Episode 4

Pain...

A word so familiar yet foreign

Every second, every minute, everything's in slow motion

As if to further stretch the time,

damning me in this prison

Prison built by my own suffering

I feel like I'm losing a part of myself as this goes on

I wanted to scream

I wanted to struggle

Just maybe, maybe it could lessen the agony

And yet the thing is, I can't

What made it even worst,

she is the cause of it

I know I should hate her,

condemn her,

blame her

Still, why can't I stop loving her?

she's my sister

The wounds on my body can heal

However the one in my heart, will not

The only part of me where it hurts the most

The only part where the pain never ceased to exist.

**

"Damn it! My hand's already sore and yet I haven't gotten past half the bone!" hissed Dina as she stretched her wrist.

The masked figure holding the left wing. Wearing a half mask showing wolf-like eyes and fangs, boldly suggested an idea "Lady 4TH, should I dislocate the bone? It will be easier and the dagger will definitely slice through"

"Hm? Great idea fellow disciple! Do it!" commanded Dina.

*crack crack crack

"Hmmmmmmm! Hmmmm!" Freya screamed, muffled by her inability to move due to her paralysis.

"There it's done. Got to make sure the bone's separated from it's joint. You're too noisy" said the masked figure as he swiveled the wing. Then he kicked Freya until she stopped making noise.

Dina kneeled while she slashed the dagger. She didn't even blink as she watched the dagger sliced through the skin. Dina immediately grabbed it so the wing will not be soiled by the pool of blood bellow.

4TH threw something over and instructed, "6TH use this. It will help slow down the decay. When we get back, I will ask 2ND to help you embalm it. She's good at this kind of stuff"

"Thanks 4TH!" Dina replied and carefully placed the wing inside the storage.

**

'It's time' Freya thought to herself. Marred by an internal struggle. A battle going on inside her mind against her greatest enemy: herself.

'I have to focus'

'No!'

'Focus Freya. You can do this'

'No! It hurts!'

'You have to'

'I'-I'm scared'

'You have no choice but to'

'Make it stop please'

'Ignore the pain for a while. I have to survive'

'Bu-but I can't'

'I'm not a coward'

'No! I had enough!'

'We don't quit'

'I don't want to die but I'm tired of living'

'So you quit? That's it?'

'I don't know'

'Remember your training. Don't let your fear paralyze your mind'

'I'm already weak'

'Then hold on. Your stronger than this. Everybody's waiting for me'

'I-I don't know if I can do this!'

'The Empire's counting on you. We have to get this information back. Have some courage. I have nothing to lose but my life. Might as well die knowing that I did everything I can'

'I-I'

'Shut up! Stop making excuses! Get up!' Freya thought to herself along with an attempt to move her tongue to avoid alerting her enemies.

**

Dina and 4TH continued their conversation at the same moment that Freya was planning her escape.

Having observed that her detainers were distracted she determined that getting as far away as she can was the best next course of action.

'Now'

Freya enduring the pain shooting throughout her body, did the following actions simultaneously:

She abruptly leaned on her left side to go along the force pulling her left arm. The one holding her left arm was caught off guard. She pushed him as she pulled back her left arm at once.

Using her freed arm she punched the ankle of the guy who was standing on one leg on her head. Causing him to lose balance and fall.

At the same time using her right wing, she forcefully swiped the detainer holding it.

Using her right arm she yanked the detainer holding it towards the other detainer. Causing the detainers on her right side to collide.

She brought both her elbows toward her torso and used her forearms as frames between her body and the ground.

At the same time, she suddenly made her legs jump to get her knees and shin in the same position as her elbows and forearms. Both actions surprising the ones holding her legs.

Utilizing the ground as leverage, she exploded and rotated both her hips, shoulder and pushed strongly using her remaining wing. Rolling her body speedily towards an opening made from the confusion of her disorganized enemies.

Before the opponents realized what had happened, Freya quickly got away from the scene as quickly as possible. Madly running deep into the woods. Before they know it she was gone and they all stood stupidly where they were.

"Cha-chase her!!" bellowed Dina.

All the masked figures charged into the forest.

"Interesting. She was able to move! Haha now this gets me excited. 6TH no need to for you to chase too, let them do their jobs. Come along now. No need to hurry, she won't be able to get away anyway. Let's follow them and enjoy the show" said 4TH as he tapped Dina's shoulder.

Both of them slowly made their way into the woods.

**

This forest was our safe haven, our secret place. Situated by the end of the Cross' Domain. No one bothered to come here so no one knows. We kept it all between us six: Me, Dina, Giovanni, Raeine, Skylar and Arith.

Filled with innocent memories of childhood. Resounding laughter and banters. A place where kids could be kids. Where there's no adult, no responsibilities and no rules. An escape from our arduous combat training, magic training, monotonous school, strict and nagging parents. We were taught at the very young age that we were born with the duty to our people. We don't mesh well with the normal kids because we're the Marquess' kids. 'Marquess', the title passed down from many generations since the inception of the Empire. A title we were born to inherit. So the other kids don't treat us as their equal and always placed us on pedestals.

This was the place we could be free. The place we sneak out to at night to watch the falling stars. The place we enact silly battles among each other. The place where we hid when we did something naughty. The place we built our kingdom. And yes, we really did built one.

You see, our world was made of mana. Everything in it, is and was of mana. Everyone was born with a power inside them. Some were lucky enough to awaken them while some remain dormant, never to awaken. We call them mortals. And those awakened, became stronger. We call them Superheroes or simply, Heroes. Mana can be used in magic and various other stuff. Mana was also required to call upon the power within us, which was unfortunately I don't have at the moment.

'Fuck you Dina' hissed Freya.

But going back, yes we did built our so called kingdom. Arith had the power of earth. We made him build a fortress beside the Arched Rocks.

Skylar was able to command the wind. He can even fly without wings. He even covertly flipped girls' skirts across the village. So hateful.

Raeine like her name implies, she controls water in any form. One time, she made this water slide to escape the fortress when we were playing tag.

The Giovanni back then haven't awakened but he did now so I don't know what his power is. But with his cunning mind, he became our leader. Always managed to save us from troubles.

As for Dina, she always had a way with words. To be able to influence a person's mind. It doesn't seem to work on me but maybe we just got immuned to it after she pranked us tirelessly. One time she even made Skylar prance like a chicken as payback.

Finally for me, I didn't discovered it until I was old enough. We always believed that the power awakened in me was the power of the Valkyries. My raven black hair and golden wings. An apparent trait of the bloodline which by the way, had the same chance of getting by winning the lottery. That goes along with the physique, the strength, instinct, battle prowess and everything. I accidentally discovered my power in my travels with Master Gene. My power was that everything I see, learn or experience will be recorded and archived inside my mind. A library inside my head. Master Gene always teased me for it calling me 'The Walking Cheat Sheet' although I always made sure to correct him with 'The Living Encyclopedia'. Creating medicines without a physical recipe. With my power, I could easily comprehend everything. I could even perfectly execute or replicate some things that I only saw once. Master Gene warned me to keep this power to myself or it will bring disaster.

'And yet here I am running for my life from being targeted by the Children of Night just because of how brightly I shined as a Valkyrie. Damn it! What's the use of being an OP if I can't even use it without the freaking mana. Sigh', Freya thought to herself.

Fleeting memories, it seemed like it was only yesterday. I don't know what happened but we all drifted apart or maybe we just grew up.

And now the place that used to give me peace, became my nightmare.