Blaze The Past

The summer sun scorched the tar road to Juran High School. However, life buzzed beyond the school gates despite of the blazing heat. Afternoon lessons had ended. A steady stream of chattering students flowed out from the school's main doors and quickly poured out of the gates. Each group formed their usual cliques as they talked about what desert should they get or whether they should go to the arcade to play a few games; others just simply chatted about what happened during their daily lives.

Everyone were within their own groups except for one guy. He carried a small novel in his right hand and a deck of cards in the other. As he quickly browse through the book, his other hand was consistently skilfully splitting the deck and placing the lower half on top of the other.

"Hey, Nelouch!"

A crisp voice came as a sudden impact struck his left shoulder. The hit caused Nelouch to lose his grip. Cards broke free from his grip and gently fluttered to the ground; making the ground littered with his cards. Quickly, he regained composure and spun around to face the voice's source.

A girl standing akimbo as she pouted faced Nelouch. She was a beauty; she had long black silky hair that reached her waist and features that reflected the impression of a fleeting sheet of falling sakura petals. Although she seemed rather pissed with her narrowed brows, it was still adorable and not something to be afraid of. However he knew that she would never get angry about such things.

"Why didn't you wait for me," she questioned as her hands motioned towards herself, "Even when I was just talking to my friends."

Nelouch shook his head and sighed. Then he bent over to pick up his cards, "Well, I do know that you would catch up with me," he paused and looked at her," It has always been like that, hasn't it?"

"But it would've been better if you stopped there and joined in," the beauty knelt beside him and started picking up his cards, "Ah, ah. You've always been like that."

"What? All I just need is you."

Nelouch did not look at her as he spoke but focused on picking up his cards.

"Hm. Then make some friends if I am that important."

Nelouch collected the stack of cards that she had collated and squared the deck of cards. There both of them got up and started walking side by side.

"Well, sooner or later you would drag me to some of your outings and stuff," Nelouch started breaking his deck again and spoke matter-o-factly. Anya smiled as he just confidently stated those facts.

They were slowly taking a stroll down the pavement as random topics came up. Then Anya gave a thoughtful look and smiled. Gracefully, she spun around and started walking backwards while facing Nelouch.

"Say, your eighteen birthday is coming right? Three days from now."

She leaned forward and stared into his eyes as she confirmed whether it was so. Nelouch nodded to her answer while various thoughts ran through his mind. As Anya continued to devise a plan during his birthday to meet new friends, Nelouch's thoughts went on like this, Eighteen huh? So I still have three more days before hell break's lose.

Hell. Nelouch smiled wryly. That was right, that day he saw what hell was like and had to accept terms under such pressing conditions. Five months ago, a strange man barged into his house at night. He remembered staring right into the man's ember red eyes as he spoke. All that guy said was five months from now, he would face the competition for power. Then his body just burnt to ash and just within seconds that ash scattered everywhere. It was just like magic, so unreal that-

"Oi! Are you listening?"

Anya swung her bag and used it to hit Nelouch's head as she questioned angrily. Rubbing the back of his head, Nelouch just sighed and grabbed hold of Anya's arm.

"You were planning to get a birthday party for me right?"

The petite girl smiled and nodded and continued to discuss her plans. Well, that was fine, cause he had missed the whole beginning of school. That was why he had no cliques to stick with. Nelouch smiled and started questioning her plans as he knew that she had never been good at planning. 

Later that night, Nelouch laid on his bed as he recounted the remaining words that the stranger had said. He raised and stretched his hand out like as though reaching for something. He remembered that he was on the verge of death. Everyone else, his parents and siblings were dead. That man killed them all. Yes, they were killed.

That night the whole family was in the living room as they watched a variety show together. A sudden red hot glow appeared at the corner of the room and that glow expanded in size rapidly before unleashing a wave of extreme heat across the whole house. It only took seconds. In a few seconds, the heat wave blasted off the flesh off the bones of his family, leaving nothing but just charred bones. That few seconds was all it took to rupture and implode their house.

Then the man with gleaming red eyes appeared in front of him. Those eyes pierced through Nelouch as he grinned. His hand reached out to Nelouch. To live or die. That was what he was implying. Nelouch did not want to consider death. That was when he took that hand. That cursed hand.

"Oh? You're quite a strong one," the man's flesh started to turn to ash as he spoke," Who would have thought that you would consume all five."

With that parting last words, he disappeared. Shortly after the fire-fighters came and managed to rescue the sole survivor. Which was believed to be impossible with such damage done. As for now-

A gentle knock on his door could be heard. Following that, the door opened and Anya popped her head in. Her long silky hair flowed down and should signs of being wet. Skilfully, she wrapped her hair up and spoke in a refreshing voice.

"Nelouch, I'm done with the bath already. It's your turn now."

Nelouch smiled,"Ah, I'll go now."

As he stood up, he thought, "Yes, Anya's family being close friends of my parents, they decided to take me in."