Innate Ability

The storm was now in full swing with the windows rattling from the rain and raging winds, while the sky darkened with vast, murky clouds.

Lord Kaiser and Atsuo watched Ivia in utter confusion. Whatever she asked Atsuo to do, none of them were on the same page.

“My what?” Atsuo asked baffled.

“…Your innate ability. Please,” she begged after a little pause, “make me fall asleep.”

“You owe me as much for singlehandedly getting our group disqualified during the tea party” she persisted.

“I’m… sorry about that…” Atsuo said, “…and I would help you out regardless, but I don’t know whatever it is you are talking about.”

“What?” she quickly asked, perplexed.

“What…?” Atsuo asked awkwardly.

“I remember you from Arete’s trial. The both of you are also limitless potential,” she said, “so why are you feigning ignorance?”

“Huh?” Atsuo uttered a little irritably, “no one is feigning ignorance.”

“Easy there…” she said, “if what you said was true, unlike you I have perfect control over my abilities.”

Lord Kaiser laughed, when she suddenly turned to him and swiped her finger.

The expression on his face abruptly changed and he reached for a jug of water on his nightstand, drinking all of the contents.

“…that’s a nasty ability…” Lord Kaiser muttered hoarsely, “…don’t do that again…”

Ivia turned back to Atsuo, who still was not convinced.

Annoyed, she looked around the room, stopping at the window.

She glanced back at him, swiping her finger through the air again.

The rain that was pouring uncontrollably, abruptly stopped.

Atsuo gazed outside in disbelief as Ivia smirked at him.

After a couple of seconds, he went back to his senses.

He cleared his throat and faced her.

“…And?” he asked, making her vein twitch on her forehead.

The rain resumed out of nowhere, even more intensely than before.

“And?” she reiterated irately, “are you really that slow?”

“Sometimes…” Lord Kaiser chimed in, nodding.

“What I said was true,” Atsuo told her seriously, “so, how exactly does your ‘little performance’ make me ‘slow’?”

She sighed disappointingly.

“I can manipulate water,” she said, “even water in your brain, if I wanted to.”

“You can do something as well, like you did back at the tea party…” she said, “whatever you said back there, became a reality. So do it again and make me sleep.”

She stared at Atsuo resolutely, when he began to awkwardly twitch.

“What?” she asked.

“…It’s already morning…” Atsuo said, pointing at the clock.

Words could not describe the expression on her face.

Those were the last words she wanted to hear.

Hopelessness was visible within her eyes as her mouth fell open. She wanted to cry.

Atsuo understood very well.

“Do you still want me to try?” Atsuo asked sympathetically.

She sat completely motionless and quiet.

Atsuo felt bad and started to speak.

“What if you couldn’t sleep…” he said, “for five more seconds…”

After five seconds, her eyes rolled back and she fell back against her pillow, snoring.

They watched her sleep for a few seconds, making sure that she is not awake, when Lord Kaiser turned to Atsuo.

“Damn, sleeper… you’ve really gotten used to your curse…” he said impressed.

“…It’s an ‘innate ability’ apparently…” he corrected Lord Kaiser, and sat down on his bed.

“Hmm?” Atsuo uttered, looking to the right, near the infirmary entrance.

Atsuo flinched again, seeing that the girl with the same creepy smile was still there.

Seeing his reaction, Lord Kaiser followed his gaze towards the girl, also twitching at the sight of her.

Atsuo sighed.

“Can you not smile normally?” he asked, on edge.

The girl shook her head with the same expression on her face.

“Why aren’t you speaking?” Atsuo asked.

The girl looked at Lord Kaiser and Atsuo followed.

“Oh… right” Atsuo said, “so that he doesn’t blow up again, bear with it please.”

The girl nodded and showed an ok sign with her right hand, whilst eyeing Lord Kaiser, who turned away.

Lord Kaiser felt bad about going a little too far with his swearing from earlier that rendered the girl mute.

“Remove it...” he muttered to Atsuo.

Atsuo and the girl were both caught off guard. He clearly felt bad about it. Seeing his repenting face, Atsuo did not question his request and instantly removed the instilled effects with his ability.

The moment she went back to normal, she instantly apologized and explained her situation.

The girl was named Kiyo. She had auburn hair tied up in a bun, with some freely hanging on the sides. In her jade-colored eyes, one could see a disturbed soul.

It turned out that her loud voice was not intentional. Living in the western part of Rozair, she grew up in Zedelot, the capital of poverty and crime in Rozair. Having to spend her childhood in such an abhorrent environment led her to eventually come across the lowest of scum.

She lost her family at an early age of nine and was cursed with a phantom irritability syndrome. It was a rare phenomenon that caused the people around her to get easily irritated with her by hallucinating the things they find the most annoying or terrifying.

Oblivious to this cruel fate, the callous society she was a part of and spent her whole life at, ostracized her. This was the case everywhere, until a kind, travelling woman by the name of Eleos adopted her and took her overseas, to Rotesar continent.

From there, Kiyo enrolled in the Yozuern Institute, where she met Ivia. Her condition continued to cause her hardships; however, an opportunity was presented to her to got to Rozair’s actual capital for Drezore’s competition.

This was a golden opportunity to search for possible treatment, if it existed.

Lord Kaiser’s heart sank. Words could not describe how horrible he felt.

“I’m sorry to hear that…” Lord Kaiser said grimly.

“…and for what I did to you…” he added gloomily.

“DON’T WORRY,” Kiyo insisted, “I’M USED TO IT.”

Deeply ashamed, and disgusted with himself, Lord Kaiser wanted to break his skull open against one of the pillars in the infirmary.

He glared gloomily at his own reflection on the floor, when his breath suddenly hitched. He quickly turned to Atsuo, with a hint of hope in his eyes.

“Sleeper…” Lord Kaiser said, “sleeper, maybe you can remove it…? Her curse with your own cur– ability…”

Atsuo’s eyes widened. He looked at the now bewildered Kiyo and carefully prepared his next words.

“What if… your curse disappeared?” Atsuo asked cautiously.

Kiyo watched anxiously not knowing what to expect, when she suddenly felt something change.

As if a weight off her shoulders, she quickly glanced at her hands.

She looked up at Atsuo in disbelief, her eyes tearing up.

“I… I…” she mumbled, beginning to cry, “…thank you…”

She tried to wipe away her tears that relentlessly streamed down her face. Unable to control her emotions, she hugged Atsuo tightly, as she cried her heart out.

Lord Kaiser’s shocked face turned into a warm smile, as he got up and decided to be considerate by exiting the infirmary.

Before he stepped out, Kiyo quickly turned to him.

“Thank you…” she said sniffling, “I… owe you too…”

Lord Kaiser nodded and went outside.