2 Pain Pain, Go Away.

A boy similar in age and height caught my eye from the start, how couldn't he? They all wore crystal white tracksuits. His hung open showing the gleaming sweat on his beige skin. Then...those eyes that looked at me with alarm and sympathy. Telling me to run while also pitying me for making that choice. Was he implying death was better than this place? Our eyes drew like magnets, he was the polar opposite of me. White-silver hair and the most beautiful aquamarine eyes I'd ever seen. Like a rare jewel that had sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

Hitora Nori, " Now that we've established your positionI'll introduce you." His voice broke me from his sight, then I met the six kids I'd grow up with. Unknown before he began, children here were given one name only. Stripped from their family name and given a single identity.

Mei: 9 years old. Long blonde curly hair and sky blue eyes. Her speciality or reason she was brought here was her obsession with fire. She'd burned down three houses and killed seven people in the process. Mei had hardened skin, that made it hard to penetrate. Not even a knife could cut through without considerable force so she seemed reliable in combat.

Leo: 7 years of age. Male. Short brown hair and deep green eyes. Leo apparently developed advances molecules in his skin which made climbing anything possible, just like a baby monkey I thought. This kid could overcome obstacles others couldn't.

Yumeko: 8 years of age. Female. Long black curly hair and blue eyes. I looked back at Mei and noticed they looked practically the same apart from the hair colour. Nori then told me that they had grown up together but separated when Mei was found by Nori. After being found in a back alley covered in blood, with a man dead by her side they'd rescued her from the streets. Yumeko had an advanced calcium efficiency, meaning she could elongate her nails and teeth into deadly weapons, it was also near impossible to break her bones.

Asahi: 9 Years old. Shaved head and brown eyes. Out of all of the children, his aura made my skin prickle. According to Nori, he had been put in a child rehabilitation facility after he'd went blind, coming from a rich family with a lot of assets, blind heirs weren't sought after. Left alone there must have psychologically damaged him and he was also a mute. His constitution was unique, the reason he'd gone blind was so his ability could manifest. Asahi could see through any material, so in a combat area, people couldn't hide from him. It was daunting meeting him, it really was like he'd seen right through me.

Seki: 7 years old. Female. Auburn short cut hair and shiny hazel eyes. Seki had been betrayed by her family which had been shrine officials, in charge of upkeep. That role was supposed to be passed down to her but after her ability presented Nori was called to take her away. Seki could read peoples souls and reveal true intentions, sometimes it would tell her secrets. I knew from the start she would be useful.

Hitora Nori, " This is our top scorer, your both the same age so you should hit it off fine." He referred to the boy I'd locked eyes with at the start. When Nori looked at him his eyes cloud over.

Yuki: Age 8. Male. White-Silver hair and...aquamarine eyes. Deemed the top scorer I expected him to be somewhat powerful but when his ability wasn't revealed my interest increased. He didn't look faster, smarter and more advanced than the rest of them. Nori never told me Yuki's back story which frustrated me. The other kids also looked at him in disdain. I wanted to know what I'd be dealing with because the environment told me it was survival of the fittest. Yet out of all the people, Nori introduced me too he was the only one that bowed.

Hirota Nori, " Everyone this is Kagami Ren, get along well with him. Your dismissed please return to your allocated rooms. I stood there under corporate orders expecting to be dragged away, wondering just how physical their influence would be yet surprisingly...They all walked away, all of the kids scattered, seemingly scurrying back to rest. Nori left me in a state of confusion, placed in a volatile situation without even a slither of hope. Yet he gave me false freedom.

In a daze, I began walking towards the dorms, when a tug on my sleeve stopped me in my tracks. It was a desperate tug, making me almost shudder. Behind me with those stunning eyes was none other than Yuki, someone I hadn't expected to make contact with him so soon, therefore I stood there blankly noticing the blue speckles in his iris. I was so mesmerized I didn't register he was talking to me.

Yuki, "Your name is Ren, right?" I recall nodding swept away by his sweet delicate tone. It was also a reminder my full name had been torn apart. I had to say goodbye to my Kagami bloodline, exclusively making me just 'REN'.

Yuki, "I'm glad, be careful of the sleeping arrangements, newcomers are usually..." He was cut off by Mei's glaring blue eyes telling him one more word and it wouldn't end well. I wasn't a dumb kid I was always at an intellectual advantage, but that meant I overthought every little detail.

Ren, "Let me guess, my back story is a mystery so you plan to force what you can out of me. If this is out of spite then you have a lot to learn." Clearly she didn't like my tone, I couldn't believe those hostile eyes like broken honour.

Mei, "Ah? Aren't you putting yourself on a pedestal, who said we cared that much about you? Listen, brat I'm not someone you want to get on the wrong side of. Oh and Yuki, I know your a little different but keep your words to yourself." It was brief but I got the message which translated to 'Don't think your hot shit just because you're new.' Just like she'd confronted me her eyes went dead as if I didn't exist anymore, and then Mei walked off leaving Yuki and me together alone.

Yuki, "I'm sorry about Mei, to be honest majority of the people here will treat you like that, they've learned to kill from a young age so they often find it hard to trust others. The more ears there are to listen, the more lips are tempted to talk is what Seki says." I remember sitting down on the bed of our new rooms, and noticing there was only one single bed for me, unlike before. Maybe Nori had decided I was a higher risk than expected, but Yuki had the same across from me.

Ren, "If you've been here a while then you know about the other kids, tell me about them." He gave me an almost pitiful look and then said something that stuck with me for the rest of my life.

Yuki, "I'm not sure if you're asking because you want information or because you genuinely care about these people or maybe even a mixture of both but it's refreshing to meet someone who asks. You grew up with your mom and dad right?" I remember nodding to avoid showing any emotions towards the assholes that raised me.

Yuki, "Me too until I was 4, so I understand family life a little bit. Did you come here on your own?" I knew he was digging for some humanity, I could tell he had a lot left in those emerald eyes that seemed to suck me in. He knew I was here against my will, I wasn't sure if he was really smart and prying but a part of me didn't care. I wanted to talk to him, someone sailing in the same boat.

Ren, " Hah, not a chance. My folks were painfully afflicted with rage, anger and alcohol. They sold me off." I tried to act nonchalant about the situation but it hurt me, to say it out loud. I was sent away because they were afraid and in need of money. What sort of people could do that to their own son?

Yuki, "It's going to be okay. I was also sold off pretty quickly after my abilities came into play. A single tantrum would destroy everything. So that pain your feeling like a piece of your heart is missing, it goes away after a while I promise." He outstretched his pinky finger to support that promise, even though it was a hook of fingers, I didn't want to break it so I hooked without a single ounce of strength and still, his face looked a little uncomfortable.

Yuki, "I see, your super strong right? You looked at me like a little bunny on the road, how bad is it?" I sat there dumbfounded, there was no way he could know that without observing me closely.

Ren, "Why do you care? As long as it's not used on you, you'll be fine." Yuki's face looked rejected seeing my wall built up faster than it had taken him to crack it.

Yuki, "Your right. But...I'll tell you about the other kids if you tell me about your ability." An eye for an eye? Seemed like it. Why did he want to know about it so much? What did this boy want from me? I remember sternly nodding while unpacking the suitcase next to my bed. Yuki wandered from his room into mine and sat on the bed while I looked around.

Ren, "Tell me about Leo." Yuki smiled, which showed this person wasn't someone to watch closely but people were deceiving, as far as I knew Yuki could be wrapped around his little finger.

Yuki, "Leo was always a good climber as a kid, they said he was athletically gifted and started entering him in gymnastic competitions. But...after a while, he was too good, and people started looking at him differently. His parents became distant and pulled him out of the one thing he loved to do. It was after then he discovered how special his affliction was. Being five years old he became scared and ran away from home. Nori found him near death in a park tunnel, now he's been here for a couple of years he's not scared of himself anymore."

Ren, "You make it sound like a recovery when in reality he's a little boy snatched away from his parents to become a killer. He may not be afraid of himself but there are plenty of other things to be scared about." I snapped wondering about his parents, here I was upset that my folks sold me off, yet here was a kid in this place. Stolen away from his family, his parents must be worried sick.

Yuki, "Your smart, I already know his place here is wrong, but sometimes making it sound positive hides the bad inside someone. Leo won't give you any trouble but make sure to check around before talking, he could be on your ceiling. Mei is the oldest so he looks up to her, and sometimes collects information about the rest of us." I looked around subconsciously looking for this kid, but luckily he didn't have the confidence to try me yet. This was something I needed to know. His advanced molecules meant his grip flexibility, everything could be used to kill someone but he lacked strength. I jotted all of this down in my notebook. Yuki just watched me with his head cocked.

Ren, "Tell me about Yumeko and her relationship with Mei. I know they're sisters so skip that part." Yuki smiled as if to say of course you already know or you wouldn't be here.

Yuki, "Yumeko...keeps to herself. Usually, she sits reading or trains on the field. Otherwise, she's isolated from the rest. I heard that after Mei left she was left alone to deal with her affliction, anger seems to be her trigger and she's become like a wild animal once her teeth and nails come out but...she seems calm and collected to me."

Ren, "Your wrong." Yuki looked at me slightly shocked. I'd always been a good judge of character from the start but sometimes I needed verification. While they lined up on the training ground, her long black hair caught my attention, and then I saw her face...

Ren, "Yumeko is a farse of character, she used those two years Mei went missing to improve herself so one day she could surpass her. Except surpassing doesn't just mean small competition in this place. Yumeko is looking to kill her sister she just biding time, I could see it in her eyes, she wasn't looking at me or Nori, her eyes were on Mei and her alone." Yuki looked slightly uncomfortable, maybe he didn't expect me to be so sensitive to people.

Yuki, "I see. You're a lot smarter than I thought, you get more interesting by the second." he said happily but that word...' interesting' was only used like that for one reason. To say suspicion was in the air, or something useful had been found. Talking with him was fun but if it meant getting myself killed then I would cut this off early, and that's sadly what I did.

Ren, "Interesting huh? Okay let's cut the sh*t now, what do you want from me Yuki? An ally? Maybe a new person to entertain you?" My tone snapped cold quickly leaving him worried, he knew why I'd turned on him and I could see the regret in his eyes.

Yuki, "I want none of those things...I just wanted to talk to someone like myself, to see if I was still tuned into the outside. When I saw your face at the lineup, you looked not only betrayed but vengeful. You're here against your will, I get that but maybe letting us in a little would make it less lonely don't you think?" I stood there completely speechless, he'd worked me out from one glance just like I had done with the rest. However, he didn't realize Yumeko's true intentions, was it just me?

Then all of a sudden the lights turned off and an alarm called out to tell us it was time to sleep. Yuki bowed and smiled before going back to his room, his legs looking stiff and tired. I felt guilty for assuming he was prying information. In frustration I clenched my fists piercing my palms to calm myself down. As expected the bed was soft and comfortable like a luxury hotel, but when I heard our doors lock mechanically it was almost like a giant black wave crashing down on me. I was trapped until they decided otherwise. I didn't like the control or superiority so that night while my lungs heaved heavily I swore...I'd get out of here no matter what.