A couple of minutes after Lennox left, Kira went to bed and quickly fell asleep. A few hours later, she started twisting and turning, sweating profusely, soaking her clothes and the bed within her dream.
In her dream, Kira found herself surrounded by darkness. "Grandpa! Grandpa, where are you?" she kept calling out.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a beast-like roar resonated through her dream, forcing her to cover her ears as pain and fear filled her eyes. She had been having this recurring dream since the age of 14, and it haunted her every month. As she ventured further into the dream, before her eyes an elder man appeared. But before she could reach him, four large claws slashed through the dream world, splattering blood everywhere, even on her face.
"Ahh!" Kira screamed and woke up in absolute terror. She passed her hand over her face as if wiping something off.
Looking at her clean hand, her breathing heavy, she started to calm down, but tears began to fill her eyes. The recurring nightmare had left her deeply shaken.
"Grandpa," Kira uttered, her voice laced with a mix of sadness and anger, "I miss you so much."
"You... dreamt it again"
As Kira was on the verge of tears, she heard a male voice beside her, speaking in a smooth but flowing tone.
Quickly turning her head, she saw a cold and relaxed man with light dark skin, standing at an impressive 6'5". He had short brown curly hair, a black right eye, but the left one bore a scar from top to botton, his left eyeball appeared fully white. He sported a goatee, wearing a one-piece grey suit with a black jacket and brown shoes. His fingers adorned a couple of rings, one with a black band and another with a black gem, holding a cigarette that he was casually smoking.
"Huh... Mentor Kage, what are you doing here?" Kira said, quickly getting off her bed, flustered by Mentor Kage unexpected appearance in her room. She noticed her bed was wet, which bothered her, and her clothes were already damp.
"As I told you in the past, my shadows are always watching over you," Mentor Kage said, bowing out his smoke. "I saw that you made a new friend," he continued, trying to divert Kira's questions.
"You diverted what I asked," Kira said, her tone firm. "But yes, I made a friend. Well, I don't know if he's a friend yet... is that a problem?"
Mentor Kage took a couple of puffs of smoke before answering. "Kira, as I said, we shadow users stick to ourselves," his eyes reflecting understanding, "but that doesn't mean we can't have friends. In fact, friendship can be a guiding light in our darkest moments. It's essential to find people who accept us for who we are, even with our unique abilities. Embrace those connections, for they have the power to illuminate the shadows within our hearts."
Feeling a sudden pang of realization, Kira hesitated for a moment. As she was about to respond to Mentor Kage, her mind flashed back to the moments she spent with Lennox. She remembered how, deep down inside, she had always been hesitant about making new friends. In the past, she had avoided getting close to others, never visiting them again after the initial interaction. But for some unknown reason, she found herself drawn to Lennox, wanting to know more about him and his world.
A mixture of emotions washed over her, and she looked back at Mentor Braden, her eyes reflecting a newfound determination. "I understand, Mentor Xavier. But I believe this might be different. I want to give it a chance," she said, her voice resolute. "Maybe it's time for me to step out of my comfort zone and see where this friendship leads."
"I suggest you go vent now," Mentor Kage said, his tone filled with concern.
"But it doesn't work," Kira replied, her frustration palpable.
"Kira, it doesn't work because you don't want it to," Mentor Kage said, his voice gentle but firm. "From what I've seen, you seem to continuously deny or ignore your fears. It's like something within you causes you to give up, to back away from facing your fears head-on. Confronting your fears is not about eradicating them instantly but acknowledging their presence and finding the strength within to overcome them. Only then can you truly move forward."
Instead of responding to Mentor Kage, Kira broke down in tears. Normally, she had a comeback for anyone, but in this moment, she couldn't find the strength. Without saying a word, she stormed out of her apartment and headed straight to the academy.
As she walked, her eyes filled with tears, each step tapping the ground, she harnessed the shadows around her, her control expanding. In her mind, she revisited the day her grandpa died and what had killed him.
Arriving at the academy through her secret spot, she exhaled sharply, a puff of cold air dissipating into the atmosphere. Almost exhausted, tears streaming down her face, she struggled to control her emotions.
Slowly, a half-figure made of shadow and darkness appeared, one red glowing eye on its head. Eight feet tall, half of its body was muscular with a left hairy arms and four sharp, medium-sized claws, its mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth.
This illusion, a manifestation of the creature that killed her grandfather, weighed heavily on her mind. Instead of succumbing to the fear and anger it evoked, Kira chose to confront it.
The shadowy creature lunged at her, its massive arm swinging in her direction. Kira sidestepped it, materializing a blade of shadow and striking the creature's hand. The blade bounced off, but instead of harming the creature, it absorbed the shadow, growing stronger.
The shadowy creature came after her again, and Kira, fueled by frustration, grief, fear, and overwhelming anger, sent out multiple shadow blades at once. However, the creature absorbed each attack, becoming faster and stronger. It struck her multiple times, leaving her feeling helpless and consumed by her emotions.
"I hate you! Why don't you just disappear?" Kira shouted, her words laced with intense hatred and anger, her emotions boiling over.
Despite the pain in her mind and the relentless assaults from the shadowy creature every assault from the shadowy creature it damaged her mind more, But Kira kept going. With each strike, she released her pent-up emotions, channeling them into her attacks. Shadows swirled around her fists and feet as she delivered powerful blows, imagining herself confronting the pain caused by her loss. The training session became a way for her to confront her feelings, allowing her to release her grief in a productive manner. However, the battle was intense, sometimes working and sometimes not, the emotional turmoil making it difficult for her to focus entirely.
Finally, her mind couldn't bear the pain any longer. She fell to her knees, defeated and exhausted both mentally and physically. The overwhelming emotions had taken their toll, leaving her drained and vulnerable on the training ground.
"Do you really think you can get rid of me so easily?" The shadowy creature suddenly spoke, its voice dripping with malice as its red eyes glowed menacingly, looking down at Kira.
"L-Leave me alone!" Kira shouted, her voice quivering, her eyes darting around as she tried to evade the shadowy creature, cowering in fear.
"No matter how many times you get rid of me, I will return," the shadowy creature said sinisterly. "I am now a part of you."
The shadowy creature then slowly circled around Kira. "Why fight, battle, or be angry at me... when all I want you to do is fear me? It better for you to fear me" it taunted, its words echoing ominously in the air.
"Little Ember," the familiar voice of her grandpa resonated in the air.
"Grandpa?" Kira said in surprise, her heart skipping a beat as she hadn't heard that name in years. Slowly turning toward the direction of the sound, she saw her grandpa's old face emerging from the shadow creature on the right side, and the shadowy creature's eyes stopped glowing red.
"Little Ember... I'm finally able to see you again," Grandpa said, his voice filled with warmth and love.
"Grandpa... what's happening? How are you there?" Kira asked, panic evident in her voice.
"Little Ember... I don't know. I'm proud to see what you have become," Grandpa said, his eyes shining with pride.
"But... I miss you. Because of this evil creature, life hasn't been very good without you. I try to push forward, but there's no meaning anymore without you by my side," Kira confessed, her voice filled with longing and sorrow.
"I know, sweetheart, but sometimes we have to face things, even if it hurts us," Grandpa said, his voice gentle yet firm. He reached out, his ethereal hand brushing against Kira's cheek in a comforting gesture.
"But I can't. Not without you. I never will, until I find your killer," Kira responded, determination etched in her words as she vowed to avenge her beloved grandpa.
Grandpa smiled, a warm and reassuring smile that eased some of the turmoil in Kira's heart. "You have a strength within you, Little Ember, a strength I've always knew. It's the same strength that kept you going after I was gone."
Tears welled up in Kira's eyes as she nodded, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. "I will, Grandpa. I'll face this creature, and I'll make sure it doesn't hurt anyone else."
As Grandpa stopped talking for a second, Suddenly, the shadowy creature's eye started to glow back in a menacing shade of re
"Grandpa!" Kira exclaimed, her voice filled with a mixture of hope and desperation.
"Little Ember... I don't have long, but I want to say this," Grandpa said, his voice gentle yet urgent. "Even if you don't give up on me... I hope you give up on your revenge. It will only destroy you in the end, just like your mother."
"I love you, Little Ember!."
Kira was shocked by her grandfather's final words. Before she could say anything, the shadowy creature dissolved into darkness and disappeared.
Kira straightened her body, wiping her eyes and looking up at the moon. She found a sense of closure, having finally been able to confront her feelings, even if it was through an illusion. The experience left her emotionally drained but also stronger, both mentally and physically.
Slowly, Kira walked back to her apartment. She laid down on her bed to rest, thinking about her grandfather, a smile on her face. Despite the challenges she faced, she felt a newfound sense of peace, knowing that she had confronted her fears and found strength within herself.