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SilverTorch

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Akiri lie on a soft white bed back in his home village Maice. Long white bandages were wrapped around his chest. Faintly visible around the area where his arm used to be was blood seeping slowly through each layer of bandage. The bleeding had slowed to a near halt but it couldn't completely be stopped. His eyes were closed and there was no movement under the lids. Someone passing by could easily mistake him for a recently deceased person. All medical personnel had left the hospital room because there was nothing left that they could do, just let the body heal itself. Only one person stood at the end of his bed and watched him.

It was Aimi. Her eyes were bloodshot from both crying and  drowning her guilt in alcohol. This young man's dreams are going to be severely hindered because of her. She felt as if she should have been able to protect him. But she couldn't, she wasn't even near the bar when all this happened. None of what she felt mattered though, Akiri was the one who lost the arm. He was going to need someone to help him through the inevitable struggle he was going to have adjusting to his new handicap.

 Best case scenario, he remains in his training but is moved to a lower tier. Worse case scenario, he is expelled from his training. Whichever the case, Aimi was going to help him cope with it.

A man in clean white clothing entered the hospital room.

"He's going to be alright Mrs. Koguma. You can go home, it's getting late."

 "I know..."

 She seemed reluctant to go but left anyway. She didn't want to intrude any further on the hospitals hospitality. Visiting hours ended an hour ago.

 Aimi took one last look at Akiri then left.

Your body is broken...your prison is broken

We are free now, free to feast on your world. The Hidden Life will fall to it's knees before our might.

 The next morning Akiri began to arouse from his rest. The first thought, image, that went through his head was a green oasis with towering mountains on all sides. A clear stream ran through the middle of it and vegetation thrived on both sides of it. In the middle of all of this was an ancient tree.

 "Akiri? Are you awake?"

He moved his body around a little to tell the person talking to him that he was awake. His mind lingered on the fact that he had no left arm to move.

 "Sir, he's awake."

Akiri heard some movement and some talking between two people. Someone left the room, then someone else entered.

"Akiri, thank god your awake." It was Aimi. Funny, she was one of the last people Akiri would expect to be there. She never talked to him except when she was teaching him something.

"Yeah...I think I am." He was still dazed from his long sleep.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I should of scouted ahead I'm so sorry th-"

 "It's ok." He tried to put a smile on.

She put a strained smile on as well.

Akiri's eyes were open now. They were dark green and looking at Aimi. Behind her some fellow students of his were walking in.

 "Hey Akiri..."

"We came to see how you were doing."

It was Asa, Tsubasa, and Mizu. They weren't his friends but they weren't mean to him either.

 "Hey." Akiri immediately got self conscious of his missing appendage. He knew they were looking at him with pity. Nothing was worse than people's unwanted pity.

 Asa began to cry a little as she saw him lying there. She was one of the kids who cried when they first saw him lying outside the bar in a pool of his own blood.

Mizu patted her on the back.

"It's ok, he's fine."

"It-It's not that, I s-saw who did this. I saw h-him do it. "She started to cry harder.

 Everyone in the room was suprised to hear this. She hadn't told anyone yet, not even Mizu, her boyfriend. Aimi put her hands on Asa's shoulders and turned her so she was looking into her face.

"Tell me who did it Asa."

"I d-don't know." She was covering her face now. Mizu was trying to comfort her.

 Akiri's eyes turned blank.

"I saw him, before I blacked out."

Everyone looked at him now, except for Asa who was still crying. 

"He had his face covered up.....I forget the rest"

Except for the fact that he looked like the beast from your dreams

 That voice again.

Aimi was the first to say anything, "We're already looking for him, we have very little to go on but we're still looking for him."

She sounded positive like they would find him soon but she looked discouraged. 

 "Mizu, I think we should get Asa back to her house. She dosn't seem ready for this." Tsubasa said.

Mizu nodded and guided Asa out of the room with Tsubasa following.

"Goodbye Akiri."

Akiri nodded at Tsubasa.

"Well I better leave now as well and let the doctors take care of you." Aimi smiled at him and left. The doctors entered as soon as she left as if they were waiting outside for everyone to leave.

"Here, drink this tea. It will help you feel better."

One of the female doctors handed Akiri a cup of tea. He bowed his head slightly and said thank you. He had the strongest urge to hold the cup with both hands. A tear rolled down his cheek.