Seiya stood paralyzed at the door, cold sweat trickling down his back as anxiety gripped his mind. His head drooped lower with each passing moment, the weight of nervousness pressing heavily upon him.
His heart thudded in his chest as the door suddenly swung open, revealing a boy at the threshold. Seiya's breath hitched, his eyes widening as he came face to face with one of the children he had been desperately avoiding. A small gasp escaped his lips, his mouth agape as if uttering a single word would dislodge his heart, which seemed lodged in his throat.
"You're here" the boy said, his voice soft and soothing, like a whisper to a cherished one.
Seiya was startled by the calmness of the boy's tone, delaying his response. "M-mn" he managed, nodding slightly, his head bowing even further. He had intended to speak, but the words refused to come, trapped by his mounting nervousness.
"It's late already so I thought you wouldn't come" the boy continued, a faint, awkward smile curving his lips.
Seiya kept his gaze fixed downward, unable to meet the boy's eyes.
"Well, come in" the boy offered, opening the door wider and gesturing for Seiya to enter.
Seiya stepped inside, avoiding eye contact as he moved toward the back of the room, where a long desk stood. His heart raced and he was too anxious to do anything but stand still, hyper-aware of the boy's watchful gaze behind him. He tensed, but moments later, the sound of the door closing signaled the boy's departure.
Relief washed over Seiya as he realized he was alone with the other sleeping children. His fingers clasped together over his chest in a gesture of comfort, grateful for the boy's departure.
Yet, a wave of melancholy swept over him as he thought of the boy who had just left—the one with blue hair so light and fluffy with some spiked parts. The boy who had twice intervened during his moments of bullying. Seiya's heart brimmed with gratitude, though it was laced with conflicted emotions.
Seiya glanced around the room, noting its simplicity. A room for four people with two bunk beds stacked atop each other on either side of the room. A long desk rested at the far end. The beds on the right were already occupied, while the left side remained vacant.
Seiya scanned the empty beds and surmised that the top bunk without a pillow or any signs of use was his. Quietly, he climbed up, careful not to disturb the sleeping boys. He sprawled out on the bed, exhaling deeply in relief.
Fatigued from the day's training and sessions, sleep quickly enveloped Seiya.
5:00 a.m.
Seiya's eyes lazily peeled open, his gaze heavy with exhaustion. His eyelids drooped, and his eyes were bloodshot, evidence of insufficient rest. He longed to sleep more, but such indulgence was not permitted at the facility. His body had been conditioned to wake at 5:30 a.m even without an alarm., a routine ingrained through trials and punishments until it became second nature.
He yawned quietly before descending from his bunk, unaware that the boy beneath him was awake until the boy cleared his throat to catch Seiya's attention.
Seiya flinched, his drowsiness fading. Why is he awake again? Seiya wondered, casting a blank stare at the boy.
"So you wake up at this time, huh? Explains why you always miss breakfast" the boy remarked warmly.
Seiya remained silent, unsure how to respond.
"Good morning" the boy offered, his tone warm and inviting.
Seiya's eyes widened in surprise. It was the first time anyone had greeted him since his arrival, and the warmth in the boy's voice touched him.
"G-g-go-g~~~" Seiya stammered, struggling to return the greeting. His posture stiffened as he stood frozen in place.
The boy laughed softly, not in mockery but with genuine amusement. "You should get going before time slips away."
With a quick nod, Seiya rushed to the washroom for a thing or two before rushing out.
In the hallway, Miss Onoya awaited him. Seiya quickened his pace as soon as he saw her.
"How's the new room?" she inquired, striking up a conversation.
"Mn" Seiya responded with a nod, leaving his response open to interpretation.
"We're not heading straight to your training ground today. You have a brief session with your father first" Miss Onoya informed him.
Seiya tilted his head, curious.
"A new poison was recently discovered from a dungeon. It will be tested on you and you're to complete your training today with the poison in your system" she explained.
"Additionally, two new professional instructors have been hired—one for Taekwondo and another for Karate and Taijutsu. These will be incorporated into your existing regimen, further compressing your time. You'll only have brief breaks from now on. Lunch will be served at the training ground, and dinner might be the only meal you share with the other children. Prepare yourself."
Seiya remained silent, his expression blank.
"Do you find this unfair?" Miss Onoya asked.
"Not at all" Seiya replied flatly.
She led him to his father's lab, where he lay down to receive the new poison. After the injection, he was instructed to resume his training.
As Seiya sprinted and jogged around the yard, he felt the effects of the poison. His body burned—not with the heat of a fever but with something far more severe. His breaths grew ragged, his vision getting blurred with the world around him darkening.
Nonetheless, he carried on. But as he did, green veins bulged across Seiya's skin as he persisted with his push-ups, each repetition worsening his condition. The veins protruded from his neck, arms, face, and forehead, as if on the verge of bursting.
Hot mist escaped his mouth with each exhale. Seiya collapsed, his head spinning, nausea surging through him. Struggling back into position, his arms trembled, and saliva dripped from his mouth onto the ground below.
"W-water" Seiya rasped, his throat parched.
"I'm sorry, but I've been instructed not to give you any" Miss Onoya replied bluntly.
Frustration gripped Seiya as his veins throbbed on the back of his hands. A sharp itching pain surged through his body, compelling him to scratch at his face and neck violently, blood seeping from his skin. The itching pain overrode his thoughts, driving him to frantically claw at himself, his mouth dripping with viscous saliva.
"The poison dehydrates the body and causes the skin to rot" Miss Onoya observed coldly, watching Seiya writhe in agony.
Blood dripped from Seiya's mouth, his lips raw from gnawing at the inside of his cheeks.
"Continue the push-ups" Miss Onoya commanded.
Seiya tried to comply, but the moment he ceased scratching, unbearable pain engulfed him. His body dried out, the pain in his head driving him to tug at his hair. Blood spattered the ground as he pulled at his hair, his uniform and body stained in red and saliva.
"Did you not hear me? Continue the exercise." she repeated.
Her voice felt like a piercing noise in Seiya's ears as if it were injected directly into his brain, each syllable ringing sharply in his ears—amplifying his agony. He clutched his head tightly, folding forward to bury his head between his knees as the pain intensified.
"Start the push-ups" she commanded again, her words ringing in Seiya's ears like an assault to his senses.
In a moment of reckless desperation, Seiya shot forward with sudden speed, his movement fueled by instinctive fury. His hand clawed at the soft skin of her cheek, raking his nails across her flesh. Deep lacerations marred her face like one mauled by a beast, blood streaming down.
Miss Onoya's eyes spread wide in shock as she stumbled back, falling to the floor.