Post-Tournament (2)

I gently close the door behind me as I walk through, and the spitting image of the boys locker room appears before me, only, it seems cleaner I think. Maybe it's a mental thing, but it just seems fresher in here.

I walk around the room for a moment, looking around.

The room is almost completely empty. Rows of lockers and benches filled the inside, an open room lined with half walls for showering being on the side of the room.

I walk toward the shower room and slowly step inside, peeking around the corner to find a girl with messy black hair balled up in the corner. She hadn't reacted as I stepped inside the room, as if she had either been sleeping or simply wanted to shut everything else out.

I walk over to her side, lean against the wall, and slide down to sit beside her.

So nobody came to check up on her after all…

"Theresa, correct?" I ask the girl beside me.

No reaction.

I look up for a moment to ponder about my next words very carefully.

This girl is clearly shaken up from her fight with Tessa. I feel bad for her. She got brutally beaten to death with ease in front of her entire kingdom. She must be feeling miserable right now.

"You fought well–" I gently place my hand on her shoulder and she fidgets a bit.

I wear a look of sympathy on my face as I attempt to cast a calming spell on her. She shakes slightly as I cast it, but she slowly begins to relax.

Perhaps she's more traumatized than I imagined? I was under the impression that she had forgotten her death, but could I be wrong?

I carefully bring my arm around her shoulder and lean her against me.

"It's fine if you don't want to talk to me," I say while comforting her, "I'll be here as long as you need me."

To tell the truth, I don't know why I'm sitting here so willing to comfort this girl. She's nobody in the novel, literally. There's no mention of a Theresa Maltoi anywhere within 'Rebirth". In other words, neither she, nor her feelings matter at all to the story. She's less than a background character.

So why am I willing to waste the time I could be using getting to know my group better?

I look over to the girl curled up and leaning against me. She was no longer shaking, and it seems she has finally taken comfort in my embrace.

I'm willing to be here because there's a traumatized girl here that needs comforting. What more reasons do I need?

We sit in silence for a moment. I held her gently while casting calming magic, and she stayed curled up against me.

After a bit, she finally brings her head up to speak.

"...I felt everything." She speaks in a hushed tone while staring dead ahead.

I widen my eyes slightly at her words.

"I-I… I never actually died during the battle," She continues, and I can hear her breath beginning to hitch, "I was conscious for all of it…"

Hearing her words, something clicks in my head. The battle wasn't stopped because she had died. It had stopped because Tessa had destroyed her vest. That means Theresa had to remember every painful strike that Tessa threw.

I grit my teeth. Thinking about it made me feel a bit angry, and also a bit sad.

"W-why?" I notice a few tears begin to streak down the side of her face, "Why did she keep going? Why didn't she stop?"

I bring her in closer for a more comforting embrace as she continues to cry and vent.

"I didn't even want to be here. It's not fair. I don't know anybody in my here, I hate fighting, I hate talking to people." She looks up at me for a moment, her lavender eyes glistening from the tears, "Why me? What did I do to deserve this? Why should I still put up with it?"

I feel a sharp pain in my chest as I hear those words come from her mouth. I want to open my mouth to tell her something, but I simply can't find the right words to put together.

"S-sorry. What am I doing speaking like this to someone I just met…"

She looks away from my face and back toward the ground while taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry for taking up your time," She begins to stand up, "Thank you, I'll get out of your ha–"

"Wait." I reach out and grab her hand.

Why am I going to such lengths for her? She was getting ready to leave, obviously she should be fine by now, right?

"There are plenty of reasons to keep going!" I stand up in front of her while making eye contact, "Even though it may seem hard now, it gets better, trust me!"

She scoffs and averts her eyes, "Please. Of course it would seem easy for you."

"Theresa!" I grab her other hand, surprising her, "I know exactly how you feel right now."

A confused expression forms on her face as she tilts her head.

"You feel like there's no reason to get out of bed each day. Everything you do somehow finds a way to distress you. You have no energy to try anything new. Simply existing feels uncomfortable. Suffocating even."

"H-how…" Her eyes widen as speak, an unreadable expression forms on her face.

"You're tired. Tired of having to deal with what life throws at you. Tired of everything. I know how you feel. I've been there, and I'm speaking from experience when I tell you this. It gets better."

I notice a single tear now flowing from her reddened eyes, and I gently raise a hand to wipe it.

I think I know why was so adamant on helping this girl. I saw it in her eyes through the monitor, and I saw it when I stepped inside. This girl, Theresa, feels there's truly no other reason for her to keep going on.

"B-but, I, I don't…" She opens her mouth to attempt a rebuttal, but she can't find the proper words.

"You said you don't know anyone here, right?"

She purses her lips and nods.

"I'm Raine," I smile, "Raine Knightford. And I'll be your first friend here. I'll be here for you whenever you need an ear. Is that fine, Theresa?"

A slight flash of hesitation shows on her face, but she pushes past it and nods with a smile.

"Y-yeah. T-that's fine. Thank you, Raine." She looks down while smiling nervously, "I-I think I'm feeling better now, thank you."

"Are you really?" I ask incredulously.

"Y-yeah."

"And you'll talk to me the next time you feel like this, correct?"

"Y-yes."

I nod in satisfaction at her answers, grateful that she feels differently now.

"I-um, I'm gonna head back to my room now. Thank you Raine, truly. You've made me feel much better."

I nod at her words, "It's no problem. I'll be there whenever you need me, alright?"

"Alright," She smiles as she heads towards the door, but just before she reaches the door, she stops to say one last thing with a smile, "And Raine, you really are just like the rumors."

And with those parting words, she left the locker room.

Wait, what rumors?