of an answer from this strange being.
"It wasn't long ago, maybe a few days, I cannot recall. I was given orders from a woman. She was wearing a black robe, with red dragon embellishments, also there were crosses on it as well...there was another... I believe it was a male, but it's far too obscure in my mind." The girl recalled this much difficulty, yet adding to the mystery. Yet again, when providing Sakido with answers, all that he received were just more questions to ache his mind.
"A black cloak...with red dragon embellishments and crosses...no...it can't be." Sakido says quickly turning to hyperventilation. "But why me? Why did she send you to me? Was killing them not enough?! Did you not get your fill of blood you fucking BITCH, YOU FUCKING BITCH, I HATE YOU, FUCK!!!!!!! I HATE YOU!!! IT'S ALWAYS YOU, JUST GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HEAD!!!...I'll never forget that sight, those eyes, those animalistic, cold eyes, eyes that harbored no remorse...no lament...I just want to carve them out, I want to end all of this..." There's only so much fortification one can muster before their mental barrier collapses and the flood of knowledge soaks the seeds of complacency. Sprouting flowers of hatred and prejudice. Sakido has fallen victim to this same trap. The same mistake that plagues so many.
Korihime reeled in terror at his outburst and whimpered with tears in her eyes. Sakido pulls his hands from his face and reaches out to comfort her, which she anxiously accepts.
" I did not mean to remind you of troubling thoughts, I thought that complying with your request, you would be quite satisfied." She said quietly
Sakido looked at her comfortingly, "No..I'm sorry, you did the right thing...it's alright."
"Thank you...and your name if I may ask?"
"Sakido Ikakuro" said he
"It is a most pleasant name." she replied
"Oh, well thank you, it's very much appreciated." he said in a slight surprise
Sakido then asked "So how old are you then? You couldn't have been born yesterday."
"I, yet again, do not know, I only know of these events I have recalled to you, nothing more." She again replied
Sakido pondered for a brief moment on what or who this girl could possibly be, he was even so perplexed that he could still believe that he was dreaming, unconscious, or even dead. All of these events simply felt too surreal. And then this mystery girl describing the details of her to him, it just can't be real.
"Korhime, I've never known such a power as yours, and it's not that I'm saying you're lying, because it would be ridiculous to claim so. But, for all of my life, since that night, I've tried to push ut away. There was a period after those events that I searched for answers, but when I received none, I took it as a sign that I need to move on. After all, the world moves on, people mo ve on, why should I be any different? And then last night, everything that I tried to push aside just came right back to me. Everything that I tried to just forget it has been erased, the years of pseudo serenity were in vain now, and I'm back to where I started. I just... I don't know anymore." As Sakido said this, he fell back and sat onto the softa that decorated the living area. He began to break down and cry. His heart was tearing, there was only so much that he could bear. Through crying breaths he says "I just wanted to have a semblance of life, but any step I take forward is in vain."
Korihime then, in an apparently out of character act, brings herself to his level, puts her arms around him, and hugs him. "It will be alright." She says calmly, with a shred of sympathy in her voice, the first time to Sakido's knowledge.
Sakido was quite in surprise from her sudden and unexpected comfort, he took what solace he could of being in her arms. "Thank you...I...you didn't have to do that." He says with a slight blush
"Is there something wrong with such behavior?" Korihime responds
"No, I just didn't expect such an action, considering how apathetic you seemed at first." Sakido explained to her.
Sakido gathered himself and stood up and faced the window within his living room. He saw his dim reflection created by the artificial light in the room. He stared at himself in disbelief, disbelief in everything that has taken place in his life. He took at a moment to glance at his hand. Upon peering at his newly healed appendage he spoke "I wonder what kind of power you have. I mean, if the government knew about this power you'd be kidnapped and never see the light of day again."
"Is this the morality of the leaders of this world?" Asked she
"Trust me, morality left our leadership long ago, if it was ever there to begin with." Sakido said out loud to himself.
Korihime began to vocalize her wonder "This morality that you speak of... what is it you? I am familiar with the definition, but I know not how to apply it to life."
Sakido says back to her "To me, morality is the direction in which the human will determines to go, whether it's right or wrong depends on the person or their motives, but I do believe that good and evil are quite distinct things. One can rarely be confused with another. Trust me, I've seen evil."
Korihime's eyes widened as her newfound curiosity grew "You have seen evil? What is it that you mean? How can one see a concept?"
"A concept is simply that, the conception of an idea, it can be corporeal or ethereal, within the mind there are no boundaries. The concept of good or evil can be observed just as it can be imagined or defined with a pen." Sakido lectured to her. She took a moment to think and replied "I see...an interesting thought, Sakido."
After her response, there remained an eerie silence that lingered in the air. This silence was broken by her quiet voice. "Sakido, will you tell me what you know?"
Sakido, shocked by her inquiry responded "W-What? After that 'outburst?' you want to know what I've seen? That's the last thing I ever want to talk about."
"Sakido, it's clear that I'm here for a reason. If we are to find out that reason, then we must communicate with each other. Please, even if it perturbs you, you must tell me, maybe then we can find a new lead." She reproached to him. Sakido paced back and forth with his index finger between his teeth, after a minute of pondering, he finally responded "Look, I just can't okay? I can't relive it agai-" he was interrupted by her preaching "So do you just want to hide from your past your entire life?" She was immediately attacked with his violent protest "I'm hiding for a reason okay?! Don't you ever accuse me of something like that, you have no idea what you're fucking saying. Shut the fuck up!"
Korihime, trying to process such a violent outburst for the first time, took a step back and peered at the ground. Tears forme in her gentle eyes and she couldn't look Sakido in the eyes. Immediately upon realizing what he had said and done he put his hands on her shoulders and spoke softly to her "I'm sorry, Korihime, I lost myself there, I'm so ashamed of that, please forgive me."
"It's okay, I forgive you, I was just... scared, is that the word?" She replied..."Yes, unfortunately." He followed with.
Sakido looked her in her effervescent blue eyes and said "You're right, I can't cower away from this forever, I'll tell you. Maybe then I can actually get somewhere with myself. Just listen closely okay?"
"Okay, thank you." She replied sharply
And then he began to recite what he remembered of his tale. It had been 8 years since that night that changed his perception of life itself. Change is not a progressive thing, it's either instant or it never occurs, this is indeed one of the harshest realities of our life.
Characters Introduced in Chapter 2
Korihime
Association: Unknown