Aria and Kuro

I sat slumped against the cold, damp wall of my cell, my knees pulled up to my chest. The rain
drummed steadily against the stone, reminding me of the storm outside. My green hair hung limp
around my face, tangled and dirty. The stale bread and murky water by the door were untouched—I
didn't care anymore. The emptiness inside me outweighed physical hunger.
A shackle encircled my wrist—a suppression device. Cold metal etched with glowing runes that pulsed
in time with my erratic heartbeat. It shut down my magic, leaving me helpless.
The days in this prison had all blurred together, each one more unbearable than the last. The damp,
cold walls of the cell seemed to sap my strength day by day, the darkness pressing in on me like a
physical weight. The shackle around my wrist was a constant reminder of what I had lost—my magic,
my freedom, my hope.
It had been at least a week since I'd been thrown into this place, but it felt like a lifetime. The constant
taunts from the guards, the stale bread that made my stomach turn, and the overwhelming isolation had
worn me down. I couldn't sleep; every creak, every footstep outside my cell sent a wave of panic
through me. I kept thinking of Layne, of what had happened, and my mind twisted in on itself until I
couldn't tell what was real anymore. My thoughts were a mess, a tangled knot of fear, regret, and rage
that tightened more every day. I felt like I was losing myself in the darkness, and I didn't know how
much longer I could hold on.
My fingers hovered over the device, quivering. Each breath felt like a struggle, my chest tight with
panic. The walls seemed to close in.
Two rugged-looking girls were dragged past my cell, their wrists bound in chains as they struggled
against the guards. Their faces were bruised, and their clothes were tattered. The guards barely spared
me a glance as they threw the girls into a nearby cell, the clang of the iron door echoing down the
corridor. The girls shot me a hollow look, their eyes vacant and haunted, before the guards shoved
them behind the bars.
The guard who had thrown them in turned to me, his expression twisted with cruelty. He looked me up
and down, a sneer spreading across his face. "Disgusting. You're not even worth playin' with," he spat.
I stared at the shackle on my wrist, my breathing growing more ragged. The walls felt like they were
getting smaller, pressing in, making it impossible to breathe. I just wanted to heal myself, to make this
pain go away, but my magic was gone; I felt helpless. I clutched my wrist, my fingers trembling.
The two girls in the other cell were crying, one of them muttering prayers while the other just stared at
the floor, defeated. I could hear the guards talking and laughing from down the corridor, their voices
dripping with malice.
"They don't even fight back no more, huh?" one of the guards said, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Ain't no fun when they stop tryin'," the other guard responded with a cruel grin.
Their laughter grated on my ears. I clenched my jaw, my fingers digging into my arm. My chest
tightened as another wave of panic hit me. I closed my eyes, trying to push it all down, but the voices
wouldn't stop.
My heart pounded, the runes on the shackle pulsing with each beat. I could feel the magic inside me,
buried deep, struggling against the suppression. I needed to get it off. I needed to breathe. Anything. I'll
do anything to make it stop.
One of the guards walked back over to my cell, tapping the bars with his sword. "Hey, witch. You still
alive in there?"
I looked up, my eyes stinging with tears. He grinned at me, his eyes full of contempt. "Ain't nobody
gonna help you, even if ya begged. You're just a worthless murderer."
"I didn't..." I started, my voice barely a whisper.
He banged the sword against the bars, making me flinch. "Save it. No one cares. You killed a
Sakamoto. Ain't no way they're letting you outta here, ever."
I bit my lip, the taste of blood sharp in my mouth. My whole body trembled, my vision blurring. The
shackle felt like it was burning, the runes searing into my skin. I couldn't think, couldn't breathe. The
laughter, the insults, the cold, damp cell—it was all too much. My eyes dropped to the suppression
bracelet on my wrist.
Take it off.
The guard glared at me, shaking his head. "Pathetic. Don't you have any idea what you've done, girl?"
My head snapped up, my eyes bloodshot and wide. The guard glared at me, his expression a mix of
disgust and twisted satisfaction. "Killing a Sakamoto... you're either brave or incredibly stupid."
"I didn't!" I cried, my voice cracking. "Layne must've been controlled! I would never—"
"Spare me your lies," he growled, banging his sword against the bars. "People like you don't deserve
mercy."
Take it off.
The words pounded in my head, repeating, drowning out everything else. My vision blurred, my body
trembling as the shackle burned against my skin.
"Please," I whispered, tears streaking my dirty face. "I can't... breathe." I felt myself slipping, like I was
starting to lose control of my thoughts.
The guard rolled his eyes, smirking. "Maybe I'll have a go at you anyway, even like this."
"Please... take it off," I whispered, my voice shaky and raw, barely more than a breath.
My breathing became ragged, and my sense of reality felt as if it were slipping away, like I was losing
all connection to my body. The cell twisted around me, its edges blurring, and the guard's face shifted
into something nightmarish, his mocking glare burning itself into my memory.
"What the hell are you babbling about now?" the guard muttered, his tone shifting, a hint of uncertainty
creeping in. The guard's confident grin faltered for a second, his eyes narrowing as if trying to figure out
what was happening. "You're really losing it, aren't ya?"
I could feel my heart racing, the panic twisting inside me, choking me. I needed to get it off. My vision
tunneled, and my hands clenched around the shackle on my wrist. The guard started to back away, his
face changing as he saw the wild look in my eyes—a flicker of fear, of hesitation.
"Take it off!" I screamed, my voice raw, echoing through the corridor. It bounced off the crumbling stone
walls, filled with desperation. The power inside me surged, the red light blazing from the shackle as it
cracked, then shattered into pieces. The fragments flew across the cell, and the air vibrated with an
intense hum that built into a deafening roar.
A burst of crimson erupted from me, shattering the bracelet on my wrist. The fragments flew across the
cell as the entire room shook violently. Cracks spread across the ground like spiderwebs, and the walls
began to crumble, revealing the outside. Rain poured in through the hole in the wall, soaking the
crumbling debris as it mixed with the dust. The storm outside seemed to mirror the chaos within me, the
sound of water pounding against stone barely audible over the ringing in my ears. I coughed, each
breath burning in my lungs. My hands trembled as I stared at the destruction, the force within me
feeling foreign—wild, dangerous, and completely out of my control.
What did I just do?
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of boots squashing in the muddy corridor as they rushed
toward me. I turned to see guards flooding into the corridor, their faces pale. They surrounded me,
weapons drawn, their voices panicked. The corridor was dimly lit, filled with dust and debris from the
crumbling walls, and the guards' eyes were wide with fear, their weapons pointed toward me through
the gaping hole where my cell used to be.
"That's her! Stop her before she kills us all!" one of them yelled, though his voice shook.
"I-I didn't mean..." I stammered, stepping back. The weight of what I'd done pressed on me, but there
was no time to think.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of boots squashing in the muddy corridor as they rushed
toward me. I turned to see guards flooding into the corridor, their faces pale. They surrounded me,
weapons drawn, their voices panicked. The corridor was dimly lit, filled with dust and debris from the
crumbling walls, and the guards' eyes were wide with fear, their weapons pointed toward me through
the gaping hole where my cell used to be.
"That's her! Stop her before she kills us all!" one of them yelled, though his voice shook.
"I-I didn't mean..." I stammered, stepping back. The weight of what I'd done pressed on me, but there
was no time to think.
Kuro's Intervention
Before the guards could advance, a figure emerged from the settling dust behind them—a man I
remember seeing in the tavern. His grey hair framed a face that looked amused, and his sharp eyes
held a mischievous glint. He walked forward, taking a sip from a flask.
What's he doing here?
The guards hesitated. One of them stepped forward, glaring at the newcomer. "Kuro! You're not
supposed to be here!" he shouted, his voice trying to mask his unease. The other guards exchanged
concerned glances, their grip on their weapons tightening as they eyed Kuro warily.
Kuro raised an eyebrow, his grin growing wider. "Well, look who’s trying to be brave," he said casually.
Before the guard could react, Kuro moved swiftly. Shadows gathered around him, dark tendrils
extending toward the guard. In an instant, the guard was impaled, his body crumpling to the ground.
The other guards watched in horror, their courage visibly fading.
Murmurs spread among them. Fear took root.
The big guard in front stepped forward, his muscles tense beneath his armor. "Well, look who decided
to show up. Kuro, back to cause trouble?"
Kuro grinned, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Interfere? Me? I wouldn't dream of it, Gramp."
"It's Grant," the guard snapped, his face reddening.
"That's what I said," Kuro drawled, a lazy grin spreading across his face. "Well, Gramp, why don't you
and your friends step aside? The kid and I have somewhere to be."
"Over my dead body," Grant growled, drawing his sword.
Kuro sighed, taking another swig from his flask. "If you insist."
Grant charged, his heavy footsteps echoing in the corridor. Kuro barely moved, sidestepping the first
swing easily. Another strike, and Kuro dodged again, his movements almost casual.
"You're making this too easy," Kuro taunted, his voice mocking.
Enraged, Grant lunged forward. In a swift motion, Kuro extended his hand, black magic pulsing from his
fingertips. Shadows coiled around him, snaking along the ground like living tendrils. The temperature
dropped, a biting cold settling into the air.
Dark spikes erupted from the floor, sharp and deadly. Grant's eyes widened in shock as he was
impaled, his momentum stopped instantly. He crumpled to the ground, the life fading from his eyes.
I gasped, horror and disbelief battling inside me. Did he really just kill him? The other guards
exchanged panicked glances before turning and running, their courage shattered.
Kuro stepped over Grant's lifeless body without a care. "Well, that's disappointing," he muttered.
My heart pounded. "Why... why did you do that?" I whispered. It was the first time I'd ever seen
someone die right in front of me. The horror of it twisted in my stomach, and I couldn't tear my eyes
away from the crumpled body on the ground. The realization that I was free, but at the cost of
someone's life, left me feeling sick and numb.
He glanced at me, curiosity in his gaze. "I've got a bit of history with this place. Besides, we have
common enemies."
I frowned, confusion clear in my eyes. "Enemies? I don't have any enemies."
Kuro chuckled softly. "You'd be surprised." He gestured toward the exit. "Shall we?"
Before I could respond, a wave of dizziness hit me. The adrenaline was fading, and the toll of
everything weighed heavily on me. My hands trembled, and a familiar tightness gripped my chest.
I had to heal. I placed my hands over my heart, closing my eyes. A soft green glow came from my
palms, wrapping around me like a warm hug.
The healing spread from my chest, down my arms, and into my fingertips, like a gentle wave washing
over me. A faint blush rose to my cheeks. My breathing steadied, each inhale bringing me strength and
calm.
The tension in my muscles eased, the fear began to fade. The warmth sharpened my senses, the
weight in my limbs lifted. My magic pulsed in time with my heartbeat, creating a calming rhythm. My
knees buckled slightly, and I caught myself against the wall as the glow faded. I caught Kuro watching
me, his expression unreadable.
"You hurt or something?" he asked, his brow furrowed.
I blinked, realizing he had seen me healing myself. My face grew red, and I stammered, "Oh, uh... no,
just a scratch. I'm fine."
Kuro shrugged, turning toward the exit. "Alright then. Let's get moving before more guards show up."
I hesitated. "Why are you helping me?"
He glanced over his shoulder, a sly smile on his lips. "Like I said, we have the same enemies."
I ran a hand through my tangled hair, trying to shake off the dizziness. "I don't understand."
"Unfortunately, you will," Kuro replied cryptically.
We moved through a trashed courtyard, debris scattered everywhere as we made our way to the gate.
The rain continued to fall, soaking everything, drumming against the stones in a steady rhythm. I
glanced back, catching sight of the ragged girls in their cells, their haunted eyes meeting mine. Guilt
twisted inside me—I wanted to help them, but there was nothing I could do now. I turned away,
following Kuro toward the exit.
We stepped into the cool night air, and I took a deep breath. The sky stretched above us, full of
stars—a stark contrast to the suffocating cell I'd been in. The chill of the night made me uneasy, but at
least I was finally out.
I had no idea where Kuro was taking me, but even the unknown felt better than the darkness I'd just
escaped.