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Chapter 02 ~ A cell (Part2)

  Chapter 02 ~ A cell (Part2)

  The golden light of the cell flickered—just once. A tremor of shadow, then it returned, steady and warm. Shiroha’s words still lingered in the air, caught between conviction and doubt. Akira’s blue eyebrows twitched, and a short laugh escaped him.

  “Oh, come on now... like that would ever happen.”

  Her eyes narrowed slightly. “What do you mean?”

  He looked down at his skinned fingers, blood crusting over the raw surface. Then he turned his hands, staring at their calloused palms as his voice turned quiet—almost bitter.

  “I’ve spent my whole life weaker than every boy my age. Even younger ones,” he said.

  “My strength, my speed… everything. I’ve always been the worst. The weakest. My body can’t endure or compete. That’s why… Awakening is my only hope, Shiroha.”

  His tone shifted. A dreamy gleam flickered in his violet eyes as he smiled faintly, the words lifting like a quiet prayer.

  “Awakening, Shiroha! Once my power manifests—just one spark—maybe a useless orphan like me could finally mean something. I could become a knight. An adventurer. Anything. I don’t care if I get conscripted or tossed into war. I just wanted… to matter. To be seen.”

  He met her gaze, his smile carrying a strange joy.

  “That’s why I was happy when I was taken. Even if it was forced… it meant someone needed me.”

  Then he added quickly, “Not as a slave, obviously. I’m not sorry for what I did in the carriage. I mean, I might need your help someday, sure. But that doesn’t mean you're my slave. I will be just… grateful.”

  He paused, then declared proudly, “That’s the kind of bond I want—real, human connection. I want to be someone people can rely on. Someone who gets thanked, praised… admired. But with this body?”

  He looked down, then met her eyes again—serious now.

  “That’s impossible. Unless… unless I Awaken. I need one of the Seven Elements. I need it.”

  He pointed toward her, frustration creeping into his voice. “So tell me—what the hell am I supposed to do with a bunch of cursed numbers?!”

  Akira’s voice trembled as he waved his hand through the air, trying in vain to dismiss the symbols above Shiroha’s head. They flickered, unchanged.

  “This interface… this name… this glowing trash—I don’t want any of it! I just want one thing. Just one damn element. Something—anything—that makes this miserable life worth living!”

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  His voice cracked as he shouted, his words echoing against the cell’s stone ceiling—the barred hatch above rattling in its frame.

  Shiroha’s golden eyes never left him. She looked at him not with pity, but with a strange intensity. For a moment, her lips parted, uncertain. Her expression almost wavered. But then, the resolve returned.

  Her voice, low and sharp, cut through the heavy air.

  “So what? You’re just going to cry forever in here? Or will you actually try to understand your ability?”

  Akira’s violet eyes trembled.

  Her tone hardened, her breath sharp with memory.

  “Do you know how many people laughed at me when my power appeared three years early? When it didn’t belong to any of the Seven Elements? Do you know how pathetic and useless my Awakening was back then?!”

  Her voice broke slightly, then steadied.

  “I cried. A lot. But then… I stood up. Because we’re human—we grow. Through experience. Through pain. Being at the bottom doesn’t mean you’ll stay there forever.”

  She stood.

  Golden fire sparked in her eyes. Her blonde hair floated upward as if weightless, caught in a rising breeze of magic. Then, in a trembling voice that tried to sound steady, she said:

  “Listen to me—and remember these words. Never say that kind of trash again.”

  Her voice rose like a blade.

  “The difference between a failure and someone who succeeds… is that the failure cried and stopped. But the one who won wiped their tears—and stood back up. Like me!”

  The walls of the golden-lit cell groaned.

  Hairline cracks spread across the stone. The floor trembled. A thin line of dust trickled from the ceiling as the light above flickered—off, then on again.

  Akira stood frozen in awe. He watched as the golden glow faded from her eyes, her floating hair settling gently back against her shoulders. The trembling stopped.

  And still, she stared at him—confident, unshaken. Unmovable.

  He stared back, his expression slowly softening into something close to… wonder.

  Footsteps.

  The unmistakable clatter of armored boots echoed from the corridor outside. A squad of silver-clad knights ran down the hall, weapons at their sides.

  Shiroha didn’t flinch.

  They arrived before the cell, their leader barking, “What was that tremor?!”

  One knight squinted. “There are cracks all over the cell wall!”

  He pointed at the two captives.

  “Which of you rats activated their ability?! Speak!”

  Shiroha turned her eyes toward Akira, then calmly lifted her chin. She smiled—gentle, apologetic.

  “My deepest apologies. I must’ve… dozed off. It seems my power flared from a nightmare. I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience.”

  The knights looked at each other. Unease flickered in their eyes.

  “If this happens again,” one said coldly, “you’ll face maximum punishment, girl.”

  She bowed slightly. “Understood. Thank you for your kindness.”

  The knights muttered something, then turned and walked off, their boots fading down the corridor.

  Only then did she return to the corner of the cell and sit down gracefully.

  “You’ll be in this cell with me for three days,” she said, her tone even. “During that time, I’ll be conducting a full analysis of your ability… and your personality. You—and I—are going to leave this place far stronger than when we entered.”

  Akira blinked at her, then spoke in a low voice.

  “I get how I might improve with your help… but what could you possibly gain from helping me?”

  Shiroha smiled faintly.

  “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “But I enjoy talking with you.”

  She looked up, voice thoughtful.

  “Because of you, I’m sitting in a cell instead of attending my Awakening test. But for some reason, I’m not mad. In fact… I want to stay here. I don’t even know why. There are so many things I don’t understand, but one thing feels certain…”

  She placed a hand over her chest.

  “…Being here with you feels right. Deep down, I know it’s right.”

  Akira exhaled softly. He leaned back, then tilted his head.

  “…I think I’ve just met the most annoying, strangest person I’ll ever know.”

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