Location: Unknown.
It was dark and damp. The walls were cold, and it looked as if one was in a sewer. Sparse plants grew from cracks in the floor. A faint glimmer of light came through a small grate on the back wall. Then came the loud squeaking of an old, rusty door.
"Is she here yet?" "No, Sir." "Does anyone else know about this meeting?" "No, Sir." "Good. We can't afford any mistakes. No one else must know." "Sir, yes Sir." "Now go. Make sure no one comes in except her." "Yes, Sir."
Time passed, and silence returned to the room. Only the dripping sound of falling water could be heard. The room smelled of oil and gas—like a harbor depot.
Splash – a sound echoed through the room.
"I'm here," said a familiar voice.
"Anything new?" "Unfortunately not really. We still have no solid lead on who it could be. The person stays hidden, as if they know we're watching." "Continue." "Well, there's a small suspicion, but it's still far too uncertain."
"Damn, time's running out. And it's getting dangerous. More and more incidents are happening around the school." "Find the target and protect them. That's top priority."
"Yes, Sir."
"Good, you can go."
The voice disappeared as quickly as it had come, and silence returned.
Then the man took a drag from his cigarette and dropped it into a puddle.
"This is bad. Really bad."
After that, it was quiet again. The only sound left was the echo of footsteps in the room.
Evening – Kaede:
Kaede sat on the chair, thinking. The light of the nightstand lamp glowed brightly. From the open window, the sound of the wind could be heard.
Kaede's hand trembled slightly. He grabbed it with his other hand and squeezed.
"Eleven years and I still know nothing. Since that day, I've been in the dark, like a forgotten experiment."
He let go of his hand and sighed heavily. His gaze was fixed on the ceiling. Then he sighed a second time and stood up.
"I can't sleep anyway. Might as well go for a walk."
Kaede put on a black jacket that looked a bit like a bathrobe, glanced into the mirror once more, and quietly left the apartment.
"It takes a few minutes to get to the city, but if I catch the bus, I'll be there in 15. The next one comes in 10 minutes. I can make it."
I walked down the stairs. I was shivering a bit. It's really cold.
My head was full of thoughts tonight. Will I ever be normal again? Not even the doctors could help me back then.
I walked along the street and didn't notice a few students passing by—too deep in thought for that.
"What am I even doing here?" I looked at the empty street.
"Only teachers and students can pass through this barrier. That's what makes the school so safe. That's probably why I haven't been found yet. Everything is so complicated."
At least it's not raining.
The bus is empty. I'm probably the only one riding at this hour.
Final Stop – Velmaria Center:
I got off the bus and walked down the streets, which were almost empty. I was thinking again—this time about my explosion magic.
"I shouldn't keep it a secret any longer—at least not from the group. They're going to freak out otherwise. Besides, C-rank explosion magic should be enough."
Then suddenly a new thought hit me. Our teacher calls her magic thought magic. Does that mean she can read minds? That would—bam.
"Hey, watch it... Kaede? What are you doing out here?"
Oh great, just what I needed. What's she doing here?
"Uh… I had to pick something up. But what about you?"
"Well, I was out and picked up a few things on my way home."
"Okay, enough talking. I'm done. I'm heading off."
"Hey, wait! I'll come with you."
"I didn't ask you to." "I'm coming anyway."
"If you say so… not like I can stop you from walking around."
"Say, Kaede, weren't you at Ichigo's today?" "Yep."
Why does she always ask so many questions?
"And… is there something going on between you two?" I looked at Yuna, confused. Seriously?
"Just kidding, Kaede. No need to give me that look." "But seriously – what did you two do?"
"I was drugged. Scientifically examined."
"Hahaha! Since when do you make such good jokes?"
"But… that wasn't a joke," I said quietly.
"Anything else new, Kaede?"
"No, nothing. Really."
What does she want to know? Why does she look so curious?
"Actually, I wanted to ask you this tomorrow, Kaede, but… please, please, please – show me!"
"Show you what?" I said, annoyed.
"Your explosion magic!" Her eyes sparkled with hope.
"Ichigo, I hate you. Why?"
"What are you talking about, Yuna?"
"No need to deny it – Ichigo already texted me. She said she wanted to show you she's not afraid of spilling your secret."
Ugh… she's insane. First, she drugs me, scans me, blackmails me, then harasses me – all just so I'll help her hook up with Shiro. She's violated at least three of my human rights. My head was blank and red with rage.
What a mess.
"Oh, and Kaede…" Yuna's voice suddenly turned eerie. "You know, Kaede… Ichigo said the military would be very interested in students with unusual powers. Especially if those powers are well hidden. And she said if you keep acting so unmotivated, maybe I should tell them a little something. Just in passing, of course."
"No… you wouldn't." My head froze in shock. I slowly turned to her.
"Well, I don't know. You've always been mean to me." She playfully scratched her cheek with a finger and looked at me. "I'd really like an apology."
"I have no choice… Ichigo literally… she made me a super slave."
"S-s-sorry," I mumbled quietly.
"Huh? I couldn't hear you," she said with smug satisfaction, smiling dominantly.
"I'm sorry," I still said softly.
"Huh? Sure? Sounds like you want to join the military."
"I'm sorry...long pause...Flatlands!"
"Huh, what's that supposed to mean?" Her expression went blank.
Yep. GG. That's it for me – and here comes the punch.
"EXCUSE ME?! YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT?!"
"I'm sorry… I'm ending it all."