Fear of power

There’s a throbbing pain coming from my temple. I manage to pry my eyes open, but they’re already obscured. Feeling returns to me over the next few minutes. I’m pretty sure I’m on the floor of that van, cold metal ridges irritate my side, and there’s a gentle hum coming from the road. They’ve bound my hands on top of it all. I try wiggling and tugging at my wrists.

“Ow!” I accidentally hit something hard with my head. It wasn’t metal, it had a layer of some squishy fabric… I think I headbutted someone?

I listen for breathing, but I can’t hear anything over the moving car. The thought does cross my mind that they could be dead, but that’s not really what I’m concerned with. Where are we going?

The ride goes on for at least 15 more minutes, I don’t even think a local could tell you where we are. The van slows to a stop and someone opens the rear doors.

“Boss is gonna be real happy with us for this one.”

“We did a menial task. This is what he asked us to do, he expects this.”

“I think you need to cherish the little victories more.”

“You know… You’re kinda right.”

A strong pair of hands grabs me by the ankles and pulls me out of the vehicle. Someone slings me over their shoulder and carries me for what feels like forever. They slam me down violently on a chair and the bag nearly flies off my head. I hear another heavy set of footsteps, followed by a screeching voice.

“LET ME GO, I swear to God when I get out of this I’ll drown you in your own spinal fluid.”

A set of expensive shoes clicks on the floor as it gets closer, only broken by the clack of a cane.

“Well then. You’ve all done well to bring me such an ideal candidate. You weren’t followed were you?”

“We weren’t followed, the underside of the van is clean, and everyone washed their hands.”

“Good, good. I’m told she hasn’t awoken?”

“We tested her in the van. She’s got a pure affinity, but it seems even she doesn’t know it, hardly put up a fight.”

“You don’t think she wanted to get taken right? We’re not getting tricked?”

“She just needs to be awoken.”

“Alright, start the test then.”

The expensive shoes click away on the concrete floor and a struggle happens with the other chair.

“Alright missy, I think you know by now what’s happening.”

“Yes I’m so caught up on my OWN KIDNAPPING.”

“I’m gonna take the bag off now.”

The man assumably takes a bag off the girl’s head.

“You’re gonna make us artifacts kid, good ones, pure ones, and this boy won’t end up dead. Now I’m sure you might feel nothing for this poor sap here, but you also might feel something, deep down.

A violent pain hits my thigh, he’s stabbed something deep into my leg.

“AHHHHH, God!” I can’t help but scream, the pain is unbearable. I feel his blade scratching my bone, and I can’t imagine how much blood I’m losing.

“Stop that okay. Leave him alone!” The girl cries out, her voice is shaking.

“So you’ll help us then?” The thug questions her, but she doesn’t reply. “Fine then, you can watch the light fade from his eyes.” The thug tugs at the bag on my head.

“NO Please don’t kill him!”

The bag finally gets pulled over my head and the light is blinding. A tall brutish man with endless tattoos and a cheap grin stands in front of me, he smiles as he steps behind my chair.

“Are you kidding me?” I finally match my gaze with the girl across from me.

“Rikiyo?”

“Don’t say my name you Goddamn freak.”

“What should I call you then?”

“JUST DON’T TALK TO ME.”

The brute appears confused he looks back and forth at the both of us, trying to follow our exchange.

“You two know each other?”

“Unfortunately.” Rikiyo answers before I can get off a word. The brute smiles and flicks out a small knife. He walks back behind me and slowly puts one hand on my shoulder as the other carries a blade.

“Then this’ll be that much more painful.” I stare at the dingy warehouse ceiling, past the blinding light, I know her answer.

“Okay, kill him.” The brute’s blade freezes, his grip on my shoulder lightens.

“I said kill him.” He releases my shoulder and stands up to the girl.

“I don’t have to listen to you... Maybe I won’t kill him.”

“You really should.”

“No, I- I know some part of you values human life, even if it’s his.” Rikiyo winces ever so slightly, and that’s all the brute needs. He turns around and kicks me in the chest, I go flying back in my chair. My head painfully connects with the ground and my pants start to soak up my own cold pool of blood. The brute stands over me and clocks me in the face.

“I’ll stop when he’s more dead, or you’re more agreeable.” My eyes swell with blood and my vision fades. The beating is intense, every hit rattles my brain. Rikiyo's quiet for a while, but eventually she cracks. 

“Stop... just stop it... I’m sorry STOP IT!” Rikiyo pleads, but the brute has already made up his mind. His iron fist cracks my face, and the ground underneath my head helps him. I’m being brutalized from every angle, I feel myself slipping, my vision fading…

“STOP IT… Kenji!”

“Kenji? Kenji!”

I breathe a heavy breath to clear my lungs of the blood, but nothing’s there. I open my eyes and find them no longer swollen. Somehow I’ve been teleported to the floor of a temple. Gold statues of dragons pour water gently from their mouths and the smell of soup beckons my attention.

“I call your name eight times and soup is what grabs your attention?” A woman dressed as a shrine maiden holds a bowl of plain tonkotsu broth. I sit up to talk and sip the broth.

“Thank you.” The woman sits, head cocked in confusion.

“What? You don’t recognize me?” Her voice pours through my memory, I look down at my broth and it all clicks.

“Mom?” She leans in and hugs me. I spill my soup across the floor and enjoy her embrace. It’s really her. Tears nearly stream down my face before I think logically.

“Mom, if this is really you… Does that mean I’m… dead?” Mom relaxes her embrace, she leans back.

“Yes Kenji, you died a moment ago.” The thought hits me, dad, my new friends, life in general, I enjoyed it all. I couldn’t avenge my mother if we were both dead.

“Kenji, it’ll be okay, but I can’t explain here. Come.” I follow my mother out of the temple, and find a field of clouds pierced by impossibly tall mountains in the distance, mountains like the one we’re on. There’s a whole village atop this mountain. Trees perpetually in autumn bloom shed fiery leaves on Torii gates up ahead.

“You’ll go back Kenji, you don’t have much time here.”

“Where are we?” The sky catches my eye now, impossibly dense clouds spot the horizon in what seems like a checkered pattern.

“This is the Dragon Realm. Those of us with pure Dragon God blood come here when we die. This whole village is full of your ancestors, but you can’t see them yet.” She stops just before we reach the gate.

“I have something impossible to ask you Kenji.” She hangs her head low, clearly filled with guilt.

“I left something on earth, a weapon. I made a deal with Ligatio, and they ripped a piece of my soul to create the ultimate artifact.” Is this why she’s a shrine maiden? Can she not pass the gate either?

“What is it?”

“It possesses the power to project any affinity and amplify existing affinities to astronomical levels. A moderate flame affinity could level a neighborhood with a single ball of fire, imagine what a seasoned pure affinity could do.”

My head pounds in my skull and I nearly fall.

“Kenji!”

“What’s happening?”

“You’re returning to Earth.” I do my best to cling to my mother.

“But I don’t want to go. How do I find it? How do I use my power? Why did you sacrifice yourself?”

My mother smiles and brushes gentle fingers through my hair.

“Find a pure shadow affinity, breathe and imagine the magic, and tell Yoshimi, ‘It’s not your fault.’”

Her eyes begin to tear up, I feel myself fading again…

“Goodbye Kenji, stay alive…”