Who IS Sora Katayama
Not long after our argument did things go back to normal with everyone around me, including Thorne, although he acted very differently with how he carried himself. As usual, his head was high and proud as his lips stayed pursed as he always stared forward at his desired destination. Although, even with that arrogance still within his body, he decided to avoid me altogether. That suited me fine; we have nothing more to discuss at this point.
"So basically what we are going to do today, it's simple really, i'll be talking about the trip and then it's just more magic theory." Ego explained briefly with the utmost enthusiasm.
Today's lecture is going to be much shorter, the lesson has only begun a few moments ago. "Before we begin the lesson, I want to talk about to upcoming trip where we are going to travel to the Xuidian Kingdom, the capital of the Verdant Expanse. Now obviously we all know this academy is stationed close to the Xuidian Kingdom, but we aren't in the main part of it, that is the purpose of our trip, to explore the rich history that it provides."
From what I read in my history books, the Xuidian Kingdom, properly dubbed otherwise as the ancient Verdant Expanse stands for powerful culture and harmony, a kingdom built upon the bonds and foundations of its people. While not the most powerful country, its people are devoted to their academics and the pursuit of excellence.
I couldn't help the feeling of excitement bubbling within me. At least I'm allowed to do things, and while they're on the long side, they certainly aren't boring. I raised my hand. "Will we learn about the war on the Xuidian Kingdom 60 years ago where the Reaper of Death sought vengeance on the entire kingdom?"
Ego stared at the floor with an angered frown as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, muttering under his breath, until finally responding.
"The Reaper of Death you say? I have many interesting stories to tell all of you about Sora Katayama, also known as the Reaper of Death. I'm sure you have heard that Sora Katayama was a rotten human being, but in truth he was just a man who was afraid of losing everything."
How does he know about Sora and what actually happened? Did he have something to do with the war and the assassination of the royal family? There's no way Ego could have seen him during the battle, unless his name is false, and his age is being concealed. He doesn't even look that old… 25 years old at the most. I looked up at Ego and sat up in my seat.
"Professor Ego, I've been thinking and trying to grasp this concept that has been perplexing me. Just how did Sora lose his sanity and just go mad one day? If anything he had everything taken away, and suddenly turned to senseless violence and chaos, a being that had been rejected from life, is just... hard to comprehend. Was he rejected by society, by the nation, or was he just hated because he was the strongest mage ever? Why didn't he end the war on the Xuidian people after they surrendered?" I enquired, unsure of why the dark spectre stuck in my head since I had laid eyes upon the image within the book.
There was no response, nothing but a deep and eerie silence had filled the room, students quickly hushed, their whispering ending abruptly.
"Professor..."
"Have you met Sora and spoken to him or something, Professor?"
Ego clenched his hands so tight that I could swear I had heard knuckles creak in discomfort. I sighed heavily, guessing what his answer would be. There was no logical or acceptable answer that I was willing to accept. It's time that I stop having illusions of some fantastical, imaginary life, the same that was envisioned of the princess in that storybook. "Oh, just ignore what I had sa-."
"Yes Cyrus," Ego uttered, his voice cold, and monotonous. "You could say I was personally acquainted with Sora. He was a bitter and lonely man, who forced himself to reject the woman that loved him and was forced to watch his best friends die. A man that had to watch his mother and father abandon him because he was a machination of a God who never cared about him. He was destined to be the epitome of malice, yet he rejected the ideals placed on him and forged his own path. He died soon after I met him, but what I can say is that he was a man filled with regret."
The classroom stood in complete silence as each person gazed upon their Professor.
"Was he a bad man, Professor Ego? Because what you describe seems very different from the monster that my mother described," I enquired softly, but no response came in the brief period of silence, making me glance over at Ego who remained a statue, a cold, marble statue, almost as though someone had captured him, forevermore to be his position.
Ariel too was confused and perplexed. Her lips curled upwards in a small smile before disappearing like a drop in an ocean, although her blue eyes were alight with happiness.
"Well, at least the Xuidian kingdom is exciting, so in the end... it doesn't matter."
With that being said, the lesson continued on in orderly fashion. However, Ego seemed to become agitated and he frequently glared over at me, his gaze would quickly falter in the end. Perhaps he did not want to elaborate about how Sora fell, nor why he fell in the first place.
All I knew was, whatever reason he had, his goals didn't sound completely malicious, almost as though they were positive, and optimistic... with a sprinkle of melancholy, and remorse.
Although the reason he didn't just give up after seeing all those tragedies... was unknown.
The last few minutes of class, we were given a small break so that the Professor could get himself sorted, and I thought this was a prime chance to ask about Sora, although it wasn't for the most optimal reasons. Ariel grabbed my arm as I went to speak to Ego, preventing me from moving forward, her grip as firm and unyielding as stone, to the point I almost winced.
"Are you stupid?! Didn't you see he is extremely upset, it's better to let him take his time alone for now and come back to it later. Remember Cyrus, humans are people who don't function at 100% all the time, and often make the wrong decision. Just leave it alone!" Ariel insisted harshly, her soft skin lightly brushing against mine. I was unable to bring myself to say a single word. She had a point; forcing something is not what you want when things aren't at a comfortable level to do so.
"At the end of the day Ariel, I need to figure out why Ego is so upset at me for bringing up the topic of Sora Katayama, the so-called Reaper of Death..."
"Ariel, just let him be for the day," an angelic voice called out from across the hallway, causing me to turn and look for the source of the voice. In the middle of the hall I saw a woman that immediately captured my interest; her clothes were bright and white with a dash of light pink here and there, almost like spring was born anew again. The woman was so breathtakingly stunning, I lost track of time and stopped moving for a brief moment. I had to resist the urge to scream in agony at the scene unfolding.
Her soft, auburn-brown hair blew gently behind her as her amethyst eyes sparkled under the sunlight. My gaze was drawn downwards onto a book that lay pressed against the valley of her breasts, accentuated by the way her clothing framed her. The dress itself was thin enough that if you put enough effort into it, you could probably tear the dress with your bare hands if you wanted. She looked to be in her early 70s, yet she was still absolutely stunning.
The lady stared at the two of us with her puffy cheeks raised as she flashed a radiant and gorgeous smile that enraptured me. However, the best way to describe her, is in a manner of speaking, was akin to a newborn fawn, fragile and delicate. Even if she was elderly, she was still drop-dead sexy, a word I learned recently from Ariel. I don't want to come out of my shell, it's safe in here, nothing can touch me. "Ego has gone through much trauma, you shouldn't pry his feelings."
The mysterious woman was older, a fact easily decipherable by her maturity alone. "Oh my apologies, we were simply talking about history of all things and, well, Ego seemed more on edge today, much unlike himself. Is it possible that Ego will tell me what happened to him eventually?" I asked, cocking my head to one side like a lost puppy.
Her attention turned to Ariel, who simply shrugged and returned a smirk, her sapphire eyes twinkling in mischievous intent. "May I ask who you might be?"
The mysterious woman walked forward without answering and took my hand in hers, a slight gasp escaping from my lungs.
"My apologies young lad, it seems that I must take over the teaching role today. Let me formally introduce myself, I am Remi Katayama, the widowed woman of Sora Katayama."
If I was holding something, I was certain that I would've dropped it, or broken the item as my eyes widened. My lips curved in the biggest smile as a shiver traveled down my spine, all the words that were stuck in my throat escaped in an almost inaudible sigh. "I have so many questions for you, after all you knew Sora Katayama better than anyone in this world."
This woman had so much information for me; I mean, who wouldn't want to know what it's like to have a conversation with the lover of one of the most famed and powerful mages in the history books. She's a part of the Katayama lineage. "Before we get to the questions boy, what intrigues you about Sora Katayama so much? After all, he was someone who caused pure devastation for others."
It took a minute to wrap my brain around such a complex answer; this lady seemed to hold nothing but a sweet voice and an airy innocence surrounding her, but those two traits also exude an unnerving power, even though it wasn't physically apparent. A whirlpool of darkness coiled within me as I placed my free hand on my neck, feeling the coolness of my scarred flesh. I wonder, does she hold this odd, yet calming presence towards the other students here? She obviously holds an air of authority.
"To be honest Remi, I wasn't really interested in Sora until Ego was telling us a story about him, basically his life story. When I heard that, I realized that this man was more than what people painted him out to be. It's mostly just a hyper-fixation of mine that I need to be satiated."
I mean, the more I heard his story, the more it all seemed that he wasn't a psychopathic monster, but was instead a poor person who was brought into this world, with the only reason to continue living was his dear friends and the woman he loved. To be a husk of your former self, living to merely survive the day and then moving onto the next, that's the worst thing someone can experience.
"Hey Remi, are there any other books with more detailed history about what truly happened to him and why he destroyed the Xuidian Kingdom so long ago?" I inquired curiously, not knowing what else to say. She brushed back some strands of her hair.
"It's mostly a forgotten piece of history, to be honest. The only people that can recall what happened those days are me. There might be someone else out there who knows, but she has been long gone for decades." she confessed with a pang of sadness in her voice that caused a stinging sensation on my chest.
Her fingers squeezed mine and I turned my attention back to her. "The answer as to why he left the Xuidian Kingdom in the most desolate state you could think of, will always remain with the secrets that we held close."
Her answer struck a chord with me, knowing full well that there was no easy solution to this predicament. As I pulled my arm back, she was already walking away and disappeared behind the corner in moments.
"She's beautiful..." Ariel complimented, trailing her words.
I nodded in agreement, watching her retreating back. She was enchanting, and I couldn't tear my sight from her, she held me in place without any physical contact, with nothing but her enchanting aura.
"I can only wonder what secrets she keeps." Ariel chuckled.