1 Chapter 1: To talk in Silence

The bell rang a few moments ago, yet I stayed in the empty music room. My pale hand climbing up to my ear, feeling the cochlear implant stuck in it. Closing my eyes, I dove back to the day my world gained color. Where my broken voice echoed through that olden piano. Bouncing off the attic walls, while the implant relished in its splendor. Coloring the room in a hopeful colour. I felt my lips curl into a smile as I stuck to the memory. The sight of that feeble kid with his overjoyed emerald green eyes as he pressed random keys on the piano. The first time my world bared color, the first time I "spoke".

"KABOOM, Yata stop spacing out, class is over" A loud, energetic voice exploded across the silent classroom. Blown aback by the blast, I rocketed off the desk in a panic. My eyes landing on the person waiting at the door. A guy taller than me by a head, showing off a tanned, muscular build in the short-sleeved white tee-shirt we have as a uniform. His short, black hair bouncing as he himself bounced in excitement. His childish black eyes sparking in joy.

"Jishi you don't have to yell, you can always talk," darting out my hands I began talking in sign language. Jishi's eyes following my hands, comprehending my unspoken words.

"Sorry, I'm just super excited you see..." While Jishi began machine-gunning words with a skip in his step. I began fidgeting with the controller of my implant that lied in the right pocket of my black pants. Maxing and muting my hearing, attempting to ignore at least 50% of Jishi's infinite volley. Burstin out in internal laughter, I continue for a few minutes. Until he realised what I was doing and used sign language to relay the words. Tears crawled up to my eyes as one thought crossed my mind, "Damn it".

Jishi's childish smile fled his lips as his gaze turned to one of worry. Knowing what he will ask, my heart started raising. Jishi moved aside, showing the people who flooded the halls behind him. Shadows flashed before my eyes, my skin crawling. My eyes turned to olden days. The reddened hands shoving me. Their fingers stripping me of my ear, my throat scratching at them as they laughed.

My knees flew up to my chest as I cuddled behind them, my eyes hiding behind my snow white hair. Jishi closed the door as he reached for the violin in the room's corner. His eyes averting mine, he placed the violin over his shoulder. As he pressed it with his chin, I could hear a feint "sorry" in the air. His voice drained of energy, and with a sorrowful look in his eyes, he played.

Grief colored the room blue, as his bow let out tears in its long strides. A profound grief fled his violin in D minor, slowed to 3/4 time. "This is Bachs Partita for violin 5th movement" the thought quietly crossing my mind. From how the violin talked, he must still blame himself for back then. His regret danced through the room, making my heart slow to its beat. Yet it reached a stop without finishing the movement. His eyes opened again, and while averting my eyes he stretched out his hand.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to bring back those memories," his hand read while shaky. Smiling, I too stretch out my hands in response. "Don't worry about it, after all I still have the piano and your company,". A feeble smile crawled up Jishi's lips as I raised both my hands. My hands drop, unleashing my voice, wrestling through Beethoven's scriptures.

A quickened beat eagerly graces the room in G major. An eager presto tiptoes through the room, coloring the previous blue in a bright yellow. Gently blowing worries away, at least for a moment. Jishi, attempting to dance to the 3/4 time, would laugh in at least some of his usual energy.

"Piano Sonata number 25, your one sneaky guy you know," He mumbled amidst his supposed dance. Although all I do is escape from the past, with a piano I can at least find solace. This continued until one window on the left side of the room broke. A thin shadow flew through it as it headed towards us. I could feel the seraphs in heaven calling as I dashed through the room. Next thing I knew, a painful grunt filled the room.

Turning around to see Jishi on the floor squirming in pain. My heartbeat shooting up to 88 beats per millisecond, I rushed to his side. Hesitantly, I took the object that stuck near his abdomen. "A bat...." my fear turning to confusion as Jishi kept grunting on the floor beside me.

"I might have a few words with the owner of that" despite his strong words Jishi couldn't stop the tears from his eyes. Meanwhile, I nervously stroked his hair to make him feel better. My heartbeat rose once again as I felt my skin crawl. My hair standing on end as my eyes wondered off to the broken window.

All I could see were the trees behind it but, I felt it. A heavy panting approaching as the grass rustled. Beat by beat, it felt like my heart was about to blow. Finally, a savage shadow stopped in front of the window.

"A beast" I thought as it climbed through the window and fell unto the broken glass shards. "Ow!!" it screamed as my hands went from pale to transparent. Looking closely, the so-called beast had flowing brown hair tied into a ponytail. An all white sports looking uniform and a helmet. The beast stood and its golden eyes staring from me to the bat.

"Oh, my bat!!!" The girl before me sparkled in joy as her powerful voice shocked the room. In my silence, I could only gawk as Jishi tried his best to push back his tears.