Conflicts Within

The sound of plates being washed echoed from Akari’s room.

Her mother, Hikari — with long white hair that matched her pale skin — called out to her.

“Akari, hurry up or you’ll be late for school,” she said.

“I’m already up, you don’t have to worry about me, Mom,” Akari replied, a gentle smile on her face.

“Someone’s excited for school,” her mother teased.

“It’s not like that, Mom… Mom, I didn’t tell them my second name when I introduced myself yesterday.”

Suddenly, the sound of clattering plates stopped.

“Why?” her mother asked quietly.

“I told you, I’m not going to sit back and do as they say.”

The sharp sound of a hand hitting the table filled the air — loud and clear.

It was her mother, her face tense with worry.

“You know how people are — they fear us, hate us, and resent us. Why can’t you understand—”

“Mom, what I can’t understand is why they hate us when we’re the ones protecting them!”

“Akari, our powers are dangerous. Exposing them will only put you in danger.”

“Even though we’re light magic users?”

Akari stood up from the dining table, leaving her mother behind.

“Hiding my powers also means hiding them when someone needs help.

If they knew, maybe they could come to me for it. I’m going now.”

“Have you become like this because of what happened back then, Akari?”

There was no answer.

Akari had already left — or maybe her mother knew and was only asking herself.

⸻

Five Years Ago

⸻

“Yami, help me!”

Akari called out, though she wasn’t sure if Yami heard her — or if she even could.

Everything around her fell silent. She was still learning to use her magic. With her current strength, even a weak yokai felt impossible to defeat.

Her only wish was to defeat the yokai and grow stronger. But now, she lay on the ground, unable to move, her voice trembling as she called out for the one person she hadn’t expected to come.

A white silhouette appeared before her — unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar.

“I told you not to do reckless things, Akari.”

“I… I’m sorry.”

It was all she could say, though countless questions filled her mind.

In a second, the air turned white and cold, as if time itself had stopped.

A glowing white magic stone appeared in front of Yami. With one clear goal in mind, he unleashed all his power to erase the cause of his friend’s suffering.

He wasn’t the only one who had come to save her. Hikari — Akari’s mother — had also arrived, only to witness something unbelievable:

a Kurokami using Shirokami powers.

Her eyes widened, her voice trembling in shock.

Not because of what Yami was, but because those who could wield both powers were destined for a painful fate.

“Where… am I?”

“Akari, are you alright?”

“Mom, don’t worry. I’m fine… kind of.”

“Don’t get up. Keep lying down,” her mother said, looking even paler than Akari.

“Mom, where’s Yami? I need to ask him something.”

“He’s not going to come here — and you’re not going to meet him again, we are leaving this city tomorrow ” Hikari said firmly, ignoring Akari’s confused expression as she left the room, telling her older brother to look after her.

“Why is Mom acting so differently?

Why is she stopping me from seeing Yami?

Why are we leaving this city?

And how can Yami use white magic when he’s a Kurokami?”