ARIA
We made for the secret training dome the following day with my dad caressing a giant red handprint on his cheek, a whopping black eye, while he hiked through the forest with a strange gait.
You know, like someone kicked him in the balls.
I was dressed in my training clothes, the ones I usually wear at the gym during my mixed martial arts lessons. A loose, sleeveless red shirt over a black sports bra, leggings, and running shoes. I can confidently say I have no idea what to expect from this point onwards. I'm not entirely sure if I was dressed appropriately. It's not like I'm dealing with poles or limbs. I'm pretty sure these clothes are useless against swords and arrows. Is it too late to order a full-plate armor on Amazon?
With my history of physical fitness, most of them were because my gymnastics instructor insisted I follow his given regime, the hike towards the dome was a piece of cake. I do worry about the path on the way there though. I tried to memorize the zigzag paths that
Dad took so I could go there on my own for some independent training. But the thick fog and the dimness of the forest as the number of trees increased kept hindering my focus. I can see how this environment can easily trick the mind of any traveler who has managed to make their way here.
"Keep up the pace, Aria." Dad called out, "You wouldn't want to get lost, do you? The illusion will get to you the moment you let your guard down."
"Roger that." I said, jogging until I was beside him. "Is this your work too? The illusion?"
"That's right. Although this is just tapping the surface of the gift," Dad replied. "Once you have mastered the ability of mind manipulation, you will be able to get inside your target's head, read their thoughts to anticipate their next move, and also influence their actions."
"Like I can make them do whatever I want?"
"Yes." Dad paused to look at me. "You can also make them jump off a cliff, or stop breathing, or pull the trigger of their gun pointing at their temple. That's how dangerous this ability is."
And here I was, thinking ultimate persuasion. I hadn't even thought about the consequences I might have caused until he told me how the power worked. The thought of myself making a reckless joke or dare during a game with my friends, and unknowingly activating my gift in the process—just thinking about the results terrifies me.
"So, what do we do for our first lesson?" I asked.
Dad sucked a breath between his teeth. "That's the thing. We don't have the time to get you into proper training. We'll be doing this at a fast pace. I'm confident to say that you won't be leaving this place without injuries."
"Oh, that's okay. I deal with sprains and muscle strains all the time." I replied, skipping as I went. "My martial arts instructor was pretty brutal and strict. A lot of the new trainees in my time signed out because they couldn't handle the intensity."
"Is that right?"
"Yup. I'm pretty fond of him too. He's like an uncle to me."
"I see."
A couple more distances and we burst through the trees, a small waterfall greeting us. For a second our entrance felt strange. It was like entering an invisible barrier. I guess this must be why I was unable to hear the sound of rushing water as we grew near—even with my enhanced hearing.
I followed Dad as he crossed his way through the waterfall. There were wet stepping stones which he used as a bridge, and when we reached the edge, the water instantly parted like curtains, revealing a steel door behind it.
The door blended so nicely with the moss and rock. It was heavy, made of metal, and had engravings of unfamiliar symbols all over it. Dad waved his hand in front of it, barely touching, and the symbols started to glow. A series of clicking sounds, as if the inside of the door was compiled with locks, then the door pushed open.
The interior of the training dome was like a cross-breed of an armory, a target arena and a training center for gymnastics. It was very well lit, smelled faintly of dirt and grass, and the walls were a museum of weapons chained securely for storage. There were different kinds of swords, blades, knives, guns and bows and arrows—even shields and armors. The floors were worn out and matted, and had occasional cuts and slashes (from long ago sparrings, I suppose.)
The ceiling was made of glass. You can see what time of hour it was, if it's getting dark or almost sunrise, just by looking up. It was fascinating because, from the exterior of the place, you would expect to see-through the inside of the dome. And all I saw was a small hill filled with tall trees and ground plants. Fascinating.
"Alright." Dad walked towards a corner and placed our bags on the floor. He took off his coat and went for a bucketful of long wooden poles, grabbing one. "I'll give you five minutes to stretch, then we'll begin immediately."
"Roger that." I said, immediately going over my usual warm ups in both martial arts and gymnastics. Once I was finished, I turned to him and said, "Now what?"
He didn't reply. Rather, he merely disappeared before my eyes and appeared behind me, smashing the pole on my left side. I didn't even have time to see him, but my instincts kicked in and I positioned my arm in a way how I block my enemy's kick.
But he didn't hit me in the arms like how it's done normally, instead he targeted my waist part.
"Ack!" I let out, my body hurtling straight to the walls, hitting them hard.
I felt all the air gushing out of my body due to the impact. I collapsed to the floor with wide eyes, coughing heavily, and one hand clutching the part where I was hit. Everything hurts like hell. And this was just the first attack. "Ow! "
"What are you doing?" He said, "Get up!"
"Come on! How am I–" I hissed at the pain that shot up my left side. I forced my legs to stand and take a proper battle stance. "How do you expect me to fight against a freaking pole with my bare hands?!"
"I'm not expecting you to. I was merely programming your body to predict potential attacks. Whether you see it coming or not."
"So you're teaching me the art of dodging?"
He rolled his eyes at my sarcasm, "Well, duh."
"You're not serious are you?" I asked, gesturing at the weapons on the walls. "I thought you were teaching me about swords and shooting guns."
"Learning how to wield guns is easy. And when it comes to anything with a sharp edge and a pointy end, I have a personal principle to ensure my disciples know how to avoid them first before actually teaching them how to use it." Dad said. He returned to his stance, and changed how he wielded the staff from before. "If this was a real blade, you would've been cut in half by now. And how could you possibly fight without your legs?"
It was my turn to return the obvious. "With my mind, duh."
Dad scoffed, "You don't even have the faintest idea how to wield that power. A single mistake could cause major damage. You're still green. That means you are used to emotions controlling you, and you should avoid that. You could destroy the minds of those near you if you lose control of yourself."
I sighed, cracking the bones of my shoulder. "Can't I just regenerate my injuries? After all, I'm not human anymore."
"There are three ways to quicken the healing. You either eat a whole lot of food, drink every human blood you can put your hands on, or just let time take the reins."
A feeling of hope bloomed in my chest. Teagan's injuries! Carter's eye and arm! We could heal Austin's paralysis!
"Really? Does the same go for regenerating lost limbs?"
"For that, you will need a special type of food."
"What food?"
"You eat the flesh or drink the blood of a monster."
I paled at his words. My friends have to eat those things?! Swallowing anxious feelings, I asked "Do we have monsters in Forbidden Vale?"
"It is the duty of our family to make sure the area is clear of any threat." Dad replied, "While I'm gone, it is your mother who takes on the job of exterminating enemies and monsters in this town."
"How on earth did she pull that off? I've never seen her leave the house in the middle of the night. And she has the morning shift at the hospital. I would've gotten a call from one of her colleagues if Mom had disappeared or gone missing for quite a while."
"What, have you forgotten it already? Your mother has…magical beasts at her beck and call. They do the dirty work for her."
Great, just how am I supposed to hunt down special food to help heal my friends? With Dad in the house, and Mom now aware that I'm aware of their secrets—I can't possibly sneak out of the house in the dead of the night.
"To think you're still able to relax in this situation…I guess we'll have to fix that." Dad's low-key sinister voice broke through my thoughts. I jolted out of it and became frantic when I found Dad had gone missing again. And that would only mean one thing.
A single blink, and I found myself ricocheting towards the ceiling, gasping for a breath as I swore I felt my spine break upon contact. I hit the floor hard when I dropped. My instincts instantly screamed. I immediately rolled to the side just as my dad's weapon smashed to the ground.
I wobbled to my knees, beginning to feel my bones regenerating. I spat a mouthful of blood on the ground and wiped the mess on my mouth with the back of my hand. Dad's head swiveled towards my direction, his mouth curling into a grin that matched the one plastered on my face.
I don't know how I'm enjoying this abuse. Not to mention, how I don't think of my dad grinning at the sight of my bloodied self as abnormal is just insane. I should be crying, begging or be terrified that I'm being inflicted with pain. I assure you it's completely different from the concept of bdsm. It's the rush and the thrill that came surging inside me is what's addicting. I'm a freaking adrenaline junkie! And I have a feeling my dad is too.
We were both madly insane.
Although, I'm confident to say, I have no idea how I got home that day.