CHAPTER 6

'Well, well, well, what do we have here? She really wants you to die huh? It's a shame you can't hear it. Instead, I am hearing it clearly. I have saved your ass and I will save your soul next. Don't worry Aqasha. I will help you.'

And so, Aqasha awaked right after that and have zero control in her own body. She was awake the whole time but couldn't control herself. Since the moment she woke up, her main goal was to take back her own body from the black smoke. Unable to control it since the beginning? How can she have her revenge? Days past and she seems to have calm down from the panic and started to gain control of her body little by little. She noticed that when she calms down and empty her head, the black smoke seems to be weakened by that. Therefore, she could take control and fight the black smoke, but lost again when she saw her mother's face. She was confused either. That was why she often to go out and ended up exercising to calm herself down. She didn't have any money, so she often starve herself when she was out of home. Surprisingly, her body was the opposite. She grew thinner and taller. Surprise, surprise... For a whole week, she couldn't sleep, eat or even make anything without getting angry. After a thorough thinking, she made her mind. It was in the middle of the cold night, alone sitting on a park bench when she got the idea. The idea to move out.

It was busy in the classroom. Students were busy practicing and studying for exam. They will have their very first exam as the junior. There were students doing study group with a hell lots of books, some were studying technics, and there were also some who preferred to study alone. Qairah was in front. Studying alone, being swallowed by her own books without concerning her surroundings. Her only goal was to finish her training with good result. She could get promoted easily with a good result which means, good amount of money, which means she could help her family. Her mother once told her that she should never make Aqasha take the entrance exam again. She told her that Aqasha was fragile and need to be kept and protected. She agreed and that was why she need to get the highest score for the exam. Not just this exam, but in all exams.

"That is all for today. You can head home. Remember to study at home for the upcoming exam. Dismiss."

And so, students heading back to the main gate. Qairah was walking alone when a teacher stopped her.

"Qairah, right?" The teacher asked.

"Yes. What can I help you sir?" She asked.

"Well," He scratched the back of his head, kinda blushing. "I was just wondering why you're always alone?"

Qairah burst to a huge laugh because of it. The most famous and good looking teacher in the Warrior Academy was bothered by the fact that she was always alone! Yeah, funny.

"Sorry sir. It's just no one could ever thought that you could be bothered by this little matter. Hahahaha"

"Ouh, I never thought it was little actually."

"Huh?"

"Ehem. You should hurry home. You should study."

"I thought you want to know why I was always alone sir~"

"I-"

"Q!"

Aqasha patted Qairah's head and give a warm smile. The three of them were shocked. The teacher was shocked because of the sudden interrupt, Qairah was shocked by Aqasha's sudden visit and cheer behavior, while Aqasha was shocked that a man suddenly appear -for her only have her eyes for Qairah- and the moment became awkward all of a sudden...

"Ah! I have work to do. Gotta go!"

"O...ok sir..."

Aqasha elbowed Qairah while smiling and rising her left eyebrow.

"Who is that........" She asked with a perverted smile.

"Hah! Don't be suspicious, don't be suspicious, don't be suspicious, don't be suspicious."

Qairah sang a ridiculous song that was once trending on the internet long ago. She was singing while slowly running to the gate to get away from Aqasha. A few students noticed and started murmuring. Some were kinda shocked while some didn't even bother. The two siblings were happily chasing each other until they reached the bus stop. After finished laughing, Aqasha started.

"I'm moving out."

That one sentence froze Qairah. She looked at Aqasha with eyes wide open. 'Moving out? She wants to move out?'

"Why-"

"I can't."

...

"I can't keep living in that house. I can't tell you why either. I won't be coming over to that house and meet all of you after that. I don't want to say goodbye either. I'm telling you 'cuz I know that you would, that you definitely understand me." She looked Qairah in the eye. "Right, sis?"

Qairah open her mouth but couldn't say anything. She confused. Guilty. Angry. Sad. Clueless. 'Why? Why are you doing this to me. I know I made a mistake but this is too much. My exam is just around the corner. You knew about this right? That's why you're doing this. To make me fail. For revenge!

"Q?"

"Ah, sorry, I was shocked." She touched her forehead.

"Headache?" Aqasha tilted her head to see Qairah's face better.

"Umm... No, just tired. Exam is around the corner." She looked at Aqasha from her corner eye.

"Eh? Exam? I thought they only teach you how to be a great warrior?"

"Heh," She smirked. "So you didn't know?"

"Well, I'm not really a fan of this stuff. I just found it awesome and easy to make money. That's why I want us to join. To help our family."

"Ah." Qairah was startled by that. She felt she was being mock by that statement. "I see..."

The bus arrived and people busy going in and out from the bus.

"I'll visit you again." Aqasha smiled.

"Hah? You weren't joking?"

"Why would I? I was being serious the whole time."

"So this is goodbye?" She clenched her hands tightly.

"I told you. I'm not going to say goodbye either. We will meet again."

Aqasha pushed Qairah closer to the bus.

"Go now. Early you go, early you reach home." She smiled.

"Stop smiling. It's creepy."

She went to the bus and sat near the window. There, she could see the warm smile from Aqasha, but then when the bus further away, she noticed that smile became loose and she could clearly saw Aqasha has a poker face. She puts on her hoodie and walks away. Qairah touched the window but couldn't do anything more. All she could do was biting her lips till it's bleeding.

[11.00 pm]

Aqasha was standing near a bed. On the bed, Qairah was sleeping soundly, with a big teddy bear in her arms. Aqasha was holding a tiny bag while at her back carried a big black beg pack. She smiled for a while then walked out from the room. She headed to a room beside the kitchen. It was wide open. It's the room of her two little brats. Her little brother and little sister. She kissed both their foreheads and caress their hair gently. She smiled again but this time she bites her lips after smiled for a split second. She then went to the last room. Her parent's room. She opened the door and saw her mother. She was sleeping soundly and besides, her father was snoring a little. She smiled again then walked closer towards her mother. She was almost reaching her mother when suddenly she could feel the black smoke was awakened. She started feeling dizzy and her head hurt like hell. She squeezed her head hard to cover the pain. She gritted her teeth as she was trying to fight. At the end, she couldn't hold it and went out of the house without even touch her parents.

"Hah.... Hah..... Hah.... Ugh.... Hah.... Hah... Hah... Hah...."

She was still squeezing her head when she was already far from home. She couldn't breathe. It was suffocating. The black smoke wasn't hard to control when she was away from her family especially her mom. She finally calmed. She was on the street. Dark narrow street. It was quiet too. Creepy. She grabbed her money that she saved from elementary school until recently, so she could manage to survive without any job for two or three months. She stood up again and began searching for room to rent. She looked at her watch.

"Almost time huh?"

[11.35 pm]

She finally found a room to stay for the night. It was miracle if she could find the room that she wanted in one night. Serve her right for moving out the house without proper plan. She placed all her stuff near the single bed and throw herself to the stinky bed. It wasn't that stink and she was tired. She closed her eyes for a while and gave a big sigh. She then looked at the watch again and rose up.

"Time for bath."

[11.55 pm]

She finished bathing, ate her energy bar and finished setting all up. She wore her favorite pajamas. She tied both her legs to the bed and so her hands. She covered her mouth and tightened her hands to the bed before finally covered her eyes and went to sleep.

[12.00 am]

"Umph.... Umph.... Umph..."

Black smoke started coming out from her body. Her thin body was struggling to get up. After a few try, that body stopped moving. She then tried to get up with all her might. Because of the sudden movement, she strained her neck and her ankle, but her body now seems to be numb with all that. She kept struggling for over an hour. Then, the thin body fell down. After a few second, the body moved again. This time it was like the body know what to do to release itself. After a few minutes, Aqasha open her eyes. She felt an instant struck from both her neck and ankle. She tilted her head and placed both her hand to both her neck and ankle. She then searched for her watch. She then looked at it for a while.

"1 hour huh? A little shorter than before."

She sighed a little and put all her stuff back to the beg. She stretched a little before laying down to the bed.

"Ugh..."

She touched her neck again before finally sleeping. She had been fighting like this since she woke up. Also one of the reasons why she couldn't sleep nor stay at home. Every 12 o'clock a.k.a. midnight, the black smoke would try to take control. At first, she failed and the black smoke took control over her body. She won't know a thing of what happened next. She would wake up at a place she never knew and blood would be all over her body. After knowing that, she kept trying to stop the black smoke by tying herself up. When it's time, she would fight the black smoke mentally. Seeing how strong her mental could go relieved her a bit. She was still better than the black smoke in that case, but she would lose a lot of energy after the fight. She would feel really sleepy and tired. Plus, she barely even sleep, so it worsens her conditions. That was why she wanted to move out. In order to seek revenge, she need to tame the black smoke first. In order to do that, she needs to be strong mentally and physically and in order to do that, she needs to be alone. Somewhat something was triggered whenever she gets near her family so being alone is the only option.

[10.00 am]

It was hot. The sun scorching right through her eyes. She blinked her eyes a few times before covered it with the back of her hand. She rolled over and looked at the ceiling. It was quiet. In other word, it was nice. Last night was the first time she fully controlled the black smoke. Her mental was strong but unfortunately not her physical. Whenever she was almost winning, she would be knocked out due to lack of energy and when she woke up, she did something again. The black smoke to be precise. Last night she finally won the first fight. Now she can sleep without any worry. She smiled and closed her eyes with her hand tightly. She was smiling, but her lips were biting each other as her other hand hold her pajamas tightly.

Qairah sat still on her bed with wide eyes. She opens her mouth to speak but then stopped. Her mouth freezes. What can she say? What should she say? In front of her now was an empty bed that was supposed to be filling another girl. A girl that was special to her. Because of her selfishness, that spot was empty and who knows maybe will forever empty.

"You really did it, huh?"

A question to whom were no longer there.

She shrinks herself by using the blanket, to ease her mind but it became worst as she bit her lips, blood dripping.