Sora Katayama.

3 years later...

Ever since that day three years ago, I've trained rigorously day and night, even if I don't feel physically tired by doing so. There are several different martial arts styles and techniques that have been used successfully before by people stronger than I could ever hope to achieve with my own strength.

No matter how hard you practice martial arts in isolation from others or how much effort you pour yourself into every action taken, there will always be an opponent somewhere out there with an edge on you, ready to strike. Whether their training regimen is simply superior or their natural ability makes it so that they surpass any other student that has worked hard to get this far does not matter anymore because, whether the two differ immensely or not at all, the end results remain largely unchangeable. This reality frustrates me greatly, so I must find ways to overcome such limits, regardless if it means that my progress may slow down in comparison to previous days' worth of progress achieved thus far or if I am simply facing off against a natural talent capable of beating me through sheer force of will alone.

"ITS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH, FUCK!" I screamed out, kicking the bucket that was beside me. "Sora, you need to calm down. This anger in your heart will force you down the same path that you said you never wanted to go down again." Zephyr tried to calm me down, but that wasn't helping much. "Your own issues seem to affect you more than anyone else's, Sora." I turned toward him angrily, ready to give a snarky response, but instead just shut my mouth and avoided saying anything rash. "Alright, fine, whatever. You aren't exactly helping anything right now." He sighed and stood up from his bed before making his way over to stand directly across from me, folding his hands together neatly behind his back, and staring at me expectantly for a minute or two. "When are you going to stop hiding from the others? It has been 3 years."

I was aware of what was happening, but my answer seemed less likely each time that he asked it again. "Never."

He cocked an eyebrow and scoffed once more. "Your stupid ass ego is really pissing me off." Zephyr was very blunt. Even if I had said anything nice, it would fall on deaf ears because his mind was already made up, which left him alone with a cold demeanor, no longer caring.

"Listen, Zephyr, I don't deserve to ever see them again after what I did to them." He opened his mouth to say something, probably along the lines of I'm wrong or whatever. "So I don't see what difference it makes either way." The two of us shared similar temperaments, but the fact that he could get so aggressive quickly irritated me slightly. Maybe because I know he has a hot temper too.

"At the end of the day, you made a promise with Cronus that you would protect Elena for as long as you lived; it has now been three years since you have even seen them." "Shut the fuck up, alright. It's not about me breaking the promise to meet with her. That's the only reason I even gave that weakling my fucking life." I raised my hand, silencing him immediately as my voice cracked and turned hoarse. He knew better than to say something as reckless as that, yet here he goes, running his fucking mouth yet again.

"How much more do you want me to suffer before it's enough? How FUCKING MUCH, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT?!" My voice raised to the point that he couldn't hear anything other than incoherent screaming or shouts coming out of it anymore, and he began cowering beneath my angry glare. My hands trembled violently. As sweat trickled down the sides of my face, a lone tear escaped from the corner of my eyes. It rolled down until stopping short at my upper lip, which I promptly licked and then proceeded to swallow.

"Sora, you are beginning to spiral down a path that nobody could follow. I will no longer have you mentor Xavier if you continue with this behavior." I gave him my usual mocking laughter that usually worked to irritate everyone around me before responding in turn, "Go fuck yourself then. No one cares anyway, and honestly, neither do I." My words stung him pretty good. He couldn't look away, nor did his lips move. Instead, he swallowed nervously, attempting to recover his composure once more and stop shaking from fear.

My heart burned painfully within me, threatening to burst from its cage. I gritted my teeth so tightly that the flesh broke beneath them, causing blood to fill my mouth and slide down my chin, but I folded. Zephyr knew me better than I knew myself. "You're right, Zephyr; it's time we go see the group."

He chuckled bitterly, finally allowing the tension between us both to die down before it could consume our spirits and completely extinguish it.

"Just get dressed. We'll talk more along the way. You'll feel better afterward, alright?" I nodded and walked out without waiting for him anymore. He had given up chasing after me a while back, so there really wasn't any point in sitting and chatting for too long before making my way to Remi, Rayne, and Elena.

I walked through the forest quickly, making my way past hundreds of trees until they became nothing more than mere shadows cast over an infinite expanse. For some reason, Zephyr and I had always taken different paths toward their locations since neither one could find their way out unless someone accompanied them due to how expansive and dense it is. There was an invisible energy present within me; it didn't feel evil, and it definitely wasn't something unnatural. The feeling I had towards this aura was only comparable to excitement. The energy pulsated through me with every breath, setting my nerves ablaze and tingling them all the way down through my skin to the tips of my fingers, sending shivers straight through my body before I even reached my destination. I call it "infinity magic."

We always find ourselves staring at each other, not speaking, but neither of us will acknowledge it either because of the shame it carries. Finally, I saw Rayne and Remi; the only one left was Elena. Remi noticed my presence. She looked exhausted from battle, especially in her condition. There were bloodstains in numerous places, but none seemed fatal in nature.

"It took you a long fucking time, Sora, did it really?" "Fuck you, Rayne." She gave me the finger as well. "Go suck a dick or something. You look like you need it. It will probably help you relieve stress and get rid of all those wrinkles around your eyes." "Who would want you, though?" Rayne was quite direct in the things she said. Even if it didn't fit her, she said whatever came to mind; it made conversations difficult sometimes because no one expected it, especially in such a dire situation like this one.

"I know all of you probably hate me for the things that I did; however, within the darkness of hate, all we can find is the emptiness of our own selves. I had to learn this the hard way: hate leads to nothing but suffering, and I am the result of being someone who hated everything. My judgement was clouded by my actions that were filled with hatred, and as a result, the people that I held dear to me died. Even with all of this said and done, nothing could repair the damage that my mind holds. Nothing can fix these emotions within. But I do understand one thing: that is my self, and that's all I have, my conscience. I cannot lose it." I stated. Everyone went silent for a minute.

"So you've returned, Sora." My attention quickly turned to Reagan, who was here to greet me with open arms. He held onto me tight as we embraced each other, but he pulled away with an agitated face. "Enough with this idle chitchat. To be honest, Sora, your brother has expected your return, I don't know how, but he has become stronger than ever as he has inherited the Authority of Greed. He has the ability to inherit the power of any being after their death, the same ability of Rain Katayama."