Silverlight - Chapters Three to Seven

Chapter 3 �" Change of Plans

“Well, well, looks like Leone did my job for me.” Sakura said, after looking at my reaction. I glanced at her questioningly. “She opened your Aura when she touched you on the stomach.” I stared at my hand in curiosity, watching the flames dance around my arm as if it was awaiting my will. “I wonder…” I raised my hand and pointed it at the wall. As if sensing my intentions, the flames centred in my palm. “Whoa, whoa! Take it easy there, tiger! You don’t want to accidentally incinerate another student, do you?” Sakura attempted to pull my arm down, but the flames formed a protective layer around me in the blink of an eye as if to say “Don’t even think about it”. “Byaku, did you do that?” I shook my head. “Umm, quick question… how do I turn it off?” Sakura shrugged. “Don’t ask me. Like I said, each aura is unique.” I decided to think calm thoughts in an attempt to settle me down. The flames seemed to realise they weren’t needed anymore and dissipated. “Well, that was… awkward.” Said Christen, finally speaking up. “There’s one more thing I neglected to mention.” Sakura shifted uncomfortably. There are certain Arcania which… let’s just say, don’t appreciate the hunter’s pact. Normally, hunters never stay in one place for more than two days as they become easy targets outside their domain. I’ve been here three, which is more than enough time for them to track me. There’s only one place they won’t dare touch us. We’re going to have to leave Nexus tonight.” “Wait, what?” Christen and I shouted in near complete synch. “Leave Nexus tonight?” Sakura frowned. “Yes, tonight. I don’t appreciate people parroting me, if you wouldn’t mind” Saying that, she got up and stretched. “Hmmmm, been about half an hour since I moved… I’m going for a walk.” She swung her legs off the bed, but made the mistake of facing towards me while wearing a miniskirt. I caught a glimpse of what she wore. She seemed to realise her mistake, but she just smiled mischievously. I was a bit at a loss that she’d treat something like that as a trivial matter, but Christen and I got up to follow her as she made for the door.

That evening, Christen and I were packing our bags to leave. She was listening to some soothing music in her headphones, but I saw the worried look on her face. I, too, was worried for our future. During our walk, Sakura had told us about the other Arcania. Apparently, they were a terrorist group called the White Claw. They believed humans to be the weakest race, and thus treated us like cattle. However, although they were a major threat to the balance of the economy, they followed the one rule no race dared to break - never reveal yourself to a human unless no other choice is available. If anyone broke this rule, they were punished by a mysterious entity known as the Seraph. Rumours she’d heard said he’s a divine deity, but no one could be sure. By the time she finished explaining, it was already 6 pm. She walked us back to the dormitory and told us to start packing. “Wait a second” I said. “If what you say is true, then how do we know they didn’t find me before you did? For all we know, they could be right here in the school.” She’d frowned at that, and said she was going to check the perimeter. We made our way up to our room, began packing, and that leads us to the present. “Do you think they managed to find us?” I asked Christen, who looked like she didn’t hear me. I shrugged and turned around to keep packing. “I… I don’t know.” Came the reply after a few seconds. I smiled slightly. “This is just like in the books we used to read as little kids, eh?” I tried changing the subject to lighten the mood. This time, however, I got no reply.

Sakura walked in the door as we shut our suitcases, but her expression was not a good sign. “Byaku, you were right. The White Claw have infiltrated the school.” Sakura had changed her clothes. The miniskirt and t-shirt had been replaced with a thin, black fur coat and black leather boots, both with a white fur trim, a short black top which revealed her stomach and short black jeans. Christen blushed slightly after seeing her, and said “Isn’t that a bit daring?” Sakura smiled slightly, revealing her sharp catlike teeth. “I suppose. You certainly know how to lighten the mood, Miss Kaede. But there’s no time for jokes. Have you got everything you need?” she asked, looking around the now barren room. We both nodded, and she gestured for us to follow her. As the elevator door opened on our floor, Sakura tilted her head over her shoulder and raised her ear. Her body suddenly tensed, and she yelled “Get down!” We did as we were told, and she jumped over us and released her Aura. Almost instantly she was covered in purple flames. She stuck her hand out and, using it as the centre, released a storm of fire that scorched the passage �" and the black-suited girls within it.

“S**t, they’ve found us! You two, take the elevator downstairs and wait for Leone!” And with those words, she ushered us into the elevator and hit the ground floor button. “She smiled and turned around, and we caught a glimpse of her sending one of the girls flying with a punch before the door closed. For the next minute, all we heard were explosions which shook the elevator. When we got to the ground floor, we were greeted with the sly, smiling face of Leone, who had changed her hair colour from purple to silver. “So we meet again, Byaku kun” she said, stepping forward. “Stay away from us, or I’ll burn you to death” I whispered in her ear. “Oh? So Bellthorne taught you how to release your Aura, did she? Well, no matter. I’m on your side for the moment.” We narrowed our eyes at her, and she laughed. “Say what you want, these guys are a pain in my a*s too, so I’m rendezvous point. But, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, things didn’t exactly go according to plan, so I’m taking you there instead. Follow me.”

We left the building and found 5 young girls in business suits waiting for us. Leone looked at the girls around us but merely gave her devilish smile. “You two might wanna get back.” She told us, and she released her Aura. The air started to shimmer around her, the temperature dropping rapidly. The pavement around her started turning a shimmering light-blue as a thin sheet of ice enveloped it, spreading like a plague. The women’s smiles wavered for a second, but recovered surprisingly quickly. One by one, they took slow steps forward, their eyes observing us carefully, looking for any type of opening. “That’s close enough, ladies.” Leone said. All of the girls stopped, but one was either very stupid or over confident and took another step forward. As her foot touched the ground, she stopped and the expression on her face became one of fear. I heard a small cracking noise, like when you put ice in a glass of water, and her skin turned white. “I warned you” she said jokingly, and Leone extended her arm and snapped her fingers. Almost instantly, the other four were enveloped in a thick sheet of ice. “Now that there are no more distractions” Leone said, the air and temperature around her returning to normal and the ice sheets on the concrete dissipating “Let’s get the hell outa here.” As she said that, we heard the sound of a window breaking. We turned around and looked up just in time to see Sakura jumping through the window of our floor, a trail of glass raining down behind her. She landed with catlike precision, her Aura seeming to dissipate. “I hope you didn’t go too overboard while I was away” she said, standing up and looking over at Leone. “Oh, I just froze a couple of their goons who tried to stop us leaving. No big deal.” Sakura looked back at us, and Christen and I gave her a nod. She gave us a feline grin before stretching her arm out in front of her, her Aura flaring up once again �" this time as white flames. The air started to shimmer and distort, but this was different than Leone’s Ice Aura. “I think you two should have the honours.” She gestured for us to walk through the distorted space, and we did. As we entered it, the world around us seemed to fade and disappear. Sakura and Leone came in after us, and the exit also faded and disappeared. “Oh, there’s one thing we forgot to say.” She and Leone walked in front of us, looked over their shoulders, smiled and said “Welcome to the Aura Kingdom.”

Chapter 4 �" A new face

After about 5 minutes of walking, Sakura and Leone came to a halt. “Well, this is our stop” Said Sakura, snapping her fingers. The space ahead of us distorted like the air back at Nexus, and began to gain colour. As we were about to walk through, Christen put her hand in mine. We looked at each other and nodded. Not knowing what awaited us, we stepped through the shimmering air and found ourselves in front of a large, very decorative iron gate. The initials on the front read S.B. “S.B? There’s only one person here with those initials…” Christen and I turned towards Sakura. “You should see the look on your faces” she said, laughing. “Before you ask, yes, this is my property. Now, are you going to stand there looking pretty or are you going to come inside?” We didn’t notice the gate had opened. Sakura took the lead, Leone falling in behind her. “Come on you two, let’s go” said Leone. “Unless you want some private time…” We both blushed and hurried in. As we entered I noticed a faint glow on the gates, but not enough to make any light. The gates closed automatically, and we started our ascent to the top of the hill. When we got to the top, a beautiful sight lay before us. A giant mansion was spread out on the land before us, surrounded by beautiful gardens and courtyards were flowers I’d never seen before shone in the moonlight. As my gaze looked over the mansion, I spotted two figures coming towards us. One was a very tall girl with long, raven hair and yellow feline-like eyes, with dual pistols in her hands. The other was a boy with brown hair and sapphire eyes wearing a cloak made of some type of silver material, a sword in hand and a sheath strapped to his side. As they got closer, I noticed that their faces were calm �" the same kind of calm Sakura displayed in battle. They came to a halt before us, and I gave them the once over. The girl looked about 16, but she was roughly the same size as Christen, which meant that she was a dragoon. She had raven hair which flowed openly behind her, beautiful yellow feline eyes, and a very light skin colour, as well as a substantial chest. The boy had spiky brown hair, cyan eyes which looked as though they’d bore a hole through me, and the same skin colour as the girl. I also noticed that his sword hilt and scabbard had a distinct marking �" a heron, although I wasn’t sure why. They both bowed in front of Sakura, who patted their heads. “Any trouble while I was away?” she asked, gesturing for them to stand up. They looked at each other, then looked toward her and nodded. Sakura’s smile wavered a bit, but quickly recovered. “Oh dear. Blanc again, eh?” They smiled, which seemed to tell her everything. “Well, let’s see what she’s done this time.”

We made our way to the main hall. As we entered, the first thing I noticed was water �" a LOT of water. The main hall was about the size of a school gymnasium, with fountains in every corner that sprayed clear water onto the floor about six metres below. I looked down (bad idea) to find that the entire floor below us was full of water. There were four bridges which lead to the centre platform, one on each side. The centre was surrounded by a glass rail and had a large, ornate table sitting in the middle, as well as a lot of chairs. The platform was held up by columns of some type of white stone. As we crossed the bridge, I noticed someone sweeping the floor on the centre platform. A tall girl with dark-white skin and long, white hair was mumbling to herself as she put down the broom and headed to one of the many benches on the side, in front of the railings. She apparently hadn’t noticed us, as she picked up a book of some sort and started reading. Sakura cleared her throat, and the girl finally noticed us. She put down the book and stood up, heading toward us. She stopped in front of Sakura and, like the other two, bowed. “Evening, mistress” she said, standing upright again. “Don’t you “mistress” me.” Sakura said in a gentle yet firm tone. “What did you do this time?” The girl flinched. She seemed to think something over, but after a few seconds she spoke up. “I tried a new spell, but it ended with me torching half the training room. Avery fixed it, but he told me to do this as punishment.” She sighed, then seemed to notice us. “Hey, is he the one from the contract?” Sakura narrowed her eyes. “Yes, he is. But why do you want to know, Blanc?” The girl �" Blanc �" walked up to me and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “Wha-“I stammered. I turned to Christen, who seemed just as surprised. “Well, well. It’s not often we get cuties like you stay with us.” She smiled, but she was pulled away by Leone before she could do anything else. “That’s enough, sweetie.” Said Leone. I shot her a grateful look. “Blanc, where is Master Avery now?” said the girl with yellow eyes. “Stupid question, Aishuri. Where he always is �" the library.” Responded Blanc. Aishuri and the boy made their way across the bridge and headed through one of the four large archways. “Blanc, please show these two as well as Leone where they’ll be staying for the night. I need to have a word with Avery.” Blanc sighed. ‘Sure, whatever. Come on you three.”

From the main hall, we went across the bridge to the left of the main entrance and through the large archway. Behind the archway, there were three hallways, one each leading to the left, right and front. Blanc led us down the centre corridor. At the end, there were a lot of doors �" probably the bedrooms. She stopped in front of the first one and placed her hand on the door. I heard a click, and she opened it. Inside was a large, double bed with a fireplace in the centre of the room, and a metre long flat screen TV just above that. The walls were painted a dark shade of red, and a carpet was placed in the centre. There were also two very large computers placed neatly against the wall, and connected to two screens which sat side by side on the large desk above them. There was a walk-in closet, and a door which presumably led to a bathroom. “So, what do you think of your new room?” Asked Blanc, gesturing to me. “They’re all pretty much the same, with some slight differences of person preference.” I took a look around. “It’s not bad” I said, not knowing how to react. “Umm, miss Blanc? Is it possible for us to share this room?” asked Christen very shyly. Blanc shot me a questioning glance, but I shrugged. “We’ve always shared a room in the academy” I said. “Academy? My, you are an interesting one…” She attempted to move closer, but got shot down from by a look from Leone. “Sure, you two can share the room. You gonna share the bed too, or want separate beds?” She looked between a blushing Christen and a slightly shocked me. “Umm, we’ll take it �"“I was cut off by Christen before I could finish. “No, the single bed is fine. We’ll share it.” Blanc seemed a bit surprised. She leaned forward. “Is she your girlfriend or something?” I blushed. “No, but I treat her like a sister. She’s all I…” I stopped myself there. Blanc seemed to understand and pulled away. “Now then Miss Leone, please follow me to your room.” Blanc turned to us as they left, bowed slightly, and closed the door. “Well, this day has certainly been… eventful.” I said. “But Christen… I’d like to know why you chose the…” I was cut off because, as I turned around, she almost fell into my arms. “Byaku, I know this is a bit selfish, but please… Just for tonight, I need someone to hold me…” I was a bit surprised, but I wrapped my arms around her and sat her down on the bed. “Christen, everything will be fine” I said, sitting next to her and hugging her. “It’s been a long day. What do you say get some dinner, and hit the hay, yea?” She looked at me, on the verge of tears. “Alright” she said softly.

Shortly after, there was a knock at the door, and Sakura peeked in slightly. “Come in Sakura” I said. She opened the door to reveal a boy with blonde hair standing behind her. She started to smile, but when she saw our expressions it dissipated quickly. “Avery, can you wait in the dining hall? I’ll be there in a second.” The boy nodded, and headed in the direction we’d come. Sakura came in and closed the door behind her, then came and sat beside us on the bed. I noticed she was now wearing a pure black dress. “You guys okay?” She asked leaning over to Christen and gently patting her on the back. “Yea, just a little shaken. Been a long day.” She smiled. “I just wanted to come and make sure you guys had settled in. I know this is all a bit new to you” she said softly “And it may feel like you’ve been thrown into this without being told which way is up, but for now, everything is fine. Nothing can, or ever will, hurt you here. Dinner is ready in the main hall, if you’re hungry. Do you want to eat in your room tonight?” Christen and I looked at each other, and I nodded. “Alright. Is there anything in particular you want?” “Nothing in particular, thanks” I said. “Alright then. I’ll be right back.” After a few minutes, Sakura came back with two plates of meat and salad. “I’ll see you two in the morning, kay?” As she left, I heard Christen mumble “Thank you”. Sakura smiled over her shoulder, and closed the door. After we ate, we went straight to bed �" which, I’ll admit, was a bit awkward since I wasn’t used to sleeping with a girl right next to me. But, just for tonight, I could handle it. I didn’t know what awaited us in the morning, but I wasn’t exactly keen to find out. I fell asleep in a matter of minutes, my mind drifting into a peaceful darkness.

Chapter 5 �" Morning

The next morning, I woke up wondering where the blazes I was. I then remembered the events that took place the previous night, and I felt a bit of despair. “Oh great… just what have I gotten myself into” I mumbled. Well, no use droning on about the past when we have a future to make I thought. I attempted to get up off the bed, but something restricted my movement. I turned pale as I remembered Christen was sleeping in the same bed. I opened my eyes and turned around, only to see her holding onto my arm, her chest pushing against my shoulder. “What the �"“I said, then realised I was on the edge of the bed. I fell off and hit my head, waking Christen up in the process. She sat up and sleepily rubbed her eyes. “Byaku? Byaku, are you there?” She widened her eyes as she looked around. “Down here…” I said, my head aching from the fall. “Great, first thing in the morning and I’ve already got a headache…” I mumbled, rubbing my injured head. “What happened?” Asked Christen, quickly moving to my aid. “U-umm…” I was quite hesitant to tell her that she had “cuddled” my arm last night, lest she hit me over the head, and with her strength, that wasn’t something I could just shrug off. “N-Nevermind that, let’s just get some food. We still don’t have all the answers from Sakura. Agreed?” She nodded, but I saw a worrying glint in her eye. “Hey, I’m fine. When has a little bruise on the head ever stopped me?” She smiled at that. “True, true. Now let’s go see if they’ve got breakfast. I’m starved!” I couldn’t agree with her more, so we got dressed and headed out to the main hall.

The mansion didn’t seem to be a complicated place, as we found our way quite easily and soon heard the sound of flowing water. On the approach, we heard Sakura’s voice echoing through the hallways. We crossed under the Archway and over the bridge to find the large table in the centre littered with plates of meat, fruit and vegetables. “I was wondering when you two were going to get up” Sakura said, greeting us with a smile. “Please, help yourselves. If you want anything, just say the word and it will materialize in front of you.” We looked at each other. Out of curiosity, I ordered two slices of toast with butter and cheese. Moments after I finished my sentence, a plate appeared out of nowhere, along with two crispy pieces of toast with butter, topped with slices of cheddar cheese. I stared at it for a few seconds before taking a bite. It was delicious, much better than the food Nexus provided. I turned to Christen, who’d ordered a light coke and toast with mayonnaise and tuna. “Ah yes, I almost forgot to introduce you Byaku!” Sakura’s words snapped me back to reality. “This is our training director and head of security, Avery di Angelo.” She gestured to the blonde boy sitting next to her. He smiled politely and gave a slight nod, so I returned the motion. “There’s also Akatsuki, but she’s often on her own in her room” She looked up at the archway we came in through and raised her eyebrow. “Oh? Well, well, speak of the devil. Here she is now.” I turned back in my seat to see a girl walking across the bridge. She was wearing jeans and a black shirt, had long purple hair and skin pale as snow, along with crimson eyes and a stare that sent shivers down my spine. “Mm, I was wondering when you’d decide to show up” Blanc said with her mouth full. “Just come to see the new faces” she said somewhat softly, turning towards us. Christen looked forward in her chair, this new girl appearing to frighten her. “Akatsuki, stop” Sakura whispered under her breath. But she slowly started walking toward Christen, a slight chill going through the air. In an instant Sakura was in front of her, her purple Aura flaring around her like she was immolated. “I don’t like repeating myself, Akatsuki” she said, and the chill seemed to vanish, replaced by a warm, welcoming breeze. “Tch” said Akatsuki under her breath. “See ya round, newbies.” She walked back across the bridge and into the hallway, now out of sight. “Sorry about that” Sakura apologised, sitting down again. “She’s not very fond of new people, as you’ve seen. She’ll get used to you over time.” I nodded. Something tells me this is going to be a long day…

~ He’s right, you know. It’s going to be a long day �" in the pool ;) ~

When we’d finished breakfast, Sakura suggested that we all go for a swim to relieve our stress. “That fight made us all tense, even Leone” she said. “And what better way to relieve stress than swimming?” Blanc nudged me on the shoulder. “Especially with five beauties around you” she said. Christen’s face seemed to turn into a furnace. “Hmm? Is something wrong Christen?” I asked. “N-No! I’m fine” she said rather loudly. “So, Sakura, where are we going to swim?” She looked at Blanc and they both giggled. “Hold on a second” I said, noticing that we were missing two people. “Where’s the two that greeted us? The girl and boy.” I tried to think what her name was. “Oh, you mean Aishuri and Bevier?” This came from Leone. “I think they had to take care of some business. But they’ll be joining us later, won’t they Sakura?” She nodded. “Yeah. I mean, they only went on one of those bounty missions. I’ll give their target about an hour, give or take. Now, onto the topic at hand” she said brightly “Avery, can you take them from here? Leone, Blanc and I need to get changed.” Avery nodded. “What about Christen? She also needs to get changed” Sakura lifted a brow. “Oh? I thought you two didn’t like being separated” she said, a confused expression now dawning on her face. “Not in general” I said, blushing “But when we have to change clothes, we do it in separate rooms.” She and Blanc tilted their heads questioningly. “Guys, it’s a human thing” said Leone. They don’t like changing in the same room as their minds tend to… wander, if you know what I mean.” She winked, and Christen lit up like the fourth of July - again. “Oh. Oh, I see.” Said Blanc, now giving us a grin. “Well, it’s up to her. Though If Christen does get changed with Byaku, I’m might join her…” This time, I was the one that went red. “Um, no. Christen, you and the girls get changed. I’ll meet you by the pool, okay?” She nodded. I turned to face the blonde boy. “Avery, was it? Lead the way.”

As we approached the building, I asked a question I was curious about since I’d met Avery that morning. “Say, Avery, what’s your Aura? What shape does it take?” He slowed down a bit, and the air around him started to buzz with power. “Electricity, eh?” He nodded. “Though it’s more commonly known as Lightning. But don’t worry about it for today. Sakura and I talked, and we’ve agreed that it’s best for you to take today off and get used to the mansion. We’ll start with Aura training tomorrow.” As he finished, we reached the door to the building. It was one of those glass sliding doors, but I assumed it wouldn’t break as easily as normal glass. Avery slid the door open, and we stepped into a large, glass dome with a large pool in the centre, surrounded by trees and sun chairs. “Christ, that’s a lot of chairs. How many people are there here?” I asked, my voice the only sound in the room besides the pool pump. “Well, there are normally a lot more students around here, but they’ve all gone to Atlas for the tournament, which you’ll learn more about later.” He looked behind me and smiled. “Took you lot long enough!” I turned around, and my eyes were met with quite a sight. Sakura was wearing a flower print bikini which suited her figure nicely, Leone a bikini with varying shades of blue, Blanc a simple white one piece, and Christen a black bikini. “Well?” Sakura’s words brought me back to earth. “What do you think?” I Blushed. “See? I told you he’d be speechless!” said Blanc, nudging Christen on the shoulder. She looked at me, her face red as a flame. “Well” I said, clearing my throat. “You all look beautiful, I’m not gonna lie.” I was surprised when Sakura and Blanc started blushing. Avery leaned over. “Don’t mind them. They aren’t used to being around humans” he whispered. “Hey Blanc, Race ya!” said Leone, now running toward the pool. “Oh, you’re on!” replied Blanc, sprinting to catch up. Sakura and Christen’s expressions lit up again as they too ran for the pool. I shot Leone a thank you look. She winked in reply. Just then I heard a beep, and Avery pulled a phone out of his pocket. He smiled at the message. “Perfect timing. Hey, Sakura!” he called. “What’s up?” He went to the edge of the pool to show her the phone. She also grinned at the message. “Well, go on! Open the gate!” He nodded, and used his fingers to make a Christian cross in the air. When he did, a light blue circle appeared out of nowhere. It was similar to the one Leone sat on when Sakura broke the stand, but this one had rapidly changing numbers around the edge instead of glyphs and symbols. “A68, open the gate for the students please” he said. Seemingly out of nowhere, a metallic voice spoke. “Yes sir.” I looked around, trying to find the source. “If you’re looking for some kind of speaker, don’t bother.” Said Leone. I looked at her, confused. “It’s magic.” Sakura said, looking at my expression. “Avery, I’m sorry to ask this, but would you be able to meet them at the mansion?” He nodded, and his Aura coiled around him, making a cocoon. When it dissipated, he was gone. “I’m not even going to ask because you’ll tell me I’ll know tomorrow” I said, shaking my head. “Hey Byaku, when are you getting in?” asked Leone. “In a few minutes” I said, removing my shirt. All the girls, excepting Christen, now had looks of wonder on their faces. “Wow… I didn’t think you worked out that much” said Blanc, who had closed all distance and was now poking me in the stomach. “That’s a bit uncomfortable, Blanc…” She looked up, confused. “But we always do this in our culture” she said, giving me a questioning look. “Yes, but you forget that your culture consists mainly of girls.” I watched her expression change as it dawned on her she was poking a male. Her face lit up like the fourth of July, so to cover it she dived back into the pool. “What was that about” asked Avery, who seemingly appeared out of thin air. “Oh, nothing. Just a bit of greetings on Blanc’s part” said Sakura, giving him a wink. “Ah, I see” he replied, resisting the urge to laugh. “Well, I thought you might want to know that they’re all getting changed and heading here to meet him” said Avery, pointing at me. “Wait a second, who’s coming here to meet me?” I asked, curious and a bit concerned. “The other students” answered Sakura. “They’ve just gotten back from the ECDG” I shot Avery a questioning look. “You know the answer.” I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, since we have our new hunter joining us, why don’t we have a pool party?” she asked. Everyone, once again excepting Christen, turned to me. “Why are you all looking at me?” I said, shifting uncomfortably. “Well, you’ll be the reason for the party. We just want to know if you’re okay with it.” Christen and I looked at each other, and she nodded. “Well… If it’s fine with Christen, it’s fine with me. So, when will they be here?” Avery tapped me on the shoulder. “See for yourself”

~ You know, I’m surprised that almost nobody has noticed the hidden character yet… Or am I just good at hiding stuff in plain sight? ~

~ Also, if you want to see accurate pictures look in the “character resemblance” document (may not be out yet, but I’m working on it) ~

Chapter 6 - Dimensions and the ECDG

Sure enough, I turned and there was a horde of teenage girls coming down the pathway. One of the girls in the front seemed to spot me, as they all slowed down and started pointing. Pretty soon, they were all crowded in front of the door, just whispering, staring and giggling. I motioned for Sakura and Christen to join me. “What now, Sakura?” I asked. “Hmm...” She turned to address the crowd. “Alright everyone, settle down. I’d like you all to meet our newest students and a potential hunter for our family.” She nudged us on our shoulders. “H-hello everyone, my name is Byakuran Shirayuri, and this is my friend, Christen Kaede. We look forward to working with you.” We both bowed, and Sakura took it from there. “Right, now that the formalities are over and done with, we’ve agreed to a pool party in their honour. All in favour?” The hall echoed with excited shouts saying yes. “All right then! Let’s get this party started!” She made the same cross Avery did, and the Metallic voice immediately said “Party mode engaged.” The girls flooded into the pool area, and almost all of them flocked toward me, asking me questions. “Now, now, ladies, let’s not get carried away” said Blanc, putting herself between them and myself. “He doesn’t like being crowded, so don’t rush him.” But saying that only seemed to make them want to be near me even more. “That’s quite enough” said a familiar voice. Aishuri walked in the door, Bevier right behind her. She wore the same clothes I’d seen her in yesterday. Bevier was still wearing his normal clothes. “Aishuri, I’m going to hit the hay.” he said. I noticed that he was pale, more so than when we first met. She nodded. “Go on. You deserve it.” She then walked up to me, and the crowd parted, leaving her a pathway. “So, you’re the hunter in training. You certainly look the part.” She looked me in the eyes, and I returned the stare with one of my own. She smiled. “Headstrong too. I’ll be in the pool if you want to chat.” And with that, she turned and headed for the pool. Once she was gone, the girls looked at one another and giggled, then retreated to the many seating areas or got in the pool. “So, what do you think of your new home?” A chill went down my spine as I recognized the voice. I turned around to see Akatsuki standing there, looking at me with somewhat cold eyes. “It’s definitely different, but I’ll get used to it over time.” I replied, trying to hide my discomfort behind a smile. “Listen, about earlier… I’m sorry for scaring you and your friend. I’m always a bit, eh… uncomfortable, around new people because I don’t get out much for certain reasons.” She lowered her head in a slight bow, and I returned the gesture. “I understand. I’m not much of a people person myself. The only friends I’ve ever kept all these years are Christen and…” I stopped myself, and she raised a brow. “Sorry, it’s something Christen and I don’t like to talk about.” But before I could think about it, Christen called me over. “Sorry, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you around?” She nodded, and walked off into the party. I ran over to Christen, who was now sitting on one of the many seats on the side of the pool. “What’s up?” I asked, getting into the water. Christen had always been shy around people, so she had chosen a secluded spot at the edge of the pool. “Byaku, could I stay with you for a bit? It’s just, all these people… I don’t…” I put a finger on her lips. “Hey, it’s fine” I said, taking her hand. “I know you don’t like being around crowds. To be honest I’m also getting sheepish, even if I don’t look the part.” She put her head on my shoulder, her hair soft to the touch. “Thanks partner” I heard her whisper. I held her close for a minute or two. “Now, how about we have some fun?” I said, moving into the pool again. “Oh? I have an idea” she said, giving me a mischievous look. Before I could say anything, she splashed me and swam right past me while I was shielding myself. “You’ll pay for that!” I said, swimming after her.

After a time, Sakura called us over to the counter on the side. “So, what do you guys think of your new home?” She asked. “Well, it’s certainly… different” I replied, looking around. “That’s what Avery said when we first brought him here, and look how he turned out.” She gestured towards the pool, where Avery was chatting to some of the girls. “While some people may seem a bit unsure at first, they get used to this place over time.” I looked towards Christen, who was playing volleyball with some of the girls in the pool. “What about you? How did you first react when you came here?” I asked. Sakura turned her head toward me with a smile. “I own this place, remember?” she laughed, and put her glass down on the counter. It was immediately filled to the brim with some sort of juice. “Thanks 68!” she said, gesturing a glass to the air. “I’d forgotten that. Okay then, what about Blanc?” I felt a cold shiver go up my spine. “What about me?” someone whispered into my ear. “Ah, please get off my back. It’s kind of weird…” She retreated, a mischievous look on her face. “I was just asking Sakura what your time here was like.” She took a seat next to me. “Well, before I came here, like most I lived in Everon, the Arcania capital. It’s a very pretty place. Flowers and trees galore, not to mention the vacation spots they have there.” She seemed to drift away into memories, so I nudged her on the shoulder. “Hmm? Oh, right. Sorry.” She stuck out her hand and a glass came flying from the shelf to meet it. Like with Sakura, it filled instantly with juice. “As I was saying, Everon is a beautiful place. It’s also the home of Gyro and the ECDG.” I raised my hand. “Hold on, hold on, what do you mean? What’s the ECDG and who or what is Gyro?” The girls looked at each other, and Sakura nodded. “Gyro is the creator of the second dimension as well as the Everon Cross Dimension Games, or for short…” “The ECDG” Sakura finished for her. I nodded, keeping pace so far. “Wait, second dimension? You mean there’s more than one world?” They laughed. “Oh yes, a LOT more.” Said Avery, now joining us from the pool. “Every Arcania, at some point, is taught how to create their own dimension, and from that dimension, more venture out to create their own worlds. Right now, there’s too many worlds to count. You could even call it infinite. I have been taught how to create one of my own, but I choose to stay here with Sakura and help her tend the mansion and recruit new students.” He too raised his hand, and another glass came flying out. “How do you do that?” Christen asked, taking a glance at the shelf. “Just stick out your hand think of what you want to drink.” Christen did as he said, and a glass came flying towards her almost instantly. Her natural instinct was to shield herself, but the glass stopped right in front of her and just hovered in the air. “Ah, that never gets old” Sakura said, and they all laughed. “Anyway, there’s one thing Blanc forgot to mention about Gyro.” I turned to Blanc, who was sipping some juice from her glass. “Mm, sorry. It’s so good. Here, want some?” She offered me the glass. “U-um, you do know that’s called an indirect kiss, right?” She looked at me with a cheeky smile. “And here I thought I could trick you… ah well, a girl can try.” She retracted the glass. “About what Sakura said, yea, there’s one thing I forgot to mention. Gyro, as well as creating the second dimension, also created the Arcania species, and all our races.” Christen spat out her juice. “Wait, what?” I raised my hand to her. “Calm down Christen.” I turned to face Blanc again. “Though I do find it a bit hard to believe that such a powerful species such as the Arcania were created. Just how much power does this guy have?” Avery put down his glass. “We’ll get to that tomorrow. I think enough has been said here, don’t you agree Sakura?” She nodded. “Well, I’m going to see Shuri. Bevier was looking a little sickly.” And with those words, she got up and went towards the pool.

The rest of the day passed relatively quickly, with the party carrying on into the late afternoon. By this time, a majority of the students had left but there were a few still playing in the water. Christen and I were chatting when Blanc and some other girls approached us. “Hey you two” she said, taking a seat on the chair next to me. “I’d like to introduce some of my friends.” After a few minutes of introductions, I noticed a girl trying desperately to hide behind Blanc. She noticed me watching, and immediately shrunk behind cover again. “Oh come on now, they won’t bite…” Blanc said, sighing and moving out of the way, revealing the girl hiding behind her. She looked around 10, had long black hair and golden eyes. She squeaked and tried to hide behind Blanc again, but she’d disappeared. “No you don’t” I heard from behind me. I turned around to see Blanc standing behind me, arms crossed and smiling. “You need to learn to make friends, Vera.” The young girl looked around, but Blanc’s friends had stepped back, leaving the poor thing nowhere to run. She cautiously approached Christen and, very shyly, put her hand out. “H-hello… My name is Vera…” I could barely hear her. Christen smiled sweetly and extended her own arm, meeting Vera with a handshake. ”Nice to meet you, Vera” she said. Vera nodded, her face aflame, and came up to me. “N-nice to meet you…” she said softly. “Likewise” I replied, shaking her hand. It was small and soft, just like holding a feather. “Nice to meet you too. I’m assuming you know our names by now?” She nodded. She looked at Blanc, now blushing and motioned for older girl to bend down next to her. She whispered something in her ear, and Blanc’s expression lit up. “Not a bad idea, short stuff!” She came to stand next to us. “So, have you two ever seen a hoverbike?”

Chapter 7 �" A not so Relaxing Evening...

Blanc led us down one of the many hallways that led throughout the mansion, chatting with her friends. As we passed under one of the large stone archways leading outside, I noticed two metal strips on either side of the wall. “What are those?” I asked. One of the girls turned to look at it. “Oh, those are just the blast doors. Don’t worry, we haven’t had to use them yet.” That’s a bit concerning... I thought, stepping between them as quickly as possible with Christen right on my heels, holding my hand as always. When we entered the garden, the first thing that stood out was the massive building in front of us. It was shaped like a sphere, using triangular panels to form a roof. After the first few panels followed the pattern upwards, they changed to triangular pieces of glass, the only exceptions being the panels connecting to the three large support beams that curved around the structure. “That’s what we call the Phase sphere. You’ll see why when we go in.” When we got to the entrance, the first thing I heard was a roaring crowd. Blanc, looking confused, asked one of the girls what was going on. “Guys, come in quick! They’re about to start a race!” The girls around us rushed inside, Blanc pulling us in too. She led us to the front row where we stood in front of what looked like a race track. I looked around and saw two people mounting what looked like motorbikes… but with giant fans instead of wheels. They leaned down to grip the handlebars and a countdown timer began. “Race beginning in three…” the metallic voice resonated through the dome “two… one… begin” The engines roared to life and the two machines �" hoverbikes, from what Blanc told me �" rushed past us, leaving nothing but wind from their large turbine blades. As they passed, the safety rings on the side of the track and what looked like a defensive blue force-field sprang up from them, muffling the noise of the turbines. Then, out of nowhere, we heard a loud crash and the grinding of blades against metal. Blanc looked at the others. They all nodded, and started bolting through the crowd with me and Christen not far behind. Just then, a screen appeared out of nowhere, and on it was a live video of the track �" the only exception being a hoverbike stuck in the barrier. The blue light had flared up from the safety barriers, ensnaring the machine and halting it. The girls all jumped back to avoid the spinning blades, but Vera jumped over everyone and landed in the centre of the opening. She closed her eyes, and the air began to whirl around her body. She thrust her arm outwards and the hoverbike flew out of the blue light, taking the rider with it. The crowd gasped and many of the girls tried to run towards the rider. They aren’t going to make it... I thought. I started sprinting towards her, and time seemed to slow down. My heart racing, my body began to feel lighter… and lighter. Before I knew what had happened, I was on the track with the rider in my arms. The girls looked at me in shock. “What’s going on here?” Sakura had appeared out of thin air, Avery and Akatsuki at her sides. She looked around and spotted me holding the rider. She approached us, and put her hand on the girl’s arm. I noticed that the area around it was red - stained with blood. Her jumpsuit had red spots all over. “Are you okay?” asked Sakura caringly. The girl winced a bit as Sakura pressed the wound, a small squeak escaping from inside her helmet. “Blanc, take Byaku and Anae to Grace’s office.” Blanc nodded, and motioned for me to follow. I did so, Christen falling into line behind me like some soldier. It was a natural habit for her I guess, since we never went anywhere without each other.

Blanc once again led us through the hallways, which were now silent as the grave, with the exception of our footsteps. As I looked out the pale window, I spotted gray clouds on the horizon. “Hey, Blanc, what’s the weather normally like here?” I asked, a bit concerned “Hm… It’s normally sunny, but there are occasional storms.” I looked out the windows again, watching the sun begin to set behind the lush, green hills. “Well, Here we are.” We stopped in front of a door which had the words “nurse” printed on the top. Blanc opened it and entered, not bothering to knock. I followed her example, Christen hot on my heels. The first thing I noticed was the amount of medical equipment. The entire room was packed with monitors and machines of varying sizes, excepting the window that gave a view of the gardens outside. Sitting in a chair facing one of the monitors was a young girl with short, blonde hair that reached down to her shoulders and extremely pale skin. She was a little taller than Sakura, and was wearing a plain white dress. She appeared to be busy writing something, and didn’t even look up when we came in. “Grace.” She jumped a bit at the mention of her name. She sighed and turned to Blanc, who greeted her with a warm smile. “Well now, this is unexpected.” She grumbled. Only then did she notice us. She looked at us, or rather me, wide eyed. “Blanc, is that a…” Blanc nodded. “Yes, he’s a human just like Avery.” Grace approached me slowly and began to poke me in the stomach. “So they really are like us... “ I cleared my throat. Grace seemed to notice that I was holding a wounded girl and sighed. “Let me guess” she said, straightening up. “Another incident?” asked Grace. “Bingo” Sighed Blanc. “You, lay her down on the bed.” Grace ordered. After I placed Anae on the bed, she approached one of the large draws on the side. She pulled out what looked like a bandage with some sort of hieroglyphics or symbols, and placed it on Anae’s arm. She closed her eyes, and the markings began to glow a warm green.

Anae seemed to relax, her muscles releasing. “She should be fine by the end of the day.” Said Grace calmly. “I’m fine right now. I can still race” said Anae, trying to get up off the bed. But her efforts were in vain because Grace pushed her back down almost without effort. “Honey, you have an incident at almost every race we have.” Says Blanc caringly. “I know it’s your passion to become a racer, but maybe you’re just not cut out for…” I cleared my throat again. “Umm, I don’t mean to interfere, but maybe it isn’t her fault.” Everyone, excepting Grace, looked at me curiously. “You’re thinking sabotage?” Grace seemed to pick up on it pretty fast. “Hey, Anae was it?” She nodded. “Mind if I take a look at your bike?” She narrowed her eyes, but nodded again. I turned to leave the room, becoming for Blanc to follow. As we left, Sakura came into view down the hall. “Is Anae alright?” She asked. “She’s fine, sis. No need to worry.” She sighed. “Why is it that every single time we have a race, someone or another gets injured…” Blanc nudged my shoulder. “It may not be the racers.” Sakura looked up at me, frowning.

Author's Note

Before you comment, yes, I am aware that we have made the story a bit fast paced.
it was intended this way.