One More Step

"Wi- with me?"

We now were sitting in complete darkness but judging by his trembling voice, he was probably making a fairly complicated expression right now.

I scooted up next to the wall where he was chained. I could feet the cold chains around his right arm pressing against my own arm.

"Escaping by myself might feel a little lonely after all."

Just because I wasn't going to become a saint this time around, doesn't mean that I can't make a new friend right? Even if I want the power to crush anyone who crosses me, it doesn't mean I should let a small boy rot away in a damp cell like this either.

"...But its im- impossible. Even if you're telling the truth... I- I cant do anything now."

What a distrustful kid. Although after living as both 'Blue' and 'Aurora' I understand very well the feeling of not being able to trust others. I suppose its unfair of me to expect this kid to trust me with no proof.

However...

"Lets think of a plan together. Even if you cant trust me, you can just take advantage of my help."

If you were to ask me if the memories of everyone taking advantage of me filled me with with an insatiable rage, my answer would certainly be yes. But for some reason, I feel an urge to help this kid. I'll make an exception just this once.

Since I had deactivated my light magic, I couldn't see if his expression was still filled with distrust.

"Are there any guards around here? Where is the exit?"

I don't want to leave my light magic on too long in case any guards are coming this way though.

"...The men...only come once... a day."

It felt like he was facing me as he talked now.

Anyway, once a day? How lazy.

"Have they come yet?"

"2... men came to leave you here... they haven't brought food yet though... they will probably... come again."

"What time?"

There was a short pause before the boy answered.

"No windows... don't know"

Ah... this boy has been living in a cell without even being able to track the passing of time. I don't he himself even knows how long he's been a prisoner.

"Is there anyone else here?"

"Yesterday...another man came... he took everyone else..."

Does this kid mean that everyone except for him was taken?

"But you're still here?"

"...Yeah...I'm always..."

He mumbled a few words before cutting himself off.

'I should get back on track.'

"Where did that man come from? Is there a door that leads to outside nearby?"

"I...didn't look."

'Should I use light magic to look around?'

"Is there anyone else down here?"

"N-no. Those men... never stay here long...and the other kids are already... gone."

Then I don't have to hesitate, right?

I stood up.

"Ah"

I heard the chains rattling behind me.

"I'm not leaving."

I walked a few more paces to the front of the cell and activated my holy magic, channeling it into light magic. This time, the magic engulfed not only my eyes and hands but my entire body. I used my body as a medium for the light before dispersing it as far as I could reach before meeting with the walls in the rooms past the cell. I was able to use my light magic with ease just as I had done in my last mission as Aurora. The light extended from my body to the cell behind me as well as the various other rooms in front of the cell where we were. I could see several other cells nearby as well as a small supply area. There were bottles of suspicious liquids, ropes, and various other dangerous looking things. I could see a hallway reaching to the left but because of the cell wall, even with the bright illumination, I couldn't see if that way lead to an exit. I quickly retracted my magic in case I had the bad luck of now being the the daily time of visit by the guards here.

*cough cough*

I heard him coughing so I kept only enough light directly around my body so that if I walked next to the boy in chains, I would be able to see his condition.

I bent down in front of him.

"There might be an exit to the left. Is there anyway fo get out of this cell to check?"

The boy's coughing settled and he looked at me with a bit of indigence.

Eh? What did I do?

"I could...without the chains...but...I can't even stand...like this."

Right. Those chains are our first obstacle.

I walked back up to the bars of the cell as light still lightly radiated off my body.

I placed my hands on the bars and closed my eyes.

I focused on the magic inside of me.

Every since I had opened my eyes in that alley earlier, I've instinctually felt there was something 'different' about my magic. I could tell that the raw power of my magic hadn't decreased so I brushed it off at first but...there's been a few things that have been bothering me.

I haven't had time to consider what those things mean yet... with all the running and getting kidnapped. I first felt something was off when my magic naturally reacted to Yellow. My magic has never been something with defensive or offensive qualities. And it definitely shouldn't be able to injure ordinary humans. The extent of my magic has always been illumination and healing.

But there were definitely sparks coming from me when Yellow grabbed me. She said that she felt pain too. Fundamentally speaking, that should be impossible.

'But if I cant use whatever if was ro my advantage...I'll use whatever I have.'

I clenched my fists as my mind continued to spiral.

*crack*

....

I hesitantly looked up towards my hands.

The wood bars I was holding in front of me...had broken into small pieces. There was now a small window where those 2 bars had been covering the cell.

'!'

'Was that magic?'

The sensation was completely different but...something about it felt familiar.

I thought that the damage had been limited to where my hands held the bars at first, but I soon heard a louder creaking noise.

Ah...what felt familiar...I remember now. Its the feeling I had when I first started learning to control magic as a child. When I was young I had a hard time limiting the amount of mana I exerted when I used magic. When I couldn't properly control my holy magic, I would accidentally heal bystanders cuts and bruises when I was trying to heal just one person's injury, I would accidentally give migraines to a room of people rather than provided basic illumination. It was never that big of a deal.

But ah... I see... when other types of magics aren't properly controlled... things like this can happen.

The entire structure of wood bars closing us into this cell had completely shattered into tiny fragments the size of splinters. There was now nothing stopping me from stepping outside of the cell.

Ah well, almost nothing.

I turned around to look at the boy chained to the wall.

His eyes were wide open in disbelief.

I wonder whats so surprising? Is it what I just did (accidentally)? Or perhaps he had given up on the possibility of escaping a long time ago...

"Ah"

I thought I heard something from the cell as I turned around but I proceeded to step over the pile of wood splinters and look down the left corridor. Using my light magic, I extended my range of vision down that path. Sure enough, there was a door just a little ahead.

I turned back around the corner and stepped back into the cell where the boy was still seated.

Or...he should have been.

"Ah!! Stop trying to stand up!"

"...you"

I could see blood dripping around his chains as he flailed around with all his strength.

He didn't stop.

I raced over in front of him and put my hands on his shoulders.

"Wait! We'll find a way to undo the chains, so stop hurting yourself!"

"....Weren't you l- leaving?"

Huh? What does he.... ah, I suppose I should have told him I was just going to scout. It seems he thought I was escaping without him.

"I was just curious what was down the left hall. There really was an exit there! Don't worry, we're both getting out of here, okay?"

"....re..ally?"

His black hair was even more disheveled after thrashing around so violently. He upturned his eyes towards me. He still didn't seem to trust me, and he was perhaps even warier of me than before, but he had some other emotion mixed into his eyes now that I couldn't discern.

But still, even if I could harness that same power again, after feeling how loose my control was, I'm not confident that I wont hurt him when I try to break the chains.

I took a closer look at the chains around him.

The chain was wrapped around him more than 10 times...isn't that terribly excessive?

One chain caught my eye.

'Huh? Doesn't that link have a small chink in it?'

I grabbed the chain link that looks to have been damaged. Then, instead of focusing magic around my entire hand like I do to use light magic, I focused the destructive magic just slightly between my index finger and thumb.

*clink— bang*

The weakened link warped apart and the chains around the boy boy began to loosen and drop.

The no-longer-chained boy stared at the chains on the ground in disbelief before directing that same look of confusion towards me.

Yeah... I'm sure it's confusing to see a small 5 year old breaking cells and chains apart. I should make sure he keeps this a secret.

"Come on."

I reached my hand out to the red eyed boy who was sitting calmly despite thrashing around to the point of blood loss only a minute ago.

The red-eyed boy paused before slowly reaching his hand out to my own. He flinched when he touched my fingers then stood up without using my arm as support.

After he stood up he grabbed the hem of my shirt and spoke.

"Now... what?"

"Huh? Well of course we get the h*ll out of here now!"

The boy's eyes widened slightly as he limply smiled.

"Come on."

I grabbed the hand that was lightly clinging to my clothes and towed him along as I walked to the left corridor.

"Ulch"

I made an unpleasant sound as the person whose hand I was holding came to a dead stop.

Ow...my shoulder...what's with this brat's grip strength?

"Hey, it's time to go."

"..."

I could feel his hand lightly trembling.

...He must have been in here a long time. Even if he always wanted to leave, there's probably some sort of mental block now that it's actually happening.

"Come on, just take one step...then another, before you know it, this will all be behind you."

His red eyes raised to mine. He paused briefly before nodding.

I could feel his hand gripping mine more tightly as we walked down the hall towards the door.