Where I Wished I Was Stronger

Dear Self, it’s for the good of all.

To: You.

3 years.

Polaz Detreeve

I should’ve brought him with me.

All I could hear was my own footsteps.

What am I doing? Relax.

I tried to calm myself. I needed to focus on running, but my uniform was holding me down. It was drenched, and it was drenched in red.

Then, I heard a low, lengthy gasp come from deeper within the forest. It was off-limits, not a place for students to wander in, and beyond the forest was a cliff that led to a small square downtown.

I felt a tug on my uniform, and turned around to see a young student catching his breath, his uniform half torn and half burnt, but what’d really caught my attention was how covered he was, in blood.

My head began to spin as I looked at his leg, the bone shot through the skin like a spike.

“What happened?” I knelt to help him up. “Who did this to you?”

There was a line of blood behind him, trailing even deeper into the forest. How long has he been running?

More so, what has he been running from?

He grabbed me by the collar before I could answer. “Attacked.” The boy gasped. “My twin– we’re being attacked.”

“What attacked you?” I slowly moved his hands away. “Tell me where your twin is, I’ll-”

The boy vigorously shakes his hand, tightening his grip on my shirt. “Please help me.” He spoke, suppressing a sob. “Why those– they are after me.”

They? It’s a person? And it’s not just one.

Before I could lift him up, his veins began to swell in bubbles across his neck, making him scream and choke himself for air.

“What’s happening to you?” I try to grip his arm but he shoved me away.

“Get away from me!” He hollers, his voice hollowing into nothing but an echo. In a moment, his eyes revert to those of a pleading young boy. It took more than everything to move, and more than I wanted to move towards him.

I stumbled back, the boy’s shrieks of agony threatening to pull me away from a clear thought. I should get help, the teachers would know better than a knight.

“Stay still.” I say, my voice betraying a calm, even-toned demeanor. “I’ll come back with someone who can help you.”

…

So here I am, running as far away as I can from… that.

“HELP! STUDENT DOWN!”

Only the dryness of my throat and the echo of my voice could distract me from the way his eyes turned completely black, violet veins etching themselves across his skin, leaving barely any room for what was once the epidermis.

As soon as the back garden came into view, I allowed myself a sigh and a small smile. Everything became a blur as I stumbled forward, slowing down.

“Woah, easy there.” A familiar voice spoke, placing my arm around his shoulder for support.

“Marius?” I wondered out loud.

“Draks.” A girl with black silk hair cursed. “Take deep breaths. I’m Shanzina. I’ll search you, okay?”

I nodded. She instructed Marius to sit me down near her. It felt like every part of my body was weighing down on me all at once. Gently, she pats my torso, following my arms and checking for any wounds. She’s a first aider, she could help him.

“Gods, are you okay?” Another girl ran towards us with another guy who quickly knelt across Shanzina to attend to me. “What happened? Is that blood?”

Before I could open my mouth, Shanzina spoke, “I don’t think it’s his.” The other girl looked to me for confirmation, and I nodded, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Then whose is it?” My reply came out in sharp coughs.

“Mar, can he have some of your water?” Another guy with glasses asks the girl, who quickly tosses her bottle to him, opening it for me ahead.

The water was still cold, praise Drakovas. It felt like I was consuming pure energy, and it wasn’t till the last drop that I thought of it so.

“Easy, Poe.” Marius smirked as I coughed again. “We don’t want you being choked by water now, do we?”

My laugh is hoarse. “Damn you, man.”

“Uhm,” The girl, Mar, came forward, “Can you tell us what happened? Whose blood is that?”

“I’ll explain later.” I prop myself up to stand, “Someone is badly injured in the forest. I don’t know what happened. I just-” A sudden numbness shoots up my legs, crawling from my calves to my thighs, as if the blood hadn’t circulated for a long time. I fall and let myself sit on the grass.

“What is it?” Shanzina says.

“My legs. They’re–” I wince at the pain.

“Numb?” Mar prompted.

“Yeah.” My confirmation gives away to an exchange of glances between her and the guy with glasses.

“Probably just from running.” Shanzina shrugs as she stands. “Everyone move back.”

I didn’t understand what she’d meant until she brought her palms together and rubbed it warm to activate her mana. The environment changed, as if she’d become a candle that lit a dark room.

She let her palms separate, leaving only two fingers connected. But that means…

She’s going to regain my energy.

Just as I was about to protest, she took the two fingers of her left hand, along with her thumb, and drew circles in the air, gathering mana from what was around us.

My eyes widen at the calmness in her eyes. The last time an unauthorized citizen used external energy was during the War of Dawn. She seemed almost used to it.

Slowly, an orb took form in front of me, glowing with life. I could almost taste it, it was strong, pure.

When she was satisfied with its size, Shanzina brought her two pointer fingers to an x-shape, thumbs touching. Without warning, she pushed down the orb into my chest.

It felt… sharp, like multiple knives of every size had poked my heart and lungs. I gasped, gripping the grass behind me to regain myself.

After absorbing the orb, Shanzina spoke, catching her breath, “Can you stand?”

I hesitated at the offer of her hand, but considering she had saved me twice, I took it. “Where did you–” Only her hand in my face answered.

“First things first,” She said, voice stern. “Lead us to whoever owns that blood.”